Plaster_veneian textures

...Venetian plaster on drywall with a large trowel.


Surface Texture 1: A damp sponge was rubbed over the dry plaster prior to burnishing.

...depth

Surface Texture 2: Wet plaster layer was touched leaving finger prints/texture. When burnishing only the peaks were touched.

...thick imprints

...finger prints meet smooth


Surface Texture 3: Wet plaster was scratched.

...traces


Surface Texture 4: Water was dripped onto the dry plaster surface.

...memory of water

Plaster_creases

Plaster cast edge. texture with wax paper.

Plaster_imprints/cloth

Testing: Cloth layed over wet plaster with hand impressions and folds

The fabric seems to hold the prints in a blurred and more subtle way then a cure cast. In the folds of the cloth/plaster their is room for interpretation. The fabric casting seems a perfect way to record the sensuous and tactile nature of plaster.

Other hand studies

Transparency possible.... layers of plaster cloth.

My knees.


The knee in negative


My Face.


Plaster Cloth of Face. Thank you to Kelly for the help!

Plaster_curves

Curves and plaster

Tests upon a lath frame. Framing gives the form which the plaster takes and covers.

Edge condition must be addressed for final project!

Floor_plaster tracings

Plaster floors are not common because they lack durability and technologies like concrete have replaced their use. However, the properties which make them vulnerable also made them ideal for drawing on. These surfaces called 'tracing floors' were used by architects from the ancient Roman times to record and make templates to build from.

A more recent example is found in the Masons loft of York minster. Masons used the floor to draw patterns for the framework of the church stonework. The plaster could be scratched to form clean white lines, and then brushed off and reused to create different design. Drawings are dated between 1350-1539. see http://www-users.york.ac.uk/~arch40/plasterfloor.htm

"... the surface of the floor in the course of time came to be covered with patterns of straight and curving lines which had no connection with one another. To make sense of any part of the conflicting patterns one must trace all surviving lines and follow out those groups of lines which appear to be related." Vicky Sypsa

Image: Drawing of the tracing floor lines.

The plaster tracing floor makes the invisible translation from horizontal to vertical, from the floor to the wall. The floor forms the base for the creation of the windows and carries a memory.

Floor_?

1. that part of a room, hallway, or the like, that forms its lower enclosing surface and upon which one walks.
2. a level, supporting surface in any structure: the elevator floor.
3. a more or less flat extent of surface: the floor of the ocean.
4. the bottom, base, or minimum charged, demanded, or paid: The government avoided establishing a price or wage floor.
5. the lowermost member of a frame in a wooden vessel.
6. to overwhelm; defeat.
7. take the floor, to arise to address a meeting.
8. To stun; overwhelm: The very idea floored me.

Base_?

1. the bottom support of anything; that on which a thing stands or rests:
2. a fundamental principle or groundwork;
3. the bottom layer or coating,
4. the distinctively treated lowermost portion of any construction
5. that from which a commencement, as of action or reckoning, is made;> a starting point or point of departure.
6. Geometry. the line or surface forming the part of a figure that is> most nearly horizontal or on which it is supposed to stand.
7. to station, place, or situate
8. morally low; without estimable personal qualities; dishonorable;> mean spirited; selfish; cowardly.
9. Archaic.
a. of humble origin or station.
b. of small height.
c. low in place, position, or degree: base servitude.

Plaster_Lime

Lime Plaster is based on Lime Putty. This pudding like product is made by Hydrating Quicklime by soaking it in water for a extended period of time. Now Lime Putties are only hydrated for several months, but in Vitruvius's time they were left it to aged for several years.

After searching Ottawa, I was unable to find Lime Putty, but found Factory Hydrated Lime in the powder form, sold in bulk (50lb). This powder is mixed with water to form Lime Putty. It is not as good a product as Traditional Lime Putty, but improves with age.

With great care I mixed this highly caustic brew!

By the time I am making my final model it will be close to a month old and hopefully in good condition.

Initial Tests have proved somewhat successful.

The Left Side includes a trawled on 1/4" layer of my 'Lime putty' mixed with sand (3:2)and second 1/8" layer mixed with less sand(3:1).
The first layer dried within one day and is very durable.
The second layer also dried quickly, but has some cracking and is not as strong.

The Right Side is a trawled on 1/4" layer of lime putty, sand and concrete (3:2:1)
The addition of concrete caused cracking and is not as hard as the first test.

Further additives to test for increased strength:
Sugar
Pectin
Eggs
Skim Milk
Salt
Blood (from my next home cooked Hamburger meal)

SUGAR:
Makes lime very runny.

Waiting to see final results...........

Result not good. Plaster applied with a trowel flaked and cracked, but the thicker layers left in mixing pot have formed a hard crust, so maybe it is best used for thicker base layers.

Lime on Lath wall,

Lime plaster cracked very badly and fell off lath test.
Perhaps because of new heating in Plaster lab, but it is too risky for the final built element so I will move to a gypsum product.

Plaster_Molding

Plaster Molding with liquid rubber

Object to mold: Tim Hortons Coffee Lid

Mold built up with 6 layers of brushed on liquid rubber. Final result a reusable flexible mold which allows some undercutting.

Mold pored with plaster of Paris mixed 2:1 with water.

Included in the test are trials using plastic coffee lids to compair with the rubber mold.

Final Result: The rubber mold produced a much cleaner final result. The rubber remains in good shape and can be reused to test other mixtures of plaster.

Plaster_Venetien Trials

Trials on drywall board with a variety of primers and layers.

Indigo Blue-no Primer, Sheryl's mix
This plaster applied easily, but with a thicker application then the other venetian plaster samples. Primer would have made application smother.... next time!

Yellow -no Primer, Natural Lime based Venetian Plaster from UK
Plaster was difficult to apply as it dried quickly. Primer is needed.

Green(left) - Cassin Primer, Natural Lime Based Venetian Plaster from UK
Primer made application much easier and improved consistency of layers.

Green(Right) - DG 27 Primer, Natural Lime Based Venetian Plaster from UK
This primer made application very easy. Grit in primer made for a strong attachment.



This image depicts the second layer of three to be applied prior to final burnishing and waxing.



Plaster after Burnishing - Window is reflected. Better reflection could be achieved with a smoother application. Next time I will use a larger trowel. The Blue plaster became much more reflective then the plasters from the UK. Further trials needed to determine why.

After waxing the plaster took on a 'deeper' reflection and tones were made more consistent.

Beautiful!!!

Floor_Base

Baldessari as muse.
Drawing studies of intersections/connections of the horizontal and the vertical.
Definitions of floor to base with a 'Baldessari Dictionary'.

Horizontal clothes vertical.

Inverse and opposit, the mirror image. Look a the moment between. The lense or filter.

Almost meeting.

Invisible structure / Kissing / Grounded Force.

Plaster_Lath Test

Experiments:
Primary purpose to become familiar to working with a variety of plasters and methods.

EX 1: Lath Structural Base

Step 1: Built trial lath wall upon 2x4's

Step 2: First layer of Gypsum based plaster with sand and horse hair added.

Layer results: Laths too thin=warped with plaster moisture

Plaster dried too quickly b/c I used plaster of Paris, next time I need to use a proper gypsum plaster.

Plaster layer much too thin=cracked

Back side of lath wall . . . beautiful

Step 3: to try a thicker layer on top with proper gypsum plaster.