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Ashley Althoff paints a second coat of moss paint on the Corner Taproom’s new outdoor hop mural.

Ashley Althoff paints a second coat of moss paint on the Corner Taproom’s new outdoor hop mural.

Corner Taproom’s new outdoor mural isn’t your typical work of art to spruce up a community, it’s an environmental clean-air machine made out of moss. This is according to Ashley Althoff, marketing director for Textile Brewery, owner of Ashley Althoff LLC and the mind and paint brush behind this new moss mural.

Althoff describes herself as a “social artist” doing marketing for various businesses in the local area, as well as health-guiding, environmentalism and “mix of everything in the local area that brings new, innovative and good things.” She first learned about moss painting three years ago while working with AmeriCorps under the gardening manager.

“I first heard about it as moss graffiti. There’s a funny thing called guerrilla gardening. It’s like guerrilla warfare because it’s sneaky. There’s a lot of people in the environmental world who believe we need more native plants, and plants in general, because we’re turning into a concrete jungle.”

After getting her hands on a recipe for the moss paint, Althoff got permission to try her first moss mural at Corner Taproom’s outdoor patio with a design based on the silhouette of a beer hop. The mural was created by hand-drawing the design on the brick wall with chalk and filling it in with a special mixture designed to nurture the moss and make it stick to the wall.

“It’s a mixture of moss and corn syrup, which makes it a sticky paint. I’m surprised how well that’s working. Sugar and buttermilk are live cultures to feed it, and I also put some beer in since there are live cultures in beer. It’s a cool mix and those probiotics in there are what feeds the moss.”

During the creation process, the moss must be misted daily to keep it damp, but is self-sustaining once it starts growing, going dormant in the winter and returning in the summer. Two weeks after the first coat, Althoff added a second coat and intends to add a third to finish it.

Althoff said the project was made more difficult by the summer heat and direct sunlight on the mural, as moss grows best in cool damp areas. If it doesn’t fully take root soon, she intends to try again during cooler weather. Another factor may also be the store-bought moss used in the paint, which Althoff said might not be live enough to take root. If redone, she intends to forage for fresh moss to ensure better results. Althoff is also pleased with the mixture’s use as an all-natural green paint, giving a “cool urban look” to Cascade which she said is sorely needed.

Althoff gave assurance that there is no risk of moss damaging the brick wall like other plants with stronger root systems might.

“Moss is a gentle thing. It barely has roots and that’s why it’s able to live on brick. It simply attaches to it and won’t dig in or do anything crazy. If anything it will protect the wall more because it will provide a blanket.”

If the moss mural proves successful, Althoff hopes to make creating them a niche of her business

“Whatever I do, I always want it to help the environment. If I’m letting out my creativity and putting art and design on a space and helping the environment, that’s awesome.”

For more information on Althoff’s work, contact her at ashleyalthoffllc@gmail.com.

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