Natural and Sustainable

First of all you may be asking yourself, “What is cob?” Cob is an adobe-like material made of sand, clay, and straw or other like materials. You mix cob together to form a mud-like substance and you sculpted the cob into shapes by hand to form items, such as a couch against the wall, etc.

The best way to feel rooted to the earth is through cob. A while back Natural and Sustainable did a post on Earthen Plaster. The post talked about how the plaster can be mixed with manure, mud, horse hair or cattle hair and be formed to anything from door frames to a fire place.

The same concept is about the same for sculpting with cob. Cob, like earthen plaster is an ancient building material that is centuries old and has been used for decades. The medium is nontoxic, affordable and the best aspect of cob is that it is a sustainable material.

In Patagonia the buildings are made with cod for kindergartens and other places of retreat and refuge of the people of the area. In Thailand, orphanages are built with the same material mainly because the area is torn apart by tsunamis and it is cheaper to replace the building with cob. The material can withstand weather conditions better than other building materials as well.

In Oregon we are blessed to have a company called Cob Cottage Company that gives workshops to anyone interested in using cob and educating themselves more on the earth-friendly medium. They will teach you how to sculpt just about any type of earth-based imagery and encourage you to slow down and stay rooted to the earth through the material.

*Natural and Sustainable Living Tip: Bring your own shopping bags to the grocery store or super market. Mesh or hemp fabric bags work best, because when they begin to tear or rip, they can be recycled.

Earthen plasters add life to a building. There’s a reason a so-called “perfect finish” is often referred to as “dead” straight or “dead” flat- dead surfaces don’t move. When every inch of a wall is the same, there’s no variation of light, shadow, texture or color. But as you walk part a hand plastered wall, you notice shifting light and shadows. Rather than just connecting corner, sculptured walls literally shape a small or even large space. Living, handmade plaster walls at times embrace you when you are around them.

Earth is easy to sculpt, and sculptures are not complicated to achieve. Mud makes it easy for anyone to make beautiful textures, patterns and lines. Just rounding a corner or bnuilding up edges at a door or around a window helps bring that area to life.

Just like people, mud varies. Still, a few basic principles and some practices can make you an expert artist of your own techniques. Experiment with designs and formats that you are interested in while the plaster is wet. Once you gain the skill apply the same technique all over the wall or in one single area. Colors can be mixed into the plaster itself or applied to the finished surface. Try colored earths if you have any around your area, they’re especially common in the Western states. Various shades of yellow, orange, red, brown and some blacks are all common to find.

An Easy Earth Plaster Recipe:

• One part “clayey” subsoil.
• Three to four parts sand.
• Just enough water (too much causes slumping and cracking)
• One half part fine fiber, quarter inch or less is best for detail work and thin plasters but anything works, from cow or horse manure to chopped grass or straw; to horse or human hair even.

Mix all of the above in a wheelbarrow, or a bucket. Use you hands or a shovel and add a little water at a time. It’s easier to add water than take the water away. The finer your materials the finer your plater will be too, so that is something to keep in mind as you mix. You can remove hard objects or coarse materials by sifting through a window screen.

Then smear the mud on by hand, with a masonry trowel or any other tool. Put the plaster on the wall about half and inch think or your will cause cracks and slumping of the plaster down the wall. You can even make shelves with the plaster b y using nails or existing shelves and covering them with layers of plaster. It is a good idea to let the plaster dry between multiple layers so that the addition has something to grab onto so it will stay on the wall better.

Use circular strokes to smooth the surface. Try different tools for different effects-from deep finger and hand prints, to subtly undulating strokes with your own palm. Wood gives a softer finish, metal a harder polish. A tool held perpendicular to the mud will make a ragged line, but at a low angle, it will make a clean line. Scratch or carve in a design using a fork, knife or even a spoon. Playing around with the plaster is the best part.

**milehighTy over at The Silver Sun Pickups has the latest on the happenings with The Kills. Read about what’s going on with them here.**

*Natural and Sustainable Living Tip: Choose reusable instead of disposable products such as diapers, razors, cups, pens, and even napkins.