The Evolution of Eve

The sketchbook:



I quickly sketched out two versions of the same idea, a pregnant calavera, holding her belly.


Getting to this stage took an afternoon. (She's about eighteen inches tall or maybe a bit taller?)

When I was done, I coiled out some snakes and draped them over her shoulders. I liked the idea of the serpent hinting at pregnancy and birth as punishment for Eve's disobedience.

I wrapped her hands, sans fingers, in damp towels to keep them from drying out and wrapped her up in plastic for the night.

This part took another afternoon:

I added the rose headband (if I had really stopped to think about it, I would have made them apple blossoms) and eyes. The serpent evolved from the two primitive things into this large, forked tongue version that curls around to rest its tail on her belly. I added her hands last. I wish I had gotten close-up of the fingers. They're skeletal, built on nichrome (high-fire) wire (as is the serpent's tongue).

Here's a closer look. Her face is very...skewed, but I like the eyes rolled upward. (And I have to remember that my only goal for this sculpture was to put arms on her, since I've been building busts and armless torsos, never having tried to sculpt arms.)


The serpent is going to be emerald green with a vivid scarlet tongue. The roses will be red, of course, as will her nipples. I wonder what color Eve's eyes were. Maybe I'll make them green, the same green as the serpent. Maybe I'll paint on an apple tattoo on her arm or give her a "Good & Evil" tramp stamp.

 I think I may have to make a version of Lilith next.

After I was finished, Dave and I took Crunch for a walk then we went to dinner with Judi and Paul, to the new Chinese place that we seem to find ourselves in a few times a month. We always over-order and this time was no exception. We started with egg rolls and hot and sour soup (for Judi). We ordered green beans in black bean sauce, baby bok choi in garlic, twice-cooked pork, the house tofu dish, and vegetable lo mein. We had rice and tea and fortune cookies. I came home stuffed to the gills.