Artistic Endeavor

About two years ago I started a "mask" to be called Grandmother Spider, the second in what I hoped would become a series of figures inspired by Southwestern Native American mythology. The first – Corn Maiden – wasn't quite finished, but I was eager to move on. I had made most of the parts for Grandmother Spider when my wrists became so painful I couldn't work. Here's how far I got with it.

The base is half a gourd, the hair is dryer lint, the eyes are buttons and the legs are wire. There's also a pair of broken granny glasses.

Now that my wrists are strong I can work again and I want to finish this mask. So far I have added a second pair of eyes, mended the glasses, drilled holes for the hanger wire and painted the gourd.

Sometimes art projects roll right along, one step easily following another. When that happens I feel in the groove. This project has been agonizing, though. It took me two months to figure out how to put the glasses back together. I was afraid of ruining them. I thought the glasses would have to be soldered, for which I have neither the tool nor the skill. Then Linda said to glue them.  I used an adhesive called Household Welder. That worked just fine.

Then it seemed right to add two more eyes, because spiders have at least four eyes and as many as eight. I dreaded drilling more holes for the extra pair of eyes. It's so easy to let the drill dance around and ruin the gourd. I hadn't used my Dremmel tool for two years. It was easier than I had feared. I spent a couple of days finding the right buttons for the eyes.

Here's where things stand now.

I'm struggling with the legs. How can I attach them? They seem too flimsy. I considered using the wire legs as armature to be covered with Sculpey, but now I've decided to paper mache them. This decision requires picking up on a craft I haven't used for ages. I'm also concerned about leg placement and how to make it symmetrical.

Will this project ever be finished? Will I ever regain confidence and proceed with a sure hand? I have to remember that sometimes artistic endeavor is arduous, but also that it can come easily. Either way, I mustn't give up. I would always regret it.