Day 3/4

During day 3 we started to gather materials for testing out more of the art side of the project. We went out to buy various materials from simple pencils and paper to metallic paint, wire and modrock. We are hoping to experiment with creating several sculptures that could be inserted into spheres or merely be used to decorate the net from the outside.

Amongst some of our ideas is to create models of microbes. We are particularly interested in trying out diatoms and radiolarians. Radiolarians in particular have a very interesting honeycomb-like structure which we are also thinking we could connect with bees and create a sort of two in one sculpture.

 Image of a radiolarian from http://www.morphographic.com/Gallery/GalleryRadiolarian.htm

Here are a few speed sketches of ideas of how I'd go about making a model. In the first one of the diatom structure, I'm considering putting a hollow tube through it so that a cord of some kind can be inserted and therefore it can be hung up, or suspended in a sphere. Putting the cord through the centre would evenly distribute the stress of its weight so it hopefully wouldn't break. I'm thinking of trying out the idea with a simple cardboard and paper base that’s then covered with modrock and metallic paint.

For the radiolarian I'm considering using a balloon that will afterward be popped to create the hollow interior, there could be several ways of creating the honeycomb structure, including papier macheing the whole structure and then cutting out holes, or overlying some string, hardening them with modrock and then popping the balloon. It would need some experimentation.

 Jessica with her wire radiolarian

 Making a papier mache beetle. This will be covered in modrock and then painted.

Jessica papier macheing a wire mesh

Here are some moss balls. When first added to the water they moved around quite a lot which looked very appealing and interesting. Unfortunatly they did at last come to a standstill. In a sphere perhaps some movement could be applied somehow to keep the balls moving. I think these would look great in an aquatic sphere.

Due to some technical difficulties a lot of the other photos of our work in progress can not be currently uploaded. As I'm going on a trip over Easter I will also be unable to update untill I get back and so the blog will be on hiatus for a week. Look forward to the next post, happy Easter everyone! : )