365/2013 - Day 131

a whole lotta pictures to show just a couple of things

First -- the mixed media collage/painting by Claudia Roulier that I have been waiting for arrived today!  This is alternately known as "The Bear and the Bird" and/or "The Juggler".  Whatever its title, I absolutely love this little bear!  You can see its beginnings in this blog post.  I have admired Claudia Roulier's work for such a long time.  I have an ATC or two by her but this is my first "real" piece of art by Claudia.  I am SO thrilled. 

I am not sure just yet where this sweet little guy's permanent space will be, but for now he is hanging in my studio where I can look at him.  I almost can't stand how much I love this piece.

Okay...next...I am really hurting physically from yesterday's work on the croco-creature.  I have been trying to deal with stuff today using various methods but mostly I have been trying to be content to just be at least partially comfortable...I will happily settle for that.  So, just in case I could (or couldn't) work on something plaster cloth-wise late this afternoon, I at least tidied up my work space in the wet studio.  I know it doesn't look like much but it took a fair amount of time.

I finally ended up with the old standby of elevation/medication/relaxation and I watched Zoolander for the millionth time.  By the time it was over I was needing something to do.  Then I thought of something -- I will need to find a way to display "Quillz" at West of Center.  Better to work that out now rather than get frantic about it as the drop off day gets closer.

That "large" (but actually really not big enough) doll chair that I got online to take photos of Quillzy is just not going to work out.  I would have to actually sew him into it and try to hide the securing threads.  I was looking around in the studio and I thought I had a piece or two of a cut up tomato cage.  The piece that worked the best is shown below.  I would have to sew him at his shoulders to the tomato cage rim and I could wrap it or paint it to dress it up a little...but I am not all that happy with it.

the "doll chair" I won't be using for this purpose

In this stand/holder his head has the potential to flop to the side a bit.  If someone played with him his head could flop backwards and the whole thing could possibly fall over.  AND I don't really want to wrap another tomato cage -- even one this small/cut up.  AND I really don't want to sew him to it.

Then I was looking out the window at the dying thistles (yay) and I got a glimpse of one of the taller gaze ball stands.  I brought it in and tried it but Quillz would have to be sewn to it and if it is turned upside down to accommodate his odd shape the stand gets tippy.

Then I thought I would re-try the tomato cage that I originally decorated to hold him at the Spirits exhibit at Woods Gallery.  While I like this cage, I find it a bit of a distraction...and the way I had him displayed in it for that show was cool but I don't know if I would have the same sort of pedestal set up again (with a thick piece of glass to account for the width of the tomato cage)...plus it was tricky tying the ribbons to him...he slipped a bit and needed adjusting at times.  But I fooled around with it and I figured out I could sew him at the shoulders to the cage and he would hang okay.

While I like him better like this (vs the hanging from ribbons one tier down) I find this cage a little bit distracting.  I also think it makes him look too much like a toy.  He kind of/sort of is a toy, but he is mostly an art doll...and he isn't really priced as a play-with-me kind of toy.

THEN when I was in my studio I spotted a stand I got at a resale shop.  I am not sure which way it is supposed to be used, but I like it with the big circle at the bottom because it is really stable that way.  And guess what -- I can just drop Quillzy down into the stand and he does not move at all.  His head doesn't flop, he is fully supported.  I would feel the need to paint the curly parts of the stand a matte black (I think).  Yes, they could be slightly distracting from some angles but really when you are looking down on him you really don't even notice them -- I think it is because he looks so effortlessly supported.  PLUS in this stand/holder he is at a good height for younger art lovers to view (and not get dislodged).

Oh...another thing about this stand...I feel that it gives Quillz more of an art vs toy look.  The stand is sort of ornate but understated.  The curly parts of legs aren't really supporting his head -- it is more that his body is held in place by the long vertical parts of the stand's legs.  I am leaning more towards this stand...maybe I will paint it, maybe I will leave it...but probably I will paint it...matte black.