Let's begin at the beginning

Or, more specifically, the Devonian era.  These little guys are, of course, trilobites.

Dicranurus monstrosus and Greenops widderensis

Phacops rana

I had a lot of fun building the trilobites, and they’re a good way to begin my blog/virtual exhibition because they are fairly typical of the kind of stuff I like to make.  They’re made of paper mache, with a few coats of appropriate coloured paint and varnish to give them a nice texture.

Most of us have used paper mache to make masks or something similar at school, but I haven’t seen too many adult artists around doing anything with the technique and I think that’s a shame.  It’s cheap, uses readily available materials, and it’s incredibly versatile.  What’s not to like?