'THE GREAT WALL' BY COUNTRYSCAPE
The Great Wall sculpture is a freestanding stones sculpture measuring approximately 75' in length and measuring in height between 9' and 12'. The sculpture is a double-sided stone wall incorporating five schist 'columns' harvested from a nearby forest and transported to the site; and two quartzite/schist columns quarried on site. These large stone columns are surrounded with a mosaic of quartzite/schist wall stone.
The sculpture took a collaborative effort of almost four months time, including site-work preparation and setting of the large columns by W.R. Hillman & Sons, engineering the footings and placement of the large columns by John Mooney, and CountryScape Stonemasons Justin Bardwell and John Buxton to create the intricate masonry surrounding the columns.
​
The idea for the sculpture and its general scale and shape was conceived by the client and inspired by the artistry of Lew French. Under these loose guidelines, the specific details of how the different elements would look and work with one another were left to the imagination of Justin Bardwell and John Buxton to design the sculpture on-the-fly.
Playing off the unique fissures and characteristics of the larger columns, interesting cavities and shadow-lines were created throughout the sculpture, and large 'floating' accent stones were placed into the end sections of the sculpture. The smooth and flowing cap line ties the whole sculpture together.
The result is an impressive piece of modern art exhibiting the ingenuity and creativity of all involved.
'THE STONE DRAGON' BY COUNTRYSCAPE
Creative stonework is really the foundation of what motivates and inspires us in every project we work on. It is what we have the greatest passion for and is the basis for what drove us to be a part of the Landscape Design and Construction profession in the first place.
The 'Stone Dragon' sculpture is a solid, dry-laid stone sculpture created from locally harvested quartzite-schist. All of the stone needed to create the sculpture was found on the clients property.
CountryScape stonemasons Justin Bardwell and John Buxton came up with the finished concept for the sculpture from crude sketches on-site and sculptural references from the client. It is not often that one is able to explore, without limitations their creative abilities.
The 'Stone Dragon' sculpture serves to demonstrate a potential in both design sensibility and master craftsmanship. And although we hope the sculpture presents this, Justin Bardwell and John Buxton are humbled to be given an opportunity to explore the boundaries of their imagination and skill.
'THE YIN-YANG BRIDGE' BY COUNTRYSCAPE
The Yin Yang Stone Bridge was designed and constructed by CountryScape stonemasons Justin Bardwell & John Buxton on a private property in Western Massachusetts. The client enjoys hiking on the many trails covering the nearly eighty acres of beautiful wooded property and often discussed the idea of a stone bridge over this seasonal stream. The bridge is located near a few blind turns in the trail, and situated so you don't know it's out there until you stumble upon it...which of course is part of its charm.
The challenge for the CountryScape crew was gathering and transporting all of the native fieldstone from various locations scattered on-site, to where the bridge was to be built. The bridge got it's name from the Yin Yang relationship between the two halves of the bridge, as seen from above; and the weathered, un-quarried stone complements the cleaner flowing edges and shadow lines of the structure as a whole.