COLORMAKER

the many faces of Concrete dyes.....

2010-11-24T16:51:00.000-08:00

DESO CONCRETE DYE concentrates

These concrete dyes come in a 160ml bottle all you need to do is add 2 gallons of either water or acetone thinners then apply with a airless sprayer.

Remember Acetone is water soluble ....

Applied with garden airless pump-up sprayer.....
back wiped till dry with a micro fibre applicator or lint free mop.
The Sgraffino micro topping here shows two dye colors with subtle color shifts.

Deso concrete dyes come in a concentrated form... in this case they were diluted 1: 50 parts water.
Installer must allow surface to dry before sealing

Very little air contamination...just about nil.

The entertaining Mike Miller applying concrete dye with a garden sprayer... the dye was blended with a solution of 1 part acetone and 2 parts water, this allows better color penetration with out wetting the surface as much.
No back wiping, as the material dries too fast and leaves applicator marks.

This allows the installer to seal earlier as less water is used.

Acetone as the complete diluting solution would not be used... the store is stocked with food and this would contaminate the air system, thus affecting the produce.

Mikes finished install :
the old concrete base was resurfaced with Sgraffino cement micro topping then the graphics and field areas were colored with Deso dyes.

Concrete dyes wet on wet....a favourite of mine. Layers of dyes are sprayed one after another .. before they dry .

The interaction between colors create a beauty of its own.

Dilute concrete dyes with water ...No acetone

A Sgraffino micro topping base then Concrete Dyed.

The dye diluted with solvent to give a richer vibrant result.
In this application one bottle of concrete Deso dye with 1 gallon of acetone.

patina stain on vertical sufaces

2010-11-11T20:44:00.000-08:00

Also know as concrete acid stain or concrete chemical stain.

Patinaetch creates natural earthy warm tones with movement the perfect backdrop for the rose garden.

crazing concrete takes on patina further enhancing the coloration.

The vertical render must have a cement base for the patina to work, as the metals salts react with with the free lime in the cement to produce the natural chemical coloration.

Many of the vertical stucco mixes these day have no cement in their formulation, just polymer.

color depth created showing the layers of patina.

always start from the bottom and work your way up the vertical face

rustic patina
perfectly framed by natural climbing ivy.

How to install a new surface over tile.

2010-11-10T17:48:00.000-08:00

Ready for a face lift

After the removal of unwanted walls, trenches are fill with a quick setting non-shrinking grout.

Priming:
Complete the prep. with Prime T/W, developed for resurfacing over tile or wood. During priming process a coarse sand is cast onto the surface to give a mechanical bond also for the Level 1 ..see below.

Note: the Coarse Surface

Now the surface is ready for another light prime to reactivate, and made ready for the self-level application.

Installing the Level 1

Paul Taylor AKA Beton on the screed rake

Use self-level rack set at 1/4 inch to cover the existing tile

.... Smoother

Complete the installation of the Level 1 with a smoother ,this will eliminate rack marks and leave a very smooth surface

This surface is meant only to give us a smooth base...not a finished surface

The floor will now dry for 5 days, then have an off-white Terrazzi finish applied to complete the installation .

Sgraffino finish on 12000 sq ft. DDC Domus Design Collection New York

2010-11-08T21:02:00.000-08:00

Sensory Fusion

On my last trip to New York I finally got a chance to photograph the new DDC / Minotti showroom.

This project was completed by Hudson Concrete in New York, Paul Uneck had to brought me in as a consultant to assist in the installation.

The DDC project was a real testimonial to Paul's commitment, with a lot of hard work and an eye for detail to complete this extremely difficult job.

Two layers of Colormaker Sgraffino Fine were used to obtain the final finish. I could not imagine any other floor that would work so well with this exquisite furniture.

You feel as though you are in an Art gallery

Address:
136 Madison Avenue at 31 Street.

Any time two or more things combine to affect one of the senses, its a sensory fusion.

Proud to announce a new concretist associate... SEREN

2010-10-30T19:20:00.000-07:00

I just had to see for myself. Was the information coming down from Cortes Island about a new concretist prodigy true.

It was true, Seren was sampling as every concretist should... before starting on her father's home nestled amongst the woods .

Using Sgraffino over the local ferns to create a natural imprint.

Just like every thing else in this magical place, they had their own peacocks with babies and all. Plenty off discarded feathers, just the perfect stencil resist for our concrete patina stains.
We planned to put the stain on in three coats.

1 PART STAIN TO 25 PARTS WATER
1PART STAIN TO 10 PARTS WATER
1 PART STAIN TO 5 PARTS WATER

From the past, "the experience with Mike"

2010-10-30T14:05:00.000-07:00

Mike on a fractal mission.
the 4"circles were core drilled and fill with epoxy and glass.
Leading out to those cored holes Sgraffino cement was applied with a catchup bottle and latter polished with a diamond pad polisher leaving enough to create an interesting texture

Kelly's fine touch with Sgraffino

Sgraffino and concrete dye come to Cleveland.

Certainly brightens up the customers daily shopping.

Martin and kelly completing an exacting task, layer upon layer of Sgraffino, eventuall ythe centre blocked out vein was fill with a clear epoxy.

fun

Salt Spring Island-a natural flood of color

2010-10-27T07:02:00.000-07:00

the process:

Two layers of Sgraffino Fine concrete micro topping to provide a smooth white base.
The wating time between the layer will vary due to air movement and temperature .... this install we waited 4 hrs. with the assistance of a small fan.

Lightly sand between layers

Graphic lay out:

Tom used a 3/4 conduit hose to create the curves while using small pieces of masking tape to register the line.
these where our guides for our graphic shapes which we would later place resist on.

the excitement builds....
Placing the saw dust resists following our original layout

these included the fractal spirals and long arcs that visually tied the outside concrete patios expansion lines to this interior space .

Spraying primary colors only

Built up by adding colors wet on wet ... wet on dry. Laying down Deso dye wet on dry produces vivid colors with strong edges.Where as wet on wet produces a color blend, with edges that are softer and less predictable.

Beautiful color transitions
the concrete dyes are left to react with each other, than the excess is wash off...allowed to dry...then sealed.

Wet on wet is not totally predictable technique...it is a good idea to do practise studies to understand this process and its final results.

Vancouver Bjorn Olners Art Show

2010-10-27T06:34:00.000-07:00

Bjorn has a magical touch ,turning Sgraffino and Aqua color into beautiful organic pieces of art.

A large crowd turned out for the opening of Room 8 and Bjorns Art Show

2009-03-25T20:26:00.000-07:00

COLORMAKER with LES TROIS MATONS

Present "a Wild Workshop with a twist"

our French guest Boris Michalek , Sophie Cazaux and Gary Jones

Boris Michalik will be travelling from the South of France to teach the ancient techniques of decorative plastering as it was handed to him by the master artisans of Milan and Venice. Italy's Stuccatore maestro's closely guard their techniques, so this is a rare offering indeed.

ON THE ... 18th :19th : 20th APRIL

Its the adventurers who accomplish great things.

Using ancient lime finishes and natural pigments and our exclusive line of cement finishes.
An absolutely fantastic opportunity to learn about the zero VOC, earth friendly, GORGEOUS finishes that can only be achieved through authentic lime based plasters. I wouldn't miss it for the world! Contemporary finishes with 1000 years of tradition.

Why would Colormaker explore the possibilities of working with a French artisan lime based company called Les Trois Matons?

The answers is hidden in the use of ancient natural materials and the mastering of those artisan techniques.

Certain areas of the world present us with earths that are sieved, ground or crushed to result in both mellow and vibrant colors -the oches ,siennas and umbers of the pigment world, this is what excites Colormaker.....the translucency of natural pigments. Les Trois Matons just happens to be one of the best sources in the world for these pigments .

Now add to that an amazing line of natural historic Lime plasters and washes ....What could be possible when used in combination with Colormakers extensive line of Cementitious floor finishes .

Come and explore these possibilities with a chosen few.

Many of the lime finishes-can be used to create an illusion of boldness and grandeur. Even the smallest space can look opulent given a marble finish.

Can you afford to miss this opportunity?

You are invited to take two different classes in three days, taught by two absolute masters for the very cost-effective price of $599.   You will learn artistic concrete applications including our new Rapido system as well as Lime Plaster Trowel application techniques.
  There are only a few spots left. If you miss this workshop, the next class will be offered at Les Trois Matons in the South of France this summer.

Enroll now .....18th :19th :20th April 2009

Call our office 1 888 875 9425

1 604 244 3122

Sgraffino cement a creative material

2009-02-10T20:48:00.000-08:00

Graphics to hide the unexpected in a Seattle Sea Food Restaurant

2009-02-08T20:10:00.000-08:00

The stamped stairs were poorly stained and heavily sealed, now turned into natural looking stone with Colormakers Arapido resurfacer.

2009-02-07T15:09:00.000-08:00

The bleach out look on the stairs is the result of excessive chemical stain being applied and not cleaning /neutralizing the surface before applying the solvent seal.

It is always best when spraying patina stains on verticals surfaces start from the bottom and work your way to the top, this eliminates the run marks on the surface below your spray area.

Also when applying on vertical surfaces spray less and do multiple layers using a spray scrub spray technique.

The stamp pattern in some areas was not completed, now these lines are ground in by hand with a 4"diamond crack chaser to simulate the grout lines.

It is a good time also to grind off the unwanted concrete squeezed up between the stamps during the stamping installation process.

A sealer stripper is applied with a roller and brush
to remove the acrylic sealer.

The surface is then power washed to remove the old sealer and salt residues left over from the original staining process .

Once dry, a coat of CP 1000 acrylic primer is applied and allow to dry overnight.
A second coat of Cp1000 is lightly applied prior to installing the Arapido the next morning.

The surrounding areas are masked off

to protect from over spray.

The process involves spraying on two coats of Arapido cement ,

this ultra fine cementitious resurfacer is designed

to be applied with a diapham sprayer using a 625 tip.

Very little of the existing stamped texture is lost with this process.

During the spraying process a hand broadcast of colored silica
creates a multi tone affect and acts as a nonslip agent.

The next day an Aqua Color wash is applied
to further enhance the surface,
giving it greater color depth.

Finally a coat of penetrating sealer provides the minimum protection from the elements

The customer in this case was looking for a natural stone finish.
A coat of Colormakers Acrylic Texture Seal would have given a gloss
resulting with darker and deeper colors.
At the same time it would provide better surface protection against staining.

Whole Foods Duluth Project : 1) a concretist design process by Mike

2009-01-27T18:50:00.001-08:00

Whole Foods Duluth Project : 2) the process.

2009-01-27T18:31:00.000-08:00

Whole Foods Duluth Project : 3) the completion ... Winner of Concrete Constructions Project of the Year 2006

2009-01-27T18:28:00.000-08:00

coming back soon

2009-01-27T17:12:00.000-08:00

turning a sows ear into a silk purse

2009-01-26T18:19:00.000-08:00

Well I thought it was time to show you another side of being a concretist.

"Getting dusty".

From our articles it looks as though we spend all our time,

coming up with new products / installation techniques
and working on cool designs / art.

Here is the other side of the coin ... this is one of those projects
that send shivers up your back on first inspection.
I don't know why, because these are the jobs
that make you look like a real hero in your clients eyes.

In this case it was for a friend of mine who had just bought a Condo
in Vancouver. She was anxious to do a renovation on it before moving in.
Check out the state of the floor ...massive amounts of spilt paint
and old dry wall mud, a testimony to the diligent workers of the 90's.
Numerous gouges and holes
( unwanted core holes plugged up with, what ever! )
with even more holes from the removal of the carpet strips.

The entire kitchen was covered in coarse tile thin set,
and in one place the plastic in-floor heating pipe was exposed.

The answer on these types of floors is Colormakers newly updated Pterra.
It made Tony and I look like true masters.
The new floor was in complete denial of its former self.
Now a pristine flawless smooth white plane appealing
in every aspect.

My thoughts upon leaving the project today were directed towards

the chemical stain process that would take place tomorrow.
Was it really warranted?
We looked as though we had perfection in hand.

What is a concretist?

2009-01-24T13:23:00.000-08:00

a concretist could be described as an explorer, both of things you will see in our work and things you can't see.
As explorers we make some fantastic discoveries, reaching at times what seem like discouraging dead ends.

This is certainly a natural part of the process, however these endeavour's will likely raise their head again in some other form ... this time with success.

inspiration for artistry in concrete at the WOC

2009-01-24T13:10:00.003-08:00

Minnie at work

It was on a trip Down under with me that Mike discovered the amazing work of the Australian Aboriginals ...

Minnie Pwerle

Born: c 1910 - 2006

Region: Central Desert

Community: Utopia

Language: Anmatyerre, Alyawarr

Minnie Pwerle was rated in the March 2003 issue of "Australian Art Collector" magazine as one of the 50 most collectable artists in Australia.

It was not until 1999 at approximately 80 + years of age, that Minnie began painting on canvas. Her first series of works painted at the Utopia Communities workshops were linear paintings, expressing a bold, free-flowing, enigmatic style that quickly drew the interest of critics and art lovers alike. The artists primary Dreamings include "Awelye-Atnwengerrp" (Women's Dreaming), "Bush Melon", and "Bush Melon Seed".

Mike's Presentation for the W.O.C Artistry in Concrete

2009-01-24T13:10:00.001-08:00

The Snake process with Sgraffino squeezed through small ketchup bottles.

2009-01-24T11:54:00.000-08:00

Mike and Kelley were inspired to create their piece at the W.O.C the year after his Australian trip. Applying Colormakers Sgraffino onto burlap to create the cement Serpents.

an unusual destination for Colormaker's Pterra by Emily at W.O.C Artistry in Concrete .

2009-01-24T00:15:00.000-08:00

A review of past Artistry in concrete at the WOC.

2009-01-22T21:21:00.001-08:00

With the 'World Of Concrete' rapidly approaching in February I thought it would be a good time to take a look at past years efforts by our group.

The graphic was designed and then laid out by Bjorn Ollner a very talented conceptual Designer living in Vancouver.

1. The layout was achieved with a chalk line, pencil and ruler.

2. I cut the design into the concrete with an electric hand grinder using a 4" continuous diamond blade to a 1/4 "deep to minimise color bleed .

3. Concrete was ground with 60 grit diamond pad

4. Concrete polished with 400 grit diamond pads

5. Concrete polished with 800 grit diamond pads

6. Coloration was achieved using Colormaker Deso Dyes concentrates which were diluted 1 bottle (160mls.) to 1 gallon of a 1:1 mixture of acetone and xylene and then applied over the polished concrete with a good quality fine brush.

7. The surface then was sealed with a lithium silicate

8. Final polish at 1600 grit diamond polishing pads

9. All saw cut joints were filled in using a non-sanded off white tile grout.

Normally with this polishing system the dyes would be applied by a sprayer. However by using a blend of diluting solvents which retarded the penetration and due to the very dense surface, I was able to apply the dye successfully with a fine brush.

This method required no masking thus speeding up the whole process.

When it comes to applying the Deso dyes over polished concrete when no small graphics are involved, I would recommend diluting the dyes with just acetone.

In the case of dying our overlays such as Sgraffino , I suggest a blend of water and acetone to get the best result.

the Whole Foods Sgraffino cement floor, how can it look so good 5 years later?

2009-01-18T19:02:00.000-08:00

Prior to Christmas, I was to have a meeting with a prospective client to discuss the possibilities of blending a micro cement resurfacing product for them.

Where to meet that was the question? He was flying up from L.A and was not familiar with the city.

Whole Foods in Bellevue came to mind, as we had completed the floor in that market about 5 years ago . What better place to discuss and prove the benefits of our materials than on a floor which should prove my case.

Now I had not seen it for a number of years although I felt confident. I had heard that an early issue regarding applying floor finish had been resolved, and now they had a maintainence program in place. Remember so many of our clients get caught up in the day to day running of their businesses and sometimes the floor can get neglected, but generally Whole Foods do take care.

The 'Concretist' had the flooring contract under Mike Miller leadership, as I remember we had a number of associates participating including Kelly Burnham and Martin Webb (his art work was featured in my last article) .I had come down from Vancouver having just completed a Wild Work shop and brought two of the students for extra training and experience.

It was a Miller piece, calling for extensive well planned art with broken glass inlays and heavily textured Sgraffino ,then numerous large areas of smooth Fine Sgraffino installed as overlapping plate layers. After completing the resurfacing, extensive areas where Patinaetch and Dyed using both positive and negative resists. The graphics were heavily based on natures golden section and fibonacci number sequences.
♠

Well I arrived 10 minutes early for the meeting and as I had thought ... here we are 5 years later and the Sgraffino cement floor looks superb.

After completing the meeting, I got permission to take photos to share with you ... my thoughts wandered on what makes something look better with age and wear? the same as a pair of alluring and sophisticated hand made Italian shoes.

My final conclusion came to ... a well perceived compilations of designs and thoughtful installations ... the right materials for the project ..... and having a floor maintenance program in place.

Check out Mike's and Kelley's web site

www.theconcretist.com

art using Colormaker ........a peep into Martin Webb's concrete world.

2009-01-18T13:46:00.000-08:00

Over the years I have seen numerous artist use our Colormaker products with great success, its exciting to see them pursue and develop their talents ............ yes cement as their canvas .

Here Martin explores the many possibilities using Sgraffino ( a cementitious overlay) placed on Hardi backer board, plus Colorfast, Deso dyes and Patinaetch for coloration.

After viewing his work you'll find numerous repeating symbols that have a strong appeal. I have a real affinity to his circles ,while my wife loves his human figures. As viewers you could miss seeing the meaning, but I'm sure you will feel the passion produced using concrete (Sgraffino).

He has truly been discovering the hidden potential for these materials using layering technique's with heavy texture to translucent veils of Sgraffino cement and is continuously expanding our concepts on what is possible.

Martin too is a Concretist associate, working with our group when time allows. For those whom Martin's work inspires, check out his web site ...

www.quicksandstudio.com

Murphys California stained vertical concrete and pool surroundings.

2009-01-08T20:06:00.000-08:00

the Dykstra project was completed as a workshop by Mike Miller 'the concretist' and his associates.

We welcome all enquiries regarding staging these Wild Workshops on site, in the past they have produced amazing results.

International enquiries welcome