Today was the final day of work on the BAC mud mural. Several of the volunteers who have been part of the process from the beginning gathered one more time to bring the project to completion. After a quick cleaning up of the ground in front of our wall, we used large brushes to remove any loose clay dust, then started applying a wash of thinned glue to help seal the clay surface.
While the glue was drying in heat that was approaching triple digits, we washed out the brushes and used clean water to wash accumulated clay residue off the concrete pieces that had formed the base of the wall.
The last step was to apply the color. Project leader Kat had mixed up a kind of paint, combining green pigment with kaolin clay, whiting, wheat starch, and water, a hue that matched the concrete pieces. First it was brushed onto all the relief surfaces- the letters and the sculpted bamboo stalks. For the leaves we decided to paint the outlines of the shapes and then scumble the color within. Below is the final piece.
At some point soon the protective canopy will be removed, fully exposing our creation to the elements. The finished mural was the result of a month's work and the labor of dozens of volunteers, but the effort was worth it. Stop by the Boatworks and see it in person before it gradually disappears.
No comments:
Post a Comment