Festuri 2010

FESTURI - is an annual event held on the Sunshine Coast, Queensland. A multicultural celebration of food stalls - free performances - children's activities - workshops - storytelling - community information stalls & displays - parade - roving entertainment.

Among the many activities at Festuri, a group of 6 artists myself included from Art4place & Arts Connect Inc., (Barry Smith, Christine Elcoate, Fiona Dempster, Jim Cox, Noela Mills) are conducting interactive children's workshops with a dragon theme, on Sunday 10th October all ages during 10am-12pm and 1pm-3pm.

Activities include; moveable dragon puppet, dragon collage, Colouring dragon scales for pinning onto a long calico train suspended from a paper mache' dragon head.

The image of the dragon below is taken from the internet and forms my input and inspiration in creating the paper mache' head with partner in crime, Christine Elcoate.

I thought I better get a head start before my partner in crime lends a hand, seeing we've only got one week to get it done!

PART ONE:

The ole' lawnmower catcher is used as a form to get the basic shape, making sure to fill all the undercuts. Now you see it....

...now you don't! Mowercatcher in disguise, paper mache'd and drying.

PART TWO:

Three days later....

Christine arrives like a whirlwind, box in one hand and egg cartons in the other, we've only got a couple of hours then she's off to another meeting! We discuss the best possible way to tackle the prepared shell and to transform it into the dragon's head.

Ya gotta love it, the ole serendipity once again came into play. I found the exact shape box for reinforcing the inside and that box even had reinforcing within the walls - yipee extra strength little effort.

Christine's egg cartons were just perfect for the eyes, nostrils, eyebrows, mouth & teeth. Her last minute decision to grab that particular box as she passed on her way out, ended up being perfect design for everything....after cutting the mouth the offcuts were two perfect eyebrows dragon style!

Fangs and all, the mouth is made separate and when the rest is dry I will attach it with wire.

It's not really visible in this photo but the mouth does have a moving action to it and will be clearer once it is attached. Hopefully it'll even have a hole in the centre of it so as to peek through from the inside.

Festuri - is staged at 'The Stockland Village', Kings Beach, Caloundra, and is in conjunction with Caloundra Music Festival (9 - 10th Oct).