A Lesson in Classic Hair

Dear Reader,

To make a magnificent moustache, first locate a fashionable alien with golden locks of hair.

Trade her her portrait for a few said locks.

Liberally apply black paint to the acquired hair.


Mold to the shape.

And admire the art! You now have a moustache ready for application :)

Chin chin
Ruthless Whims

Vlad's Portrait: Oh so Close

Dear Reader,

I couldn't help but update you on the wonderful progress that's been made on Vlad's likeness!

Still a proper cape to be added and some final touches, but I'm pretty enthused about it as it stands :)

Chin chin
Ruthless Whims

Cracking Up

Dear Reader,

After a week of meticulously manufacturing dirt, grass and more clay pots, the time finally came to put the felt vines' receptacle together.






The focus on detail was fervent during the production ...





And then after we put the whole thing together, and placed it on the table ... the focus turned to alarm! Looks like we're going to have to make another pot ;)

Have a great weekend. I know we will; I can barely wait to share Monday's shoot with you!

Chin chin
Ruthless Whims

Vlad's Portrait: Continued Development

Dear Reader,

Vlad's portrait has already undergone a slew of adjustments and attempted subversions (including Alien Two's idea for an angel cherub substitute).

With the original frame feeling just a little insubstantial for the portrait of a Squirrel King, we added some cardboard and plaster to the inside.





That solid substructure was then coated in a black undercoat, to which gold leaf will later be added.





Filigree is still a work in progress, but here is a rough in of the final mixed-media masterpiece.

More soon!

Chin chin
Ruthless Whims

Scouting in the Mango Goddess

Dear Reader,

With Ed's arrival fast approaching - the shoot days that is - the Aliens and I decided it was time to take the Mango Goddess for a spin and locate the location.

The day was hot, and after winding our way up narrow roads to the ridge-line of the Santa Monica ranges, we were still without the perfect place, and the Mango Goddess was in need of a little Alien love.

On our way down, though, we found the perfect place, checked the dirt, and bid our adieu. The indicators on the Mango Goddess, which underwent some form of temporary aberration, returned to their usual function and we headed off to a well-earned afternoon swim!

I can't wait to bring the actors in and capture the action at the base of the power pole we shot a couple of weeks ago!

Chin chin
Ruthless Whims

Favorite Foods

Dear Reader,

Among the many triumphs of yesterday, the Aliens and I spent an hour making favored foods of The Squirrel King. For the aliens, ice cream cones and ice cream were the obvious candidates.

In the process, Alien One wrestled with the realization that a cone can simply be rolled out of the correctly cut paper while a ball of ice cream is a more mysterious beast - at least in the realm of papier mache, though there's probably a life lesson in there somewhere too.

For my part, I was at work on a 3D element of the portrait; look closely at the foreground and you may identify an item from a gypsy barbeque!

Chin chin
Ruthless Whims

A Blank Canvas

Dear Reader,

With some stop motion cat burglary slated for shooting next Monday, the time finally arrived to get serious about the portrait of the king.


And so, over the weekend, the (muslin) Canvas was stretched.


The frame was squared (the Aliens having correctly identified a right angle lying about the house).





And plaster was applied!

All that remains is to take our town's mad municipal one-man-show and fill the frame with his likeness!

Stay tuned, it's going to be a busy week :)

Chin chin
Ruthless Whims