Mythical Beasts

Taming the beasties… Imagine yourself face to face with the Jabberwock, a Gorgon, or Faun! Come explore an Artfest mythical bestiary and make magnificent, wearable wings, horns and other magical beast parts out of wire armatures and sausage casings. You can make items to wear yourself! Or maybe your wings or horns are for your artdolls… The focus of this class will be to explore hog gut, or sausage casings, as a covering. If you are vegan or squeamish this not the class for you. Those brave enough, join us for the fun! Wire working experience will speed things up, but I'll help if you're a beginner. Be you harpy or angel, faery, pixie or dragon, why not wear your wondrous creation to show and tell, eh!????

Supply List:

• Wire- a couple of gauges-18ga or 19ga for structure, and 24ga or thinner for accents.
  I like to have about three different sizes. I prefer black iron, uncoated wire often called dark annealed binding wire, or stovepipe wire. Henery’s Do It Best Hardware in Port Townsend usually has it (or they’ll order it and have it there for you when you arrive) THIS WIRE RUSTS! (which I like)So if you don’t want rust get another type of wire, like copper. Whatever you get will slightly show through. Colored wire might be nice!
• Wire working tools -a variety of small pliers and a pair of wire cutters
• Scissors
• Tweezers
• A small container like a yogurt tub for water
• A white tall kitchen trash bag
• Cording, or elastic, or headband or whatever you think might work to attach your creation to yourself (or your doll)
• Simple sewing kit for elastic, etc.
  
  Homework: print out examples of real horns or wings that you might use for inspiration. I’ll bring some too!
  
  Optional:
• Adirondack alcohol inks or other inks for coloring your creation
• Concentrated watercolor is good for this also or Peerless Watercolor papers www.peerlesscolor.com/products.htm (The Bell Tower art supply on Water Street in Port Townsend had them last year)
• The gut can be written on and glued to! So you might want sharpies or even temporary tattoos or Lumiere, Golden or other metallic paints
• Basket reed, and raffia to tie it, make great structures and they don’t rust!
• Fibers/ribbons and scissors for them
• Beads feathers or other embellishments
• Clear Krylon, or Rustoleum, matte spray will seal and slow the rusting on the black wire.