On a regular working day, Zach Johnson and partner John Engelland construct beautiful patios, walls, fireplaces, fire pits, and all types of elegant stone structures. As you will see, their work is spectacular. They are, without a doubt, well-respected artisans in the masonry trade in Colorado and beyond.
Each is a member of The Stone Foundation, a non-profit organization that represents a worldwide community of Stonemasons, Stone Carvers, Wallers, and other stone enthusiasts.
You see, Zach and John are seekers. In their quiet moments, they revel in deeper mysteries. They are passionate about Temple building and creating Sacred Space.
As Zach and I explored ideas, I grew more and more excited and started considering the steps required to build this website.
Rising Star presents Zach and John’s superb craftsmanship and meditative essays on the practice of working with stone.
• First, I guided John and Zach to select a template that would be a dependable and attractive framework to build upon.
• Then, I dove into their essays to extract key themes. In essence, I edited and distilled their thoughtful text, selected imagery, and organized the content into a clear order of presentation.
• Lastly, I designed the Rising Star logo. It is composed of 3 elements that came to Zach and John in their meditations. What does it mean? The star is the spark of spirit in all of us. The infinity sign is the energy and flow of god/spirit/the great mystery. The triangle represents the temple or a pyramid.
• RisingStar.world features the design and construction of an amazing meditation chamber, affectionately dubbed The Cosmic Egg. “We are stardust, we are golden…”
• The visual presentation of the website is enhanced by lush photographs by Jesse Borrell Visuals, Russ Croup, and Zach Johnson.
• View more of our joint artistry at zstone.net
John and Zach began working together in 2010. Since then, they have been exploring the potential of stonework and the human spirit – and the inner place where those worlds intersect. In their meditations, they have been guided to uncover the healing and restorative properties of working with stone, a sacred earth material.
It turns out that performing a hard day’s work can be a contemplative and inspiring endeavor.
“Being aligned with the natural flow of everything in the universe is a lifelong practice. It requires awareness and honesty and a willingness to let go of what you think you know; finding the place where you move from a deeper knowing, unbridled by fears and doubts and limitations. Letting the essence of who you are radiate through your entire body, all the way to the tips of your fingers and toes. As you allow this joyful existence to flow into the world, the world will respond in kind, opening its treasures to you.”
I like to imagine the conversations that flow between John and Zach as they work – in the heat, in the cold, in the mud! Contemplating the molecules of matter and the evolution of the heart.