Balanced Stones
By Dave Savage DaveSavage.com 404 323-8686
These sculptures are temporary, like flower arrangements, fireworks and a decorative platter of food you bring to a pot luck dinner. It's just weight, balance, friction between the stones and steady hands. And, oh, I might "cheat" a little once in a while with a little pebble to fill a gap for stability. You'll also see that I've been adding a mixture of objects to the stacks. I welcome gifts of things that you think would be fun and artistic to combine.
I wouldn't have all of these pictures if they didn't get blown down in a breeze or fall when trying to get one more stone on the very top. I've learned to take pictures of them when created because many of them are so fragile they don't last very long. Sometimes I take one down because it's been up such a long time and I feel inspired to do something different. As you can see by the upper and more recent pictures that I'm increasingly adding metals and other media into my sculptures.
I particularly enjoy teaching others how to do it and seeing what they create. In the pictures below you'll see a few of my students. Let me know if your garden or art group would like an interactive class or presentation.
A big part of the practice is the belief that a precarious balance is possible at all, that it is possible for an expert and that it is possible for you to do it too..
At the bottom of the gallery of pictures are master stacker video links and articles.
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The steel rod is balanced on it's end! |
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A couple of my young enthusiastic students build something new every time they come by on a walk and roll with their parents.
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A client installation above.
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My 2nd youngest student at 28 months.
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Sometimes the shape of the stones helps create an animal.
I love to stack wherever the stones and opportunity appear. This one is at the Blue Heron Nature Preserve in Atlanta, along with several of my large all metal sculptures.
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My students create new things when I not there. Surprise!
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The sculpture above is a commissioned stack.
Consider one of my sculptures as a group gift for a dear friend's lovely home or business landscape. 
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These two above are commissioned stacks.
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The stack above was created by one of my neighbor students. I enjoy coming out to the yard to find that grownups and kids alike have been here building their own sculptures.
One of my neighborhood balancing students learning the basics. You're welcome to play and practice here too! I'm often surprised and delighted by what is created when I'm not watching.
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She is one of my youngest and most engaged students.
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I always stand with my feet out of the way of heavy stones.
I stand with my legs apart so falling stones don't hurt me.
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One of my balancing students surprised me with this T.
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Watch Michael Grab youtube videos called GravityGlue, at http:///www.gravityglue.com. Travis Ruskus also demonstrates stone balancing on youtube. See a rock stacking demonstration on TedxHickory by Phillip and Venus Bowman at.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=khkChqlYz3g
Double speed demonstration by Gravity Meditation
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DnpcPN0fwhc
Double speed demonstration by Gravity Meditation
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DnpcPN0fwhc