  A gauge invariant Hamiltonian representation for SU(2) in terms of a spin
network basis is introduced. The vectors of the spin network basis are
independent and the electric part of the Hamiltonian is diagonal in this
representation. The corresponding path integral for SU(2) lattice gauge theory
is expressed as a sum over colored surfaces, i.e. only involving the $j_p$
attached to the lattice plaquettes. This surfaces may be interpreted as the
world sheets of the spin networks In 2+1 dimensions, this can be accomplished
by working in a lattice dual to a tetrahedral lattice constructed on a face
centered cubic Bravais lattice. On such a lattice, the integral of gauge
variables over boundaries or singular lines -- which now always bound three
coloured surfaces -- only contributes when four singular lines intersect at one
vertex and can be explicitly computed producing a 6-j or Racah symbol. We
performed a strong coupling expansion for the free energy. The convergence of
the series expansions is quite different from the series expansions which were
performed in ordinary cubic lattices. In the case of ordinary cubic lattices
the strong coupling expansions up to the considered truncation number of
plaquettes have the great majority of their coefficients positive, while in our
case we have almost equal number of contributions with both signs. Finally, it
is discused the connection in the naive coupling limit between this action and
that of the B-F topological field theory and also with the pure gravity action.
