Works in Progress


The last couple of days have all been about works in progress. I am working up an inventory of new small Wish Dolls. Here are the wire armatures and some dolls with their "skin" and clothes on. Next will come the fine beading.



For the first time I am entering a quilt in a magazine contest (http://www.quiltingarts.com/). I am starting very small - the finished object is to be 5 x 5 inches. I was particularly drawn to the theme - Go Green. That is use recycled and repurposed materials (buy nothing new) for the work.




I was planning to make a figurative quilt, using one of the painted faces that I have prepared for my Dream Star dolls.




My daughter wanted to be part of the project and offered up some of her old clothes as fodder. She wanted to use some fish from a t-shirt as the basis of some applique. I didn't want to run into any copyright issues so I asked her to alter and recolor the fish, which she did. However we both agreed that we had best make a mermaid.

I like the idea of making a comment in a tiny way about plastics in the ocean. I attached some plastic mesh from a produce (onions I think) bag and mesh from an industrial sample I found at home.



The background of the quilt piece is strips of paper towels and cloth that my daughter and I tie dyed for general use in collage and decoupage. We have quite a pile of it. I zigzagged and then cut and zigzagged again. I added yarn for texture, not recycled but not purchased recently either.


The next step will be beading over the felt body, attaching and beading around the face, and some more mesh "seaweed" for depth. Meanwhile my daughter is experimenting with melting glue over a plastic straw to make circles to suggest bubbles.


I am tossing up making the batting layer from some packaging material that came in a couple of jewelry boxes - but would need piecing - or some recycled small bubble wrap. The back will be the remnants of dyed muslin or some cotton culled from my daughter's outgrown dress now sitting in the waiting pile.


It has been a big month for firsts.

Comments

craftygirl said…
Robyn, Your works of art are so beautiful. You are very talented and how great that you have your daughter helping you. Ann
February 24, 2008 at 7:46 AM
Robyn Coburn Writer/Artist said…
Thank you Ann. I'll post some pictures of the dolls that she is decorating.
February 24, 2008 at 3:33 PM
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