Okay, at last I am free again. This is Derketa, the Babylonian mermaid I have been working on flat out and to the exclusion of all else. She lived in my dreams and sometimes my nightmares for months. She is DONE. And remind me if I ever have another insane moment like that, never to go there again. My arms and hands will never be the same. It took a long time. I have learnt a lot. But she is beautiful, her facial expression is so serene and calm.
I measured my youngest daugher's dimensions for the arms, legs, head and height, she is about 5ft tall. I made a wire skeleton, or armature, I think it 's called. Then wrapped that in torn up wool jumpers and strips of left over thin quilt batting.
Then I needlefelted the whole thing, she is mainly corriedale with a small amount of tussah silk.
The head was made on a balloon and stuffed with alpaca, this was before I realised what a waste of alpaca that was. Oops.
THINGS I HAVE LEARNT
Never to make something that big with one felting needle again. I couldn't use one of those tools with a few needles in it because of the wire.
Plan ahead better. I had no idea how I was going to display her when I finished. Thanks, John (Grandpa) for the help with that.
Use slightly finer wire as what I used was hard to manipulate.
Projects like this metamophorsis by themselves as you work on them. That was weird.
Talk to someone who knows about creating life like faces. Thanks Mum your advice about the face and the armature was invaluable.
I also learnt how patient my husband and children are, as she lingered in the lounge room for months, even though I have a studio. Thanks all.
I entered this creature in the Lilly Pilly Art Show in Coffs Harbour, in the fibre section and was very excited, to win second prize. Yay, me.
Love to know what you all think.
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