Thursday, July 3, 2025

Ornithological Oddities...


Inspired by "Artemis"... 
who won first place in the sculpture division 
at the Salem County Senior Art Show,
and now is on his way to the N.J. State Show.

Imagine a creature... 
(with a bird’s body and a person’s facial features) 
a creature that exists between realms; 
the earthly and the ethereal. 
Begin by shaping the form of a bird; 
poised peacefully or perhaps pensively? 
Allow the wire to serve as both armature and expression. 
Now focus on the head: sculpt a human face from paper clay. 
Let the face carry emotion and perhaps a bit of mystery; 
peaceful, haunting, calm or quietly knowing. 
Do not focus on “perfection”… rather, create a face 
that is both expressive and exaggerated. 
Emphasize texture wrinkles, cracks, folds; 
give it soul and a voice.

This new class is going to be an incredible journey 
of creative possibilities!

The class is FULL... Thanks for stopping by!

Friday, June 6, 2025

Playing with Paper Clay!

 

I love the process... of becoming!


Artemis... is the third and final 
anthropomorphic figure in the series.


A little color... helps define his finer features (wink!)


In the beginning... paper clay & wire!

Saturday, February 17, 2024

A new five-week class... what a hoot!

 

Tuesday, July 11, 2023

Home is Where the Heart is...

Humble beginnings...

Measure six times... cut once (or twice)!

Adding some rusty old screen to the door and windows...

Love my Gesso...

And then the twigs... lots of twigs!

Our Hydrangea bush has given up last year's dead wood...

More twigs...

Cardboard roof tiles...

Here... there... and everywhere!

Lots and lots and lots of roof tiles...

A BIG SHOUT OUT... to the Creative Mom for her
inspiring DIY "Cardboard Fairy House Using Twigs"

NEXT:
I'm thinking of adding paper mâché with stamped images,
on the exteriors walls...
and then giving the roof a wash of color with acrylic paint.

 

Friday, May 19, 2023

"Tears in a Bottle..."

 

I love the process...

Recycled cardboard, dark annealed wire,
and masking tape.  

Paper Mâché works its magic...
and with a bit of imagination, it all comes together!
I recently began adding stamped images to the paper 
before applying the paste and creating the ripples and folds.

Tears in a bottle, and those eyes... forlorn!

He's currently awaiting the show opening this evening...
at Riverfront Renaissance Center for the Arts in Millville.
(a little birdie told me that he's sold already!)

Friday, March 10, 2023

The Process... Hand & Heart!

 

Some cardboard & masking tape...

A packing tube for a base...

A little paper pulp & paper clay... more masking tape!

A heavy wrapping paper heart with a keyhole...

A splash of color using the "smoke graining" technique
and acrylic paint...

The finish: 
apply Walnut Stain, scrape off...
apply Gesso mixed with sand, scrape off...
then scrape some more, for good measure!

Violá

UPDATE: This piece sold at the April gallery show!