Hide (Fawn)

This sculpture was created for display at Philadelphia’s Snyderman Works Galleries, which presented the 9th International Fiber Biennial (March 7, 2014 to April 26, 2014). The work took about nine months to complete and features roughly 40 different shades of glass seed beads in several sizes, all worked in peyote stitch.

Similarly to “Changing Spots” (a leopard head) and Tigger/Tiger (or Who She Thinks She Is), the core of this sculpture is a taxidermy form…in this case, a model for a recumbent fawn. (Nope, I am not a hunter. I simply am fascinated by certain creatures.) The subject of this work focuses on the interconnectedness of the young animal’s natural camouflage and its surroundings “out in the Wild,” which here become one with it.

Hide (Fawn)

Beadwork and design by Leslie Grigsby, with assembly assistance from Lindsay Grigsby
Glass beads and thread over dense foam core, glass eyes
(Overall) L: 18″; H: 10 1/2″

Exhibited: 9th International Fiber Biennial (March 7, 2014 to April 26, 2014) at Snyderman Works Galleries, Philadelphia

Competition: International Bead Award (IBA) 2015 competition hosted by Perlen Poesie Magazine (Germany).

Private collection, Massachusetts

Note: A you can see, there is no “real” fur on this sculpture. However, if I were a hunter, this is the type of dense foam core I would use to support the pelt of an animal. Instead, on my sculptures, beadwork forms the fur.

In Progress (early stages): The below images show the dense foam (taxidermy) model before assembly, with the future patterning sketchily indicated on the body and legs. A modest number of small holes have been pierced through the animal, to help anchor the beadwork and help it fit tightly against the core’s surface, especially in sunken (concave) areas. At this point, roughly 20 colors of glass beads (sizes 11/0 and 15/0) were in use. The fawn, currently was about 15″ long. It would gain a bit in length later on, when we created and added his tail.

Another couple weeks went gone and my husband, Lindsay, drilled the holes to receive the stiff wire which would allow me, eventually, to permanently attach the legs to the body. (In the below images, the legs are only temporarily placed.) The beading has progressed a fair amount, and now covers the neck and portions of the front legs.