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Prior to 2008 I was a landscaping contractor focused on the design and creation of outdoor living spaces, including water features. Koi ponds, though fun to create, require more ongoing work than many folks want to deal with. While self contained water fountains are lower maintenance, I had been less than satisfied with the typical selection available at garden centers. There just had to be a natural and tasteful alternative to the proverbial frog with water shooting from its mouth or the Grecian woman pouring water from a pitcher!  While visiting a bonsai studio in the Spring of 2007 I noticed something that stopped me in my tracks -- a small sample of slender, sweeping and richly colorful natural stone columns. I couldn't get this wonder of nature out of my mind! So I embarked on a long diligent search which eventually led to contact with the geologist who quarries this 45 million year old stone. This particular stone, correctly identified as andesite, but commonly referred to as basalt, is sourced from only one location on the planet. It bares rich hues of rust, gold, champagne and mossy green, not to mention eggplant and powder blue! The curious lines of these natural rock spires, combined with such vibrant color variations, make them breathtaking to behold and fun to work with. I feel blessed to have developed a niche that melds my artistic inclinations and landscape design experience with a need in the marketplace for art quality natural stone water fountains. I chose this rock, not because it's the rarest columnar stone, though it is, nor the most beautiful on the planet, though I also think it is. I chose to work with these columns because they draw me. They excite me. They help me feel more human or alive, or something. It’s almost as if they chose me and make me devote myself to their fullest potential. My artistic intention is to alter this natural material minimally while accentuating its appeal by focusing on the composition and presentation of the columns. If you look at my work I hope you see what I see and feel the natural attraction of this wonderful ancient stone. Please take some time to explore our web site. Through the links on this page you will find windows to other people’s experiences. The many stories, pictures, and videos will give you ideas. But in the end, your fountain will be a one of a kind original, tailored to you, your space, and your wants.  Robert Wertz

Copyright © 2024  |  All rights reserved  |  igneous rock gallery  |  Mechanicsburg PA  |  Telephone: 717.805.4304

Quarry Connection

The Beaver Canyon geologists have awarded Igneous Rock Gallery exclusive access to the best stone columns that come from the site. Visit the Quarry Connection to learn more about this distinctive material and its origins.

Residential Fountains

The Residential Fountains page has photos of installations from private residential properties. There are also videos and testimonials from some truly happy customers.

Gallery

On the Gallery page you will find albums featuring some of Igneous Rock Gallery’s most unique and creative design applications. From elegant table top decor to spectacular outdoor displays, the Gallery is a source of natural beauty and creative inspiration.

Contact Us

Igneous Rock Gallery’s telephone number and email address can be found on the Contact Us page along with a map, directions, and the street address.

Media

Igneous Rock Gallery has been featured in numerous magazines and publications as well as in various television news programs. Here is an archive of some of these articles.

Commercial Applications

Visit the Commercial Applications page to see installations designed to enhance commercial properties and read statements from those very satisfied business owners.
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So you want an Igneous Rock Gallery fountain…   “Oh,…oh…… (pause, hands on cheeks)  I WANT one!”   “No way!  You’ve got to be kidding me?  Beautiful!”   “Absolutely.  Positively.  Gorgeous.”    Countless times I have observed reactions the instant someone’s eyes fall upon an Igneous Rock Gallery Beaver Canyon andesite fountain. If you are like many satisfied clients, once you have seen a well designed, flowing and lighted Beaver Canyon andesite fountain, it will ruin you for any lesser alternative.    So how do you get from “Oh, …oh……, I WANT one!” to actually owning a feature that suits your budget and compliments your landscape?   If you are a local client the scenario usually goes like this… (If you aren’t, you’ll still get the same attention. Read on…)   You’ll see a fountain somewhere, check out our web site, and then come to the gallery. (If I know you are coming, I’ll suggest providing pictures of your space in advance.) We’ll typically start in the showroom where six flowing fountains of various sizes and price points are always on display.
If you cannot easily visit the gallery in person... If you cannot easily visit the gallery in person due to your locale or time constraints, we have developed a very workable design review process that takes advantage of technology.  Click on the video shown at right for an example. This couple found us online and decided to make the six hour trip from their home in Connecticut in order to size up our stone columns, and me!   After several phone calls and emails they scheduled a 9:30 a.m. appointment and booked a room at a nearby hotel. Within an hour or so of their prompt arrival we locked in on a budget and were 80 percent of the way toward completing the customized fountain grouping presented in the video. Upon seeing this video, the third of three, they approved the design. It was created, delivered and installed soon thereafter. We also installed two fountains in Rhode Island on the same trip.
Occasionally a client will see one they love and buy it within minutes. Typically, after an initial survey of the lighted and flowing showroom fountains, we move on to the adjacent workshop studio where assorted columns of many heights and colors stand around everywhere, almost like a little forest with paths and clearings. Here you will find potential fountain groupings arranged in various stages of design completion.    By this time you have already been told the prices of the showroom fountains, helping you get a ballpark idea where this is heading. Your budget combined with the scale of fountain your setting calls for helps us home in on possible groupings. From here some folks like to start from scratch and participate actively in each step of the design process, while most defer to me after conveying certain preferences and guidelines.   On the way to making purchases some clients visit a half dozen times and have me evaluate their site. I am patient if you need to take your time. In the end I want you to love your fountain and enjoy the process.  I am also very confident in my craft if you need me to take the reigns and expedite.
“I am an architect with my own firm for 43 years. In that time I have designed a multitude of residential, commercial and institutional projects. It is very common for us to design the building, entranceways and plazas leading up to the buildings, and also the interiors. My wife, Bunny and I recognized the beauty and potential in Robert’s creations the first time we saw them, which was at the Philadelphia International Flower Show, where Robert won an award for his display. When the time came for me to design some very special hardscaping in the landscape of our own residence I turned to Robert to assist in formulating a fountain solution that would be as architectural as possible. This meant something that had strong composition, something totally multidirectional that could be equally pleasing from 360 degrees of viewing. Robert and I solved this together. His talents in fountain design are only surpassed by his personality in making sure we were totally, but totally, pleased with the design and the installation. I work with vendors every day, but I must say that our fountain was one of the most pleasing projects I have completed in my 43 years as an architect.” Stephen W. Schwartz AIA, Architect SWS ARCHITECTS Livingston, NJ
"The Igneous Rock towers, in any form or size can sell themselves. They are a thing of aesthetic beauty without any need for salesmanship. What is important beyond this fact is the quality of service which Bob offers during and after the sale that sets him and his company apart from others. We have never been denied an answer to any question or experienced any delays in his responding.  It is obvious he enjoys his business and the pleasure he extends to his clientele through the sale, installation, and satisfaction derived from these remarkable and unique pieces of sculpture. We cannot recommend highly enough Bob and his Igneous Rock Gallery with whom to do business.” Elizabeth and Michael Baley Mount Joy, PA"
Learn more about Igneous Rock Gallery by clicking on any of the links below.