A Squirrel Takes to the 'Soapbox'
In this paper sculpture titled, “On My Soapbox,” I wanted to see if I could recreate a squirrel’s woodland scene in miniature using only paper and paint.
In this paper sculpture titled, “On My Soapbox,” I wanted to see if I could recreate a squirrel’s woodland scene in miniature using only paper and paint. I love the challenge of creating a miniature piece. This entire piece fits under a glass dome that measures 4” in height by 4.5” in width, which includes the wooden base.
The squirrel in the scene is gathering nuts, getting ready for the winter ahead, while the newly fallen leaves are beginning to change colors during the colorful autumn months. I wanted the scene to look realistic, from the squirrel’s furry coat and fluffy tail to the acorns and leaves around him.
Like my other paper sculptures, I want viewers of this squirrel to find a moment of escape that evokes an emotional response, whether that’s joy, delight, surprise, nostalgia or tranquility. Can you smell the cool autumn air and hear the squirrel chirping to his nearby friends from his tree trunk soapbox? Perhaps he is reminding them to collect all the acorns they can before the cold winter sets in. You might see your own version of the story as you look at the squirrel in his natural habitat.
I want my paper sculpture habitats to serve as a reminder that we can find joy in our everyday intersections with nature. Stopping to appreciate these moments — like a squirrel with his acorn in the fall — can be a reminder of the importance our environment plays in our lives and the animals around us. I want to capture these snapshots that we often overlook in our busy, everyday lives.
It is these little moments in time that can bring us so much joy and help use tune into the important things in life. I also hope to make you smile when you realize what you can do with just paper and paint, a steady hand, and a bit of patience!
Hiding Objects in a Can You Find? Hidden Objects Illustration
Ever wonder how artists hide secret objects in their illustration work?
Ever wonder how artists hide secret objects in their illustration work? I’ve been illustrating hidden object puzzles for decades, first for Nature Friend Magazine and then with my own line of Can You Find? illustrations, which won several awards. Take a closer look at how six objects came to be hiding among this squirrel.
The first thing I do is sketch up a bunch of thumbnail sketches with my ideas so I can get the design and composition of the illustration figured out first. Sometimes as I am drawing up the illustration, I will decide that I want to hide an object in a certain area because, as in this case, I like the texture of the object and I think it will be an interesting place to hide something. I knew the acorns could make a good spot for a hidden object.
After thinking about the texture of the cap of the acorn, a turtle shell came to mind because of the texture of his shell. With the shape of the turtle shell and the acorn cap, I could draw that into a camouflaged turtle. Before I even consider doing the final art, whether it is a black-and-white line illustration or a full-color illustration, I must know exactly where the hidden objects are going to be drawn.
If I used wavy lines to indicate bark on a tree branch, I was able to use that texture on the tree branches to my advantage to easily hide a banana and a bird. The delicate, lighter-colored veins on the oak leaves became another area I wanted to hide some objects. I chose a small mitten in the lower oak leaf at the bottom of the page. I also hid a green pear on the right side of the page.
Creature Feature: Playful Squirrel Playing on Wisteria Vines
The squirrel is a three-dimensional paper sculpture made completely out of paper.
Wisteria vines wrapped tightly around each other, growing up a tree, around a fence, back down again to the ground, sprouting up a new shoot. Squirrels scampering over the vines. Bumble bees buzzing in the newly opened spring blossoms. A safe haven for new life in spring — butterflies, praying mantis, and tiny ants — all wanting to call the wisteria their home too.
That’s the scene I am working to capture with this squirrel perched on top of a wisteria vine, part of my upcoming art installation, “Charming Victorian Country Garden Retreat,” at The Mansion at the Strathmore in 2020. This squirrel is ready to check out what is happening below. He’s thrilled it is finally spring — and he’s ready for some new adventures.
The squirrel is a three-dimensional paper sculpture made completely out of paper. Even his tail is made out of paper. The tail is actually the easiest part of making squirrels, and it goes the fastest. It takes many, many hours to apply the paper fur to his face and body, however, which is what took the longest.
After the squirrel is shaped out of paper, he is ready for some paint. He is made out of the finest of white papers and painted in watercolor and gouache.
The wisteria flowers and leaves are also three-dimensional and are hand-cut and sculpted to form the shapes I need to create this beautiful squirrel’s spring habitat he and his other friends in the “Charming Victorian Country Garden Retreat” will also call home.
Creature Feature: A Squirrel 'On My Soapbox'
This realistic, wooded habitat is made entirely out of painted paper — even the squirrel is made out of paper.
Like many people, we have lots of squirrels scampering around our yard. They are fun to watch, although I must admit I don’t care for it when they eat all the bird seed out of our bird feeder. I am fine if they eat it off of the ground though.
In my paper sculpture design, “On My Soapbox,” I wanted to create a habitat for this furry little squirrel where he would look right at home. I imagined he is living in a wooded forest area that has maple trees and oak trees in it. I included some fallen maple leaves and oak leaves laying on the ground. It is the start of the autumn season so the leaves are showing a tinge of orange. The squirrel is holding one of the acorns that fell on the ground. I am sure he is going to hide that acorn so he can look for it later on. This realistic, wooded habitat is made entirely out of painted paper — even the squirrel is made out of paper.
The idea of fallen acorns remind me of a house I once lived at that had large tall oak trees on my property and all around my neighborhood. The one year, there was such a bumper crop of acorns on the trees that as the leaves began to fall in autumn, so did the acorns! Between the squirrels running across the roof of the house and all those acorns falling off the branches of the oak trees, it made so much noise, you would have thought that maybe there was a burglar on the roof!
But, not to worry, this squirrel in “On My Soapbox” is not up to any mischief. He is collecting acorns and trying to decide where to hide them all before the winter sets in.
