Devin Devine, land artist and artisan based in Pennsylvania
devin@devineescapes.com
2023 Calendars available
Earth Art Fest LEAF 2023
Taken a minute after setting the cap stone. Thanks to Alex, Chev, Ceto, Sean…..and I think 2 other guys–for helping get the cap stone up there! I’m thinking we’ll call this piece The Leaning Tower of Llano.
Video of building the dry stone tower
8′ tall dry stone tower. Taller, depending on where you measure from, as it was built on an un-level outcropping of solid granite bed rock. In the heart of Texas. Someone on social media suggested that a ladder would make this safer. I doubt it. Look, don’t you kids try this at home, that man is a trained professional.
Time Lapse of the entire process, plus removing the form:
The shape of the dry stone tower
It was originally going to be a more rounded structure, shaped more like a chiminea–but the stone said no, so I went with more of a bendy tapering form. Sometimes, the material has a will of its own and the vision must be adjusted accordingly. One of two people did guess chiminea, but many people saw this tower and suggested it looked like a pizza oven.
A friend who we met at LEAF 2023, from Sardinia told me about Nuraghi structures in her home land. I’d never heard of them–though I do admit, some of them are very similar to the small structure I built. The have level set stones, a tapering tower, and an arched opening. Cool!
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How amazing is the Llano Earth Art Fest?
Oh, it’s awesome alright! Photo by land artist and photographer Lawrence Winram. Great people, amazing artists–I’m grateful for every one of you.
Okay, so we did some ephemeral art while there too. These rocks were painted using hand made natural material paints. We taught a paint making workshop, at Leaf 2023, too!
Related Content: making silicate paints!
Awesome and talented human beings, Ents and Sasquatches, too.
More, about the Dry Stone Tower:
This was built according to the ancient formula of “two over one, one over two–and set the length into”. (But admittedly, was built in hastier manner, than we usually do) If you see any apparent vertical seams, don’t worry guy. It’s a round structure– there’s good overlap, internally, otherwise I wouldn’t move on to the next course.
Made the cover of Llano news, too. Photography by Briley Mitchell, Article by Terry Schroth. Caption reads: the project took 10 days. In reality, we had been there for 10 days by the time we’d finished–BUT the first 2 days were spent gathering materials, plus, we took one day off due to rain–This project took 7 days, not 10.
“I climb everything I build”
It’s true. I test it for strength. Make sure the cap stones don’t wobble. I get to enjoy the view, up there. But usually, I climb once, and then never again. Here however…..I had an audience. They loved me being up there, so I had to spend a few hours each day, during the festival–up there on the tower.
On the way to LEAF 2023, my apprentice and I stopped at some state park in Tennessee, where I built a free-form arch.
Still MORE, from LEAF 2023
Late night sand art by my apprentice, Alex Cole.
The Amazin’ Walter. He also builds dry stone spheres–he just uses smaller “stones”!
Odessa Ford’s work. Not paint–but non toxic vegan food dye. She did an interactive display–where she was the center piece, and the audience painted HER,
Sand and pebble lizard, by Lawrence Winram.
From the natural paint making workshop. A student painted these–the fish on the left is egg tempera and the octopus was made with silicate paint.
Give me a few days, I may make another post just about the workshop. Will have more photos from the fest, too–of course!
Last year, Patty St Louis attended my paint making workshop. This year–she and I taught the class, together!
And the journey continues.
BLISSings TEAM
Beautiful. Thank you