Stone by Design: The Artistry of Lew French

Stone by Design: The Artistry of Lew French
by Lew French

Stone by Design: The Artistry of Lew French
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Book Summary Information

Author: Lew French
Photographer: Alison Shaw
Edition: Hardcover
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2005-08-08
ISBN: 1586854437
Number of pages: 160
Publisher: Gibbs Smith

Book Reviews of Stone by Design: The Artistry of Lew French

Book Review: Stunning Transformations of Martha's Vineyard Homes with Maine Rocks
Summary: 5 Stars

New Englanders are partial to the rocks that burst forth from the ground every spring and permanently bulge up like the tips of ice bergs floating beneath the surface of the earth. For more generations than most can count, those rocks have been thoughtfully piled into mortarless stone fences that "make good neighbors." Everyone has stopped at one time or another to admire one of these wonders that have outlasted their builders.

Lew French is an authentic son of that tradition with an innate love for stone and turning it into something more delightful . . . a rich context for wonderful living.

In these homes, you'll see stone transform rooms into warm retreats that you'll just want to snuggle into on cold winter nights, turn gardens into fairy tales, and extend your perspective by changing the very outdoors in novel ways. Whether by putting a window into a stone fence, by creating original art with stones and driftwood, or through evoking Stonehenge, you'll feel differently and better from seeing his work. His creations seem weightless like a good idea, despite weighing many tons.

Part of the magic is that he's meticulous about getting a tight fit between stones and hiding his mortar very well. So even a fireplace looks to be but a vertical New England stone wall . . . and a very beautiful one at that.

It's magic. Enjoy it.

Summary of Stone by Design: The Artistry of Lew French

More than 125 gorgeous photographs showcase the beauty of award-winning stonemason Lew French's work in eight different homes, illustrating how rounded fieldstone, gray slate, rough granite, and even curvy driftwood can be incorporated into stunning pieces of functional art.

French provides charming narration for each project: how an idea came to be; how a stone-splitting technique is executed; even how one of his most difficult pieces, a three-year-long project, was saved from ruin the day it was completed.

With its contemporary hearths of rustic slate, sculptured walls of both great granite slabs as well as stacked and rounded fieldstones, Stone By Design: The Artistry of Lew French will inspire design lovers to incorporate this material in home interiors and exteriors, whether as an artful writer's studio, a playful fireplace, or a carefully crafted garden pathway.

More than just a stunning tribute to the work of Lew French and his unique vision and craft, this book celebrates both the function and form of stone. It's the perfect inspiration for anyone interested in adding the beauty of stone to their home or landscape.

Lew French was born in the small farming town of Zumbrota, Minnesota. He started to work with stone when he was just nineteen years old. He moved to Martha's Vineyard twenty years ago and has worked on his own stone designs exclusively since. His work has been featured in the New York Times, House Beautiful, The Boston Globe Magazine, Architectural Digest, and Metropolitan Home. He has also been featured on HGTV's Modern Masters and local programs in the Northeast. He has two sons, Asa and Truman.

Alison Shaw is a fine-art and editorial photographer who lives and works on Martha's Vineyard, which has provided the inspiration and subject matter for much of her color and black-and-white photography. Over five thousand of her original fine-art prints are in public and private collections. Alison's work appears regularly in Yankee Magazine, Martha's Vineyard Magazine, and Cape Cod Life. She teaches photography workshops for the Maine Photographic Workshops and Santa Fe Workshops. Alison lives with her family in Oak Bluffs.

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