Thinking of the foundlings who, on admission to the hospital, were bathed and baptised and given new names and identities in an attempt to make them clean physical and spiritually.  

I started back at City Lit's 'developing practise' course last autumn.  Students choose an object or museum collection with which we would like to work so, almost inevitably, I chose The Foundling Museum in London. The museum is close to the site of the old Foundling Hospital which was founded in the 18th century and continued to take in children for almost 300 years.   The museum gives a glimpse of  what life was like for children whose mothers could not care for them and you can't help but be moved by the stories told. I go there a lot. 

Research mapping…. it's a slow ( but enjoyable) process  pulling threads from so many sources and I tend to do the majority of it before I start the practical stuff. Then (my favourite part) I just disengage the brain and let the hands take over..  

'Did you know?'
fabric, paper, found box

“Did you know", Matilda said suddenly, "that the heart of a mouse beats at the rate of six hundred and fifty times a second?"
I did not," Miss Honey said smiling. "How absolutely fascinating. Where did you read that?"
In a book from the library," Matilda said. "And that means it goes so fast that you can't even hear the separate beats. It must sound like a buzz."
It must," Miss Honey said.”
 
Roald Dahl


Have to confess to using a little artistic licence in changing the quote slightly as, in fact, a mouse's heart beats at 650 times a minute.

The mouse took on several forms before the final one.

'What she needed'
Japanese paper, ink, lace

"What she needed was just one person, one wise, sympathetic grown-up who could help her."
Roald Dahl

The text, taken from the book, is all the mean things said to or about Matilda.

You are not alone.

cigar box, various found objects

“So Matilda’s strong young mind continued to grow, nurtured by the voices of all those authors who had sent their books out into the world like ships on the sea. These books gave Matilda a hopeful and comforting message: You are not alone.”  Roald Dahl


I wanted to create a box of treasure that Matilda might have gathered together. Each object with its own significance. Amongst others there is a page from one of her favourite books- Jane Eyre, a jar of kind words and photos of all her favourite authors watching over her.

She devoured one book after another.
Chocolate, gold leaf.

‘She devoured one book after another.’ Roald Dahl

In order to cast the book I had to temper the chocolate. If not done correctly you end up with streaky, white, crumbly, chocolate and not what I was looking for. Tempering involved heating the chocolate to specific temperature, cooling and reheating. It was not as easy as it sounded in theory. Five different methods, three  thermometers, several kilos of chocolate and ten attempts left me with one usuable book.


These are a few of the fails...

Several prototypes were made using various papers and gold or silver leaf.

'Books of the Unexpected' is showing at Craft in the Bay, Cardiff  from 13th September until 2nd November 2014

http://www.makersguildinwales.org.uk/whats-on/exhibitions/details/325-artists-books

Tiny paper shoe 'footnotes'