That's Really Underhanded

Unfortunately, it occurred to me that since I still needed to cover the Rana puppet with a top layer of cream washi, this would be a good time to add a bit of under-the-skin architecture.

I cut small circles of brown crepe paper and glued them onto knuckles that needed more buckling. I painted gossimer floss elastic cord with ultramarine blue acrylic paint mixed with elastic fabric adhesive. These cords were glued in place on the insides of her wrists and the backs of her hands. Then I picked up a clump of silk threads that happened at that moment to be on the studio floor. Pulled apart the red-colored fibers and glued them down with elastic glue haphazardly as well. I used a wood glue manicure on her nails to make them rigid. And added a dot of wool felt in the place where the bump of the wrist bone would show.

Underlying Architecture.

I say it was unfortunate because when I get these ideas--that's it--I get fixated on seeing whether it will work like a dog digging for a bone. Rana is an old woman and as I age I see my own hands getting "cords" and veins and wrinkly knuckles and sort of more of a gnarled look as I use my hands a lot. I thought this old woman's hands should have that same sort of feeling.

Not anatomically realistic (I didn't make the cords white and the veins blue as they really appear under the skin.) just more how older hands feel. I'm hoping the end effect, after the new additions are covered under layers of paper, will simply feel right, and be felt as an old Halfland woman's as she goes about her business.