3.10.2016
1. Names of your group of 2-3
Amy Chang, Olivia Clemens, Yuanxie Shi
2. Describe your annotation plans (2 annotations)
The topics I would like to investigate are enamels and imitation gems--particularly azurite, carnelian, and red transparent enamel; and imitation sapphires and jacinth. To approach this I would like to group these recipes into areas to annotate by color (red and blue) rather than by material end goals (enamel and imitation gems) since it seems a helpful approach to identify whether there are any "unnecessary" inactive ingredients across colors due to alchemical theories (as Dr. Smith has identified is the case for gold in recipes for red lakes). Additionally, it seems useful for understanding the challenges particular to a pigment class since the materials for both end products seem mainly glass based.
Materially, there are 2 main issues here that I think are interesting: 1) What does does the MS mean by "enamel"? 2) How are imitation gems and enamel understood as different or similar based on material commonalities and visual effects? Underneath these questions is a larger one about the distance between visual and tactile experience of a surface on the one hand, and ontological knowledge of material identity on the other. I am specifically interested in looking at these questions through these recipes because enamels are typically meant to cover the surfaces of object which are meant to be handled and imitation gems can be similarly used in settings for jewelry and clothing--this means that both products have to exceed the realm of visual and their recipes must expect tactile interaction.
For instance if it is the case that imitation gems are meant to deceive, then there is another level on which they must assert themselves in deception beyond visual illusionism, which is to say: Does this feel like a gem? Does it have the proper weight? Does it have the proper hardness and texture? What would someone thing of the level of reflection and refraction? Which qualities can be imitated and which cannot? Whether attention is paid to there questions in recipes can help illuminate whether the point of an imitation gem is to deceive, or if it is something like rhinestone in that everyone knows that its not real but it is something that has acquired its own aesthetic following and uses.
Regarding enamel a major question is: Is this meant to be applied to metal, or is something closer to paint? How close is this to ceramic glazes? Is it understood as something like paint, or gems, or colored glass? How close is it to recipes for colored glass and ceramic glazes? Does this tell us something about who was working with enamel and how the knowledge diffused? What about how closely knowledge was shared between different branches of the arts of fire?
Overall at the end of everything I would like to compare whether there is stronger affinity between recipes by color or by material, and how this can be situated within the space between theoretical and empirical knowledge, what points to a new concept of scientific method and what points to an older inherited one.
3. lists the recipes from MS Fr. 640 (and any other source) that you have identified so far (include full recipes if practical)
4. lays out a schematic plan for the historical, object-based, and hands-on research that will shed light on these recipes.
5. list of materials you expect to need, are they in the lab inventory?, where you will source them, and safety considerations.
6. a safety protocol for your materials, based on the template in GD Student Files in the folder labelled __Safety - Workflow and Protocol__. Your document should describe your workflow, and what safety measures you will need to take. Upload it into the folder labelled __Safety - Workflow and Protocol__. Your file in this folder should be linked to your Wiki field notes.
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PANNEL PREP (For Distemper Portrait) LAB
Overall Dates: 2.22-2.29
Group members: Amy Chang & Yuanxie Shi
Location: in lab and at home
PART 1: Panel Prep
2.22
-used masking tape to set up new quadrants on pre-prepared panels
-applied rabbit skin glue to quadrants
PART 2: Image Transfer: Pouncing & Outlining in Rabbit Skin Glue
2.25 (not present)
PART 3: Painting in Distemper
2.29
---Methods---
1st layer: iron ore rust, sap green and red ochre, water and rabbit skin glue; but we found the color too brown and bright, so we added some charcoal to make it dark2nd layer: colonial yellow ochre, Bavarian Green Earth (a lot, bit by bit), chalk, water and rabbit skin glue(this layer is too thick, maybe we should add more rabbit skin glue)3rd layer: white chalk, venice red, colonial yellow ochre and charcoal (a little bit), rust, water and rabbit skin gluerather than brushing over the whole face, we should have followed the contours of the face and not done the eyeballs-->tacit knowledge4th layer: colonial yellow ochre, madder lake, charcoal and rust, water and rabbit skin glue
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CANVASS PREP (For Still Life) LAB
Overall Dates: 2.15-3.7
PART 1. Sewing & Stretching
Group members: Amy Chang & Yuanxie Shi
Date: 2.15
Location: in lab and at home
---Safety---
-watched and followed canvass prep ppt guide before class
-not a temperature sensitive activity
---Materials---
-2 pre-cut pieces of canvass (main piece, side piece)
-sewing needle
-yarn needle
-spool of string
-15 straight pins
-4 pieces pre-fabricated wood for stretcher
-scissors
-small ziplock bag
---Method---
1. take large piece of canvass (which should be a square that is 3cm more in width and height than the intended final sew size) and a length of string cut from the spool which should be equivalent to the perimeter of the large piece of canvass plus about 10 cm.
2. place the string parallel to the edge of one side of the piece of canvas so that it’s length is lying along the canvas about 1.5 cm from the edge of the canvass, fold the 1.5 cm width of canvas edge over the string so that the length of string lies in the crease, then fold a 0.5 cm width of canvas in so that only 1cm width of canvas shows pasted the crease where the string lying flush against the edge—pin the length of this in place with straight pins
3. repeat this for the other 3 sides so that the length of the string is tucked into a crease that runs the perimeter of the canvas
4. sew this in place with blanket stich or running stitch using the swing needle and pieces of thread pulled from the side piece of canvass by separating the weave from the weft
5. when done sewing, a tail of string should stick out from the canvass, when you are ready to begin lacing to the canvas, you can tie this to the stretcher
[5a. it may be the case that you will have to leave the source of your materials before you have finished: if so, take the pins, needles, side piece and a length of string for lacing with you, a long with you in a ziplock bag along with the stretcher, which you should fit together from the 4 pre-fabricated parts without adhesive
5b. the length of string you take with you for lacing should be at least 25-30 times the length of one side of the stretcher—you can figure this out by looping the string around one side of the stretcher tightly and counting the number of times you wind it]
6. begin lacing the canvas to the stretcher: tie one end of the string to the stretcher and then thread the yarn needle with the length of string
7. use the yarn need to draw the string through the hem of the canvas you just sewed, (at a distance away from the string tucked into the crease so that you don’t spear it) and approach as if you were sew the canvas to the stretcher by looping the string around the stretcher rather than puncturing it
8. lacings should be spaced about 1.5 cm apart and the goal should be to lace the canvas to the stretcher tightly enough that it lies flat and is taut but it will have some natural give due to tension your when tying off the string at the end
---Discussion & Observations---
-the length of the side piece of canvas you have, and the length of your stitch, determine how short your threads are and how quickly you will have to knot and re-thread—I had to rethread frequently because both my stiches and piece of canvas were short and I doubled my threads for strength
-sewing the canvas took a couple hours, it was begun in the lab and finished while chatting at a coffee shop and then at home
-because lacing the canvas to the stretcher requires a lot of string it will frequently get tangled in the process and require more time to unknot if you don’t have a system to avoid this (which I did not)
-the process of lacing to the stretcher may take a couple hours by itself
-preparing a single canvass to be ready for glue can take 4-5 hours even when multiple elements are pre prepared because the sewing and lacing took more time than expected--time gained by experience would seem to be in avoiding tangles (if one develops a system) and knowing how much thread or string one needs ahead of time so it can be prepared before starting
PART 2: Preping with Rabbit Skin Glue
Group Members: Amy Chang, Wen Rui & Donna Billack
Date and Time: 2.19
Location: lab
--Safety---
-watch Pamela Smith prepare rabbit skin glue in class by heating the glue in a graduated cylinder placed in side a pot of boiling water over a hot plate (double boiling)
-wear latex gloves when handling/applying glue
-if heating and stirring rather use goggles (we did not)
---Materials---
-gloves
-wide flat paint brush
-pre-prepared canvas (sewn and laced to stretcher)
-graduated cylinder
-dry rabbit skin glue
-water
-hotplate
-pot
---Methods---
1. Place dry rabbit skin glue in 1000ml graduate cylinder, situate in pot filled 1/4th with water, set pot with contents (double boiling arrangement) on hot plate and heat to melting point of 50-55 degrees C while stirring occasionally to make sure it has melted evenly
2. Once melted, turn heat to lower temperature letting heat from water keep the glue liquid. Dip brush into glue and apply to canvass using strokes that only go in one direction so that canvas is covered up to where the stitching begins but so that the coat of glue does not cover the laces. Make sure glue does not gather in certain places (spread it flat with brush).
3. Once you have covered the area you are done with your first layer of two and will need to leave this to dry for 20-30 min depending on the thickness of the coat.
4. Set timer and leave the canvas in the fume hood to dry.
5. After the first layer is dry, apply the second layer in the same way
---Discussion & Observation---
-when all strokes to apply glue are going in the same direction the unevenness of the glue coat will tend toward glue gathering at one side, usually where you started the stroke--make sure to even it out as you go along so it doesn't get gummy and hard to spread
-a wide flat brush will work the best
-leave some extra time for your first coat to dry so that you can be sure it is done before applying the second coat or it may take a long time to fully dry under the semi-dry second layer
-once the first layer dries it will pull your canvass much more taut, giving it a drum-skin tightness, this will compensate for the give it may have had after lacing but also means lacing should not be too tight or this may put stress on the lacing and stitches
PART 3: Priming with Burnt Siena & Lead White
Group Members: Amy Chang & Yuanxie Shi
Date and Time: 2.22
Location: lab
---Safety---
-gloves
-preprepared Burnt Siena from tube
-1 oz Burnt Siena as pigment powder
-small cup of linseed oil (2ml)
-2 pallet knives
-glass plate for mixing
-pre-prepared canvass
---Methods---
1. squeeze out Burnt Sienna on tube onto glass dish, set some powdered Burnt Siena on the other side of the plate and mix with linseed oil until your arrive at desired consistency using the pallet knife aiming for a homogenized smooth texture
2. prime canvass (already set with 2 dry layers of rabbit skin glue) by spreading one half with the tube bought Burnt Siena and half in self mixed
3. leave a 1 inch strip of canvass primed with rabbit glue exposed
4. after letting dry for a couple days, apply a layer of lead white on top, leaving an inch of the burnt siena layer exposed to see the progression of preparation
---Discussion & Observations---
-pre-prepared ground from tube was very oily so we aimed for something less oily when we prepared our own, and used one half for each to compare results
-if applying lead white yourself, be sure to close your sleeves with rubber bands or masking tape so that nothing brushes your clothing
PART 4: Transfering Image of Still Life
Group Members: Amy Chang & Donna Billack
Date and Time: 3.4
Location: lab
---Methods---
-transferred image from a photocopied image of a tulip by pouncing (poking holes along the outline of the image with a needle a fixed to a win cork so that it resembled a smaller bobbin and then taped image to the canvas prepared with lead white and used a rolled up piece of cloth to dust the lines of holes I had poked in it with charcoal so that a dotted charcoal outline was left under it when i removed the taped image)
-next step would have been to trace outline left in charcoal with rabbit skin glue but i ran out of time
PART 5: Painting Image of Still Life
Group Members: Amy Chang & Yuanxie
Date and Time: 3.7
Location: lab
---Methods---
-after a lecture by Erma we proceed to paint our own still lives by building up progressive layers of paint
-we started with a dead layer of pre-prepared acrylic red paint with which we filled in out outlined images, completely covering the outline we had laid down, though they still showed through faintly--we placed this layer on the window sill to dry before the next layer
(it dried quickly as it was acrylic)
-we then decided to create a yellow color by mixing colonial yellow and white chalk in order to paint the striations on the tulip (as it was an image of a red broken tulip with cream-yellow and white striations) by placing the pigment on a flat glass plate then adding linseed oil and mulling it with a glass muller until it was smooth and of homogeneous consistency --we placed this layer on the window sill to dry before the next layer
-in order to create the highlights for the striations we decided to mix some of the yellow pigment we had just created with lead white, which was pre-prepared and from a tube--we placed this layer on the window sill to dry before the next layer
-finally, we added the black need for the stamens and the background with a lamp black and linseed oil combination
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VERDIGRIS LAB
Date: Feb. 8. 2016
Group Members: Amy Chang; Yuanxie Shi
--Safety--
Based on the Chemwatch safety sheet, verdigris causes skin irritation and may be respiratory irritant, also is toxic to aquatic life so need gloves and goggles and will also need to not pour it down the drain, requires a well ventilated area or should be outside. The clean up and waste management will be a bit complex, leave enough time.
--Materials--
2 paint brushes
2 syringes
2 samples of verdigris on copper plates grown with 7% copper acetate
1 small plastic cup for verdigris scraping
1 pallet knife
1 scarping implement
1 white ceramic plate
1 glass plate
paper towels
0.5 ml cold pressed walnut oil
0.5 ml stand walnut oil
1 previously prepared board
--Methods—
1. opened glass jars within which verdigris has been growing on copper plate substrate suspended over 7% acetic acid for the last 2 weeks; removed the copper plates from jar and separate from string, place on white ceramic plate
2. proceeded to use the tip of a palette knife to scrape the verdigris growing on the copper while holding the copper plate over a small plastic cup so as to collect the colored powder; this did not yield much (as was the case with our group) so we switched to placing the copper flat on surface of the white ceramic plate and scraping with the flat edge of the painters pallet then sweeping the powder yielded into small piles and scooping it into the plastic cup with the palette knife
3. once amount of verdigris scrapped was deemed sufficient by a post-doc, it was transferred to the glass plate (which was divided into quadrants with masking tape as we were sharing the working surface with another lab group working with 5% verdigris) with an equal amount of verdigris in each of our quadrants (upper right hand quadrant, and lower right hand quadrant)
4. applied 0.5 mL to of walnut stand oil to the upper right hand quadrant, and 0.5 mL of cold pressed walnut oil to the lower right hand quadrant
5. used muller in figure-8 motion and then circular motion to blend pigment and col-pressed walnut oil in the upper right hand quadrant, then realized our ratio of oil to pigment in both quadrant was too high and scrapped more verdigris to add to each quadrant
6. used clean brush to apply resultant oil paint to square 3A on our board
7. cleaned muller with walnut oil by wiping with paper towel until clean; acquired clean brush
8. repeated steps 5 and 6 for the quadrant containing stand walnut oil with clean equipment but applied results to square 4A on our board
--Discussion & Observations--
-To begin with, one of these copper plates had twice the surface area of the other, and the one with the larger surface area was grown over a heater vs. the other which was left on a window sill. the one grown over a heater grew into a rich teal and was much thicker than the other. The one grown on the window sill did not grow as densely but featured some crystals.
-While making the paint Yuanxie Shi noticed the color yielded looked like turquoise but constituent materials needed are much cheaper.
-When working with the stand oil we felt that the resultant paint was drier
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CULINARY HOME RECONSTRUCTION LAB
Date and Time: 2016.1.31
Group Members: Olivia Clemens & Amy Chang
Location: OC's Kitchen
Field Notes:
https://making-and-knowing.wikischolars.columbia.edu/Olivia+Clemens+-+Field+Notes+SP16
PowerPoint: