THE HATCHING OF A DRAGON
How C. Maria Plieger's Soft Sculpture Dragons are Created
The process of hatching one of these dragons is
both time-intensive and joyous.
First, the skin pieces are cut out. A sumptuous
fantasy fabric may be used for a dragon's skin, or it may
be made from my own hand-dyed cottons.
The belly piece is layered with quilt batt, then
quilted, to create a ribbed effect. The skin pieces are
stitched together to form each body part, into which I insert
wire armatures. Each part is then stuffed very firmly.
Features, such as those of the face, are created
by needle-modeling, stitching back and forth from
one side of a stuffed shape to the other with special soft
sculpture needles and strong thread, then pulling tightly.
The body shapes are then glued, stitched (by hand),
and wired together.
The wings are formed by constructing a wire "skeleton"
that is attached to the wire armature inside the body. After
the "bones" of the wings are padded, a wing-shaped
"skin" is sewn, then pulled over the wire structure
and hand-stitched in place to define the "arms"
and "fingers" of each wing.
I form the eyes from polymer clay, adding metallic
gold flecks or veining, then paint the pupils, and add glitter
and many coats of clear varnish, until the desired look
of depth is achieved.
The horns, "hands", feet,
and claws for each dragon are individually sculpted
from polymer clay, then painted.
Wingtips are sculpted from paper clay, sanded smooth,
and painted.
The teeth are built up directly on the upper and
lower mouth with drops of thick gesso, letting each layer
dry before applying the next, then painted. The nubs
and protrusions on the dragon's head, and sometimes
on the tail, are made the same way. Beads and sequins are
sewn on, and ultra-fine glitter is applied.
And so, spreading its fledgling wings, another dragon emerges
into the world -- bedraggled, voracious -- and yet, as all
dragon-lovers know -- oddly winsome and appealing.
2005 Copyright © C. Maria Plieger
