Here I go again… For this project, I am acting on my fascination with the forms used by taxidermists. Nope, NO animals will be hurt during this act of sculpting! Rather than employing real fur, I am creating the surface using glass seed beads, primarily in peyote stitch.
Here is step one, showing the dense-foam leopard head after I have “colored” it. Nearby are the ears and glass eyes which eventually will be assembled with the head.
Next, Lindsay drilled several holes in the head (see teeny red markings, indicating hole direction). These pierce sunken areas, to allow me to secure the beadwork tightly against the curved surface. I have begun working on the nose and mouth area, so the leopard could catch his breath! Yes, he’s taking on a life of his own. His glass eyes are just set in, but not yet permanently attached. So far I have used about 10 shades of brown beads, 4 of white, and 3 variations on black, each in a couple sizes.
Another few weeks have passed, and work is progressing well. I am working in a somewhat circular motion, around the head…having begun midway along the nose. As I move towards regions of “wider diameter,” I bead just as much in any given amount of time, but the amount covered is not so dramatically changing, visually. The leopards eyes are now held in by beadwork, alone.
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