Sage Artistry Creativity with a Conscience!

Up Close: Topography of Plaster

2011-11-14T19:21:00.001-08:00

As it darkens and chills in Seattle, I miss being outside to mix and make my plasters. There is nothing like opening my garage doors up to the fresh summer air to whip up a creative storm.

Splatted, cracked lime paint collides with golden earth plasters....maybe some hypertufa planting medium too.....and don't forget the sunpaint!

As I mix pigments into the plaster, colors and textures swirl and my eye catches the water's reflection. Drill goes off, hands are semi-clean so I grab my camera for another up-close shot. One, maybe two. For a moment, spiral-like patterns form as materials join one another.

The drill goes on to hurricane speed and the moment fades.

There is beauty at the bottom of a bucket.

Photography lets you fall in love with the story behind the art. Below are some of my favorite shots.

Enjoy!

Getting Lost

2011-09-13T23:28:00.000-07:00

Yesterday while working on a project, a finish carpenter approached me and said "I will try not to talk much, you are obviously lost in your work." Immediate resonation as I shook my head and said "Yes, I do get lost in my work."

Silence again and more focus. On to the next edge.

I've received alot of feedback over the years about my work and that one really sticks. I love that my love for my work creates a glow that people can see and feel.

Getting lost is a good thing.

I picked up a trowel in 2000 and haven't stopped since. Lost in the moment, all the daily angst receeds. Paying attention advances.

Suddenly.

Eyes focus, cheeks flush, sweat and grit begin.

From edge to edge you are fully dedicated, present, "in the moment" as most pop self-help books say.

Plastering gives you a visible start, middle, and end. Voices chatter, trowels crunch then fade..quiet liminal persistence. Then the end. An "Ah!" this is worth it. Can't wait to do it again!

Your work transforms, transcends daily life. Things don't mean so much. Only moments.

Trowel On!

Not until we are lost do we begin to understand ourselves. Henry David Thoreau

Mix Maestro

2011-06-13T12:50:00.000-07:00

Process is immersive. Most of us spend our time caught in the heat of a project, entranced by the moment. What about before it begins?

When getting yourself ready to orchestrate a plastering project, what motions you to be successful when the first trowel or brush stroke happens? Setting the stage for a "PIY" plaster project means creating rituals that work for you.

Whether its one bucket or twenty, establishing good routines will help you avoid unneeded fatigue and give you the repeatable consistency to do the next wall, or the whole house. This blog will focus on how to create good "first stage" to lay the groundwork for your finishes to come.

I love mixing and tinting my own plasters. Its a dance in and of itself. Earthen plasters like American Clay bring the power to your hands...before the troweling begins. Customize your own "Mari-Loma" or "Loma-Lina" batches and tint them with natural pigments as you wish. Experiment away friends! The color, consistency, and quality are up to you. DIY's, you can "MIY" then "PIY"! :)

Along with the power and control you have over customizing your plasters comes a responsibility. When experimenting with colors and textures..keep these points in mind.

Use a digital scale and record your measurements. This will help ensure repeatable, consistent batches.
Samples!!! Always make a "batch sample" after your first "scrap sample" to monitor any changes. This is especially helpful to ensure client sign-off and project success. It's always a good idea to make a third one just in case you want to experiment even further with lime washes, tinted sealers, and other artistic effects.
Be safe! Arm yourself with an N-95 respirator and glasses when working with natural pigments and mixing.

The Mixing Station...Tools and Techniques

How can you go from mixing 5 gallons in 30 min to 20? With the right station and equipment, you'll be standing tall. You might even have enough energy to go for a post-mix skate or run! Over time, I have found some great tools to use for this process. Hint: look no further than your restaurant supply store for some of them!

4' wooden spatula is perfect for breaking surface tension that occurs when mixing and is great to use for scraping and blending all those bottom aggregate remnants. It is also a great weapon! (just kidding!)
Large galvanized trash can is essential! If you are doing larger projects or simply want to ensure color consistency, grab one at your local hardware store before your next gig. I also like to use a smaller basin style one for holding tools while mixing to contain debris.
1/2" drill and mud paddle..of course!
Large plastic measuring cup w/ handle will allow you to get the plaster out of the can with ease.
Hand trucks are great for wheeling those buckets around...in style!

Ergomonics is Queen! Developing good practices will help preserve your energy to "let'er rip" when it comes to troweling.

Clean buckets! Who wants chips of old red Marittimo with new buttery white Porcelina? Soak your old buckets the night before, then scrub and spray out. The cleaner the start, the crisper the job.
Use gravity! Those 50 lb bags can be heavy, use a table, truck bed, or the edge of your mixing can to coax the plaster in.
Develop a pre-job checklist and dedicate one area to collect all your tools and materials. Load up, then treat yourself to a nice carbo-load-up before your job to sustain your energy and keep your outlook sunny!

Finally.....keep falling in love with what you do! Enjoy the process of making the art and the art-making!

"In art, the hand can never execute anything higher than the heart can inspire" - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Pioneers and Grassroots

2011-05-30T22:12:00.000-07:00

Memorial Day 2011 was once again spent creating new finishes and ushering in the "busy season" for the industry. I secretly love to work during off-hours, holidays and weekends..less traffic and engine roars. :)

Sherwin Williams 6147, 6149, Bioshield Colorwash #1521, Ochres & Oxides Turkish Earth Ground Pigment

I decided to get some fresh country air after the day and take a short drive to Snoqualmie, WA. This weathered and rustic place is a short escape from the dotted errands of everyday life. Not a stop light in town and still a local business pulse.

Trains and Patina. I had intended to shoot more than one but my first stop landed here. And there it stayed. This is a texture-lover's paradise! Oxides. Rust. Weathered wood and metal all coming together!

These trains represent to me how innovation really starts with a simple idea and belief. Then it radiates. These trains were once the needles that knitted small towns together into systems. Now they rest and gather nature's own patterns.Trains and towns represent the pioneering spirit. Hop on, take a risk, and forge ahead!

Dirty Green Jobs: Adventures in Earth Plaster Application

2011-04-14T20:15:00.000-07:00

April 14 2009 10:09 am

4 years of Bellevue College Interior Design school complete! CAD drawings and renderings all rolled up and asleep. My Kodiak M2 and a month's worth of goods & groceries, packed and ready to blow'n'go!

Sitting was my least favorite part of school and I was about to get exactly what I'd been preparing so hard for.

Truck was stuffed and the engine roared, headed on a barge to the San Juans.

Assignment: Complete 8,000 sqft of beautifully crafted clay finishes in a glorious cabin on a sparkling lake nestled on a private island luminating in the Puget Sound. Too good to be true. I could write a book or two on all I've learned through my work, but for now, I'll share this blog.

Method: Work-out alot to build endurance and invest in power tools!!! And eat anything you want for breakfast because you'll burn it off by 10am. A cup of coffee ignites the motors, a beer after work lifts the spirits and stores the next day's carbohydrates. Pack muscle rub!

I started my business in 2005 and have done decent sized projects..a few rooms at a time, fireplaces galore, and fancy powder rooms. This was the first time I was doing a WHOLE house..no paint anywhere..only plaster! Only by the hands of me and my "Assistant Sista" Shannon.

Enter the Kodiak M2.

I bought this portable hopper to allow efficient application of basecoats and ceilings. Victory was declared when in one day we covered close to 2,000 sqft! The machine is connected to a 90 PSI 13 CFM wheelbarrow air compressor. What a sense of power you have when using that machine!

Until it clogs. Then. Work. Slowly. Comes to a. Halt.

Even after I would routinely flush the machine out and perform all proper steps, something would clog..usually the gun tip due to all the joins and grooves. As disempowering as it gets.

I was filthy and fiercely determined.

The machine would eventually come around but alot of time was certainly spent setting up, configuring, and troubleshooting. You realize your tools are the two hands attached to you...so get to work! I've had my bouts of confidence with "Betsy the Beast". From the heights of scaffolding, poised and powerful. To maliciously striking, attaching, and attacking.

As the basecoat phase winded down, artistry revealed itself. Every day and moment it seemed was spent capturing and experiencing nature. The real magic happened when there was no rumbling of the machine, no more gasoline, only the hand and the heart. I don't regret the machine..it allowed me to scale and produce. Above all, I learned when to turn off the machine and tune in to the craft.

Below are some of my experiences with different application tools & techniques. Enjoy!!!

Spray-On Application

Kodiak M2 Portable Hopper

The machine is easy to clog, especially the gun tip and stator tube. I had the most problems with American Clay's Marittimo since the heavier aggregates tend to sink to the bottom. I used Loma in with the Marittimo to help suspend the aggregates which helped the flow. The Porcelina blows on like a breeze since it's a finer plaster.

Prime it real well with warm soapy water, flush , then slowly coach it into flowing the plaster...crank the hopper speed up to 100! It takes at least two people to operate..one sprays, one backtrowels.

Its an expensive investment (over $4K for machines)..although if you are doing a large area and are on a construction project schedule..its the sure fire way to stay on track without having to subcontract away your costs. Great for basecoats but it can end up looking like knockdown drywall on the topcoats...too flat and not enough hand!!! More prepwork / masking needs to be done due to overspray. Add 10% additional material for overspray / waste.

Hopper with 90 PSI 13 CFM
Works well with viscous, fluid materials (no heavy plasters) Applying sanded primer is a breeze. Less overspray than Kodiak.

Roll-on Application

American Clay released a binder called "Up & Ez" which allows you to roll on the plaster! It works great for ceilings and hard to reach areas..less trips up & down the ladder! Its a good idea if you are just starting to learn. Regardless of how you apply it, you still need to use a binder in the clay, but if you are quick with a trowel you might be better off not rolling it on walls and easy to reach areas. Artistically, you can have a great time rolling on different shades for tonal effects.

Trowel-On

This is the easiest, simplest way to apply plaster. Pointed trowels work best for edges and corners, Pool trowels simplify large scale application. So many different ones! Ceilings are more difficult than walls since the material falls. This is when you might opt to do the "Roll-On" or "Spray-On" application.

Links

San Juan Islands Project Film

My favorite trowel

American Spray Kodiak M2

American Clay

Stucco Italiano

Rigor

2011-03-21T20:44:00.000-07:00

When exploring and finding new paths, uncertainty is certain. The outcome is not guaranteed. What we can be sure of are many bumps in the road, obstacles and fears to face.

The light comes from a desire and continued will to figure things out.

Enjoy and journal the process along the way!

New finishes and fresh spins on old techniques!! Each material speaks a different language and you’ve got to listen.

And write. And photograph. And Repeat. Focusing on iteration while developing each step.

It's tempting to just “do”. Drawing and writing satisfy the immediate, but the struggle comes from when to execute. There is a point when have we recorded, tested, made enough control samples, and performed all needed tests. Then its showtime.

Starting from one end to the other, we “apply”..”apply remove”…...layer after layer. Hoping the surface will neither get too warm or too cold, too humid or dry. Each stroke flows into the next…and the next.

Camera gets dirty *again* as I force myself to pause and record!

In the world of plaster artistry, often it’s the process behind the product that shines through, giving you repeatable success along the way. Whether you are a DIYer or budding professional, learning new materials and techniques is a way to stretch beyond your comfort zone and continue to expand your creative vocabulary. What processes work best for you? What rituals help get you in the “zone”?

Enjoy these tips..Trowel On!

Stay Inspired
Do the grain patterns in wood inspire your finishes? What about works of art? Or the vivid colors in Tibetan rugs? Always be on the lookout for sources of inspiration; nature, art, interior design….anything you see. Don’t be afraid to tear out images in your latest design magazines!

Ancient Greco-Persian Relief

Sketch /Draw

If you are working on creating a new finish, perhaps using multiple colors, grab your pen or painter’s knife and start diagramming. What’s the main color you will use? Are there other secondary colors? Illustrate this in your drawings.

Stay Organized

Create a folder for your finishes, write down all steps, measurements, notes. This should give you an easy, organized way to repeat your work!

Make

Samples, swipes, and swatches all give you a record of your work. Making both swatches of the specific textures and colors you are using helps visually clarify. You wrote about it above..now show it through your samples. Make as many as you need to practice your technique!

Record

You’ve drawn it, you’ve wrote about it, you’ve tested, now it’s showtime! Photography is another way to capture your process and the end result..beautiful surfaces. Be sure to take before – during – after photos of your work.

American Clay Marittimo with a Tinted Lime Wash!

”What separates artists from ex-artists is that those who challenge their fears continue; those who don’t, quit.” Art and Fear, page 14.

Fractals = >

2011-02-28T12:19:00.000-08:00

"THREE BEASTS"
KILN CASTED, SAND BLASTED GLASS BONES

frac•tal

–noun Mathematics, Physics .

…as the perimeter of a curve or the flow rate in a porous medium, behave as if the dimensions of the structure (fractal dimensions) are greater than the spatial dimensions.

http://www.dictonary.com/

For a few cold winter days this season, I had the blessing to see some amazing icy textures appear and vanish before my eyes. The images I shot provoked thoughts about fractals and their sense of “awe in the moment”. And then they vanished. My post-melt grief sparked new spins on old existential questions. The sense of temporality, feeling alive, and digging deeper for creative purpose.

I immerse myself with what I am creating and the space I am in. Each touch to a wall with my trowel or brush is etched by the present moment dancing with whats to come. Endless trowel strokes…. And the last movement fades. It’s amazing how one tool can change your purpose.

When we are in a place that speaks to us, we feel spacious and whole. Feeling becomes greater than words, depth is infinite.

This is the part of art-making that keeps me moving. I dream of innovative and unique forms and textures which evoke the senses..beyond words. Seeing an otherwise introverted client smile and move in excitement as she stares at her walls is the part of my job I love the best. Looking at a whole house and knowing my hands were on every square inch definitely gets me a bit misty eyed. Every project is a chance to sink into it, to daydream, drive, and execute.

Recently, my Mom got the chance to see me work on a project. She said to me “I can tell you love your work and your work loves you”. Just as each stroke is boundless, my love for my work grows infinite.

“To see a world in a grain of sand and heaven in a wild flower, hold infinity in the palms of your hand and eternity in an hour.”Auguries of Innocence, William Blake

Morning Light...Hunting for Daybreak Texture

2011-02-01T19:18:00.000-08:00

One winter morning, iced textures appeared on the glass outside my window. I grabbed my camera, jumped onto my deck for a study..or two. Life forms frozen in time, webs and artifacts of a spider's journey. ......6:30 am, 8:30 am, 10:30 am.

Off I go on my own journey. I felt the need to hunt and capture the light.

My very own web.

So I decided to follow instinct, to see how light travels whilst grazed against different forms. Perhaps it was all the lack of light in Seattle that drove me to embrace this fury.

Experiencing the light quickly graze and move across buildings had me in a frenzy to shoot and capture. It was this internal fire PLUS the hot coffee that kept me going. Off to my favorite spot, Elliott Bay and the Olympic Sculpture Park.

Fingers frozen but I felt so alive. I surrendered to the light. It led me. I thought I was creating my own web, following my own impulses and instincts. I write this, see these photos, recall my memory, and realize.

I am blessed to be a part of a greater whole. To use my instincts and be an active medium for creativity, that's what I can hope for.....

Lady Pilot

2010-11-13T12:18:00.000-08:00

Often I find that traveling is crucial for a refresh in creative spirit. As a business owner, I also think its good to get a feel for the current industry state, see where the gaps are, and continue to challenge yourself to offer more and raise the bar!

I recently traveled to Santa Fe, New Mexico on a solo journey. Wow. It was truly a blessing to be able to venture into such beautiful light, guided by textures and adventures with the endless sky, earth, and its people. Being there makes me hungry for artifact. So I captured as much as I could through journaling, including some sketches by a few new friends made. Here is my postcard to you!..

I'm here, it's me.
By me, with me. Um...ok.
Here I go.......
80 mph down desert highways as my car gruuunts, roars, and churns.
Sage becomes known.
Buildings recess and fade, hills and sky float. Dancing to the music blaring from within.
"Lady Pilot" by Neko Case comes on. Nice!!
"Don't look down. Not nowwww. We've got a lady pilot whose not afraid to die."
I feel my lungs dry, high up in the desert air.
And fear reveals itself.
"What if..If I were to...Where would I...and Who would...?"
Ah...I look up into the Vivid Orange and It pulls me onward, reaching for more.
My camera comes out and shadow after shadow, one simple block takes an hour to finish.
And this is the moment I realize I am so blessed to be on this special journey.
Stop..kneel...look...shoot.
One more and maybe two.
Pretty soon I am engulfed with rich shadows with sunsets gleaming off steel trains.
And there is a loneliness that I begin to savor like no other.
Light fades and its time to wander.
Maybe I'll get a sketch or two.

Whilst dining solo..new conversations and friends are made. Impromptu chats turned into sketched artifacts! A budding graphic artist inscribes his symbol. Eppie the Mailman told me he couldn't draw. I disagree.

Hand it down, Pass it on!

2010-09-17T12:55:00.001-07:00

At the beginning of the summer, I proclaimed that I would set aside most of my time for glass casting, my new love. I had hoped that this would be the chance plunge in, push form, and creatively indulge. Plaster will have none of that! It screams my continued 120%. So there I troweled.

My trowel led me toward a bright, vivid, and secretly wished for path…the chance to share my love for earth plasters with others.

TEACH....Over the past few years, this word has been popping up in my head behind the scenes. Then the door boldly bursts down.

In early August, I received a phone call from YouthCare http://www.youthcare.org/ . They were starting a pilot apprenticeship program to train at-risk young adults in the construction field. More importantly, they were also educating them on sustainable building practices and wanted me to teach an earth plasters workshop in a matter of days. Due to funding issues, the program had almost fallen through but the community rallied to make it happen.

Inspiring others, Promoting sustainability, Being creative!!!

...Coming True.

All I could do was give it my all. I quickly developed my first "lesson plan". Pencils and notebooks bought. Diplomas signed. I wanted to give these 14 kids all I had.

So there they were, all eyes on me and ready to learn. I taught them the basics first in several "rounds" of lecture followed by hands-on time. An "all you can create" buffet of lime washes, waxes, tools and trowels was setup in the afternoon to let it rip. Suddenly, all this expression was literally coming to the surface for them. Trowels, brushes, forks, and hands..all used to sculpt clay!

Fate had it. During the most heightened time of our creative session, my class received a surprise visit from Denise Fairchild, Ph.D, one of the leaders in promoting sustainable, "green collar" jobs. Denise is the inaugural Executive Director of the Emerald Cities Collaboration. http://emeraldcities.org/?q=staff . She was visiting the Center for Apprenticeship Excellence at the South Seattle Community College campus to learn about and show her support for this pilot green building training program. A few weeks later regional professionals and political leaders gathered to show their support of the new program and share their belief in these graduates!

They WERE forgotten, blending into the urban texture. Then they were students, seeing light in new ways. Suddenly, they ARE graduates...standing in contrast. On one of the first pinnacles in their lives, smiling proudly.

...And they need hand-painted "green collar" shirts...And they need to wear their texture with pride...And they deserve to have someone fuss over writing their name in poorly done, but well intended calligraphy...And they need cake!

Creativity is richly selfish. To follow your own artistic instincts and act on them is molten. Self-intensity is the fire that keeps us moving. (hmm...maybe this is why I like glass so much?!)

We have intensity, we have to share it. Summer 2010 has given me the gift of giving back.

Hand it down, Pass it on!

If Walls Could Talk....

2010-06-05T12:05:00.000-07:00

Phone rings...time to greet a new wall.

What does it want?
What does the client want? What is their story? A wedding, a birth or loss, a graduation or divorce?

On the surface, basic needs are assessed. Ensure the color and texture are congruent to the space. Ensure a spark is seen in the client's eye.

Mask, tape, prime..repeat.

The dialogue starts.....

Steel glare shines in my eyes.

A quick press of the sharp trowel cuts through to the first push. Arms stretch tall and a breathe is taken.

Its me that is talking to the wall.

Time elapses, each stroke marks a moment. Each touch is building. Then the final pass comes.

"What do you need? More or less. Don't overwork me or I WILL delaminate."

"Am I giving you what you need? Will you be there after your dry? I hope so."

All shiny and new. Let the celebration begin! Couches, tables, and lights rejoin the family.

Part medium...we are.

Seeing The Forest Through The Trees...Part Two

2010-05-13T13:44:00.000-07:00

This first half of 2010, I have discovered two great ways to push a clay plaster finish to the next level. Back to the roots of art...painting and sculpture.

Adding, reducing, adding, fussing, and more. It's really about developing a languege with the material you are using.

For this particular finish, it was important to also develop an artistic dialogue with the great outdoors. Trees are close to me, in all their forms. There is a sense of vastness one feels when they are surrounded by trees, high up in the canopy. I looked at these walls more as forms than of vertical surfaces. The clay spoke and I tried to listen. A connection to the outdoor space was knocking at my door.

Scratching into the plaster allowed me to capture the texture going on outside and unify. I built up the plaster thickness to about 1/2"..and my arms sure got a nice workout. To first "find my line", I used a pencil to draw in. Oops ok, I made a mistake. I simply took a damp sponge and wiped the pencil marks right off the wall. Then I started scraping into it.

"Don't try this at home kids"...I watched chucks of material fall off the steel painters knife, ready to be added in another place if needed. Fears of delamination, product failure ran through my head for a moment.

....I "gouged away". Innovation is best started in the comfort of your own space.

"First learn the rules, and then push them."

Simply add water and a patient hand.

Then came the second technique: painting

American Clay's Lime Putty just came out and I had to give it a try. In this case, I wanted to enhance all the texture I just created. All those deep crevices were practically screaming for MORE CHARCOAL LIME WATER! After wetting the wall, I used a thick brush to apply the tinted wash, then chased it with a mild solution of penetrating sealer. It almost acted like a glaze to slightly extend the working time, especially since the wall was slightly damp.

What a difference! The space evolved and so did my artistic skills.

Welcome Summer 2010!

"The lessons you are meant to learn are in your work. To see them, you need only look at the work clearly - without judgement, without need or fear, without wishes or hopes. Ask your work what it needs, not what you need. Then set aside your fears and listen, the way a good parent listens to a child." from Art & Fear page 36.

Why I Love Clay

2010-04-06T13:57:00.000-07:00

2005..Graphic Communication I..the first of many beautifully tough design classes to come. On the reading list: Art & Fear: Observations On The Perils (and Rewards) of ARTMAKING by David Bayles and Ted Orland.

Well, I never really read it until 2010. Now I know why I love clay.

"Some materials are so readily charged and responsive that artists have turned to them for thousands of years, and probably will for thousands more. For many artists, a response to a particular material has been intensely personal, as if the material spoke directly to them. Where materials have potential, they also have limits. Ink wants to flow, but not just across any surface. Clay wants to hold a shape, but not just any shape. And any case, without your active participation their potential remains just that - potential." Art & Fear page 17-18

Inspiring words...an artist's winter sun.

2000..I first picked up a trowel and learned I loved to plaster. . Bought a bucket o' "Venetian" plaster but it was really acrylic compound, ridden with plastics and universal colorants.

2006..Street of Dreams. My first encounter with clay plaster. I worked on a crew and could not get enough of learning about this "new" ancient material. I felt an immediate pull to it.

The years pass too quickly as with each phase I enter: marble, lime, clay, cement, acrylics, etc. Even Vanilla flavored food-grade paper pulp plaster. Yes, that phase ended very quick!

Clay always remains..it's the best kind of love..one that is everlasting and stable, yet there is always something new I discover along the way. And it forgives me for being too rough, too messy, or not pushing it enough. A quick spritz of water on the unsealed clay wall is the artist's "welcome mat" for potential.

Reworkability.

My true moment of appreciation of this material has unfurled. Recently, I was able to successfully repair a 25'x20'ceiling from a water leak without having to re-do the entire plane. Shoulders and neck were very happy! :) Then the real magic happened....

I have lived in Skip-Trowel Land long enough. Ok, it looks really cool when you force a horizontal line and do a colorwash and alllll. But I neeeeeed to get beyond this and push it. I go back to basics. Drawing.

Sketching bled into sculpting and pretty soon my pencil landed from the pad to the wall. There I was slicing away into clay. Adding..reducing. The material pushes me and forgives me at the same time.

My Dad has been a wood carver and wildlife artist for 40 years now. While I am having a dialogue with my walls and figuring out what it wants, I am also recalling his words to me. "The form is there, it is just waiting to come out."

.....So thank you clay for letting me dig into you, to discover you. I can't wait till our next session together, which starts...right about....NOW!

Staycation

2010-03-06T11:49:00.001-08:00

Shouldn't your home feel like a vacation? Travel abroad has always been at the top of my list. Getting away from dirt and duty is always something I look forward to..away from my everyday routine. The challenge is, eventually we have to come back to the nest and deal with it.

Relax..Reinvigorate.

Home + You = Sanctuary.

When I think of ways we can make our homes a better place to heal, obvious points are to make your home echo your own family's functions..and clear the clutter. We crave beauty too. Thoughtfully chosen materials are key to making this equation work. Hand-sculpted finishes and custom detail reflect an undeniable energy to a space.

Despite the roughness of your day, the simple touch of your hand against a velvety plaster wall will no doubt offer you the moment to wind down. Plaster finishes inspire the imagination to travel and no plane ticket is required! Skip-troweled Marittimo transports you to the patina grottos of the Amalfi Coast followed by a trip to the Turkish hamams where smooth waxed Tadelakt surfaces rejuvenate.

Point your finger on the map of your abode..see where it lands!

New Beginnings

2010-03-03T13:15:00.000-08:00

Cherry blossoms always signify a new season bursting with potential. There is something about the trees this year that is even more wonderous for me than last. Maybe its the fact that Seattle has had a California-style mild winter, and the blooms have come a bit early.

Still...there is something else underneath.

I just finished a small project for a client who has really inspired me to cherish this magical time of early spring. She was very passionate about making her new space feel like home. Re-doing her bathroom was first on her list. The budget was limited but she still wanted to feel like a goddess. Working with the existing tile, I decided to create a warm grey American Clay plaster finish for her walls. I used a 3:1 pigment combo, with Ochres & Oxides Turkish Earth Brown color as the leader with a nice punch of AClay Wild Horse Smoke too. I wanted subtle accentuation of the horizon line created by the tile wainscotting, so I used my favorite side to side trowel stroke to create some texture.

BEFORE & AFTER

This finish really did wonders for the space and my client was delighted! The challenge was create a color which could compliment and not compete with the tile since the tile wasn't going to be replaced. I really needed to embrace the mauve and not fight it. Mauve started to grow on me like cherry blossoms.

1989: My mom, my sister, and I and our two dogs packed our goods in the Chevy Celebrity and drove from Texas to California to our new home. 10,000 Maniacs "Cherry Tree" played in my headphones as I stared across the desert floor. I remember my Mom painting our door trim mauve when we moved in.

New home.

New beginnings.

2010: Monday morning. I greet my client with a bouquet of cherry blossoms for her new sanctuary.

New home.

New beginnings.

Seeing The Forest Through The Trees...

2010-02-27T16:55:00.000-08:00

I can't keep up. There are so many techniques to be learned and appreciated, so many blank pages waiting to happen.Can I see the forest through the trees? Amidst the business of plaster, I try to dedicate a sliver of time for expiramentation. Otherwise, my portfolio never grows.

On a two-fold note, I am remodeling my upstairs to create a summertime living/sleeping "being" space. It's part of a vision of connecting spaces to nature, so why not try it at home! I decided to do a few walls in American Clay to tie in the tree canopy painting the skyline outside. The Enjarre / Marittimo combination I am using allows me to put it on real thick. No real risk of cracking or fissuring either. I am mimicing the texture in the bark, so the surfaces are starting to appear really contrasted and vertical. And then comes in the line.

More Later

2010-02-22T13:44:00.001-08:00

When it comes to plaster, I often think "big picture" about the overall surface and application process. Often I'll think about the whole space and how the colors and textures will communicate to promote architectural depth.

It is in the quietness of my studio or in a twilight sleep state that an idea will pop into my head...and then..it's all over with. I better just wake up and start sketching!Lately, I have decided to add some rigor to my design skills and become a better drawer. I always think my strengths lay more in 3 dimensions, not 2. Sculpture has always been a passion. How can I incorporate more artistry into my work?

I picked up my favorite black felt tip pen and started drawing. Then I started dreaming..well more like staying awake. The magic really happened when I picked up a painters knife and sculpted the drawing into plaster. And more sketching, and more plaster.

American Clay is a subtle, forgiving plaster, easily re-workable, so why not push it??? I am starting a vaulted ceiling project and will be incorporating these designs into my work..called "So Far"...so stay tuned fellow artists!

Hey World!

2010-02-22T13:40:00.000-08:00

I am proud to share my collection of creations with you! Since I began my plastering adventure years ago, I have had the opportunity to work with many different plasters and develop vast technique. Expiramenting is key. If you have more to offer, then why not offer more? Being surrounded by other like-minded artisans is crucial so I am glad you are here! I hope to share any tips or tricks I discover with ya in the days, months, and years to come! Cheers - Sherri