Tarkel'e the Accappappa, of the Hummingbird People

The Process

The impetus of this character was a *very* weathered garden glove I found while I was out on a walk in the summer of Brighton, Michigan. Perhaps the glove had been cast off, or dropped accidentally, but its former owner was nowhere in sight. Looking at the exquisite textures and earthy hues of the worn leather, I felt the glove was too interesting to pass up. 

I carefully separated the stitching and made a cardboard form onto which the leather could take shape. The shape of the thumb became a shoulder, and at the frayed edge of the seam I laid in a patch of old lace. It looked much like a sleeve. 

Having already sketched the hummingbird folk on a number of occasions, I considered the options - while the leather was heavy where a small bird was considered, I thought there might be ways to give lightness and elegance to the rather stark material. Pulling out a collection of found fibers, old papers and scraps of lace, it wasn't long before a charming fellow emerged... One of the last touches on Tarkel'e was his glass eye, which gives him a rather intense realism.

The Accappappa People of Mirico

Native to the Northern and Northwest United States, and varying dramatically in plumage based on their habitat, the Accappappa are reclusive, soft-spoken and shy. But they have elaborate mating rituals, are drawn to bright or sparkly objects, emerging most often in fair weather among flowering plants. 

Though they are usually less trusting of humans, if they do bond with someone they encounter, they become fiercely loyal. Due to their smallness (in most cases), the Accappappa are helpful when getting into particularly small spots. The Miriconian inventor Zarkola, famous for his bioelectrical flying machines, utilizes the bonds he forges with the hummingbird folk to further the finite mechanical details of his experimental airborne crafts... 

The Doll

Hand-built and wall-hanging, completely unique and signed by the artist, the doll stands

approximately 24 inches in height, and is about 9 inches wide.

Tarkel'e features cruelty-free feathers, handmade paper, antique lace,  illustration board, Nepalese sari silk, beads, coral, glass, shoelaces, and a weathered gardening glove.

$250