Spackle and Fade...

My hands are officially on both coasts! I just returned from plastering my second Aveda store. This time, my trowel took me to New England, where settlers plastered walls in lime, sand, and even used straw and cow hair to provide added strength. Bewildered by old towns like Salem and Ipswitch, in awe of seeing the old walls of Paul Revere's house, I came back with a renewed passion for all things old. I felt my ancestors hands trowel their surfaces as I gave my final touch to the clay walls.

 Our most treasured spaces have been sacrificed to the cause of the New and Clean. Even though the witch trials and revivals have long passed, we still strive for purity. Smooth and shiny building skins, disguising the badge of Wear and Time. This is an ancient habit. Colonists wore wigs, makeup, and did all sorts of tricks to appear flawless. Today, we have Botox and Bondo, to fill in where time has gouged away.

As a plaster artist, I give conscious attention to my work. When you have hand-troweled finishes, accept the fact that it will eventually get damaged. In high-traffic areas, consider giving the wall a bit more visual texture, so that when the blemish appears, it becomes part of the surface character. Also, it is helpful to select a material that is easy to repair. American Clay is my favorite pic for this. Simply, infill the nick, allow it to dry, then blend it back in with water and a plastic putty knife. Sounds similar to the way the aristocrats might have patched their faces before a promenade. :)

I wish I had a answer for us accepting our flaws as beautiful. We should take pride in ourselves and our craft. Yet, somehow we end up fighting the marks of time. Perhaps we can strive for ambivalence here and consider wabi-sabi as a ray of light. Purity in imperfection?! Hmmm. You decide.

“Beauty can be coaxed out of ugliness. Wabi-sabi is ambivalent about separating beauty from non-beauty or ugliness. The beauty of wabi-sabi is in one respect, the condition of coming to terms with what you consider ugly. Wabi-sabi suggests that beauty is a dynamic event that occurs between you and something else. Beauty can spontaneously occur at any moment given the proper circumstances, context, or point of view. Beauty is thus an altered state of consciousness, an extraordinary moment of poetry and grace.”
― Leonard Koren, Wabi-Sabi: for Artists, Designers, Poets & Philosophers

Un-Earth

Late summer 2012 gifted me the chance to channel my instincts to a molten glow. We spend our days and nights managing our ideas...trying to figure out which ones are brightest. August swelled with plaster projects..."Aim, trowel, fire!!" September gifted the chance to unearth simmered creative potential.

I received a scholarship to attend Pilchuck Glass School, a place to work within nature and offer your hands to glass, all set in the serenity of the Pacific Northwest. 3 days to make! Blast off! I'll sleep later.

There were plenty of things to learn; glassblowing, enameling, engraving, and the list goes on. Hot casting was calling me back to it's primal roots. Hello again dirt and fire!

We grabbed our shovels and used our hands to sift the sand and clay, forming and manipulating with anything imaginable. As the process unfolds, time shifts. Damp soil and daydreams fade. Enter the furnace. Time to execute. Picking up the ladle signals complete presence.

2225 degrees waved over me as the gate opened and my power unleashed. No fear of igniting into flames, I control IT. Molten on sand with precision. I sculpt into it while I can, taking control of the material and commanding it once again. Artists give a clap...only after the blades have dug deep and the annealer doors close.

Creativity is a haven. A place where you can dig deep, not question your thoughts but only act upon on them as process and material un-earth.

"Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might…" King Solomon

Designing Texture!...Thoughts on Spec'cing

This is my treatise to wall treatments!! It's been 7 glorious years as an earth-plaster professional.

Hands, fingernails, and pant legs....caked and crazed with all sorts of pigments and aggregates. Wear and artifact from the layers of my steel hawk mirror...tall ceilings, narrow planks over stairwells, dead tired moments, and tales of great victories!

Over this time I have applied the earth. Clay, lime, marble, and sand have all spoken to me as the materials I respond to with creative intensity. My senses are delighted. I will admit my bias. I love things from the earth. AcryliCKS and plastic stencils have no place in my palette.

So when I receive a new client call, how do I determine the right earth plasters to use? Creative bias + knowing material properties is the formula for successfully specifying the "right finish for the right space."  It's important to know the differences between finishes whether you are a DIYer, interior designer, or architect. Before you pick up the trowel, consider these factors:

Damage will happen regardless of material.
Identify high-traffic areas and design accordingly. Wood, metal, or stone/ceramic tile have much higher impact resistance (psi) than common wall finishes so design a wainscott height (4'+) wall treatment and plaster above it. Also, if you are in the "space planning" stage, consider designing larger corridors or openings to allow for better traffic flow.

Repairability? Wearability?
Softer materials like clay are easier to apply and repair than lime-based materials. For an unsealed clay wall, you infill "ding" with product, let set then blend out with water. This is great news for the DIYers since you can easily and quickly fix your own walls. No toxic peel spray either! Clay is easy to apply and a great way to begin your creative journey.

But what about repairing clay with a large commercial space? It can be a "punchlist" nightmare. For heavier-use projects, go with a harder lime-based material. Lime has a higher psi (pounds per square inch) than clay. A stronger surface overall will not dent or ding as much as a softer one, so your maintainence costs will be less. Interestingly, lime plaster derives itself from limestone, so this plaster is essentially a stone veneer on your walls.

Functional Considerations
Paint is a coating. Plaster is dimensional. Earth plasters allow spaces to breathe, regulate humidity and even carry negative ions to neutralize electromagnetic charges from common office and household equipment. Paint carries a positive static charge so dirt gets readily collected on your walls. Earth plasters are bio-resonant so dirt and dander are actually repelled away from these surfaces.

Lime plasters are great for wet spaces to absorb and release moisture. Think Venice canals...viola! Venetian plaster was born. Then there is sumptious materials like Tadelakt, an ancient Moroccan plaster used in the centuries-old bathhouses. Go ahead, plaster your shower with this!

Eco-Faux
Personally, I think "faux painting" is outdated. Sponges, rags, and all sorts of other painting tools are used to decorate, gild, and ornate. Glazes, stencils, and murals all have their place but have a tendency to lend a more traditional Baroque look.

One reason "faux painting" turns me off is that alot of the products are acrylic and petroleum based and off-gas like your worst household cleaner! Give me a tannin stain, lime wash, or milk paint and it's a whole new beautiful world!

Earth plasters reflect the environment rather than copy it. Their chameleon-like textures can either reveal as ultra-contemporary or more casual and rustic. A nice contrast between ancient and modern. All take their roots in nature and that's what delights the senses the most!

Favorite Picks
I finished my first wall in 2001. As time goes by I continue to gravitate towards earth-based materials. Somehow the tubes and tubs of acrylics have become buried deep in the confines of my garage.

Here are my top picks for natural paints and plasters:

Your own hands...use your extra coffee or cabernet to make a tannin stain! Clearcoat with beeswax!
Stucco Italiano Lime Plasters: www.stuccoitalianoinc.com
American Clay Plasters: www.americanclay.com
Bioshield Natural Paints: www.bioshieldpaint.com
Real Milk Paint: www.realmilkpaint.com
Unearthed Purely Natural Paints: www.unearthedpaints.com


I enjoy sharing my experiences and knowledge with you! What a great journey this has been! These days my hands are still callused and stained and it's my continued mission to help educate and inspire the seasoned applicator or the one who just picked up the trowel and is feeling the new magic within. Thanks for reading! Trowel On!

Hey World!

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