*Not related to CAVA assignments but wanting to ‘nail’ this down because it’s so damn fascinating.
CAVA Ass 2A – Experimenting with encaustic and ink
Presentation: Display experimental projects and pass around for observation. Show short compilation video of creating projects while discussing goals, process and results. Visual material: experimental projects, video (using usb stick and laptop on projector?) Engaging the audience: with my comedic wit. (j/k) Engagement will come with passing around the completed projects and allowing a tactile experience as well as seeing the process visually through video.
CAVA Ass 2 – Encaustic 4
Again, knowing wax is non-porous, I wanted to see if I could apply ink over and under wax layers. My first layer was oil crayon and a page torn out of an old book then covered in wax. I made marks in the wax to the base level to pour ink into. Excess ink was wiped away and an extra layer of wax placed on top of the ink layer. Although I consider this experiment somewhat positive, I probably rushed the process and may have had a better result if I’d waited for the ink to completely dry. There was some bleeding with the top layer of wax due to the ink still having wet spots. Overall, I am happy with the result.
A failure is a success, right?
This iteration was again about ink, wax and medium. I used plaster wrap on cardboard as my base, threw india ink over it and *hopefully* see some good reactions from ink reacting, soaking into, spreading into plaster. Now, I realise plaster itself is not necessarily porous, however, I was hoping the ink would react somehow other than sitting on the surface. The ink pretty much stayed where it was with no exciting reactions. I waxed, fused and played around with markings, using a variety of tools and junk. In the end, I removed markings to clear the surface to see the ink on the base. This did NOT do what I hoped it would do. It became a successful candidate for “ugly art”.
CAVA Ass 2: Iteration 2
My second iteration still involves ink. I printed some graphics off on my laser printer. After choosing a graphic, I prepared some board with wax and burnished the image onto the board. I wasn’t sure if the graphic would ‘take’ or what the result would be. I was impressed after wetting the paper and rubbing it away to see a beautiful, clear image. Technically, therein ends the experiment, however, I finished the project with some pigment, a collage word and marking. It’s very simple and I’m quite pleased with the result.
Ass 2 – Experimentation – Encaustic 1
Experiment 1 has been interesting. Not the doing. That was just fun. The videoing and the editing and the crying in my peanuts? Let’s just not talk about it here. I’ll save it for my therapist. Next challenge is to see if I can successfully upload a video of said experiment. Ya ready? (as in – got the tissues ready?)
Experiment 1: Encaustic Collage
For this experiment, I bought some India Ink and dropped some onto a canvas, then dipped it into my first layer of wax. From there, there was some trimming and tidying up of wax, fusing and layering some collage of cogs and paper into the mix. More wax. More fusing. More trimming. I then added some coloured wax and finished with rubbing pigment into the marks made. Not sure I am entirely happy with my first attempt, but we all need to begin somewhere, right!
*Disclaimer – This project was produced on one of the wettest days in NSW, now going down in history as the day that shut down the UOW Arts Dept. 😉 This officially classified the remainder of the day as Pajama Day. (So, yes, you will see me rockin’ my jammies!)
Assignment Two – and a question relating to iteration and experimentation.
Experimentation. Well that’s open! And iteration. ok, let’s do this.
If we are doing 4 x 30 second videos, then there has to be some fast thinking on this one.
My thoughts currently are:
4 different experiments with encaustic wax.
I will create 4 separate pieces of encaustic but use 4 different materials and/or methods to see what occurs within the materials and medium (wax).
I have only had one encounter with this medium, so the world of encaustic is pretty new to me but it was certainly a positive experience. I won’t wax lyrical about the emotions it stirred (see what I did there?), but it was certainly a medium that left me wanting to play more and create and here, dropped right into my lap, is the command, “Go forth and experiment.”
Basic Medium: Encaustic Wax.
Materials I’d like to experiment with:
1. Ink, probably Indian or some other calligraphy ink, on canvas
2. Images to transfer onto the wax medium.
3. Images and mixed media (rusty bits, paper, wire or whatever I can find in the junk drawer) to incorporate into the wax medium.
4. Incorporating plaster and fabric into the wax medium.
My question is this: Do those four processes meet the “Iteration” clause?
If the project uses basically the same medium but different products/materials in 4 different ways,
does this count as iteration?
Encaustic Wax
Artist: Crystal Neubauer.
Out door set up of encaustic wax
Encaustic wax: tools and medium
900 x 675 Artist: Patricia Baldwin Seggebruch*I am not wanting to recreate these images, but am posting to give a sense of what I’d like to attempt.
Summary of Mapping
Firstly, I’d like to say thank you for such an interesting topic to start the year on. It’s been fascinating digging up resources and discovering a world of map enthusiasts, map artists, map articles, library resources and learning a new appreciation for the subject.There is so much more to learn and discover.
In the process of research, I have discovered numerous groups on Facebook (and even joined a couple) that share their love of cartography. In one group, artists are profiled to share their work on maps. It’s amazing the many different ways we can map something and when we think about it, anything and everything can be mapped! It’s quite mind-blowing. I’ve found old maps in the library, showing Australia (or Australis) as only partly mapped, the rest an unknown quantity. I’ve found an abundance of interesting artists and their work via the internet.
What have I learned? I’ve learned that mapping is everywhere but I didn’t notice it until I began this assignment. I’ve learned to look at things differently and sometimes, track it (or at least give thought to where something originated). I’ve learnt that mapping is not boring. It’s actually quite fascinating, especially when we consider how to present a map. Originally, I always thought of maps as lines on a flat page but in reality, there’s an inestimable amount of ways to map. Which complicated the 1A part of the assignment at first, because how do you present a map in an original fashion when it’s probably been done somewhere else before, many times? Bringing in a sandpit to draw a map was a temptation! The set up was a bit of a drawback, however. This assignment has shown me a new way to look at the world around me and how I can record what I see. As well as open up a new world of art that I had never before considered.
Assignment 2B – Map
Herein lies a pic of my map:
As posted earlier, I got excited thinking about the origin of products, so decided to map the source of my food, namely a Ham and Salad Roll. We can become somewhat blasè about where our food comes from. We do our grocery shop and conveniently have pretty much whatever we desire wrapped to death in plastic, cardboard and tin, without giving much, if any, thought, to how it got onto the shelf or where it came from. So I tracked mine. I’m usually a bit of an organic nut but this time, I pretty much just chose what was in front of me to keep it a little more ‘open’ to its origin.
I learnt my favourite salt, Maldon Sea Salt Flakes is based in Essex, UK. Cool. My black pepper originated in Vietnam. Hmm. And my mayo? Well that starts in the USA and I was shocked to read the ingredient label to discover the first two ingredients are canola oil and corn syrup. I’ve been running my own hospitality business for too many years and never thought to consider the ingredients. I mean, I can make my own, but why? It’s there. In a jar. But those first two ingredients have a bit of a bad rap in the ‘health’ world. Especially the hfcs which has a reputation for causing diabetes, metabolic syndrome, damaging the immune system, speeding up the aging process and possibly carrying mercury poisons. It’s a bit of a disaster right there. In my jar. eek. So that choice looks like changing. And ham, which I thought was loaded with nasties, is actually ok. If you aren’t allergic to sulphites, that is. Otherwise, apart from having some pork imported from Denmark (of all places) and the additives from the USA, I am assuming (as I couldn’t really trace those), the ham is made in WA. Another interesting learning curve. 🙂
It’s a mighty big world out thar
So go easy on the newbie, ok?
I’m still learning my way around the UOW mystery island called LIBRARY. It took me a little bit (maybe a week or so) trying to figure out where all the books were. Serious! (stop laughing. so hard.) You walk in and there’s computers everywhere. No books. Not really. I found them. Up a floor. Oh the Utopia. My world opened up. So many books – so few hours. I could hole up on the 2nd floor with cushions and a coffee slave and never be seen again.
I went up there again today to search out more maps that weren’t the internet kind. Did you know tucked up the back end of the second floor, there’s a whole rack of maps?!!!? I didn’t! I do now. (I can still hear you laughing.) Ok, so I know UOW is a studious place full of serious students and I really couldn’t get excited about this discovery but I’ll have you know I was doing a hippy happy dance on the inside. Oh yes sirree. I had little fireworks exploding inside with the joy of that little discovery. I really shoulda taken a photo of that rack! 😉 To prove there’s maps and all, ya know!
I did find some more awesome maps. There was a huge atlas of maps and there were maps of every description in there. Again. One needed a cushion or two and the coffee slave. I could have sat there flicking through it all afternoon. Alas, not enough time. But I did take a pic or two. And I found a couple of interesting maps on Australia before it was fully discovered. Fascinating.
This one is called Hollandia Nova detecta 1644. Taken from the book “Early Printed Maps of Australia”. By Robert Douwma.(912.94/26) I think it’s interesting to remember there was a time we didn’t know what Australia looked like.
This one is Carte Réduite de Terres Australis by Jacques Nicolas Bellins in 1753. I love how NSW takes up the whole right side of Australia. No Queensland yet.
Poor ol’ Flinders got the job of sailing all around Australia and mapping it to prove it was one whole island. Even today, that would be some journey.
And to prove maps really tickles my nerdy side: I was ‘accepted’ into a Facebook group recently called Arty Cartophiles, where they profile artists’ maps. https://www.facebook.com/groups/269770756426180/
It may be becoming an obsession but there’s so much out there. This assignment barely allows us to scratch the surface. Too fascinating. 🙂
kissmevodka 