ED 7714 Networked Learning Project #3

Weeping Angel Project

I collected the items for the project. Upon reviewing part of the video, I realized I needed something to secure the pole for the mannequin torso to the stand. I returned to The Home Depot and found a flag pole stand that could be screwed on to wood. I picked up drywall compound as well.

Following the instructions, I cut shoulder holes in the torso. The Spider Joints, which can be bent to extreme angles, connected through the torso with a length of PVC pipe, which was eventually stabilized with a screw through the shoulder.

Of course, the mannequin neck did not fit in the torso neck hole, so I whittled down the styrofoam... and the plastic... to make the pieces fit.

Here is the basic weeping angel "skeleton." This took an afternoon.

I don't use construction tools, other than using an electric drill to screw window treatment placement into the wall. I got help from a general contractor friend of mine. I stood on the boards and held things in place as she used her tools to make the base for our new friend. She also helped me figure out how to secure the wings to our angel. The modified weeping angel in the video is wingless. We securely screwed a board from the base of her neck to the opening at the waist of the dress form.

My home is a "maker space." I use the internet all the time to learn how to make things and how to do things. My biggest challenge for this project was using a YouTube video. I prefer to read the directions and look at the pictures. That way, I can skip over the steps I already know how to do. I was especially annoyed when I couldn't remember the proportions of the "Monster Mud" that I needed to make to cover the completed structure. I Googled "monster mud" and got the recipe in writing on a website.      http://www.madcityhaunt.com/blog/guide/what-is-monster-mud/

5 parts drywall compound

1 part latex paint

I purchased the drywall compound and my contractor friend had half a gallon of gray paint at her house that she let me use.

I delivered the "angel skeleton" and wooden base to a friend's house. She had volunteered to dress the angel. I was happy to relinquish that part of project, as this was happening during the last three weeks of school. When the dress was stapled to the mannequin, we set a date for the monster mud phase.  As the date approached, I realized there wasn't enough hair on the mannequin head to do the angel justice. I looked at weeping angel pictures on the internet and re-watched part of the YouTube video and discovered the guy had used a mop head for hair. It was the perfect size and texture.

At home, I painted the wings with the gray latex paint and brought them to my friend's house along with the compound and paint. After covering the angel with monster mud, we realized the wings had a different sheen to them. We applied monster mud to the painted wings so they would match.  

Monster mud is thick like drywall compound and is applied by hand. It is easy to "sculpt" fabric and flexible material. It dries stiff and makes an object look like a statue. Below are the before and after photos of our angel on Monster Mud day.

We decided to transport the weeping angel to the school before attaching the wings.