In a few of the blue green rivers that flow down from the Sierras nature has created some of the most moving and intriguing stone forms. Sculpted in the hands of nature using water as it's chisel, hammer and grinder the stones are natural sculptures. When they are seen arrayed together in the rivers it is like being in a sculpture park or garden. Some of the stones are nestled and rounded giving off warm and rolling light while others show their sharp edges, contours and curvatures. The light shifts and dances on the stones changing their configuration,creating deep shadows and highlighting the sensuality of their multiple surfaces.
The tools of erosion over a long period of time have been quite rough on these magnificent stones however the result is often delicately beautiful.The flowing water adds to the magic of the gardens creating movement, life and color
All images © 2012 Frank Francis