I mentioned my experiments with papier mache figures a little while ago. Here is the next step in the process. Once again, I constructed a body framework for these women in the same was as I have been (though with practice I am refining my methods and getting better results at how they look and hold together).
This time, I made their outfits out of papers I had on hand. Each person is about 9″ tall or so. Let’s take a look at each individual.
This lady has a dress made of strips of painted paper, dictionary arms and legs, and paper bag head and feet. And you can see she has a more elaborate hair-do. That’s something I am experimenting with too.
This lady has paper bag legs, head, and shoes. Her skirt is painted paste paper. I used scraps of various failed or partial doodles/sketches/drawings in India ink on white sketch paper to make her abstract-patterned blouse.
This figure has paper bag head and shoes, dictionary arms, and India ink print legs. Her dress is made of overlapping layers of different papers, including a list of items, I don’t know what, but it might be groceries. Her hair-do kind of looks like a hat in this photo, maybe, so how nice, two looks in one.
OK, that’s where we are with figurines right now. I really like this method of finishing them. I found painting outfits on them a little tedious, but collaged outfits? Whole other story. We’ll see who comes along next!
Claudia McGill and Her Art World 
I instantly noticed the hair on these figures and I like that you are experimenting with that.
Thank you. I got the idea from how I used to do the hairdos of my clay figurines. The papier mache really works great for this.
Oh oh oh. Their outfits are all so stylish. Love the various hairstyles / head adornments too. Am also taken with the idea that their clothes carry the energy of previous drawings and lists.
Thank you. I got the idea of their head adornments from how I used to make clay figurines. The papier mache worked just like clay, I was so happy. I also love the thought you expressed about their clothes carrying “the energy of previous drawings and lists”. I think that is a profound statement and something I guess I knew intuitively, but…I had never articulated or known how to. I will be thinking about that as I make more of these people. Thank you.
Looking forward to seeing more of your people. Thanks for your affirming words. Enjoy the making
These are really cool – I love how you did the hair!
Thank you. The glue made the paper so nice and pliable, like clay, almost.
Ah! Yes it was definitely like you sculpted the hair!