~INSPIRATION~
I was inspired to try this while I was creating my water garden collage for my last blog post. These Red Tin Roof 2 Koi Fish ArtFoamies had my imagination envisioning mermaid tails. Inspiration for one creation always finds me imagining something new for my next one. The best way to get started is to sit down & play & have fun!
~INVITATION~
Wendy Aspinall invited me to participate in her display hand decorating & painting art swap in July of 2021. After our swap partners were randomly chosen, I spent many hours of my spare creative time during the month of August 2021 decorating jewelry display hands that I found & ordered on Etsy & Amazon. I discovered my hand swap partner loves mermaids, the ocean & the beach She also loves blues & greens together. When my display hands arrived, I gave them a coat of clear gesso to give the plastic a bit more tooth for the paint to adhere to.
~EXPERIENCE~
I had 2 experimental failures in the beginning of this artistic experience but I kept trying & practicing. I did not give up. Sometimes the failures we experience can be as simple as using the wrong art supply for what we are trying to accomplish. For my first attempts I tried using an inexpensive package of air dry clay I had on my table for this creation. I was very disappointed when it cracked & crumbled & fell off the display hand. I love this clay & use it all the time but it was not the right product for this particular project.
~DETERMINATION~
I saw that I had some White Aves Apoxie Sculpt left on the shelf in my studio. I had used this product many times in the past & knew it would work perfectly for the look & texture I was trying to achieve. I knew it would also adhere to the plastic hand without cracking & falling off.
I was so glad I had taken the photos of my previous attempts when the air dry clay was wet because those photos gave me the determination to try again to create the masterpiece that was inside my head waiting to be born from my hands. I knew if I tried again it could be even better this time. If not, it would be more practice to help me learn & I would keep trying until my desired result was achieved.
~IMAGINATION~
I wanted to use the half doll resin piece from Sandra Evertson's Relics & Artifacts CELESTIAL SET for the top of the mermaid's body. I had imagined it as a mermaid from the first time I laid eyes on it. I looked through many photos to decide how I wanted the mermaid to look. I researched many types of Male Beta fighting fish, Antique Mermaid Art & custom painted mermaid tails on Pinterest.
~KNEADING~
For those of you that have never used or tried AVES Apoxy Sculpt, it is a two part adhesive clay. I always wear 9mil nitrile gloves when I work with this clay to protect my sensitive skin. I use two different spoons to scoop out equal amounts of the clay from jar A & jar B. I then knead the two equal parts together for a few minutes until I cannot tell that they once were separated. It is a good idea to let this ball of clay rest for five to ten minutes on a protected surface after blending it together.
~SCULPTING~
I rolled the blended clay into one long cylindrical bar to have a piece long enough for the mermaid tail effect I wanted to sculpt. I split the cylinder of clay in half at the top & inserted the half doll piece. Smoothing the clay carefully into the resin with distilled water misted gloves. I then attached the mermaid's behind to the palm of the display hand. I curved the tail back & forth as I sculpted it. I was a bit concerned that it was looking too much like a snake, dragon or basilisk but painting it later changed all that.
~TEXTURIZING~
I did not have many texture tools with me on vacation, so I tried using my own creativity to make a special tool of my own to create the scales on the mermaid's tail. The idea was right under my nose as I was sipping iced tea from the straw in my cup. I cut the straw in half with my scissors & pushed it into the clay to create the tiny layers of scalloped scales all over the mermaid's tail.
~ROLLING~
When the body of the tail was complete I had quite a bit of Aves Apoxie Sculpt remaining. I decided to use it to create the fins on her body & tail & on the knuckles of the display hand. I rolled the Apoxie Sculpt out thin, flat & smooth and let it rest for about 45 minutes so it would not stick to my mat or to my ArtFoamies.
~STAMPING~
Pushing the Red Tin Roof Koi Fish ArtFoamies fins down into the rolled out thin Aves Apoxie Sculpt & lifting them up slowly & carefully worked beautifully. Every single tiny line of detail showed up perfectly. YAY! I stamped a total of 18 fins this way from all of the many different fins on both of the Red Tin Roof Koi Fish ArtFoamies.
~CUTTING~
I used my scissors to cut out each one of the eighteen stamped fins by hand. Being very careful not to damage or dent the raised texture lines on the delicate fins.
~APPLYING~
I gently applied, attached, blended & smoothed the delicate fins to each of the finger knuckles and to the mermaid tail. I layered lifted many at the base of the mermaid's tail & at her waist. I used a ball stylus to add texture, lift & curl to where I connected the fins to her tail.
~PAINTING~
There are over 14 layers of paint on this piece. I used many of my favorite metallic, pearl & interference paints. Being patient during the drying times of each coat of paint & knowing when to stop is key. I had to wipe off & paint back over a few times.
~GLITTERING~
I added a bit of twinkling iridescent glitter glue to the fingernails & fins on the hand & then added some to her fins & body to give her that magical, sparkling, enchanting look.
~EMBELLISHING~
I had so many great pearly, opalescent & iridescent trims in my stash that were perfect for dangling from the fingers of this mermaid hand. I even added some eyelash yarn & false hair from a costume wig I own.
~CUSTOM COLORED TRIMS~
After getting a few opinions from 3 of my trusted artist friends & my husband, I tried custom painting some of the white iridescent eyelash yarn with the same colors of paint I used in the mermaid's tail. I could not believe it actually worked & looked like seaweed when I added it to her hair. You never know until you try!
~FINAL ADDED TOUCH~
It was time to call her done & get her mailed off to my art swap partner. The day of the deadline to finish & mail her had arrived. For the final added touch, I decided to add a giant white pearl in her hands above her head & some iridescent crystals to her crown using super glue.
~ATTACHMENT~
I discovered that one of the most difficult things for me is creating a pleasing artistic gift for someone I do not know very well & have never met. Falling in love with my creation, then letting it go to it's new home is not easy. Sending it off all alone to some far away place I have never visited before. Hoping the person receiving it will love & care for it as much as I do. That is one of the many reasons we artists create art isn't it? To leave pieces of ourselves behind so we will not be forgotten?
I hope you have learned many new things today that you wish to try yourself! I would love for you to share your ArtFoamies art so we can all be inspired by wonderful you too. HUGS! YOU ARE LOVED
- Jenn White
*A BIG THANK YOU to Nancy Sheads & the Powers Family for making this BLOG post possible & to Wendy Aspinall for making this hand swap inspired art possible. Thank you again for the smile upon my face! YOU ARE SO LOVED!*
*A BIG THANK YOU to Nancy Sheads & the Powers Family for making this BLOG post possible & to Wendy Aspinall for making this hand swap inspired art possible. Thank you again for the smile upon my face! YOU ARE SO LOVED!*
