The process of constructing my gelatine brain, I found to be quite enjoyable, and something I may further experiment with.
I began soaking gelatine in a cold water for five minutes, then placing it into a measured amount of water, in a pan. I put it on a low heat and began to stir until the gelatine dissolved.
I wanted to first experiment with doing some small gelatine moulds, before starting with the brain mould. I poured the gelatine mixture into the small moulds and allowed to cool, before putting in the fridge overnight.
Once the gelatine had set, I made another gelatine mixture using the same process, but adding food colouring, so that I could create green leaves that echo towards the Bacopa Monnieri plant.
Through using a syringe and some sculpting tools, I injected the green gelatine solution, and left to cool for a few hours, until it became jelly-like but not too stiff.
I began injecting the green jelly into the clear gelatine mould to create the flowering effect, as close enough to the Bacopa Monnieri plant. Upon injecting the jelly, I found that it wasn’t as visible within the jelly, and I could only see faint lines of green.
Based on this failed experiment, I did some further research, and found using milk instead of water, would work better. I started again and used milk instead; I found the outcome to be much better, and I could see the delicate leaf patterns into the gelatine.
After experimenting with the small moulds, I moved onto to the large brain mould. My idea was to create small flowers in the gelatine, in a specific area of the brain, and have it spread out more.
Once I had created this design, it was time to remove it from the mould. I did struggle doing this, as the mould was quite large. I began submerging the brain mould in a hot water bath, for a few minutes. I then tipped it out onto a plate. Sadly, the top half of the brain remained in the mould, so it didn’t quite look like a brain, however I liked the leaf pattern, and the delicacy of the leaves.
Based on this experiment, I feel next time I will submerge the brain mould in hot water for longer, so that the gelatine wouldn’t stick as much. Overall, I found this experiment to be key in the development of my practice, and something that I can develop further.
