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This is my first experiment with playing a cymatics plate with black powder on white.
The plate is steel, the surface is white enamel and I am sprinkling powdered graphite on the surface before playing it.
Notice how the graphite moves – it looks pretty magical, since you can’t see the grains moving like salt or sand does, it reminds me of black clouds or the way silt moves under water.
I am pretty happy with how this turned out, now the trick is going to be preserving the surface…
{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
Thanks for the link Jodina, i see you having some trouble in achieve a fluid sound with your plaque.
I recomend you to find a way to elevate your support, because you are so close to the floor that you don’t have enough space to play the violin arch all along.
Maybe a cymbal support could be useful.
Take care and keep the good job
bye
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Jodina Meehan Reply:
November 1st, 2009 at 11:21 am
Thank you for the idea to use a cymbal support, Marcelo, I really appreciate you taking the time to write! I will check it out, and see what happens. Have you used a particular type of support for cymatics experiments?
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I agree with Marcelo that you must contrive a really solid support so that the acoustic energy is transferred efficiently from the interaction with the bow. Most graphite powder is more powder-like than particulate-like and Chladni plates work best with particulate matter. In the past I’ve achieved very good results using fine ’sharp’ sand, sieved to about 200 microns, using a professional sieve. (Sharp sand contains lots of angular quartz and feels sharp when rubbed between fingers.You can buy it at any construction supply outlet.) If you also acquire a 500 micron sieve you can color die both grades differently, using proprietary dies used for material (cloth). For example you could die the 200 micron sand red and the 500 micron sand blue. You will find that the heavier sand will naturally lag behind the lighter, creating pretty fringing effects. I advise staying clear of powders, such as graphite or flour as they tend to cling to the surface and are not easily mobilized. Have fun with color! John Stuart Reid
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Jodina Meehan Reply:
November 1st, 2009 at 11:18 am
Thank you, John… I really appreciate the advice. I have been wanting to do more with 2 colors together, and receiving specific instructions and sources for the materials is extemely helpful. (Especially from someone who has such a venerable history working with cymatics!) Thanks again, I will try your suggestions.
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Jodina,
In response to your email. I started experimenting with cymatics about 3 years ago. We built 3 different stations. We powered them with Transducers (Clark Synthesis Gold and Silver) and ran frequencies from a frequency generator thru an amplifier to the transducers.
I wish I could say that I have documented each experiment with pictures and records but we were just fooling around. I am getting a little more serious and by joining, I am looking for what is being done and for what purpose.
My own purposes are to find the frequencies that most closely respond to the platonic solids as I am using different models of them to create energy fields to stimulate physiological responses as well as mental and psychological responses.
We are have a lot of success in our experiments and I feel that the right sounds could take us to still more and greater results.
Thank you, Dane
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Jodina Meehan Reply:
January 12th, 2010 at 3:25 am
That is really interesting! Thank you for writing and telling me about your work. I am actually reading about Kepler and the platonic solids right now, in a book called “The Golden Ratio” about the number phi. How would you find what frequencies respond to the platonic solids…let me know how you are doing that – I would like to keep track of your progress. –Jodina
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If you’re wondering how to fix the image…have you tried using a spray foxative that artists use for pastels??
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Jodina Meehan Reply:
February 8th, 2010 at 3:00 pm
Thanks for the suggestion Wendy. That is exactly what I use to fix these designs, so you are right on with that idea. It works. Thanks for commenting!
–Jodina
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Hehe… I meant to type ‘fixative’, not foxative.
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