Foundations of Earth Artistry Cob: A Community workshop
A Women-led Weekend at Wild Heart Farm
Taught by Antigone & Erin
Learn to feel the flow of water through the sacred landscape & develop a deeper awareness of the foundations for natural building during this planning and design workshop.
Cost: $245 for 3-day experience in natural building at a flower farm in the heart of the Verde Valley
Scholarships available for indigenous community members
Email wildheartfarmaz@gmail.com to apply
(Breakfast and lunch included)
Dates: November 3, 4, 5
What is Cob?
The first step to natural building is to pay attention to the land, and choose the appropriate structure for the land’s needs, taking into account wind, water, stones, and plants. This will be the focus of our November workshop. This workshop is part of a continuing skill-building series and in March we will be building at Wild Heart Farm with cob. Building with cob is a sacred ancient practice that uses the materials right under our feet. We use local clay soil, sand and straw to create incredibly durable & beautiful artistic structures. We mix the luscious red soil with the other elements, & while the elemental materials are still wet, we mold it by hand into the structure that we want, adding bottles, tiles, niches, arches, stones—anything our heart desires.
We smooth it out, then, we plaster it with a variety of colors of earthen pigments. We make it waterproof if it needs to be. And then we let it dry in the sun and the wind harden it into a strong, permanent structure with artful clay plasters.
Cob is perfect for garden walls, outdoor kitchens, composting toilet bathrooms, almost anything one can imagine! Cob is joyful as we create a community in the old way-working together, laughing together and eating together. The result is a beautiful work of art that is at home on the land and lifelong friends.
What to Expect
This is the first planning and design workshop for a series of cob projects and workshops we will be hosting at Wild Heart Farm. During our time we will conduct a site assessment, break ground and prep the foundation for a cob garden wall to protect our house from flooding. We will also vision and do prep work for an outdoor kitchen. In spring 2024, we will complete the cob garden wall and break ground on the outdoor kitchen. Tentative dates for these workshops are March 15-17 and March 22-24, 2024. The cost is the same $245 each, including breakfast and lunch), and helps us compensate our instructors for their time and expertise.
Spots for the 2024 workshops will be reserved first for to those who join us for the cob foundation workshop, and we will email you as soon as registration is open. Our goal is to build a community of cob creators in our region so we can help each other with our projects.
A Women-led Weekend at Wild Heart Farm
Taught by Antigone & Erin
Learn to feel the flow of water through the sacred landscape & develop a deeper awareness of the foundations for natural building during this planning and design workshop.
Cost: $245 for 3-day experience in natural building at a flower farm in the heart of the Verde Valley
Scholarships available for indigenous community members
Email wildheartfarmaz@gmail.com to apply
(Breakfast and lunch included)
Dates: November 3, 4, 5
What is Cob?
The first step to natural building is to pay attention to the land, and choose the appropriate structure for the land’s needs, taking into account wind, water, stones, and plants. This will be the focus of our November workshop. This workshop is part of a continuing skill-building series and in March we will be building at Wild Heart Farm with cob. Building with cob is a sacred ancient practice that uses the materials right under our feet. We use local clay soil, sand and straw to create incredibly durable & beautiful artistic structures. We mix the luscious red soil with the other elements, & while the elemental materials are still wet, we mold it by hand into the structure that we want, adding bottles, tiles, niches, arches, stones—anything our heart desires.
We smooth it out, then, we plaster it with a variety of colors of earthen pigments. We make it waterproof if it needs to be. And then we let it dry in the sun and the wind harden it into a strong, permanent structure with artful clay plasters.
Cob is perfect for garden walls, outdoor kitchens, composting toilet bathrooms, almost anything one can imagine! Cob is joyful as we create a community in the old way-working together, laughing together and eating together. The result is a beautiful work of art that is at home on the land and lifelong friends.
What to Expect
This is the first planning and design workshop for a series of cob projects and workshops we will be hosting at Wild Heart Farm. During our time we will conduct a site assessment, break ground and prep the foundation for a cob garden wall to protect our house from flooding. We will also vision and do prep work for an outdoor kitchen. In spring 2024, we will complete the cob garden wall and break ground on the outdoor kitchen. Tentative dates for these workshops are March 15-17 and March 22-24, 2024. The cost is the same $245 each, including breakfast and lunch), and helps us compensate our instructors for their time and expertise.
Spots for the 2024 workshops will be reserved first for to those who join us for the cob foundation workshop, and we will email you as soon as registration is open. Our goal is to build a community of cob creators in our region so we can help each other with our projects.
A Women-led Weekend at Wild Heart Farm
Taught by Antigone & Erin
Learn to feel the flow of water through the sacred landscape & develop a deeper awareness of the foundations for natural building during this planning and design workshop.
Cost: $245 for 3-day experience in natural building at a flower farm in the heart of the Verde Valley
Scholarships available for indigenous community members
Email wildheartfarmaz@gmail.com to apply
(Breakfast and lunch included)
Dates: November 3, 4, 5
What is Cob?
The first step to natural building is to pay attention to the land, and choose the appropriate structure for the land’s needs, taking into account wind, water, stones, and plants. This will be the focus of our November workshop. This workshop is part of a continuing skill-building series and in March we will be building at Wild Heart Farm with cob. Building with cob is a sacred ancient practice that uses the materials right under our feet. We use local clay soil, sand and straw to create incredibly durable & beautiful artistic structures. We mix the luscious red soil with the other elements, & while the elemental materials are still wet, we mold it by hand into the structure that we want, adding bottles, tiles, niches, arches, stones—anything our heart desires.
We smooth it out, then, we plaster it with a variety of colors of earthen pigments. We make it waterproof if it needs to be. And then we let it dry in the sun and the wind harden it into a strong, permanent structure with artful clay plasters.
Cob is perfect for garden walls, outdoor kitchens, composting toilet bathrooms, almost anything one can imagine! Cob is joyful as we create a community in the old way-working together, laughing together and eating together. The result is a beautiful work of art that is at home on the land and lifelong friends.
What to Expect
This is the first planning and design workshop for a series of cob projects and workshops we will be hosting at Wild Heart Farm. During our time we will conduct a site assessment, break ground and prep the foundation for a cob garden wall to protect our house from flooding. We will also vision and do prep work for an outdoor kitchen. In spring 2024, we will complete the cob garden wall and break ground on the outdoor kitchen. Tentative dates for these workshops are March 15-17 and March 22-24, 2024. The cost is the same $245 each, including breakfast and lunch), and helps us compensate our instructors for their time and expertise.
Spots for the 2024 workshops will be reserved first for to those who join us for the cob foundation workshop, and we will email you as soon as registration is open. Our goal is to build a community of cob creators in our region so we can help each other with our projects.
OVERVIEW—What to Expect
Join us for a cob design foundation workshop at Wild Heart Farm, a lush garden oasis in Rimrock, Arizona. During this workshop we will learn to read the landscape, plan and design a cob project. We will be outside for the entire weekend in a working farm atmosphere, eating, learning, and sharing this experience together.
Cost: $245.00 Includes workshop, breakfast and lunch. Lodging is not included in the cost.
Meals
The workshop cost includes all materials. Lunch on Friday, breakfast and lunch on Saturday and Sunday. All meals will be lovingly prepared with vegetarian, GF, DF options. Dinner will be on your own.
Lodging
You will be responsible to secure your own lodging as we are hoping to serve the local community, and spots will be reserved first for local residents. If you are coming from out of town, we suggest that you search for lodging options on AirBnb in Lake Montezuma/Rimrock, Camp Verde and Cornville so you can be within 20 minutes of the farm. There are also several camping options in nearby Coconino National Forest campgrounds by Beaver Creek.
We encourage you to stay as close as possible to minimize travel, as we will be engaged in long days at the farm.
Address: Wild Heart Farm 4035 N. Tonto Way, Rimrock, Arizona, 86335
WHAT TO BRING
• Dress in comfortable work clothing you don’t mind getting dirty. Dress in warm layers for cold mornings and potentially warm afternoons in the autumn sunshine.
• Hat
• Water bottle
• Journal and pen
• Your curiosity
LIABILITY
Please note, this retreat is taking place at a lovely farm that is also a private home, surrounded by nature (including wildlife). Your attendance depends on accepting the risks associated with outdoor space and wildlife. We ask that each participant signs our liability waiver.
WORKSHOP SCHEDULE
Cob earthen artistry
Itinerary subject to change!
FRIDAY, November 3
12 p.m. – Arrive at Wild Heart Farm and enjoy lunch together.
1 p.m. – Welcome, introductions, tour, grounding exercise
2 p.m. – Walking & sensing the landscape
3:30 p.m. – Art & snacks discovering & designing around water flow
5 p.m. – Circle discussion about flood mitigation, landscape and foundations
Return to your lodging for a restful night!
Making an offering to yarrow flowers
SATURDAY, November 4
7:45 a.m. – Arrive at Wild Heart Farm for optional body warm up and hot beverage
8:30 a.m. – Continental breakfast and coffee
9:30 a.m. – Stones, trenching, drains and designs
12 p.m. – Garden-inspired lunch & downtime and conversations
1:30 p.m. – Stemwall sculpting
4:30 p.m. – Conversations and discoveries
5:30 p.m. – Break for the day, return to lodging for evening wind down
SUNDAY
7:45 a.m. – Arrive at Wild Heart Farm for optional body warm up and hot beverage
8:30 a.m – Continental breakfast and coffee
9:30 a.m – Stemwall & stonework practice
12:00 p.m. – Garden-inspired lunch & rest, conversations & questions
2:30 p.m. – Finishing & clean up
3:30 p.m. Closing circle
MEET YOUR COB GUIDES
Antigone has been teaching workshops & classes for 35 years. She has been practicing natural alternative building intensely, studying with numerous instructors to gain a wide range of techniques and styles. Her passion is to create collaborative opportunities to encourage our natural urge to create structural art out of earth. She embarked on a personal research program while traveling Spain, Portugal & Greece; including study at Tamera, the renowned Global Sustainability Center in south Portugal. After returning to the states, she completed her Permaculture Design Certificate through OSU. Upon completion, she was hired as the Wellness & Permaculture Director of a 40-acre Retreat Center in Colorado where she developed miles of walking trails, a huge lavender garden, a Tree of Life stone Labyrinth, composting systems, & hosted retreats.
Currently, Antigone lives on 65-acre Intentional Community in Oregon that collaborates on sustainability projects. She teaches community earthen arts & uses elements of permaculture design as part of a larger worldwide movement to develop sustainable ways to create positive changes in our relationship with each other and the planet.
Erin is an earth based artist living in intentional community in Oregon, with other natural builders/artists. She recently finished a degree in Studio Arts with a painting focus at Linfield University. Her background is in small scale bio-diverse organic farming in Alaska. Before coming to Oregon she took a break to WWOOF on Kaua’i and learn other organic and permaculture practices. Her work strives to bridge the gaps between fine arts, natural building, and land tending. An important aspect of her work is to create tangible positive change in the world through hands-on acts of sustainable creativity, and to create a ripple effect of intentional acts of creation through building community. Her current work is in earth based painting, creating sustainable materials, small community based natural building projects, land tending, and organic farming. To her, these are activist practices, in the way that they ask us to slow down and be mindful of our connection to the world around us.
Erin (L) and Antigone (R) taking a break in the garden