No. 075, in eight platesSpire of Stones
Eight towers of balanced stone, drawn in ink, each one a single breath away from coming down.
Spire of Stones is drawn in black ink on white paper, with crosshatching doing all the work of shadow. Each plate shows one impossible tower: boulders and slabs piled on top of each other, wobbling upwards and narrowing to a point. The paper around them is left almost entirely blank, which makes the series feel less like a scene and more like a page from a sketchbook of follies.
What crowns each stack changes. Castle on the Cairn ends in a miniature fortress of spires, with broken columns standing around the base and one stone drifting loose. Leaning Watchtower curves like a banana under a conical roof. In Shedding Stones, fragments are already breaking off and tumbling to the left. Church at the Foot sets a stone church with a tall steeple beside the pile for scale, and Spine of Stones adds tiny walkers with poles approaching the base. Thorned Stack has vines and a small creature clinging near the bottom.
Here the composition argues with the phone a little. The spires climb into the top quarter, so the clock sits over a fine line of ink rather than open paper, though the point is thin enough that the time stays readable. The broad base of each tower lands in the lower half, where it frames the dock rather than fighting it. With so much white, a light appearance and dark labels make the most sense on the Home Screen.
It suits fantasy readers, tabletop players, admirers of old etchings, and anyone who has ever added one more thing to a pile that was fine. Two of the eight, Castle on the Cairn and Thorned Stack, are free in full resolution; the other six are premium.
Each tower is one stone away from becoming a heap.
Try each one on before you save it.
Tap any plate to hang it on the Lock Screen, then switch to the Home Screen to see it behind your apps. This is the same preview the app gives you, on your own phone, with your own clock.
Every plate here can be ordered as an unframed matte print, from A$59 with free shipping. Or hang three side by side: any three plates from Spire of Stones, 8 × 16 in each, for A$179.
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Plate ICastle on the Cairn -
Plate IIShedding Stones -
Plate IIIChurch at the Foot -
Plate IVLeaning Watchtower -
Plate VBell Tower Balance -
Plate VISpine of Stones -
Plate VIIThorned Stack -
Plate VIIILadders at the Base
How Spire of Stones wears.
Whimsical, precarious, eerie, quiet. Crosshatched pen-and-ink drawing, sized for every iPhone up to 2160 × 4800.
On the Lock Screen
A fine spire threads up behind the time, so a dark clock reads cleanly on the white paper around it.
On the Home Screen
Bright white paper suits a light appearance, with the heavy rock base settling behind the dock.
Full resolution, every model
Each plate is delivered at the exact size of your iPhone's screen, up to 2160 × 4800, so nothing is stretched or soft at the edges.
- Paper white#FFFFFF
- Fog grey#E0E0E0
- Pencil grey#A0A0A0
- Slate#606060
- India ink#000000
Free plates, and the rest.
Open Spire of Stones in pxCream and preview any plate on your Lock Screen first. Prices come from the App Store in your region and are shown in the app before you buy.
Spire of Stones
Two free platesFree
Full resolution, saved straight to Photos.
A single premium plate10 credits
Yours for good: re-download it any time, on this iPhone, at no extra cost.
pxCream UnlimitedMonthly
Every premium plate in Spire of Stones and the rest of the gallery, for as long as you subscribe.
On the App Store · iPhone only · No account needed
About Spire of Stones.
Does the spire get in the way of the clock?
A little. Every tower reaches into the top quarter, but it narrows to a hairline there, so the time crosses a thin stroke of ink rather than a solid shape.
Do these suit dark mode?
They are bright white drawings, so they look most at home with a light appearance. In dark mode the paper stays white and white labels will struggle.
Is Spire of Stones free?
In part. Castle on the Cairn and Thorned Stack download free in full resolution. The remaining six are premium: 10 credits each in the pxCream app, re-download forever, or every stack with Unlimited.
Something else? Support answers within two business days.
Spire of Stones, in your pocket.
pxCream is on the App Store for iPhone, with Spire of Stones and the rest of the gallery inside.