Blog
About my Paper Mache Blog
When I first jumped onto the internet in 2008, you could make a website, or a blog. Websites were static; blogs were dynamic. So I made one of each. I built my site, GourmetPaperMache.com (this site) where I put information about my art. I also made a blog, PaperMacheBlog.com, to feature my current projects (see the photo at the top of the page) and allow people to comment. Of course now I can have them both on WordPress. I’m not sure what to do about this. For now, I’m going to keep my other blog (now called Gourmet Paper Mache Blog), mostly because so many people have signed up to follow it. A bit convoluted I know.
Feel free to comment on this page, or visit my blog, PaperMacheBlog.com. Thank you!
259 Responses to “Blog”
Hello, just found your website for the first time and I am very impressed. I am curious about some things though. For example I don’t see a date on your posts, so I don’t know how long ago they were made. Was the outdoor dragon recent, or was it years ago? And if it was years ago I am wondering if it is still intact? I am also curious about your ‘cloth mache’. You say that you use old bedsheets, yet you’ve made so many projects. How do you keep getting bedsheets? How do you source them? Personally I’m curious about such a thing wanting to try myself but I’m not sure where I would get cheap cloth I don’t feel bad about ruining…
Additionally I noticed that in the video of the smaug ‘trophy’ head you painted the eyes yourself. What is that blank dome you used for it? How can I get them? I am more interested in painting my own eyes than purchasing pre-made ones.
Have you ever had issues with mold? I’ve heard flour mixtures are susceptible to it, and I imagine damp cloth also may be an issue in regards to this. Does the cloth take more drying time than regular paper mache? Do you do anything to minimize the possibility of mold?
Thank you if you decide to answer my questions.
Hello Spottyleopar. When you go to the button on my website homepage, “My Paper Mache,” it lists the day the post was written. The page about my outdoor dragon was posted on Jan 13, 2015. The dragon was about 4 years old when I made the post so it has held up very well for more than 11 years. That’s a lot longer than I expected particularly for Seattle weather. It is still in good shape although I did touch up the paint last Spring. I get my old bed sheets at “thrift” stores like Goodwill. Most cities will have a second-hand store like the ones I use. I can usually get an old sheet for less than $5. That’s partly because I prefer the older, more worn sheets. The older the sheet the better. I don’t like new sheets. They are too stiff (and expensive). Everyone sleeps on sheets so I don’t think there will ever be a supply problem with those. Also, my friends and family know what I do and they offer me their old sheets. The eyes I painted were “blanks.” That is, they are the glass with or without the black lens painted. I get my eyes from taxidermy companies online. Not all of them offer blanks. I think I got my blanks at glasseyes.com. About drying time…the initial paper mache stage takes a number of days to dry thoroughly. It depends upon where they are placed and the humidity etc.. I have a forced air gas furnace in my house. It is in my studio and provides a very nice heat to dry the pieces. The “cloth mache” skin dries overnight. Which brings up mold. Mold can only live in the presence of moisture. Sometimes a little mold will form on some of the pieces if they take too long to dry. But it is harmless and goes away as the pieces dry. Once they are completely dry there is no problem with mold. The glue soaked cloth dries quickly. I’ve never seen any mold on that.
Good luck to you! It’s a great medium.