The Grinch Lawn Ornament
In 2008 I got into the festive holiday spirit by creating a lawn ornament for my parents. My inspiration came from Dr. Seuss' "How the Grinch stole Christmas". Dr. Seuss' Grinch character has become a popular icon. He teaches us the true meaning of the holidays, that Christmas is more than something from a store!
One of the main reasons I chose to use the Grinch character as a lawn ornament, was to simply be different. I wanted to make a piece that would capture people's attention when driving by. The usual stable, Santa, or snowman have become the most obvious choice to decorate the yard for the holidays, which can be repeative and overlooked... But who can miss a 3.7' X 3' feet (pretty much life size) Grinch on top of the roof sneaking away with a Christmas tree?
I started off by sketching out the Grinch on a scrap piece of wood. This was the first large scale project that I had approched. I was a bit intimidated by the scale at first and really struggled the most with the hands and feet. I spent about three hours drawing him out, making sure every thing was drawn to proportion. Then I coloured the Grinch in with acrylic paint and cut him out (with the help of my dad) using a jigsaw. I spent about seven hours painting him, most of the time was spent building up the coats of paint to prepare it for the outdoor weather.
This piece was comical and entertaining to construct. I feel I have accurately captured the Grinch's main features and plan to have him around for the holidays for years to come!
Acylic on Wood
3.7' X 3' feet
December 6, 2008
Note: The image was taken in 2012, so unfortunately over the years the wood is starting to become weathered and chipped. A few touch-ups and it will be good as new!
