Carl Sanburg Elementary "All School Cob" Project

Look at all the beautiful colors!

Alli and Uncle Tony discuss the finer points of mud!

Mr. Francis' class are cobbin away!

Alli and Emma get right to it!

soon enough the kids will get to enjoy the new bench

click to view gallery

With a grant from the Jaeneke Foundation, the 1st through 3rd grade students at Carl Sanburg Elementary School and I are doing a cob installation. We will work together with teachers, community members, and school family volunteers to create beautiful natural building art on the school grounds!

For me, this is a homecoming of sorts. I grew up in Charleston, IL, in fact, several of my teachers and parents of my friends, still teach at the school. Coming home to share a little piece of me is quite exciting! I have invited my brothers to help, Pat is coming from Seattle, WA, Nick, up from SIU, and Tim and his family are in town, together with friends and family, we have had a cob stompin good time with the students.


We had a very successful week of work with the students! Over 600 students and a wonderful mix of community volunteers made the project a wonderful experience for everyone! Check out the Times Courier write-up about the project

Marx Backyard Cob Project

"kid cobbin"
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Christina and I were invited to Nashville, TN, this summer to build a cob building in the Marx Families backyard. We spent 18 days with the family while we built the structure and we left with lots of new friends and a nice place to stay when we visit Nashville! We still have some work to do to complete the project, including the plaster work and we could use a good photo of the "planted" roof and bench that now sits in the porch area. I look forward to sharing the finished piece. :)

Buy's Family Compound "Sea Creature" Project

"save the cobbers"
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The Buy's Family invited Meka and I to build a earthen oven in there yard. However, there yard is not just any yard, it is the neighborhood swimming hole and summertime hang-out. Now, with the help of Stephen, Zach, Rachel and Kate, it is the "Summer Nights Pizza and Brew"! We made an already fun spot, a fun spot with pizza and beer!

Asheville GO Community Cob Project

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Asheville GO invited me to build a earthen oven to kick off the first season of the program. Together, with the 10 participants, we built a "community oven" for the Burton Street Peace Garden in West Asheville. The goal of the project was to introduce natural building techniques, as well as providing a neighborhood community space, and of course, eat pizza! The experience has been great for me, i only hope the participants got as much out of the project as i did!

Check out our picture in the Mountain Express newspaper!

Isaac Dickson Earthen Oven Project

"snakes, tongues, eyes, that's what we wanted"!

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Isaac Dickson Elementary choose Meka and I for their "Artists in Residence" Program this past spring to build an retained heat earthen oven with the k-2 students. so, thats what we did, all 220 students helped us build this oven, along with the bench, and rainwater catchment system in the schools community garden in Asheville. We collaborated with the Ashevillage Building Convergence, Living Roof Inc, A-B Tech Carpentry 101 class, as well as some very dedicated parent and community members. Thanks to everyone, this project was a huge success and a beginning of some fun stuff to come!

Check out our story in the Mountain Express!

Vance Elementary School "Cob Castle" Project

"Benji likes it"

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Vance Elementary School Peace Garden has a lot going for it these days. It has a new look for "Leo the Lion", a production garden which feeds the students at snack time, as well as raising money at the local farmers market, and now it has a new garden shed! Actually, its more like a "garden castle", if you ask me. I have been working with the school community over the last few months to complete the building which will be used to support the educational activities in the garden throughout the year. This has been a true community project. Hundreds of volunteers have worked on the project, from ABC's Ashevillage in Action Day, A-B Tech Carpentry 101 class, Asheville GO, Living Roof Inc, UNCA ACT participants, Warren Wilson students, curious neighbors, local community members, friends, and family from near and far all have helped make this project a success! Thanks! stay tuned for new photos, there is always something new being done to the garden!

A new line of clothing?

Asheville GO participants get there cob on!

Roof is coming, copula is next

Every class at Vance completed a mural for the porch roof

She is finished!!

i am now mud hugger!

here we go ya'll, my first post on the "i am mud hugger"! ...and this pretty much sums it up!

hope. intention. trust.