Sculpture "The Consumption of Miss Havisham" by Artist Jessica Gray (Me)

I didn't volunteer long at my library's gift shop, but the little time I spent there had a profound life-changing influence.  It showed me that I had a gift in sales, which was one career that I had never considered.  The second, it piqued my interest in paper mache as we had several large paper mache sculptures decorating the store.  The one that got the most attention was the paper mache shark, which was positioned right over the snacks.  We had several offers to buy it.

I experimented with paper mache, and I was delighted at the beautiful sculptures I was able to make even as a beginner.  What I truly love about paper mache is that items that would be otherwise thrown away are recycled into beautiful art.  An empty bottle of the dish detergent Dawn became a penguin.

Early on, while researching paper mache on the web, I came across Jonni Good's recipe for paper mache clay.  Regular paper mache can actually become hard with several layers and several applications of gesso.  However, the clay made it even more sturdy...and so it appealed to me.  You can find out more about Jonni Good, who has produced several books, on her website: http://ultimatepapermache.com/

This is the first time I have actually worked with classic paper mache.  I wanted this to be a wall hanging, so I wanted it to be light.  Paper mache clay can make things heavy.  Most of my sculptures, which are small, wind up being four pounds.

Another thing that is interesting about working with paper mache (and paper mache clay) is that there are always challenges.  You would think that after making several sculptures, you would be an expert.  However, I find every sculpture has its challenges.  Sometimes they are top heavy.  Sometimes it is hard to get the expression you want because of warping (paper mache can alter position as it dries--which anyone who makes a bowl can tell you).  Sometimes you are going for a certain look, and you don't know how to get it with paper mache...and you debate on whether you want to use something else.

I was inspired to make this sculpture by the movie Great Expectations that recently came out that had Helena Bonham Carter as Miss Havisham.  I admit I've become a fan of Carter as she has gotten older.  Sometimes she plays the same types of roles, and sometimes you see her with the same people...but I never get tired of watching her.  Miss Havisham seems to have a breakthrough of self-realization, and just soon after she is consumed in flames when a candle (or a fire place spark, which I think is what happened in the book) accidentally falls on her gown.  Some movie versions actually propose that she committed suicide, but if I recall the book correctly, it seemed to be an accident.

Helena Bonham Caarter played Miss Havisham in the 2012 movie Great Expectations

I decided to make a head bust of the above picture of Miss Havisham (as played by Helena Bonham Carter).  I had also been wanting to experiment with making masks, though in this particular case..I'd be making a sculpture that couldn't be worn.  However, I felt it would give me some experience.  I also wanted to incorporate the phoenix myth.  I pictured a phoenix on the side of Miss Havisham's head.  Part of her would be engulfed in flames, and you would see her transforming into a phoenix.  This would be indicated by her nose becoming a beak and one of her eyes being a different color.

She started out as a mask that I had purchased from Joann Fabrics.

This is how Miss Havisham started out, a mere white mask

I taped the mask to the back of some cardboard.  Then I wadded up some paper to make the neck and shoulders.  I debated as to what to do with the hair.  Should I get a wig?  I had my doubts that paper mache could produce the desirable result, but I was in for a shock.  What I did is that I twisted the paper and dipped it into the paper mache mixture, and then attached it to the head.  I did the hair in layers.

I made videos of most of the beginning process:

Part 1:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gBbCXHeE7xc&list=PLLdcCbWTBhkpdT5ftqt3bu7nbAgTDOeRM&index=40

Part 2:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HEfKyq1F5kw&index=42&list=PLLdcCbWTBhkpdT5ftqt3bu7nbAgTDOeRM

Part 3:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pbHtaGyFCK8&index=43&list=PLLdcCbWTBhkpdT5ftqt3bu7nbAgTDOeRM

Part 4:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SQWOr92qi3g&list=PLLdcCbWTBhkpdT5ftqt3bu7nbAgTDOeRM&index=44

I became worried when my bird's wing got a crack at the tip and threatened to tear off.  I tried to be careful around this area from then on.  I think this happened because I had a tendency to carry it with one hand under the wing.  Whoopsy.

She was rather haunting and creepy to look at in the beginning, particularly at night.  The sculptures get personality almost right away.  Miss Havisham seemed to acquire the appropriate personality of the character she was modeled after.

The next irritating thing to happen was to find out how much the bugs and lizards loved the sculpture too.  I haven't had this problem too much in the past with the other sculptures.  I always start out with paper mache, and then I layer the sculpture with paper mache clay.  Still, the bugs and lizards didn't show much interest.

I live in Florida, so bugs and lizards are going to be your roommates no matter how clean you are.  That is a fact of life when you live in a place that used to be a swamp.  Of course, bug spray can reduce the amount of bugs...but the problem with that is that you wind up interfering with the food chain and killing things you didn't mean to kill.  You really learn about the cycle of life here.

The bugs and lizards did not really eat on the sculpture, which you would expect.  They liked pooping on her...particularly the bird's back once he was painted.  It seems many creatures like the color red.  It isn't just a bull thing.  The spiders liked making webs in her hair.  I guess to some degree, it gave Miss Havisham a bit of authenticity.  After all, a woman who wears her wedding dress every day and keeps a moldy wedding cake for years was just nasty...and probably had spiders and other things in her hair.  One unfortunate spider lost its life when I applied varnish and neglected to see it on her neck.

I really liked Miss Havisham, and I had decided to keep her.  I wanted to see how well she would hold up...but frankly, I was a little worried about selling her when she had been so popular with the bugs and lizards.

The next problem I encountered was when I applied the second coat of varnish.  I didn't realize that paper mache would be much more absorbent.  The sculpture got mushy a bit, and I worried it would fall apart--particularly at the already damaged bird wing.  I also got scared that day because--despite doing the spraying outside--I got overwhelmed by the fumes.  I got so nauseous and dizzy.  My chest hurt.  I had a hard time breathing.  I had just done a module on how deadly inhaling chemicals could be, and I worried that I was going to die from it.  I wondered how anyone could enjoy this sensation.  I hadn't intentionally inhaled the stuff, and I felt just awful.  Fortunately, I did recover.  However, I opted not to do a third coat of varnish, which I normally do.

Miss Havisham did dry out, and the smell did go away...much to my relief.

I wanted to glue some feathers on the bird and some jewels on her tiara.  However, I worried about how I'd be able to do this.  I hadn't wanted to do it before varnishing for several reasons.  One, the jewels and feathers may not react well to varnish, and it would be difficult to protect them from it.  Two, I wanted the sculpture to be protected, and if I glued things onto it before varnishing, I'd have an area that wouldn't have protection.

However, in the past, I haven't found many glues that like to stick to my sculptures.  Of course, until now, all of my sculptures had been made of paper mache clay.  I was hoping that regular paper mache would react differently, and happily it does.  Normally, I use Loctite's spray adhesive.  However, this isn't really ideal when you are gluing small items individually.

I tried my glue gun, and the stuff did stick.  I even vacuumed my feathers after gluing them, and they stayed.  Of course, when you use a glue gun, it is inevitable that you are probably going to give yourself some pretty painful burns...particularly when you are working with feathers, which are not always cooperative.

A picture of the glass jewels that I glued to the tiara.

I was surprised at how expensive these little glass jewels and feathers could be.  Fortunately, I get coupons from Joann that can reduce the price a bit.

As I've said, your sculptures can develop personality.  The day I glued feathers on the bird, he seemed to puff out in pride.  Miss Havisham's expression seemed to sour more.  I don't know if she felt like he was outshining her, or he was boring her horribly with his talk of how pretty his feathers were.  I could imagine him chirping in her ear, "Oh, did you see my pretty feathers?! I have red feathers, and orange feathers, and yellow...and did you see that one purple one on my back?"

Aside from the tiara, I hadn't planned to do much with Miss Havisham.  However, I decided to give her more bling.  I bought some pearls to glue on her dress.  They actually don't show up as much, but she looked happier.  I got the idea for them from a Princess Diana collectible doll.

A close up of the bird

Miss Havisham has some feathers glued in other areas--"flames" from the bird

Though they are not as noticeable, I glued some pearls on the dress

I'm very proud of how she turned out.  They never turn out as you picture them, but I'm usually pleased with the results.  I plan to do more experimenting with masks in the future.