Modern Hypertufa Birdbath Project

Our kids and I did this project back on Father's Day. It was a fun way to spend an hour or so. Hypertufa is a simple mixture of ingredients that creates a clay-like substance that you can then mold into various objects and when it cures it hardens like concrete but is much lighter weight.

This was my second hypertufa project, the first one being a VERY crude ode to the guardians on Easter Island - although it ended up looking more like my dearly-departed granny when it was all said and done.

So here's how to make the hypertufa 'clay'

Portland Cement
Pearlite or Vermiculite
Peat Moss
Large container for mixing
Something to use as a mold. [For this project I used a large wooden bowl and a plastic food container.
Pam or non-stick spray
Plastic

Equal parts Portland Cement, Pearlite and Peat.
Mix the dry ingredients in a large plastic bin or wheel barrow.
ONce mixed slowly add water and mix well. Keep adding water and mixing until the mizture is clay-like...when squeezed with your hands a small amount of water should squeeze out of the mixture.

Once you have the mixture to the right consistency [don't add too much water!] you can get your mold ready.

Line the mold with plastic. Spray plastic with non-stick spray. Begin to pack on clumps of the 'clay' onto your mold...packing it tight. Your mixture should not crumble - if it does there isn't enough water.

For this project we packed a plastic food storage container with the 'clay' to use as the base then joined the two together.

Be sure the walls of the birdbath are thick enough...it needs to be thick to have structural integrity...and once dry it will be lighter in weight than it looks.

Leave your creation to cure in a cool dry place for 2-3 weeks. I've read that you're supposed to spray it with water occasionally, but I didn't bother doing this and it turned out fine. :-)

The result here is a nice-looking asymmetrical bird bath and it's something the kids and I made together, so it's even better!

Top 10 Ways to Lower Your Holiday Carbon Footprint

I came up with the Top 10 ways I'm planning to lower my carbon footprint this holiday season. Starting with #10...

10.

Start on black Friday by not getting caught up in the feeding frenzy of overindulgent, overspending. Take your time and shop online and put items into a shopping queue before hitting that final purchase button.


9.

Order everything from Amazon.com – robot efficiency across the organization means minimal energy spent to get the product from the factory to under your tree. No, I don’t own stock – I wish!

8.

Go practical and give yourselves an energy upgrade for your home – energy efficient appliances, new windows or a 95% energy-efficient furnace don’t fit under the tree but start saving as soon as they’re installed.

7.

Don’t over cook. Your pants will thank you, less cooking and baking means less gorging, less impact on food production, less packaging and yes, I have to say it, less sewage to treat. Ewww…

6.

Stay home.

5.

Go minimal on holiday decorations. Giant inflatable Santa and his 8 tiny reindeer are not only garish, but are also made from petroleum products and require energy to inflate and light. Skip killing a tree and try a bunch of painted twisted willow branches painted white with minimal lights for a low-key and slick look. You can stick them in your garden in the off season and use them the next year. Reuse!

4.

If you can afford it, give to a green charity. IMHO the most impact you can have is to give to charities that preserve green space, especially in developing countries, where overpopulation, overdevelopment and lack of sufficient environmental laws are straining fragile ecosystems and decimating others.

3.

Buy local. Buy sustainable. Buy green, Buy Less.




2.

Eat local. Eat organic. Eat less meat.


1.

Think before you buy, especially when it comes to the kids. There’s so much junk out there for kids. Do they really need a room overflowing with toys?


Well, I’m sure I’ll be visited by three spirits on Christmas Eve after that last one, but it is, what it is. Have a Happy Holiday.

You Can Do It! Create a Custom Look For Your Bedroom For Less!

There’s nothing like drama in the bedroom, right? Wrong. But you can still create a dramatic, modern and unique look using large wall canvas and a simple platform bed.

We went with the Ikea Malm http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/S39849855 a reasonably-priced and slick low-profile platform bed system that didn’t break the bank.

Stretching a roll of canvas over a large 2x4 frame, I then went to work on the custom element, painting a large, impactful piece that defined the room, while accentuating the low, clean lines of the Ikea bed frame. The results are one-of-a-kind, and didn’t cost a whole lot. For the painting, you can even do this yourself, using a roller to block out the raw canvas, then splatter some contrasting color, either in a Jackson-Pollockesque spasm or take a wide brush and add a few simple strokes to create a more minimalist focal point for your room.

It’s modern art, so you don’t really need any true artistic talent, just guts to get the paint on the canvas! Mae it your own and make yourself an artist!

3 Very Different Approaches to Modern Art

For me, painting is play time. I'm not a sports fan, I don't collect antique dolls [that would just be wrong!] and I don't really have any toys that go real fast and endanger my life. So, I muck around in my studio. [Translate - garage].

Playing means not having any boundaries and the three paintings shown here illustrate three very different approaches to a blank canvas.

'Red Hot Chili Peppers' is what I like to call a 'keep-dumping-the-media-on-the-canvas-and-moving-it-around-until-I-don't-hate-it" piece. Often these pieces have previous lives and I just take them down and paint over them. It's the ultimate feeling of empowerment and control. Of all the techniques, this one is probably the most fun. And often in this process I uncover new techniques that can be replicated for more of a 'technique piece' approach to production.

"Warrior Queen" is a concept piece that was in my head and took form in acrylic. It ended up pretty much the way I pictured it in my head. My inspiration was a friend who has really inspired me in a lot of ways.

Finally, 'Good Vibrations' is what I like to call a 'technique piece' that utilizes a specific brush stroke, brush type and contrasting or complimentary color palette to give it life. Technique pieces are great for series and rapid production and have proven to be popular with collectors.

Well, there you have it. I think I might try and do a step-by-step painting next, so if ANYONE reads this and wants to try it themselves they can. And remember, if you don't like what you see, you can ALWAYS paint over it!

A Lean Mean Green Patio Solution

Upon moving into our house just over 3 years ago, I marveled at the garden and the extensive planting throughout the property. It seems as though the previous owner worked at a nursery and my guess is she got paid in plants.



There were a couple things I took personal issue with though – there wasn’t much in the way of structure to the landscape design and the planting resembled an attempt to replicate an English Country Garden.


With a mid century modern house and a penchant for all things modern, I had to do something. The trouble was, we were tapped out financially, as the purchase price of our house was 10% over our top end budget.


There’s something to be said for sweat equity and improvisation. I went to work with shovel in hand and started digging, moving things around and restructuring the plantings to give the garden more or an architectural structure. The one thing I quickly realized was there was just too much garden. I didn’t want to be eternally responsible for keep such a swath of earth weed free.


On digging up areas of the yard I found some paving stones. A light bulb went on and I noticed some leftover pavers at a friend’s property as well. He was happy to have me take them off his hands. Putting two and two together, I went to work laying out my plans.


I purchased a roll of growth-blocking fabric. After removing all domestic plantings from two areas of the property, I leveled the areas off, laid the fabric and began arranging the paving stones in symmetrical patterns aligning the lines of the stones with the view of Lake Washington that graces the property.


Once stones were in place I salvaged pea gravel from other areas of the property and filled between the pavers with the gravel. The resulting areas gave us two patio areas that took advantage of the Southern exposure, the view of the lake and the materials on property, creating outdoor spaces we’d enjoy for years to come, while doing so with minimal impact to the planet and our bank account. And not only that., I had less area to keep weed-free! Now if I could only find the same kind of solution for a bathroom remodel!

Win an Original Modern Abstract Painting - 4 Easy Ways to Win!

Artoberest Original Art Giveaway!

4 easy ways to win!

Yes, it’s time for a shameless self-promotion – but there’s something in it for YOU! There are 4 easy ways your can win the original painting shown here:

1. Everyone who follows my media blog @ http://guywborgford.blogspot.com/ is automatically entered to win this original painting by yours truly – me! All you have to do is click the ‘Follow’ button and get entered to win.

2. Double your chances of winning by following my art and design blog here:
http://modmandesign.blogspot.com/

3. And get yet another chance by ‘liking’ my art page on Facebook here:
http://www.facebook.com/#!/group.php?gid=199778103672&ref=search

4. Are you a Tweeter? Get your fourth chance to win by following me on twitter here:
http://twitter.com/gborgford

You never have to read a word I write, just add me, follow me and like me. Does that sound desperate? It’s not – it’s marketing, peeps!

On Halloween night, I’m taking all the entries and drawing the prize for this 24”x36” acrylic on canvas piece entitled “Grass and The Hoppers” approximate value $750.00.

If a winner is chosen outside of the Greater Seattle area, the winner must cover $20.00 in shipping charges – I’ll cover the rest.

Your chances of winning are dependent on the number of ways you sign up and the total number of entries. Got a partner? Get them to enter to and double up your chances…kids…get them to sign up too and get the whole family in on it! It’s easy and your chances of winning are awesome! Sure it’s not a payday like the lottery, but winning is always FUN and I’m getting old, so once I croak, this painting could be worth MILLION$. OK, maybe not millions, but maybe a few bucks.

So, don’t hesitate. Follow my blogs, LIKE my art Facebook page and follow my tweets and you could WIN!

Thanks and have a great week!

Guy

Dining with Drama!

And I'm not talking about viscious food fights or family squabbles or people storming from the table - I'm talking about creating a simple but impactful statement with the use of large format modern art and minimal furnishings. OK, sure, this IS a plug for my painting but at the same time, I think it's a valid point.

I like to this of the food at the art on the table. Kill the kitsch, the carving and the knick knacks. Go minimal and in the palce of everything else adorn your dining wall with a large format painting that SCREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAMS DRAMA!

The piece shows here is almost 6'x6' and commands the room. Paired up with a minimal mid century dining suite, a simple wire blowl from Pier 1 and a minimal drum pendant lamp from Seattle Lighting and you've got a bangin look that's easy on pocket book and low maintenance too.

Check out some of my inventory here and let's serve up some modern slick with those viddles!

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=676690869#!/group.php?gid=199778103672&ref=ts