More Santas

"Sheep Farm Christmas"

No airsickness for Santa this year! Santa wanted to stay on the ground while he was delivering presents to GOOD little boys and girls in New England. The Woolwich Farm in Sheepscot Maine gladly let Santa borrow Harry for the Christmas Eve deliveries. Harry has never been outside the east pasture, so he is really excited about what else there is to see beyond his home. Santa sitting on Harry is approximately 12 inches high.I sculpted santas face from polymer clay. He is wire armature covered with batting. His sweater was purchased (I can't knit!:)) but I created his pants and shoes. I made the pull toy base and mounted a purchased sheep form that I covered with wool. He is available for purchase in my Etsy shop!

http://www.folkarttree.etsy.com/

Box of Heads

I have been a sculpting fool this past couple of weeks. I've made so many santa faces I'm dreaming faces! Each face takes me an hour or two to sculpt. I use glass or plastic eyes (plastic...not a good idea when I am baking the heads, but if I bake longer and at a lower heat, I can manage it without distortion.) The eyes tend to speak to me as I lay the clay on. Sometimes just one swipe of the modeling tool sets me on a whole new track in where I am going with the face. I may start thinking, 'he is a serious face', and then, with a little more clay on the cheek than I wanted, suddenly his eyes sparkle and I am adding more clay and making him laugh. They evolve for me, taking me with them as I bring forth the face they want to be. Once I add the wool to these faces they will take on a whole new look and feel. Some faces that I am not too happy with will sometimes be the ones I step back from and admire as a finished santa, and sigh with pleasure. I never know where this process will take me.

Check back for the next stage of santa building. Bases and bodies....