a furry something

I made a toy with fur and filled it with sand. The legs are made with a thinner cotton fabric and filled with sand too. This makes the toy tactile. I have been worrying lately because most of the work i have done in the past has been cutsie and sweet. I was quite disappointed once i started making. To make something NOT cute is quite a challenge for me.


















































I went to my previous college (Wigan & Leigh) to meet my friends and discuss my ideas with the faculty. I was talking to my faculty about my concerns - not being able to create anything not cute. I showed them the toy and to my surprise, the first reaction i got was "EEEEEEEEEEEE WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?!" apparently it looked like a dead rat or some dead creature and the fact that it was heavy because of the sand, it felt more and more like a real creature. I noticed the tendency to pull on the fur and squeeze the sand filled legs. She called it sick but didnt part with it for a long time either:)I then decided to show it to some of the students. The reactions were overwhelming. It felt great each time someone looked at it and said 'what the hell!' or 'thats just gross' or 'its really creepy-it looks like a hybrid of a caterpillar,cow and a rat' or 'disgusting'. they also said they didnt know if it was meant for children:)I was soo relieved at their reactions.
it worked well without facial attributes.
the fur evokes tugging/pulling.
the fact that it heavy makes it seem a bit realistic.
the sand filled legs makes one want to press/squeeze.
this was interesting- they determined the head and the rear end of the toy based on the direction of the fur:)