The vines are sprouting and climbing.
I have decided to make the feet in bronze, the wooden blocks are for them. I think one more day of welding.
Cuenod Wedding gift -day #1
Today I started an important family piece—a wedding gift for my daughter Sage and son-in-law Cameron who married during Covid. I have not welded since finishing the bison piece June- October of 2021. Sumner welding without AC was brutal. As a result starting this piece is long over due. I wanted to work on it and enjoy the process.
Below is the first day of planning, cutting, grinding and welding.
I plan as I go. Today I am building the basic armature. In the end it will be gnarly and twisted full of worm holes..
The seat structure is inspired by the joining of two strong personalities that merge and then support each other.
Playing with the pieces and thinking about Sage and Cameron I decided to have two seating areas- think tete a tete. I am picturing the front seat for sitting and the smaller back seat for a small child to stand on and hug their parents necks. The French history is fitting the Curnod family history. I think it will be great for future family pictures.
I am giving the bench a lower seating height making it climbable for small children.
Six legs should be stable enough.
Without air conditioning December welding gets my vote.
Faux bois Wedding gift ❤️❤️#17
I needed to make some new concrete sculpting tools. I cut the bristles from a dog brush and glued them to the handle from a sponge 🤞
The small bronze root left a stain on the seat. Oops. I expect I can grind it out.
Work work work
Sapling #8 to kindling - finishing touches
It needs a light sanding, a patina on the bronze and the concrete.
Sapling #7 - lath, 1st coat and second coat. (Copy)
My daughter special requested this piece. She asked if I could make her a sapling. My response was I could try, but the pencil size steel limits how thin I can make the tree limbs. Long story short, the sapling grew old fast. After the first coat the sapling limbs we're no longer sapling thin.
Covered in lath
Keeping an eye on my mix
The first coat - the bronze leaves are covered in green plastic to protect them.
First, I paint on the bonding liquid.
The piece is now ready for coat number 2.
Coat number 2 ✅
Here is the image edited super light in order to show the texture.
More details
Detail of upper branches
A little more concrete need under the bird.
Detail of trunk
The lower trunk and base.
The abundance of knots is evidence that this tree is the host of many insects and good bacteria. Bees and other insects use trees for nesting and receive antiviral properties from the fungus and bacteria that grow on the tree.
Faux bois Wedding gift ❤️❤️#20
The hard work is done. I did a little sanding on the seat so it won’t snag anyone clothes and then I was able to get some help moving it to a place where I can stand back and look at the work.
Front and reflection in the pond
Back view
Bronze
Lovebirds back
Left side view
Left back leg
Back right leg
Another view of the back right legs
Back right view of right legs
Back branch
Back left where back branches and legs connect
Front right legs - I love their hug
the seat texture
A piece of metal that was in my Dad’s ashes and his last name - Travis carved to the right of the metal bolt. I am guessing it is from one of his four hip replacements.
Griffin and Alex after their vows. - the lovebirds January 3, 2018
They will be in Houston for two weeks for Sage and Cameron Cuenods legal wedding vows June 12, 2020.
I Am looking forward to showing it to them. And I would like their opinion regarding a stain/patina.
Faux bois Wedding gift ❤️❤️#18
It turns out I did the first finish coat in white concrete. I have decided to put another coat on in the great concrete.
Here you can see the difference between the white and the grey Portland concrete.
I also have a repair to make on a back leg.
Repair made
The new underside top coat with personalization note for The newly weds.
The year the married 1/3/2018 and there names griffin Joseph Klement and Alexandra Marie Groome Klement
With love from me- Mom -cindee Travis Klement and Curtis Joseph Klement
The inspiration is from my grandparents yearbook page so I added my maiden name to the left of my name. I put the Klement last name between both sets of names.
Adding a stump to this root. I am on the fence on this.
Sapling #6 - restore and lath
The only good thing about quarantine is it provides time to finish projects. I need to get my welding area cleared of these faux bois pieces.
Today I am starting back on the faux bois sapling. It has bronze leaves and 1 bronze bird. It is a special request for my daughter Sage. I started it two years ago and had exhibitions that came up that interfered with my completion. Oops-
She is now engaged to be married during the pandemic June 12, 2020. This is little sapling will now for both Sage and Cameron.
I put protective coverings over the bronze pieces.
My assistant Tobi is ready to help.- sarcasm
Here I am painting restore on the steel. Restore prevents it from rusting.
When you pour it is pink, it turns purple on the steel.
purple and bubbles.
After the restore dried I started attaching the lath
The lath th is sharp like a razor blade.wearing protective arm wear, I cut strips of the lath and attach it to the steel with stainless steel wire with airplane safety pliers. The lath can not wiggle. The concrete liquifies with movement so the lath has to be tight and firm.
Faux bois Wedding gift ❤️❤️#15.5
I decided I should include a copy of Bob Pa’s obituary. It is one of the most touching obituaries I have ever read. My brothers and sister compile the information and my nephew and amazing writer Barrett Travis who now lives In Milwaukee wove the information into the last story of my dads life.
Obit’
With sadness, the family of Robert Ira Travis announceshis passing on March 24, 2018, at the age of 90. He was born to the late Gene Louise Young and Robert Fleming Travis on December 10, 1927.
Bobby attended Austin high school, graduating in the class of 1946, where he excelled in football, basketball, and track. After high school, he enlisted in the Army and was stationed in the 11th Weather Squadron in the Aleutian Islands, Alaska. He then attended Texas Western, now known as UTEP, where he was a brother in the Phi Tau fraternity.
Starting his family, he managed one of the farms in the lower valley owned by his grandfather, Robert Fleming Travis Senior. From 1951 through 1964 he was one of the pioneering farmers who helped utilize water pumps to establish the large acreage of Dell City for cotton farming, a foundational industry for the small town that continues to this day. He was also a rider on the Dell City Cowboy Polo team, which brought home a world title in the early 1960s. He additionally farmed in Laredo, Texas from 1964 to 1966.
In his early forties, he took over the Valley Feed store on North Loop Drive in El Paso, Texas, which grew during his life time from a small store front and warehouse in an inauspicious strip mall to become the Pet’s Barn chain of pet food and supply stores with 24 locations in El Paso, San Antonio, and Las Cruces.
While he was a great sports fan, especially fond of the patient, strategic pace of a Diablos baseball game (and attending cold beer, Diablo dog, and peanuts), he was a greater fan of people. He liked to drive his pick-up truck from store to store in El Paso, ostensibly to make deliveries, but it was pretty clear his aim was to connect with employees and remind them all to always keep a comb and pocket knife handy. It is quite possible that there is not a road in El Paso he has not driven in search of a good meal and good conversation.
It was his way to connect with others over food, and he was a connoisseur of El Paso cuisine. On his rounds, he scouted the city for locally owned gems to share with those he loved. He was a fine cook as well, especially known for his smoked meats, and knew that care and attention to detail could make any meal, from a 20 hourbrisket to a simple bowl of corn flakes, memorable.
Bobby was a self-starter with an independent streak, and while fortune did not always shine on his ambitions, he possessed the resilience and (he’d insist) plain dumb luck to build a lasting legacy. Not just in the business he helpedstart, but in the wit, wisdom, and love he shared with friends and family.
He is survived by sons Bob Travis (partner Terri Sanderson) and Dean Travis (partner Linda Razloznik) (El Paso); daughters Cindee Klement (husband Curtis) (Houston) and Janet Fortune; and his son-in-law Craig Fortune (El Paso); grandchildren Barrett Travis (partner Amber Giese) (Milwaukee, Wisconsin), Eric Travis (wife Josette) (El Paso), Aaron Travis (San Antonio), Nicole Ramirez (husband Renee) (Columbus, Ohio), Kyle Razloznik, Ryan Razloznik (wife Shellie) (San Antonio), Griffin Klement (wife Alex Groome) (College Station), Sage Klement (Houston), Travis Fortune (El Paso), and Reese Fortune (El Paso); sister Genie Lou Irvin (husband Widgie) (Columbia, Missouri); brother Warren Travis (San Francisco, California); great-grandchildren Abby, Emma and Danica Travis, Adam Hernandez and Julian Perez (El Paso), Collin Travis (Milwaukee, Wisconsin), Aiden and Harper Razloznik (San Antonio), and Evan Ramirez (Columbus, Ohio); and brother- and sister-in-lawsRobert and Mary Earp (El Paso).
A wake will be held in the warehouse of Pet’s Barn at 368 Yarbrough, El Paso, on
Sunday May 6th, 2018 at 2:00 pm, where his family and friends are invited to celebrate his life.
Memorial funds may be donated to the Animal Rescue League of El Paso, 7256 La Junta Dr., Canutillo, Texas79835, www.arlep.org/. 915-877-3785,
His family extends a special heartfelt thanks to Christina Rodriguez, whose care throughout the years made it possible for him to live at home, and to Eileen Carbajal, whose endless personal assistance and friendship throughout the years relieved him of daily worries and helped to maintain the independence he valued so greatly.
“You’ll remember me when the west wind moves
upon the fields of barley. You can tell the sun
in his jealous sky when we walked in fields of gold.”
A few images from the wake held in the feed store warehouse as he requested.
Daddy always had a few tomato plants growing in a pot. We decorated the tables with celebrity tomato plants to be taken home in by those who came to celebrate his life. We had each one in a brown bag. The same type and size of the container that one would keep a big bottle of Coors beer inside their truck. The brown bag has meaning to my siblings and me.
The feed store warehouse wake.
From left my oldest brother Bob, my baby sister Janet Fortune, my brother Dean and his dog Johnny and me. Front and center in the born and raised bag my father’s ashes in 3 big containers and one tiny container.
Faux bois Wedding gift ❤️❤️#15
Today I poured 30 lbs. of white concrete and 29.5 lbs. of grey Portland for the seat. In the mix was .5 lbs. of the ashes of Robert Ira Travis, my dad. He was born on December 10, 1927 he passed away March 24, 2018. When I measured out the ashes thIs small metal piece was in his ashes. I think it must have been part of one of his four hip replacements or two knee replacements. It was like finding the toy in a box of cracker jacks. I think Griffin and Alex will enjoy it embedded in their piece.
Bolt, name and ashes of R.I. Travis.
I used the white concrete to create motion in the old wood.
I went a little crazy
The seat has lots of rings from burls in the plank. Griffin and Alex love bugs and mushrooms (the fruit of fungi) both of which cause burls. The seat of their bench is riddled with big burls.
A sweet knot with some severe old wood cracks.
Once the piece hydrates for 5 days I will take a sander and smooth down the seat.
I gave the birds a knot to perch on.
Another view of Bob Pa’s moment in the bench.
Every few hours I check on the marks to make sure they have not filled in. There is a lot of concrete on the seat and the white concrete is taking a long time to set.
Faux bois Wedding gift ❤️❤️#14
I was not happy with the results of last Thursday's work on the upper branches. The concrete was not sticking to the scratch coat. Afterwards I went through the past blog posts for this piece and this is not the first time I have had trouble with the cement sticking. I made note that the liquid part of the concrete mix was too old. Good to know, the best part of a blog is the documentation of the work. As a result of the old liquid the branches ended up lacking detail. That is what happens when one takes multiple year's to finish one project. Today's work looks better. It does have it's share of wormholes and I love wormholes. I am a sucker for any piece of old wood eaten up by worms. That is the beauty of old wood.
Wormholes and knots
Below is a photo journal of the process.
Mixing the wet part of the concrete mix.
Mixing concrete is very similar to baking, you have to measure every ingredient precisely and mix them in the correct order.
A sound concrete mixer is a must; hand-mixing concrete is just too physical. I love this machine. Behind the mixer you can see roots for future bronze pieces drying on the plant trellis
Fifteen minutes of mixing the dry ingredients.
While I wait for the dry ingredients to mix I paint a bonding agent onto the scratch coat.
A close up of the white bonding agent after application.
All branches are coated with the bonding agent and drying while I check on the cement mixer.
When you look closely you can see the fibers I put in the concrete last week. The fiberglass fibers help the new layers of concrete bind to the last coat.
Just like in baking, you pour just a little wet ingredients in the middle of the dry ingredients.
I clip a cardboard door to the mixer, to keep the dust down.
The mixer kicks up a lot of dust.
Even before ppe was a thing, I wore a respirator and a head covering when mixing cincrete. There is nothing like shampooing concrete dust out of your hair.
Here the mix is starting to stick together and make marble and golf size balls. Ut us about 1/2 way ready.
Ready to start applying the concrete to the branches.
First, I mix a little concrete with the white bonding agent and make a slurry. I paint the slurry mud into the branches to help the first coat stick. Then I wait for it to get tacky.
Another detail look. Some of the fibers from the prior coat are still sticking out. That is ok, when I am finished I will take a small torch Abd burn them off.
My hydrating tent is getting a bit caddy campus.
Five more days of hydrating and then I pour the cement for the seat.
Faux bois Wedding gift ❤️❤️#13
Last Thursday while in Coronavirus 19 quarantine/social distancing I poured a top coat for the upper branches. I actually mixed all the ingredients over a year ago and then got caught up in making the pieces for my Hurricane Harvey Heroes exhibition 51.88” -Art of Resilience. The bucket of dry mix sat by the cement mixer untouched.
The piece will hydrate for 5 days. If it dries too quickly the concrete will crack. I (actually we, Curtis helped me) build a cube out of pvc. I covered it in heavy sheets of plastic that I cut and sewed to fit the cube. I then installed two construction zippers to allow me to get in and check the humidity. I put a humidifier in the cube with the bench, the humidifier keeps the concrete very moist.
Today I started to prepare the dry ingredients so that I can mix the concrete tomorrow morning.
I prepared 30 lbs. of dry ingredients, 10 pounds of fly ash and 20 lbs. of white concrete. And then I panicked - is the piece in white concrete or is it in grey? With the fly ash mixed with the concrete and the piece being wet, I can not determine what color it is. Yikes! this is a problem. I decided to mix a second bucket of dry ingredients. Tomorrow I will be ready for anything.
Sapling #7 - lath, 1st coat and second coat.
My daughter special requested this piece. She asked if I could make her a sapling. My response was I could try, but the pencil size steel limits how thin I can make the tree limbs. Long story short, the sapling grew old fast. After the first coat the sapling limbs we're no longer sapling thin.
Covered in lath
Keeping an eye on my mix
The first coat - the bronze leaves are covered in green plastic to protect them.
First, I paint on the bonding liquid.
The piece is now ready for coat number 2.
Coat number 2 ✅
Here is the image edited super light in order to show the texture.
More details
Detail of upper branches
A little more concrete need under the bird.
Detail of trunk
The lower trunk and base.
The abundance of knots is evidence that this tree is the host of many insects and good bacteria. Bees and other insects use trees for nesting and receive antiviral properties from the fungus and bacteria that grow on the tree.
Up-cycled
When shopping for my home, I love to go to flea markets and garage sales. I often buy broken things. A crack here there does not bother me. When I first started making #fauxbois furniture, I was always checking out concrete objects. I ended up with two concrete chickens; one was minus its head, and its tail feathers were damaged. Instead of throwing away the broken chick, I hung on to both - something about “like a chicken with its head cut off” was intriguing. That headless chicken hung around my garage for years, it made a good weight. When I started working in bronze, one of the first things I did was up-cycle the headless chicken with a new bronze head and tail. I sculpted the head and tail feathers in wax mixed with grits and grass. I made a mold of them, and then burned out the wax grass and grits and then cast them I bronze. I like the idea of giving new life to objects no one wants. I think these chicken could be seen as my first environmental pieces. They are not only upcycled chickens, but all birds also play a critical roll in nature. Fowl keep pests numbers in balance. All living organisms are connected.
