Judy Skeel, one of Doll Street's favorite teachers, is presenting:

The Harpy

The Harpy is a hybrid creature from Greek Mythology. This doll is half cloth woman, half Apoxie Sculpt vulture and free standing to measure 8 to 12 inches in height. Artists throughout time have envisioned harpies in a wild variety of styles from mostly woman to mostly bird, sometimes with bat wings and sometimes angelic - so style and design are encouraged.  Judy has created two different Harpies and will help students choose their own concept of a Harpy to adapt their doll accordingly. Fortunately there are not too many people alive who have seen a real Harpy to say one’s creation is wrong, so this can be very free creating! 

Learn to:

• Sew and properly stuff a cloth body and head
• Needle sculpt a cloth doll face
• Use cotton to apply cloth over a cloth needle sculpted face for a three dimensional head with no stitches showing
• Create realistic or fantasy facial features using pens and pencils
• Sew, turn, wire and pose realistic looking hands and how to mend “blow outs” beautifully
• Create a wire armature to connect the cloth torso with a bird torso and legs
• Sculpt vulture legs and a torso with Apoxie Sculpt
• Paint in layers to accent texture
• Cover the vulture torso with feathers
• Create believable bird wings
• Create a wig from Tibetan lamb skin
• Needle felt eye lashes and eye brows
• Custom fit a leather halter
• Distress the costume, hair and doll for an optional “vile” creature

In Greek mythology a Harpy is a hybrid creature, half woman and half vulture; very fierce, vile and loathsome, dwelling in filth and stench, contaminating everything within reach. The Greek “harpyia” means snatcher. Harpies are hungry, filthy creatures who snatch food, objects and even people who are tormented and never seen again. They take pleasure in punishment, torture and death. Greek mythology cast them as messengers of divine vengeance, the gods dispatching them to punish the evil by snatching away or fouling their food.  Starting off as stormy Tornado Goddesses, they were originally beautiful, but over time became screechy, scratchy, vicious and downright disgusting in every way. Harpies can fly at the speed of sound, and one of their favorite tricks is to defecate upon the unworthy from a great height.  See? Loads of room for variations!

Student Requirements and Skill Level: Intermediate and advanced students will enjoy this fun and informative workshop. Doll makers must be adept at sewing by machine and by hand.  Sculpting experience is not required. 

• Lesson One: Basic Cloth Construction: Sewing, Stuffing and Sculpting the Face
• Lesson Two: Cloth Over Cloth and Face Painting
• Lesson Three: Torso Construction: Sewing and Stuffing Cloth Arms With Detailed Hands
• Lesson Four: Bird Torso
• Lesson Five: Feathers, Fibers and Finishing
• Resources for feathers and unusual supplies included with supply list

 Here are some student interpretations from the previous class:

On the left: Cheryl Zehner

On the left: Linda Peffley

On the right: Veronica Phillion's Harpy head in progress

Sign up before March 21st and receive a free pattern for Flavia the Flat Mermaid.

Class starts: Friday, April 4th, 2008        

Cost of class: US $55.00

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