For this project, I wanted to try to make a lot of positives because I only really learn things by doing them over and over and over again. I made two molds: one of a flu virus and one of a bottle of hand sanitizer. The flu mold thankfully succeeded while the other failed. I played with plaster and liquid plastic, and discovered the ways in which each settle differently. The plaster easily cracked and took longer to set, while the plastic burned and caked onto my hands for days and hardened quickly. My finished piece, which consists of a pile of silicone with painted flu viruses surrounding it, is a failure to me because my original vision does not shine through. However, I’m glad I went through the monotonous process of casting all the molds because I learned the new technique well. My piece is a commentary on our excessive attempts of defense against sickness but in the end they tend to overcome. And then we’re left with a pile of tissues, dry, crackly hands from overused sanitizer, and gross outfits to survive winter’s cold.