YUBA STONES

After a few years of test runs and trials, the Yuba Stones are finally here!

I’ve always felt comforted and connected by a nice shaped river stone, having a wide collection of them in my home, gathered from all across the country. I love the idea of having one of these stones next to me at my favorite sitting spot.

The name derives from the Yuba River, a special place for me and my family. I had dreamed of going there for many years, but each trip to California saw us too far away and without enough time. So, when I was invited by Richard Carter to show at Carter & Co. in St. Helena, California, besides of course the honor of being the first show at Richard’s new gallery, I was also motivated to finally take the time to explore the Yuba. Little did I know that Richard owned a campground on the North Yuba, in Sierra City, and we’ve been able to stay there each time we’ve visited since our first trip in 2022. We’ve made a point to swim in various spots along the Yuba, from along the Hoyt Trail near Nevada City, to the Oregon Creek swimming hole, and at Richard’s campground in Sierra City, and we are constantly in awe of the huge Yuba stones with their beautiful forms and almost translucent white or gray surfaces. With this connection to the Yuba, it felt only fitting to give my newest collection of stones the name Yuba Stones.

I hand built the original Yuba stone and made a mold of the form to enable the consistent casting of multiples, which provides me with “canvases” on which to freely paint the glazes, allowing me to focus on the surfaces. It feels so freeing and exciting to have a table full of stones waiting to be painted to create a variety of effects, and to use my kiln as a tool to melt the glaze in interesting ways - a process that has taken years to perfect!

After a few came out of the kiln, I realized that these would look amazing not just sitting on a table or shelf, but hanging on the wall! I created a fancy little hanging block and voila! This allows you to create a collection of stones to fill any wall space. I’m excited to see how you might arrange them and create your own unique wall sculpture!