More Mood Indigo

Here's the second piece in - for want of a better title - I'm calling the "Mood Indigo" series. Lots of references to books, words and poetic ideas in this one. This is a mixed media assemblage piece: the head is cloth over air-dry clay, painted with artist's acrylics with inserted "pages" made from water-colour paper; the torso and hands are sewn fabric, painted; bundle of painted sticks in the lower opening of the box and there is a tiny glass phial containing a scrap of peer with a poem on it held in the hands.

……and something a little more prosaic - a tiny baby - jointed cloth body with needle-sculpted hands and feet, cloth over clay head painted with artist's acrylics, hand-knit leggings and cap and cotton gauze smock-top:

A New Baby

This new cloth baby is just one sweet handful. She sits about 6" high and has jointed hips, shoulders and neck. I made the rompers from some pale green bamboo knit fabric - really fine and soft and lovely to work with (I had never used this type of fabric before) her bootees are crochet and the jacket and hat are knitted in 4-ply pure wool. I used just a little dusty pink embroidery .

Needlefelting fun!

A couple of months ago I found an adorable picture of a baby hedgehog that someone had posted on the Book of Faces............it was just the sweetest little thing! (Apologies for not acknowledging who took the photo - I don't know who it was)>

There is something particularly endearing about a hedgehog and I've had this picture in the back of my mind since I first saw it. So last night (rather late to be starting something!) and armed with wool, felting needles mohair (and a supply of bandaids), I started needle-felting my own version of a baby hedgehog. I had so much fun that I couldn't stop - here's what I ended up with sometime way after midnight!

Toy Boy!

Remember Lucy? The baby looking a bit apprehensive about her new, scary toy? I made her earlier this year.

Well, she had a Big Secret.........she was really a boy! So now he is Lucas, not Lucy, and he's on his way to a new home in the USA. I had a customer who wanted her/him, but thought she/he really looked more like a boy. Ever happy to oblige, I redressed Lucy and she became Lucas. I'm pleased to report that Lucas is happy in his skin!

Done!

This doll is finished except for the little something that has made her look so apprehensive - that's still a secret! As you can see, she ended up with painted wispy baby hair, rather than a wig - it didn't look right. She's "borrowed" this cardigan from her older sister until she gets her own. Hat and shoes crocheted and her dress is stripy seersucker cotton with a little pink embroidery..

Makin' Babies!

Here's the baby head I showed you a couple of posts back - today I made the body and put it all together.......the painless way to have a baby! Tomorrow I will paint - that will be fun - I love painting faces! This baby has joints at the shoulders, hips and neck.

Sweet Child

Well.......in my last post, I think I promised some progress shots of this sweet child as I was painting her - and then promptly forgot to take them, when I got carried away with the painting process. Sorry 'bout that if you were waiting for them! Next time, I'll try and remember.
So this child is finished except for her clothes, which I will start on tonight. I'm planning a warm Autumn outfit for her with some knitted and crocheted garments as well as this snug little bonnet (unfinished) that she is already wearing.
The tomato inundation is continuing apace.......I'll let you know how drying them goes. The sauce I made last week is mighty tasty!

Winter Babe's Things

Winter Babe needed some stuff, so I made a blankie, a felted ball, a bear (2" tall and jointed!) and some wooden blocks. She doesn't look any happier....................................................But I love this combination of moss green, bright red and camel.

The Devil And Me

I had to share these photos of me with a five month old baby Tasmanian Devil. Dear friends of mine rear babies like these when they are orphaned. Devils have a fearsome reputation, but they are truly wonderful unique marsupials - intelligent, playful and just so endearing. The really sad thing is that they are now critically endangered, because they are being wiped out by a particularly nasty transmissable cancerous facial tumour. The jury is out as to the cause of the outbreak of this disease, but I remain to be convinced that increased habitat destruction, clearfell logging, burning, aerial spraying of plantations and wildlife poisoning with nasty poisons like 1080 has nothing to do with it (yes - in the C21st this kind of thing is still happening)........the correlation between the two things is just too strong for it to be ignored. Just another sad chapter in the total lack of regard we humans have for our fellow species. I don't usually use my blog as a soapbox, but I had to make an exception in this case.

More Baby Shots

Here are a few more shots of the portrait baby - with bonnet off - to show her too-cute wispy baby hair.

In The Pink!

Here is the completed portrait baby commission - dressed in pink at the request of the customer. I'm fairly happy with how she turned out. The little bear was made by my sister, Jan, for my birthday (no..........this baby doesn't get to keep it!)

This is post no. 97 - 100th post giveaway coming up very sooooooon!

Portrait Baby Work In Progress

Here is the portrait baby I have been working on - at last it is coming together - a few more days should see it finished.

What I've Been Doing

Well......I haven't posted in a while, but I have been busy. I'm going to be in the US for two months from the end of March, so preparing for that is keeping me preoccupied. Here is a picture of a baby, reproduced from a 1915 Horsman head that someone gave me years ago. Also a couple of pics of things in the works - a small sculptural work that should be finished later this week and a doll inspired by 'Hope' made by Robin of http://www.robinseggbleu1.blogspot.com/. There is a picture of 'Hope' on the sidebar - go to Robin's blog and read for yourself the story behind the doll - it is sad, but inspirational. I'm calling my doll 'Charity' - now we just need someone to make a 'Faith' and we'll have 'Faith, Hope and Charity"!

Oh..... and a couple of pictures of grand-daughter, Leila, in her first dance performance at 'Festivale'.