Environmental Art and Dry Stone Workshop in Newfoundland

Past workshops have sketched a wave on the footprint of a derelict old field wall by establishing a guide frame with rope and artist easels, and bringing stones to points just under the line. Another group hiked to a remote beach and made a circle of stones on the crest of the high-water mark. It was only a visible as a piece of environmental art from the air. The English Harbour village and coastal cliffs along the famous Skerwink Trail were also viewable from Dave Paddon’s float plane.

WorkshopDan SnowAugust 25, 2012canada, ehac 2012, english harbour arts centre, newfoundland, workshop

Newfoundland 2-Day Dry Stone Walling Workshop

Each morning a pair of loons fly from the high forest pond behind the house to the wide ocean bay at the bottom of the road. In the evening they make a return flight. They punctuate their daily routines with an intermittent call and response, stuttering laughs that draws me out onto the deck to watch them wing past. This is high entertainment in the TV and internet-free environment I’ve been living in the past two weeks. The radio here is powered by a hand crank. After five minutes of broadcast the signal cuts out and I have to decide if the listening is worth the effort to recharge the battery.

Newfoundland 5-Day Dry Stone Walling Workshop

We must have done something right in a former life to get so lucky with the week’s weather during the recently completed English Harbour Arts Centre (EHAC) dry stone workshop. Seven participants from two provinces and three states worked under nearly rain-free skies for five days designing and building long-lasting walls and ephemeral art. Some of us even took a dip in the bay; a rare occurrence in Newfoundland waters.

Dry Stone, WorkshopDan SnowAugust 8, 2012dry stone, dry stone wall workshop, ehac, ehac 2012, featured, newfoundland

Summer Dry Stone Walling Workshops in Newfoundland

A collaborative design process culminating in the hands-on creation of a dry stone structure. Instruction in design will include site assessment, 3-D modeling and guide frame set up. Instruction in building with loose stone will include identifying each stone’s best use, applying the four basic principles for strong construction, and practicing safe methods for shifting and lifting stone. One day of the workshop will be devoted to working in nature to create a temporary environmental art piece.

Dry Stone Wall Workshops at The Stone Trust in Dummerston Vermont

A physically challenging and intellectually stimulating day of group, outdoor activity that’s not a competitive sport? Yes, it’s possible, and happening this spring on the bucolic grounds of Scott Farm, Dummerston, VT. The Stone Trust is offering workshops in the time-honored craft of building dry stone walls. Participants come from all walks of life to develop and sharpen their skill in creating structurally sound, “stone-only” constructions.

Art, WorkshopDan SnowMarch 25, 2012dry stone wall workshop, dry stone walling, dummerston, stone, stone trust, vermont, workshop

The Dry Stone Workshops at English Harbour Newfoundland

The dry stone workshops at English Harbour have been treated to buffeting winds, lightning storms, muffling fog and dazzling sunshine over these past two weeks. Participants have gone from working in tee shirts to suiting up in insulated rain-gear. Whatever the weather conditions of the day (or hour) it’s been exhilarating working on the Newfoundland coast. The wide vistas of boreal forestland and ever-changing seascape have made a dramatic backdrop to our dry stone activities.

The Magic of Whales at Night - English Harbour, Newfoundland

Last night the sky over the harbor was totally star-twinkled. From the bay, which was uncharacteristically placid, came the "whooshing" sound of whales' breaths. The huge animals rhythmically rose to the water's surface in the darkness, exhaling plumes of sea mist. They were invisible to the eye but must have been very close to shore. The 'squeaks' and 'squawks' of their aquatic songs reverberated around the bay. The sonic echoes were hauntingly beautiful but their meaning lost on my land-locked ears.

Nature, WorkshopDan SnowJuly 27, 2011art, canada, dry stone wall workshop, ehac, ehac 2011, newfoundland, stoneworks, trinity bight, whales

A Stone Lantern - English Harbour Dry Stone Workshop

While other parts of Canada are experiencing record high temperatures, here on the east coast of Newfoundland we go about in wool sweaters and windbreakers. Lightning storms have made quick visits overhead in the nighttime. Strong winds blow intermittently through the day. But always, in the past week, there has been fog. Time stands still when the quality of light remains the same from dawn to dusk. It’s the color of pewter tinged with green from the landscape of meadow grass and spruce forest. And always the mournful moan of the foghorn in the background calling out from the coastal headlands; a sound I don’t so much hear, as feel in my body like the rise and fall of a breath.

The Stone Trust Open House

The Stone Trust wraps up its spring season of dry stone walling activities with an open house this Sunday from 1-4 at Scott Farm. It’s been a productive first year for the organization, with a successful slate of volunteer days, workshops, DSWA tests, pre-test trainings and a two-day Instructor’s course. Anyone and everyone with an interest in preserving and advancing the art and craft of dry stone walling is invited to attend. There will be lemonade, cookies and casual conversation. Please stop by the 1862 barn to say hi, meet members of the board of directors and see what a first-class, four-season, training and testing centre looks like.

Dry Stone, Dry Stone Walling, Stone, WorkshopDan SnowJune 9, 2011art, dummerston, Scott Farm, stone, stone trust, stoneworks, vermont

Workshop: Art and the Working Landscape: Shaping our Environment Today

Cultivated land is a handmade environment. In centuries past, the face of Newfoundland was shaped by domestic agricultural activity. While many of the stone walls built during those times have lost their stature as fences, their presence remains a defining characteristic of the land. The close attention that farmers paid to their surroundings is comparable to the awareness artists bring to their work. Dry stone construction is a logical medium of expression for an artist working in the landscape.

Dry Stone Walling Workshop Scheduled for October 22, 2011

Workshop scope: Learn basic dry stone walling skills under the direction of two DSWA Mastercraftsmen. Dave Goulder, from Scotland, and Dummerston resident Dan Snow. They will instruct this one day workshop in the rebuilding of an old stone fence. Building a gate-end and set of steps will also be included.

A Day at Green Mountain College

It’s not every school where you can see chickens free-ranging on the lacrosse field during a practice, but Green Mountain College isn’t every school. During a recent visit to Poultney, Vermont to lecture and instruct a walling workshop at the college I discovered a vibrant educational community that’s leading the way in environmental studies. The eight students I worked with were a ready and willing group. They quickly grasped the concepts and principles of dry stone wall construction and jumped right into building. By the end of the afternoon they had laid up a 24 foot long section of retaining wall using slate cut-offs from a local quarry/fabricator.

Dummerston Historical Society Open House on August 20th in Dummerston Center

The re-creation of the Dummerston, VT town pound is coming along. Volunteer Days in the past month have brought the south wall up to where it now has a "squeeze stile" (staircase). On August 20, anyone interested is welcome to stop by before and during the Historical Society Open House to put a stone or two on the wall.

Jared Flynn and I will be there from 5 to 7:30 working on the wall. We'd be happy to answer questions and help those who'd like to do a little walling.

Dry Stone Walling, WorkshopDan SnowAugust 10, 2009art, stone, stone wall workshop, stoneworks

Stone Workshop - September 2007

Blessed with with sunny skies, warm temperatures, a cooling breeze, and a wonderful location in Dummerston Center, 22 participants worked and learned together, creating several beautiful stone constructions and walls, under the direction of Travis Callahan, Andrew Pighills and Dan Snow.

Dry Stone, Dry Stone Walling, Stone, WorkshopDan SnowSeptember 26, 2007art, stone, stoneworks