Will the Paper Mache Lady and Her Giraffe Friend Please Stand Up!

My art projects have always tended to be semi-complex and this paper mache doll and giraffe are no exception.  My style requires a lot of thinking ahead as each part is made separately, painted and then attached to one another for a piece that is pretty sturdy considering they're made of paper and wire.

So here we are, I've finally finished my lady and the giraffe that she's befriending and they are so cute!  I just love them and I think you'll enjoy them too.   As you may notice, she's giving the giraffe a Peace sign as in 'let's make peace with Mother Nature' kind of idea and the design on her clothing suggests the great African plains that are the home of these amazing animals.

And speaking of amazing, did you know that a giraffes tongue is 2 feet long, their hearts are also 2 feet long and weigh about 20 pounds and the inside of their mouths is quite hard which makes it possible for them to eat even the thorny plants that grow in their region.  They only need a maximum of two hours of sleep per day and they do that standing up.  I know, just what you need, more trivia to clutter up the old noggin, but hey, you never know when somebody will want to pull out the old Trivial pursuit game right?  Now if 'giraffes' come up, you're ready!

But back to the art, this piece is 23" high and is made up of paper mache over a wire armature with a thin top layer of Creative Paperclay.  The paper mache is from the recipe that Jonni Good has made available to us on her website, http://ultimatepapermache.com/paper-mache-clay.  I've made a couple changes to that recipe, the most important of which is adding 1/4 cup of salt which means that this clay will keep in your fridge for up to two months (just in case you get so busy with the stuff of day to day living that you just can't get back to your art, no matter how hard you try!).

Because the home-made paper mache dries a little rough for smaller pieces, I like to use the Creative Paperclay to get the smoothness of my lady's skin as well as work the tiny details of her face.  It also sands so beautifully.  On the giraffe, there is also a layer of the Creative Paperclay but I didn't bother trying to get the fingermarks out of that (by sanding) as an animals hair coat is naturally a little more textured than human skin would be.

So there you are folks, hope you enjoy.