Dora Furlong

Author: Dora

  • My Journey to Paper Sculpture

    My Journey to Paper Sculpture

    I can’t believe it was only a year ago I started exploring art. I was convinced I couldn’t draw. That’s why you loved animation. I could create in 3D shapes and make some amazing images and video.

    I started drawing and incorporated Prismacolor color pencils. Three short months later I fell in love with COPIC markers. And in November I settled on my true love–paper sculpting.

    Paper is amazing. It is soft, pliable, strong. You wouldn’t expect pliable and strong to be in the same sentence but with a few folds, you can turn paper into a stand that holds far more than it’s own weight.

    Here is my first paper sculpture–Phoenix Rising. It consists of over 100 individually hand cut pieces.

    This is the base form of the Phoenix. The wings have their individual feathers shaped and attached. And the first row of tail feathers glued on.
    
    Phoenix Sculpture

    The completed paper Phoenix with some basic shaping. The tail has four rows of feathers. Two rows at the top and two sets of long feathers: one over the other.


    
    Here it is in the paper frame with a few concept flames.
    
    Final Draft

    The pieces are laid out and shaped in their final, draft composition.

    Phoenix Eye
    
    Originally I thought of creating the eye with paper to match the rest of the composition. That didn’t give me the effect I wanted. I decided on this glass gem which gave me the intended effect.
    

    The final piece.
    
    Phoenix Rising

    Even archival paper can be tricky to clean. I mounted the piece in a shadow box to protect it from the environment, especially dust.
    I am very happy with how it turned out. Letting go was bittersweet. But it is now in a private collection.

  • Military Teens in History

    It interesting how people think a teenager couldn’t manage a military command. There are so many historical examples of teens commanding in the military. Most notably Richard III was only eleven when he was commanding men in his brother’s army. He achieved full independent command at seventeen.

    Kwan Chang, who at 16, was a commander of the Hwa Rang teenage military forces in Korea. He was captured, let go, given command of his Father’s, the General’s, forces and went back to continue fighting. He killed a commander in the enemy forces and was executed.

    Let’s not forget about Joan of Arc, Scipio Africanus, Alexander the Great, Augusts Octavian Ceaser. Even the civil war, WWI, & WWII had a plethora of teenage soldiers.

    We are fortunate we live in an era where children don’t have to grow up so fast. We don’t marry as children or teens. And we don’t have to train our children from 4 or 5 years-old for the military.

    I’ve wondered more than once if teenage hormones ever had an effect on the politics and wars that happened throughout history.

  • Paolo Bacigalupi talks about Morality

    If you haven’t read the Hugo and Nebula award-winning book “The Windup Girl”,  I highly recommend it. I first met Paolo Bacigalupi at the Campbell conference hosted by the Gunn Center for Science Fiction when he won the Campbell award. Not only does he have a lot to say in his books, but he is an outstanding conversationalist too. Here he talks about business corruption theme and morality that he manages to include in all of his books, including his YA.

     

     

  • Life with Ehlers-Danlos

    I have Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome otherwise known as EDS-H. The H means I am hypermobile. Think circus performer contortionist type hypermobile. This is one of those “but you don’t look sick” problems. My connective tissues are so loose that my muscles have to do most of the work holding my body together. That includes holding my head up. My throat has always had issues. Especially spasms. I have vocal chord disorder because of the EDS. I have difficulty swallowing and talking for long periods. Due to the overused muscles, I can’t use dictation to write.

    My spine quite often hurts so bad it feels like it’s going to tear right out of my back.  The other problem similar to this is with my fingers. They feel like they are going to bend backward and sideways and rotate around until they tear off joint-by-joint.

    EDS-H also includes nerve problems. I have the wonderful fun of neuropathy where my nerves decide to send hot, shooting electrical bolts up and down my entire body. If only I could harness it. I am certain I could provide the power for a small city from all these jolts. The other major nerve issue is called allodynia. In general, this means things that shouldn’t hurt do. In daily life, it translates to this: someone shakes my hand and it feels like a million, very sharp knives are scraping against my hand instead of the other person’s hand, the keys on my phone or keyboard are all needles pressing up at me every time I press down. It’s a needle board. Even my clothes rubbing against me are like the hand, the fabric is made up of knives.

    Those are just the highlights of what it’s like. There are up and down days, some better than others. When I travel I have to recuperate for nearly twice as long as the trip. If I have a massage or lie on my traction unit, whatever healing that takes place is quickly undone later in the day or overnight. This is why it takes so long to recover.

    This may sound negative, but it’s a fact of Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome. The challenge is in learning how to live with these facts of life. Finding coping strategies and being open to changes and adapting. Because one week your body may respond one way, but the next week it’s entirely different. The key is in having patience with yourself and your body and building/relying on your support network. It’s difficult though. I don’t reach out to people, I am not good at calling people. This has caused difficulties and caused me friendships. Some just slipped away while others became mad.

    EDS can be a lonely, isolated world. If you let it. Writing is often called lonely and isolated. But neither have to be true. With both, you have to look at your situations, be realistic about what you can accomplish, and most of all keep moving forward. Even if it’s a little bit at time. Which is in my case, is precisely how I work. I don’t post a lot here and I am slow to get my next book out. But I am moving forward. I refuse to just give in and lie down.

     

  • Help for those in Need

    Yesterday an apartment in Harrisonville MO was subjected to an accidental fire–displacing 100 – 120 families.

    If you are able and want to know how to help the families in Harrisonville, here’s a list of items needed:

    Here is a list of some specific needs right now: laundry detergent, toiletries (soap, shampoo, lotion, toothpaste, toothbrushes, razors for men/women), combs, brushes, hair ties, diapers (all sizes), baby wipes, towels, wash-cloths, dishes, pain relievers, reading glasses, new underwear (all sizes), bras (all sizes), Depends (XL), coffee, cat litter, cat food, cat boxes, laundry baskets, storage tubs.


    Lastly, if you are wanting to give a monetary donation, you can give through the Harrisonville Ministerial Alliance. Make a check out to the HMA and mark it “Fire Victims,” or stop by Hawthorne Bank in Harrisonville and let them know you want to donate for this cause.”

    Items can be taken to Church of the Nazarene 2305 E South St, Harrisonville, MO 64701

    This information is taken from the Nazarene church’s website at: http://www.harrisonvillenaz.org/helping-families-affected-by-apartment-fire/