Dig Your Hands in the Dirt: A Manual for Making Art out of Earthby Kiko DenzerNote fro Charmaine: This is a GREAT little book to teach you about cob and creating with cob. Everything you need to know to get started! Mud is fun! Also durable, varied, easy, and (dirt!) cheap, it has been used for millennia to make beautiful homes, temples, and decorative art - in every way an ideal material for this serious-but-fun book that directs you to "the dirt beneath your feet" as a perfect source for creating culture and beauty. In a compact and appealing format, it combines inspiring photos (the projects are located in Washington DC, to Chicago, Oregon, Mexico, and even Berlin) with simple how-to and step-by-step narrative. Start with wren-sized bird-houses, and then go on to make model villages, sculpted benches, playground structures, stunning murals for any wall, or a monumental labyrinth or sundial! One story highlights a marvelous effort in Portland Oregon where neighbors are using earthen building as part of a strategy for building community and communal spaces. As practical manual and resource, it covers all the bases: drawing and design; locating and mixing mud, sand, and other materials; architectural and philosophical perspectives; working collaboratively; and resources. Hundreds of photos (32 pages of color) illustrate all the procedures as well as the inspiration. * a book for teachers, parents, builders, artists, and kids of all ages * synthesizes craft, beauty & inspiration with practical ideas that build awareness, skills, knowledge, and confidence * instructions make low-budget art into a practical option for anyone * real world insights demonstrate how beauty can make things better * simple, low-tech methods open the border between art and architecture Paperback, 5-1/2x9 inches, 132 pages (28 in color), hundreds of photos and illustrations Read a great, FREE, article on building a clay earthen oven here by Kiko. |