THE KMJ Stoneworks Studio Gallery Tour: Early March 2022

Posted on March 3, 2022 by Martin Cooney, Stone Sculptor

Ah Yes, Spring is In The Air, Old Man Winter is at last On The Run, and so surely it is time for another KMJ Stoneworks Studio Gallery Tour

Everyone is welcome at THE KMJ each weekday afternoon from 1 to 6.

Please click on a picture to enlarge

However before we begin I would just like to point out once again that, if there is one thing that THE KMJ is definitely NOT, it is hard to find – if of course you, for whatever reason, ever find yourself landing, taking off or merely passing-by Aspen Airport. For we are situated directly across from the place – just 300 paces to be precise. We also benefit from off-street parking and a standout location facing Highway 82 – three doors down from Fed Ex. Simply put, we just cannot be missed!

Yes, that little square dot is right where you will find us, you can even stroll over from the Airport through the underpass (300 paces) once you are checked in, and check us out, if you like.

So, good, now that I have got that off my chest, why don’t we take a little leisurely stroll around the gallery and I’ll add a few timely comments along the way.

Welcome to The New Stone Age

Discover THE KMJ For Yourself: The Place Where Natural Stone Comes To Life

To start with: a Tempting Morsel or two, perhaps?

I suppose the biggest change and most obvious difference between this and previous gallery tours is the addition of retail items such as those displayed above. You will see more of these as we move along on our tour, with both decorative and practical commercial carvings on show. This is an aspect of the business that Kris and I intend to explore with interest in the coming week and months, and with items arriving here at THE KMJ on an almost daily basis at times there always seems to be something new to put in the window or upon the rows of shelving that surround our center display.

‘No Strings Attached’, Collection Series Colorado Yule Marble Bowl by Martin Cooney.

Of course, ‘Birth of a Guin’ presides over all from her lofty corner perch.

Here we see a fine example of the sort of functional commercial stoneware, that I mentioned earlier, sharing the display with stonework that I myself carved – in the form of the panels and fireplaces that line the rear of the shelf. But the dramatic combination of styles arranged on this one shelf does indeed draw the attention to the sheer diversity of objects that may be rendered in beautiful natural stone in this New Stone Age of ours, does it not?

With our newly expanded shelf space we are now able to showcase our house specialty, Flights and Mounts. Let me explain:

Given that my background in stone carving was that of a commercial stone carver – or Banker Mason, as the profession is known in England – years before I attempted to carve creatively in the form of sculpture, I always enjoy carving stone to precise dimensions and exacting results. Thus, when I want to return to my roots, as it were, these Flights and Mounts of mine serve to fit the bill nicely. In many ways they are simply vastly scaled-down versions of the very pieces of masonry that I turned out back in my masonry days. Although this time around gone is the staggering weight of those huge blocks of stone, and in their place – these nifty little, versatile candle holder / flower vase creations of mine.

For more information regarding my Flights and Mounts please see my post on the subject: FLOWERS and LIGHT: Meet My New STONE FLIGHTS.

Here’s another new addition to our display area, and as you can see the smooth, shiny surface proves to be a dynamic showcase for both Colorado Yule marble sculpture AND the long, slinky FLIGHTS.

‘The Mountains of Moab’, Collection Series Marble Sculpture by Martin Cooney.

There is also a new ‘Gift Shop’ area currently being assembled to the right of the door as you walk in. Right now it is admittedly fairly sparsely arranged, but that will change swiftly as the orders roll in and the shelf space filled with all sorts of exciting New Stone Age things.

Antique Chinese Figurines adorn the new Aquarium Art exhibit.

‘Climber at Rest’, Winterset Limestone Fountain by Martin Cooney.

Aspen Elk Lodge Face, ‘Elky’, Kansas Creme Limestone by Martin Cooney.

As you can see, after months of snow, and a huge blizzard not two weeks ago, the tide appears to be turning on Old Man Winter, as the early spring sunshine begins to get to work.

A dry winter ‘Elefountain’, Winterset Fountain by Martin Cooney.

Green Man Solar Fountain, Winterset Limestone by Martin Cooney.

‘Top O’ The World’, Collection Series Marble Sculpture by Martin Cooney.

Martin Cooney holding Mystique Masque, Collection Series Marble Sculpture by Martin Cooney.

And with that we have reached the end of this casual walking tour of our small but bustling little showroom gallery. I do hope that you will find your way here one day, when I will be able to really show you just what we have on display here, as this little picture tour hardly scratched the surface in regards to details. I would love for you to consider collecting a piece, or pieces of my work for your home, as I am sure that if you tell me the sort of thing you are looking for I will come up with the perfect carving for the situation.

That’s all for now, I’ll leave you with a little slideshow for you to take in just what you have seen and begin to whittle down the carvings to those that most piqued your interest.