Badger & Gannet
Casts of two different animals, the badger and the gannet.
Wax casts
Since I worked hard on making my plaster mould for slip casting, I am going to do some wax casting. I have to make sure that I soak the mould and make sure that it is sealed before pouring in the melted wax. Helen even suggested that I could add colour with the addition of wax crayons or oil pastels to add colour to the wax. I also thought that I could make them into candles because they are often used within ritualistic practices, also it means that I can add another sensory element.
Candles
Candles are often used within rituals as a form of light, the element of fire, or as a symbol. I decided to make skull candles to honour this part of a ritual and as a symbol for the many animals lost because of mankind. I decided to use the badger skull because of their simpler shape, but with some lovely detailing of the teeth. The gannet skull has the perfect shape to make a new version of a tapered candle.
To make the candles, I used my badger and gannet plaster moulds with melted soy wax. The making of the candles had its ups and downs. The badger skull went incredibly well and worked pretty instantly. Whereas the gannet skull was much harder. It took me several tries to get anywhere close to a full cast as it would keep breaking and breaking my mould too. But, eventually I got to a happier place with it. The Scents :
G A N N E T S K U L L C A N D L E
B A D G E R S K U L L C A N D L E
The ritual of lighting a candle. A documentation of the element of fire (the flame) devouring the wax.
