Boulders, from destruction to construction

In a quiet, grassy field below the foothills of Montecito, a couple dozen boulders sit in a pile next to the Casa de Maria retreat center. Stone cutter and artist Anders Johnson gathered the sandstone rocks just days after the mudslide on  January 9th . He wants to use them to create a public memorial to remember those who died.





Stonemason Anders Johnson picked out boulders with a flat surface so he can place them as benches in the memorial. Photo credit: Kathryn Barnes.


The mountains above Montecito burned in the Thomas Fire, which is what caused the devastating mudslides in January and prompted several evacuations afterward. Photo credit: Kathryn Barnes.


The intersection of Hot Springs and Olive Mill Road is a potential location for the memorial. Photo credit: Kathryn Barnes.