Welcome....

.....to my blog which I hope to fill with news, views and work in progress from my hilltop studio. Said studio is currently still a chicken shed, but in the not too distant future it will be my own space to create and play. In the meantime...

We were going to start work on the studio today but it's had to be postponed till after Easter. C'est la vie!

To take my mind off this setback I am trying to rescue Ronnie Rhino and give him a new lease of life. This 7ft leather beastie has been in my family since I was very young but for the last 10 years or so neither my siblings nor I have had enough room to accomodate him. Consequently he has been in my sisters garage being nibbled by mice and generally rotting away.

His head has been strapped up to stop it falling off and I've started covering the disintegrating leather with cotton pieces. Then I will paint him all over.

Last year I wasn't feeling very creative what with one thing and another but I did make quite a few smaller stuffed cotton creations which I painted and sanded then painted and sanded again giving the fabric a hard wearing surface with a rich patina a bit like leather. I'm hoping the same technique will work on Ronnie.

These ladies are made that way, using the same painted and sanded cotton technique. They are only about 7ins tall but they are quite sturdy having been painted and sanded several times.
I am never sure what to call them. I've have a lot of suggestions from my family.....'menacing nun gang'.....'aubergines with attitude'.....However, I like to think of them as mysterious, wise beings and if you tell them your problems they'll discuss it amongst themselves then help you make a decision. But then I do have rather a vivid imagination. Anyway, this is the technique I hope will work to revitalise Ronnie Rhino.