Blue

This coming weekend (February 6-7), I am participating in the Studiopolis group color show Blue right in my own neighborhood in Minneapolis. I have three pieces in the show: Ishmael, one of the pieces I had in the 2008 Plush You show in Seattle, plus these two lovelies:

The dragon I tweaked slightly from the previous dragon I made. I wanted this dragon to be less cute and cuddly, so I gave him long fingers over a wire armature and made his face slightly longer and more angular. He's made of buttersuede with cotton scales, polyester ears and wings, and hand-painted acrylic safety eyes. His wings are also wired, and his arms and legs are jointed with plastic safety joints.

The kelpie is a brand new design. He's made of suede with a mohair mane and hand-painted acrylic safety eyes. His arms are jointed with plastic safety joints, and he rests atop a painted wooden base (a new technique for me--thanks to Robyn Fabsits for the inspiration!). I had also wanted to give the kelpie's tail and fin a fishlike look. I considered painting on scales, but ran out of time, so I opted instead for spraying on a coat of clear, pearlescent acrylic. I like the effect it gives, like he's still wet from the sea.