Taking the Good with the Bad
I am extremely proud of the outcome of my green space, hope you have enjoyed reading about how I conceptualised my initial ideas (see https://www.redbrickartspace.co.za/post/conceptualising-a-green-space) I will post a series of detailed blogs and videos that will focus on individual projects like the Mosaic Table, Living Wall and Potting Table etc. So watch this space!!!
I started this project in 2019 and my goal was to recycle items to keep costs down and encourage others to see the value of throw-away items. It’s been quite a journey of learning and many fails, but totally worth it in the end. What ‘Big Reveals’ don’t show you are all the mistakes encountered during the execution and how the space is maintained months later. In many cases what looks aesthetically amazing doesn’t always prove to be practical to live with. One such example was the stenciled floor, I followed all the rules and bought good products but after a few of Johannesburg's heavy rains, the paint started to peel off. I attempted a few fixes but eventually relented to a ‘distressed floor’ similar to the one’s I saw in Paris. My reconnaissance mission revealed some possible mistakes like, not sanding the tiles down enough before applying the primer and using a water-based sealer (although it was for outdoor). It could also just be that the area gets far too much rain water which sits on the surface and penetrates the paint. I’ve learnt to love the ‘distressed’ look and think it ads character to the space.
So in the tradition of the 'Before & After' have a look at some pics below.
Going Green
I'm sure most of us have an 'ugly' space just waiting to be transformed into something more viridescent, so take that next step. As an artist I have always been drawn to nature, animals and trees for inspiration, but I never knew how therapeutic working with soil and plants could be. The plant forms, colours, growth patterns and even choosing pots can all be quite a creative and tactile process. Creating this lovely space for bonsai, potting up, dead-heading and just enjoying a morning cuppa while checking on my Peperomioides has benefitted my mood immensely. I never saw myself as a 'potty old plant lady' but the good news is that the 'Green revolution' is being led by a world-wide community of young people, particularly millennials. I applaud them and hope this trend spreads for years to come, so hopefully we will get more out of the act of growing things and less from the act of uploading our selfies to Instagram. I preach this as I publish this blog you may smirk, technology is not bad, just our obsession with it. So get outside and find your Green space!
