Monday 19 March 2012

Week 11 - Verdantia

Verdantia of the Green-mist Forest


After the recent rain and summer humidity our garden is verdant - which is how I came to find Verdantia wandering around the fernery.  She tells me she is visiting from the Green-mist Forest where, as you can see, she hides very successfully and so far has been one of the hardest dragons to capture on film.


Week 11 Verdantia


Week 11 Verdantia


She was excited to meet Cat who chased her out into the open where I was able to take a clearer photo.
As you can see Cat was not impressed and threatened to give her a smack if she came closer.

Week 11 Verdantia

Week 11 Verdantia

Week 11 Verdantia

MAKING VERDANTIA
Remember poor Audrey who was beheaded - the body sat accusingly waiting for a new head.

 Week 11 Verdantia
 Week 11 Verdantia
 Week 11 Verdantia

I picked up another unfinished work (oh, yes! I have quite a collection) and suddenly thought what a wonderful tummy it would make for the Audrey body.   This is the piece I used:

couldn't resist playing

made from some revolting elasticised green fabric :

Voyages    
The origin of this piece was blogged here.

First a new head!
A new upper jaw - padded wadding, then covered with white stocking
 Week 11 Verdantia
Week 11 Verdantia

Fangs were added using thin wire covered with stocking, the same process as used on Audrey.

Week 11 Verdantia

The lower jaw was put together when I suddenly thought it would look better with teeth too, so I unpicked the stocking, sewed in some large plastic beads and pulled the stocking back over them.

Week 11 Verdantia

Week 11 Verdantia

The stockings over the fangs were then stiffened with fabric stiffener and the teeth and mouth gessoed and painted.

The body was then wrapped in the said revolting green fabric.

Week 11 Verdantia

but first the spine - these large wooden beads came from a car seat cover that fell apart - hoarding sometimes pays off!

Week 11 Verdantia

the next two photos show the spine with the fabric pulled over the beads:

Week 11 Verdantia
Week 11 Verdantia

The wings took some experimenting, adding extra wire to the body frame, stitching the fabric and pulling it up into ruches, adding hand made cords.

Then the fun part of painting over that awful fabric.  I used acrylic paint, straight from the tube with no water, dry brushing it just over the ridges of the fabric.

Week 11 Verdantia

Week 11 Verdantia

I'm very happy with Verdantia, though she certainly took longer than a week to make.
(Have you noticed the dragons are getting bigger - hmmm, wonder if there is some plot hatching to take over)




3 comments:

Mary Ann Tate said...

I think this is my favourite dragon that I have seen so far. Thanks for showing how you made her...it was really interesting. I am blown away by what you did with that fabric...LOL

Els said...

Ah this Verdantia looks so vibrant!
And very interessting to see how you managed to make this one.
(I want to try to make a little dragon myself for a soon to be born baby ....a sóft one that is, hope to do as good a job as you do with all your fantastic critters ....!)

Wilma Simmons (Empress Wu Designs) said...

Wow - this is fantastic Erica - thanks too for sharing the process. I know why we keep all those little bits and pieces and fabric we don't even like.

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