This is the next commission that I will be working on and off for the next couple of weeks or so (maybe longer). My customers are in no hurry and it will take some time to do.
This landscaping rock is from the historic Nevada State Prison in Carson City. The wall at the prison was being torn down and this boulder was rescued by Mike and Judy Welch years ago. They both worked as officers at the prison and the rock/boulder was actually chiseled by artists/prison inmates at the prison. It has been sitting in their yard for a long time and all the colors and details have faded away. It weighs over 150 pounds, so I will have to work on the floor as my art table just can't handle the weight. Little Baby next to the boulder shows just how big it is.
Before I can start, this rock needs some serious restoration. First, I will use a wire brush over the entire rock to loosen any old paint and little rock pieces. Later, I will start filling in missing pieces of the rock that have deteriorated and refill those areas with exterior wood putty.
I'm really excited to do this project and Mike and Judy said to repaint it however I want. They showed me where the mountains, waterfall, and the trees used to be and there was a fisherman on the left side of the rock catching a trout or salmon that has faded away completely except for a little fish I still can see. I'll make sure to recreate that little scene on that side of the rock.
So, it's all about prep work over the weekend and probably into Monday before I can start painting sometime next week. I'm going to have to use several layers of wood putty and drying time between each layer to get the surface where I want it for painting. After that, all the areas will have to be sanded.
Time to start using the wire brush!
This landscaping rock is from the historic Nevada State Prison in Carson City. The wall at the prison was being torn down and this boulder was rescued by Mike and Judy Welch years ago. They both worked as officers at the prison and the rock/boulder was actually chiseled by artists/prison inmates at the prison. It has been sitting in their yard for a long time and all the colors and details have faded away. It weighs over 150 pounds, so I will have to work on the floor as my art table just can't handle the weight. Little Baby next to the boulder shows just how big it is.
Before I can start, this rock needs some serious restoration. First, I will use a wire brush over the entire rock to loosen any old paint and little rock pieces. Later, I will start filling in missing pieces of the rock that have deteriorated and refill those areas with exterior wood putty.
I'm really excited to do this project and Mike and Judy said to repaint it however I want. They showed me where the mountains, waterfall, and the trees used to be and there was a fisherman on the left side of the rock catching a trout or salmon that has faded away completely except for a little fish I still can see. I'll make sure to recreate that little scene on that side of the rock.
So, it's all about prep work over the weekend and probably into Monday before I can start painting sometime next week. I'm going to have to use several layers of wood putty and drying time between each layer to get the surface where I want it for painting. After that, all the areas will have to be sanded.
Time to start using the wire brush!
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