Testing the Caps

Well, after a long delay, I am ready to start working on the promised bottlecap mural!  You've been waiting, I know.  I have settled on a design and I will follow this post with another in a few weeks describing the process and a few preview images.  Here, I'm highlighting the bottlecap test process and showing the basics of how the mural will be installed.

Small tiles of caps were made in IL, then taken out to NM.  The process is the same as the one I've described in other mosaic posts, the only difference is that the caps have to be cleaned with alcohol, then sprayed with an acrylic sealer (to prevent rust and UV fading.)

The mural will be installed directly in the mud plaster on my back porch.  Mud will be slathered on (here, quite sloppily) and the caps pressed directly into the mud.  

The process of working with the mud moistens the glue holding the tulle in place.  After a few swipes, the tulle can be pulled off and the glue bits come off easily.  I will probably finish the mural with a darker clay wash to give the spaces between the caps a darker background

These caps were installed last fall and after a long sunny winter of direct sunlight exposure, I will assess how much (if any) fading has taken place.  The caps shown actually have a few different surface treatments, so I'll know which sealer works best.  The mural will be installed on a shady north wall, but I want it to last as long as possible.

Stay tuned for more!