Ollie, Oscar and Ozzy

Meet Ollie, Oscar and Ozzy, three very large papier mache insects that I started creating last May.

The threesome have been hanging around my basement for the past months and I finally got the incentive to finish them, they are now ready for paint.

The insects are meant to be yard or patio decorations, humorous, colorful, just for fun.

The bodies and heads were created from balloons, the legs from rolled newspaper and the wings from wire and yarn soaked in mache paste.

Ollie, the mosquito.






Oscar, the dragonfly.





And finally, Ozzy the really mishapen butterfly. I know he doesn’t look like a butterfly but that was his original intent…now he’s some sort of weird mutant whatever.






I’m excited about painting these guys, a departure from the normal dry brushing and dark color schemes of the Halloween props.

The inspiration for the color schemes comes from some of my favorite coasters at Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio.

Oscar the dragonfly will be painted using the color pallet from Cedar Point’s Raptor, lime green, pink and yellow.

Ozzy the mutation will be painted using the color pallet from Cedar Point’s Mantis, dark blue, red and yellow.

Ollie the skeeter will be painted using the color pallet from Cedar Point’s Maverick, Red, Yellow and Brown.

Multiple colors, googly eyes and exaggerated anatomy, what else could you want?

The insects were started in May because I had wanted to display them on our front porch during the summer…well, with a little luck they should get some display time in September.

NOTE: The string tied between the wings in the photos will be removed prior to painting, the string helped support the wings in the proper position during the drying phase.