New fairy...and Preparation for class!

ok...back in action...I decided to just be a "starving artist" this summer! I am closing my ebay store next week ...until summer ends...I'll just sell a little mohair when i feel like it!

I already started on a new Fairy ...She ends up having a meek ...gentle disposition, so now i have to decide what she will wear and what she will be doing. Maybe after I "make her face up"..the personality may change...I dont see that happening though.

But now I had to put her aside, to prepare for our upcoming class in two weeks. We will be having Stacey Clark, an artist from Pennsylvania that did a "MAGICAL" exhibit in a PA museum. We were all so fascinated by the techniques she used to paint and texturize her fabric and doll faces and bodies...also her free motion combined with mediums to create beautiful texture on the dolls clothes, accessories and lifelike animals. We asked her if she would come teach...and she was thrilled!

We will be doing THE OLD LADY IN THE SHOE...you know the one with all of the kids?! (UGH!) haha..So I have started my prep work.....I am doing my childrens heads/upper bodice in paper clay...so i get to work in clay, but paint them like they were fabric! Paperclay painted dolls with varnish on them..remind me of "OLDEN DAY" dolls...so that is the look i'm going for..shiny faces!!!

I made 3 polymer heads, and then made rubber molds. I used the molds to create paper clay heads. The paperclay comes out of the mold a very flat...so you have to redefine everything...but its still waaayyyy!! faster than going from scratch...I created 7 new paperclay heads in 2 days...that is BIG for me...i'm kind of slow at sculpting. I then made little upper torsos out of styrofoam and foil. Then i covered them with paperclay...attaching the heads...Check it out.... (Iam learning some of these paperclay techniques from a book i sent for : Dollmaking with Papier mache and paper clay by Doris Rockwell Gotilly. The book is about 10 years old, but it has amazing photos and techniques...i love this book!)

I also found an old pair of black boots at the flea market for 5 bucks! for my shoe..i can alter it to make it look better...BUT I also foumd these very cool OLD she lasts..hmmm. i was thinking...maybe i can cover one with paper mache and make my own shoe!!!! ok..i may not REALLY have time todo that..but it is a very Cool idea!!!