IN THE COMPANY OF STONE

2017 Stone Projects and Art Travels

2018-01-30T16:08:00.000-05:00

A look back. The 2017 work year was a variety-pack of projects and travels bringing rocks and people together. Projects from 2017 now lie nestled in snow, while projects for 2018 are already underway. For full article jump to https://www.dansnowstoneworks.com/2018/01/30/2017-stone-projects-and-art-travels/

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Diamind Mines at TICKON

2017-11-21T11:14:00.001-05:00

For me, the piece had grown smaller, or the space around it, larger, in the time I’d been away. It was in pretty good condition considering its isolated location with no real monitoring or supervision. From along the top edges, stones had been dislodged and lay on the carpet of dry leaves that had built up on the floors of the cells. I felt for its vulnerability, but was reassured by its durability.

Clink on link for full story https://www.dansnowstoneworks.com/2017/11/17/diamond-mines-2/

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Stone Fun with Family

2017-11-18T08:56:00.001-05:00

A family is held together by those things that their members share with each other. The “giving away” increases the closeness between individuals and tightens the family bonds. Mutual respect grows when a balance of give and take circulates within the tribe.

For full story jump to https://www.dansnowstoneworks.com/2017/11/13/stone-fun-with-family/

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Art Above the Arctic

2017-11-06T09:04:00.000-05:00

A week on Sørvær in Northern Norway kept me immersed in the land and enveloped by the sea. Grasping the totality of the archipelago’s grand and sweeping vistas was a heady experience.

The artist residency at Fordypingsrommet Fleinvær afforded me the time and space to try something new. With no pressure to make anything specific, I was able to observe and respond to my surroundings in a relaxed and open manner, which made the time spent doing, all the more delicious.

Red Right Returning is an ode to the navigational buoys and hazard markers that dot the coastal waters of Scandinavia. The floating bobbers and fixed beacons rise above the surface of the sea, often the only man made objects within view. They’re painted bright colors to aid visibility and in the case of buoys, red ones mark the right-side edge of a channel for ships returning to harbor. The environmental artwork, Red Right Returning, is an assemblage of painted stones on top of an in situ glacial erratic. Total dimensions: 1.2 meter diameter x 1.2 meter.

The Long Way West is a labyrinth built from, and in, the remains of an abandoned, gravel storage yard. A few years back, a 50 square meter, heather and moss covered area on the island was sacrificed for storage of trail-building materials. No reclamation efforts had been made, leaving a scar on the otherwise natural landscape. In an effort to bring some healing to the disturbed ground I shoveled the gravel into mounds that delineate a long, winding path. Seaweed, washed up on a nearby shore, was collected and pressed into the pathway. Total dimensions: 7 meter diameter x .5 meter.
Fordypningsrommet, created by jazz musician Håvard Lund, is situated on the island Sørvær in the Fleinvær archipelago outside of Bodø, Norway.

For full story click through to https://www.dansnowstoneworks.com/2017/11/05/art-above-the-arctic/

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Something from Nothing

2017-10-06T04:38:00.001-04:00

A recent artist residency at AARK in Finland’s western archipelago allowed me the freedom to make something from nothing. There were no tools at hand and none of the materials I’ve grown accustomed to for making artworks. The islands were swept clean of loose stone by the last ice age, leaving a landscape of bedrock, worn smooth. Enough soil caught in low pockets to start the growth of the forest that now thrives there. It was in that birch and evergreen forest that I found my moss muse.

See link for full story https://www.dansnowstoneworks.com/2017/10/04/something-from-nothing/

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Stone in Motion

2017-08-02T18:22:00.001-04:00

Acceptance of whatever is offered by a stone supply clears the way for what’s there to fully present itself. Doors open when one truly wants to know what’s on the other side. The more that’s sought, the more bountiful become the returns.
https://www.dansnowstoneworks.com/2017/08/02/stone-in-motion/
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Granite Jenga

2017-07-30T10:34:00.000-04:00

What could be a more direct expression of form than molding earth in one’s hands? While the modes of earth shaping may vary, the impulse is ages old and remains strong as ever. My personal choice for satisfying the desire for hands-on interpretation of the earthly elements is the manipulation and configuration of loose stone. Within that narrow frame a wide variety of creative endeavors can be manifest. https://www.dansnowstoneworks.com/2017/07/29/granite-jenga/

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Landscape and Lasting Friendships

2017-07-27T16:01:00.003-04:00

Besides being a delightful get-together with an amazing group of landscape professionals and devotees, for Robin, David and me the day was a personal celebration of our long friendship.
https://www.dansnowstoneworks.com/2017/07/25/landscape-and-lasting-friendships/

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The Cultural Landscape Foundation - Garden Dialogue: Vermont

2017-06-08T12:56:00.001-04:00

On Saturday, July 15th, The Cultural Landscape Foundation will sponsor a garden dialogue with Robin Key of RKLA Studio in conversation with artist, Dan Snow. http://www.dansnowstoneworks.com/2017/06/08/tclf-garden-dialogues-artists-residence-vermont/

This event is a fundraiser for The Cultural Landscape Foundation. To support TCLF and purchase tickets for this event click HERE for details. Tickets for Garden Dialogues are tax deductible and proceeds benefit the educational programs of The Cultural Landscape Foundation. 2.0 LA CES™ Professional development hours will be available to attendees.

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Isosceles Stone Wall

2017-06-03T08:47:00.000-04:00

Complementing a garden that’s a feast for the senses, Isosceles is a slice of free stone pie with a flaky granite crust. See full post at http://www.dansnowstoneworks.com/2017/05/26/isosceles-stone-wall/

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The Stone Hollow

2017-04-02T07:26:00.000-04:00

While constructing The Hollow I watched a fisher make its way along the snow-draped stream bordering the work site. Its thick fur coat rippled in the sunlight as the stealthful creature silently moved from one crevasse to the next in search of prey. I hope next winter it will take a peek in The Hollow, for that would be a sign the work was truly home. http://www.dansnowstoneworks.com/2017/04/02/hollow/
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Art of the Outdoors

2017-02-25T15:10:00.003-05:00

I spiraled back out into the larger world by way of building free stone constructions. http://www.dansnowstoneworks.com/2017/02/25/art-outdoors/
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The Holy Well

2016-12-16T08:16:00.001-05:00

Excavation of the hillside spring revealed layers of geologic stratification. Top soil lay on coarse gravel over pure sand on top of clay hardpan. The design called for ground water that trickled out of the sand layer to be trapped in a hollow under a half-shell overhang. Recycled slate from building foundation ruins and cobbles from a gravel pit were combined to shape the dry stone installation.
http://www.dansnowstoneworks.com/2016/12/15/holy/
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Action in a Resting Place

2016-10-31T14:31:00.002-04:00

Understandably, the present strives toward the future, but there’s nothing to say we can’t, from time to time, turn around and walk backwards into it. In that way, momentum can be maintained while gazing back, with love and affection, on those who have come before. They might appreciate it, and our steps may be lightened by the expanded outlook on our place in time. See full post here - http://www.dansnowstoneworks.com/2016/10/25/action-resting-place/
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Fire Circle Square

2016-10-22T16:13:00.001-04:00

The design and layout of Fire Circle Square highlights quartz boulders by turning a collection of them into a fireplace and four adjacent perches. After positioning the stones, I carved depressions into them to create smooth sitting places. The fireplace stones were also cut, ground and polished, and then assembled into a plinth to hold a steel fire bowl. Between the plinth and seats I laid a floor with flagstone from a local quarry. The location of the piece was chosen to take advantage of a preexisting wall corner and a western overlook facing the mountain-ridged horizon. http://www.dansnowstoneworks.com/…/10/22/fire-circle-square/

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Stone Well Cover On Edge

2016-10-16T09:55:00.004-04:00

On edge, cradled by granite, free-standing dry stone wall on each side. http://www.dansnowstoneworks.com/2016/10/15/stone-cover/

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Lucy's Place

2016-10-12T13:02:00.000-04:00

A stone memorial can fuse the acknowledgment of the passing of a loved one with the memory of their life on earth. http://www.dansnowstoneworks.com/2016/10/12/lucys-place/

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A Ripple Effect in Steel and Stone

2016-09-03T16:36:00.001-04:00

As part of its 40th anniversary, the Montshire Museum of Science in Norwich, Vermont commissioned me to create a permanent, interactive, environmental art piece. The result is a 1,000 sq. ft. dry stone and stainless steel sculpture that rises like a geologic upthrust from the open space alongside the museum entryway. Visitors can walk, climb and sit on the undulant surfaces of the work, or, simply view it on their way to, and from, the building. Full post here - http://www.dansnowstoneworks.com/2016/09/03/ripple-effect/

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Landmark Shark

2016-06-04T12:54:00.001-04:00

During the month of May, a 22 meter long sculpture surfaced on the quad at Landmark College in Putney, Vermont. The dorsal fin of the granite and earth construction rises 2 meters above the MacFarlane Science, Technology & Innovation Center lawn. Once the cover plants are established on the earthen swells of the shark body, the piece will become an inviting land feature for students and faculty to congregate for outdoor classes and conversation. http://www.dansnowstoneworks.com/2016/06/03/landmark-shark/

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Snow Fence

2016-03-11T14:36:00.000-05:00

With every stone’s length laid across the wall, largest on the bottom, smallest on top, one stone thick throughout, the fence rose. It can be described as a “lace” wall because it’s shot through with holes. Each stone touches its neighbors, beside and below, just enough to fix it in place with nothing extra. In winter, the holes let the wind whistle through while the snow, carried by it, stops and drops in drifts along the wall line instead of settling across the field beyond.
For full post click on
http://www.dansnowstoneworks.com/2016/03/11/snow-fence/

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The Shadow Hill Concept

2016-02-20T11:53:00.000-05:00

The “Shadow Hill” concept - dreams of a co-authored art piece with participants needing only basic, dry stone walling skills. The bulk of the work is a repeating component in the form of a 5’ high, freestanding wall. Added to that are 5’ long, walltop-spanning lintels. Even at ¼”-1’ scale, a concept materialized in modeling clay is enough to make me a believer. http://www.dansnowstoneworks.com/2016/02/20/shadow-hill-concept/

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Montshire Museum Raindrops

2016-02-14T17:03:00.000-05:00

A raindrop splashing on still water ripples the surface with expanding wave rings that grow in number as they diminish in height. From the purity of the physics involved comes a simple beauty. Liquid in motion is mesmerizing to watch because it’s constantly changing while remaining the same. For the upcoming project at Montshire Museum I will petrify an instant in the life of two raindrops. http://www.dansnowstoneworks.com/2016/02/14/raindrops-splashing/

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Stone Memorial Bench

2015-12-19T11:58:00.001-05:00

There’s much to be considered in the process of producing of a stone memorial. Even something as simple as a bench requires discussion about setting, size, shape, materials, and the wording, layout and carving of a dedication. Often there are many family members and friends involved in the choices to be made. My task as a memorial designer/builder/installer is to gather individually held emotions and transform them into a collective expression. Hopefully, everyone will recognize something of their personal feelings reflected in the finished work. http://www.dansnowstoneworks.com/2015/12/19/stone-memorial-bench/

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Cairn With a Twist

2015-12-06T09:56:00.000-05:00

Each viewer brings a unique perspective and adds a bit of their own story to the experience of the work. I definitely associate the cairn with the sensation of vertigo. The meaning of the piece relates to opposite ends of the elemental spectrum; offering me both aerial unease and earthly surety. More photos and full article here - http://www.dansnowstoneworks.com/2015/12/06/cairn-twist/

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Rock Springs Revisited

2015-11-22T16:21:00.001-05:00

From picking up the phone, at home, to field a call from Scotland in April 2014, to picking up my tools from a field in Scotland and returning home in July 2015, “Rock Springs” was an experience in long-distance cooperation. I’d like to pay thanks to all those who made it possible.http://www.dansnowstoneworks.com/2015/11/22/rock-springs-revisited/

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