Circus Puppy by Rachel Whetzel

It's been a balancing act, that's for sure... creating this piece while getting ready for our family reunion this week, but I'm so tickled with how it came out!! This is a commissioned piece I made, and hope to have published next year. Aside from it's base, it's entirely made of Creative Paperclay® modeling material.

Want to make one yourself?
YOU WILL NEED:

• Creative Paperclay® modeling material
• Water
• Paper towel dowel
• Acrylic Paints (I use Folk Art)
• Screws
• Tin Foil
• Crepe paper 
• Needle 
• Thread

I sculpted the body of my dog onto the dowel attached to the base of my paper towel holder. 

I gave him a pot belly over some puppy dog feet...

 Some droopy ears, and a nice fat nose for balancing.

 To help him hold up his ball, I screwed a screw into the tip of his nose once he was dry, and then used foil to wrap around the screw, and fill in the center of the ball.

 Painting tip: Animals don't generally have whites of the eye showing like we humans do, but to help set apart their eyes, (especially if they are the same color as their fur) a teeny strip of off white helps to define their eye area.

 Next, I painted the base white, to get ready for the CIRCUS to come to town!!

Here's the base finished.

 

Once his ball was made, I painted it, and added some glue to help keep it secure.

 Once everything was in place, I stained the piece, and then added a crepe paper circus collar using a needle and thread to sew through the center of the paper, and then folded in 1/2, and bunched together to make the collar.

I would love for you to let me know if you create something of your own inspired by this post! Leave me a comment, and let me know if you do!! I would love for you to visit me at my "house" too!! Thank you so much for reading!!  ~rachel