Staff photo/Ian Gleadle
Stacked stone sculptures feature the beauty of balance at the Bellevue Botanical Garden.

Towering stones bring tranquility

Slash beams an adoring smile at his wife Princess. “We’ve got good news,” my son announces. Princess glows. Oooh! Could it be? Was I seconds away from hearing I’d be a grandmother soon! I have to send happy e-mails to everyone I know and tell them of the blessed event. Before I could sprint to my computer, Princess says, “We’re selling our condo.” Still beaming, Slash adds, “So we’ll be moving in with you and Dad very soon.” What! I’m getting roomies and not a grandkid! Slash explained that his realtor thought it would be wise for them to move most of their furniture out of their condo.

That way, she could stage the place to make it look uncluttered and expansive. Nothing like having the illusion of spaciousness when, in fact, your posterior continues to remain in the outdoor hallway when you step into their living room. And due to the fact they have two gigantic pet tortoises, the realtor thought it best if everyone move out while she tried to sell the place. Soon a chest of drawers, Rubber Maid tubs full of objects wrapped in newspaper, a nine-foot leather couch, Taj Mahal-sized stereo speakers and a medley of other items moved in with us.

We deliberated where to keep the giant pet tortoises during their stay. I do not exaggerate when I say you could ride one of these tortoises to the mall if your car broke down and you weren’t in a hurry. I’d need to clear out the refrigerator to make room for tortoise food.

Then Slash makes another announcement. Unforeseen circumstances have come up, he says. He and Princess have decided to not sell their condo right now. The chest of drawers moved back out. Ba-bump, ba-bump out the door. But wait! What about the nine-foot leather couch? What about the 10 by 10-foot picture of dogs playing pool? Don’t you want your Rubber Maid tubs, stained glass pool table lamp and what’s all this stuff in the closet? “Oh, I’m not carrying all that stuff back up the stairs,” Slash says.

Of course I don’t mind storing my son’s things. I know he would do the same for me. He would, wouldn’t he? Life is a delicate balance and it sometimes gets wobbly. Or in this case, heavy and wobbly. That’s okay. I can get rocks. Artisan David Cox of Maple Valley creates stacked stone rock sculptures that offer meditative moments of peaceful reflection.

I’ll forget about my son’s tripod assaulting me when I open the closet door. Rocks will help me deal with everyday stresses. The computer company sent two computers when I ordered only one.

“But why should I pay the shipping costs to return the second computer when I only ordered one,” I ask the customer service person who answered the phone after 34 transfers. “It’s our policy,” the rep responded. But I won’t focus on that. Or that guy who waved the unfriendly hand gesture as he passed at warp speed on the freeway. Hey, I’m going the speed limit. Now, deep cleansing breath. I’ll direct my attention to the beauty and balance of stacked stones. There, I feel better.

“My rock sculptures bring tranquility,” Cox says of his stone creations that stand tower-like with one rock on top of the other in heights ranging from three rocks high to six-feet tall.

The type of rock sculptures Cox creates are also known as Stone Cairns. In pre-GPS days, cairns were used as directional markers guiding the way to home and safety. They also stood as a symbol of friendship and hope. They identified burial sites, the summit of a mountain, or a special event. Cairns can be found in many countries across many cultures including Ireland, Scotland, Tibet and in the Arctic.

But you don’t need to trek around the world. You’ll find Cox’s Stone Cairns displayed at the Bellevue Botanical Garden, Northshore Junior High and in the gardens of Puget Sound residents as well as in gardens across the U.S. “I have 800 of my rock sculptures all over the place, from California to everywhere,” Cox says.

What makes Cox’s sculptures extra special? “They’re all plumbed as fountains,” he says.

Cox, a pipe fitter and welder by trade, lives in a townhouse and had the idea to use his pipe-fitting skills to build a stacked stone sculpture. He explains, “I’m always trying to build a better mousetrap. So I built a stacked stone sculpture and put it in my front yard. People would walk by and see it stacked 9-feet tall and think ‘Rocks aren’t supposed to be that way.’”

A neighbor lady who admired his rock sculpture asked Cox if he’d build one for her garden. After creating one for her, Cox decided to take his art to the next level. “I made up a few and visited Squak Mountain Greenhouse & Nursery in Issaquah. I asked them to give me a chance and see how the sculptures would go with the public. Well, my sculptures started selling like hotcakes.”

That was five years ago. Cox now sells his stacked stone sculptures locally at Russell Watergardens, Alpine Rockeries, Emery’s Garden, Classic Nursery, Sky Nursery, Marenakos Rock Center among others including Squak Mountain Nursery.

“Each rock has its own distinct beauty and I never use six gray rocks in a row,” he says. “I’ll use a red one or a purple one. No two of my sculptures are the same. And I drill each rock so the pipe holding them up can’t be seen. I have to get the angles of each rock just right. It’s hard to do. I try to place the stones in a certain way, such as getting one to protrude in a manner where a bird might land.”

His greatest pleasure, he says, is seeing the pleasure others get from his sculptures. “The sculptures bring on a whole different feeling. Some people tell me I should patent that feeling.”

Cox has begun branching out and currently features rock bunnies in addition to his stacked stone sculptures. “The rock bunnies have sold very well, but they’re fragile. People see them at the nurseries and grab them by the head. They hold them up and say ‘That is so cute.’ That happened three times and I’m going back to the nurseries to repair bunnies. But everything is guaranteed.”

The fascination with his rock sculptures lies in the nature of its oddity. “These sculptures give people something to see they don’t normally see,” says Cox. “It puts what’s inside the earth, on top of the earth and in a different fashion.”

Hmm … that gives me an idea. I wonder how Slash’s 9-foot leather couch would look in my garden? If I place it vertically so its side points toward the sky, it would sit Stonehenge-like. Ahh, I’m feeling tranquil already.