Transcript Paper Sculpture - Northview High School

Felt Sculpture
by Elsa Mora
Who Is Elsa Mora?
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Elsa Mora was born in Holguin, Cuba, in 1971.
She is an artist working in a variety of media including
painting, photography, illustration, ceramics, porcelain,
collage, bronze, mixed media, paper cutting.
Mora attended the Vocational School of the Arts in
Holguin. She left home when she was fifteen, and she
moved to Camagüey, where she graduated from the
Professional School of Visual Arts in 1990.
She currently resides in Los Angeles, California with her
husband and two children.
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Mixed Media, 2007
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Elsa Mora is interested in nature along
with human thoughts and feelings. She is
focused on embracing life’s challenges,
exploring insecurities, and celebrating a
positive human spirit.
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The following images are
only a sampling of Elsa
Mora’s creative endeavors.
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Dreams
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Kiki Paper Doll
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Rosetta
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This is Elsa’s
interpretation of Frida
Kahlo's necklace in
paper
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Birds, 2005
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Organic Shapes
in Porcelain
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Fears
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Inner Thread
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The Wound
The paper cuts are created by
drawing a mirror image on the
back of the paper.
The negative space is cut
away.
For thee dimensional layering,
the quality paper is embossed
from the back side.
Embossing is done by placing
the paper, front side down on
a soft surface. The paper is
gently rubbed with a smooth
rounded tool, stretching the
paper until it curves.
By layering the smaller
embossed pieces, Elsa can
create three dimensional
pieces.
Wow! Check out this bumble bee.
Red and White
Girl Bird
Dress with Branch
and Bird
Dress with Teddy Bear
Snow Dress
This dress with a teddy bear and a bird, is constructed out of white felt stuffed with polyfil.
The branches were made out of stiffened felt.
Winter Scene
Soft sculpture out of felt stuffed with polyester fiber
Project Tips & Requirements
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Please let Elsa Mora’s work be an inspiration – a starting point.
You will create a 3D sculpture in white felt.
You will need sharp scissors, white felt, white thread, sewing needles, and cotton balls or
polyester fiberfill.
The assembled piece must stand on its own and be a minimum of 10 inches in either length or
height. The width from front to back must be at least 2 inches.
Nature will be your muse. The sculpture does not have to be a dress or a landscape. It just has
to have natural forms as the main element.
Start by brainstorming. Make at least three sketches.
Label the parts of your design and print out a few visual resources.
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Think in layers; some will be stuffed while others are not. In order for the piece to stand, some
stuffed forms will have to have a base, like a pyramid or cylinder. Check out the bottom of Elsa’s
felt dress sculpture. It’s fine for other pieces to be made of two parts, sewn and stuffed like Elsa’s
birds. Include at least three stuffed layers. The more layers you include, the more depth your work
will convey. Make at least 5 total layers.
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It’s easier to make paper patterns first, then place or pin them to the felt to cut out shapes.
Avoid visible marking on the white felt with pencil or pen. Often it will show or soil the work.
Continue to the next slide.
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If you do not have experience hand stitching, please go online for a quick tutorial.
See this site for the whip stitch. Easy! (Yes, hand stitching is preferable to machine.)
http://gratzindustries.blogspot.com/2008/11/tutorial-how-to-whipstitch.html
Go to this site to learn the blanket stitch.
http://stitchschool.blogspot.com/2009/12/blanket-stitch.html
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The main concerns with hand sewing:
Keep the stitches small and evenly placed.
Leave tails at the ends of your knots.
Hide your knots by placing the first and last knot inside the seam.
Be sure to leave a small opening in each piece so that you can stuff it.
Gently pull the cotton or fiber fill apart, stretching it to make easier to work with.
If your fingers cannot get the stuffing into the small areas, try using the eraser
end of a pencil, a skewer, or knitting needle.
Then, neatly sew the opening closed.
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For layering 3D pieces, try to sew them together, with hidden stitches, whenever
possible. If you must use glue, make sure it won’t show and allow the piece time to
dry before handing it again.
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To stiffen single layers of felt that need to hold their structure: Water down white
school glue or gel medium. Place the cut felt piece in a shallow dish to soak with the
liquid. Remove and let it dry on a flat surface protected with plastic wrap. You can
gently peel the plastic wrap off the back of the dry felt shape.
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Keep your hands clean, free of grease from snack food. Dirt loves to stick to the oils
from your hands.
Amory Lenahan
I used Styrofoam eggs wrapped
with hand stitched white felt for
the head and body for this
project. I used foam pipe
covering for the neck and wire
for the beak and hand stitched
white felt over these. I cut and
glued individual feathers to the
body and then spray painted
the Cattails white. I then
attached the bird and Cattails
to a piece of Styrofoam that I
stitched white felt to.
Did this student artist meet all the
project requirements? Are there at
least three stuffed layers?
Student work:
Read over the project requirements and ask yourself
which objectives were met and which were not.
It’s My Fantasy by Tina Zang 2010
This sculpture depicts a grassy mound, high
above the clouds. A small lamb sits under the
dreamy tree and blows the petals off of a flower.
This piece won a Gold Key at the Scholastic Art
Competition.
This piece has artistic vision and voice. It’s an
individual interpretation of the assignment.
Instead of simply creating a stuffed animal type
form, this sculpture tells a story. The overall
form is very interesting and the details pull us in.
It’s layering and detail show advanced technical
ability. The student artist took the project
prompt and made her own interpretation.
Detail image
Bouquet by Rachel Slater, 2010
This lovely floral is accented by
beautifully hand-sewn sea
creatures. If you look closely, you’ll
see a fish, sea turtle, sea horse, and
coral.
Detail image
Maryyann Landlord
2011-2012
Hand-sown Felt, String, Glue
Dimensions: 19’’ X 32’’ X 21’’
Resources
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http://www.etsy.com/shop/bittystarr
http://www.etsy.com/listing/40099109/bee-miniature-paper-sculpture
http://elsita.typepad.com/