Crowden, Polly (AUS)
Il’Aerdryn - Dragon Rider
Polly is a four-time finalist in Paper on Skin™.
In 2018 her piece Adira of Aberlorne won the Friends of the Burnie Regional Art Gallery Runner-Up award.
Of this work, Polly says, “I love all things fantasy, especially creating armour out of paper, but this year I want to construct the bodice differently to how I did it in 2018 (papier-mâché). This year I’m using a pattern and joining the pieces together like I would if it were made from fabric. It’s a new challenge but means I have more control over its construction and final look.”
Il’Aerdryn – Dragon Rider embodies a fierce yet feminine quality. She has a strong connection to her natural environment.
Materials: The base material is 100% paper. All beads, ties and closures are paper. Anything which is not made out of yarn, is paper handmade by Polly. Finishes include wood glue, acrylic paint and varnish.
There are about 450 handmade gold paper beads included in the piece, and nearly 600 scales individually cut, painted and glued.
Polly enjoys the challenge of working with paper, finding it a fulfilling experience and very different to working with fabric. In many ways, paper can be unforgiving, but she feels that it can also be very forgiving. Creating pieces for Paper On Skin over the years has led to a new appreciation for the material, as there are so many ways in which paper can be used and manipulated to make wearable art, often leading the viewer to question whether it is, in fact, paper at all.
See the Work on Film
Photos Credit: Grant Wells Photo