In 1999, Hugh and Karen Anderson invited landscape stone artist Neal Plummer and his partner, Natalie Hocking, to create a design in their Melbourne garden featuring Neal’s stone artistry. It took Neal and Natalie around two years to complete the work. Neal’s clients understand that he can’t be hurried, but also that the finished product will reflect their individuality, and remain a timeless and enduring snapshot of their lives in the period the garden was constructed.
The technique Neal uses is called stonewalling, and although it looks dry stacked, it is mortared at the back to give it strength and durability. Neal calls his smallest pieces of stone ‘fairy wings’ and says they are vital in general stone walling. These pieces form the basis of many of Neal’s artworks, and they are so tiny he snaps them with his fingers.
Neal and Natalie showed Don around the Anderson’s garden, which includes ponds, a 3-tiered stone waterfall, numerous curved stone walls, artistic stone pieces and tributes to family members and historical events.
Artists in stone
Neal Plummer has been working with stone for the last 20 years. He loves the challenge of being creative and he loves using the colour in different stones. Neal’s aim in his work is to create a sense of movement, something that may seem impossible with stone, and yet he achieves this by laying the stone pieces not only horizontally, but vertically and diagonally as well. He also makes extensive use of curves in his walls and steps.
Natalie Hocking also works with stone, but has had a break since giving birth to baby daughter, Layla. Natalie works with very fine sandstones, layered pitched bluestone, pebble mosaics and uses slab saws, all types of hammers and pitching chisels.
Neal thinks that everyone is capable of creating stone art. He would eventually like to establish a ‘school of stone’, where he can share his knowledge and encourage a wide appreciation of stone.
Contact information
Neal Plummer
Natalie Hocking
Phone: (03) 5962 5848
Mob: 0438 594 413