This work, titled Social Climber (Squirrel), was completed just in time for my first single-artist show, Private Thoughts: Beadwork Sculpture by Leslie Grigsby. My sculptures formed the loan exhibition at the New York Ceramics & Glass Fair (January 19-22, 2017).
As is the case regarding some of my other figural pieces, the beadwork on this sculpture is worked in peyote stitch over a dense-foam form. As shown in the view of me holding my little friend, the completed work is equivalent in size to a largish, living squirrel. Although he also can rest on all four paws, he prefers to hang upright by one fore-paw, as though he is climbing the wall. (Sounds, figuratively, a bit like me sometimes!)
Social Climber (Squirrel)
Glass seed beads in peyote stitch over dense foam core
Estimated length: 18″ (front paw to tip of tail)
Exhibited: Loan exhibition. Private Thoughts: Beadwork Sculpture by Leslie Grigsby for the New York Ceramics & Glass Fair, NYC (January 18 [preview] through 22, 2017).
Private collection, New York, NY
The below images show Social Climber at about three months into the project.
The below views portray the little guy earlier in the process, about three weeks after I began. His glass eyes have not yet been added, and his body shows markings indicating likely color changes. Such markings rarely duplicate a sculptures final appearance, however. Above, for example, an additional leaf has been added, and both leaves are partially three-dimensional.
Note: A you can see, there is no “real” fur on this sculpture. However, if I were a hunter, this is the type of dense foam core I would use to support the pelt of an animal. Instead, on my sculptures, beadwork forms the fur.
Leslie B. Grigsby Beadwork 