Devin Devine, stone mason and sculptor based out of the Pocono Mountains in Pennsylvania

contact devin@devineescapes.com

UPDATED, July 2026. Most of the original language is left intact, preserving the voice of me as a young writer, but links are updated, and headings have been added to make navigation easier.

Table of contents:

• the sculpture is commissioned
• stone selection
• building Dry Stone Sphere the Second
• When the sculpture collapsed
• Starting over
• The completed Sphere
• Featured in Garden Design Magazine
• Commissioning a Sculpture

The Sculpture is commissioned

I displayed my first Sphere at a home and garden show in February of 2013. A repeat customer of mine was there, one who had previously hired me to create patios, walls, and also my first bird baths and first benches. We had already been discussing the possibility of my building a Moon Gate, but upon seeing the sphere a decision was made.

Thank you Linda.

Before:

The before shot was taken months before, maybe in March when the dogwood was in bloom and the ferns were still uncurling.

Stone selection

Pennsylvania Bluestone was used. It’s called “bluestone” but comes in blue, lilac/purple and olive green. I used all 3 colors, plus some bright green stone of a type that’s not quarried anymore, to create a Lithadelic Configuration consisting of waves in blue, lilac and green.

Approximately 4 tons of stone was used.

Building a dry stone sphere

Just beginning:

By “just beginning” I mean to say “day 3”. That’s one solid day of just looking at the stones that I had to work with, and thinking, and then looking at the space that I had to work in, and thinking, contemplating, envisioning. Day two, cut a whole bunch of stones, hammer ’em, chisel ’em and also….look at them. Day three, set my guide post in to place, and lay a few stones. This was in June, with the hydrangeas in bloom, mostly blue and purple, the dogwood tree has leafed out,  and the ferns are all the way uncurled.

And bees! Bumblebees and honey bees too! Yep, I got stung, right on my calf. Nature saying ‘hey there mister, mind your step’.

Related content: building another dry stone sphere

A day or so later:

I built this Dry Stone Sculpture among lush vegetation, pachysandra covering every inch of ground, competing with every other plant, the way it does. Because of that I decided it would be a good idea to build the sphere upon a dias or raised platform*, to help raise the sphere up a bit, not let it get so over-taken by the ground cover.

*a decision that would influence future spheres of this series.

At this point, there’s only blue stones and lilac stones.

A day or so later:

Green stones have been added in to the mix. This added a bit of complication for me–now I have three colors to keep balanced in the composition. I’m not painting here–can’t just say “nah, I want to change that 500 pound section of green into lilac and switch that lilac area to blue” and then change it with a mere brush stroke–I have to move 500 pounds of stone, twice, to enact such a change.

The orange bucket in the background was a good sitting spot, to regard my work and pause for a bit. I’m not on a schedule, and my client was in no rush either. Buckets are also used to carry around tools with, and to store small bits of stone used for hearting. That’s infill, for all you non-wallers out there.

My environmental sculptures are built using methods I developed while building dry stone walls.

No cement on this project, anywhere. No glue either

Later:

No cement, not one drop. Not that I’m against cement, or against anything, for that matter. but it’s important to me, that this project was built in full cooperation with nature. Remember the bees? Gravity, stone, vision, heart–no tricks, no cheats, no “modern wonders of technology”.

It’s also a challenge, to me, as a builder. I’m not one to back away from a challenge, come on now.

Currently I am building some smaller “dry stone” sculptures, similar to this–that do use a discreet amount of bonding agent. This way, they are portable. Also, being so small….a larger project (like the sphere) can hold itself together with it’s own gravity–these smaller pieces would be vulnerable if they were true dry stone. No great dogma here. But again, when I say dry stone, I mean dry stone.

Me and the bees got along for the rest of the project by the way. They did not sting me, I did not kill them.

July 4th, my client was on vacation, and frankly, the project was taking longer than I expected. So I decided to do what had to be done, and work on the holiday.

the Sphere was about half-way completed at this point:

When the Sphere Collapsed: a learning experience

For the first half of the build on a project like this, there is danger. What we are talking about here is corbelling–every stone is jutting out, over hanging. Once I get past the half-way point, I’m adding weight to the center, making the structure stronger and stronger. Before the middle point, however, each course laid just makes the structure more and more vulnerable. Anyway, I was feeling pretty good about things…very mindful. Rather focused.

CRASH!

Actually, first I heard a slight shift, as if the stone was all shifting…..I was kneeling right at the half-sphere at that point. I stepped back just a little bit. No, actually, before I stepped back I tried to hold the sphere together for a moment. I bear-hugged it. I took one arm out of the bear-hug and quickly re-positioned a stone or two, then back to the bear hug, then another desperate re-positioning of another stone. But I knew it was no good. Alas, it was time to give in and step back. Let it happen.

Thank you, I said. Thank you to nature, to gravity, to God and to random process. This too, is a blessing.

And I decided to call it a day. Took a photo and went home. Fine, you want more humor? Being a holiday, I had decided to ride my motorcycle in to work that day. There was some wet moss on the clients driveway. Slick, like ice…oh yeah, I wiped out on my bike 5 minutes after taking that photo of my collapsed sculpture! And I swear, there was a squirrel looking at me, seemingly amused while it happened too. The squirrel looked at me and made a chittery sort of noise. Only going 5 miles an hour, so nothing “major”, just a life lesson I’ll keep with me always.

Starting Over

July the 5th.

Yup. Back to the start.

Re-organize the pile of stones. Look around a bit–lovely landscape to work in. Nice benches to sit upon. Did some grilling one day too.

I had some awesome walls to look at:

flagstone walkways:

Pretty flowers, butterflies, dry stone sitting walls, fancy patios, all-around a decent scene:

You might guess at this point that this was not my first time on this property. ..I may have had something to do with all that hardscaping. Anyway, back to work:

Getting close! Totally past that dangerous half-way point by now.

Ta-da! All finished.

A Geological Gift

I did the whole job solo, but brought in a helper on the last day, to help tidy up the customers yard after my work. As we were clearing the jobsite up, putting away my tools and clearing away unused stones, my helper noticed something–some of the stones I was using had these unusual inclusions–spherical inclusions. Yea, that’s right!

Now I’ve been working with Pennsylvania blue stone for many years now–I’ve never seen this before. I got out my smaller chisels and gently worked at the inclusion–it popped right out. Like a sign. Nature has seen my efforts and approves. Wow.

*having broken a couple of the spheres in half while prying them loose–they seem to be pyrite. 

Thank You.

Some of the inclusions broke when I tried to pry them out, but the ones that came out full, they are some of the most beloved, favorite stones that I have. And I have a lot of stones. Medicine stones, these. Again–thank you. Love this Earth right here. Love it all.

An homage, to this ball of rock that we live upon. A song of joy, created with the full cooperation of gravity and in collaboration with the forces of nature.

Thank you all for looking.

My work was featured in Garden Design Magazine

My first ever press coverage. This garden sculpture was my own design, but when asked about where I got the idea, I gave due credit to someone who came before me.

Read the feature in Garden design magazine..

This piece was completed in 2013, but the experience resonates through all of my works to this day. The concepts explored here, the understanding of gravity and the exploration of nature and flow–all continue to evolve. In fact, you should check back on my blog in a couple months, as this story will be continued in ways that may surprise.

 

more stone art:

• Dry Stone Spheres
• selected gallery
• Commission a sculpture
• stone patio mosaics
• natural stone bird baths

To commission a sculpture

contact devin@devineescapes.com I work in private gardens and public spaces across the country.

Thank you