Sometimes when I see a figure I instantly become obsessed with it and must have it at any cost.  That's what happened here.  While in the midst of working on a piece to enter at GhengisCon '08 I stumbled across this sculpt and immediately abandoned my previous project.  One of the things I love about Werner's style is the strength and power of his women.  I imagine her to be a pirate captain, ship wrecked but determined that the battle is not over, staring out to sea and plotting her revenge.

 

I wanted to use a lot of blues and greens to mimic the sea, and gave her fiery red hair to match a wild, rebellious heart.  Blonde hair felt right for an innocent cabin boy... cabin girl...  whatever...  A lot of glazing gave the figurehead a weathered look, simulating years out on the ocean.  I also added a starfish made from twisted wire to climb over the rocks and a fishnet draped with seaweed.  A combination of clear monofilament, super glue and Woodland Scenic's Water Effects tinted ever so slightly with blue ink provided the splashing surf.

 

It was a very exciting moment for me when she took both Gold in Open and Best in Show overall.  The only problem was that I would henceforth have to compete in the Master's category!