Buffalo Soldiers: Warren Easton Part II

Here are more photos of the students in action! This was my best group of kids so far... they were really dedicated. I have to also give credit to their regular teacher, Mary Hannon, for understanding and guiding them so well. She provided me with a lot of insight into their personalities.

Buffalo Soldier Mural: Warren Easton Part I

As some of you may know, I am behind in uploading photos since my old computer crashed. Here are some from January of this year, when I began working with students at Warren Easton High School on another grant-funded mural project in conjunction with the New Orleans Chapter of the Buffalo Soldiers.

New Orleans: A Canvas for the Imagination Still More Photos

New Orleans: A Canvas for the Imagination More Photos

New Orleans: A Canvas for the Imagination

Tonight is finally the night for the offical unveiling of the mural project I designed and led for the International House of Blues Foundation! Below is a partial-view panorama of the mural along with a couple of detail photos. More to follow!

How to Make Rocks:101 Part #2

We continued to sand the structure and recoat it with the tinted cement mixture until we achieved the desired strength, rigidity, and texture. We then added highlighting and shadows.



While it was hard to photograph the entire structure since the viewing window's size is smaller than the rockwork itself, you can atleast see the majority of the finished product in these photos. The reptile team painted the back wall upon my completion of the project.

How to Make Rocks:101 Part #1

In April, I built a rock structure for the Timor Python Exhibit. The reptile curator requested that the rocks be tiered so that the snakes would be able to climb, which would also utilize the height of the exhibit space. They also needed areas to comfortably curl up on, while always keepng the animal within view of the visitor. I had to make it strong enough for the handlers to climb on, waterproof if they should need to clean it with a hose, and smooth enough that the texture would not tear the skin of the reptiles.

If I could have used solid bead foam in building the exhibit, it would have cost a fortune. To keep costs down, I designed a wooden armiture for the sheets of foam to rest on.

The tilt of the structure helps keep the reptile in view, though I sculpted some of the angle out and also carved divets, or scooped-out areas, to compel them to curl up in plain view. At the reptile curator's encouragement, we scooped out caves in the tier-structure, which again would make them feel cozy and safe from those gauking weirdos on the other side of the glass.

We then tinted a special portland cement mixture for the hard-coat, though we knew it would require some mottling with paint. ...More in the next installment!