James Stone – Portraying the ocean’s diverse flora and fauna
Our planet earth looks like a huge blue and green marble from outer space. Planet earth is unique among other planets since it has a large amount of water, holding about 96.5% of all earth’s water. It goes without saying that the ocean provides natural resources such as water, food, fuels, and a mean of transportation to our society. We may not be aware of what lies under the depth of the ocean, but one thing is for certain, there is a lot of it. Most of us cannot get close to sea creatures in their natural habitat. In this regard, the founder of Stone and Glass, James Stone, creates sea creatures and marine-themed sculptures that portray the beauty of the ocean’s diverse flora and fauna.
Born in New York on July 5th, 1951, Stone is an Ocean Conservation Mixed Media Sculpture Artist. He has given his time and effort to creating dialogue through his work regarding the disappearance of fish and other marine life due to overfishing and environmental change. He is known for using color and the exclusive process of casting glass hot out of a furnace directly into the sculpted metal.
Stone has always been compelled by art which ignited the spark to attend Fairleigh Dickinson University to receive a bachelor’s of fine art in 1974. More than a decade later, in 1986, Stone developed an interest in glassblowing which urged him to study design and glass, for which he went to Palomar College. Stone embarked on his journey to making a name for himself way back in 2001 when he founded Glass and Stone Studio in California.
Igniting the spark
Human impacts the physical environment in more ways than one, such as overpopulation, pollution, burning fossil fuels, deforestation, and marine life. All over human existence, we have relied on oceans for many reasons like food, as a waste of dump, for recreation, and economic opportunities. At the same time, our daily activities in the marine life environment affect life in the sea. People living near the coast have always used the ocean as a primary source of food. Stone, in this regard, is on a mission to ignite a spark inside every viewer through his message of eco-awareness, which rises from the forged aluminum and sculpted glass pieces. He tries to portray the diversity of the ocean in many of his sculptures while alluding to making people think about their seafood choices, and their everyday lifestyle and purchases directly affect our shared world.
Turning molten glass into elegant art pieces
Out of his environmental consciousness, Stone has turned his passion for glass into a profitable business. Along with his team, Stone spins and shapes molten glass into beautiful art pieces such as tumblers, bowls, vases, pendants, ornaments, and other objects. A history with solid roots in the business has made Stone a veteran working glass artist in San Diego County when everybody his age has retired. When we devote a considerable part of our life to our passion, it becomes tough for us to ever feel like taking a break from it. For Stone, glass blowing is more addictive than anything. He has shared his knowledge with all ages ranging from children to adults, through his Introduction to Glassblowing workshop on a local and international level.
Celebrating the ocean and its swarming life
It is no surprise that there is something so incredible about the oceans, something quite mind-blowing about their vastness. Rethinking what the ocean means to us and what it has to offer can make us realize the importance of conserving it for present and future generations. Stone understands the wealth of diverse flora and fauna, and his passion for this reflects in his art. He is driven by how our daily actions affect marine life and how we are all linked to and through the ocean. Stone created the sculpture “Neath the Sea” for the late Esther Burnham. The sculpture celebrated the ocean and its teeming life by incorporating the constellations and sea life. As an artist, Stone creates his art pieces about the journey and relationship created, honoring the creative process of bringing something to life.
In a nutshell, James Stone’s work revolves around the oceans and their inhabitants. He has been a passionate advocate for conserving marine life, calling for attention to endangered species.
