this afternoon's experiments

This afternoon I started to make membranes - looking for a way to make resonant structures I am trying different materials including silk (cocoon strippings, organza, throwsters waste), latex, silicon, beeswax and wire.

The photos of work so far are not very inspiring - the wet materials were still very wet and my surface was the glass of a very ugly print I bought at the op shop to reuse the frame. However, disregarding the hideous print, here are my first results.  The silicon waterproofing membrane turned out to be pale blue not white and it has an unpleasant plasticky texture. It also sticks tenaciously to the glass which I didn't expect and that pretty much rules it out as a medium for my work.  I used it to sandwich a piece of silk organza and in the second patch it is palette knifed over a clump of silk throwsters waste.

The theatrical make-up liquid latex worked much better - it peels off the glass easily, soaked through the silk organza and the silk cocoon strippings and seem to be drying to a translucent, pale yellow which I think will look quite organic and suitable for a membrane.  I have ordered a thicker version and will test that for durability - it needs to be able to stand up to some stitching.

And I did some more work on my nest - I have a new respect for birds as nest building is really really hard!

 This is made of bits of passionfruit vine that I just pulled off the plant in the back yard.  After letting that dry for a bit I have started to weave in bits of paper thread, strips of mulberry bark and silk dupion. I don't know how serviceable it would be as a nest (not very, I suspect) but not too bad for a first attempt.