Anthropomorphic… Say What?

I'm up for a challenge and here's the sneak peek!

That is... Art Doll Quarterly's doll challenge: "anthropomorphic"

My doll is titled" "right church… wrong pew!"

I have the body armature ready to cover with handmade

mulberry papers and paper maché paste,

the head is sculpted with paper clay (what else?)

I hope to incorporate some paper clay "tail feathers" on his little rump,

a rusty heart and pieces of this-and-that.

This "bird boy" is standing in a natural fiber nest,

which is balancing on a wooden bird-stand.

My hope: a whimsical delight!

Angels… for the Shadow Children!

Well, well, well… they are finished!

With their ruddy complexions and "Anne with an 'E'" red hair…

These guys are ready to come alongside and cheer!

As a three-some… they are a hoot! (a perfect pic for a new "header")

Each one has his own personality… 

To lighten a burden, encourage a broken heart…

And some of "us" are a bit more serious than we need to be!

My heartfelt thanks for taking this journey with me…

Blessings! Daryle

Head…to…Toes! (Uh, "Halo to Base")

From the top of his halo to the bottom of his base;

each of the angels of the shadow children are coming together.

It's kind of a funky, fun combination of paper maché, applied

papers, theater gauze with paper maché paste, hardware cloth,

black Gesso, and acrylic paints…  all mixed into a couple applications.

I even decided to apply some theater gauze on his head for hair!

And the base is a combination of stenciled checkerboard,

applied tissue papers and a coffee stained, computer generated

 image of a vintage skeleton key and the word "angel"…

This guy's two "brothers" are at the same point in production,

but have different colors applied to their bodies.

(angelic) Personalities Emerge...

The individual personalities are beginning to emerge…

these angels of the shadow children. (this guy's my favorite!)

I went ahead and sculpted their heads, inserted and

glued in place their wooden wings and round wooden beads

which will serve as shoulders.

Adding paper maché and layers of theater gauze is next!

Revisiting the Angels of the Shadow Children

Early last November, I posted my plans for working on a new series of dolls I have called: "Engel der Schatten Kinder"… (German) which translated is: "the Angel of the Shadow Children."

Katie and I, along with our daughter Emily, attended a three-week workshop with Virginia Fry on grief and loss in the lives of children and their families. In that workshop, she explained that Hospice care in Germany during the past ten years has recognized the forgotten voice of the siblings of terminally ill children.  These children, young and old alike, often “fall into the shadows” during this time of grief and loss.

With that in mind, I have re-worked my original design for the series of three angels of the“schatten kinder” among us; their guardians, of sorts…   In the following ancient Hebrew text taken from Isaiah 49:15...  I am reminded that we, like they, are not forgotten, nor left in the shadows.  It reads: “Can a woman forget her nursing child and have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, but I will not forget you."

And so… once again, inspired by the work of Russian artist Roman Shustrov…  I will begin working with traditional paper maché paste and strips of newspaper applied to these newest fabric, wood and wire mesh armatures.  Their heads will be sculpted with paper clay over the Styrofoam armature.  

I have also included in the design of this angel a vintage metal key hole complete with a vintage skeleton key.  Arms… will be optional!

Those Folk Art "Roots" Surface Again!

This guy has been so much fun… rekindling my love of

folk art and all things simple!

His body, arms, legs, and head are cotton duck cloth…

with paper clay applied over the cloth for his nose, eye brows, ears, 

and upper lip.  He still needs a lower lip and a bit of a chin!

Next, I will base-coat this guy entirely and then…

figure out what his top coat will be!

While the paper clay was still damp, I took a small piece of

the duck cloth and wet it… then gently pressed it into the damp

paper clay features, in an attempt to repeat the texture and blend

the seams between the cloth and the clay.

Burrrr… A Chill in the Air!

Winter seems to have a real stronghold on South Jersey this year!

Our backyard patio area… under fresh snow,

with the windchill temp hovering at zero…

Did I say "Burrrrr"?

New Year's Blessings to you and yours!