Reposted from Deadster.
Original Post (1/24/16)
I was lucky enough to partner up with Ludi in the IYP 28 swap. She has a fabulous cabinet of curiosities room and thus I decided what she really needed was a small Axolotl in a tank to add to her collection. The “tank” is a clear 5x7" photo frame that’s approximately 1" deep.
The finished piece is 95% paper, with a bit of paint added as well. The plants, pebbles, bubbles and the axolotl itself are all cut from paper. I painted details onto the plants and added highlights to the bubbles with white paint. The axolotl’s pink spots & the white highlights in its eyes are also paint. Other than that, everything is layered paper.
I used black foam cut to varying lengths to raise up the axolotl and some of the bubbles from the background to give the piece more dimensionality. I also used clear glass beads behind a few of the bubbles to raise them up and give them a different appearance. The overall effect is a charming little creature swimming in his tank and ready for his new home.
