Material Studies
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Making Orchid Glue
16 c. Drawing of chichiltictepetzacuxochitl. by Dr. Francisco Hernandez (epiphytic orchid Laelia autumnalis) 16 c. Drawing of amatzauhtli by Dr. Francisco Hernandez (epiphytic orchid Encyclia pastoris) Photography of Laelia pseudo-bulbs. More to come…
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Feather Collection
Collecting feathers has been a huge hurdle due to strict and important laws in place that prevent the illegal poaching of birds such as the Fishing and Wildlife Services Act. In the collection of feathers for our mosaic, it was important to us to source our feathers as ethically as possible rather than buy them…
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Iridescence and Communication Signals
Right: Ouetzaltototl, Pharomachrus mocinno, Resplendent Quetzal In nature, iridescence is an optical phenomenon often found in nature in butterfly wings, mother of pearl, insect exoskeletons, scales, and bird feathers. On iridescent surfaces, color shifts with changes in the angles of observation and illumination. The phenomenon is often caused when multiple semi-transparent surfaces interact, modulating the…
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Two Gesso Recipes
For gessoing the wood panel, we used art conservator Lorraine Brevig’s recipe. 1 oz rabbit skin glue10 oz distilled waterGilder’s whiting Clearcole is thin hide glue mixed with a small amount of whiting. Applied warm to size the raw wood of the panel.Heat water and glue until dissolved. Pour warm hide glue into large warmed…