Clay Culture: Plasters, Paints and Preservation

     Since we have been in Alamos, Sonora we were very surprised to run into Carole Crews. At the 2009 Adobe USA Conference put on by the Adobe Association of the Southwest, we took an adobe plastering workshop from Carole and she is truly a master at adobe plastering.

     So I was very excited to learn that she now has a book out: Clay Culture: Plasters, Paints and Preservation. I have not yet seen the book but as soon as we get back to the states I intend to pick up a copy.

     Even though we learned a lot about clay plasters in the workshop, the book will be a huge help in remembering the formulas and recipes that she has developed over a life time of working with adobe.

     Thanks Carol, for all you have done to advance the art and craft of building with adobe.

     

Bicycle Truck

Yesterday was the last day of the

Festival Cultural Alphonso Ortiz Tirado 2011 in Alamos, Sonora, 

and as I was sitting waiting for a midday act to start

 I spied this incredible bicycle truck.

An Adobe Fixer Upper In Alamos, Part 2

I want to continue with Bob and Katherine's house
that I started a couple of days ago:

An Adobe Fixer Upper In Alamos.

Lloyd's Special Dish Drying Rack

Get rid of your dishwasher and let Lloyd show you how:

The Half- Acre Homestead In The 21st Century.

I thought this was very cool.

An Adobe Fixer Upper in Alamos

Way back on February 15th, I did a post on a Fixer Upper In Alamos

and recently I met the artist Katherine Callingham and her brother Bob Rink, 

who is a photographer, who jointly own and are six years into fixing up

 another house in Alamos, Sonora.

Two Hornos In Alamos

Some friends in Alamos, Sonora told me the other day
 about the Panaderia Moderna

and the wood fired horno that they used for their bread.

I had to go check it out.

El Jardin de Arte

I was lucky enough to able to stop by Jerry's home and gallery the other day.

The Masonry Kitchen

My last 2 posts have been on the house that Ernesto and Elena

 are remodeling in Alamos, Sonora:

Formed Cement And Plaster on the 17th,

More Formed Cement And Plaster on the 19th.

Please take a look as all 3 go together.

Above is the outside view of their home and the printshop.

More Formed Cement And Plaster

I want to continue with Ernesto's and Elena's house

 that they are remodeling in Alamos, Sonora.

Formed Cement And Plaster

Over the past few years we have been visiting Alamos, Sonora, Mexico,

 as readers of this blog may have noticed.

 Alamos has beautifully restored homes dating back over 300 years 

and I am constantly looking at the building techniques that are used here.

One that I have been wondering about is how to make the above scallop design. 

Ceramica

It has been awhile sense I have done a post on tile.

Update On A Large Concrete Bridge

When we were in San Carlos last winter there was a big project

 to replace a bridge that was washed out by a hurricane the previous fall.

I did 2 posts on the project:

Concrete Piers For A Concrete Bridge on April 3rd

Concrete Walls For A Concrete Bridge also on April 3rd

Decorative Brickwork In Mexico

When it comes to building there are so many things that Mexicans are good at 

and brickwork is one them.

Thanks Lloyd

     Please click here to check out this short video about Lloyd Kahn. This sums up much of what I hope to say with this blog. His blog, Lloyd's Blog, is listed under my blog list on the right side bar. Enjoy.

The Finished Concrete Pedestrian Bridge

Just over a week ago we were sitting at the Epic Cafe in Tucson
when I posted Building A Concrete Pedestrian Bridge using photos
I took last year showing the form work for the above bridge
 in Alamos, Sonora, Mexico.

House Of Rain

     Over the holidays, as we were visiting a friend, I picked up the book House Of Rain by Craig Childs and proceeded to read the whole book. An avid reader I don't normally read books but this one grabbed me. Craig tracks the path of the Anasazi across what we now call the American  Southwest and into modern Mexico.

     The reason I bring this up in this blog is that he talks a lot about the physical structures that the Anasazi built, the materials they used, the differences by location and time, and how they changed over the course of their existence. These are, of course, a large part of the record that is left from this extensive culture.

     Craig has many interesting ideas about these people, their history, and what may have happened to them that were new to me. I was not particularly knowledgeable about this field of study but I have much more to think about now as we tour this fascinating part of the world. Check it out.

More Murals

On December 13th I did a post on Murals In Truth Or Consequences, New Mexico

 and now I would like to show some indoor murals.

How To Design An Entry Way

We were walking down a side street in Guanajuato, Guanajuato, Mexico

 a couple of years ago when we passed by this long set of stairs (above)
 leading into a home.

 It really made me want to enter
and climb down the stairs to see what was there.

It got me to thinking about what it was that made an entry way so inviting.

Stone Ruins At San Juan de Rayas Mine

I am continually intrigued by ruins, there is so much to learn.

What worked, what failed.

And it bares the bones of buildings where we can see the details.

Building A Concrete Pedestrian Bridge

When we were in Alamos, Sonora, Mexico last winter,

 we came across this pedestrian bridge under construction.

Faces And Masks

It is interesting how we present ourselves to the world.