The Bunny

Oftentimes I get the itch to make 3-D stuff. Sometimes it's just because I have to do creative stuff to make my brain happy, but also because I am always making samples for future art camps and after school art experiences. I have found during my years of teaching some awesome techniques to use with kids. A few years back, before life got to be...well...LIFE I attended lots of art retreats. Gosh I love attending art retreats. The energy, the classes, the getting away with other creative minds, it's just DREAMY. I've attended many different types of classes over the years. Some were taken to enhance my painting vocabulary. But I have to say my favorite have been the 3-D sculpture classes. I've learned techniques I'd never have thought of on my own. Pieces and parts of each class put together in my unique way make the creative journey more adventurous and special.

Which leads me to Peter Rabbit here. I think I saw something on Pinterest using paper clay. Dang Pinterest. It's my rabbit hole, between the complete food envy and the how did they make that syndrome I get lost in a world that perhaps is like a drug. And I can't get out. Until I break down and bake the Ooey Gooey Oreo Bars and sculpt the Peter Rabbit. Well, that's this week's attempts anyways.

I love working with paper clay. The brand I usually use is DAS, but this summer I found Polyform brand Model Air clay delightful. Plus it's what I had on hand this particular day. I always start with Styrofoam ball bases and foil to build up areas. For the ears I stuffed popsicle sticks in and molded around them. One day I'll make you a video of how I make these creatures. For now, the supplies used are: Styrofoam ball, Popsicle sticks, clay, glass jar, acrylic paints, wire, brown oil paint, vegetable oil, paper towels and other embellishments.

I have found that allowing these sculptures to completely air dry AND NOT get impatient is key for less earthquake size fault lines in the final pieces. Sitting them in the sun helps, but ovens tend to melt the styrofoam insides and lead to cracking on the outside. That's just not the look I'm going for. In other words, plan on these sorta things to be more than one day projects. Now the paint however, I am all about heating up and moving on. Peter loved the blow dry below. Above is a photo before I added the secret aging step. I wish someone could rub something on me and within 5 minutes reverse the aging in the opposite direction I took him....just saying.

After he dried I used a secret technique I learned in one clay class to make stuff look old. Basically you use an oil based paint and a tad bit of vegetable oil to rub all over him. I put more in the seams and places I wanted to accent, like his teeth. I like my sculptures looking a little "Old Timey". Of course he had to have a party hat and collar on. I made him glasses too but decided the wire whiskers and the glasses competed too much.

Last details are my favorite. And learning to edit, from decorating to my wardrobe is always an issue I fight. He's on top of a glass jar I filled with glitter and hope to find some tiny Easter eggs to put in the jar too. The collar is vintage crepe paper streamers I bundled up on top of tacky tape. The hat is paper covered in glitter and topped with a pom-pom. Last, I cut some floral wire I had on hand and made the whiskers. I just adore the way he turned out. My little sister collects rabbits, so I think I'll mail him to her!

So....what have you been crafting lately?