A Squish Come True Mission

As many people, I enjoy squeezing and playing with tactile objects.

Even when the object is not tactile, I still can't help but wanting to grab it, especially if its design appears cute, colourful and fun.

Throughout my life, I would frequently be denied access to various trinkets that sparked my interest, and be given the questionable explanation that "they could break". As an adult, I still get fascinated when I see pretty objects, and instinctively reach for them to find out their texture. I can relate to kids when they get told off for trying to grab things and examine them closely. At the same time, I can see where the concern comes from: not only can things break, but they can also hurt!

In addition, I am quite messy, and my desire to preserve gadgets and gifts in their pristine state is largely defeated by the tendency to move things around, drop them inadvertently, misplace them after use, make space for new ones, etc.

 

I have always liked silicone for its soft and stretchy texture. It deals well with stress (which is a skill I envy), it bounces if you drop it, it's waterproof and washable, and it can potentially take any shape when poured into a mould. Silicone rubber is a sort of "plastic" made of long chains of Silicon ("Si" on the periodic table of the elements). Well that's enough science. 

It has an oily texture, and it mixes well with oily pigments, but also powder pigments. Can be thickened into a paste, can be thinned to become more fluid, can be very hard or very soft, can be sprayed with an airbrush or squeezed through a piping bag. Only limit is: time. Crafting with silicone means having a time limit to use it, and a time to wait for any next step. But with a bit of research, solutions can be found to work around these constraints.

Working with silicone has allowed me to create pretty designs without necessarily being good at freehand art. It has also allowed me to put my scientific skills and my researcher mindset into good use: have fun finding tricks and strategies to bring my ideas to life, and create objects that can preserve their beauty through time, stressed grown-ups and curious children.