Over the past few years, I’ve had the opportunity to create artwork for a family law office dealing mainly with divorce. Bearing in mind that most of the people seeing the artwork would be in the midst of their own “heavy movie,” grieving the loss of a relationship, fearing what the future might hold, juggling hurt, anger, and more; I searched for visual concepts that offered a moment of comfort. Challenging myself to create art that hinted at joy, nodded at hope, distracted from worry, and stayed clear of cliché. The first piece was a large print of a dog leaping into the air just about to snag a tennis ball.
The second piece would live in a blank entryway niche – the perfect stage for a 3D sculpture. After hours of shopping for the ideal statue, carving, or abstract form, I landed on garden decor. Most of the yard ornaments I found could be categorized as, “sentimental. ” Then I came across a cement rabbit with a very distinguished presence. It didn’t take long for my imagination to begin exploring additional alterations. In no time, the rabbit transformed into a jackalope. Finally, a bit of “mellow” was added with groovy mirrored glasses.
Need a mellow entryway ornament to greet clients, family, or friends? Directions below.
The Basics of Transforming a Garden Ornament into a Legendary Cryptid
SUPPLIES
- Rabbit Garden Ornament (Link to a similar statue)
- Tree Stump Cement Stool
- Birch Branches
- Apoxie Sculpt
- Thin Wire
- 2 small screws (about 5/8″)
- Groovy Shades (six pack)
- White Acrylic Paint
- Chenille Stick
- Fine Sand Paper
- Paper Towels
TOOLS
- Paint brushes
- Various tools for sculpting (I used kraft sticks, ball-end embossing pens, and my fingers)
- Protective Gloves
- Small Container of Water
- Dremel and Rotary Sanding Bits (Optional)
DIRECTIONS
- Lightly sand rabbit, tree stump, and birch branches. Wipe clean or brush off sanding residue.
- Using a chenille stick, shape an antler on top of the rabbit’s head. This will allow you to play with the size and curves to determine what looks best before committing to the clay model.
- Here’s my chenille antler guide. Once you are happy with the size and shape, trace around the edges to make a pattern/guide. Then flip and trace around the edges to make a mirrored version.
- Watch the tutorial about making antlers with Apoxie Sculpt. I followed the tutorial except for draping the antlers over the bowl. Instead, place the traced pattern on the table with a piece of wax paper on top. Then shape the rolled clay on top of the wax paper/pattern to match the twists and turns.
- Roll two small balls of clay and stick one to the base of each antler. Push a small piece of wire through the ball to the base of the antler to reinforce the connection.
- While the clay is still soft, press the screw head into the ball at the base of the antler. Repeat with the other antler. These will be stakes that hold the antlers in place.
- Let dry as directed in the tutorial.
- Sand antlers with fine sandpaper and/or a Dremmel with sanding bits. Refine the shape and surface with thin layers of Apoxie sSculpt. Let dry and give a final sanding.
- Using a drill bit slightly smaller than your screw, drill two holes in the top of the rabbit’s head for the antlers.
- Put a small bit of Apoxie Sculpt inside the holes and push the antlers into place. Micro-adjust position of antlers until you are satisfied.
- Take a small amount of Apoxie Sculpt and press it onto the base of the antlers where they connect to the head. Sculpt and press to create a smooth, natural transition from the head to antler. (TIP: study images of real animals with antlers to create a realistic antler base)
- Once all clay has completely dried, paint the jackalope and stump – two to three coats or until satisfied with the coverage.
- Lightly sand the birch branches. Add water to a small amount of acrylic paint to create a wash. Brush the wash onto the branches and quickly wipe with a paper towel. This will white wash the branches rather than paint them. Repeat if you want the wash to be less transparent.
- Create the scene by placing the jackalope on the stump and arranging the birch branches behind. Adorn the jackalope with a pair glasses. Stand back and let the mellow vibe surround you.
