Past Workshops, 2012 to June 2015

Over the years, we have organized, taught and/or assisted in teaching formal workshops as well as many open houses, work parties, and informal workshops.  Here are descriptions and photos of some of them. For additional details about materials, techniques, and designs, click into the slide shows to enlarge images and read captions.

Earthen Oven, LaGrande, Oregon

Weekend workshop to build a family earthen oven. On-site sticky black soil used throughout, including as mortar for brick and rubble infill base. Standard dome oven with  no chimney, door handle of antler back drilled and copper wired to the wooden door, clay-straw “outsulation”, earthen plaster with spirals of imbedded native copper collected on a family vacation in Alaska. Taught by Shawn and Melissa Rae King. 

Natural Plasters and Paints, LaGrande, Oregon

Weekend workshop, including a side project to add thermal mass as cob around a conventional cast iron wood stove. On-site sticky black soil used to make a plaster over sheetrock first treated with a clay soil slip-sand adhesion coat. Included use of Melissa’s non-toxic “joint compound” mix to fill sheetrock joints. Pigmented lime-casein paints for some brightening color on sheetrock. Taught by Shawn and Melissa Rae King. 

Earthen Oven, Round Valley Reservation, Covelo, California

Weekend workshop. Earthen wood-fired oven supported on a masonry base, acorn shape and color mimicked using strongly colored local clays and sand. Straw-clay insulation layer and basic earthen plaster, abalone for decoration, local stone included in the base. Taught by Shawn and Melissa Rae King. 

Garden Wall and Earthen Plasters Workshops, Golden Rocks Permaculture Farm, Clear Lake area of California

4-Day Workshop for the wall, one day workshop later conducted for the plaster. Drained rubble trench foundation and stem wall made with on-site natural volcanic rocks, broad base strongly tapered upward and curved. Open-lattice wood branch framework akin to waddle and dob to accelerate building process, experimental raised roof to allow cross winds to pass between the top of the wall and the broad eave roofing material supported in part by manzanita branches harvested on site. Embedded decorative rock and cob-framed manzanita wood. One-day plaster workshop included material processing, mixing and application of a basic earthen plaster to a cob wall and imbedding decorative rock within the plaster. Both workshops taught by Shawn and Melissa Rae King. 

Natural Plasters and Paints, Sacramento, California

Weekend workshop including material processing, mixing and application of a basic earthen plaster to an exterior stucco wall, lime-stabilized earthen plaster to the exterior of a cob house, mixing and applying adhesion coat to sheetrock, and mixing and applying pigmented lime-casein and clay alis paints. Taught by Shawn and Melissa Rae King. Only a few photographs taken. 

Natural Plasters and Paints, Talent, Oregon

Weekend workshop including material processing, mixing and application of a lime-stabilized earthen plaster to the exterior of a cob house, mixing and applying adhesion coat to sheetrock, and mixing and applying pigmented lime-casein and clay alis paints. Taught by Shawn and Melissa Rae King. Rainy workshop, just a few photographs taken during the workshop. 

Complete Cob 9-day Course, Bandon, Oregon (with Cob Cottage Company)

Two tiny cob and bale-cob cottages with a single common ridge beam uniting their roofs to define a small courtyard between. Designed by Ianto Evans, course led by Ianto and Allie Maggio with assistance from Shawn and Melissa Rae King. Salvaged concrete (“urbanite”) stem wall, natural edge slab door frames with free-form cob arches over the door opening, salvaged windows and incorporated decorative bottle glass.  Buildings rose from ground level to roof height within the time period of the workshop. 

Complete Cob 9-day Course, Golden Rocks Permaculture Farm

An ambitious 200 sq. foot “shoe house” cob and bale-cob with two entrances, a loft, and a planned staircase.  Designed by Brenda Quintero in consultation with Shawn Rae King and Jammie Manza. Taught by Shawn Rae King, Clay Bustin, and Jammie Manza. Natural stone and rubble foundation and stem wall using volcanic rock from the site, with original mossy face oriented outward to preserve moss communities on larger stones.  Multiple colors and consistencies of relatively clay-rich soils from the site. Round wood pine and decorative manzanita from the site or adjacent properties. Main room of the building built to loft height within the time period of the workshop. Minimal photography. 

Complete Cob, “at the source” in Cobville, Cob Cottage Company

‘Frog House’ cob building begun in a previous workshop, built to 9-foot interior height for the ridge beam, with beam and initial rafter set installed by participants during the workshop. Signature east-facing window with curved lintel, door opening with an adobe brick arch. House designed by Ianto Evans. Course taught by Ianto Evans and Shawn Rae King. Virtually no photography during the workshop.