Wednesday, April 22, 2009

It's a Messy Job.....

But, somebody's gotta do it, right?! :) Today, JP snapped some photos of me mixing up a batch of papier mache. Let me tell you, it's sticky, gooey, and dusty all at once! Mixing this stuff is certainly not the most glamorous step, but it is indeed necessary if I want to sculpt anything. Lucky for me, JP recently upgraded my messy-zone and added a nice fan for ventilation so I'm not inhaling that dusty powder. Ahhhh...... Anyway, we were having fun taking pictures of the process, and I was hoping to get a little sympathy from you!....hehe! Enjoy the peek at a day in the life of a papier mache folk artist......

~ Johanna


* See how my left hand stays dry as it adds powder to the bowl, while my right hand gets wet while mixing the batch.....


* Watch out!... Frenzied folk artist on the loose!....


* See how it fills the cracks in my skin and packs deep under my fingernails.... Lovely....

* Mix mix mix as I smile.....


* I knew those long fingers would come in handy....

14 comments:

Halloween Fanatic said...

MESSY, MESSY, MESSY-but you make it look like fun!

Sheryl Parsons said...

Oh the dust is a killer! Especially if you have asthma. Hey Johanna, someone once told me to put the water and paper mache in a zip lock bag and moosh it that way. Have you ever tried that? It it helps with the dust, but I'm cheap and won't spend money on the bags... :-)

Sheryl

Carolee said...

Messy materials always make me feel like a kid again, hehe...Great photos!

~ Carolee

Little Dollings by Brenda O. said...

Ohh, great pics Johanna.. and, plenty of sympathy here! The Ohio Pfatties/Ehag-ers tried papier mache for the first time this weekend! We're counting on you experts for guidance!!

;)
Brenda

Old World Primitives said...

You make messy look like fun!


Stephanie

Unknown said...

Looks like FUN!! and your new ventilation system is an excellent bonus. It's yuccky to breathe in the dusty stuff.

Now I am wondering what those sticky hands are about to sculpt.. any sneak peeks?

Lori

Beverly said...

Very messy, but necessary for sculpting. Good thing you are wearing an apron. I'd definitely need one!

Naija said...

hi
nice to see you lol messy but fun lol

Chicken Lips said...

Great photos! Makes me wanna go right out to my workshop and get to work!

Penny @ Miss Pootsie's Primitives said...

Oh my.. makes me want to mix up a batch and get creative! Really, REALLY nice photos!
Penny

Monkey-Cats Studio said...

I just laughed when I saw the photos...I understand is all I can say, but alas, I am one of the ziplock bag mixers as of a couple of years ago.

Laurie

Johanna Parker said...

Ohhh, I haven't tried the plastic bag approach. I guess that would help quite a bit in keeping the mess contained during the mixing, but once you start sculpting, you still tend to get it all over your hands..... Gotta keep that lotion "hand"y..... :)

Village Gift Shoppe said...

Oh that looks like so much fun Johanna! Oohey gooey fun! =o)

Thanks for signing up for my giveaway!

*Lori

Melissa said...

Oh Johanna, I can relate it this! Now you'll have to apply large amounts of moisturizer to you hands for the next several days!
Smiles-
Melissa