Japanese master of disguise

Tanuki Tanuki is a shapeshifter from Japanese legend in the form of a raccoon dog. It is mischievous, a master of disguise, and sometimes absent minded.

taxidermy form, Indonesian silk pods, cloth, silk pins, glass beads, and silamide thread.
SOLD

Tanuki will be one of my featured monsters at Willow North Gallery in Phoenix during the months of October and November, 2011.
The exhibit titled "It Ain't Necessarily Swen", was curated by Robrt L. Plea. I will be showing with artist Gary Paterson www.garypaterson.com/ along with other local fiber artist. I will post more information when the date is closer. For now, mark you calendars for the opening night Friday, October 7th, 2011. www.willonorth.com/

Cuca and Chownki Daar

Cuca
is inspired by a Brazilian monster. Cuca is a humanoid that walks and talks. It will come for children if they do not go to sleep. pins, sequins, cloth, beaver taxidermy form, glass beads, Indonesian silk pods, silamide thread, and abalone shell.
SOLD



Why am I interested in these boogie monsters?
Through research, I have found that the boogie monster myth is universal. There is no specific "look" to this monster, it changes by culture and location. Each individual child's imagination fuels the fear of the monster. One thing is consistent, the boogie monster is not something you want as a visitor to your home.
I am interested in Fear. It is universal and natural feeling that can be used to control, persuade, paralyze, and inspire (etc. etc. etc.).


Chownki Daar origin of myth: North India Myth of a night shift security guard who takes children who refuse to go to sleep. cloth, handmade felt, buttons, raccoon taxidermy form, silamide thread
SOLD










Gryla
A boogie monster myth from Iceland. Monster is a female troll who would take misbehaving children and eat them. handmade felt, ceramic animal form, glass beads, sea urchin spines, silamide thread

a personal favorite monster

Namahage
boogie monster myth originating in Japan. Namahage is a demon that warns children not to cry or be lazy... cloth, glass beads, skunk taxidermy form, silamide thread bead embroidery and peyote stitch.

Accidental Monsters

Gryla
Based on a Icelandic myth of the boogie monster. Gryla is a female troll who would take misbehaving children and eat them.
handmade felt, plastic animal form, glass beads, and sea urchin spines











Mumus
inspired by a boogie man myth from Hungary. Mumus carries a sack on his back to take children away.
glass beads, handmade felt, wolverine taxidermy form, silamide thread, cloth

Nix and other shapeshifting albino squirrels

Nix glass seed bead embroidery and peyote stitch, cloth, taxidermy form, thread. 2010. Named after a German shape shifting water nymph myth.

Sold



Kumiho glass seed bead embroidery and peyote stitch, cloth, taxidermy form, thread.
Named after a Korean nine tailed fox myth.

Hulijing glass seed bead embroidery and peyote stitch, cloth, taxidermy form, silamide thread. Named after a Chinese fox spirit myth.

neck pieces

White beetle
neck piece. Glass seed beads, Fireline thread, Czech white heart vintage beads, and lampwork handmade glass beetle by Margaret Zinser http://mzglass.com/


How to Disappear Completely
collar, glass seed beads, Fireline thread

A time to be so small

Leda glass seed bead embroidery and peyote stitch, cloth, taxidermy form, thread. 2010. Named after a Greco Roman shape-shifting swan myth.

The following pieces of work focus on shapeshifting. The work subtly addresses the issues of the different faces we each put forth given our current surroundings and the eventual effect it has on who we become as a whole – a conglomeration of parts of different creatures. She uses taxidermy animal forms and transforms them into creatures, not yet in existence, but in the process of changing form, color, and purpose.

I have been working with the idea of needing to be multiple personalities in order to function in my life. There is one face or purpose I put forth in one venue such as work, and a different one put forth to my family. Then there is the self I keep to myself. My proposed exhibit attempts to work out the issues of feeling trapped within a self and being in the process of changing from one self to another.

bakeneko

glass seed bead embroidery and peyote stitch, cloth, taxidermy form, thread. 2010. Named after a Japanese shape-shifting ghost-cat myth.

Kitsune

glass seed bead embroidery and peyote stitch, cloth, taxidermy form, thread. 2010. Named after a Japanese shape-shifting fox myth.

Odin (tiny one in middle) glass seed bead embroidery and peyote stitch, cloth, taxidermy form, thread. 2010. Named after a Norse female shape-shifter myth. SOLD

Loki glass seed bead embroidery and peyote stitch, cloth, taxidermy form, thread. 2010. Named after a Norse female shape-shifter myth.

Lorelei

glass seed bead embroidery and peyote stitch, cloth, taxidermy form, thread. 2010. Named after a German shape-shifting water nymph myth.