ART OF STONE

Artist Scott Estrem creates beautiful, one-of-a kind, fountains and other art objects from natural stone.

fountains by tonka bay fountains written by ellen olson photography by scott estrem

SScott Estrem’s stone fountains are passionate expressions of his artistic vision. He has spent years perfecting his craft of carving and fabricating stone. Each fountain is unique, as no two stones are alike. His customers share his passion for the art form – they love their pieces as much, if not more, than he does.

Scott was in the technology contracting business for 25 years.

He laid copper and fiber to create the web of connectivity that is so essential to our lives today. He had a couple of companies that he sold and restarted, but by 2011 he was ready for a change. In 1996 he lost a very large tree in his back yard and he decided to replace it with a large stone fountain. “I’d always been interested in art, so when I was visiting my dad’s property up at Lake Mille Lacs,

I located beautiful granite boulders that were full of character,” said Scott. “I brought them home and began to teach myself this craft of carving the stones so they would fit together.” After that first project, he made several stone fountains for friends. “I finally decided to see if I could make these stone fountains into a real business,” he remarked. Minnesota is blessed with huge amounts of glacial stones – hard stones like granite that will not degrade over time. Scott sources most of his stone from local landscape supply places.

About 30% of his business is the fountains that he creates and offers for purchase on his website, art fairs or farmers markets.

He also creates tiki torches, stone vases and wine chillers. About 60% of his business is generated from custom commissions. He begins that process in a customer’s home and they share their preferences – colors, texture, size, shape. Size, scale and budget are factors in the conversation. Customers really enjoy the creative and collaborative process. Some of the fountains sit above ground; larger projects involve setting them into the ground, with a special structure to house electrical, pumps and lighting. All of his fountains are secured through the middle with a section of galvanized steel pipe, which keeps them stable and solidly in place.

A Tonka Bay Fountain will last for generations. Each stone is carved and fitted to the stone above it and below it. The stones are marked with the proper orientation, so that if the fountain is ever moved it can be easily reassembled. Most of the fountains feature a bottom stone that is carved out to allow the pooling of water. The pool mitigates splash, softens the acoustics and the light that emanates from the bottom of the fountain.

“Carving the stone is pretty resource intensive,” said Scott. “I use some high tech drills and tools but nothing beats a good oldfashioned hammer and chisel. My stone fabrications and carvings look as though they occurred naturally after years of wear and weather – smooth but not polished.” The fountains require regular servicing: they are prepared for the winter, opened back up in the spring, and cleaned during the summer months. Most of Scott’s installations are found within the ten country metro area of Minneapolis. But customers with second homes in other locations – Arizona, Mexico, Costa Rica – commission his works and are avid supporters. His Instagram presence is giving his work exposure across the country. Scott’s full portfolio and work currently for sale is on his website. His creations can be seen at the Minneapolis Farmer’s

Market and at the Jeweler of the North Shore Gallery in Lutsen.

He’s been accepted into the Ely Blueberry Art Festival in late July and hopes to be invited to the Grand Marias Art Festival again this year. He looks forward to speaking with customers about his love for stone, and his art. tonkabayfountains.com • @tonkabayfountains LANDSCAPING