Artist Statement

Timothy & Lauren Gregory

Nature by Design Art

 

At Nature by Design Art, we’re fascinated by the unexpected—the moment when something familiar suddenly doesn’t make sense.

Our story began with stone.

Timothy grew up surrounded by artistic creativity, following in the footsteps of his father and grandmother. His father introduced him to the idea that ordinary stones could become something extraordinary, developing a way to permanently bond and balance stones into cairns—stacks that seemed almost impossible to hold together.

Timothy began making his own.

While experimenting with stone, another idea took shape:

What if a stone could have a zipper?

It was an odd thought. A stone is hard, rigid, and unyielding. It isn't supposed to open.

But Timothy decided to find out if it could.

He began carving and shaping natural stones, eventually figuring out how to integrate a real zipper into the stone itself. What started as an experiment became something much bigger.

The zipper created an illusion that challenged the eye and the mind. The stone remained completely natural, yet suddenly appeared soft—as though it could open, bend, or even be carried like a clutch.

When Lauren became part of Timothy’s life, she became part of the creative process. Bringing her own eye for composition and creativity, she began designing the interiors, carefully selecting and arranging shells, crystals, coins, marbles, coral, wine corks, tumbled stones, and other unexpected objects.

In 2021, Timothy and Lauren founded Nature by Design Art.

Every piece is made by hand. Timothy selects and carves each stone, preserving its natural character while integrating the zipper. Lauren brings the inside to life, creating a unique composition within each piece.

The result is an illusion that makes people look twice.

You know you're looking at a stone. You can see its texture and recognize its hardness.

Then you see the zipper.

For a moment, your mind tries to make sense of something that shouldn't be there. The stone begins to look like a clutch or handbag—something soft and pliable, rather than something formed by nature.

And that's where our art lives—in the moment when what you see doesn't quite match what you know.

A real stone.
A real zipper.
An unexpected illusion.

What began as an unusual experiment has become a shared creative journey between husband and wife—and a new way of seeing what a stone can be.

Nature by Design Art
Where Nature Defies Expectation.