In Mary Jane style shoes, I finished an art piece. The shoes were fabric, so there was a bit of uncertainty as to how the paint would cover and hold. After a few coats of gesso, all worked out well, really well. Like so many recent projects, I have a head which is usually something I fabricated from wire, clay and aluminum foil, and the right head guides the direction for scale. The shoes were adorable, but tight in the toe box - as shoe people say. My direction was loose, my thoughts were only on building until it was done and then I would think of a name or theme. In the end she became a young Lady that Lived in a Shoe, Alone. The title hinting to one of the oldest of nursery rhymes about an old lady that lived in a shoe with 12 children (and that had to be a tight fit!).
Next up was a shoe with a whale coming out of it. To really do it right I decided to work with a humpback whale, the largest and most gentle of sea creatures. Their accordion like underside or chin can expand to collect large amounts of sea water which is then filtered through fibrous plates which take the place of teeth. To make it a bit more interesting, a baby humpback was added to ride on the side.
The third of my most recent builds was not a shoe. Maybe one of the weirdest things I have ever created, just a zombie and his pet dog. The title is "Even a Zombie Needs a Pet".
Of course I do spend some time thinking "who would ever buy this?". Well applications are not too farfetched, the lady in the shoe would be great for a funky hotel lobby and the zombie would be perfect in an animal shelter. Perfect!
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