Dragon Snail Kinoko a Featured Creature in Faerie Magazine!

Dragon Snail Kinoko a Featured Creature in Faerie Magazine Spring 2009!

Kinoko is representing the Dragon Snails™ in the Spring 2009 issue of Faerie Magazine! I encourage you to pick up a copy (I got mine at Barnes & Noble but you can also order it through their web site); there are lots of other wonderful artworks and artists featured in this issue.

Jennifer Carson, an editor for Faerie Magazine (and also an artist herself), asked me what inspired me to start making the Dragon Snails. My answer to that question, along with my story of the Dragon Snail species, appears under Kinoko’s picture in the article. I will type it here so you don’t have to strain to see the scanned article (though you can see a large picture of the scan by clicking here).

I was first inspired to make Dragon Snails while taking a sculpture class at a community college. The prompt was to create a new creature using aspects of two or more existing creatures. I love dragons, so I started there. In the course of brainstorming it struck me that Dragon Snails would be quirky, humorous, and strangely adorable!

The species Draco domiporta™, common name Dragon Snail™, first appeared in 2003. Little is known about this elusive species, as they tend to evade capture when biologists are involved, though they are tolerant and even affectionate to people with benign intent. Scientists are baffled by the apparent intelligence and parapsychic abilities of these creatures; most of the information gathered about them comes from laypeople.

It is not surprising, then, that the species name “domiporta” is something of a misnomer. Literally “one with her house on her back” or “snail,” Dragon Snails™ do not have the ability to retreat inside their shells as snails do. Rather, the shell appears to be an affectation adopted by the species as a way to attract food. Mostly carnivorous, the species seems to prefer a diet of snails. They will also eat some funguses and algae, as well as insects, frogs, birds, and small rodents whose intention was to make a meal of them. Larger would-be predators are strongly discouraged by a fierce nip or a sharp horn. Dragon Snails™ are far faster than they appear and may even snatch a swooping bird out of midair!

Kinoko (with his mushroomy setting) is available in my Etsy shop!

Free shipping, what I’m working on, and getting my ducks in a row

Just a quick note to let you know: Free shipping on all sculptures in my Etsy shop, June 10th-14th (2009)! There are lots of great deals on @Etsy for the “Yart Sale;” check it out! (”Yart Sale” = Art + Yard Sale.)

EirewolfCreations.etsy.com

As for what I’ve been up to lately… I was working on that fox mask for a while (see 2 posts back), in paper maché. I’ve discovered that I am not a great fan of the long and messy process of paper maché… at least until you get to the part with the surface details (which I didn’t). The mask form I was working on was apparently cast from a Neanderthal. I swear, this guy has the most a-typical features in the world — not good for a mask form. He has a huge head and very strangely shaped features, which ends up meaning that the mask is too big for my face but also manages to pinch the bridge of my nose. Very frustrating. I want my masks to be wearable by most people, not just Neanderthals.

Long story short, I have put away my maskmaking stuff for the time being. I may pick it up again later. But I decided that I need to (and want to) focus on polymer clay miniatures right now, and the masks were being a distraction. I’m very good at finding distractions and shiny things and new (for me) art forms, which are all very good things in their own right, but end up tearing my focus to shreds and sending it every which way.

So! Right now, I am sculpting a duck. Yes, a duck. I’ve never sculpted a bird before, and a friend of mine may want to commission a series of ducks (so she can get them all in a row, you see), and so I am trying one to see if I am any good at it. And when it is finished, I shall share, and you all shall be the judges.

So far, I am liking this duck. Maybe it will help me get mine in a row too.

What does my art say about me?

Melody Peña, the sculptor behind Windstone Editions, wrote a blog entry today that really made me think about why I do what I do.  She’s been pondering the ultimate reason for art, the burning question that it answers for her.  Go read her short blog entry, and then come back.

Go ahead, I’ll wait:  –>link to Melody’s blog<–

Did you read it?  Good.  For the lazy sloths who didn’t (and for continuity’s sake), the question that Melody asks when she looks at art is “What is it like to be this artist?  Who is the artist as a unique person?  What is it like to look through her eyes?”  Okay, that’s three questions, and I’m paraphrasing (or expanding; I’m not sure which).  But it made me think about what my own art might say to someone.

Experiencing art is a very personal thing, and everyone will have their own reactions to it (or none at all).  I certainly don’t want to tell anyone how they should feel when they look at my art.  I would actually love to hear how you feel when you look at my art – what it says to you – even if it’s wildly different from what I’m about to say.  Artists live for this stuff, you know.  Please leave a comment!

Speaking of comments (and segues), the following was my response to the question Melody asked at the end of her blog: “So, you as an artist; what does your art say about you to all generations to come?”

(…) My sculptures are mostly fantasy creatures, sometimes with a “cuteness” factor, and they don’t overtly say anything of profound social importance.  But they do indeed say something about me, about what moves me.  If one were to listen closely, one might hear them say that I am fascinated by the whole and the minutiae of Nature, that I am in awe of the created order (and the apparent chaos), and the Hand behind it.  By sculpting these creatures that don’t exist in Nature, I am participating in the creation of new things, and I get to feel a tiny hint of what the Creator of the universe must feel.  “This didn’t exist before, and now it does!”

That, to me, is magical.  I hope that it comes through, at least in some small part, at least to some few people, when they see my work.

~~Eirewolf~~

And on an unrelated side note, since I’m here: TAX DAY DEAL! 20% off everything in my Etsy shop, April 15th only! After that, I’ll continue the tax relief with 10% off for the rest of April. Enjoy!

Mini Fox / Kitsune Mask, Unpainted

Apparently my creativity does not extend to blog post titles.

Ahem.  Anyway, I thought I’d give a little preview of what I’m working on.  I’m into maskmaking these days.  I love the idea of wearable sculptures, of becoming a whimsical creature, if only for a few hours a year.  When you’re not wearing the mask, you can hang it on the wall and enjoy the art year-round.

Pictured below is not a finished wearable mask, but a (roughly) half-scale prototype, in polymer clay.  I wanted to work out the design and form before committing to the full-scale piece, which is what I’m working on now.  But, once the mini is painted, I’m thinking it’ll be a pretty cool finished piece in its own right.

I’d love to hear what you think, and also, tell me what other kinds of masks you might like to see me create!

Partners in Slime are finished! Also, your vote is needed…

The lovely pair of Dragon Snails that I sneak-peeked on Valentine’s Day is finished and photographed!  They make a very cute couple.

Partners in Slime – Dragon Snail couple

The “Partners in Slime” are available now in my Etsy shop:
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=21851911

For more pictures, please visit them at my gallery:
http://www.eirewolfcreations.com/?page=gallery&gallery_id=1&piece_id=109

In other news, your vote is needed!  Kinoko, my Dragon Snail on a mushroom/driftwood base, is in a “Critters” contest over at the International Art Doll Registry.  You don’t have to sign in or register; just pick your favorite critter from 5 choices (even if your favorite isn’t mine!).  :-)

Voting ends Saturday, so please vote now!
http://www.international-art-doll-registry.com/Default.aspx?pageId=277597

Dragon Snail couple – Valentine’s Day preview!

I really wanted to get this lovely couple finished in time for Valentine’s Day, but they’re pretty persnickety about what they want to look like.  The sculpting is finished, and the painting is under way, but there’s much color detailing yet to be done.  I wanted to give you a sneak peek, though, and my camera caught them in a cute cuddly moment.  Behold, the “Partners in Slime”:

"Partners in Slime" WIP preview – Dragon Snail couple on Valentine's Day (a OOAK sculpture by Eirewolf)

Merit awards, Girl Scouts, and Dragon Snails, oh my!

I just got back from the opening of the 2009 Sculpture Exhibition (sponsored by the Santa Clara Cultural Advisory Commission in cooperation with the Triton Museum of Art), where I got a nice surprise… I won a merit award for Candy is Dandy!  *warm fuzzies*  That was really cool, but it wasn’t even the best part of the event.  A troop of Girl Scouts was there, doing volunteer service by handing out brochures for the show.  I was told on multiple occasions that my sculptures (Candy is Dandy and Mean Old Goat) were the popular favorites among the girls.  It was like my own little People’s Choice award!  *big grin*  Thanks, Girl Scouts!  And thank you, Cultural Advisory Commission!  You put on a great show.

In other news…  Kinoko, my Dragon Snail with the mushroom-and-driftwood base, is available for sale!  Please take a peek in my Etsy shop for details.  (Pictures of Kinoko may also be seen in the two blog posts preceding this one, or in my gallery.)

“How on earth do you paint your sculptures?”

I got the above question today, and I’ve gotten it a few times before about my painted critters. So I figured, hey, what’s a blog for, anyway? My latest finished piece being the Dragon Snail Kinoko, my answer is specifically in reference to him.

OOAK polymer clay sculpture, Dragon Snail Kinoko, by Erin 'Eirewolf' Metcalf.

I think the difference in the way I paint is that I do it in several layers. I don’t try to get all the color on in one or two layers. When I look at my own skin, I see that it’s made up of several colors, with some translucence between. I can see blue-green veins in my hand, for instance, because my skin is translucent. It isn’t just one solid color, even besides the veins. The palm of my hand has some pink, some yellow, some almost-brown, some nearly white, and then some blue-green where the veins are.

In the case of my critters, I usually lay down a base color first. For Kinoko, that was the salmony-orange color. Then I’ll do a few translucent layers over that, usually with similar but slightly different colors. Often I will not do a solid layer, but I’ll do sort of a dry-brush technique with small amounts of paint, not in long strokes but almost like stippling or dabbing randomly with the brush. That gives the sort of mottled look that creates believable flesh tones (for my critters).

The yellow spots were painted in a more solid color, to mimic the spots on the shell. Not much translucence there. I added translucence to that color for the brow region.

As for the midnight blue on his “foot,” that color is opaque up until it blends into the orange. Translucence was added for the blending, the throat, the beak, the horns, the crown, and around the eyes. I wanted a softer look there.

By the way, this piece was painted with Genesis Heat Set “oils.” These paints remain workable until you heat them. The technique would (in practice) be slightly different with acrylics, but functionally it’s very similar. For some examples, Mightier Than the Sword, Stormdancer, and Candy is Dandy were all painted with acrylics. The Wizard’s Foundling was painted with Genesis.

I hope I’ve explained it clearly enough. If not, please do ask specific questions and I will try to clarify!

Kinoko: Dragon Snail among the fungus

Kinoko, #14 in the Dragon Snail™ series, makes his home in the deep forest among the fungus. His “beak” helps him dig tasty insects out of the deadwood, as well as nip morsels from the mushrooms. (Kinoko takes his name from the Japanese word for mushroom.)

I updated Kinoko’s body design to be more snail-like, especially the “foot,” which has an undulating edge. His horns are continuous with his head, inspired by snails’ eyes.

The rest of his head is, of course, decidedly un-snail-like. He has an unusually shaped skull, and a hooked beak reminiscent of a parrot’s.

I love his unique coloring, even if I do say so myself. Red-orange blends beautifully into dark teal and midnight blue, and the yellow spots on the (real) seashell continue seamlessly in a dorsal pattern.

Polymer clay and mixed media.

Kinoko will be for sale after the first of the year. Contact me if you are interested!

Click here for more pictures of Kinoko.

“Mean Old Goat” and “Candy is Dandy” to be in a juried sculpture exhibit!

I am excited to announce that two of my sculptures, “Mean Old Goat” and “Candy is Dandy,” were accepted into a local juried show, the City of Santa Clara Biennial Indoor Sculpture Exhibition. They will be on display January through July, 2009. The opening reception is Saturday, January 24th, 2-4 p.m. at the Santa Clara City Hall. All are welcome!

My regular blog readers are already familiar with Candy is Dandy (see my June 4th post, or my online gallery), but I haven’t yet fully unveiled the Mean Old Goat. Actually, I was waiting until I knew the outcome of my application to this show, so that I wouldn’t bore my readers by showing her off twice.

So here she is — the Queen of Curmudgeons, the Paragon of Peevishness — the Mean Old Goat! (Please visit her at my gallery site for more information and lots more pictures. Both the “Mean Old Goat” and “Candy is Dandy” will be for sale at the exhibit, unless someone makes me an offer I can’t refuse by December 7th, and can wait until August 2009 to receive their purchase. I welcome serious offers; please email me through my web site!)