ann wood

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Poor fellow, he is always disposed to do his best, but he is not gifted.

(according to pecksniff…..)

I’m working on a lot of owls, they are becoming more and more complicated and take forever.

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Or: How to make a cardboard horse.

In 2006 I started making cardboard horses. They were a self imposed assignment, a daily creative task intended to motivate and loosen me up, little experiments, paralysis prevention. My plan was to make a cardboard horse everyday, Monday through Friday until I had 100. I did and exhibited the group at Tinlark in Los Angeles  in 2007. I’ve made 3 patterns, two adults and a colt, to share and I hope you make a cardboard horse or two or three or maybe a little family or maybe your own stampede!

What you will need:
patterns
cardboard- you can use any kind - I think a medium weight is good, I’m using cardboard from a gift box.
scissors
manicure scissors
pencil
hammer and one nail
buttons
thin wire
pliers
paint and brushes, glue, paper, fabric, lace etc. - whatever you like, whatever you’ve got.

First download and print the patterns, cut out the pieces and trace them  onto your cardboard.  I like to use a pair of manicure scissors for the difficult small bits - corners etc. I included an optional tail and mane in the pattern.  I’m foregoing those for this horse and will add a tail and mane of antique lace.

(Click the images for a larger view)

You can finish your horse with collage or fabric or pencil  - the possibilities are endless - but if you choose to paint  then paint both sides to prevent curling. I’m using latex paint for the base, adding some dapples from my water color box and some splatters of ink, you can use a stiff paint brush or old tooth brush. I used a fine sharpie pen to draw on a very simple  eye and mouth.

Next I’m adding the antique lace mane and tail using a glue stick ( or elmer’s glue if you prefer).
Once that is dry we’re ready to assemble.

Arrange the legs with the body sandwiched between and use the nail to make a hole through all three layers. You’ll need to put a piece of wood or heavy cardboard underneath to protect the surface you’re working on. Thread the wire through the button holes and then pass both strands through the legs and body. Thread both wires through a small button on the back,  pull it tight  and twist to secure and trim the extra wire with pliers. Add  another piece of wire for hanging by twisting it around the buttons. I like to give all my horses a name, this is Sebald, horse #101.

I’ve hung sebald amongst the snowflakes with horse #71 winston.

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Thanks so much grace and anne for sharing my place and cardboard stampede today and hello to anyone visiting for the first time. I’ll post some more pictures from the sneak peek and the cardboard stampede diy a little later.

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The odin is a present for a good friend.  I’m working on some new ships and boats- progress photos soon.

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I’m working on owls.

And a photo I got at the flea market yesterday. I wish I had time to go through the box carefully. I usually look at pictures like this but don’t buy them - trying to have less stuff - but I had to take this one, so many things to like but mostly the little white dog, he seems to be the only one not in on the fun.

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Tiny top hats, corsages and boutonnières.

And a little blind lamb.

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I made the photo above for illustration friday , the theme is “theater’.

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This little white donkey is tiny - not much bigger than my thumbnail. I love taking his picture, this one makes me think of kaspar hauser.

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I’m making a few collages and paintings for an ad job, in the little painting above an armadillo and his kitten friend sail the high seas.

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This photograph was a gift from my favorite guy at the flea market -(park slope) and I love it.  He stopped showing up in early summer last year. I’ve wondered and asked about him since and I found out a few weeks ago that he died.  He took the photo at the Half Moon Hotel in Coney Island, I’m not sure when- 70’s or 80’s probably.  He was a painter and photographer. I only new his first name - John.

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The Avocet has never been very steady on her feet and she  is having a little operation to correct the problem.

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I’ve been working on some new things for spring and they are available now in my shop.

*update - sold out  but more coming soon.

There is also a new one of a kind set - claude and gus.  I’ll have something similar available to order soon.

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Or amulet, or talisman, a lucky or magic thing made from a glass bottle stopper  washed up on plum beach in Brooklyn that came to me by way of the park slope flea market and bits of 19th century threads  collected in Japan by my friend Stephen.

I love the idea of all the things that had to happen in the world for these little bits to come together.

And Jason and the Argonauts.

I’ve been going through old files and came across this still from the film I cut out of  a newspaper. I love the image just on it’s own and I loved the movie as a kid, especially the stop motion bits. You can see them  here on youtube if you like.

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I noticed some things that landed in a way I liked this afternoon so I took a picture. The little box is a diorama I made a few years ago, I’m working on some new dioramas now.

Forest diorama - closer look - here and here.

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Acquired this weekend at the park slope flea market:

All of it  dug up, washed up and fished out at plum beach  brooklyn. Good stuff. Happy day light savings time.

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