Your Custom Text Here

Work In Progress rachel carter Work In Progress rachel carter

Weaving on a Plaster Core, the results so far

So far the results of the three weaves on plaster have been varied and have created more problems than solving them. Heres some of the problems I have encountered:

1. The lack of the visible negative space has meant it is very difficult to view the effect of the sculpture.

2. The plaster core is heavy and is mounted on a cross plate. The piece can be spun around but only on one axis and I have gotten so used to be able to turn my pieces in any direction to allow the weave to flow across the surface.

3. The underside of the sculpture sags so to prevent this happening each piece has to be bound with strips of plastic to prevent movement. Alternate fixing is using lengths of waxed thread but I am concerned about over using the thread incase it prevents a clean burn out at the next stage of the lost wax casting.

4. Using a thick guide line works well at the beginning of the weaving process to mark out the shape you wish to create with your weave, but when you need to anchor the main weave to the guide it requires a degree of give which it doesn’t have. If the guide line was first applied with ample room for anchoring the later weaving then this would solve the problem, but it creates another as the guide line would simply fall off the plaster core.

Does this method of solid core casting need to have a core of plaster?

Can the core be added at a later stage and a more flexible light weight core be used?

Read More
Work In Progress rachel carter Work In Progress rachel carter

Woven Experiment No.59 Oval woven form with a side split

tumblr_npuf9clNQq1qzyv36o1_1280.jpg
tumblr_npuf9clNQq1qzyv36o2_1280.jpg

Woven Experiment No.59 Oval woven form with a side split

The second experiment using a solid core of plaster, this time carved into an oval shape. Two guide lines of 6mm wax bands were first placed onto the oval and held in place with waxed thread and finally a weld with molten wax.

The form was then covered with layers of crochet leaving two slits down either side of the oval.

The weave went on more easily this time as I worked the top first, then turned over the form and placed it in my lap to add wax to the underside. This allowed me to work without worrying about the other side slipping off, but the heat from my lap softened the wax and the wax beca to flatten a little. 

To remedy this I created a soft box which the sculpture could be placed into whilst I worked the underside using a box filled with polystyrene chipping and a layer of bubble wrap. The wax didn’t soften this time but it still continued to flatten.

The resulting woven form has a more successful weave application, but I don’t think the 6mm bands welded together are working to well aesthetically, maybe there is a neater method of creating the guide lines.

Read More
Work In Progress rachel carter Work In Progress rachel carter

Woven experiment No.58 Crochet form

tumblr_npsqcu7hJ31qzyv36o1_r1_1280.jpg
tumblr_npsqcu7hJ31qzyv36o2_r1_1280.jpg

Woven experiment No.58 Crochet form with splits

The first experiment applying woven wax onto the surface of the solid core plaster block has given mixed results. The form began with thick 6mm wax lengths wrapping around the form to add a series of strong lines taking inspiration from the sketches in my sketchpad. I found it very difficult to keep the wax in place without it sliding off the plaster, using lengths of waxed linen thread helped to some degree to hold things in place.

Next step was crocheting a length of chain stitch in 3mm wax and using this to fill in the spaces within the guide lines of the 6mm wax. Passing the thin wax under and around the guide lines helped to secure it, then further lengths of 3mm wax was woven in.

I was unable to weave the underside of the piece so this is an area I need to address in the next experiment. 

Read More