At first you instantly recognize her art as a bird, a frog, a beetle or butterfly but you're not sure what it is made of. Look closer at it, touch it, then maybe you can figure it out. Mary Hager makes armature shapes out of wood and wire. She saws basic shapes, carves the edges, drills holes, pulls wire and covers them with glue. She builds the forms using air dry clay and then presses in different textures. Using a knife she draws in the facial features. Each creature is painted with a base coat of acrylic paint. She then paints several top coats in different shades and colors that pick up the texture. If needed she washes a deeper tone over selected areas and outlines selected details. They are all sealed with acrylic spray.
