In this episode of Return to Nature, Melissa interviews Emily Blythe Jones about eco mold-making materials and methods. An interdisciplinary artist specializing in sustainable sculpting methods and materials, Emily has researched and experimented with natural materials like glycerin, gelatin, and agar to successfully create molds for casting sculptures that are not only reusable, but also recyclable.
She and her husband founded Meatspace Communion in 2020, a marriage of their love of technology and sculpture, with a mission to create unique and bespoke trophies, awards, and memorials through environmentally sustainable methods while educating artists on practices for the elimination or minimization of waste by creating with what is usually destroyed.
Emily Shares:
- Her formal training as a painter that opened her mind to more eco-conscious practices
- How eco-friendly materials can actually be more affordable in addition to less toxic
- Her curiosity to know the formulations behind sculpting products that led her to discover more eco methods
- How Jonni Good’s Ultimate Paper Maché videos and Ken’s Observations Blog influenced her.
- The standard methods of sculpting, molding, and casting, their pros and cons, and their relatively brief history of use
- A wax-based clay called Relix
- Drawing inspiration from techniques of Moulage (french for casting or moulding), a 16th century art form of applying mock injuries
- All about glycerin-gelatin molds and what you can cast in them
- The use of methyl cellulose as a casting additive, available from Natural Earth Paint
- Her love for teaching and how her healing journey has meant changing what teaching looks like for her
- How her discoveries of eco-conscious materials and techniques was motivated by finding more affordable options
- The backlash from more seasoned professionals about trying these eco-friendly methods, even though they have a longer and richer history
- Meatspace Communion’s plans to create edutainment using these materials to teach others how to use them
- How slowing down because of chronic health issues has impacted her practice
- Jaklin Romine, an artist who has advocated for disability aid within gallery spaces
- How these eco materials and their sourcing has changes throughout time
- What Agar is and how it can be used in eco mold-making
- Jack Rich’s book, The Materials and Methods of Sculpture
- Cory Morrison, who makes paper with natural materials like okra and grass
- Andy Wahl, a ceramicist from Arizona who sources earth pigments for clay
You can connect with Emily personally + through Meatspace Communion:
Website: www.meatspacecommunion.com or emilybjones.com
instagram: @meatspacecommunion or @emilyblythejones
Intro/Outro music by Ken Belcher
Sound Mixing by Andrew Pals
