Category: Witch

I shall call him Jim.

We’ve been too busy to update for a few weeks now, as you’ve noticed.

Well, I was out doing my normal routine of researching for inspiration. The subject at the time was the Moche civilization, specifically their trophy heads…and I stumbled onto something so completely unorthodox and beautiful, I knew I had to have one.

An artist in France, Jim is flat out amazing.

http://www.jim-skullgallery.com/

Well, I hope he believes that imitation is flattery…for I shall call him Jim.

From 2011 buildup
From 2011 buildup

Plan B…or is it D?….

As my mother is often fond of saying, Life is plan B…

Well…I’ve been hit with a whole rash of ‘plan B’ all year long.

When the year began, I knew it would take me several years to switch over to my planned new theme involving Spider Woman. Heck, it took a good 3 years before I was happy with the whole Witch Doctor thing we had going.

I identified VERY early in the year that the plans for the front yard were a little too ambitious to be able to complete this year, and they were shuffled off to the back burner. Other plans were put in their stead that I was pleased with.

The Stele were started, but needing to finish up some improvements on the Laboratory, they were set aside till that was done…Then the Demons were created, and set aside as well in favor of the Laboratory work.

The last 2 weeks have seen fit to remove the Demons and Stele from the equation for the year in 2 storms. I was prepared for the rain in both instances. I was not prepared for the wind. The first, winds out of the north broke our gazebo and toppled the Demons into the rain. Worried most about the Gazebo, I secured it back upright with ropes, hoping to be able to repair the legs in time for Halloween. (the Gazebo is used as well) Storm 2 saw winds out of the south, collapsed the gazebo the OTHER direction. Securing that in the middle of the night, I failed to see that the Stele had been blown out from under it as well…They will be salvaged, but not this year.

So…here we are, the majority of the work to date ruined…

What does one do?

Well, we take stock of what’s available and move on. Plan B.

The Olde BYOB project is getting a makeover.

His legs amputated, as they really just got in the way for his purpose (but I needed to build them for the tutorial), and he’s been given the guts of one of those Christmas Reindeer to make him wave. He’ll get some fluorescent paint, and the wire to make the arm move painted black to hide it, then lit with a black light.

From 2010 Buildup

And, all is not bad. A very kind soul heard my plea for a knife, and sent some along…

From 2010 Buildup

Demons, ‘Crows and Skulls.

Another busy weekend wrapping up.

First up, just an example of my chalk. Unassuming by normal light.

From 2010 Buildup

It really comes to life in the black light.

From 2010 Buildup

Next, the Demons got a quick wash to prepare them for life under black light.

From 2010 Buildup

And I managed to discover a means to paint my skulls that is invisible in normal light. (ignore the blue and greenish tinged ones on the far right, done before I created the new paint)

From 2010 Buildup

And, what’s even better is it brings out a range of colors under black light. From white to gray to tans.

From 2010 Buildup

Finally, tired of black light work, I started work on the new scarecrows for the year.

From 2010 Buildup

More will follow if the technique proves sound.

Also working on Kyle’s mask…hoping he can blend in with said scarecrows this year…

From 2010 Buildup

Witch Skulls re-envisioned

With the discovery of the green flame torch kits, I’ve been re-envisioning the witch skulls.

So, taking advantage of the fact that green flame gives off very little visible light, we’re planning to use the green flame in the blacklight area. I wanted a minimum of 5 torches, which means 5 skulls. We tried a new way of staining the plaster skulls with a foam stain, which worked wonders.

Then, a little fluorescing paint later, they really came to life.

From 2010 Buildup

A little summer time carving as well, in celebration of sign 3.0. But, a little more on that later.

From An UnOrthOdOx Halloween

Baby Cousin Bob.

So, we had talked of making THEM a little while back.

Well, since then, I made 2 copies of the body form out of paper mache, and it was time to test out and see if my idea for these things was going to have any merit at all.

See. When you are going about making the yard into a tribute to Spider Woman, you must have to assume the SPIDER portion is going to be making some bit of statement.

From the Steve mummies going to be draped in webs, I wanted something more sinister. Some VICTIMS. More recent victims.

Now, there’s lots of ways to make spider victims out there. And, they involve hanging webbed up corpses in various positions an occasionally animating them.

That would be fine for yards with roofs, or trees to hang things from. NOT for a yard that is one big flat patch o nothin. No, we needed something else.

Back to that olde source of inspiration for me, Guild Wars, for inspiration….and perhaps a new entry to the annual contest…

From 2010 Buildup

The plan was simple. Mutilate some Christmas animated deer. And make little Trick or Treaters to be my victims all done up.

So, Monday night, I went and made a quick test to see how this motor setup is going to work. And, after fiddling with the counterweight a bit, I indeed got it moving just fine. However, before I could grab a video camera, the weight fell off. (what did I really expect from a rock and some quick duct tape?)

And, since I REALLY was not interested in making it look good monday night, just testing the motor, I was frankly ashamed to take a photo of the crappy lookin thing.

But, with rain coming in, it was time to clean it up tonight. And, I snapped a quick one before I did. Yes, it looks like crap. Those are the stretchy webs I have no skill in the least at. The real things, I have a web gun and a web spinner we’ll be using in conjunction to actually make look decent.

From 2010 Buildup

Yes…it looks terrible. And unlike ANYTHING, really.

However.

I come in from cleaning up to find something interesting.

“You break baby cousin Bob!”

From 2010 Buildup

(EVERY skeleton is Bob…since we made…Bob.)