‘MAKING OF’
Embellishments
Embellishments are all about investing in the form you have developed from waste / raw ingredients, about denoting appreciation and value in what they could become and mapping where they originated from.
Vegan Biomaterial Glazing
Agar agar is a vegan gelatin ingredient, extracted from seaweed and processed into flakes, powders and sheets.
ONE
Place 6g of Agar Agar in a cooking pan.
TWO
Slowly add 120ml of water to this, mix and stir as going along to dissolve the agar agar and allow it to bloom. Mix a dribble of water to the Agar Agar at a time, pouring a litte, mixing, pouring a littl, mixing.
THREE
Once everything is fully mmixed together, leave for 5-10 minutes to bloom.
FOUR
Add 6g of Glycerine, slowly. Stir constantly.
FIVE
Place on a heat and stir constantly, the mixture should start to thicken a little as it heats up and should release steam. The mixture should reach the cusp of a boiling state, it can boil a little, but at this point the heat should be turned down a little if the mixture has not yet reached a thickened state, or if it has it is ready for application.
SIX
Apply to your form with a thick brush. Clean brush immediately after use with soap.
If the application of the Agar Agar glazing is time consuming, you can leave it on a very low heat to slow down the speed at which it will begin to solidify. If you do not wish to use it all at once, leave it in the pan, off the heat, with a lid on it. You should only leave it for up to 2 hours. When you come back to it, add a little water, enough to rehydrate the ingredient but not drown it, and then place back on heat. Stir constantly.
Slaked Lime Coating
Slaked Lime is essentially limestone, sourced off a cliff face that is affected in multiple different ways, including heating which acts as a catalyst for a chemical reaction that produces calcium oxide, a white, powered material. Water is then added to this to begin the ‘slaking’ process. It goes through multiple processes that then produce this wet, cakey material that sits in the water. Lime water is used by some architects, as when it is combined with material such as soil, and treated in specific ways, they produce waterproof, brick forms.
ONE
Source Slaked Lime.
TWO
Extract a handful of ‘cakey’ lime, add enough water to surround the lime, but not submerge it.
THREE
Wearing gloves, squeeze together the lime and the water, creating a thinner paste like substance. It should feel like cake dough.
FOUR
Apply in layers.
Grinding Raw Pigment, Colour Mixing
ONE
Collect pigment grounds.
TWO
Place in mixing bowl.
THREE
Add gum arabic or lime. Gum arabic will have a more glazed feel, and will act as a thinner and more light-weight binder than lime will.
FOUR
For gum arabic and lime, grind and mix together your pigment within the substance. The more your grind the pigment, the more colour will be released into the binder and your colour will be stronger and more consistent in application.
Your lime mix is now ready.
FIVE
For gum arabic mixtures, transfer all your mixture into a jar using a pipette
String Drawing, Plumb Lines
ONE
Created padded base.
TWO
Place desired surface on padding.
THREE
Place the pin in the padded area.
FOUR
Knot elasticated thread or string onto the pin.
FIVE
Extend to the other end of desired line.
SIX
Place pin.
SEVEN
Knot.
EIGHT
Collect segment of pigment in between index finger and thumb.
NINE
Rub gently into string.
TEN
Move fingers to the middle of string while still moisturising the string with pigment.
ELEVEN
Lift 3 inches above the surface and let go.
TWELVE
Repeat.
Colour Extraction, Indigo Cake
ONE
Using a mortar and pestle, grind the indigo cake into a fine powder.
TWO
(optional) prepare binder (help the paint adhere to surfaces):
THREE
Gum Arabic: dissolve in 1/2 cup of hot water to create a solution, add 1 tablespoon of vegetable glucose ((optional)+1/2 tablespoon of honey and a few drops of oil).
FOUR
Egg yolk: separate the yolk from the egg white and mix it thoroughly.
FIVE
Mixing:
SIX
In a palette or mixing dish, combine the ground indigo powder, releasing it through a sieve (as if you are grinding spices and adding them to a dish) with a small amount of distilled water.
SEVEN
Start with a small amount of water and gradually add.
EIGHT
If using a binder, add it to the mixture and stir until combined.
NINE
Test paint on a surface to assess its colour and coverage. There is sometimes a wonderful scent released due to the fermentation processes undergone by indigo here.
TEN
Make necessary adjustments.
ELEVEN
Adjust Consistency by adding more water to thin it down or more ingredients to thicken.
TWELVE
Allow to dry completely.
THIRTEEN
Seal (optional).