House of Shadows

This is the first post in the series exploring cemetery art to evaluate expression of sorrow through body language. I will be using this study to plan the design for my Beloved project. If this is your first visit to the House of Shadows Blog you may want to read the explanation of this series beginning on November 28.

Traditional Beloved props show the figure of a grieving woman laying horizontally over the tomb of her of her husband. I may go that direction, however, I want to explore other options as well. The purpose of the pictures that will be posted today and tomorrow is to study various positions of the body, hands and fabric draping.

I have more pictures to post in this series; however, tonight I look as weary as the woman at the top of the page. As I continue to work on page design and explore the explosive number of plugins available for Wordpress I’m continually living in a world of exploration, and that translates in English to “trial and error”. Today I tried my third photo management plugin, which I find all have advantages and disadvantages. Posting these pictures was an exhausting process for someone new to Wordpress and plugins. However, I’m still a strong believer in learning by doing and once again I won the battle! Tomorrow’s post should be a much easier process.

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As you can you see, my dog Alistair is busy recovering from his turkey dinner so we took the day off today. I will be starting a new series tomorrow focusing on cemetery art. I chose this topic to assist me with some decisions about how I design my “Beloved” prop to make the best use of a vintage dress I bought on eBay for the project.

If you are not familiar with the “Beloved” tombstone it simulates a woman mourning over the tombstone of her beloved husband with the inscription “Beneath this simple stone, my precious darling sleeps alone”.

There are several examples of the beloved project online that I find are useful references. It’s one of the benefits of being attached to a community of friends that is as sharing as the network on the Halloween forums. Each person adds their own unique elements to a build or tries a new technique which they share. My friend Terra used the examples of others when building her beloved project and I think she added some steps that are outstanding. I feel so fortunate to be able to gain knowledge from her experience and add features that will make my project a unique design built from the concepts of others. If this project progresses as I think it will, I should be incorporating some of the techniques I have learned from Laurie Franklin (Lauriebeast) as well. Before summer arrives I’m sure lessons learned from others will also influence my finished project.

In the upcoming series I plan to post photos focusing on fabric draping, different ways of positioning a mourning figure, aging stone, and ornamental elements. By the end of this series I will also post a variety of methods for creating faux stone, texture, and shading. My beloved project will not be started until the weather improves this spring or summer, but some of the concepts I’m reviewing will be incorporated into finishing the body for the build of the “Immortal Pumpkin” that I’ve named Morti. I hope you find concepts that you can apply to your current or future projects as well. Until next time …

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“Mother’s Darlings”

I have an interest in visiting cemeteries, especially old cemeteries where ancestors rest for eternity. Some might think it’s a morbid curiosity, but for me it satisfies three of my interests: genealogy, history, and art.

What a beautiful expression of love has been captured in the grave marker that reads “Mother’s Darlings”. But my mind is curious to know the story behind the stone. Was there an illness that passed through the town, taking this mother’s children with it? Were the children out playing in a stream on a hot summer day and suddenly swept away? Who are these children? What happened? Perhaps their names are inscribed lower on the stone and they just can’t be seen in the photo. If not, the genealogist in me can only hope that somewhere in a family history, the life and death of these children was captured so their identities are known to someone. This grave maker is just one example of the history that resides in a cemetery. If you haven’t looked at a cemetery with those thoughts in mind give it a try some afternoon.

There is so much to be learned by a quiet walk through an old cemetery. You can look at the markers and see when epidemics swept through an area. You can see the status of a family in the quality of the monument left to honor a person’s life and death. Often times there are clues to what was most valued in a persons life, or what their affiliations were by the art used to decorate the grave marker. Walking through a cemetery is like walking through a history book.

I collect photographs of cemeteries and grave markers for inspiration. They help me study colors, textures and shadows. Cemetery pictures are an excellent resource for you if you plan to build headstones or small monuments for your Halloween graveyard display. The example in “Mother’s Darlings” shows you how fabric would drape if you are using monster mud. It also shows you how stone gets pitted as it ages and the way years of accumulated dirt settles to the bottom of the stone when it’s not maintained. Examples of ornamental details, lettering styles and epitaphs are elements you can explore by walking through a cemetery or looking at pictures.

I will be posting more pictures of grave markers throughout the year under the Inspiration Category. There is a link on the sidebar that will help you find these pictures when you return to the House of Shadows for more ideas. Articles about painting techniques for aging stone will also be featured in future posts. I hope these resources will be useful to you as you work to achieve the authentic looking display you see in your mind’s eye.

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My Favorite Halloween Treasures

One of the nicest things about Halloween is that it almost makes time stand still in a way. When we put on a costume and give ourselves permission to feel like a child again it’s easy to turn back the clock and feel playful again, if only for one night. Anyone viewing this Blog may have a bit of an obsession for the season and works with a passion in exchange for a few hours of childish delight. Why is it that we don’t give ourselves permission to live our lives with that much excitement everyday? Sometimes I think we should just stop the clock for a while and let the world stop spinning around us. Here’s an example of how that would look in my world…

The young boys pictured above are very special to me. Mr. Smee and Peter Pan are two typical trick-or-treaters who might have knocked on your door just a few weeks ago. If it weren’t for the paneling on the walls it would be impossible to date this picture. Can you tell the picture wasn’t taken with a digital camera? It was, in fact, taken with a Polaroid Instamatic. Now those of you in my generation are beginning to get a clue. So it’s time for the big reveal, drum roll please… Mr. Smee happens to be the father of my grandson, Phoenix! Smee’s real name is Michael and he is now 33 years old. Peter Pan, who looks very good in tights by the way, is my son Patrick; now 31. This picture was taken as they were trick-or-treating at my parent’s home. Smee was five and Peter Pan was three years old. It feels like they grew up in the blink of an eye and suddenly I have a two year old grandson!

This awareness of time drives my desire to build a Halloween display that will be the envy of the neighborhood. I want to accomplish this goal while Phoenix is young enough to look at it through the inexperienced eyes of a child so the night holds even more magic in his memories. I hope Phoenix will continue to live nearby and can come to grandma’s house to work on crafts with her in the studio if he wants, or we can plan a party for his friends at the House of Shadow’s on Halloween night! Yes, the memories of Halloweens past and anticipation of the future are things to treasure; they are the most valuable part of the Halloween experience. Until next time ….

May you be blessed with good memories of family time together on this Thanksgiving day!

Vampiress Morbidia

©2008 Laurie Franklin

“Twilight Becomes Her” is the seventh and final article in the series featuring the work of Laurie Franklin on her 2008 sculpt, Vampiress Morbidia. If you want to read all related posts in this series click the link for Vampiress Morbida in the Category drop-down menu in the sidebar.

Finishing touches prepare Vampiress Morbidia for the celebration of her first Halloween with the Children of the Night. Here are some of the finishing touches that bring the haunting beauty to life.

Laurie began dressing Morbidia by making a petticoat using a layer of heavy satin-like fabric in slate blue for an underskirt with a layer of navy blue nylon tulle on top. These layers were gathered separately and then attached to the underside of the torso using hot glue. Tulle was used to build up Morbidia’s hips and girlish curves and the heavier underskirt was made to hide the pole by blocking light from shining through her lightweight skirt. The skirt is made of a navy blue fabric with a silky finish.

Morbidia’s blouse is made of a silky material in green. Laurie made a lace-up bustier using a medium weight damask fabric in navy blue to shape her waist. Fitting Morbidia’s corset was a challenge for Laurie because Morbidia doesn’t “have” a waist and she refused to lift her arms for Laurie. But nothing stops Laurie when she has a plan in mind.

I think the red cape was a crowning touch. It pulled the look together and emphasized Morbidia’s facial features. Not one to let details slip by, Laurie wanted to add a necklace. She created Morbidia’s necklace out of two separate pieces.

Laurie’s finish work is so complete that one member of the Halloween Forum needed to know if Laurie even gave Morbidia bad breath. Well…no bad breath, but I could swear if you watch closely you can see Morbidia take a breath every now and then. I can’t wait to see what Laurie stirs up for next year!

Here are some final facts about Morbidia.

• She stands an imposing six feet tall
• It took Laurie approximately 100 hrs. to build her
• The estimated cost of the project was $150 - $175

Laurie’s recommended reading list:

• Facial Expressions by Mark Simon
• The Portrait in Clay by Peter Rubino
  
• Modeling the Head in Clay by Bruno Lucchesi
• Modeling the Figure in Clay by Bruno Lucchesi
• Molding and Casting Handbook by Thurston James
• Atlas of Human Anatomy for the Artist by Stephen Rogers Peck

I have added all of the titles from Laurie’s list to my bookstore. You may purchase them by selecting the Books page tab at the top of the post; click on the title of interest to read more about it or make a purchase. You may also shop for any item available through Amazon by using the search box on the side bar. Purchases made through links on my pages help support this blog and are very much appreciated.

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Vampiress Morbidia

©2008 Laurie Franklin

This is the sixth article in the series featuring the work of Laurie Franklin of Diamond Bar, California. If you want to read all related posts in this series click on the link for Vampiress Morbidia in the Category drop-down menu in the sidebar.

I often think about ways to build props in ways that could hide their hands. Then I look at Laurie Franklin’s tutorials and she makes sculpting realistic hands looks so easy. Of course I know it’s not an easy task at all. Sculpting requires practice, just like any other skill. But how do you know if you have what it takes….

Here is Laurie’s advice to Halloween Forum members who asked about how to make realistic facial features: “The only tips I can give on making the nose and ears is to look at pics. Then blow the pic up to the approximate size you want the sculpt to be. Get yourself some oil based clay and practice, practice, and then practice some more. I must have spent at least 20 hours over several days just practicing on one ear. However, once you get it right, the other ear is much easier. The nose is practiced in the same way as the ears. Look at pics and practice with some clay. I used a small board to practice on which was very convenient.”

I suppose it would be somewhat difficult to use your ears or nose as a model unless you want to keep looking into a mirror. But at least your hands offer the advantage of being easy to look at for reference as you work. So let’s take a look at the steps Laurie uses to sculpt hands and fingers. The first step is to make outlines of right and left hands as reference. Then cut pieces of wire the length of the fingers, plus extra to push into a piece of foam shaped like the palm of your hand. The gage of the wire you use doesn’t really matter, as long as you can bend it into the shape you want.

Next, position the fingers and begin adding Celluclay to build them up. Depending on the gage of wire used, you may want to use a bit of foil to build the fingers up before adding the first layer of Celluclay. The fingers and the rest of the hands are then covered with DAS or Paperclay.

After the hands dry and all the fine tuning is done (shaping, knuckles, acrylic fingernails, cuticles) it’s time to attach the hands to the arms. Pictures in the previous post, “What Lies Beneath”, show a piece of wire that runs the length of the arm and comes up through the armature pipe where the head goes. The wire is bent at the top of this pipe to hold it in place and the lower portion that extends through the arm is inserted into the foam of the hand along with a piece of wood. Then position the hand and place tape around that joint and cover it with Celluclay. When the Celluclay layer is thoroughly dry; cover it with DAS or Paperclay in the same way it was applied to the arms. Our beautiful Vampiress Morbidia is now ready to reach out and touch someone.

I was thinking about a prop I want to make this year, while thoughts of positioning her hands in a way they would not show were still running through my mind this afternoon. But I came downstairs to write this article and my stash of oil-based clay sat staring at me in the studio. It’s time to apply Laurie’s best advice and begin practicing, practicing…and practicing some more.

Tomorrow will be my final post on Vampiress Morbidia. We will see the final steps of her transformation and I will list Laurie’s recommended reading list along with links to more resources.

I want to thank my readers and subscribers again for your positive feedback on this series. And of course, I can’t express enough gratitude for Laurie’s permission to feature her work. Each time I study the pictures of her works in progress I learn something new. I sincerely hope your knowledge of what it takes to give birth to a vampiress is much greater today than it was before you read this series. If you have any questions, please feel free to send them to me at the House of Shadows: mail@houseofshadows.net.

Thank you for being our guest at the House of Shadows.

This is the fifth article in the series featuring the work of Laurie Franklin of Diamond Bar, California. If you want to read all posts related to this series, click on the link for Vampiress Morbidia in the Category drop-down menu in the sidebar.

Now that Vampiress Morbidia has a head and torso it’s time to look at the support structure and techniques Laurie uses in assembling the body parts. The stand is constructed using ¾” galvanized pipe. A flange to anchor the pipe is attached to a base made of two pieces of ¾” plywood that are glued and screwed together. Laurie adds caster wheels underneath to help move the prop around.

What I have described is the finished support system. You will notice in the pictures that often time’s supports appear to be made of PVC. Laurie uses the PVC supports during the sculpting process but the finished prop is put on the sturdier galvanized pipe structure. The working, or PVC support system does not have wheels, you don’t want the prop to move around while you are working on it.

Laurie finds it more comfortable to sit while she sculpts the head so she places the foam wig head on a 1” dowel and clamps it to the work bench so the head is at eye level. You could also use an adjustable vice to hold the dowel. The important thing is to have a way to adjust the height and angle of the head as you work on it.

So now we should be at the point where the head is attached to the torso and it’s time for Morbidia’s creator to add arms. As you can see in the pictures below, Morbidia’s head and torso are completely covered with Plastic to protect work that has been finished so far. The basic shape of the arms is formed with aluminum rain gutter wire, duct tape and Celluclay while the armature is temporarily attached to the body. Once the Celluclay is dry, Laurie adds Paperclay to get a rough finish on the arms.

The arms are removed from the torso for finish work as a precaution, because the seam where the arms attach is a weak point in the structure. When the work on the arms and hands is complete Laurie attaches the arms in their final position using bolts with rubber washers, both inside and outside, to protect the body. DAS or Paperclay can be used to cover the bolts and seams on the outside giving the sculpture a seamless appearance. This step was especially important with Vampiress Morbidia because her dress is planned to be an off-the-shoulders style.

As you look at the pictures below notice the use of foam to fill in vacant areas and protect the sculpture from rubbing against the metal. You want the sculpture to be well-supported at stress points to protect it from cracking.

I apologize for the brief delay in posting for this series. Madame Turlock’s back was being cranky and expressing some displeasure about sitting at the computer. Tomorrow we will look at how Morbidia’s hands are sculpted and attached…

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