Every now and then a good friend of mine will come to me with a project and I will always say, “I got you, Babe.” These are people who know me so well that they possess an unwavering confidence in my ability to create seemingly impossible tasks. I am grateful for that, of course, but it still gives me a bit of a spaz attack every now and again, like this daunting Cher set.
I love Cher, her music, her acting, her daring fashion choices, her attitude, her incredible figure…basically, her overall presentation. When people are having a freakout around me, I’d channel MY inner Cher and tell them to: “Snap out of it!” This is why I happily agreed to paint the set, not only because the friend requesting it is one of the best I’ve got, but also I. LOVE. CHER.
Creating the headdress for the first doll was daunting. I initially thought I could make one out of this furry pelt thing baby photographers use as a prop. When it arrived I immediately rejected it and thought long and hard for an alternative material. I finally found it in my box of papers—vellum! They’re durable and can be snipped to the right shape and size easily. It is also a great excuse to check out the new Office Works that just opened near me. I happily beelined for the markers section as soon as I was let loose inside. I bought 5 markers, one of them a whopping $9.89, but it was the only one that created the sort of patina that I was after without weighing the vellum down or casting a weird purplish sheen. Then I boosted up the volume with some cut up foam sheets.
My friend and I kicked around the idea of whether or not to include Cher’s exes. For me it’s a resounding yes because I so very desperately wanted to paint Sonny Bono. We decided they will be of equal size and fit into the Aerobics Era Cher. Gregg Allman was another one I didn’t mind painting. Years ago I saw the Allmans Brothers Band at the Beacon Theatre, and I cannot tell you anything about it except there was a lot of aromatic fog and also a drum solo that went on for about 3 days.
This set is a gift for THE ultimate Cher fan, according to my friend, because she wants to give him something to help him to “snap out of” the doldrums he is currently in. I hope it does the trick!
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