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Actually quite a productive week until the very end. Everything went fairly smoothly and relatively quickly this week until I got to the tail. The tail shown in the following pictures is my first (failed) attempt. But more on that next week. I want that tail to have flexibility without caving in on itself, and I don’t want the added weight of stuffing it. I’ve got another idea, but as I said, that will wait till next week. In addition to the tail dilemma I will also be sculpting the eyes and claws out of polymer clay. It’s the first time I’ll be working with that medium – very exciting. Since thanksgiving is in the middle of next week (and the prep time involved for that), I’ll be happy if I can finish the eyes, nails and of course the tail next week. Then I can gear up for the following week when I should be attaching the details and beginning to add the epidermis to the iguana. Until next week…..

using a little forethought: pinned the torso covering on first, made alterations and then removed to make a pattern so that I need not go through this again with the epidermis layer

torso wrapped in batting

torso first layer of skin covering

head covered

first eye socket in place

two eye sockets

alas, my first (failed) tail attempt….another idea coming next week

I think I mentioned how slow going the covering of the feet and legs are. Even though they were started last week, the front feet and legs took the majority of time this week as well. I did get at least as far as pinning the fabric on for the torso. Employing a little forward thinking, I’ve decided to add any fabric necessary to cover the gaps to the pinned piece. Then before sewing that initial layer in place, I’m going to remove it to draw a pattern so that I don’t need to recreate the torso pattern again when it’s time for the final covering of skin.

first layer of skin complete on back legs

left front foot and leg covered

contour details of left front foot

first layer of skin complete on all legs and torso covering pinned

My first week back from our trip to Guanajuato and well, this next part – the dermis construction – is slow going. Particularly the feet. Lots of detail not much stuffing just bony construction that needs the reinforcement of a couple layers of skin (fabric). Areas of the legs and body will get a bit of padding before the first covering, but the principal muscle tone will happen in the next phase. So far I’ve only managed the initial covering of the two back feet and one leg. Hopefully next week I’ll be able to complete the dermis at least up to the neck and head, which I’m sure after the feet will be the other challenging area.

first layer of skin, back leg, front facing

back leg initial covering complete

first layer of skin, back foot, back side

I didn’t get as much studio time this week as I had the previous, but I was able to finish the wire frame construction of the iguana’s body. Next week there will be no photo stream since the man in my life and I are going to the Cervantino Festival in Guanajuato. Check back the first Sunday in November to see the transformation from wire form to the first layer of fabric. Hopefully by then my hands will have recuperated from the immense number of little punctures from working with wire mesh. Yes, I did wear gloves when I could, but when sewing together small pieces of mesh the gloves are more a hindrance than a help. Enjoy the photo stream and I’ll be back again with more progress photos in two weeks.

wire frame of left front leg attached to torso

wire frame of right front leg not yet attached

patterns for head

wire frame completed

Here’s a photo stream of the beginnings of the wire frame base accomplished in week 1. Until next Sunday’s post, back to the studio:)

wire torso

sketch of back front facing leg

wire frame of back front facing leg

wire frame back legs & torso

back legs attached to torso

sketch of positioning front legs

Drum roll please…..here is the drawing of what I’ll be working on for WOW 2012. I’ve had this worked out in my head down to the slightest detail for a very long time now. In fact I was even debating whether the exercise of putting pen to paper was really necessary. Eventually I decided not to skip the drawing step, and I have to admit the time spent was cathartic. Good to get the basic details out of my head and stored in a drawing. That way I have more room for the construction details you can’t view in this drawing, like getting the iguana’s head to bob when the model walks and dances. I’ll continue to post photos of the progress when I can. Wish me luck!

The newest piece in my series of Mexican Wildflowers has been finished for a while, but only this week did I get around to having my herrero (iron guy) make the wall mounted stand for it. The stand is perfect. Similar to stands made to display walking sticks and canes, this stand projects the piece an average of 8 inches from the wall making it seem as if it were floating. A special thank you to my friend Nancy for the mounting suggestion. It was a little more effort in design, but I think well worth it.

Without further ado, here is the newest piece: Cola de León (Lion’s Tail – one of Mexico’s most unusual wildflowers).

left: Cola de León; top right: detail; bottom right: inspiration photo

My wild Mexican weed is really shooting up…figuratively speaking, of course. I suspect the piece will be finished with just another few days of detail work. However a friend had a wonderful idea to mount it away from the wall. Well, that’s something for which I’ll need to employ my hererro (iron guy). I envision the mounting something like the open circular support of a doll stand but attached to the wall to hold this piece out from a wall about 4-6 inches. Well I’ll work up the mounting design next week. Until then, here’s the most recent progress:)

100+ petals in various stages of bloom

making of a bloom

Leonotis flower pod in patined copper cones

“Agave, copper & glass – oh my!” My new work is just as much textile sculpture as my previous series. Although now “textile” is beginning to have a broader definition. I think I’ll be working with this combination of dried and preserved plant material, metals, glass and of course the focal sculptural elements of fabric for a while. I’m enjoying the juxtaposition between the indigenous natural elements and the fabricated sculpture inspired by my local flora. The piece I’m currently working on is inspired by the Lionotis flower, or Lion’s Tail, a common wild flower in Mexico.

I’m visualizing this piece using a dried, twisted agave leaf as a vessel where the stem of the plant will sprout from the tip of the leaf (the bottom of the structure) and undulate through holes drilled through the leaf. The stem would run the length of the leaf and emerge through the top another foot or so, which will make the piece about 4.5 to 5 feet in height. Once the agave structure and copper stem are finished, then I’ll be able to assemble the flower pods (also in copper) and finally the fabric flowers and stamen. Below are shots of the initial prep work of the structure.

holes drilled into dried agave leaf

glass bottle top epoxied into hole

turning copper stem green

patined copper cones needed for flower pods – approx 150/pod

I know it’s been a while…that’s life, and for me that’s just simply how time passes without recognition when I’m in my studio. Recently I started working with dried agave leaves as backgrounds for sculptures, and I’m really liking the effect. I love the play between the colors and textures of these slow aged leaves and the more refined quality of the textile sculpture elements. My newest piece, La Columna, transforms the agave from merely background to vessel for the sculpted aloe flower stem. The aloe stem and leaves are made of copper and the flowers are all hand sculpted from recycled fabrics (mostly clothing, used or seconds, found in my local “tianguis”). The stem is in fact a separate piece and is held in place by the spinal-like column of brown and green glass bottle tops. View more detailed shots of La Columna and purchasing info on my site.

La Columna

Inspiration: Aloe Flower Stem