How do you do that? Outdoor Cement Sculpture and Pool
Pictured below are the examples of my gunnite project in Pennsylvania. Unfortunately I have been told it was torn down after we sold the house. The pool is about 6 feet deep with a waterfall that flows from a representation of a dolphin tail. The wall of waves is crested by the man in the moon and mother earth sits at the end of the wave.
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Gunnite in freezing winters must be constructed with a proper foundation in order to survive. In this area Pennsylvania the freeze depth is supposed to be 3.5 but I went for 4 feet. After pouring the foundation I built a 4 foot high cinderblock wall. In some sections the cinder block gets higher, the wall cascades from about 7 feet to 3 feet at the end. The pool is about 1.5 to 2 feet in wall thickness. It is supported inside with the type of steel wire sheets used for sidewalks and other cement structures. The wall from the cinder blocks up is reinforced with rebar. Using recycled bottles, cans, plastic and chicken wire I formed the waves, figures, dolphin tails and curves in the wall.
I mixed my own cement for all the sculptural and wall building. I had it delivered for the foundation and the pool. My son and a friend of his stood with me in the bottom of the pool pushing the cement up the sides while it hardened. The pool was totally curved and had a seat beneath the water fall and steps leading out of it at the end. The waterfall was powered by an above ground pool pump, hidden in the garden that follows the edge of the wall. The water stayed spotless.
The layers on the sculpture for the waves and figures and finish of the wall are done by hand. I used double pairs of latex gloves and threw the cement at the wall, keeping it fairly rough until the final coats. You want each layer to have a good rough surface to stick on. The final layers are smoothed with the palms of your hands or textured as I did with my sculpture garden here in California.
Which materials to use and how to mix them were taught to me by a young mason. You see I had a studio that used to be a Masonic lodge, no women allowed. So the local masons were a bit curious when I started building a tower for Rapunzel, Rapunzel, a beauty salon across the street from my studio. I taught college and did local creative jobs in my free time. A young mason drove by one day and stopped his pick up truck by the side of the road and got out. He had already visited the bar after work and he spoke bluntly and with much amusement. The guys wanted to know he asked me, exactly what the hell was I building? A fountain? A well? I explained the tower concept. Well what do you know he said, a f#*ken woman building a f#*ken tower! You ever done this before? No I said and I would be open to any suggestions. Well I don't care how f#*ken good you are, you can't build a f#*ken tower without a f#*ken pole and string in the middle to keep it straight. What are you using for cement? Quick Crete premixed I replied. Oh no he said. You dump that out. You got to get yourself some portland and sand. One portland to 3 sand. How are you pointing the cement between those rocks he asked. I replied with my fingers. You won't have any fingers left he said and you need a stiff brush to sweep the cement off the rocks. The next day when I returned to work on the tower he pulled over again in his truck and left me all the tools I needed. He drove by every night to check on my progress and honked his horn as he drove by. So that is my material mix and I learned it from the real deal.
After the tower, I decided I kind of like mixing and playing in mud. That is when I started the wall in the back of our home.We lived on an alley and this wall gave us privacy and created another worldly kind of feeling when you stepped into the back yard. Running water is always good to hear. Once you have a fountain or a waterfall, you always will.
Nice details, I have enjoyed your work,esp the concrete. I am building a wall to shelter the patio from the west Texas winter winds and may incorporate some of your ideas
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I love to combine art with function and it sounds like you have the perfect use for cement sculpture. If you build a waterfall into your project you will never regret it. Good luck, and I would love to see pictures as your project progresses. Feel free to write me with any questions you might have.
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That's impressive! How did you come to make all these sculptures? They look a little too big for the space they have around them. There is a lot of cement here!
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I admit, I have not been on this webpage in a long time... however it was another joy to see It is such an important topic and ignored by so many, even professionals.
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It's an amazing work, I figure it took you a lot of time to get it finished. What kind of tools did you use to shape the concrete sculptures? Was there anything common and conventional?
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What type of paint should be used on outdoor cement objects?
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You can use acrylic paint. Because it is water based it sinks into the cement like a stain if watered down. Some artists add acrylic paint directly to the wet cement mix. This practice also strengthens the cement and helps it to be more waterproof in addition to adding color.
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I love to combine art with function and it sounds like you have the perfect use for cement sculpture. If you build a waterfall into your project you will never regret it. Good luck,
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Nice work done by you..can you tell me how much cost comes of your this work...?
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I did custom cement work locally for $65 an hour. The contractor paid for the cement delivery and helpers to haul the cement to where I was working on it. Most of the work I did on the project was sculptural.
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