The previous owner of our 6 acres left behind a lot of almost life-size sculptures of animals, made out of heavy-duty chicken wire. There are several deer, a small horse, a little giraffe, LOTS of 3' birds, a ram, a LION, etc. I want to complete the sculptures by covering them with something that can stand up to being outdoors year-round. I need ideas re: materials to use. The photo is of the lion with snow on it; the only way you can actually see these sculptures.
Stalking lion, gravemarker for my Lion Dog (Pekingese). Lion is 8 feet long and 3 feet high.
Great suggestion. I'll have to check with local nurseries to see what plants would survive. I actually have ONE sculpture that has a bush growing up through it and I've been a bit hesitant to prune it, mostly 'cause I don't even like the sculpture...it's a Porky Pig standing on its hind legs and it's kind of stupid looking.
Diane, Let your imagination be your guide: realistic? folksy? odds&ends type of quilt style? whimsical? sending a message? Whatever it is I suggest you use PAVERPOL to treat the fabric you decide to use. NOrmally I would not suggest a particular product without giving you at least one other option to choose from, but there really is nothing better on the market that you can use and it IS waterproof. Below is a link about it . Beautiful work, by the way! Thank you so much for asking Homtalk for a solution. I'm honored to be of help any way I can (I love artwork and the artists who create it. I have a few serious ones in my family). Good Luck and keep creating! :)
by the way, Diane, IF you choose to try Paverpol, do NOT EVER pour it down your drain ... "... IMPORTANT: DO NOT pour Paverpol down your drain – keep a bucket of water at your workstation and rinse hands and brushes frequently. While Paverpol is water-based and non-toxic, it is made to cure rock-hard, and you don’t want it stuck in your plumbing. Periodically clean the bucket; let the material in the water settled, pour off the water into flower garden, etc. The solids that have collected at the bottom of the bucket can be disposed of in any trash receptacle. ..." :
The sculptures are portable, not fixed into the ground at all. I moved the horse to my garden and the morning glories are covering it, although not as much as I had hoped. Wondering how a light coat of concrete would work? A bit hesitant to make them heavier.
your location was not revealed.plants would be awesome,however if weather is a issue weave outdoor lights in your sculptures for all year interest to light up your landscape
i would talk to a local garden shop and see what type of plants world work well on them for your area. If you are into decorating outside for Christmas, put lights on them and incorporate them into your display
Thank you for your ideas! I'll check with the local nurseries to see what might be able to grow year-round here. We don't have snow every year, thank goodness. We're at 2700' in the Sierras and don't always get snow but it's very quirky. We had snow ONE year that arrived on June 17th! I was hoping to add something to the sculptures that wouldn't involve me pruning them, though.
Maybe gardening moss would work? We have lots of moss on the pine and oak trees on the property, so perhaps I could weave it into the structures? Not sure how they would receive sustenance though. Thinking...you've given me some ideas, thank you!!!
Thanks for the awesome links, Sharon! I didn't know where to start with my research and this really helps. I'm thinking burlap and plaster might be the way to go with these beasties since they're all fairly large. Thanks again!
what about painting them so they show up more then as someone else mentioned use lights to make them really pop. The paint would also protect the sculptures from the weather.
Hello Diane; How Wonderful!! You are indeed so lucky to have these!!
I bet that the Morning glories are Lovely on the horse! Perhaps, you could add more morning glories to it, to fill it in?
You could always do a test on one, using a light amount of concrete, and see how it does turn out.
I was also going to mention to you that one of them might look really nice covered. By this I was thinking about using thin muslin cut into small strips, and using a heavy amount of glue placing the strips all over the figure. After this has dried, you could add paint.
It would not be water proof, and you would have to use a heavy duty clear coat.
What about taking one of them to say Ace Hardware or Home Depot, and see what those Folks recommend, as they might know of something else that would work better, for outdoor usage?
No matter what you are so Lucky to have them!!! I hope that this helps you!!
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