Rick’s attraction to beautiful stones was a lifelong passion. He used to collect agates and jaspers in the deserts of Southern California and eventually began making jewelry from found material. Soon Rick started incorporating his woodworking skills, and over time this hobby morphed into a fascination with collecting natural stones that could be displayed in his home and garden. His artistic inspiration stemmed from being exposed to the Masters in his travels to Europe. Asian art also attracted Rick in his time spent in the Navy and travels in the Far East.

Viewing Stone art became a melding of these interests for Rick. He discovered that there is a 1500 year history in Asia of collecting natural stones and displaying them in carved wooden bases. Through a combination of reading limited English literature on the subject and seeking out like minded individuals on the West Coast he expanded his knowledge and skill in presentation techniques.

The combination of natural stone (no visible surface alteration) and wood provided Rick with a creative presentation for the enjoyment of others. He displayed natural stones to be microcosms of the natural world while providing an emotional response to viewers.