edit: This is very nice, I won the "most creative" category in this contest. And that's what struck me most about this contest anyway ... that it makes you search your creative side deeper and in ways that you might not have thought of before. It's a great idea for a contest, pairing two galleries together and this pairing was intriguing. Glad to see that maybe there'll be more contests like this in the future.
My entry for the FanCraftic</b> contest. It is Rumpelstiltskin from the "Cinderrumpelstiltskin" story from The Stinky Cheeseman and Other Fairly Stupid Tales by Jon Scieszka and illustrated by Lane Smith, a children's storybook that was all the rage when it came out in the early 90s.
I know that I didn't entirely take creative license with the original, but I did have to come up with several creative ways in making it possible to do in leather. For instance, the ruff was just impossible to do so I made up a fancy one of my own for him (it is padded, beaded, and has a double flounce at the top). Things like his face ended up being 5 layers of leather. The gold decoration on the sides is supposed to represent the gold threads he spun from straw. I put the stars in the upper left because there had to be something for him to look at because in the story he's actually looking at Cinderella, who in this story is just about the ugliest fairytale princess imaginable. I asked *Jagarnot to draw me an equally demented looking cat for me to do in leather, which she did. I drew Rumpelstiltskin out freehand, changing all of the elements, especially his costume, to make it look more colorful.
I might leave this panel as it is. But I could also frame it or set it onto the front of a handbag or garment.
all leather, 13 colors total measurements: 9 5/8" wide by 9 3/4" long time: almost the entire time since the contest was announced (2 months ago!) taking breaks only to do my tax return and to tear my hair out while persevering and convincing myself that this was actually do-able.
Thanks so much. I still have it because I don't know what to do with it. Maybe someday a thousand years from now, some archaeologist will dig it up and say "what the hell?" and then come up with some weird theory that some strange, forgotten people must have lived in the area.
Thanks, I asked my daughter *Jagarnot to design me a cat that looked like it would live with a troll. He was a lot of fun to put in leather, glad you like him!
and yeah, I also LOVE the cat's design =3
a whole very very well made piece with a whimsical and funny style!
That cat is just too cute.
You've captured his character very well! ^^
I am in awe~
you do great work!
it is amazing i've never done leather work but it looks like an amazing medium