Meet Jon Aguilar

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jon Aguilar.

Every artist has a unique story. Can you briefly walk us through yours?
I never planned to work with stone. Sounds cliché, I know. Since the age of 14 I always wanted a career in the military and more specifically, the special operations community to fight so-called “terrorism”. While I did serve 6 years in the military I never reached my goal. It was devastating to me for many years.

At the age of 30, I met my wife and within 5 years we were a family of 6. I panicked. I had no plan. It all happened so fast. Reverting to an old backup plan, however, I returned to school and finished a bachelor’s degree thinking I’d set out on a career in the diplomatic corps.

During that time I started a small landscape business to pay the bills. By the time I graduated – and after being accepted at a prestigious graduate school for international studies – I realized that track was not family-friendly at all. So, I gave up in a way and just stepped through the first open door of opportunity I saw and we moved to Seattle where I started working with a landscape firm.

In 2008, I attended a “dry stone” workshop outside of Seattle taught by two master masons from Canada and Ireland. During that weeklong course I experienced this overwhelming feeling, or knowing, or both, that I had a gift (or a remembering) for this ancient method and craft.

Ten years later, I’m still an amateur in many ways, but I know that natural stone combined the dry stone method and with the form I’m most attracted to currently – the circle – is one way I can affect other humans in a very powerful way. We all desperately need more beauty, moments of awe and spaces to connect to ourselves, others and to nature.

Please tell us about your art.
I specialize in the oldest building method in the world called “dry stone”. It’s simply the building of stone features using only stone and no mortar.

I sometimes describe it as art meets intuitive engineering. The art part is the particular mason’s style and taste. The intuitive engineering is the knowing of the old, sacred rules, geometry and more and also knowing when and how to break the rules.

This very alive planet has given us this incredible material called stone. Men, in particular, get to choose whether or not to destroy or create. I choose to create using stone as my medium.

Do you have any advice for other artists? Any lessons you wished you learned earlier?
I’ve never been one to have advice for other artists. I’m simply fascinated with anyone who moves into their own creative potential because it so interesting to see others’ worlds.

How or where can people see your work? How can people support your work?
Follow me on Instagram. After I reach a select number of followers I plan to experiment with engaging a global following of humans interested in stone to help fund a currently secrete massive stone art project that will be available for the public to interact with.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.heritageearthanstone.com
• Instagram: jontaguilar
• Facebook: heritage earth & stone

Getting in touch: VoyagePhoenix is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.