Plasmodesmata

Today I have been working on some samples, for quick tests and on the overall shape of the final object.

overall shape from the back... this may change

Azolla foliage

plasmodesmata illustration

textures for cell components

Urban fantasy series and new clay

As well as trying out a new clay, which I like (thank you Ede Horton), I'm starting a new series of cast glass sculptures based on the genre fiction of 'urban fantasy'. Urban fantasy is a sub genre of fantasy fiction, where instead of magical lands in far away places, the enchantment occurs in contemporary, real-world, suburbs and cities. Some of my favourite authors in this genre are Charles de Lint, Kim Wilkins and Helene Wecker. The 1990's TV series 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' is a good example, though a different format.

Today I have been shaping the 'location' aspect, fragments of urban landscapes. The front of the pieces will have different mythical beasties in silhouette sandblasted on the front.  These are for a group exhibition in Melbourne, called Silhouettes.

for this piece I imagine a Griffin

A jackalope for this one

and a pegasus for this one

Selkie bits

At the end of the week I have almost all my selkie 'bits' sculpted. Making moulds tomorrow.

Selkie sculpting

More selkie feet.

Selkie flippers

Roughing out a seal flipper

Dryads

Today I also worked on my 'Dryads' project for the 'Tree' exhibition at Canberra Glassworks in March. I started because I needed to distract myself from waiting for wax for the forest light (melting or cooling, it always takes too long.)

Similar to some of my other work, but this time I'm combining scale and sandblast imagery. I'm thinking about gold leafing the Dryads but i'm not sure, or trying another colour other than black. Only one way to find out!

Tree panel

This is the first step in many... I hope it works

Polar bears...are not antarctic animals

Whilst I was at the Caberra Glassworks today, I made some more "Antartic animals" for a diorama of glass beasties to entice young persons to take the Glassworks' "Antartic animals" workshop....
Luckily as well as a polar bear, I made some seals and penguins...

Rapunzel or Persinette

the clay positive

This smallish piece was created while thinking about one of my favourite Australian author's, Kate Forsyth and her fabulous book 'Bitter greens'. This is Rapunzel's tower simplified (without getting too phallic - hence the shortness) the detail on the right is a quick line drawing of some parsley leaves. Rapunzel is also Persinette or Petrosinella hence the parsley.

quick sketch using paper 53

Selkie project

This is the second seal head that I have attempted, improvement I think. One flipper also complete. The flipper I decided to make the plaster silica cast right away, but the head took longer so I made a clay bonnet (see pic...and that is not a technical term) and tried out a silicon pouring mixture.