Made by Jon Keller
I made this guy last winter . Initially I was not planning to make a full eagle. I had a small piece of wood and had carved an eagles head. The head looked good so I decided to add a body …. and then a perch . There are several different materials used to make this project , but the main ingredient is paper mache . I made my paper mache using old printer paper . It’s cheap paper and falls apart well when wet , very good for paper mache.
The head is wood . The wooden beak is covered with orange acrylic polymer clay. The feathers are real feathers ( from the craft store ), individually trimmed as needed , glued on one at a time with white glue .
For a body form I covered a balloon with glue-soaked string . Once dry I popped the balloon , leaving me with a string “cage”. I had to cut a section out of the cage to make it conform more to the shape I wanted.
The whole thing was then covered with paper mache . The wings , tail , and legs were all made separately . The talons are made with acrylic polymer clay . The base is a chunk of wood.
There are many more details in the construction ( too many to list here ) , but basically it was an evolution . Some things were done a few times before I was satisfied , but all in all I think it came out pretty good .
Jon,
What artistry! The devil’s in the details as they say. I love your ingenious armatures too! You are SO talented.
Joan
Thank you Joan . I am happy that you appreciate my work and grateful for your thoughtful comments.
Golly, Jon!!! Your eagle is awesome…I expect him to take flight!!! The string covered balloon’s a great idea. Thk you for sharing.
The eagle is breathtaking! I read all that went into making him and I’m in awe. Great job!
Jon, I think I left my incorrect web site. There is a paper mache category if you are interested.
I really appreciate you showing your technique. I use chicken wire for the body of my birds/animals. I think the glue soaked string over a balloon is a great idea. Now I have to find the right balloon. Keep up the good work. It is inspiring.
Your eagle is a true work of art. It is gorgeous!!! The real feathers just make this guy really come to life. What did you use for the eyes. They look just like real eyes. Congrats! This is one of the best pieces I’ve seen on this site.
Thanks for your message
I appreciate feedback , especially when it is as encouraging as yours .
I get eyes from stuffed animals that I find in thrift shops. Of course not every stuffed animal has the right kind of eyes for an animal project , but every now and then I get lucky.