It's been just about a year since we took the protective awning off of our freestanding cob wall, our mural of mud. Considering what it's made of, it's held up remarkably well. If you compare the above photo to what it looked like a year ago, you see that from a distance it still looks a lot like it did then. The letters are still readable, and the bamboo stalk design on the sides are still intact.
Up close the effects of time and weather are more apparent. The top edge has begun to disintegrate. The straw that was attached to the frame has emerged in many parts of the wall as the clay mixture has gradually washed away. The surface has cracked, though so far no chunks have fallen out. There is less of the green "paint" we used to highlight the sculptural elements, but some remains. You can't tell from these photos, but the center of the wall seems to be leaning back a little bit.
With hurricane season approaching, it would be interesting to see how the wall would hold up through another year of storms, but it looks like we won't get the chance. The town of Belmar plans to go ahead with their long planned project of repaving the blocks that surround the Boatworks. It seems that will include some of our parking area, and that means that the mural will eventually have to come down. We don't have a specific schedule yet for the construction plans, but efforts are expected to start shortly after Labor Day. So if you'd like to see our mud mural one last time before it comes down, plan to come to the Boatworks as soon as you can.
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