The Stonework Begins...Monday, May 3rd

A busy afternoon at the Grotto. Chris ( the owner of Decorative Concrete Supply) was there with a full crew. When I got there I finally got to see exactly how this is done. The picture below is a stamp that is used to create the stone look. I didn't touch it, but I think it is rubber. A thought just came to me, this is kind of like the rubber stamping that I do on different art projects...only on a much larger scale.
Here is how they do it. A mixture of a couple of things including concrete has to be just the right consistency to stay on the wall. They take a snowball size clump of this mixture and toss it on the wall. Enlarge the picture to see the clumps. This is the base for the stamping which happens next. The big rubber stamp is pressed onto the mixture on the wall.

Here you can see about how much they finished today. Everything has to be covered to keep from getting this mixture on the pavers. They clean as they go...trying to keep the area tidy..

Here you see how it will look after some hand work on the individual stones. Remember each stone will be colored individually. That is the last process. In places where the stone wraps around the corner...it is done by hand. This is where the craftsman with his artistic touch comes in. Doesn't it look like real stone now? Just beautiful!

People walking by and driving by craning their necks or going around the block again to get another look at this process. It is attracting a lot of attention. People have asked Joe..."What is a Grotto?" He explains that it is a place to meditate, pray...a holy place on our Church grounds.

I learned a lot today. I know that I haven't described these steps the way that Chris would. He has all the technical terms and know how. I am simply telling the story as I see it.

Balisha