Cyclops Revisited

The Cyclops Skulls created in 2007 sort of got the “short end of the stick” when it comes to making public appearances. They were only displayed for a couple of days in 2007 then packed away never to be seen again.

When I teach workshops or give talks on papier mache I always show an assortment of different pieces but always fail to include the Cyclops. I like the Cyclops, I think they are different and original but for some reason they get neglected sitting all alone on a shelf in our garage.

Several folks have requested more information on the templates used to create these guys, so here are a few construction photos showing the simple cardboard shape that served as the guide for the final form. The Cyclops were created “on the fly” without a definite vision, sort of tribute to doing whatever feels right at the time.

Anyway, here's a little more face time for the Cyclops:

September WIP (Works In Progress)

I swear I’ve been in a crap ass mood the last couple of days thanks to the weather which has been mostly cold and wet. I’ve had a couple days where I didn’t even look at my props let alone think about working on them…but I have managed to get about eight pieces ready for paint and about six more close to being done.

Tree Faces. These are designed to be attached to a couple of very large trees in our front yard, a spooky greeting for our TOT’s. The challenge will be to paint them so they match the colors of the bark on the real trees…I think they will look pretty cool when done.
Working on three large Cyclops skulls…this is an exercise in weirdness as I’m not sure where they will finally end up...a fun process regardless of how they turn out.
Some ancient skulls I finished a couple of weeks ago. I wanted something that would look like they just came out of an archeological dig…an Indiana Jones prop. They feature a very interesting texture that was the result of coating the prop with a flour and water mixture then blasting with a heat gun until the paste bubbled and cracked…should look nice when painted.
Finally one of three large spider props complete with eight eyeballs and some bristly hair made from strands of an old broom. My stuff in the works…lot’s more to come in the following weeks. Here’s hoping the weather and my mood improve!