Lion Maquette for The Temptations of Solitude, 2004
(You can see one of the paintings made from this maquette, HERE.)
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Another reminder for you to send me images of your maquettes for the online exhibition here at the Artlog, opening on May 1st. Remember that all submissions are welcome for this, and we have painters, illustrators, craft makers and plain old enthusiasts taking part, together with a delightful scattering of maquettes from our younger visitors to the Artlog! Send photographs to me at the e-mail address you’ll find HERE. Unless there’s good reason to do otherwise, e.g. creating special backdrops or settings, keep your backgrounds simple so that the images show to best advantage. Try to send in good time, so I’m not actually up all night the day before the work gets posted here. Many thanks.
Maquette as a study for the play Equus, by Peter Shaffer. The Old Stile Press, 2009
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Clive Hicks-Jenkins' Artlog: 
I love the lion, he’s just beautiful!!!
Then get snipping cousin Pamela. We need a maquette from New Zealand!
Oh my, your maquettes, what a piece of work indeed. You have chosen two that I love very much. I have seen Equus in your monograph, not sure of the Lion-both fantastic.
Leonard, the lion was one of the very first. It was while struggling with angels for The Temptations of Solitude that I started developing the notion of using maquettes to help with composition. The first thing I made was a single, roughly cut paper wing to tape to a wingless figure in a painting up on the easel. It didn’t work and I peeled it off, throwing it to the floor. Weeks later I looked down to see it, imprinted with boot marks, twisted and flattened like road-kill. Something about the shape appealed to me. I picked it up, taped it to the back of my still wingless angel and, Hey Presto, it worked. I’ve never looked back.
I have been doing some experiments but I’m not at all happy yet! I have a few more things to try but I’m not sure I will break the barrier before 1st May. I won’t give up though.
Oh Sally, you don’t have to get your project to perfection. If you haven’t finished to your very high standard by the time the deadline is upon you, at least give us a glimpse of what you’re up to. Remember that I often show ‘work in progress’ here at the Artlog.
I am wrestling with card and arthritic knuckles at this very moment! I didn’t realise how clumsy I could be!!
Please don’t wrestle, Liz. I want this to be fun! Have you tried working with a craft scalpel and cutting-mat rather than with scissors? Or maybe working in paper. Much less resistant than card. I often use painted paper for my maquettes.
Thanks Clive, I am using a knife, and, rest assured, I am enjoying the wrestle! -my problem is that I have so many pieces, they keep disappearing! you know how disorganised I can be, I get so involved in one aspect that I forget I have carefully laid out the pieces and absentmindedly pick up that paper- and off they tip all over the floor, the camera even ran off with a paw at one point!! and I found myself spinning round and round. Remember Mr Pastry? well meet his wife!! How DO you do it?!!!! …….My goal is to send the 1st one I make , showing warts an’ all.
P.S. What is interesting is that I have just finished a book by Tracey Chevalier called Remarkable Creatures , about Mary Anning the fossil-hunter from the 19th century, and the theme must have settled into my subconscious, because the 1st lay out of cut peices looks like a foosilised creature being pieced together. A very good book BTW.
I’ve always liked the look of the dis-articulaed pieces before they get put together. And I too, Liz, lose things all the time, so you’re not alone there!
I’ll look up the book. Thanks for the recommendation.
Liz you might find scissors we use at school useful they are just like rods joined at the top and rebound when you let go, much easier to use with hand difficulties than ones with finger holes. This is the link to them. http://www.peta-uk.com/acatalog/Scissors_for_Children.html hope the link is useful. Jacqui