"Art Is" Dr Suess Theme for 2011 Swap



Original simple polymer sculpt with 2 paperclay "Copies"





10 Heads and 20 arms!





Cindy Lou from the Grinch Movie



Brush your mold with powder, smooth the paperclay into a thick disk



Press the paperclay disk into the mold, Press in the foil "skull"



An easier start to a paperclay doll when creating a "Series" 



So it seems that I needed to just dive in and start my "Art Is" swap ornaments.  They are due in August...but I know I am a huge procrastinator, and I am trying to change! HAHA.  I put all my wire joint doll projects aside to at least start the swap...Now that I have the beginning of 10 Cindy Lou dolls from the "Grinch"......heads, and arms....I have gained momentum, I can actually breath a bit easier... 

I knew this would be a lot of work...but the deal is, you make 9 swaps (I made an extra to keep!).  When you get to Art Is and you receive your registration "packet", you also receive a package with 8 handmade ornaments (the 9th one goes to Marlene Halveron for The HoneyComb Cottage Project )  How exciting is this...to open 8 handmade gifts,  and Know that one of my pieces of art will go to a beautiful human cause!  Oh My Gosh! I cant wait..So I"m workin at it, every chance I get!

I am designing the dolls using a picture of Cindy Lou from the "Grinch Movie".    This little character inspires me to try and remember to be loving and compassionate even under "not the best circumstances"...  I sculpted one simple face from polymer, and then made a mold.  This helps me to create 10 dolls a little quicker , for this type of Project.  Now.... dont get me wrong...you cant just stick a wad of paperclay and pull it out of the mold and ...Wha lahh! you have a sculpted head!  NO...it comes out pretty flat and there is work involved...but at least you have a start, to a doll (for me...the START is the Hardest part!!! ). From there I add bits of clay, building the face up and smoothing it out.  AND Then....Its your original doll....you made the original face and mold...so there is No CHEATING involved!!! haha

Cuddling "Moon" while working on 10 faces!

For the head...after lightly dusting the mold with powder, I smooth a piece of paper clay into a disk and fit it into the head mold.  I then take a tiny foil "scull" on a piece of armature wire, and push it into the center of the mold (creating a nice solid armature), halfway down into the paperclay.  I then pull the clay with the armature out of the mold, and add some more clay to create the back and top of the head,  When I get the right shape, I start to add my details and let it dry.  I am constantly adding wet clay to the already dry face, perfecting the details.  I love the way you can take away and add to paperclay....and after sanding , smoothing and painting...no one really knows what you did, if you were in turmoil, if there is a "fix it" going on, they just see the end result!!! 

So now that the heads are completed and smoothed, the arms are created but have to be refined.....then I will create the legs and then the neck/bodices...I think they mill have a ball joint swivel head. I'll have to see how it goes!    



Lot of "refining" work, But it"s a start!