Work in Progress - Lethe, the seahorse

The paper mache technique worked very well!  Much quicker than mixing up epoxy and applying it in layers, that's for sure!

Here's a picture of her after I'd uncurled the wire mesh frame for her tail and stuffed it with crumpled newspaper:

The pink band is actually epoxy, which I used to attach the wire mesh.  I wrapped the mesh with masking tape to cover the edges that would poke through, and to keep it closed around the newspaper.

And here she is after the first layer of paper mache has been applied.  Unfortunately the way I had to set her to dry (on her belly on a plastic container perched on top of a can of spray adhesive) pushed her tail out a bit further than I wanted, and so she's standing more upright than I'd intended.  I could cut notches in her tail and squash her back down before I finish her tail, or leave her as she is.  (The tail fin is temporary - it's a piece of napkin I cut to the size and shape I think I want the finished fin to be.)

 

 

You can tell from this back view that she's developed a bit of a lean.  Not sure what that's all about, except the mold itself does tend to lean to the left a little.  I don't think I'll worry about that; as long as she stays upright I don't mind the lean.  Kind of makes her look like she's just bobbing in the current.

Here she is from the front.  You can see where I removed all the old rough seams on the horse body.  I still plan on removing the rest of her mane and turning that into a spiny dorsal fin.  Not sure if I'll add another dorsal, make the spiny dorsal take up her whole back, or just make the spiny dorsal the length of the old mane.  Guess I'll figure that out when I get to that stage.

I still need to taper the end of her tail a bit before I make and add the caudal fin.  Trying to decide if I should shorten the tail or leave it the length (seven inches, with another five inches for the fin) it is.  I might try to curve it upwards just a bit, and make the caudal fin curl forward at the ends.  The base I have her on is just temporary - I'm going to make one from clay that will have a bit of a "cradle" effect, to help keep her upright.  I'll cover it in sand and add little bits of coral and seashells. 

But for right now she's on the back burner, because I want to work on an Appaloosa mustang for a while.  I want it to warm up a bit outside before I take her out to the garage to remove her mane; standing on frozen cement in a drafty garage isn't a lot of fun!