As most of us already know, nature can be truly breathtaking.
Nature has a magical way of creating unique beauty, like in these photos of military tanks being reclaimed by plant life.
Johnny Clasper knows all about natural beauty, especially when it comes to pebbles and stones. Growing up, Johnny loved pottery, woodworking and metalwork, but discovered he had a special talent when he started studying bricklaying in college.
Now working as a stonemason, Johnny knows that stonework doesn't have to be in a straight line, laying stone after stone in a row. Instead, Johnny creates a beautiful work of art in each of his projects, incorporating incredible shapes inspired by different aspects of nature, such as flowing water or the movement of a glacier.
Scroll through below to see these one-of-a-kind stonework masterpieces.
Would you want one of these in your backyard? Let us know in the comments.
[H/T: BoredPanda, Johnny Clasper]
Like with many of his unique projects, Johnny started off this design by sketching his idea, creating a clay model, and using chalk to help outline exactly where the stone would lie.
After a week, he placed more stone through a process called dry stone walling, where a wall is created without any cement. Instead, stones are simply placed on top of one other.
It can be extremely difficult to find each perfectly-shaped stone to help create the curved design. Johnny described the process like "rummaging through a heap of jigsaw pieces with no box lid."
The finished product was all the more impressive with a hole in the middle of the wall. To describe this finished project, Johnny used an ancient Chinese proverb: "The person who says it cannot be done, should not interrupt the person doing it."
Johnny claimed that inspiration for this piece was taken from outer space. He described the wall as a wormhole, with the stone pulled from the earth and into a vacuum of space.
The stones on this pathway may look normal, but the path's curved shape is entirely fresh and new! This path — cleverly crafted by Johnny — curves perfectly around a small pond and a beautiful statue.
Johnny created these steps with a visually interesting spiral of red brick. The middle of the spiral culminates in a lovely ammonite shape.
Johnny built this gorgeous wall in Yorkshire, UK, in 2014, calling it "The Crimple Valley Oracle."
This wall is part of a larger courtyard project inspired by cosmic beauty. Johnny was able to create an incredible contrast between the light colored pebbles and the dark gray slate.
This patio, which Johnny finished in 2014, would look gorgeous in anyone's backyard. The smaller inlaid pebbles alongside larger stones make it especially magical.
Johnny also incorporates landscaping into some of his work. This backyard garden includes creative bricklaying, a dry stone wall, and mosaic work as well.
Johnny's "Stairway to Heaven" was inspired by the movement of a glacier, but also provides a practical stone stairway to access the rest of the house.
This beautiful driveway has been cleverly enhanced by Johnny's work. His pebble spirals split into a number of strands that cut through the asphalt and wrap around the trees.
This mosaic is the centerpiece for the driveway, where Johnny employs one of his favorite effects: incorporating three-dimensional aspects into his design.
Along with gardens and walls, Johnny creates artwork mosaics, such as this one of slate and pebble, which he showed at a local flower show.
Using slate as "water," Johnny created the image of a still, but beautiful waterfall.
Johnny has a definite talent for using stones and his imagination to create beautiful, nature-inspired works of art.
Would you want one of these stone projects in your backyard? Let us know in the comments.
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Thumb image via Flicker user warrenski.
