Proline Concrete Tools receives a lot of requests for custom stamps, but rarely do the patterns end up turning into a nationwide trend.
Back in early 1990s, the San Diego Zoo’s San Diego Wild Animal Park (now called the San Diego Zoo Safari Park) wanted to emulate cracked mud found in the Serengeti Desert.
“They were looking for a cracked mud, like what you would see in a dry watering hole,” says Tyler Irwin, sales manager for Proline. “They knew exactly what they were looking for.”
Both parties were pleased with the final outcome, and Proline added the Seamless Cracked Mud design to its line of seamless skins.
“We actually didn’t think it would be very popular,” Irwin says. “The uniqueness of it caught people’s attention. It’s one of our more popular skins now.”
The pattern has become a hit for both commercial and residential applications, which Irwin credits to the original design.
“It doesn’t look like anything else, even in our line,” he says.
The seamless skins are available in 3-foot by 3-foot, 4-foot by 4-foot, and 5-foot by 5-foot sizes. In addition to the standard mat, a more flexible version is available for texturing up against walls. Irwin also noted that this particular texture is an easy one to stamp, so it’s great for all skill levels.
For clients looking for the complete “cracked mud” treatment, Irwin suggests supplementing the texture with Proline’s EZ-Tique antiquing washes. “Generally people use a base coat of Espresso, and then hit it with Rock Gray and Walnut,” he says. “It makes for a very simple and inexpensive process.”
www.prolinestamps.com
