About my paper mache birds

These paper mache birds are made entirely for my amusement and delight. I hope they will make you smile. Goodness knows we need something to smile about in these crazy times!

Available now are: magpie, kingfisher, lapwing, song thrush, robin, hawfinch, golden oriole, great tit, toucan, and passenger pigeon.

Here are some I made earlier!

All these have now found homes.

Black-throated diver

Nuthatch

Bee eater

Starling

Green woodpecker

Hoopoe

Kingfisher

Great spotted woodpecker

Short eared owl

Blue footed booby

Barn Owl

Puffin

Understanding the species

I observe the anatomy of a particular bird very closely so as to get the shape and ‘feel’ of it more or less correct. This is very important to my ‘inner scientist’. Once I understand the species, I emphasise certain characteristics. For example, tail feather configuration, beak type, wing shape, head crest, foot size, and so on.

Junk modelling

They’re made using corrugated cardboard, and any other interesting junk I can lay my hands on. I use newspaper, bits of cartons, polystyrene, and so on. I construct them using PVA glue, masking tape and occasionally staples to hold the underlying structure together. I’m a whizz with a Stanley knife and I should say that some of these birds are fortified with splatterings of the artist’s genuine A negative blood. It’s a very messy business – ripping and sticking – and I love it! Each bird is finished with artist’s quality acrylic paint, and finally sealed with 3 coats of hardwearing acrylic varnish. So, apart from the paint and varnish, my paper mache birds are made from recycled materials!

Bird care

Each paper mache figure is free-standing or free-hanging. If they get dusty, just wipe them clean. They shouldn’t be dropped, left outside, trodden on, exposed to long periods of dampness, or left in reach of cats or children! Despite their cuteness, they are not toys.

Commission me!

If you’d like me to make a paper mache bird especially for you, just ask me. Each is made from scratch, so allow me an absolute minimum of 4 weeks to create your bird (I can probably make it faster, but I don’t make promises I can’t keep). Depending on size and complexity they cost between £85 to £160, plus P&P.