Laguna Niguel Botanical Preserve Labyrinth with mosaic By Marty Kermeen Labyrinths in Stone

The Labyrinth at Niguel Botanical Preserve - Crown Valley Community Park, City of Laguna Niguel, California (Photo by Nancy Palmer)

As you hike up the hill of the Botanical Preserve, you come across so much beauty. You will see butterflies, dragonflies, birds, cactus and succulent displays, sycamores & oaks, an evergreen forest, a children’s garden maze, a community rose garden, eucalyptus trees and species from Australia. Then you come to the Citizen of the Year Grove, lines with Crepe Myrtle trees. You follow the path up to the entrance of the labyrinth, Which is cradled in a formation of cypress trees.

This labyrinth is both unique and exquisite, it is a one of a kind design, shaped like a race-track. Its entrance is visually aligned on the distant peak of Saddleback Mountain, which dominates the horizon for 30 miles around. It is the ultimate picture-postcard view.

In the center of the labyrinth is a beautiful, Marty Kermeen hand sculpted mosaic. The craftsmanship is impeccable. The three Bougainvillea flowers and vine are made using colored clay pavers, which is the official city flower of Laguna Niguel.

Marty and Debi Kermeen building a one of a kind labyrinth!  ”The best part of our job, are the people that we meet along the way!  We made many friends on this trip and had a wonderful time, people invited us to all kinds of wonderful events, including music concerts, Pageant of the Masters and fires on the beach at night under the star’s”!!

Atherton Sacred Heart School Labyrinth by Marty Kermeen Labyrinths in Stone

Sacred Heart School, Chartres Labyrinth

The labyrinth at Sacred Heart Schools, Atherton is located in Conway Court between the Main Building and the Campbell Performing Arts Center. It is a replica of the labyrinth at the Chartres Cathedral in Paris. It was placed in the courtyard as the symbolic center of the campus and is used by students during various classes for prayer and meditation. Guided by faculty members, students engage in quiet walking meditation along the winding path of the labyrinth, symbolizing the human journey for the search for God in their lives. When not in use, the labyrinth becomes a decorative background and conversation piece for ceremonies and other events that take place in this multipurpose space. Unbeknownst at the time by the committee who chose this design, the labyrinth at Amiens, home of the first Sacred Heart School, is also a replica of the Chartres design.Marty Kermeen Labyrinths in Stone was the builder of this brick paver Labyrinth.

Long Beach Grace Brethren Church Labyrinth by Marty Kermeen Labyrinths in Stone

Grace Brethern Church Labyrinth

The Grace Brethren Labyrinth was commissioned as part of a multi-million dollar reconstruction of a two-block religious complex that includes a church, school, preschool, offices, and recreational area.

As the centerpiece of a covered courtyard that connects the main buildings of the complex, this magnificent 1,250-square-foot labyrinth is an exact replica of the original Chartres design, minus the lunations. The path is 12.5 inches wide and extends a total of 750 feet in length. Pausing stones lead up to the entrance, encouraging people to reflect on their intention before entering the labyrinth. Molded concrete meditation benches around the perimeter of the space provide plenty of space for private meditation and prayer.

When not in use, the labyrinth becomes a decorative background for the fountain that adds even more beauty to this multipurpose space. Each petal of the center features a spout that adjusts from the off position to 6-inch gurgles to 15-foot jets of water with the turn of a gauge. A large drain in the middle of the concave center ensures proper drainage.

Truly a marriage of form and function, the Grace Brethren Labyrinth is a work of art that demonstrates Marty Kermeen’s award winning excellence in labyrinth design and installation.

San Bruno St. Elizabeth’s Church Labyrinth

St. Elizabeth's Episcopal Church Labyrinth

Lynn Bowish, was the first woman ordained Priest in the state of California. She was sent to this kind of small and run down church in San Bruno called St. Elizabeth’s. What they didn’t know, was that women know how to clean house! Thirty Years later, St E’s is going strong, this small church, has a huge heart and is Known as the “Place where miracles happen”, and is very  well loved by its members. Now you are greeted by a beautiful square shaped labyrinth in the front courtyard of the church. It was the only gift Lynn wanted as she retired, a gift for people in her community to have a walkable full size permanent labyrinth.

“Building this labyrinth was such a beautiful experience and one that I will never forget”~ Debi Kermeen Labyrinths in Stone