Steve Hitman's Philosophy of Stone & Water
At first glance, you might not see the interconnectivity between stone and water and how this relationship plays into the formation of custom marble or granite dining tables, coffee tables or other furnishings. After all, stone seems solid and permanent – oblivious to sunlight and weather – whereas water flows and evaporates. However, in the eyes and hands of Las Vegas master stone craftsman Steve Hitman, the relationship is obvious.
“There’s fluidity in stone just like in water,” Steve explains. “I don’t care if you’re talking about Carrera marble coffee tables, a black granite dining table, or some other home furnishing. Look at the veins, cracks, colors within that piece of marble. There’s texture in it, a sort of roughness within smoothness just like there can be smoothness within roughness. It’s yin and yang, chaos and harmony. It’s the way of nature.”
Steve says, “Surfers understand this. They watch the ebb and flow of the waves, feeling the power of the water under that placid surface, knowing that a wave will be born from that placid surface, a wave that’s unique, that will break unlike the one before it or the one after it. That’s why art is an extension of nature – it’s a natural rhythm you can’t ignore. That’s why stone – be it marble, granite, onyx, even jade – is just like water. It all flows.”
The Journey from Surfer to Master Stone Craftsman
Growing up in Elberon, New Jersey, Steve found solace and exhilaration in the sea.
“My parents threw me in the ocean when I was just a little kid, could barely walk,” laughs Steve. “Started surfin’ when I was seven years old, started making my own surfboards at ten. I was in the water all the time, even right after a hurricane. I was always studying the weather and the water, to keep in harmony with the water.”
Steve studied to become an attorney at Fairleigh Dickinson University in Madison, New Jersey. But the waves and sea breezes kept calling to him so, in his last year, he transferred to Monmouth University, located only a few blocks from the ocean in West Long Branch.
However, the realities of law and justice quickly disillusioned him and he turned his back on the profession, returning to the ocean to feed his soul.
To feed his stomach, Steve heard of a master stone craftsman in Ocean, New Jersey who needed a helper. Here, quite unexpectedly in what was considered to be a temporary job, he found a creative expression that not only would help people express themselves but that would also give meaning to his own life.
Steve spent nine years with Antonio Campanelli originally from the Abruzzi region of Italy. He studied the philosophy of natural stone artistry; the characteristics and natural properties of natural stones like marble, granite, onyx, limestone, sandstone, even jade; and the approaches and techniques used to bring out the stone’s inherent beauty to full form as a marble dining table, accent table or sculpture.
He then moved to West Palm Beach, Florida applying his knowledge, by hand, under the experienced eye of world-renowned Spanish stone artist Luis Montoya. For two years, he used the tools of the craft to transform blocks and slabs of rock into exquisite furnishings for home and office.
“It’s all about making a difference in people’s lives,” says Steve. “I do it with art – marble is what I do. I use marble, granite or sandstone – whatever – to bring out personal statements that best convey who individuals are and what they want to say about themselves and their world.”
A Uncommon Approach for Uncommon People
Steve Hitman’s approach to using marble, granite and other natural stone to create exquisite functional art for home and office isn’t for everyone. Art is a personal expression. When formed with function, that art becomes an intimate portrait of oneself.
And that approach is what makes Steve one of the most sought-after stone artisans in the U.S. today.
If you want to bring your personal statement to life, begin the exploration today by contacting Stillwater Stone Works at (702) 339-6238.
