Diversity exhibition - Indian Peacock.

 

 When Pauline said that we would need to make a body of work for our exhibition two years ago, I had no idea what I wanted to do.  The title she set was' Diversity', and as the dance group of that name had members in it from my school, I was at a loss, all I kept thinking was of Ashley and Jordon. Last February, still nothing in the sketch book and Pauline asked if it would help if she gave me a topic. 'Yes please' and it was 'feather and fin' that she gave me.  Straight away I said I was going to make a peacock, why? I don't know.  Anyway, I started off with a mind map, and feather was definitely more inspiring to me than fin.  I quite liked the idea of Superstitions, Myths and Legends related to birds, deciding that I would do something which related to peacocks, albatross's and maybe  crow's, but had not in fact made a definite decision on the third bird.  I called my body of work 'Ostentation' which is the collective noun for a group of peacocks.

 

The peacocks ( I have made two) start off with a body made from glazed cotton that has been firmly stuffed.  Painted with acrylic paints before I started embellishing him.



 Tail feather pattern was drawn on to Romeo water soluble and the machine stitched with feet down and a machine embroidery foot. Side wings were made with pages from an Indian novel, I have had in my stash for several years for that 'it will come in handy one day' moment.  He is able to stand on his own two feet without any need for support.

I have called him Priyardarshan, which is Indian for handsome.