Abstract Landscapes

02/04/2013

Day 14, Julian, Owain and Ant are still in the garden! Big Brother jokes aside, with our return ferry booked for the next day, we finish bang on time. Whilst it’s all looking very new at the moment, by the end of the year the terrace will begin to match the stonework of the studio.

The only thing left to go in now is the soil and Yuccas in the new planting beds in front of the vine, and to install the new stainless steel pillar and spot lights.

The team and myself are really pleased with the results of our labour and our clients are also particularly thrilled now that they have a level, expansive terrace for painting tuition, seminars and relaxation.

And tomorrow? Winter beckons...

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...et voila, le Temple de l'Art, bathed in golden sunlight.

02/04/2013

A two week project in the Charente to construct a terrace outside of the main art studio. Two continuous steps will run along both of the open sides, forming a classic Romanesque terrace to perfectly complement the arched details in the existing architecture.

23/03/2013

Finally, spring arrived in the Charente and the temperatures soared to 22 degrees. Just the sort of pick up we all needed, as we had a good 16 tons of hardcore to bring from the entrance of the chateau through the woods and around the walled garden to where the art studio is located.

Once the hardcore was compacted in layers to make up the ground to just below the limestone blockwork, we were ready to the lay the first paving slabs.

The clients had chosen a composite tile made from crushed limestone, which perfectly matched both the new and existing stonework of the terrace and the art studio.

We're having our first day of tomorrow after an intensive ten day stretch, so a few glasses of the regions finest, out in the sun will be the order of the day for Sunday, before resuming the paving on Monday.





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After a long slog, once the hardcore was compacted in layers, we were ready to lay the first paving slabs.

21/03/2013

Things are really starting to shape up now, after delays caused by severe rain. Our clients very kindly bought us a Gazebo so that we could still make some progress while the deluge came down around us.

Following the foundations we have now finished the main structure built in limestone blocks, locally quarried from just a few miles back up the Tardoire valley. This is a classic limestone area which has been permanently inhabited for over 20.000 years, with the south side escarpments being littered with caves and evidence of troglodyte activity including cave paintings and hand tools.

In keeping with traditions we have been slaving away with these 30kg limestone blocks, but the final results are well worth the effort and the transformation from Art Studio to Art Temple is well under way.

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Now that the blockwork for the steps is complete, we begin to get a clear sense of the final structure...

15/03/2013

After a sunny but icy start to the day, all of the primary excavations were completed in what was very nearly T-shirt weather. Could have done without the Bramley apple tree limbo competition, but we got there in the end!

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...and ready to pour the first foundations tomorrow morning.

14/03/2013

Having braved rain, sleet, snow and ice on our drive across France to the Charente, today we began to mark out the ground and calculate the excavation depths. Hopefully the sun will return tomorrow for a touch of springtime warmth!


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String lines mark out the geometry of the new terrace.

12/03/2013