Creating Art from Muslin and Paint

Fabric Sculpting and Art Go Together

Alien KIng.  This was created around an antler

People ask me things like, “What are your dreams like?”  “How do you come up with this stuff?” Honestly, I don’t know.  Sometimes I make things from my sketches, but more times than not I just start.  I have taken many clay sculpting classes over the years. It helps me to think like a clay sculptress when I am working with fabric.  It also has taught me to love sculpting in clay as well. I hope you enjoy this display of work in fabric here today. 

Alien Queen - also created around a deer antler

When making a creature or person it takes a course of several weeks, sometimes months.  I make a body or head and just follow where it takes me.  Building on the base of the head or body on the fabric as you would with clay.  Instead of shaping the clay and applying it  I make my fabric shape and then apply it to the head or body.  I love working this way.  It is a technique I have used as a self taught method I call "Face and Body Building" .  Half way through I’m pretty sure what it is to become.  It is just more satisfying to me as an artist to allow the piece to inspire me and not for me to inspire the art.

Back side of the Alien Queen

Beyond the Stars

     I love to hand sewing which has allowed me to construct more complex figures.  Combine with machine sewing, sculpting, adding sculpted cloth shapes, needle art techniques and different skills to create my figures I’m able to create unique and interesting art. When I am finished the sculpting process I gesso the artwork, sand it and a base coat of paint, sand it again, paint it then detail the figure.  It is a lot of work but it looks like clay and feels like leather.  

    "Beyond the Stars" Was a evolving creation.  each prickly spine spike is wired, made and sewed on individually.  The head is as large as my hand and the entire piece is 4 foot tall.  even the telescope is made of fabric. 

    I like it when admires look at my work and ask if it is ceramic or clay? Neither, I say it is cloth and it will never break!

"Beyond the Stars"  close up of fabric sculpting work

 Weird is not the only thing I create.  I also like to have fun with my work. 

Play on words, like the Smoking Dragon or  Fun Figures with crazy creatures.

Smoking Dragon Muslin prior to painting

Smoking Dragon - after it was painted.

   I don't have many pictures if art work in the raw state, prior to the gesso, sanding and painting process.  I did find this picture of a Smoking Dragon that I took right before I painted it. 

  I almost didn't take a picture of it after it was painted,  I had just finished painting it before a art show, I thought I had priced it too high and it would never sell that weekend.  I was surprised it was going out the door a hour after the show opened. I ended up asking the patron if I could take a picture of it before she took it away.

The Traveler.

I hope you enjoy the items you see here today.