My next step was to cover the entire
cow with a layer of pulp clay. For this, I used a paper egg carton torn
up into small pieces which I soaked in hot water for several hours. Using
small amounts of the pulp and additional water I processed it on high
speed in a blender. I ran the pulp through a sieve to drain off the excess
water. I then placed it in a ziplock bag along with about half a cup of
wallpaper paste, a quarter cup of white glue, a quarter cup of whiting
and a quarter cup plaster, then "mushed" it altogether.
An easier way is to use a product
called "Celluclay" and follow the directions.
With the cow completely covered in the pulp clay I started on the head. Using the end of a gourd I rounded the nose. For the ears I used card stock covered with several layers of "shop towel" mache' strips. While they were still wet I formed them into ears. The horn nubs are foam insulation pieces and the eyes are styrofoam balls. The head was then covered with the pulp clay and left to harden.
Making
The Outer Skin
To make the outer skin I hand dyed heavy weight “butchers paper” in various colors. First I wadded up the paper, wet it, squeezed out the excess water, smoothed it out then painted it with liquid acrylic paint.
