~SANTA'S VISIT ~

 Santa's Visit  was inspired by my cherished ideal of a Victorian Christmas that harkens back to this Christmas innocence of childhood dreams. For this I had an old-fashioned yuletide Father Christmas in mind, a true classic Jolly Old Elf who is the Santa Claus of sentimental Christmas Eve anticipation. With his arms full of toys and a symbolic evergreen of the season tucked in his embrace, Old Saint Nick has come on his promised visit to deliver his joyful delights to each hopeful child. 

As I was sculpting for a Christmas Curio Display and also for an Ornament, I had two mediums. The weight of a firm polymer clay is ideal for a heavy and higher-end work with detail that requires more depth and this clay works wonderfully for the curio piece. Here "Santa's Visit" is already baked for permanence and getting cleaned for the next stage of being painted

 (*see below). 

For the Christmas Tree Ornaments, I used PaperClay™, which is a light medium and is actually similar to Papier mâché, but in pulp form and is not a non-layering technique; it is made from a clay-like pulp and requires complete drying time before being painted.  The process of sculpting in this medium also is different and is more additive rather than subtractive. It can be sanded, rather than carved. Like watercolour painting is different from oil painting, this paper medium is light and more expressive of its own medium than is a true clay - which holds more to a highly realistic detail sculpting. 

*Note the differences and the beauty of these variations and techniques.

 Both of these unpainted pieces are fully dried Paperclay™ sculpts and are ready for paint - as seen completed below. As no two pieces made by hand are exact, each piece is one of a kind and has its own personality. Look closely and one may see that even the face of each Santa different in expression, as are the toys! 

 These are Christmas tree ornaments, yet may be used as a wall hanging for Christmas decor, as they are light and retain the look of an old-fashioned heirloom. Upon request, an Antique finish may be added to complete the feel of Christmas Past.  

                                                                 SANTA'S VISIT © Copyright 2010 Weird Contessa Studio Creations™         

                                                                                                                                                                                     (All Rights Reserved)

As Mad as a Hatter !

I've been mad for some time . . . over Alice in Wonderland. (*Ahem)...

 Even remembering as a child, the Disney film had made me curiouser and curiouser about this strange world by Lewis Carroll and all the weird characters who populated it. 

Even Alice, herself, seemed to be peculiar. 

Certainly, there is a certain degree of discomfort with madness, but certainly one must expect that in a world that is certainly mad.

Of that, I am quite certain.  

Thus, my own rendition of my gothic inspired Alice has had to take form. 

As Lewis Carroll once said,

"Begin at the beginning and go on till you come to the end; then stop." 

My ~Weird Alice™~ collection is underway, so I have decided to let you in how I am sculpting The Mad Hatter, as he is impatiently the first in this series to debut. 

The above picture is an unfinished sculpt with much more detail and nearing completion. He is now awaiting his tea cup to be put in one hand, and perhaps he shall be one of the few Mad Hatter figures to receive a tea pot in the other, as well? 

           A grouping of Charles Dickens' inspired figures are being sculpted into the Mad Hatter.

So how do my figures begin?  Much like my method in painting, I must sketch it out - but this time in clay.  This is a basic rough outline, without any detail, to determine the pose or character idea.

This enables me to visualise what direction I want to take this character and let his own personality take form out of the clay. 

I did not want to "copy" from any film characterisation, nor did I wish to render my sculpts based on the original illustrations by Sir John Tenniel. I was more inclined to be inspired by the ever-present Dickensian Victorian ideal and of childhood's fantasy and fairy tale.

 I like the freedom to use my own imagination like this when sculpting on my own pieces.

Although the figures seen here are generally of the same likeness, The Mad hatter figure is like other characters in my collections ~ meaning that each piece is one of a kind and can vary in expression, pose, costume design and no two are exactly alike. 

When my Mad Hatter is completed, or more of his brothers, I shall post the finished pictures soon! 

Then on to Alice!

And now, who's for Tea? 

Mad hatters in progress

                     Weird Alice Collection © Copyright 2011 ~ Weird Contessa Studio Creations™

(All Rights Reserved)

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland was written by Lewis Carroll and you should do well to behoove yourself of this fine literary classic.

 Preferably, with a cuppa tea, sitting in a garden, under a large shade tree,

 and enjoying a conversation with a white rabbit.

I highly recommend it.