After working for more than 20 years as a freelance writer, concern about global warming turned Vicki Mongan's creativity in a new direction. While working on a fountain for her backyard, Mongan became unexpectedly fascinated with concrete as an art medium. That interest led to her researching concrete and to learning that producing Portland cement, one of concrete's main ingredients, consumes significant energy and is a top ten greenhouse gas contributor.
After further research, Mongan developed a new lightweight concrete formula that replaces more than half the Portland cement typically used with ground granulated blast furnace slag from the steel industry, fly ash from coal generation, and other natural ingredients. Using slag and fly ash in the concrete has the additional benefit of keeping those residual byproducts out of our landfills. She calls her newly developed green building product EarthWorks Concrete(TM) and has spent a great deal of time exploring its uncommon properties, including its remarkable ability to capture fine details.
Another inspirational nudge led Mongan to incorporate some of her tiny EarthWorks concrete leaves into a few pieces of jewelry, which others saw and admired enough to encourage her to develop an entire jewelry line: Écologie.
Because her interest originated out of environmental concern, Mongan decided to use only vintage components, down to the tiniest connectors and clasps, and to include an element from an antique watch or clock into every jewelry piece. She hopes the subtle inclusion will serve as a reminder that time is running out for many plant and animal species who share our planet---and for the children who will inherit it.
Today, Vicki Mongan's backyard fountain remains unfinished, but she does have a line of one-of-a-kind jewelry, a line of custom concrete cabinet knobs, several artistic concrete pieces, and a patent in process for a better fountain-building system.
