Painting, wood finishes and arts and crafts studio. We aim to provide a superior painting service to clients and wood finishes which allow a new life for discarded furniture. Mosaic and other crafts provide a refreshing look at discarded materials.BUSINESS ACTIVITIES & OBJECTIVES
MISSION STATEMENT
The biggest influence in my work is colour and texture – my years travelling, especially in the Middle East and Europe have stayed with me and play a major role in my work. In the construction industry I see so much texture – metals, ceramics, wood, concrete etc – but also so much waste and too much going to landfill! Since my teenage years I've had a passion for making things from discarded materials. I see a new life in interesting blank forms. I progressed through many crafts including decoupage, paper mache, wood finishing, patchwork quilting – always giving new life to old materials. Furniture restoration and mosaics have developed from these beginnings and continue to be my passions.interior painting, creative wood finishes, mosaic
Inspiration from Hacienda Mosaica, Mexico
Heather Vollans
DAWNING DECOR STUDIO
833 Highway 52 RR2, Lynden, Ontario, Canada L0R 1T0
studio 905 667 4271
Photography and design by Jerry Vajsar
Project: Mosaic Wall
Size: 7 ft high x 20 ft long
Construction: We anchored 5 cedar posts, 4' in the ground with concrete. Reinforcing bar was then placed horizontally and diagonally between posts and rods secured with galvanised wire. Over that we wired 2 layers of metal mesh and covered this with a concrete parging mix. After drying the concrete was ready for mosaic and grouting. This is a double sided wall :the reverse will be completed Summer 2009 using salvaged metal and glass. Check workshops page for class dates which teach this process.
Description: This project was 2 years in the planning and building. I wanted a wall which would say something about why I mosaic. It had to survive the Canadian winters, so I spent a long time experimenting with different concrete mixes, grouts, pigments and chards to see what would survive - ceramics had to be vitreous and concrete mixes could not fall apart and crumble in the harsh conditions. All the pieces used are either natural, vitreous ceramic or stone. Everything is either salvaged from building sites or collected from nature.
The subject is about mans connection with his surroundings - represented by rivers, mountains, animals, birds and trees. And it represents 21st century man's dilemma : reversing the damage done. Mankind is represented by the white ceramic running through the wall, with added driftwood, and the "tail" at the end is where we are now - going backwards.
The wall is why I mosaic - it's just one small thing I can do to save things from landfill. Hopefully I will inspire others to do their own small bit too.
