My Muse

I want to first thank Katie Pfeiffer who mentioned me in her blog www.katiepfeiffer.blogspot.com having seen and enjoyed my rock sculptures, but not even knowing who or why they were there.  Until she wrote about me and showed photos of the sculptures, I thought of myself as just some rogue rock artist going out to enjoy some artistic expression.  I actually thought no one was even noticing these creations, and was frankly pleased I hadn't been arrested yet.  Katie is a true artist, very talented and well worth a visit to her site.
This morning was only supposed to be a visit to the Bala Cynwyd Library and a stop to drop off a couple of heavy base rocks for a future sculpture.  However, the island at Montgomery Ave. & Old Lancaster Ave. is on the way.  Last Autumn's sculpture had fallen down during the winter (of course).  Since there is a large, expensive sign at the island saying that the Merion-Cynwyd Civic Assoc. takes care of the plot, I know my rocks would not be long there with Spring on the way.  I couldn't leave with my rocks without trying to make the area look a little better than I found it.  Thus, I used the Home Depot stock garden blocks topped by one of my rocks as a small effort toward making the place nicer till the civic assoc. gets their act together.  Should that not happen, then they may find an even nicer sculpture in the locale, and I'll take over the gardening maintenance.

After the stop at the library (and forgetting the author's name - Patricia Cornwell - of the series I wanted to start reading) I got another Michael Connelly novel, and travelled on to Conshohocken State Rd. & City Ave.  I've had my eye on this abandoned gas station for a while and planned to quickly drop off two rocks and be on my way to Wawa.  To my surprise I found that the small island I'd chosen already had some pretty nice rocks on it.  And since I was there, and the rocks were there.....   It's nothing great, but it'll serve as a good test as to whether or not people will leave the sculpture alone or not.

The Re-building Period

The time after winter is always a tough time for me.  I have to visit rock sculptures that had fallen from the winter storms, and figure out just how I want them to look now.  Some I had already re-built were also visited by friendly youngsters who knocked down the sculpture leaving the tree limb on top of the rubble to remind me how much easier it is to destroy than create.  Thus, the Wynnewood Train Station has a whole new look.
The long, low sculpture is in my driveway.  It's really part of my inventory that evolved into a dragon (or whatever you think it is).  All those pine needles in front of it pushed me to start my Spring clean-up.  This endeavor will last throughout the Spring and Summer.  Meanwhile, the dragon is easy to care for and keeps the rabbits away from my impatiens.

I returned to the large sculpture at the deserted gas station at the intersection of Belmont Ave. and Rock Hill Road.  It was a mess.  I had no idea how to restore it, having forgotten how I managed to make the long base needed to support the upper structure.  A state trooper passed by giving me "the eye", and sending me into fourth gear.  The result looks really nice.  But will it last?

Japan Destroyed By Huge Earthquake - Main Line Times Interviews Me

On the same day that Japan is devastated by the largest earthquake to ever hit it, Pete Bannon of the Main line Times does a video interview of me working on my rock sculptures.  One must look at life in the proper perspective.  This interview had been planned for months, while the earthquake, and it's after-effect tsunami, only occurred hours ago.  So, Pete and I went with the bigger story.
Let me first say how stressed I get by being in front of a camera.  I feel like I'm in a tsunami, and function like an illiterate at Harvard.  Pete was very good and helped me to remember my name and why we were at the Wynnewood Train Station.  He assured me that our news story would garner as much press, if not more, than the Japan earthquake.  Hey, he's the official news media, don't they always tell the truth?  (We can debate that at another time.)
We started out with the big sculpture at the train station, as part of it had fallen down.  Yes. the earthquake was that big.  No, of course, it wasn't, but the storm that had come through yesterday was a corker.  So I'm out there re-building the rock sculpture still rattled by Pete's presence, the camera and the questions.  Forget multi-tasking, I'm lucky that I don't knock the whole thing down and have to start from scratch.
I finally get something up, and took Pete to the Ginza Restaurant to touch-up that one.  While he's filming me do my rock magic, a car pulls in and the lady driving stops me to ask if I'm "the one" who does the rock sculptures.  Bless you Julia Weekes for praising my work and saving me from having to answer more of Pete's questions.  Where did you say you wanted me to send your check?  No, honestly, she just appeared out of the tsunami to help me make this an awesome video.

Pete had finally had enough, and drove over to the gas station, while I went on the the Hamper Shop.  I felt it needed an up-grade from what I had previously done.  Pete came over from the gas station and shot a few more photos.  He didn't stay to see the final result which was a shame because it was the best of the day.  http://www.mainlinemedianews.com/articles/2011/03/14/main_line_times/news/doc4d7e4934143c1801762790.txt