A different approach to jelly making

My lack of jelly-making experience is showing: although the jelly set, it did not come out of the mould as a single form. 

When viewed from above, the different coloured layers were not visible.

It was only when the jelly was sliced into or viewed horizontally that the layers are apparent.

Determined to produce a complete jelly mould, I made another batch. Rather than creating different coloured layers, this time I used some of the bits of layered jelly from my previous mould, and then added lumps of the pink jelly cubes. Whereas I had previously mixed the jelly in a separate container prior to pouring it in the mould, this time I put the jelly cubes straight into the bottom of the mould and poured the water over. I did not stir the liquid, so it will be interesting to find out if the colour disperses throughout the jelly.

Testing install options

With a week to go before the preview of the MFA and Culture Lab exhibition next Tuesday evening, today I began to move some models into the gallery. My casts are extremely heavy and require two people to lift them, so I have been using the moulds and scale cardboard models to give me an idea of how the forms work in the gallery space.

Of course, the exhibition is a group exhibition, and so the reading of the work will change in relation to what else is shown. I am very conscious that the space could easily become overcrowded, and so it will be a careful balance.

It's all part of the process

As I was waiting for one of my layers of plaster to set, I had a much needed sort out of the space under the table in the casting workshop where I have been storing all my moulds and materials for the past few months.

I dismantled all of my old moulds, and began to sort out the moulds that were suitable for re-using, and those that were destined for the skip. 

As I glanced at the two piles of melamine boards stacked on top of each other, I was attracted to the traces of coloured plaster that remained on the sides of the sheets. The trace of the form that was contained within the mould is present on the edges of the mould.

Such unexpected discoveries are exciting and rather than throwing the moulds into the skip, I have now gathered them together and will be exploring ways that I can use these remnants in an installation.

Layer by layer

Nearly reached the top!

Adding more layers - lime - medium blue - lime

More layers in the bedrock sequence

I continue to follow the order of the geology of the Cheeseburn as indicated on a bedrock map. The colours of each layer of plaster relates to the colour of the rock as per the key on bedrock geology maps.

Sanding mission

Over the past few days Petter and I have spent hours sanding both the floor tile plaster casts and the plaster casts for the bookshelf.

The bookshelves vary in height, and so specific moulds were made for each shelf. Despite this, it was necessary to tidy some of the edges and sand the ends as the shelves changed shape with the weight of the casts.

It was also important to flatten some of the surfaces on the floor tile casts to allow the actual floor tile to fit comfortably on the top of the cast.

All lined up after polymerisation

Today I removed the latest casts from their moulds and laid them out to dry.

I then attended to the numerous casts that have been drying, waiting to be coated in a polymer solution. I mixed the solution of water and polymer, and placed 4 rods of wood onto the floor. Gradually, I worked my way through the casts that had been drying, dipping each  cast into the polymer solution and rolling it around so that it is coated on all sides. I then placed the cast onto the wooden batons so as not to stick to the flooring.

I am developing quite a range of colours of the floor tiles, but think I need to vary the heights more.

Attempting to tidy up

I reached the stage where it was becoming difficult to find a patch of floor that was not covered in dust from the plaster, and there were no areas to put casts to dry without them picking up lots of plaster dust. Although I have been trying to keep mess to a minimum, and tidy as i go, the time came for a thorough clean!

I removed the latest batch of casts from their moulds and laid them out to dry.

I now have quite a large selection of casts that need to be covered in polymer - a job for tomorrow!