Cement Sculptures by Dionicio Rodriguez

Cement Sculptures by Dionicio Rodriguez. . , When the Civilian Conservation Corps worked at Petit Jean in the 1930s, Dionicio Rodríguez, a Mexican-born artist, sculpted this small bridge above a goldfish pond in a flower garden. He also sculpted a flower basket that is in rubble on the north side of the CCC hike/bike trail., Through time, Petit Jean has been a place of opportunity. The development of Rodríguez's cement- sculpted bridge was an opportunity for Rodríguez to leave his legacy here, and for the CCC to have an aesthetic, landscaped area to relax near their barracks, the ball field and camp buildings while they worked here at Petit Jean., This "split-log" bridge was sculpted from cement in the faux bios (imitation wood) and trabajo rústico (rustic work) style. Rodríguez used rods, mesh screen, and rubble as underpinnings, then applied a surface coat of concrete. He created the natural shape and texture using a variety of tools including forks, spoons, and his hands., He also used a secret coloring agent mixed in a tent or the trunk of his car, slamming the lid if anyone came near. Once the color was mixed, he removed the labels and smashed the bottles., Rodriguez worked in eight states over 20 years creating sculptures that imitated natural forms and textures of trees and rocks. Most of his work was for parks, gardens and cemeteries. His largest and most famous Arkansas work can be seen in the bridges and railings of The Old Mill in North Little Rock., Caption: , The Old Mill Dionicio Rodriguez's Old Mill, located at the T. R. Pugh Memorial Park in North Little Rock, Arkansas, appeared in the opening scenes of the 1939 movie "Gone with the Wind."