JK Mosaic: Concrete Sculpting with Armature Workshop

Earlier this summer, I wanted to apply for a scholarship that would provide funds for professional development, so I was searching online for a potential workshop. One of the skills I would like to build into my repertoire is creating 3-D forms. I'm inspired by the work of Nikki de St. Phalle and Jolino Bessera, among others.

Queen Califia Park in San Diego

I happened upon the website of Katerina Pinosova, a surrealist artist who works in a variety of mediums, including concrete. There was information about workshop instruction, so I sent her an email.

Sculpture by Katerina Pinosova

I learned that Katerina currently resides in Austin, TX, but that she is considering moving back to the Czech Republic very soon. I decided to take a leap of faith and schedule a workshop with her while she was still in the U.S.

So, last week, I flew to Austin. I had to rent a car and drive to an outlying area called "Lakeway" where I had booked a room in an Airbnb less than 2 miles from the workshop location (Katerina's house.)

Katerina is tall and lean with large, bright green eyes and a beautiful smile. She had everything prepared in a carport, and we got to work right away. On the first day, she showed me how to build an armature from supplies that are easily found at a hardware store. We cut thick fencing apart, bent the rods into a basic shape, and used tie-rod to hold it to itself. Then we layered chicken wire onto the form, securing it with tie-wire, and winding wire throughout the form to add extra structure. Katerina seemed to be able to go for hours without tiring, but my right hand was aching by the end of the day, no longer functional. We decided to let my hands rest and finish in the morning.

My armature.

So we started early again on the second day. Within a couple of hours, my armature was completed. Honestly, I had expected to be more of a natural than I was. This was my 4th concrete sculpture workshop, after all, and I thought my chicken shape would be more well-formed. But, the technique was much harder than I expected, and the chicken was much more rudimentary than I had intended. By then, I was melting in the heat and my hands were throbbing, and I didn't much care how my chicken turned out as long as I gleaned the information to try again at home.

The next stage was applying a thick cement mix, just to create a basic shape. In the heat, we had to mix small batches and work fast, and sweat was pouring off of both of us. When I took off my gloves the first time, I was shocked to see water pour out, and my fingers shriveled like morel mushrooms.

First layer.

We took a lunch break while the mud hardened, only for 2 hours. When I got back to Katerina's house, we resumed mixing cement, this time with finer sand mixed wetter, and applied two more layers to create a smooth crust. We mixed so many batches of cement that we wore right through the bottom of the mixing bucket! By the end of the day, I was completely exhausted.

This is just as I began to apply the final layer of cement.

On the final day, we started a bit later because there was only one layer left to apply. This time, we mixed white cement with fine sand, and had to take extra care to smooth it consistently. Katerina showed me how to add fine details. When I added eyes, my chicken suddenly came to life, and I was thrilled! I had made a chicken planter because I knew I couldn't take my project home, and the folks I stayed with had a small flock of chickens and a little garden in their backyard. The planter will go to their house after it cures for a month.