Every time our little family goes to a pebbled beach like the one in Roquebrun, we have to collect stones. Somehow, they spark our imagination and we pile them up or bring them home to draw on them artistically. So, when I saw a message about a stone balancing workshop with artist Baskul (coming from the French verb ‘basculer’, to fall down), I quickly decided to sign up Middle Son and me.
Peacefully
As Middle Son was bored out of his mind, I thought it would be a good idea to bring him along with me. I figured that a bit of creativity would do him good. He, being a teenager, didn’t agree, of course. However, we managed to get up early to meet up with Baskul at the Maison du Grand Site of the Pont du Diable at 9am. We were a little group of five, and we arrived well before the other participants. After a short walk to the pebbled beach, we found ourselves at the impressive entrance to the Hérault gorges. At this hour, the site was so calm that the Pont du Diable was peacefully reflected in the water.
Poetic creations
I first found out about Baskul on Instagram, where he shares pictures of his poetic creations. Initially, I thought it would be impossible to defy gravity the way he does. But watching him at work, Middle Son and I could see with our own eyes that Baskul wasn’t pulling any tricks. He simply looked for aesthetic stones and let his creativity flow. To try to obtain balance, he carefully placed the rocks one on top of the other and searched for that one balancing point that kept his creation together. With gravity, not with glue.
Meditation
Originally from Montpellier, Baskul likes to go to quiet places in the area. Like today’s playground at the Pont du Diable. He became completely hooked on the art of stone balancing three years ago. The concentration that is needed to create a piece combined with spending time in nature puts him into a zen state of mind. To him, it feels like a meditation session, with a touch of magic. And after spending a couple of hours trying for ourselves, Middle Son and I can confirm that now we are hooked too!
