Gallery 6
Plaster Rocks!
Though I do most of my plastering work inside of homes, once in a while I get involved in some 'unique' projects. This one certainly falls into that category! I've had some friends who use plaster to work on movie sets to create backgrounds and even to make some pretty cool looking houses and trees for theme parks. I call it 'fantasy plastering'.
So I wasn't too surprised when I was contacted by a group in Chicago that is putting on a theatrical performance. Their request? They needed a 'Rock' (you've probably seen some of these in truck commercials. They look like 'real' boulders next to those trucks, but it's usually stryrofoam rocks...!) This rock was going to be used on stage, so they needed it a certain size so that a person could 'sit' on one end of it, and be able to lay their head on the other end so they could appear like they were 'sleeping' on it. They also wanted a specific color range, kind of a 'tan' color. With these things in mind, I glued a stack of styrofoam panels together and got to work:
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Photo #1 - #3: In the first three photos you can see the basic process. I have cut and shaped the foam panels into the size and shape I wanted. I then coated the bottom of the 'rock' with the base coat and embedded very heavy fiberglass mesh, to give it stability and a good tough foundation. I actually turned the rock upside down to do this work on the bottom, and then applied some base coat to the sides as seen in these photos.
Photo #4 & #5: These two photos show that the next step is quite tedious and very time consuming. Since the 'rock' is not smooth but has a lot of crevices and details, the work that is done is much like 'paper mache''. But instead of using paper, I used 2" wide fiberglass mesh pieces and worked them into the base coat. This was done over the entire rock.
Photo #6 - #10: After the first coat is applied and all the fiberglass mesh has been embedded into it, this is allowed to set up hard, which took the rest of the day. I returned the next day and applied a second coat with a paint brush. This coat dried in a few hours, and I was able to then apply a third and final coat that was also brushed on. These layers built up a nice thick coat of base over the entire surface, hiding the mesh and giving the 'rock' its unique look. The base was allowed to dry overnight and I was now ready to begin the finish coat over the rock.
Photo #11 - #14: The final step was to coat the 'rock' with a color coat that matched the color they had requested. After about an hour I began to apply accent colors of silver and darker browns in the crevices and even some white to blend and make it look more realistic. I allowed it to dry for a day and then loaded it up and delivered it to Chicago. You have to agree - 'Plaster Rocks!'
Since I've done this rock I have heard that some people search for years to find just the 'right' rock or boulder for their landscaping needs, or for a movie or tv commercial set. Well, I guess if you are in need of such a rock, I may be able to help you out!