Almeida said she loves working with Robillard because they know each other well and trust each other. That trust allows her free reign to try new things and be spontaneous in her work. Robillard agrees.
"We stay in touch and collaborate constantly, so we have gained a trust for each other," he said. "Sometimes we know what the other is thinking about a project without even having to say it. I do think it's a unique relationship - kind of rare."
Almeida continues to take workshops to learn more about concrete. A Buddy Rhodes workshop she attended at Braxton-Bragg helped her learn how to pour concrete. She uses waterbased and mineral-based acids and pigments to create different colors and whatever tools she can get her hands on to carve designs into the still-damp concrete - wooden sticks, stamps, plastic bags, tissue paper, paintbrushes. For many years she used her drill to mix the concrete, but recently she acquired a Flex small batch mixer from Braxton-Bragg, which has made that part of the job much easier.
Almeida's only advertising is by word of mouth, Facebook, and a web site for her business, called A New Hue, which a friend helped her create two years ago ( www.anewhue.net ). Yet she stays busy working, leaving time to travel back to Argentina at least once a year to visit family.
"I am working and I am busy, so I am blessed. I love concrete; it is so beautiful to work with. I'm always trying something new."
Eugenia Almeida will be a featured artist at the 2011 World of Concrete show next spring in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Below: Tinted concrete and Venetian plaster were used to create a rain forest motif which spreads across the walls, floor and ceiling of a walk-in steam shower. Built-in benches and glass walls wrap around two sides of this custom-designed, walk-in shower.
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