I thought I might share a peek into the working process behind my next series of work. 

It's been quite some time since I did anything three-dimensional, and I have to admit it's been nothing short of thrilling to get my hands really dirty again in the studio. 

These fellows are made from natural clay and papier maché over armatures.

 The beginnings of bodies and limbs.

 The first time Q came into my studio and saw all of these pallid, disembodied parts, she looked at me uncertainly and pointed at her nose (for some reason this was her very early, self-invented sign-language for "scary").

 I told her "No, they're not scary. They're going to be little people!"

The very next morning, she came running into my studio, looked up at the shelf with the heads (which had multiplied) drying on it, bowed a little to them, and said quite politely, 

"Hello. I QQ. It's nice to meet you."

 On that day, she befriended my little people, and ever since she has a daily conversation with them on their shelf as they evolve.

 They are each one-of-a-kind, hand-formed, hand-sanded, and hand-painted.

 Frankly, I'm a bit giddy with excitement. It feels unexpectedly good to switch up my media a little and use some skills that have been dormant for some time. Armature wire, sandpaper, pliars, slurry, carving tools...My studio is looking very different these days! Now I'm just itching for the mohair to arrive so that I can start playing around with hair!

Next up for painting...