Cob: Cob in colors

[Amanda Peck]

You could try berry juice and lime.  My guess is that strange and possibly 
disappearing colors would result. But if you tried a small sample, you could 
tell us what happened.  Then we'd know for sure.

There is an African women's tradition of painting houses--my recollection is 
in various earth, clay, mineral and possibly charcoal colors.  Here's a link 
with a couple of pictures.  I think there's another book focusing more on 
women's work as the artists in this tradition, but I haven't turned it up 
tonight, it might be out of print.  The book mentioned looks to be lovely if 
expensive, interlibrary loan may be the way to go.  But the 
greenhomebuilding site is a treasure, not just for this page.

http://www.greenhomebuilding.com/africa.htm

Here's the back cover of the book at the top of that page.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0967984602/qid%3D1061864035/sr%3D11-1/ref%3Dsr%5F11%5F1/103-6977152-4198211

Kiko Denzer's book Build Your Own Earth Oven will give you some more ideas 
about what can be done with cob.  It's much less expensive, and you might be 
able to justify the purchase.  It too is available from the big on-line 
bookstores.  My copy came from a local bookstore.  But another site that you 
all should be aware of is Charmaine Taylor's--she does carry this book.  
There's also an associated papercrete site that is NOT all papercrete, lots 
of lime links, for instance:

www.dirtcheapbuilder.com

..............

I have a question- my sister (16) is really into cob and since im 13 and my 
parents like the idea we are gonna build our house out of it (we just moved 
to WA).  Im getting into it too now and im a very artistic person and i was 
wondering if there was other ways to get natural colored paint than by using 
lime (which is the only way my sister knows).  I was wondering if mixing 
blackberry or huckelberry or other berry juices with the plaster would make 
pastel colors.
thanks,
Patti

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