Category: General

Chaos applies to rockwork construction in a variety of ways, from armature all the way thru to sculpture and finish paint. Mother nature is a busy girl constantly changing things with all the forces she has at her disposal. Wind, rain, seismic activity and heat all have an impact on nature and in order to simulate nature effectively we have to use these activities to get the look and feel needed for our simulation.

When we see sunrises and sunsets or interesting cloud formations, we are awed by it. Coral reefs, jungles and forests all have this same effect, why? Because of the chaos of it, that is the attraction, we are drawn to it because it is out of control, beautiful, dangerous and sometimes even deadly!

Sooooo how do I get that into my work? What do I do to bring that beauty into my Earthy simulations? How do I make my rockwork more realistic?

The first thing that I would advise is the importance of references, never guess at it. Color and textures are revealed in the references, you will refer to them a heck of a lot more than you think. Possessing the actual piece of rock can also can also help by touching and feeling the surface.

Field trips around the project locale can be beneficial as well. This is a great opportunity to collect rocks, branches and photograph the objects you intend to simulate. A lot of students will just go crazy and photograph and collect everything! Be respectful and only gather what you need. I only photograph what I need for my color reference and for cracks and breaks, be selective.

Secondly, the references will only take you so far. The real question is why did that happen? What are the forces that made that a reality? Remember it is literally occurring right in front of you but at a pace you cannot identify with the exception of time-lapse or specialty photography.

We can expedite a lot of these forces with common tools that are on the job. We have water, we can assert pressure, we can apply wind and rip and tear. There are also a variety of chemicals to make concrete dry fast or slow. We can seed concrete with a variety of materials including integral colors. But how? And why? This is what you as a student have to come to terms with, discovery by trial and error will be your biggest learning tool. By using this method you will retain a lot of the information.

It would be easy to give recipes and show you moves to get the geometry of your sculpt right and things like that but you must learn by trial and error. Cause and effect is what you want to experiment with, I want to train you to think differently so that you will become great in your very own unique way. Remember there is no wrong way! Just a different way. So get to it!
R & D, research and development is your best friend.

I remember when I started out my mentor would take me on hikes, and one time we just hung out at the streams edge and moved rocks around and watched how the water would find a new way to flow! It was mesmerizing and I still remember it to this day.

I wish you the very best in your artistic endeavors.

I love all the beautiful work students in our industry are producing! Beautiful mock ups, wonderful examples of wood and rock and even beautiful coloring.

Working in controlled environments however does not teach a student or group of students how to deal with adversity in the field, this, in my humble opinion is failure to train properly.
We have a lot of good trainers out there, many which bring students in on projects and the trade-off is learn while producing. This does not give the client the best work possible as students or inexperienced workers are learning the trade. Good for the students not so great for the client! This scenario does address the fact that ambient conditions can change the workflow and adjustments and/or concessions must be made.

When a light rain comes or it becomes windy or the temp exceeds 90 degrees, the artists have to adjust, wet tarps may be needed, tents are required or heaters are needed. I would emphasize the need for thinking on the fly because it is not always wonderful weather. Don’t get me wrong, there are days that are perfect for placing concrete, but usually there is some condition that must be dealt with either with chemicals, structures, heat or it can be as simple as a delay where everyone goes home with show up time.

My point is this, we need to teach students to expect the unexpected, let’s prepare them for challenges in the field. I would hate to see a group of artisans go in the field with wonderful ideas only to be destroyed because of a little bad weather! This art form can be controlled if you prepare for it.

You will not be working in a controlled environment all the time! There are conditions you must be prepared for. Painting rockwork in Arizona is different than doing it in Minnesota where your paint can freeze overnight and you’re out 5k and now behind schedule. That cost is on you!! But by careful planning a warm shed can keep paint at the proper temperature and that burden can be on your employer to provide this service releasing you from serious liability and expense! Remember, everything is a negotiation.

I remember one time a long time ago when I was coming up… We poured a slab and the latest greatest thing was a salt finish. Once the slab was floated out we would broadcast salt in it and finish as usual. It looked great everybody went home. The next day we discovered that the raccoons just love salt and spent the entire night digging it out! It was funny in a “It’s not my fault” kind of way, A major expense for the owner! It’s not easy but always try to expect the unexpected if you can help it. Experience teaches us, sometimes painfully.

I would like to add that concrete does not wait! Your windows of opportunity are always shrinking and you have to move quickly, sometimes no time for lunch or breaks! It’s a wild animal that needs constant supervision. The rewards are great though, it just takes patience. When a seeded slab looks beautiful or a chunk of sculpted rock is complete it can be the greatest feeling ever! This artwork can get in your blood, it did mine.

Watching the weather and news reports will aid you in your decision making. Concrete is a difficult business; concrete burns can happen causing serious bodily harm! These students must be made aware of the dangers and take precautions and use the PPE’s (Personal Protective Equipment) gloves, safety glasses, and back braces will protect students from the aches and pains some of us veterans are going thru now, like me! Advil is not a breakfast and lunch!

Part of the fun of working in this trade is the unavoidable contact with the natural world. We draw inspiration from places, or from people or dreams and memories, but I enjoy getting out in the field and see the natural rock or waterfalls and try to recreate them as best I can. Mother nature can be a real tough teacher with her heat, rain, wind and bugs or freezing temperatures but if you can get past all that you will be awed at what can be seen out there or should I say inspired?

Pick up a branch and try to simulate it at a much larger scale and you will see it a lot differently than just giving it a passing glance, or how about a small stone that you will make as big as a house! It is easy to look at objects but a lot different if you are simulating it, I mean to say you will truly “see” it. It has always been amazing to me to have a piece of the natural work, i.e., rock, branch, root right in front of me as I work and I will constantly keep looking at it to answer questions like what color is first? What about the recesses? Is that a smooth or rough texture? Will the texture change? It just goes on and on and on!

Soon you will have bits and pieces of stuff all over your studio or house or bathroom ahem! Rocks, mushrooms, roots and fossils the list goes on. My wife has accused me of turning our home into a natural history museum. Point is, all of this will help your simulations look better.

It is important to not destroy or wreck the natural world in your pursuits. This trade has given birth to many pro-environment people, or animal activist and even new Zoo directors and curators, there is no end to where this trade can take you. Please be respectful of our natural world and only collect what can be taken without collateral damage.

Videography and photography are helpful tools as well, easily document color schemes and fracture patterns in rock. I have a very extensive library of photos and video that I use quite frequently. There is no limit or guides here, just take pictures and leave footprints, and if your really good no footprints, lol! Oh! One last thing, if your family comes along with you on one of your adventures be sure to take pictures of them too because they are much more important than sticks and rocks. Hike on brothers and sisters!