Note: I recently created a new lion mask pattern. The downloadable lion mask pattern is made with cardboard pieces taped together, plus one layer of paper mache and that lovely raffia mane (made with a cheap table skirt). It’s easy to make, but it looks fantastic. It’s become one of the most popular patterns on the site.
And now, back to the original post:
My last two life-sized lion cubs are finished. This one is sleeping with her head on one paw. Her brother, below, is stalking one of the other lion cubs from the same litter, which I showed you on a previous post.
This is the last of the big cats, at least for a while. They were supposed to be shown in a pop-up gallery in Bellingham this month, but the show has been postponed until spring. That will allow me to drive the big cats and anything I come up with between now and then to Washington, saving me a ton of shipping charges. (I have a weird phobia about driving across two mountain passes in the snow). And Xan will have a bit more time to prepare an outstanding show.
In the meantime, the big cats and a few other recent sculptures will be for sale here on my blog, and a portion of any sale will still be donated to the feral cat rescue organization up in Bellingham.
I’m taking a short vacation this week, but when I get back I’ll put up a gallery page so you can see what I have available. That way, you won’t need to wait until spring if you have your heart set on a life-sized bobcat or snow leopard or lion cub for your living room. I think I can get the new gallery page up and running by next Wednesday, if I can figure out the best way to do it. Wish me luck.
Very nice cubs! A mom would add a nice touch…
I wouldn’t call not wanting to drive across two mountain passes in the wintertime snow a “phobia” I’d call it having common sense! I love your big cat series, ‘specially the snow leopard. Sadly, our living room is too small and our pockets too empty to have one of your big cats come and live here at Acorn Cottage…
Yes Alison, the snow leopard is a bit large for the average house. My house is much smaller than average, and he takes up a large chunk of the living room.
Love your needle-felted pony, by the way.
The cubs look great, Jonni! I like the subtle spotting on their fur. Were you able to use the same mold for the faces, with modifications, as you used for the others?
Three of the cub faces are from the same mold. The standing/stalking cub on this page has a different face – slightly younger. I guess that makes him from the same pride, but a different litter?
Using the paper mache clay in a mold is tricky – it’s difficult to get a really smooth surface. I wanted to find out how they made those saints shown on another post – but so far I have not been successful. There tends to be little pits in the surface when the mold is removed, no matter how hard I try to fill the mold evenly. The pits on the cubs were easy to fill in with more clay or gesso, but I can’t get my really detailed molds to work yet, and I’m not yet ready to cast a human face. I’ll keep working at it…
Interesting. Hm. I wonder how they did that? Something in the “clay” itself, maybe?
It’s fun watching you work out these challenges, and the input coming in from others.
So sweet! Wonderful job on the cubs.