Amanda Avery OBDF blog

 Over the reading week, I laser-cut the sections to create the finished prism shape. Over rrading week I also researched ways I could cover up the back sides of the coloured mirror, so it was not the gray flat colour that it is sold as. I experimented with metallic acrylic paint, but it was not as reflective as I would have liked. I searched for some reflective mylar, but it was either too expensive or sold in much larger quantities than I needed for this project. Eventually, I decided to use coloured foil transfer sheets. I went with this option as they are sold in smaller, more affordable quantities, are still reflective, and are sold in various colours, meaning there is more creative freedom to experiment with them in this regard. However, one of the major roadblocks I had with the transfer sheets was that they were not adhering to the back of the mirror. I tried applying pressure to them, but they only stuck in some areas and flaked off in others. I tried sticking them first wi...

 This week, I finished the plan for the laser cutter. This includes colour coding the poly curves, labelling each slice, and completing the inserts for the pieces of the prism that slot into each other. I have also received the acrylic that I plan to laser cut. Pending any feedback from one-on-one meetings this week, I am prepared to laser cut either later in the week or over the reading week break. Another project component is projecting light onto the prism so that the mirrors bounce the light around the room. This week, I have been working on creating this footage. To do this, I have made a straightforward Maya scene in which a camera looks down on a polygon with a mirror material applied to the inside and an area of light. When rendered, this creates a kaleidoscope effect. I then created a polygon plane and applied a material to it so that an image would bounce around the mirrors. To make the rendered image, I took a picture of the scale model of the prism I had built into Phot...

 This week, I have been plotting out the plan for the laser cutter in Rhino. I built the Kandinsky-inspired sculpture and a smaller version of the light prism.  Kandinsky-inspired foam core mock-up small prism foam core mock-up Choosing these two models will allow me to achieve my vision for this project while remaining affordable. This week, I searched for places to buy the mirrored acrylic material I needed. I found an affordable business in Toronto that gave me enough material to work with. I ordered three sheets of coloured acrylic mirror 12 ''X 24'' and one section of two-way acrylic mirror 24 ''X 24''. I wanted the mirror to be two-way, as it would create more diverse reflections/ refractions in the finished sculpture. The next thing I did after that was hop into Rhino and lay out the triangular pieces on templates so I would know how each piece would fit into each section. After laying them out, I realized I had enough space to build a small prism...