For Research and Preservation Only
Originally conceived as a way to flesh out my Etsy store with less effort, these mounted folklore creature heads became a gateway to richer lore about their origins. So the Royal Arkham University and the A.R.D. (Anomalous Research Department) was born. The A.R.D. has become a go-to department within many of my fiction stories over the years.
Part of its role is cataloguing anomalous creatures for research and preservation. From time to time, A.R.D. field teams discover collectors or enthusiasts who have run afoul of the "Folklore Creatures Ban," a provision quietly added to the "Preternatural Artifacts Proclamation." The A.R.D., being the leading folklore creature research organization, has authorization to confiscate and retain any samples from persons in violation of the ban.
This was the origin of all of these mounted heads. Presumably, some rich weirdo's collection had been confiscated by the A.R.D. and was now up for auction under a special provision of the proclamation that allows the sale of these items for Research and preservation only.
One aspect I love about sculpture is that it exists in three dimensions, and you can get multiple experiences by viewing it from different angles. The A.R.D may be unknown to you if you look at one of these heads sitting on a shelf or hanging on a wall. But if you pick it up and look at the back, breadcrumbs, little bits of history and blanks for the viewer to fill in. Each plaque features three details on the back: a contraband sticker from when it was first confiscated, a label from the A.R.D. authorizing the sale, and the alchemical symbol of purification burnt into the wood. You can never be too careful. The original owner is a mystery for the viewer to ponder, as are the circumstances that led to the collection's discovery.
I've never been interested in laying it all out; I prefer giving the pieces enough detail to make them seem like something that actually exists.
Contraband from another past.
How the sausage is made.
Silly tinfoil faces
I really enjoy making these; each is unique and has a personality of its own. But they all start the same: silly tinfoil faces, to save on clay, I grab some tinfoil to get the rough shape of the head. From there I place prebaked polymer clay teeth set into pinkish-red gum coloured clay. I also add the eyes, held in place with clay. Now comes the first bake. Polymer clay is a great medium, and I prefer Super Sculpey beige for its skin-like translucency when baked. At this stage in the sculpt, I used to get a little apprehensive since it looks so goofy. But now I've done enough; I know this is just the awkward phase.
I was so relieved. The functional light is a nice little touch that really brings the whole project together. I knew I could fix it one way or another. But if this approach hadn't worked, it would have been hours of work, partially dismantling the project and potentially breaking other components.
The Process
Work in Progress
Material Choices
Painted interior
Wood Construction
The illusion of deph
I knew I wanted the bulk of the piece to be made of wood. The real door and glass framing are painted wood. I wanted the grain to come through. A lot of tongue depressors, popsicle sticks and random wood I had lying around found their way into this project.
Material Choices
New Techniques
In another project, I discovered that using gloss varnish on cardstock makes it an even more versatile material. It replicates the look of leatherbound books without too much texture. Or, like here, where I used it to create the look of an old, beat-up metal mailbox. I finished it off with some faded numbers printed on paper and lightly brushed with silver. And some chalk pastels dabbed on to create a pock-marked corroded look.
Painting the interior of the porch was a daunting task. I haven't painted... like a painting, in years. I've painted lots of sculptures, but that's mostly just highlighting details that already exist. I was happy with how it turned out. It's not perfect, but that's ok, since its obscured by the extrior.
Material Choices
If I had any patience, this could have been easier. The challenge: make a light fixture that can house a mini fairy light and channel the wiring through the base. The execution: create a mold of a sculpted fixture with Easy Mold. Then use UV resin and slowly turn the mold, while curing the resin. Needless to say this made for some very inconsistent attempts. They were either too thick on one side or there was holes. After about three tries, I finally got a usable. to finish it off I used a toothpick to dab dots of UV Resin and cured them in batches, about three at a time.
Patience is a Virtue
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