We left off with the toes and finger being tipped dyed...
And as the *guidance*came...
I realized that this body needed much more color...
DYEING
So out came my black dye...
I like the Jacquard dyes...the acid dyes (which are usually denser in pigment) are usually to be used under heat, but since I was particular about the areas that I wanted to cover, I hand painted it and then steam set it.
Now...the funny thing about dyeing is that it can be a shot in the dark (total pun intended!).
As this dried it turned into the most gorgeous color of indigo.
Indigo...so much more subtle and more depth than jet black.
And that I am all about listening to what is being spoken to me as I create, I looked up indigo symbolism.
Well, of course it does.
And with that...it was a given that was the chosen color of this creation.
THE HEAD
I spent some detailed time with the head, first hand-dyeing the fabric.
I wanted to be as careful as I could tease the dye to fan out without running wild within this loose woven linen.
Next I came back and added more color in the form of painted eyes, and chalks to tint the features.
Clear gloss added to the eyes, and gently to the nose and mouth.
Everything is then spray sealed with a workable fixative for pastels. I find it works nicely on cloth without disrupting the texture and seals the painted areas with a smooth finish.
Further detailing happens when adding the eyebrows. I love to embroider my brows...I believe it gives another dimension to the face with its texture.
AND...how we subconsciously create what we love...my husband, Sean, pointed this resemblance out to me...
Sparti and New Moon Rabbit
THE BODY
Next step is to armature and stuff the body.
I decided that the Rabbits (and possibly the women) in this series are to be mounted on a wooden box.
I am so fortunate to have an incredible wood man, who beautifully custom makes all my pieces to my specifications!
Now to look at positioning. She (or in this space in creating- he) is placed on the mount.
I look at possible positions...and as I do, something strikes me!
Oh...geez, the arms are too long or the body is too short!
BUT I do so love the position of the feet...Time to think on this.
ok...so what I ended up doing was to create another extended torso top and insert that in place to extend the proportions...now I could move on!
Sewing on the Ears
Since I knew she was going to have a Moon Hat, I wanted the stabilized ears to be sewn on framing her face.
Small three dimensional tucks where the ear connects to the head where created so the ears formed their natural curve. Also steamed them after they where sewn on to finesse into the curved shape.
Here she is completed in body with base lacquer painted!
