I thought I would document the commission. I have to make two 13’ giraffes. This is a great opportunity for me to work in mixed media 3D.The giraffes will be constructed from papier mâché.
First I drew several full scale giraffes on my 14’ wall and spent a good deal of time just staring at the wall.
Then I contacted a friend who is a costume and prop designer & scholar at the University of Ohio, Athens (many thanks Holly) who shared ideas and websites with me.
It finally dawned on me that I was over-thinking this project and to just do it. Gathering all the supplies for papier mâché meant several trips to the hardware stores, recycling center for end rolls of newsprint. I had a difficult time locating large pieces of cardboard as all the businesses immediately compact the cardboard for recycling; great for the environment. not so good for the artist.
So the second step was to make the paper patterns from the full scale drawing.
Next to cut the patterns out of insulation foam and tape the whole thing together.
Check back in a few days to follow my progress.