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Fred Feldman/ Studio 208

"I don't like to be pinned down, so you may see me around town working on ceramics, woodworking, painting, designing stereo speakers, or creating 3-D collage pieces that I call assemblages. I am a retired schoolteacher from Watertown, NY. I was born and raised in Newark, NJ. A Rutgers graduate and former Fulbright scholar, I have also studied ceramics in Denmark and London."

Cynthia Potter/Purple Planet Studios

Papier Maché Creations

Puppets:
Ever since I was a kid, I've been making my own dolls and puppets, developing their unique personalities with whatever I had on hand: clothes scraps, old socks and hose, yarn, shells, seeds, feathers, ribbon, etc. That hasn't changed much, but now I love the sculptural quality of Papier Maché. Before starting, I sketch and write down ideas for my puppet person. Sometimes the look is formal, or representative, other times it's abstract. The heads are Papier Maché, a process that takes several days for drying in between stages. The faces are handpainted and then I sew together the bodies with fabric, adding embellishments. Finally, I give the puppets names!

Masks:
Papier Maché masks are built over a mold of hand sculpted modeling clay. These take longer since they need more layers to keep a rigid shape. I then handpaint and sometimes add extras like beads and feathers.

Figurines & Sculptures:
Papier Maché figurines are lots of fun because I get to be more sculptural, using found objects as bases, twisting wire into fantasy creatures. If I do something very large, I may have to build a sturdy infrastructure with wood or other materials, but I try to keep those down to a minimum, since part of the wonder of Papier Maché is how light it can be.

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