from these hands...: Cicada : Transformation

She has taken time to come fully into her own...her wings have finally spread and she soars beautifully!

This doll took close to two years to create into this form...which also mimicked my own life. I knew too I was but was still finding my voice- my wings.

AND I have found this is life. We may need to submerge for a bit to gather nourishment and taking time to come into our own of who we truly are...as in the case of Cicada.

Her final step was her wings!

She has spread them and is now in full flight!

It starts with with printing the wings onto a Surfer Paper. This is a shear but strong paper that is actually used to transfer designs onto surf boards!

Then, I fuse them to a beautiful open weave Japanese paper with threads.

Fronts and backs shown...

They are cut out and several coats of a liquid stabilizer are added.

Next, I wire the top edges.

After everything is thoroughly dried, I tip the edges using alcohol inks. I let the ink do its own flowing while gently coaxing it into the direction I want. The wires are also dyed.

These wings are quite long at 14 inches each.

Next they are added to the back of the Cicada.

Her bodice needed to be un-stitch to open it to get to her back. I wanted the beautiful fabrics of the bodice to show and the wings to be "growing outward.

It was important to me that the wings held a rustic-natural feel to them to stay within the same design concept as the skirt fabric...beautiful, not perfect but with flow.

And now she (and I) were ready to take flight.

Cicada: Emergence will be held in a private collection.

Wall mounted piece 44 inches from tip of fingers to skirt tender roots.

PERSONAL NOTE! "Soul Flight" started out the title for an exhibit of my dolls with wings.
As I found myself so in tune with the entire process of creating this piece...so much so that as she evolved so did I.

During this movement up the tree, I also uncovered my passion to help others find their own wings...a way to uncover and discover who you really are under all those layers. "Soul Flight" became the name of my coaching business...I am already able to help others and am deeply grateful and fulfilled that others can too find their wings.

www.facebook.com/soulflightbyleslie