April 10, 2006
Surf totems
…listen
…info about the musicClick on the blue music icon above to hear a movement from my string quintet “Current Events” titled “Surge,” to underscore this photo of art’s fragility.
Occasionally on my sandy walks I come across some remarkable man-made items. Most are remnants of kids’ toys or dog fetch accessories (tennis balls are a reliable artifact here). My kitchen windowsill sports a nice collection of forgotten miniature action figures that have washed up over the years, offering their gallant shields, swords, and overall machismo to anyone who cared enough to bring them home. I feel considerably more protected with each omelet I make.
But today was a treat of true art: totems. I have seen such sculpture here before, and am always charmed by the mystery of who might have spent the time to patiently stack each limb and rock so that it would balance against the will of the shifting winds. As I stood and appreciated these three, pictured above, I caught sight of a gentleman a few yards away who was bent over in concentration, carefully selecting materials for his next creations around the cove bend. If you squint, you can see him on the right in a blue shirt.
As I passed by, I thanked him for his gifts; turns out, he’s a stone mason named Eric Pierson who works on some very beautiful homes in the neighborhood. But I suspect that the simplicity of natural art is his favorite pursuit. We chatted for a few moments and he reached into a plastic bag. “Here’s a gift,” he smiled. “Crystal, all through it; this one has some powerful energy.” And he handed me a beautiful rock he had just found, about the size of an orange and as heavy as five. He didn’t know that I, too, collect very special rocks from this beach. Or maybe somehow he did.
It sits on my kitchen windowsill, with a couple of daring action figure conquerors crawling atop it. My next omelet is going to be a good one.02 trackback 01 from buy viagraabout all viagrasildenafil citrate viagra 5adult add tramadol andacyclovir link viagra79 00 tramadol cheaptramadol mg 50 depression tramadolonline view buy xanax u 5 Map
Mark Watters said,
April 10, 2006 @ 5:52 am
It’s 6:00 AM and before I go home I thought I’d check my email and there was one from my fellow all nighter! Haven’t read your essay yet but loved your string quintet!!! It accompanied the first picture on your blog. You’re awsome! Miss our visits. Let’s talk about getting together. By the way, did you get ticiets to see Elliot Goldenthal’s opera, “Grendel” in late May? I’ve been asked to give a lecture on Elliot’s film career by the LA Opera Educators Association on May 20th. Our tickets are for the evening of the 27th if you want to join us.
Mark
Chef Kate said,
January 15, 2011 @ 5:48 pm
Hi Alex, My friend and I were in Malibu today (Jan. 16 an amazinlt beautiful day!) We were on the same beach and had the pleasure of meeting Eric and chatting with him for a time. We could tell that he’s a very special person from our time spent with him. What a gift he gives of himself as he creates his works of art for all to be inspired by. Thank you for writing about him. Have a wonderful day! Chef Kate:)
Chef Kate said,
January 15, 2011 @ 5:49 pm
PS My family spent a lot of time in the San Jaun Islands when I was a kid. Love it there!
lisa harris said,
February 17, 2014 @ 11:39 pm
I just met Eric today and he gave me a crystal to hold and I lived on Orcas for 8 years. I met him at the beach in Malibu and we had a nice conversation.
Alex Shapiro said,
February 18, 2014 @ 8:11 am
I love reading this, Lisa, so many years after my own lovely encounter with him!