Step by Step 2 Jaguars (installment 2)

This is a continuation of my prior post. To see the pieces earlier, please go to http://magicweaver.blogspot.com/2007/12/step-by-step-2-jaguars-in-needle-felt.html to see the first installment.

I didn't intend to work on this anymore today. If anything I was going to work on the dragon sculpture, but as typically happens to me, I got going and picked these up again. Therefore I apologize for the multiple posts in one day.


Here I am showing the two bodies at different stages. The one on the left has the lemon yellow top coat begun. I will put a second coat that will blend the colors back further, but that will be after I put on the first layer of spots.

Here both bodies have the first yellow coat, and the white on the chest which can be seen from the side.

Here are the bodies at the same stage, just showing the white on the chest from the front. Sorry the picture is a little blurry. The digital camera doesn't alow me to force a focus, and it doesn't seem to know what to focus on as these are so fuzzy with very fine hairs all over the place.

These colors are only lightly tacked down still with a course needle. I will now be putting these aside and creating the limbs and then attaching them. Then I will create the head, and attach it. Then I will put the spots and stripes on and refine the shape with a medium needle. Then a final top coat of yellow blended with brown over everything. Finally with the fine needle I will do the final refining, accentuate the spots bringing the darks to the top, and attach them to their own individual "branches".

I hope you like the progress I have been making. I welcome any comments or questions you may have. Just leave them here or email me.

Dragon Sculpture in Needle felt

Here are some step by step photos on how I create(d) my dragon sculpture in needle felt wool. I started taking pictures after I began putting the color on, so my apologies for the lack of photos at the beginning to be helpful.

For this sculpture I did tightly and firmly pack before putting on the color. This is because I will be sculpting scales and I need something firm to work with. However, the color is loosely applied except for the color on the eye, it is very firmly applied as I am not working on it after it is done.

The color is a self blend of two shades of natural brown (light and dark), 3 shades of green (emerald, lime, and chartruese), and a rare occasional hint of lemon yellow. The eye is white scelara, with an iris of ellow and brown veins and a ring of tangerine. There is a reptilian slit pupil that goes about 75-80% of the iris.

Here I have begun filling in the muzzle and the beak here.No detailing yet, just coloring it in. I am barely punctureing the colored wool, just enough to attach it to the form. When I begin sculpting the scales that will further attach,

Step by Step 2 Jaguars in Needle felt Sculpture

My foster son is a student at a school whose mascot is a Jaguar. Our family has had a rough go recently and his teacher and counselor have been wonderfully helpful to him and by extension myself. Therefore as a Christmas gift, I would like to give them something handmade (everything is handmade from us this year) and special. I have chosen to do a needle felted jaguar on a tree limb for each of them.

I thought this was a perfect opportunity to share the process of doing needle felt dolls and sculptures, and so I took some step by step photos to share this at this time. This isn't really a tutorial, as I am not telling you how to use the needles or anything. I am completely self taught so I don't know that I am doing it exactly right anyway, but it works for me. If you would like more detail information, let me know and I will see what I can do.

First I took a clump of 100% Polyester Fiber stuffing (I use Polyfil). One clump for each Jaguar.

Then I gave each piece a hint of the body shape that I wanted. This was really very gestural done with a course needle. No fine details put in, and it isn't very tightly packed, just hinted at so it would hold a shape when it wasn't in my hands.

I continued to shape the bodies, just getting some of the basic angles. Not yet putting in any details or musculature. The bodies are getting a little firmer packing as I go (thus why I didn't get it tightly packed from the beginning).

Now it is time for some color. I laid down a self blended undercoat of lemon yellow, tangerine orange, and natural brown wool roving. I very lightly attached it to the body here, and made sure the wool flowed in the direction of the hair on a live jaguar. I haven't begun any real structural work, and when I do, the punching will help attach the color further into the core. This is just the beginning stages, and there will be a less striated coat on top, and you can even see some of the stuffing through, but this will just add a life too the coat that wouldn't be there if I just did the top layer.

Here you see now the both sides of the two jaguar bodies when the sculpturing has begun. It isn't near finished, as I will continue polishing the bodies as I add the top coat and the details as well as the limbs. The musculature is developing, and you can see how the two jaguars are developing very distinct looks even though I am looking at one photograph to work from. This will change further still.

Website Released!

My website is now ready to be viewed! You can go see it at http://www.magicweaver.com.

It has all my artwork on it to date, and the pieces that are ready for prints and/or original sales are noted (there is not a lot yet, because I am printing tests to verify quality and that takes time).

Slideshow of all my art! (available to date)

New Art - Needlefelt Painting

Well, here we are again friends. I am preparing some items for samples to be provided to the organization running a show down in San Antonio I would like to get into. I am also finishing up the piece (needle felted) I have discussed in the prior posts. I am so close to being done I can taste it, but not quite there just yet. I have been polishing and blending, and then I will have to put in a few tiny details (facial features, etc.) that I am saving for the last. It is really looking wonderful though. I am so excited about it. And here it is (sorry about the quality, the camera didn't know what to focus on with all the fuzziness, and my scanner is temporarily on the fritz):



The model for the piece is the beautiful, wonderful, sweet Sarah. The photographer is Brian Cooke. I was given special permission to use this image, and further special permission to post it in the locations it is posted. The base image, the model, the photography are all copyright to those in and involved in the image, and it is not available for other’s use without specific permission. My art is of course copyrighted to me, so please don’t steal, claim, or post in any location.

I am trying to decide on a title but the current title in my mind is “A Door of Chance” which feels upbeat enough for what I am looking for. If anyone has a suggestion on a better title, I am all eyes and ears for it.

I have also begun making finger puppets of felt. These will be for sale for around $2.00 and be geared towards kids of course, but hopefully it will bring some adults (following their inner child) into my booth to see the bigger, better, and higher priced items as I need to eat, pay my expenses, and make a living too. HAHA! ;)

I have some interesting clay window clings coming soon too (as soon as I get the kitchen cleaned). As of writing this particular paragraph, I hope to have them posted today, but if it is not today, definitely tomorrow.

So what do you think? Is there anything you would like to see me making?

New Art

I have a new piece, and I am trying to get the model's release to be able to post it. It will hopefully be coming soon, but let me tell you about it until you can see it!

It is a needle felted "painting" doone with natural and dyed wool and hand dry needle felting. There is no wet/liquid involved.

The model is in a gorgeous renaissance cos-play costume she made against a hughe wooden door with this pink stone building. She is gorgeous and inspired me so much.

The colors I have used are in my typical non-local style which (I hope) tends to lend itself to a pleasing composition. The border is shaped with her dress hanging down below the edge of the frame.

I will post it as soon as I can get permission.