Batu Berlian...

The brothers had travelled on foot for weeks in search of the mythical 'Batu Berlian' or 'Rock of Diamonds'. Geological records correlate with legendary accounts to point to an huge earthquake that happened in the early 15th century with shaped mountains and cut huge crevasses into the landscape. The Batu Berlian was concluded to have been ejected from the earth's crust during this quake landing at the bottom of a temperate oasis in the heart of the country.

Their quest was long and used up almost all their resources. It was the culmination of years of research following up on sparse and vague details and accounts. They were hungry and exhausted, driven on not only by the allure of the legendary beach ball sized diamonds the Batu Relian was meant to contain but the facination of tracking down the stone through folklore stories, scattered whispers and rumours they'd come across.

They were on the brink of resignation to failure when then the came upon the clearing deep in the bowels of the country slightly out of character from the surrounding lands as if the stone itself had influenced it's local climate. Carving it's own tiny eco-system.

The sight was one to be seen and they set about completing their quest.

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My last [ur=http://www.blipfoto.com/view.php?id=290752&month=4&year=2009]plasti-scene[/url] mananged to more or less last the best part of a year before it came to a bitter end under the shoe of an unsuspecting window cleaner. This piece was bourne out of being handed these wee plastic diamonds which were table decorations at Marti and Tilde's wedding last week. I love making something out of curious wee objects and I love plasticine which I can't believe it has taken me 30 odd years to properly take notice of.

If you'd like to see this more or less in the flesh, it is easily visible at Standard Life House in Edinburgh at the revolving door staff entrance under the building off Lothian Road.

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Materials:
plasticine
hobby wire
plastic diamonds
starbucks coffee stirrers
and a match