The Mud Mural is Really Finished

Some rain slowed down the plan a few days, but as scheduled, the mud mural was finally taken down last week.  If not for the bulldozers, there's a good chance it would be mostly down by now anyway; just a few pieces of twine were keeping it up on one side.  With all the other points of reference gone now, it's hard to say exactly where it was, but between these two photos, we're seeing the empty ground where our wall of straw, sticks, and mud once stood for well over a year.  (We did better than the straw and stick houses built by the first two little pigs, but not as well as the third house of bricks.  Perhaps if we had baked the mud first...)

It was fun while it lasted.  It involved dozens of people from the BAC and the community, and we got to experience an obscure but interesting process.  We're not likely to build another one at the Boatworks.  We'll have less unpaved ground when this construction is done, and project leader Kat Heitman has moved away to pursue graduate studies (though she has plans for more mud projects out there already).  However, if anyone does want to try a cob building project, the whole process is documented on this blog.  Just click on the words "MUD MURAL" at the bottom of this post to bring up the whole set.

Still Standing...Barely

Anyone who has been by the Boatworks in the past few weeks has noticed big changes to the area.  First, the town of Belmar trimmed, then removed the trunks of all the trees that had marked the northern edge of our parking area, the first step in the plan to repave this little corner of our town.  Meanwhile, our mud mural was still standing, looking pretty much as it did in August.  

But then about a week ago we had the first major change to the wall, it started to break away from the bundled bamboo stalks that form the main vertical support on the left side.  However, despite that the weight of the whole wall is now being supported only on one end, the wall is still intact.  No big chunks have fallen out, and while some bigger cracks have formed, all the 3D elements are still where we put them.  Pretty amazing for a bunch of mud and sticks.  We knew from the beginning that this would not be a permanent addition to our site, and documenting nature's reclaiming of the materials was always part of the project, but it has lasted a lot longer than we had expected.

We would love to see how this plays our over the next few weeks, but it looks like we won't have the opportunity.  We've got word that this coming Monday whatever is left standing by then will be bulldozed to the ground.  So if you want to make one last visit to see our cob wall, better get there soon.

Still Standing

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.

Mud Mural Spring Update

It's been about 3 months since the last posted update on the BAC Mud Mural, completed last summer. When we last posted it here, a photo of the whole wall showed it still looking very much like it did last August, despite being exposed to the elements and made from nothing but sticks, straw, and clay. We had a fairly mild winter (compared to the last few anyway), and as of this week the wall (shown above) still looks pretty much about the same.

A close up view shows that natural deterioration is progressing, however slowly. That big crack between the B and the A has gotten a little bigger since January, and more mud has worn off the top of the wall, revealing more of the straw that was under it. Still, the wall is largely intact and should still be by this summer, when we may give it a new surface. Next time you are at the Boatworks, such as to view the 8th Annual Jersey Shore Juried Art Show, take a moment to walk across our parking lot and inspect it for yourself.

Mud Mural Update 2012

A whole bunch of BAC members and community volunteers put time in this past summer on the creation of a freestanding mural made mostly of bamboo, straw, and mud. We finished it last July, with the understanding that eventually the elements would break it down. That eventually hasn't come nearly as fast as we expected. About a month after completion, it was hit with a double whammy- the biggest earthquake east of the Rockies in more than a century, and Hurricane Irene. Other than losing a little of the green paint on the surface, no visible damage. Over the 4 months since then, Belmar has seen plenty of rainstorms and coastal winds, and outside temperatures have ranged from highs in the 90's to single digit wind chills. Yet the wall is still in very good shape. These photos were taken today. From a distance (above), it looks pretty much the same as it did last summer.

These details show some of the weather effects so far. Most of the green paint that once covered the large leaf shapes (above) on the right side has worn off, though the incised contour lines are still visible. On the left side of the mural, more of the straw layer is visible than could be seen over the summer, and there is a significant surface crack (below) forming between the B and the A.

Despite these changes, it doesn't look like our mud wall is in any danger of crumbling in the near future. To follow the status of our mural, check the blog for the occasional update, or just stop by the Boatworks during daylight hours and see it for yourself.

Mud 1, Irene 0

Pat Hutchinson took this photograph this afternoon of the mud mural completed earlier this summer. We had expected that Irene would have some effect on our structure of sticks, straw, and mud, but other than washing away a little of the green paint, the wall looks pretty much as good as it ever did. Looks like we'll continue to enjoy our mural for quite a while.

Mud Mural Uncovered

Nothing new has been done to our BAC mud mural since it was finished almost a month ago, but today there was a big change- the canopy that has protected it was finally taken down, so it will be a the mercy of the elements from now on. There is a plan to photograph the wall on a regular basis to document how it changes in the coming months in response to weather conditions. Information about that documentation will be posted once I learn about it.

The Mud Mural is Finished

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.

Mud Mural part 6

Over the past week, work has continued on adding relief elements to the BAC mud mural at the Boatworks. Kat and Paul, working individually and together, added some three dimensional images on either side of the large BAC letters.

The decision was made to create some bamboo inspired designs, influenced by the material that made up the supporting structure of the wall.

Vertical lines representing upright bamboo stalks were created on both the right and left edges, along with a couple of stalks bending inward. (see above) The dark brown colors (a mixture of clay mud and sand) show newly created sculpture, which would eventually dry to match the color of the rest of the wall. Below is a view of the whole wall from the middle of the week.

The last element to be added were shapes reminiscent of the leaves on bamboo plants. Rather than building these up in three dimensions, it was decided to just smooth out the wall in those sections and scratch the leaf shapes into the wall. Color will eventually help them stand out.

And speaking of which, the last phase of this project is to add color, in the form of color pigmented clay, which will be applied in different areas of the mural. The current plan calls for that to happen on Saturday, July 23rd, beginning around 10:00 am. Volunteers are welcome to come help us finish this project. After that we remove the canopy and let nature take its course.

Mud Mural part 5

The latest phase of the BAC mud mural is the addition of three dimensional relief designs. This was the plan from the beginning. Above is an early conceptual sketch from project leader Kat Heitman, featuring our organization's initials.

The process of preparing for the lettering goes back to June 25th, when we had some of our volunteers working on creating a different kind of mud, not exactly like the cob mix that went into the construction of the wall. It started with the tearing of paper and soaking it in water, as in papier mache.

Clay was added to the paper mixture in the pool. We got some special help (shown above) to mix it up. However, we had to let the wall dry before going any further.

A few days later Kat returned to sketch out the BAC letters on the wall. First she used a wet brush to mark them out on the dried cob wall, then scratched the letters into the wall.

The next day she returned to make the letters. Clean sand was added to the smooth mud/paper mixture that had been started the week before, and mixed until the results looked like wet cement. Working a little at a time, the mud was applied to the wall over the scratched in letters.

At the end of the day on Sunday, the mural reached the point shown below, with the three-dimensional BAC initials completed.

The mural isn't quite complete yet. In the next week there are plans to add some additional three dimensional designs on either side of the letters, and to add some color to those 3-D shapes. The results will be posted here on the blog, or stop by the Boatworks and see it for yourself.

Mud Mural part 4

Work is continuing on our mud mural. Today Kat and Pat (shown above) used some leftover mud to patch some of the thinner sections of our wall from Saturday's event. We also sifted some more clay in preparation for the next step. In the coming days we will put a smoother coat over the whole thing, then add the 3D design and color elements. Either stop by the Boatworks or this blog to keep up with our progress.

Mud Mural part 3

Today a crowd gathered on the grounds of the Boatworks to continue work on this year's community art project, a cob mural. People came and went all day, with more than 40 volunteers of all ages getting involved in some aspect of the process.

The first step today was to fill in the remaining spaces in the bamboo wall constructed last Saturday. This was done with more straw, woven and tied in place, so that there would be a surface to hold the mud mixture.

While some were continuing to weave the wall, others were helping to prepare the cob mixture. Clay that had been dug from the ground had to be sifted to remove rocks and other debris, a task that our volunteers took turns doing.

The next step for the wall was to make a straw and mud mixture. Straw was piled into a wheelbarrow, and mud added to it. A little bit of clay and water were mixed in to bring it to the right consistency.

As happened last week, some people chose to mix it another way- with their feet. Stirring with hands and stomping and dancing on the mixture is a good way to incorporate the straw into the cob mix.

The straw now thoroughly coated with mud, our crew started adding it to the wall, starting at the bottom and working their way up.

Gradually, the muddy straw mix began to cover the whole wall.

By early afternoon we had other people contributing to the success of the event. Musical entertainment was provided by Black Cat Luck, made up of brothers Matt and Chris Dubrow and friend Matt Curran. They provided a mix of rock, blues, country, and folk music for us to enjoy through the end of the day.

Meanwhile, the BAC provided food for all those in attendance. Hot dogs and hamburgers were cooked on the grills, and distributed to everyone, in addition to plenty of sliced watermelon, chips, and cold water.

After everyone was fed, hard work on the wall resumed. The muddy straw layer finished, project leader Kat Heitman and others started adding a layer of clay to the wall.

By 3:00 in the afternoon, the wall was completely covered with clay, with just an indication of the rough texture of the straw underneath. Our crew would have been ready to continue, but Kat let us know that it would be better to let this stage of the wall dry before continuing on to the last step, a smoother final layer with a multicolored mud relief design. Below is a photo of the state of the wall at the end of the day's work.

Ideally we'd prefer to let this dry in the sun, but with some predictions of area rainstorms we felt it safer to keep it under the protective canopy for a few days. In the near future we'll bring together another group of volunteers and finish our cob wall. We will post photos of the results here and it will remain on public view until the earth reclaims it.

Mud Mural part 2

Since Saturday there's been a little change to our bamboo wall. Kat came by a few days ago with some help and trimmed the long branches and leaves away from the sides and top, leaving the edges clean as in the original plan.

The big event is this coming Saturday June 25th, when this structure gets covered with the cob mixture and a surface design created. The bulk of the work will be done between 11:00 am and 4:00 pm, though there will likely be some prep work before and clean up after. Any interested volunteers are welcome to drop by any time during those hours to lend a hand. More details can be seen here.