another great articles about animals

Just read another article from marieclaire. the way how it write is clear and illustrate how the situation is. e.g….imagine you got an diamond on your face and walking on a street in London…that’s what a rhino in the forest….the article also point out the cost of black markets….although my MA project finally not relating to it, but through the research, I know black market is also a serious problem to be aware.

http://www.marieclaire.co.uk/blogs/550036/endangered-species-animals-at-risk-of-extinction.html

unwanted lipstick installation

For the campaign that during my unit 2 project, aim to spreading out the story of palm oil issue. I collected about 400 pieces of unwanted, expired lipstick, to think of an installation. learn from the animals casting problem, I try to use plastic sheet to make a mold for casting a rhino, finally the casting still leaks a lot, but there’s another advantage that when it become solid, is really easy to cut off the sheet and get the art work out.

first to cut out all of them

to melt them together

 

making the mold by plastic sheet, next time could use a thinker one with laser cutting, this one is a bit thin and soft

casting begin…..ar yea, have to mention that some beeswax was added since the mixture is a bit sticky…..(is palm oil problem? not sure)

it keeps leaking, terrible, as the lipstick is limited, I need to wait it become solid and melt those leak outs, and cast again…..repeating the procedure……..

final one, I applied this for showing in Camberwell space but in vain……now I am applying for another exhibition, really want to show it and spread out the story, another reason is …..this work involves many people’s support and spirit….hope people like it. and yea, I will keep on endangered animals project!!!

Sculpture update (Rhino/Orangutan/Tiger)

RHINO update

last layer for the rhino moulding

finished, remind myself the screw could not be inside, now the wood board could not separate…is not good for next step…e.g. drying and opening of mould.

open it!

the dividing not very successful, hope it do not affect the casting so much

the lower piece, bottom left corner not firm and hard enough due to not mixing well of plaster….to be careful of washing

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ORANGUTAN update

starting from wooden frame and wire to form the basic structure.

putting the clay on

after 2-3 nights…keep editing the….this model is difficult in balancing, and I want to make a good form with my style as well….so finally finished

     

now go for moulding, something to hold his back so that it maintain “floating” on the plaster

as the form is complicated…leaking always happen

this is what I said “floating”

the mixing of plaster should be in quick and accurate amount…CONCENTRATE 

finally I divided the mould into 7 pieces, and the rhino one just 3

all wooden board removed for opening

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TIGER update

same…begin with wood and wire

clay on…this one ….difficult on standing

rough shape

the back…top view…I love the shape very much….a bit similar to my toy (battlecat from he-man)

almost finish, the gain or pattern will be sculpt after casting…..since those pattern will further make the sculpture weak…crack….and adding difficulty to the moulding …….and….one of the reason is every tiger’s pattern are individual….like fingerprints of human…so sculpt it out would be fun!

keeping it wet by plastic and wet towel

bring to uni and start moulding

the eyes take me so long for crafting, editting and crafting back and for….

the hand’s are cracked and brokennnnnnn! this one is too challenging, coz I do not have a stand for it….how to make it floats on plaster?!

finally start….remember to spray oil, on both the clay surface and plaster dividing, is really useful!!!

to be continued~

Rhino moulding update

After the tiger mould (7-8 pieces) , this time with a simpler form, clearer outline rhino, still a challenging task but seems under my control…feeling happy to keep working on sculpture.

screw it on the board so that it could be in the middle of the mould.

still, the sculpture is heavy….at the moment I prepare plaster and clay blocking any edges, I need to add some support to that.

1st piece is half of the mould, it consumed me a lot plaster, the whole bucket (around 25cm diameter, 40cm height)

as the ears are one of the difficult separating part for the mould, I try to make it better…try, probably it need to craft after casting

horn

clean and use soap the polish the surface

another pour for separating negative space between ears, and also that of belly and leg

  

the forth part:

Rhino Sculpture update/ lipstick collection update

Here’s the clay model for the rhino, I will make a 3-piece-plaster mould, I am quite satisfy with the result, when comparing to the sketch and design, it’s almost the same. At the same time, I added some gain/ stroke?! to the sculpture, that’s inspired by the cracking dry skin from rhino itself. I twist a bit and make it like the tiger style…..so that’s my style!

last time stopped here, almost the shape came out, just need to modify the surface and add the other leg

starting the surface fine tune, add the other leg the the same time.

here I adding the grain from the tube in the back

 

for eyes, nose…I keep using the same style to present them

here we could see the grain clearly, however this version is a bit too much and distracting the whole art piece…it dominated.

so I simplified it a bit~

final work, tomorrow will bring back to college for mould making

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For lipstick collection, there are some responses from HK friends and UK friends, but I found there would be a lot more needed, and therefore I google ” UK makeup artist / expert” I emailed and Facebook messaged many (10 pages search of google). Hope there are more donated by them.

And, Some already being posted to me….hope my project really bring the message to my friends.

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and thinking of elephant….the 4 sketches before….not yet perfect….so keep sketching:

Starting the rhino sculpture

I am now starting to make the rhino sculpture, this time I will make the shape clean and the lines easier for the mould. Because a better mould could cast more and better result

start to use wire and cling film to hold it tight, and putting clay on top.

Collecting used or unwanted lipstick for sculpture/ 收集二手或不用的唇膏製作雕塑之用

As I am posting request for second hand, unwanted lipstick, for upcycling sculpture project. Here I try to illustrate my concept. The main purpose is to raise awareness of endangered animals. There is a deforestation problem due to the large amount use of palm oil, for manufacturing daily product such as lipstick, shampoo, chocolate, etc. Thus, the animals are lack of living habitat and prey for food.

由於我在多個社交群組徵求已用或不用的唇膏，作為升級再造雕塑之用。在此我描述一下概念。主要是借我的雕塑增加大家對瀕臨絕種動物的關注；由於大量使用棕櫚油生產日常用品如唇膏，洗頭水及朱古力等，以致森林過份被開伐. 因此動物漸漸失去生態居住及獵物。

Endangered Animals suffering from the problem/ : Sumatran Tiger/ Sumatran Elephant/ Sumatran Rhino/ Sumatran Orangutan

受影響的瀕臨絕種動物包括:蘇門答臘虎/大象／犀牛／猩猩

I try to cast my sculpture by mixing my own lip balm/ lipstick without palm oil. On the other hand, I am thinking to cast with second hand, or unwanted lipstick; the project itself involves upcycling and, at the same time through the collecting process, to let my friends know such problem. Thus, no matter the lipstick they donated are made with or without palm oil, they started to know it more, and I am working on a upcycling project as well.

我嘗試以其他物料製作不包含棕櫚油的唇膏雕塑。另一方面在構思以已用或不用的唇膏製作雕塑；製作概念在升級再造的同時，收集過程中讓我的朋友們開始認識這個課題。所以不論他們將捐出的唇膏有否棕櫚油，他們在這也認知更多，而我亦將廢物升級再造。

Link for more info/ 更多資訊:

http://www.rainforestfoundationuk.org/what-you-can-do/others-ways-to-support-us/be-an-ethical-shopper/

http://wwf.panda.org/what_we_do/footprint/agriculture/palm_oil/

Planning for the final 4 pieces

In order to make them like a whole series, I would like to follow a right scale, I mean 4 animals comparing each other. 

That’s an issue to concern, too small, the orangutan is difficult to make, too big, the elephant would be huge…still thinking how big should they be.

and some elephant outlook details for my ref

Sculpture Form

Because the palm oil problem affecting 4 endangered animals….so for the final project I want to make all 4 sculptures. instead of only one 1:1 tiger head. First of all, there are 4 animals suffering from the problem, I’d better show all of them in order to let the audience know more. And…instead of sculpting the head only, I want to show the dynamic, energy of the animals. Since a head is always linked to hunted for trophy. I do want to let people see the animals shape and gestures. Last but not least, as the sculpture is related to lipstick and lip balm, I try to use the 15mm diameter tube as part of the form….it also help to give a sense of motion to the sculpture. here are the different drawing I brainstormed.

to decide which one I will do, I’d better consider the making of mould too. Since there’s difficulty for too many parts, and also lost of sculpture details, leaking of mixture….etc.

I picked 1 from each (yellow circle), and will consider some element from others (blue circle)

TIger – the jumping action with tube enhancing motion; and see if I could twist a bit to perform the gesture, the simple but nice backbone shape

orangutan – the rushing motion (mainly consider the standing of sculpture…..) -_- actually I like the sitting post on tree…..hm…let me see

Rhino – the simple stepping motion with power; yea…add the direction element?!

elephant – the looking upward motion, with some changes to the trunk (curve maybe)

Sumatran Rhino size study

waiting the tiger model dry out, I am thinking of sculpturing another one….sumatran rhino. It is the smallest rhino among the 5 types, maybe similar to sumatran tiger (smallest tiger type)….due to the limited living habitat. Horn150-250mm long, while female may have only one horn useful link: http://benvironment.org.uk/post/35638307464/sumatranrhino http://www.animalcorner.co.uk/wildlife/rhinos/rhino_sumatran.html

I decided to make 1:3, although 1:2 same scale as tiger is better but for this trail stage…not making so big scale….saving resourcing and time; ok, let’s get started, again, made a wooden base with dimension decided:

wrapping newspaper, wire and masking tape for a rough form

and a very clear head shot (photo…XD) of Sumatran Rhino, the grain due to dry skin inspiring me….!!!

photo source: http://cincinnatizoo.org/blog/2014/03/31/cincinnati-zoo-devastated-by-loss-of-endangered-sumatran-rhino/