>Spirit of the Night
>
The title of this post could be referring to me because I stay up so late every night doing beadwork, but it's actually referring to a little side-project I just started. It's a piece that I'm creating specifically for this month's Lemur Show on EBSQ. I was browsing on that site last night, and noticed that entries are due by Feb. 28. I love animals, and I thought that a beaded lemur might look cool=:)
Lemurs are members of the primate class called prosimians, which means 'pre- monkey'. In nature, lemurs are nocturnal creatures that live only on the island of Madagascar. Millions of years ago, they made their way there after the island broke away from the rest of Africa, and have been safe there ever since. However, they are not completely safe. Currently, they are considered endangered species, and some lemurs are listed as threatened species. Parts of the Madagascar rainforest have been set aside as protected areas for its plants and animals, but Madagascar is not a wealthy country, so it greatly appreciates help from outside organizations that are dedicated to research and conservation.
If you would like to help, you can adopt a lemur from the Lemur Center at Duke University in Durham, NC. Also, check out the Lemur Conservation Foundation's website to learn more about this animal. There you can also view some cool lemur artwork, as well as shop for lemur items that were made in Madagascar. The children's book, Ny Aiay Ako, is my favourite item=:)
Above is a tracing I did of a lemur. It measures approx. 2.5" x 3" wide. This piece is intended to be an artist trading card. Artist trading cards (or ACEOs) are the size of a standard playing card, and they're a fun way to collect artwork. I like them because they're small enough that they work up quickly, but they're also large enough to contain a lot of detail, depending on the piece. You can see some of the ATC's I've created HERE.
Below, you can see that I've cut out a few shapes from black vinyl. I am using them for the lemur's face, nose, and ears. I glued them onto a piece of Lacy's Stiff Stuff, and I stitched on the ear. Then, I beaded the lemur's eyes with size 15 seed beads. I'm not sure that I'm finished with the eyes, but next, I'll bead some fur around the lemur's face and nose...
Between this and my fire truck, it looks like I have a lot of beading to do.
I'd better get to work=:0