20th January 2021 – I had the pleasure to chat to one of the big personalities in the dry Stone Walling World, John Shaw-Rimmington.John as we Scots would say is a well kent face of the stone tribe, a man who does his – ‘Thinking with his hands.’ President of Dry Stone Walling Across Canada he is a real advocate for the craft. His journey into a life of dry stone walling, and building ‘Walls without Mortar’ helps illustrate to the uninitiated the draw and appeal of this most fundamental material and technique. From troubled teen to a magical ability to play about with the craft, his story teaches us something important about searching for your space within that Grand mystery that is elusive to us all.

Finding yourself is often a meandering path, some miss their destination others only realise in hindsight the significant markers along their way that pushed them forward to their true calling. Nothing is random, John heard the silent whispered messages of the rock and stones, drawing him deeper under their influence, a positive relationship that has led him from solid skill with the material to the freedom to explore its artistic possibilities. Full of stone passion he has always been willing and keen to share that with others through workshops, talks and writing. His blog …https://thinking-stoneman.blogspot.com/ is a deeper dive into his work and motivations but there’s nothing like hearing the story from the man himself, enjoy.John can be followed on Instagram at @Drystonewaller