Pési was a spring finals project for when I was learning illustration in MIR. Us students where allowed to draw whatever we wanted, as long as we where able to execute it.

I've never been good at following instructions, and I ended up with a sculpture.

My interest in puppets and dolls was on a rise then, so I wanted to try my hand at making my own with the materials I already had. The idea was to make an elegant and beautiful, long Sphinx, with a feeling of uneasyness and mystery around it.

My research led me to studying the bones and movement of horses and simular animals.

The school library possesed a lot of old books about chronophotography, which mostly consisted of horse and human movement, but it was of great assistance to help me understand how all those limbs worked.

With my preperations done and feeling confident, I start building the armeture.
I kept in mind how the bones of the animals where layed out and attempted to replicate that.

I am an Ameature Armeture maker, so its not at all perfect.

Aluminum wire and foil was used, as well as polymer clay in places I didnt want to move at all.

I made the head separately from the body with polymer clay and aluminums. It was a very good challenge to get the jaw to work, which is just a separate part held in with a wire. My vision for the project started to shift here, where the idea was first to make an elegant being, turned into this really innocent goofy guy, I loved it!

I also do not know much about sowing, so a lot of ''winging it'' took place.

I simply wrapped the armeture in medical wrap I bought for very cheap, trying to shape forms and form shapes.

Then, taking an old sock I found (and washed) I roughly cut the shapes I needed and sowed that straight onto the base.

All I needed now was to make his hair, which took most of my time. I got myself some beautiful orange, brown and black yarn, and started combing and combing and combing, till I got enough wefts to cover him.

I sowed most of it with elastic thread so it wouldn't restrict his movement, but allowed myself to glue some parts to save time.

For his paws I got some foam clay, hoping it would stay flexible once dried, but I got a rather cheap one so it did not.

Almost being done with Pési, tragedy struck....

The wire for his neck was not strong enough, wore out, and broke.
Using my dissecting and surgery skills (which are none)
I attempt to fix the broken wire.

Having limited resourcses and knowledge, the surgery was only 50% succsessful. He can hold his head up, but movement in the neck is now greatly restricted.

For compensation, he got a folded up paper heart placed in his chest.
His recovery was swift and he was ready to be called finished and submitted for reveiw.

Pési was a wonderful project to work on, and one I think fondly back to.
He thought me a lot about crafting a doll, and what I've learnt from him I take to future projects.

He may have visable seams, broken wires, and made from an old sock... But to me he is perfect!