Brandon Twp.- Bob Porter likes stone.
The owner of Landscape Artisan, LLC specializes in it, particularly dry stone masonry, in which structures are held together only with skill of the craftsman and gravity.
Last year Porter traveled to Mallorca, an island of Spain located in the Mediterranean Sea, with other members of the Stone Foundation to learn more about dry stone, which he says is becoming a lost art.
‘You lose a lot of heritage by not doing dry stone,? Porter said. ‘Pre-manufactured is easier. Dry stone is more difficult, but has better aesthetic qualities.?
Porter had never been out of the country, but wanted to expand his horizons. In that part of the world, he noted, dry stone has been done for hundreds, even thousands, of years. He spent the majority of his time in the town of Dea, where he said everything was made of stone. There was an abundance of retaining walls, because of the hilly and mountainous terrain, and the town was also full of stone houses. Doorway arches and stairs were all stone, too, and roads were mostly cobblestone. On the beach, he observed catacombs from the 4th or 5th century. He also viewed ancient Roman ruins.
‘To me it was cool, because I like stone,? Porter said. ‘It was warm, inviting, earthy. It was amazing some of the things were still there, as old as they were. I felt like I stepped back in time.?
Porter attended seminars and workshops on stonework, meeting people from all over the world and learning new techniques.
‘I learned not to be afraid to try something new,? he said.
When asked if he could duplicate what he saw in Mallorca, he noted that the stone used there is indigenous to Spain, but laughed, ‘if you have enough money, you could make Brandon look like Spain.?
He adds, ‘If they did this without the modern convenience of tools, I should be able to do something just as nice or lasting with my tools.?
Porter has owned Landscape Artisan, LLC since 2003 and had a partnership with his father, Don, under the business name Nature’s Green since 1989. Besides retaining walls, brick pavers and natural stonework, Landscape Artisan, LLC offers landscape construction that includes design, planting, fountains, and ponds. Porter is an authorized Unilock contractor and lays sidewalks, driveways and patios.
‘We can do everything that everyone else can do, but not everyone can do what I do? the specialized stonework,? he said. ‘I’m a craftsman.?
Details: 248-379-0809 or www.landscapeartisan.com