Harnessing the Power of Wax

After some different tests attempting to synthesize color into the plain white wax, a final technique was established.  I found that instead of cutting off a piece of crayon and putting it into the hot wax, that it was better to hold the crayon over the mold and pour the hot wax over it.  This allows some of the color to be pulled from the crayon but not over saturate the wax block. Colored wax, not an issue.

With the technique for coloring wax, and wax in general down, I could start to better recognize what I wanted to achieve with my final casting.  Roofs. The connection between what is underground and above ground.  The connection I have been struggling to establish.

I decided a 9 x 9 mold would be an adequate size for the casting, giving enough space to place the colored blocks into the wax.  The process is relatively simple except for the fact that wax being placed into hot wax is not exactly the best idea.  It starts to melt.  Some shapes began to go limp, so I had to pull them out and allow the wax to cool for a few minutes before placing them in. So after a thin layer of wax starting forming on the surface the blocks were placed.  I had earlier decided that wherever the pieces of colored wax would protrude above the clear wax would be where the building and ground would relate.

Success! After letting the wax set up and harden for about an hour I trimmed away the sides of the mold, allowing the sides of the wax to get air and even further dry out. Shortly after the rest of the mold was removed and I was left with a large chunk of wax with other pieces of colored wax sticking out of it into space.  The effect of this casting is even further heightened when placed on a light table, or simply illuminated from behind.  When the clear wax is lit up it becomes more transparent.  On the interior of the mold there are pieces that do not come above the surface, they can be seen when light is put to it giving a sense of spatiality to the mold.

The finished product.

Finally the battle with wax came to an end.

Please watch the floor near my desk and surrounding areas...its slippery.