Devin Devine, stone mosaic artist
devin@devineescapes.com
I’m working on a stone circle. This is dry set stone art, with no mortar. The stones go down deeper than you think, and are fit tight, so that stones can’t just be pulled lose.
Calling it the Eye Of Fire, presently, but the name is not official. I was commissioned to build a fire pit. The fire may not end up directly on the stone work however, as the customer has purchased a tri-pod, with a couldron, which will hang just above the eye. This way my stones are not getting charred–and it allowed me to use colorful stones which might not survive a hot fire.
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eye mosaic work in progress
When I look down this is what I see:
What I see beneath me as I’m working, the Eye of Fire, dry stone mosaic–nearly finished! This is not built as a pebble mosaic, with concrete, but the stones are actually deeper than you think and are fit dry without any cement used.
When I look up:
Also created a bench, from boulders harvested on this property:
Work on this property is ongoing…soon, I’ll have photos of a finished outdoor shower floor mosaic as well.
There’s dots among the flagstone work too. This is starting to become a motif:
Here, I set the dots among the patio and walkway stones first. I figured that the dots would likely incorporate into the fire circle and shower mosaics and it turned out I was correct. Now I’m not saying that these are “polka dots”….and I certainly don’t mean to imply that I am the new Polka King of the North East…
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The dots are something that has appeared in my work before, such as in a few of my spheres. But also, when the dots are set among the paving stones, they become like “tiger eyes”. These were all taken in progress, so pardon dusty looking surfaces. NOTE TO SELF update this post with spiffier photos.
In Roman times, they set small white circular stones among the paving stones, to act like reflectors at night, so you didn’t lose the path. Cool, right? Here, they are more of a design feature than a safety feature, but then again, maybe it will save my client from having to have us install outdoor lighting.
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Short video, shows other aspects of this job site:
Will have more photos of the eye mandala in a week
In a new post, along with photos of the outdoor shower mosaic, too.
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Thank you
Hello: Came upon your site by fiat and have enjoyed reading your recommendations and viewing your art in stone. I would dub you the American version of Andy Goldsworthy. Wish I could clone you to set my patio. Cheers.
That’s awesome of you to say. Thank you!
Love the use of the dots. Keep up the great work.
Thank you Sunny. A compliment from a stone mason and artist of your level, is always much appreciated.
I do not know anything about stone work but I do know something about art and mandalas, and what you have done for this fire pit is absolutely incredible! It is a marvel to look at, and reading about inserting the tiny white stones for guidance was such an interesting fact. Excited to keep reading!
Thank you very much. I’m excited to do more writing…..hoping I can set myself up with a couple months off, to focus on writing. Will do this, sometime, soon enough. Thank you
Cheers ! your work looks like it’ll last and is certainly welcoming to the eye. ? ‘Tiger eyes’: how are they held in place. Are they set deep and locked in with top’s shaved rounded and flat ? Appreciate the insight your site offers btw. Very tuned in with personal and professional flair.
You want to know the secret, the most secret of my Tiger Eyes? Okay, but if you ever set any tiger eyes yourself–spread my fame, cite my name.
There’s no real secret though. They are dry set, deep into the foundation is all. A flagstone, or slab paver–is thin, and all surface area. A cobble stone has a depth approximately equal to its surface area. My tiger eyes, and smaller mosaic pieces that I set in dry–have much less surface area than a cobble stone–therefor they have greater depth than a cobble, as well. Thank you.
Absolutely Amazing! I really do mean that, incredible. I wanted to ask what you use to cut the stones, to fit?
Again, truly amazing.
Bell hammer and chisel, rock pick, angle grinder with diamond blade. Thank you