Stick Ladies Part 2

I recently showed you some stick figures I made in 2016 and updated in 2020. The project made me want to try some more figures. I will be showing you the results of those efforts over the next couple of weeks while describing the process and any changes I made.

In this next group, I will show you the next phase of stick lady construction in my recent project. This group has attached arms and…attached heads. Yes. Just take a look.

As I have said before, I collected the body sticks, and for these, I was looking for moderately substantial branches. Once I had found what I wanted (testing them against rotten or decayed wood by banging them against a tree trunk to see if they broke) I sawed them into lengths and went through my dishwasher sanitizing process and let them dry.

I took a smaller-diameter stick and cut it into “head”-sized pieces, matching them with bodies.

Stick Ladies 6-18-20 #3c

Then I chose arms and attached them as before, first drilling a hole and them nailing them to the body.

arm

I created features and clothing with my woodburning tool.  I cut bases from a plank and painted them black.

Stick Ladies 6-18-20 #4e

Then I  assembled them. Today I will show you two, in detail, and later on the other two, that I made in this way.

Using dowel screws I first attached the head and then connected the body to the base. I used differently-sized screws because it was important to get the proportions right. On my first try I chose screws that were too short for the “legs” portion and the figures look squat and ungainly. A longer screw corrected that problem.

Here are two figurines. They range in size from 16-18″ tall, all parts included.

Lady #3:

Lady #4:

I have two more to show you in a later post.

 

10 thoughts on “Stick Ladies Part 2”

  2. Laura (PA Pict)

    In that early stage of construction, the figures looked a bit sinister – I suspect because they made me think of the Wicker Man – but that then underscores just how much personality and warmth you add when you create the details.

    1. Claudia McGill Post author

      Thank you. I had a clear idea where I was going with them but in the end it is just chance how my hand forms the features. I lucked out with the expressions and I really like the way these look. Now…what next???

    1. Claudia McGill Post author

      Thank you. I had done woodburning when I was a child and got this set a few years ago, using it to make those earlier figures. I really like doing it, and now that I have more time for this kind of project I want to do more with it.

    1. Claudia McGill Post author

      Thank you. The are fun to make. I am now thinking about more elaborations. or different forms. Or…who knows! There are millions of sticks in the woods.

Comments are closed.