November 2021 - Orb in Neapolitan Terrazzo
For this month, I wanted to do a new terrazzo candle. I got a rust-colored dye a few weeks ago that I like a lot. I'm working on a terracotta colorway right now (skewed more red than a plant pot and slightly lighter) but I haven't figured out the perfect combination. This candle was good practice, though.
Recently it's begun to bother me that my regular terrazzo has the colors grouped together rather than scattered. I was trying to remember if I'd tried a scattered version and I'm almost certain I did. I guess I just didn't like it as much. Anyway, I've been wanting to do a new terrazzo with scattered colors and smaller pieces. I think the orb shape displays that kind of pattern best (just like the portal shape displays the cloudy pattern best in my opinion).
For all of the terrazzo candles, I mix the colors for the chunks first. Here I did white, light pink, and a medium brown. I pour just enough to cover the bottom of the molds (any molds--in fact, the more mold variations you use, the more diverse your pieces will be). Once they harden I break them up into smaller pieces. I prepare the orb mold by coating the inside with a thin layer of an oil and Vaseline mixture to keep it the wax from sticking to it. This is a much more important step when the mold has corners (e.g. the arch shape) but it's a good habit to keep regardless. I thread my cotton wick through both sides of the mold using a blunt needle. I check each chunk to make sure that the side I'm pressing into the mold is completely flat and then arrange them how I want. After that, I pour a small amount of the rust filler color at about 145 degrees and quickly press the chunks down, eliminating any air in between them and the mold. This is a really important step to make sure the candle has a totally smooth surface. Once each piece has been pressed down, I fill the mold up to the top and let it harden. After a couple of hours I remove it from the mold and use a piece of cheesecloth to buff the surface and edges.
I think this one came out really well. It's rare to be able to work with an actual color pattern rather than just a single contrasting colors. The terrazzo candles are by far the most difficult and time-consuming of the candles I make, but I think the effect looks really great. The cloudy candles will always be my favorite, possibly because they're simple and forgiving while still including an artistic process (unlike solid color candles).
