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THE GNOME PROJECT
About the Gnome Project
In a tucked-away corner of a busy workshop, where the scent of cedar mingles with the hum of making, a quiet magic unfolds. Here, ordinary materials become characters—each with a story to tell.
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It began with a simple idea: make something by hand for my wife and daughter—something that would make them smile. That first gnome sparked joy and a realization: these figures could carry their own kind of magic far beyond home.
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​How it used to work
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Around the holidays I made small figurines and gave them away, encouraging people to place them in public—part letting go, part mysterious communication with strangers they’d never meet. One year it was epoxy cancer ribbons; for a couple of years it was little “Love Monkeys.”
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Then came the gnomes you see now. It started out as a technical exercise and soon turned into placing them in the area: one at the coast, one on the bike trails, one at the library. Curious what happened next, I added a QR code to count scans. By late 2023 one gnome had been scanned close to 550 times. That led to the system I use today.
How it works now
​Gnomes are cast in concrete and placed anonymously out in the wide world. Each carries a small QR code that links back to this site.
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When someone discovers a gnome, they might scan it, might read the story, they may feel encouraged to move the gnome and log its new location. The next person who comes along might move it farther. Over time, each gnome builds a travel story—written by strangers who may never meet.
​The journeys so far
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Scale: As of July 23, 2025, there were 39 of these marked gnomes out in the world, each with its own page and story.
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Another 60 out there preceding the current system. Who knows where they are now.
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Most moved: Synaptus_5 with 5 confirmed moves, last seen in Manzanita, Oregon.
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Farthest traveled: Kimo_3—nearly 3,000 miles to Calumet, Michigan.
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Other paths: Kimo_1 reached St. Petersburg, Florida; Kimo_2 made it to Honolulu, Hawaii; Kimo_5 to Nashville, Tennessee; Zephyr_2 to Grants Pass, Oregon; Victor_2 has 4 moves around Bainbridge Island.
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Quiet ones: 22 gnomes haven’t moved since placement—maybe fixtures now, or simply well hidden. Not every story is about motion; some are about quiet.
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These aren’t GPS-tracked. They rely on people—to notice, to scan, to nudge the story forward.
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​What’s next
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I’m beginning a careful V2 refinement of the original six gnomes—stronger structure, better stance, clearer expression. I’m starting with Zephyr V2 (ZV2) and a small run of cold-cast bronze minis (limited to 30). When the Gnomometer reaches 20, I’ll move onto the next V2—Victor.
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The minis are a metronome, not a gate—interest sets the tempo.
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​In a nutshell
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At its heart, the idea is simple: place a small gift for someone you’ll likely never meet. Reach out without names attached. Leave something hidden that might bring a stranger a smile. Let it go and walk away.
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The near-term goal is 60 placed by the end of 2025—I’m close and I'll hit that by end of October. From there, the Gnomometer will set the pace for 2026.
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If you cross paths with a gnome, do what feels right: leave it be, move it along, or just smile and keep going. The story works either way.