Everyone Loves The Lamb
While shopping last winter for our holiday 2010 season, Rob found a company that imports Italian paper mache and plaster figures from Italy. He knew I would fall for this pair of goats. Everyone who sees them insists they are lambs, so I give. I love these lambs. The origin of the art of cartapesta dates back to the fifteenth century in Italy. Do my lambs not look so Italian?
The art form found expression originally in figures and ornament for Catholic churches. Overscaled hand carved stone statuary used to ornament the churches were incredibly expensive and time consuming to produce. An affordable method of producing large figures that had the appearance of stone at a fraction the weight and cost fueled an art form. Cartapestra. Plaster over paper mache.
By the 1700’s, Italy was known throughout Europe for these lovely and affordable stone look alikes, fashioned from straw, steel wire, silk string, hand made paper and plaster. Each figure would be polychromed, or painted, by an individual artist.
The plaster layers are sun-dried; this part enchants me. If your life is in any way like mine, having the time to let the sun work its magic sounds swell. Each figure is hand sanded and the surface burnished before it is painted.
I spent some time this morning hauling one of these lambs all over the shop. Why would I do this? I had sent a picture of them to my landscape superintendent Steve. He wrote me back- everyone loves a lamb. I decided to test out his theory. MCat took an immediate fancy to them-he has been sleeping peacefully, snugged up next to them for the past four days. Milo took no offense to the lamb. He actually went right back to sleep.
Monica is my assistant-hers is a position the seat of which glows. Her switchboard is perpetually lit up. She handles everything with exceptionally and unfailingly good manners. Her genuine concern and attention to detail is astonishing. The lamb placed on her printer made her laugh first, and made her speak secondly to her appreciation for the whole idea of a peaceable kingdom. No matter the issue, her kingdom is about maintaining the peace. I may need to get her a lamb of her own.
Paper mache hand plastered over is not a good candidate for a garden ornament exposed to the weather. Stone stands up far better. But this does not mean this Italian sculpture is not at home outdoors for a moment. Sun drenched and 75 degrees it was- a beautiful day.
Landscapes, and their gardens, benefit the people who take them on, and tend them. Much of that benefit has to do with providing a sense of serenity. I get that same feeling when I look at this Italian lamb face.
My pair of Italian made paper mache goat-lambs- no doubt they made my day better. What will I do with them? They are for the moment in residence and looking good on my drafting table.
Posted on: October 9, 2010 1 Comment
Sky Blue
I may have been playing hookey from my writing the past few days, but I have been slammed with work. I have been out shopping for a variety of projects the past few days-but what is really capturing my attention is the show going on overhead. October skies in Michigan can be so vibrantly blue, and the clouds are always such fabulous shapes. I am treasuring these moments, as Michigan winters mean an unvarying shade of lead grey overhead-most every day.
Blue skies in the fall are that fresh blue that reminds me of lobelia in the spring, cornflowers and belladonna or bellamosum delphinium. So striking and so lively. The clouds overhead yesterday against the blue skies were dramatically directional and three dimensional.
The atmosphere refers to that mass of air surrounding the earth. Clouds like this describe that air in a visually spectacular fashion. I have been seeing the stars the past few mornings-this tells me the blue of the daytime sky will be clear sky blue.
No matter what I might design, engineer, organize or dream up, what nature effortlessly puts on display every day is remarkably beautiful. My efforts to make something beautiful take lots of behind the scenes work. The beauty of nature-out there every day, for everyone to enjoy. We are having a spell of unusually beautiful weather right now. On the ground, 72 degrees.
Beautiful weather is enabling us to express a sky blue and white idea of our own. Some 15 years ago I stained a concrete pool deck for a client with a checkerboard of blue and cream squares. My client called a month ago-that pool deck, and the landscape, needed an update.
Concrete stain can do an old piece of concrete a world of good. A vintage concrete sidewalk or terrace still in great shape is a great look with a vintage home. Concrete is a common material for pool decking. It can be poured in any shape, it has a slip-resistant texture, and the light color keeps the surface temperature reasonable on a hot summer day. This pool deck was in fine condition, but the old stain looked tired and faded. My client was interested in a fresh look.
Steve snapped the 3′ by 3′ checkerboard pattern onto the surface with a chalk line. He painted the blue squares first; the blue chalk became part of the edge of those blue squares. Should you want to stain concrete in a pattern, choose a chalk color that won’t adversely affect the color you intend.
We carefully edged each square by hand; Trevor rolled on the body of the stain from there. The water based stain soaked into the old concrete; years of rain and wear had made the surface open and porous. The rough texture of the concrete has not changed at all-just the color. There is no mistaking the concrete for some other material; this ordinary concrete has a new look that is anything but humdrum.
Cloud white would have been too glaringly white for the alternate squares. A soft yellow-cream would contrast with the blue, but not blindingly so.
Even at this stage, I could tell the staining of the concrete would make a big visual statement from a utilitarian surface. The comment from my client’s pre-teenage grandson? This makes it look like young people live here. I rather like this description.
Posted on: October 8, 2010 Leave a Comment
Telegraph Road
Some landscape projects invove a lot of tearing up and moving around. This 19th century home is situated a long way from the street. The original gravel driveway was in a deteriorated state, in large measure due to the fact that it followed the existing contours of the land. This put parts of the drive under water in a hard rain. A road needs a proper base, and grading such that rain water runs off.
If you live anywhere near me, I am sure you have been privy to a landscape construction site of staggering proportion. The demolition and rebuilding of miles worth of Telegraph Road has been going on for months. Telegraph is a major north-south thoroughfare; I may travel on it 6 times on a busy day. I am not alone in this-thousands of trucks, cars and buses use it to swiftly get from one place to another. The heavy volume of traffic and the Michigan winters have taken their toll; no one denies there was a need to rebuild.
The volume of trucks hauling away old road and hauling in new materials is equally staggering. Construction vehicles, excavators, bulldozers are cordoned off from from the two lanes still open to traffic by thousands of orange cones. Crossovers are open one day, and closed the next. It is a massive project, producing a massive disruption to the people who work and shop in the area, and the businesses who rely on the road to provide simple access. This is a go for broke project that can make a quick trip north seem like an off-road rally.
My client’s project seems so benign and modest by comparison, but the concepts are the same. A road needs engineering. It needs to be easily maneuverable. It needs to drain. It needs compacting to withstand the weight of vehicles in all kinds of weather. In this case, some 10 inches of base was required to get the drive to drain. Many hundred of yards of soil were required to bring the ground up around the new drive.
I have tried to be good natured about being brought to a dead stop time and time again. I have had more than enough time to put my truck in park, and take photographs. I cannot deny that it has been an interesting process to watch. The concrete of the old road being pulverized by a massive machine equipped with a battering ram that makes the ground shake. The numerous giant trucks whose only job all day long is to haul away debris. The giant concrete drain tiles littering the dirtscape. The hundreds of people running machines-how does such a huge project get coordinated? 
I have tried to view mile after mile of the most God awful mess imaginable as landscape theatre. It really does seem like what usually zips by me in a few minutes has become a full length feature. This particular day I was stuck at a crossover for at least 4 lights, while some machinery and trucks got moved around.
The man shoulder deep in a giant trench is communicating with the excavator operator via hand signals-the deafening noise precluded any talk. The stoppage of traffic behind me starts to stretch out. Once the truck in front of me backs into his slot, I make my escape at the Quarton Road cross over.
This man in the pit has nerve if nothing else. I would not be so comfortable, downhill from a machine of this size. I love pushing dirt around as much as the next gardener, but is earthwork on an astonishing scale. The following day, the Quarton Road crossover is closed. This puts me miles out of my way; I hate having to go south to go north. Just as I think I am home free, A tree trimming crew has eastbound Quarton closed. To the north, Lone Pine is closed all the way to Cranbrook Road-a new road, drainage system and bridge is in progress. I am forced further south. I am 25 minutes later getting to the job than I planned for.
I will confess I have traded in my fascination for the project for a fascination with how to avoid it. Woodward Avenue runs parallel to Telegraph; I have clear sailing all the way north to Orchard Lake Road. Once I drive under the Phoenix Center in Pontiac, I am but a short distance from the shop. Middlebelt Road runs north and south on the west side of Telegraph. It is a smaller road, but traffic moves along briskly. I feel bad for all of the businesses located along Telegraph; the contruction is so extensive and visually confusing.
The very last straw?? MDOT closed the exit ramp from Telegraph onto Orchard Lake to any driver coming north three weeks ago. The detours that would permit my clients to get to me are poorly marked. The best bet; continue north on Telegraph and go under the Orchard Lake Bridge. The very next crossover will take you to the southbound exit off Telegraph. In three weeks, I am just seeing the first moves made to rebuild it. Can you hear me sigh? We can help you navigate if you need it; I think we are worth a little travel trouble.
Posted on: October 4, 2010 4 Comments