A Small Stone for Spring

 

 Monday, April 10, 2003.

 

 Smallstone project, Day 1

More on this after I get done writing, and upload the photos.

I got an email from The Santa Fe Springs Art Fest this last weekend. They offered me space for up to three more entries in the Three-Dimensional Category. I'll be submitting these two pieces: 

Stoneblossom
 

 

Airstone
 

in addition to these two that I already entered:

 

Aerodyne
 

Waterstone

 

 That's some good news.

And we had some of our favorite people from the cycling world, come out to cruise with us on the So Cal RatRod Ride last Saturday.

 

Newport Harbor

Big blue boat

 

Little purple boat
 

I even made the drive home from Huntington Beach by way of the choking traffic on HWY 39, Beach Boulevard without getting flustered. 

All to the good.

 

Easter Sunday, Mary and I held our first gathering at the house since Christmas. The day was warm, bright, and clear. Not to mention, dry.  I roasted a big hunk of beef on the coals, and sliced it thin for sandwiches. We also set out a ham, got crusty rolls at the Mexican market, and Mary made her famous potato  salad with tomatoes, and bacon. Friends brought fruit salad, and three bean salad.

  Mary's niece, Katy and Katy's steady, Avi came over.  Mary's nephew, Evan and his wife, Jennifer came by as well. 

 Mary's brother Randy was Katy, and Evan's father. Randy  died rather suddenly the year before last. His wife Martha, Katy and Evan's mother, also died suddenly shortly after. This left Mary and me as the elders of the clan. We're doing what we can to hold on to some tradition.

 I like these... I want to say, these kids, but we knew Katy and Evan when they were kids. I remember bringing them toys and dolls for Christmas. They're all fine young adults, and I like them tremendously. If we have enough like them, the world as we know it may yet get by.

It is to be hoped. 

 

So, on to the stone.

 Well, wouldn't you just know- within a few days of finishing  the odd white wedge of rock that became Stoneblossom, I'm once again faced with working a carving out of a narrow three-sided splinter of rock. I have to remind myself that I chose these pieces after spending over an hour rummaging through the rock piles up at Art City. Water brings out the color.

 

As I'm sitting here at the keyboard I seem to remember that I tossed those two stones on the purchase pile almost as an afterthought before weighing up the whole batch. The new stone is rather petite; it weighs in at just a shade over twenty pounds. 

 

I'm pretty sure it's a chunk of the same material as the Aerodyne carving. We'll see.

 

 

At any rate, it's a nice firm piece of stone with interesting bands, and good translucency. I got the bottom cut, and flattened. You can see the line for the base. I have a whole school of ideas swimming around in my head for this one. Later this morning we'll start exploring.