Caffeine

It's done, just like I planned! 

The french knots for the oxygen atoms are bigger than the ones for nitrogen even. I hope you have a great day full of exploration. Enjoy the holidays. 😊

Caffeine and Molecular Representation

It's cold and dark. At the moment I am dependent on caffeine to function. Seriously, my collection of teas is expanding so much they're spilling from our shelves to the counter.

I want to create some felting/embroidery in appreciation, but right now I'm working through how I want it to look. There's the bond-lines formula, line drawing, dashes and wedges, bubbles...(excuse me for a sec, **flashbacks to orgo**). 

I'm thinking of embroidering a line drawing, but instead of  O and N on the non-hydrocarbon portions I'll use french knots in CPK coloring invented by Corey and Pauling (1952, Caltech). Check out the references below for more info on molecular representation history and conventions.

(I'll link here to where I post after I finish)

Corey Pauling Rules

CPK Coloring

History of Molecular Models

Software for Molecular Modeling

Love Will Keep Us Together

My office had some old 1970s faux paneling that had to go. When I took it off look what I found underneath! I wonder who J+M were and what their story was.

"Love will keep us together." -by J+M

What stories would your walls tell if they could talk? Keep exploring!

Embers in the Hearth

I had to put a quick post out with the beautiful embers from my fire tonight.

It brings to mind one of may favorite quotes by author Karen Hesse. “Sometimes, a flame can be utterly extinguished. Sometimes, a flame can shrink and waver, but sometimes a flame refuses to go out. It flares up from the faintest ember to illuminate the darkness, to burn in spite of overwhelming odds.”

Keep fighting, keep dreaming, keep exploring, and never give up!

Felt 2: Adult Felt and Fibers

Apparently, when most people think of felt they imagine the cheap synthetic fabric sheets found in the kiddie craft section of stores. Now there is nothing wrong with this fabric used for the right purpose, especially since there are now ecofelts made from post consumer recycled plastics. But it's scratchy and this is what can eventually happen:

Technically, felt is any non-woven cloth that is produced by matting, condensing and pressing fibers. But the most beautiful, touchable, dynamic ones are made from natural fibers! The most common natural fiber felt is wool, and rolls can be easily found for purchase. Angora, mohair, silk, bamboo, and other plant fibers can be used and blended in a custom piece. These felts can be soft, silky, firm, flexible and gorgeous. 

A NOTE ABOUT WOOL: When I mention wool some people freak out ("I'm allergic!"). Wool is actually hypoallergenic, and since it is composed of the same proteins as human hair and fingernails it is rare (though not impossible) that someone has an allergy to wool. Some of the dyes and fiber blends used in wool clothing will irritate some people's skin. 

Wool felt is both slow to absorb moisture and is made from interlocked fibers that allow air flow, so dust mites avoid it. Since dust mites are the most the common cause of allergies and triggers for asthma attacks, wool is actually a good choice for those bothered by general allergies. The fibers also have a high concentration of fatty acids, keeping it from mildewing or retaining odors. Another great advantage to wool is that it is both ecologically and animal friendly. It is a natural and sustainable resource. 

Move beyond the kiddie craft aisle and enjoy exploring the world of luxurious grown up felt!

Felt 1: History

Felt 3: Fabric Art and Feminism

Felt 1: History

I love working with felt. Of all artistic mediums, it is one of the most ecofriendly. It is also the oldest form of fabric known to mankind. There have been fascinating finds from the prehistoric Neolithic period (6500-6300 B.C), along with the Bronze and Iron Ages.

Felt, leather, fur, hair and gold Scythian saddle cover dating 305-288 BCE.

Felt is good at keeping people warm and dry, so people all over Asia and Europe have used felt. Roman soldiers used felt pads as armoured vests, felt tunics, felt boots, and felt socks. By about 500 AD, the Vikings, further north, made felt blankets too. Nomadic tribes in central Asia are known to have worked together in communities to produce felt tents (yurts) and blankets.

Yurt via The Travelling Teacher http://welshmattsmith.blogspot.com/2011/10/kazakhstan-first-yurt.html

The felting process from ancient times is still used today, and it is how I create my custom felt pieces. An aesthetic link through millennia of human experience, felt has a beautiful versatility that allows it to be an exciting medium to invent and create with today. For inspiration see these beautiful sculptures from one of my favorite artist, Marjolein Dallinga.

Red Moss Sculture by Marjolein Dallinga

Felt 2: Adult Felt Fibers

Felt 3: Fabric Art and Feminism