New Headdresses in Progress

In the studio I’ve been working on some new headdresses, which is both exciting and challenging. Here’s the newly finished Feral Girl headdress worn by Ellie. She collaborated with me on a photo shoot last week as I’m preparing for some new 2-D work. Her pet fringe lizard named Fred rode on her shoulder during the entire shoot – we’ll see if he makes it into the final piece!

The challenges of working on these sculptural pieces are multiple. There are some issues of comfort and practicality, as in all wearable art, those of engineering (weight and balance, for example) and of mixing so many different materials. There is a lot of trial and error in the studio, and some days can be very frustrating. I’ve become reacquainted with my sewing machine, and I also find myself experimenting with different kinds of glue, wire and even tape, depending on which materials I need to put together. This week, I find myself itching to get back to making paintings and works on paper, modes of working with which I feel much more comfortable. At the same time, as my sculptural craftsmanship gets better, I’m encouraged to stay the course for the time being.

Mirror Queen, pictured right, below, is the next headdress in progress. This piece seems more Middle Eastern and less European, which pleases me as it fits with my intention to have a more diverse group of models for the coming series. Models wanted! Inquire within!