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.
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.
