November 7 -- back at it again

I missed blogging yesterday because I had a really really hard day.  Sometimes it comes down to me needing to stop fighting the emotion(s) and just surrendering and riding it out then getting back on track...and that is all I want to say about yesterday.

Okay -- this morning I took a look at the totally dry "really wet" collage.  Sue and I looked at it yesterday and each time I turned it and changed the orientation we both saw different creatures...but it was going to need more done to it no matter what.  Today when I turned it I immediately saw two horses...that is what this one is about.  With all of the build up of the matte medium the collage nearly looks like an encaustic (for a brief second).  The color of the green marbled paper is called "Forest" so I think I will be calling these guys Forest Horses, or something along that theme.  

The "really wet" collage is now very dry.

I needed to tear some paper for ears for both of them and a few pieces for faces but I really love this collage (so far).  

These are the shapes I needed to tear new paper for.

The other thing I need to address today is the eye situation for the really long horns guy and for the (former) rocking (horse) creature.  Luckily I think I can dig out the old eyes and replace them with different ones and repair the missing chunks by the time I go to bed.  I cannot afford to let them go much beyond tonight because I am starting to get into crunch time for the plaster cloth to dry and get papered and do the final surface and seal it with a protective coat of varnish if I want to have them in the show and I DO want/need them in the show, for sure!

Here is the (former) rocking (horse) creature with the new eyes already in place.  I am very happy with the way the eyes are "aimed" -- I will never ever get them perfect...I am not a machine, I am not a trained/schooled sculptor...I just make stuff up as I go along.  

The new eyes for the (former) rocking (horse) creature.  They look even better in person.  I don't think the camera can see exactly what a person can.

And here is the really long horns guy.  His eyes were a lot tougher to dig/chisel out.  I wasn't able to save them...the edges cracked and chipped...oh well.  I need to re-figure his forehead, too.

I narrowed my choice down to just these two pairs of taxidermy eyes...the blue ones meant for a carousel horse (in the catalog) that I have are just too large for this guy.

The new eyes are a lot larger than the ones I tried out first.

And here is approximately how he would look with each set of eyes.  Obviously, the goat eyes make all kinds of sense but I think I like the look of the other ones more.

The goat eyes.

The other eyes -- I think they are some kind of big cat eyes.

2015 | Day 124

Day One Hundred Twenty-Four

I have been working on a bunch of things today...a little more on some, less on others...but busy all day and evening...yay.

In no particular order (because I kept coming back to things) I worked on:  the really long horns guy, Biteyou (the original), the 2snake, and -- even though I told myself I was taking a day off from sewing -- the linen snake circles (no photo).

I added some light color to the 2snake so that I would be able to keep track of his back vs his belly when I start to work on him.

I decided that I wasn't happy with the finish of the really long horns guy after all...he needs more work, more spiffing up.

I always get more paint on me than on whatever I'm working on.

He had some areas that needed paper repair as well...and he is getting an overall look to (hopefully) pull him together.

Taking a giant step towards finishing up on the original Biteyou...this is really hard for me.

I need to keep a bunch of stuff going on at once right now.  I have a lot of ideas swimming around and I am jotting them down into my sketchbook but I also need to physically work on several things at once...I just need to.

2015 | Day 123

Day One Hundred Twenty-Three

Today I decided I wasn't happy with the blue background for the 2snake so I gave it a quick sort of diluted black wash.  You can still see a bit of the blue through the black.  I know it won't be staying like this, either.

And I worked more on the linen snake filling in circles.  I did about twice as many as yesterday.  Yesterday I did 3 stripes and today I got through 7 stripes of circles.

And I also took a couple of quick shots of the really long horns guy so that I could print them out and try out colors on him...I think he maybe needs more done to him.  These are just a few ideas so far.

2015 | Day 7

Day Seven

I have spent most of the late afternoon and all evening with the plaster cloth rabbit guy and the really long horns guy.  I have come to the decision to not rush either one of them...I cannot finish them in time for what I had in mind.  I will keep working on them and work towards a deadline in June sometime.  I might enter a couple of collages instead -- still on the fence about it.  I am happy with my decision(s) -- not let down or upset with myself.  I want to do a good job on both of them and there just isn't enough time for this particular upcoming deadline.

This guy needs a lot more work -- I was kidding myself that he is "almost done".  He has a lot of areas that need reinforcing and I still have no solid clue about his outfit.

I love this guy so much.  I spent so much time with him today and I still have no idea of his color scheme.  I need to experiment more with his horns, too...I want him to turn out really well.

Day 99 - 365/2014

Day Ninety-Nine

Why on earth do I insist on making things that need to be painted (at least in part) -- why do I do it to myself -- why don't I just get collaborators to do the painting?  Gah.  I struggle with it so much.

Today I tried to add color to the really long horns guy.  The painting is just a mess...I will need to start over I think.  Then I used paper for the base layer on the horns, thinking I may touch them up with paint or a wash of some sort and painted details.  What is wrong with me?

Before -- how he looked when I was started out today.

unpainted mouth

first color on mouth

two colors on hand

two colors on other hand

trying to do something around his eyes

and then it spread out all over his face

I don't know...I just don't know.

I like this color of mulberry paper for a base layer on the horns...now to tear the paper into tiny pieces.

Really long horns guy sitting on a box on the floor so I can sit to work on his horns.

Ready!

first few pieces of yellow

a little piece of paper

covered!

each horn took one hour

What am I going to do with you, buddy?

Day 96 - 365/2014

Day Ninety-Six

Geez -- what a long day.  My sister and I were half-supposed to run a few errands but they were pushed over to Monday instead and that left me with several "extra" hours and I was determined not to squander them.  Me being me, I ended up overcompensating and I worked pretty much straight through from around 11 to 11:45 with only a couple of short breaks.

Main Project -- really long horns guy.  

I need to get this guy completed...one way or another...even if I end up not submitting him for anything. 

Before -- as he looked at the beginning of the day, ready for the next steps.

I have all of these little tester pots of paint that I would really like to use.  I think the problem is having too many choices, and I simply couldn't settle on a main color.

Another of today's projects:  Grammy needs to be worked on and then finished.

Grammy has a few structural problems...

This arms has a hairline fracture all the way around -- the other arm may also need attention. 

Grammy's tail has to be reattached, too.

And really, she could use a couple more layers of plaster cloth on her dress...plus I am not sure her face is done.  So that felt like waaaaay too much to do today.

More projects/distractions that need attention: 

This really tall rabbit guy -- but I need some preliminary help from someone with tools...shelved (again).

The croc-guy and the tiger-guy -- both too much for today...shelved.

The goat-guy and the working dog...yeah, well...shelved.

The hatchling-guy...this is a doable project but too much for today...shelved.

Another project (nearly finished but in avoidance mode):  the bear-like guy with the long claws.  Actually, this guy originally started out here and here as a sort of Universal Remonster.  That was all the way back in early 2012.  He progressed and at some point he got his long legs and base but I can't seem to locate those posts, and he makes it to here and then I got tired of looking for more.

Really, all this guy needs is to have his base finished off and then have his face area tweaked a bit...and maybe some sort of varnish overall to protect the surfaces.

What I have been stalled about -- the decorative metal strip with raised half circles.  Time to commit.  Choose a color and get to work!

One of the tester pots of paint ("blueberry") looked pretty good...but it will need several coats.

After the first coat...now to dry.

Another project:  the robot-y guy.

I made the fired ceramic head a long time ago...back when I was still living in Southfield and going to a ceramics "class" through Parks and Rec.  He was basically leftover clay that ended up in that shape -- I was practicing with underglazes and had no specific finished item in mind when I worked on the head.  (I made 3 or 4 heads during that session.)  The thing is, I like robots just fine but I don't really make robots myself...I prefer to buy ones that someone else creates.  (Juana is the robot person.)  I pulled out the drawer of little wooden shapes to find a way to finish this guy's look.

Again...too many choices...and I half-liked them all...

...same game pieces...

...or maybe these little wooden bowls...

...yeah...I like them...

...but hey...one could go on top of his head, too...but how to finish that off...

...with one of the sawed-off balls from his original hand/arm pieces...in the bowl...

...on top of the upside down bowl...

...oh, wait...how about stacked bowls for ears...hmmm...

Robot-y guy project, stage two.

Okay...add the stacked bowls as ears...oh man...he's not a robot after all...

...and cover up the robot face...he's a creature guy...

...maybe he needs a nose/muzzle...

...eh...nope...hey, this thing snaps right off...

...turned around with the old back being the new front...now he looks (in person) like he has more like "gonna get you" hands rather than "maybe I could fly" hands...

...and of course he needed a little tail (that had to be really really reinforced and solid)...now he is ready to dry for a while.

Back to the bear-like creature: committing to a finish for the metal strip on the base.

[Gasp] -- I actually found the original paper scraps and I think they will cover that metal strip much better than paint.

Done...but very wet with matte medium...I hope it dries well.

It dried great!  I am very happy with the base now...it will definitely need some sort of protective varnish, though.

Next up (but not today) tweak his face and claws and add the varnish and he's done!

Back to the really long horns guy.

Gah...choosing a color...too many paint choices/hate painting the main body...maybe cover him with paper that I have in abundance...but what color, dammit?  Too red...

...too yellow...

...I like this pale purple/pink that has gold inclusions...but no, it will make me think of plain skin...like his hair fell off and only pink skin remains...

...I have a lot of this paper...and I could paint on top of it for decorative stuff...

...just GO for it...tiny pieces...it takes forever to cover areas well...I was almost upside down in my chair to work on the underneath parts...

...this was a good break point...finished applying paper in tiny pieces all the way around up to his neck.

Back to work after cooking and eating dinner...I started around the eyes...

...and then filled in small sections...

Too bad this photo doesn't show how I was seeing his face...he looked like he really trusted me...LOL

DONE -- with the paper layer...(I think).  I wasn't sure I wanted to paper his ears and fingers or if I just want to paint them...better to get the paper on while he is in this stage...I can always paint over it.  I know I want to/will have to  paint his facial features and his horns (at least).

Ta-daaaa -- the three guys together.