My Suiseki Galleries
The suiseki in my galleries reflect a variety of aesthetic principles that help, I believe, in demonstrating the quality of what is available in the Western Hemisphere, and the excellent material that may be found with diligent searching.
Below you will find the latest entries to my galleries:
The central focus of this suiseki is the quartz inclusions in its middle, with its white color being a dramatic contrast to the darker mineral. The pool of quartz in its middle is so dense and bright white, yet soft in appearance, that it looks to me and others who have studied it as being cotton-like or whipped cream in texture. The suiseki brings memories of the remnants of thawing snow on a mountain side replete with streams and water falls. 8.75 X 5.25 X 5.5 (22.2 X 13.3 X 13.9 cms).
This mountain-shaped suiseki is an interesting amalgamation of smooth and rough textures. The stone consist of some green-colored (serpentine?) mineral, and numerous quartz inclusions. Passing ones hands over the stone gives a feeling of high density and smooth and rough textures that's physically and visually appealing. The cave in the center top hidden by shadows is an added visual element. 18.5 W X 8.5 D X 4.25 H. (49.9 cms. X 21.6 cms X 10.8 cms.
Along with my Galleries I and II, I have added a new gallery which I call My Classic Suiseki Gallery. It has images of my classic suiseki collected throughout the years. I believe, as many of you would agree, that we have access to terrific collecting areas in the United States, Europe and Latin America. All it takes is hard work!
I frown on showing off in exhibitions, purchased, and/or imported stones, for all that communicates are the deep pockets of the collectors and the opportunities she/he have had in purchasing material. I am not against purchasing Japanese stones, I own a number of them; the difference is that you won't see their photos on my web site nor will you see them in our Society's exhibitions. This emphasis on the economics of suiseki puts a slant on the art that reflects badly, for it has, from personal experience, intimidated beginning collectors, making them think that to have nice suiseki they must shell out a couple of thousand dollars. This doesn't have to be the case. For example, serious collectors from the East Coast regularly visit Northern California to try their luck collecting.
I am a strong believer in the praxis of the art; how the theories and concepts about the art synthesize with the process of the actual field experience and its evaluative aesthetics. Evaluating a stone in the field is a unique experience that I wish all collectors would have. It is by melding the two that 
we learn to become better suiseki artists. It's through actual field experience that we become true suiseki artists, and we learn how to appreciate and evaluate classic stones. The Japanese call this experience the kawara dojo, or the "classroom of the riverbank". My web site has been created by a field collector; my book was written from a field collector's perspective.
enjoy...