The Millipede-Ant-Eaters were a highlight of the Halloween Creepy Garden installation in 2022 because they took up great vertical space. They came from above, crawling down the rubber tree. Their little insect legs bent with intention. I made some changes for Creepy Garden 2023.
This year, I used the body forms of the Millipede-Ant-Eaters to create a single, long, horizontal insect.
FLASHBACK TO 2022 MAKING OF
I looked at the garden/canvas and wondered how to use the space. I was thinking bigger is better. Instead of focusing on many small things, I could make a few large things well. I brainstormed:
I sketched something that could work and went on to construction. I used paper mache, newspaper and Modge Podge, on balloon forms.
I created a bunch of the balloon shapes. I cut strips for the legs out of a large cardboard box.
If I do this again, I will conceive ways to connect everything at this stage. A consistent way of matching legs to body and body to body.
I ended up jerry-rigging a fluid connection that worked enough for 2022, but by 2023, I didn’t want to go through those motions again.
I’m interested in creating contrast in the limited blacklight/fluorescent palette I often automatically limit myself to. Under blacklights, yellow and green look the same, and red and orange look the same. White is blue in the blacklights.
I used Procreate to sketch out how to use these colors on the body form. [I have liked how gradients work to add variation and depth between colors, note the pinchers below.]
One of my process videos for this creepy insect reached more people on Instagram than any other post. [I’m unsure of the takeaway here, but it’s worth noting. {It might be my compelling singing in the video, not the featured paper mache.]
MILLIPEDE TRANSFORMATION
I unpacked the 2022 Millipede-Ant-Eater. (Giant, black trashbag storage accommodated its size and odd shape.) The first thing I did was detach the legs (which were faded and frankensteined together) and gather all the body pieces to make sense of them and to make a plan. Instead of vertical, this year I laid them down flat on the Rosemary.
In this position, I wouldn’t need to create a bend in the legs of the insect (whatever new creature it was becoming) because I could drape signal tape over either side of the Rosemary bush to have the same effect. (Plus, I wouldn’t need to get on the later every few days to reposition drooping legs and heads and torsos.)
Here’s a leg comparison (I did keep a few cardboard legs after all).
The size and graphic nature of this new version work as a visual interest in the front of the garden. The backlight doesn’t reach its front side, but I think the effect is successful. It’s something bazaar for kids on the way to school to contemplate.
This is the final version at night in the blacklight. (To fill the vertical space where this creature was last year, I put glowing eyes.)
Maybe next year I’ll make even more parts of the body and have this creature crawling throughout the entire garden. Or, I’ll make it shorter, only keeping the body parts that stand up best to the sprinklers this year. I’ll keep you posted.
Find more Lorna Alkana Art
CURRENTLY ARTING
LornaPhone Facebook: LornaPhone
LornaPhone Instagram @LornaPhone
LornaPhone 