Desert Pillar

[I_I_am_not_a_cat]

I have been a rockhound for many years and more often than not, my stones end up on a shelf or in my yard as part of the landscaping. A couple of years ago I learned of Suiseki, and recently have started carving my own daiza.

Here is my current favorite. I call it "Desert Pillar".

I found it on a friends property in Terlingua, Texas. I am not sure what type of rock it is, or how it was weathered--desert winds blowing constant grit across it? In a stream bed that is thousands of years gone? A little of both?





I went with a very non-traditional base both on shape and in color. The unknown wood was from a thrift store knife block, you can see where it was assembled with glue. The glue seam reflects (to me at least) the varied rock formation, being glued together with time and pressure. And probably some other forces that I am unaware of--I am not a geologist.

 

[rockm]

Terlingua is in the Big Bend region, which is made up of very old sedimentary rock (Cambrium and ordovician), from dried up inland seas. They weather like that as some layers aren't as durable as others.

Most of West Texas is the Permian Basin, a sedimentary basin that runs into New Mexico.

Anyway, This rock is very similar to some I've seen being sold at bonsai shows that are South African in origin--not the same, but similar layered sedimentary rocks.

 

[I_I_am_not_a_cat]

Before I carved the daiza, I had it on a suiban in sand and gravel. I tried both alone and with a similar stone.

 

[I_I_am_not_a_cat]

Thanks for dropping the knowledge, @rockm ! I knew it was sedimentary (because of how it is) but that was about all.