Concrete Mirror 01 - Tutorial

 6/13/2002 :  Transferred this entry from my Bellsouth Calender.    I hung this piece on the back fence with the idea that I'd evaluate the mirror haze situation as it went along.   The haze did clear within a week or so, however, within a year the cement started deteriorating the silver backing on the mirror.    It remains on the back fence. 

C-Mirror01
Friday, September 20, 2002

 C-Mirror01 is going to be an outside mirror with a concrete backing.

Making the Mold:
a) Drew pattern out on paper bag.
b) Cut out pattern - inside mirror frame and outside of frame.
c) Traced pattern onto sheet of 1" styrofoam, making sure there was at least 1 1/2" of stryofoam on each side of pattern.
d) Cut outside of pattern with box and kitchen knife from styrofoam.
Note: This cutout piece now serves as the mold.
e) Traced the inside shape of the pattern onto 1/8" styrofoam.
f) Cut out that piece of styrofoam.
Note: This piece will serve to make pattern for mirror. (This will be more understandable later). 

Selected glass and ornaments to apply to C-Mirror01.

C-Mirror01
 Saturday, September 21, 2002

 a)Cut the blue and white glass and flowers down to desired size.
b) Nipped edges of all the cut glass.
(This outside piece should not be subject to much touching; I'm not going to deburr the glass).
 
C-Mirror01
Sunday, September 22, 2002

a) Layed out gem and flowers in approx. placement.
b) Mixed batch of wallpaper paste and put in cool whip container for short term keeping. (Will last a couple of weeks).
c) started applying glass to paper pattern. Nipped pieces, as needed, to conform to space it must fit within. (Note that the pattern, are upcoming color are marked on the pattern).

Note: This is a reverse mosaic technique. The glass is applied to the paper upside down and held in place using wallpaper paste. Later, the paper (with glass attached), will be moved onto bottom board, inside of mold, and mirror, concrete, etc. applied over top .... continue watching if you do not understand).

C-Mirror01 
Monday, September 23, 2002

Completed attaching glass to paper pattern, until completed.

(This is always fun ... even though I'm careful in making sure I get the right color in the right section, I never really know if I've got it right until it's done and I remove the paper).

Set aside to dry. It will probably be several days before I cut mirror and complete concrete process as the weather man says we might be having a hurricane. (Got to get everything ready).
C-Mirror01 & 02 
Saturday, September 28, 2002

C-Mirror01&02 are being worked simultaneously. As such, I'll mix pictures of the two together at this stage, as everything is being done the same.

a) Cut 1/2" piece of styrofoam same size as outside of frame. (Note, there is nothing magical about the 1/2". It just happens I have a couple sheets of this size hanging around). This becomes the bottom piece that will support the mosaic & concrete until the frame is removed.
B) Attached mirror frame to bottom using duct tape. Note that the duct tape goes all the way up the sides of the inside frame. This will keep outside edge of concrete nice.
c) Picked up paper pattern with mosaic and laid into frame. Placed the center 1/8" styrofoam piece, previously cut, in center.
d) Cut Mirror from large piece of sheet mirror.
e) Cut strip pieces of stucco mesh to use as reinforcement for the concrete.

At this point, we are ready to proceed with concrete ..... except the LSU vs. MS game is coming on TV. I'm going to put all this away and move inside and work on something where I can watch the game. (If I open the doors, my studio overlooks the living room, and I have a direct shot at the TV. Aren't you glad I shared that with you.)


C-Mirror01 
Monday, September 30, 2002

a) Put toothpicks in center 1/8" sytrofoam piece to hold in place.
b) Mixed up a bucket of dry cement/grout/sand mixture. Will work with the mixture 1 - 2 cups at a time.
c) Mixed up small amount of cement mix on dry side. Pressed into crevices between glass shards and along inside outside edges of mirror frame.
d) Placed mirror face side down over 1/8" styrofoam piece.
e) Put in another layer of cement mix to bring up even with mirror. 

a) Layed pieces of stucco mesh over pressed concrete to give piece some support. Note that two 'S' hooks are inserted into stucco. These will supply a way to hang mirror when complete.
b) Applied additional layer of cement mix, pressing though stucco mesh.
c) Continued applying layers, pressing and smoothing to ensure no air pockets, until cement level with top of frame.
d) Smoothed again and applied light texture to top (back) with hands.
e) Applied mirror number, date and initials.
f) Wrapped up in plastic. Will let sit until tomorrow afternoon, then will break off mold.
C-Mirror01
Tuesday, October 1, 2002

Removed plastic and made room to work on piece. Lifted and turned over so mirror is now facing up.

a) Broke off styrofoam frame, in small chunks, around outside. Lightly rasped the back edge to remove sharpness.
b) Loosened duct tape from edges, lifted concrete piece and pulled off from bottom.
c) Lifted out 1/8" styrofoam piece that is laying over top of the mirror. (This both protected the mirror, as well as created an 1/8" space between the mirror and top of frame).
d) Sprayed paper pattern covering glass shards with water bottle. Let set for a couple minutes to loosen paper, then pulled paper off.
e) Carefully rasped top edges of outside/inside of frame to remove sharp edge/crease points.
f) Sprayed mirror down with water mist; wrapped back up in plastic and set aside to cure. Top and edges of piece still appear to fragile to handle. 


C-Mirror-01
Friday, October 25, 2002

C-Mirror-01 was created the week of 9/20 and has been curing in the back yard holding area ever since. Pulled out, unwrapped plastic and inspected. The mirror has a haze, but everything else looks good.

Took to back porch and cleaned both the mosiac glass and mirror with a soft cloth and vinegar.

Cut a piece of wire and attached to S-Hooks in back. Hung on fence ... as this piece has a haze on the mirror (not sure why ... will have to research); it is not 'for-sale' quality.

Concrete Mirror 02 - Tutorial

 6/14/2002:  Transferred from my Bellsouth Art Diary.  Apparently I did not finish documenting this piece ... i.e., attaching the coat hooks.   I did attach the coat hooks and hang on the back fence.   Over time, three of the fence hooks fell off.   It could have been easily reattached with a little silicone caulk or mortar; I just didn't.  It still hangs on the back fence.

C-Mirror02
Event Times
Monday, September 23, 2002

 

 Start another concrete mirror. I have a large sheet of mirror in the shed that came from a neighbors bathroom (they were remodeling and trashed it) that I'd like to use up and get out of the way. Large sheets of mirror are always dangerous to have leaning around.

1) Cut open paper bag and decided on pattern for mirror frame.
2) Measured and drew outline on paperbag.
c) Cut out pattern - inside and outside.
d) Traced inside mirror pattern onto sheet of 1/8" styrofoam and cut out. This is used to apply inside frame pattern on mirror glass.
e) Traced outside pattern onto sheet of 1" styrofoam and cut outside of pattern. (This piece of sytrofoam forms the 1" sides of the mirror frame.
f) Traced outline of hooks onto 1/8" styrofoam and cut out. These outlines will serve as placeholders for the hooks when the concrete is poured. 
C-Mirror02
Event Times
Tuesday, September 24, 2002

 a) Selected glass shards, gems and tile pieces from available inventory.
b) Put coat hook in paint box and spray painted bright yellow. (Note - applied the coats to quickly; coat hooks are soaking in paint thinner; will have to be redone in a couple of days).
C) Cut glass shards down to appropriate sizes and nipped edges to remove sharp points. (I'm not deburring as is for outdoor use).
d) Sorted flower shards to color - pink/green/yellow for ease of use.
e) Cut tile pieces to appropriate size.

C-Mirror02
Event Times
Wednesday, September 25, 2002

 a) Refreshed premade wallpaper paste by adding a little water and remixing (I like to work with in on the dry, not soupy side). Note, all guing of pieces to paper pattern is with wallpaper paste.
b) Glued down styrofoam cutouts for coat hooks.
c) Applied dark blue shards to four corner dividers.
d) Layed out initial design pattern with tiles and gems. Glued in place.


C-Mirror02
Event Times
Thursday, September 26, 2002

 a) Continued applying glass shards to paper pattern.
b) Finished applying shards. This one came to a close call. When done, I had a whole three pieces of the floral pattern left!!.
d) Picked up mess and put away. Set aside mirror form.

(Tropical Storm Isadore came through over the last two days. In preparation, the garage and shed are packed down with all the outside stuff. Tomorrow will still be too wet -- almost 10" of rain in 15 hours --, and Saturday is LSU game, guys are gone. So, point of this dialog is, I can't get to the mirror glass in the shed, or concrete, or anything else I need until Monday. So, this project (as well as C-Mirror01) will just have to wait. 

C-Mirror01 & 02
Event Times
Saturday, September 28, 2002

 C-Mirror01&02 are being worked simultaneously. As such, I'll mix pictures of the two together at this stage, as everything is being done the same.

a) Cut 1/2" piece of styrofoam same size as outside of frame. (Note, there is nothing magical about the 1/2". It just happens I have a couple sheets of this size hanging around). This becomes the bottom piece that will support the mosaic & concrete until the frame is removed.
B) Attached mirror frame to bottom using duct tape. Note that the duct tape goes all the way up the sides of the inside frame. This will keep outside edge of concrete nice.
c) Picked up paper pattern with mosaic and laid into frame. Placed the center 1/8" styrofoam piece, previously cut, in center.
d) Cut Mirror from large piece of sheet mirror.
e) Cut strip pieces of stucco mesh to use as reinforcement for the concrete.

At this point, we are ready to proceed with concrete ..... except the LSU vs. MS game is coming on TV. I'm going to put all this away and move inside and work on something where I can watch the game. (If I open the doors, my studio overlooks the living room, and I have a direct shot at the TV. Aren't you glad I shared that with you.)


C-Mirror02
Event Times
Monday, September 30, 2002

 Cement mix: 3 parts grout; 3 parts sifted sand; 1 part portland cement. Mix moistened and used 1 - 3 cups at a time.

a) Pressed mix (on dry side) into spaces between glass shards and mirror edges.
b) Set mirror in place, face side down, over top of 1/8" styrofoam middle insert.
c) Applied another layer to cement to bring level with mirror.
d) Laid in pieces of stucco mesh in middle and along sides, over top of existing cement mixture. (This is reinforcement for the concrete. Note that two "s" hooks are inserted to the mesh to act as hooks for wire hanging.
e) Pressed another layer of cement through the stucco mesh.
f) Continued applying layers of cement mix until level with top of frame.
g) Smoothed out with hands to form a light texture on back.
h) Stencilled in Mirror number, date and initials.
i) Wrapped in plastic. Will hold and release from mold tomorrow afternoon. 

C-Mirror02
Event Times
Monday, September 30, 2002

I did a lousy job painting these coat hooks yellow, last week. Obviously, I applied the paint to thick ... they looked real sorry.

So .... laid out the coat hooks on plastic and applied paint stripper. Allowed to sit 10 minutes, then wiped off paint/stripper with paper towels. Cleaned with water and dried thoroughly.
Put in paint box (old wooden wine box) and applied a light coat of pink paint. 

C-Mirror02
Event Times
Tuesday, October 1, 2002

 a) Removed plastic wrap from piece and turned over so mirror side is facing up.
b) Gently broke off pieces of outside styrofoam frame.
c) Loosed duct tape from outside edges, lifted piece and pulled from bottom.
c) Rasped outside edges to remove sharp and/or uneven areas.
d) Removed 1/8" styrofoam piece the is over the mirror.
e) Sprayed paper with light mist of water and waited a couple minutes for the moisture to loosen the glue. Pulled off the paper.
f) Removed the small sytrofoam inserts that are the placeholders for the coat hooks.
g) Sprayed piece with water and re-wrapped in plastic.
h) Moved to holding section to allow mirror to cure for a few more days before handling further. 

CMirror-02
Event Times
Friday, October 25, 2002

Pulled CMirror-02 from curing section in back yard where it has been wrapped up in plastic the last three weeks. Removed plastic and inspected. Overall, looks pretty good.

a) Moved into shed.
b) Mixed about 5 tablespoons of cement/grout/sand mix. (I had previously set some aside from the same mix that was used for the mirror in a plastic bag to complete this project.
c) Filled the hole spaces that had been made by the styrofoam forms for the coat hooks.
d) Set the coat hooks in place.
e) Cleaned up cement mix that oozed out the sides with a toothpick.
f) Let set for about 30 minutes, then cleaned mosaic glass and mirror using soft cloths with vinegar.

Set aside to consider next steps, or if it is complete .... except for sealing.

Bowling Ball Holder

6/21/2010:  This entry transferred from my Bellsouth Art Diary.  This piece was meant to be a sculptural holder for a future mosaic bowling ball. It definitely did not go as planned, and at the end of the sculpting process, one of the arms broke in half.   I threw it away; an experiment / project gone wrong. 

BB Holder
Tuesday, October 8, 2002

Horray -- computer is fixed (again). We seem to suffer alot of software issues, and, as a result, this computer makes frequent (overnight) trips to the PC doctor.

Anyway .....
Started the BB holder (Bowling Ball, that is) this morning.

a) Cut 3 pieces of stucco mesh at 27" by 5".
b) Shaped each piece into a circle, to form a tube.

Then ... had to quit to go pick up the PC. Beau has an outside appointment tomorrow, so will not be able to continue until Thursday.  

BB Holder
Thursday, October 10, 2002

Bowling Ball Stand cont.

a) Cut cirle out of a piece of styrofoam to serve as the base.
b) Cut a piece of stucco mesh to fit inside the circle.
c) Set circle on top of another piece of styrofoam, to serve as bottom.
d) Mixed up small batch of cement mix (grout/sifted sand/portland cement).
e) Formed small patties, and pushed into bottom of circle.
f) Applied stucco mesh over the concrete.
g) Shaped the three legs and placed on top of the mesh, filling in with additional concrete mix until reach top of circle

Stopped for 4 hours to allow to harden.

h) Mixed another small batch of concrete mix and filled in each leg up several inches.
i) Set aside to dry overnight.

Note: Picture actually taken next morning; batteries were dead while piece went through these processes.



BB Holder
Friday, October 11, 2002

Okay, so some things don't go anywhere near the plan !!!!

a) Mixed small amount of concrete mix and continued pressing into legs of stand.

I should have stopped about three 3/4 of way up .... but, NO ... had to keep going.

And then, legs started leaning this way and that way and all kinds of ways ... even though I had tied them together at the top, until I said to heck with it .... This one is garbage .... and untied the wire and let them go.

Down the legs fell, bending perfectly where yesterday's concrete had dried.
So, after a couple minutes contemplation, started moving the legs around, propping them up and whatever.

So, here we are ... perhaps the first piece of sculpture! Will continue on second layer tomorrow ... or sometime soon.

I just have to chuckle everytime I look this.

BB Holder
Saturday, October 12, 2002

 a) Applied cement mix (grout/sifted sand/portland cement) to the two outside legs (not sure what I want to call them know)
b) Smoothed with hands, adding or subtracing cement as needed for a smooth and uniform appearance.
c) Set aside to dry overnight. Tomorrow, I'll complete the middle leg. As the legs are so close together, I was concerned I would bump the outside legs and knock off the applied cement. Tomorrow, that cement will be dry and dumping will not represent the same risk. 

BB Holder
Sunday, October 13, 2002

 Applied thin layer of cement mix to middle leg of BB Holder. This was a tight fit. Two different places almost touch. Had to insert a small piece of styrofoam at bottom to separate back part enough to work in between. When completed, there is < 1/16" in back separation, and not too much more in the front.

Set aside to dry. Tomorrow, will smooth off the pedestal and apply a thin layer of cement mix to 'pretty' it up a bit. 

Yard Sale Saturday, 10-12-2002

Yard Sale Saturday
Saturday, October 12, 2002

Visited 8 yard sales this morning and found nary a thing I thought would come in handy. I did find, however, some good Oak Leaves on a tree in the middle gound over on Marigny. Of course, I cut off a few and brought them home.

I'm going to have to get on with all these leaves I'm collecting. I have the sink in the garage almost full of water trying to preserve them all !
 

Paint Leaf Castings

 6/20/2010:  Transferred this entry from my Personal Art Calender (Bellsouth).  These pieces still hang on our shed.   They held up remarkably well; including the paint finish.  

Paint Leaf Castings
Monday, October 7, 2002

A month back I created about a dozen leaf castings. Of these, 8 made it through with no cracks. I'm ready to being process of experimenting with paint techniques.

a) Washed up concrete leaves well, removing remaining leaf structure. (Amazingly enough, a couple of these still had the leaf intact, and leaf was still partially green!).
b) Let dry for several hours.
c) After dinner, set up paints. Applied one coat of watered down acrylic white paint to front and back.
d) Applied one coat of watered down green (two different shades; 4 leaves ea) acrylic paint.
e) Left to dry overnight. 

Paint Leaf Castings
Tuesday, October 8, 2002

Painted each of the leaves, using multiple colors and trying several different techniques.

Left to dry overnight. 

Paint Leaf Castings
Thursday, October 10, 2002

Moved leaves to table on back porch and set on several layers of newspaper. Applied two coats of sealer (Amor-All brand) to each side over the course of four hours.

No pictures today .... camera batteries are recharging.

 

Yard Sale Saturday, 10-5-2002

Broke out of my typical yardsale route today and went to the neighborhood sale at Crestwood Estates. All the way to Covington!!.

A couple finds .... a glass cylinder, a picture frame, 10 brass knobs and a few 'huge' gems. Also ... not pictured is a wig head and a bowling ball. All purchased for future projects.

Called it quits early. Mass people, and their driving around on 'to narrow' streets drives me crazy. When I found myself confronting one 'should'nt have been given a drivers license' person, decided it was time to go home. (Being hostile or vindictive reminds me of my mother, and I definitely don't want to go there !!!).

Came home.