I mentioned in my post on January 19th “Pamela the Pachycephalosaurus gets a Makeover”, I am creating a special base using burlap bags filled with sand and then covering them with concrete to give the appearance of stone. My first attempt at making this type of base is for a full size Prehistoric Animal. The base is 6 feet wide by 10 feet long!
First, I used yard paint to mark off the area. Then I began filling burlap bags with sand and laying them within the marked area. I have a 5 foot diameter by 30 foot long pipe that runs behind my bridge to increase water flow in the barranca during major storms. Unfortunately, when the water level starts dropping sand deposits are left behind in the pipe. They often fill it to the half way mark. So, this project provides some multi-tasking. I clean out the pipe and have plenty of sand for the burlap bags. I made a second layer to increase the height. Water flows through this area during heavy rains.
I purchased the concrete and sand for mixing along with a wheel barrel from Home Depot. Since I don’t have a pickup truck. It’s great to be able to rent one from Home Depot. They load my order too! My platform truck that I purchased from www.Uline.com is the perfect height for unloading the Home Depot truck. I left the 90 lb. concrete bags on the platform truck to save me from lifting them off the ground. Another advantage of this 21 inch high truck is with the wheel barrel parked next to it, you can easily empty the concrete into the wheel barrel. I used heavy duty rubber gloves to mix the concrete by hand. You may find other tools at your Home Improvement Store to make this task less work for you. A 5 gallon bucket allows you to add water to achieve the texture you want.
Note: I purchased sand to mix with the concrete vs. using what I clean out of my pipe in the barranca to ensure a high quality for the finished product.
I wanted a mixture that I could shape. Therefore, I did not use any gravel with the mixture. As I make more of these types of bases, I will get a better feel for the concrete to sand ratios to obtain the texture I want. I used some branches from downed trees as forms to help provide a more natural look.
The Prehistoric Animal that will find a home on this base will be a quadruped. It will also be a full-size adult. That’s all the clues you get for now. Stay tuned for how I paint the base. Also, I’m practicing my cross-contour drawing to get a better 3D design for the additional spikes I painted on Pamela’s neck, back and tail. More Adventures at the Natural History Museum in Los Angeles to report, as well.
“Encouraging the Appreciation of Art and Education through the Inspiration of Dinosaurs”
Paul & Prehistoric Pals
Your feedback is appreciated, Thank you!