The idea for this project has been swirling in my head for months… to sculpt a relief mural of a tropical jungle scene and then cast it in concrete, literally creating a "concrete jungle." I love the play on words and I also love the idea of bringing a piece of the wild jungle into a "civilized" setting.
I’ve been very curious about the new vertical concrete mixes that are now available, and I thought this would be a great way to experiment with them. Vertical concrete is a lightweight concrete mix that bonds with most surfaces. It can be sculpted, carved or textured.
Once the idea took form in my mind, I did a little research to see which jungle creatures I wanted to portray in this scene. I came up with a few favorites and from there made a couple of rough compositional sketches. I then took my favorite composition to the drawing board and drew a life-sized sketch. I'll probably change a few things once I start sculpting and the relief begins to evolve, but this sketch will serve as the point of departure I need right now.
The wall is approximately 7.5’ by 8’ and the relief itself is around 5’ x 4’. The frame area around the relief will be texturized to look like tree bark or stone, I'm not sure which just yet..
I plan to cover every step of my process in future blogs, so check in often and let the fun begin!
Here are a few pictures of the sketch...
