Feet of Clay

I have to admit that working with paper clay has brought me excitement and lots of ideas. I had prepared three sets of legs - using cloth - when I decided that perhaps I could add a pair of shoes to at least one pair of those cloth feet. 

As I coated the feet in paper clay I decided to add some design to the shoe by making curvy lines.  It wasn't until I started the painting that I realized how difficult it was going to be getting the paint into those teeny, tiny lines.  Why do I do these things to myself?

Trying to put clay over already painted feet wasn't so bad - but the shoes then had to be painted without painting the legs and feet along the way.  One painting coat might be okay - but try three - one coat of raw umber, one coat of orange and lastly an antiquing wash.  I used the blue tape that one uses with regular paint projects.  Can you imagine how tiny those pieces of tape had to be?  

I'm paving a new trail for myself -- and finding out that stamina and perseverance are going to be my biggest need.

 "When it is obvious that the goals cannot be reached, don't adjust the goals, adjust the action steps." - Confucius

The Process

 

Before going on holiday I drew, cut and stitched bodies, arms and legs.  At least I got that far.

Upon returning home I spent many quiet hours stuffing all the 'parts.

 

 

Then came the fun of painting - first with off-white and then aging by using watered down acrylics.



And soon the true fun begins -- creating identities and fashions for each and every one of them.


"Just when the caterpillar thought the world was over it became a butterfly." - Proverb

Body Parts

 

I've been working on doll 'body parts' -- drawing on muslin, stitching, stuffing and painting.  My least favorite part?  Definitely stuffing and yet it is one of the most important jobs in making cloth dolls.  A poorly stuffed doll will lose shape, or not even develop the shape you were aiming for.  Its worth the time and patience to stuff well - as probably every cloth doll creator has discovered.

Painting is my favorite thing -- it means the stuffing is over *smile* and looking at freshly painted bodies, arms and legs awaiting further attention is exciting.  From this point on the 'fun' part of creativity enters the scene.

"Arrange whatever pieces come your way." - Virginia Woolf

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