Months later....

and the raccoon is finally finished. He has found a new home already, but after having worked on him for such a long time, the least I can do is introduce him to you, right?

This is Mai-Tai.....

I used the same faux fur as I did for my previous raccoons from 2007, but I changed the design. This raccoon is a little less realistic and more cartoon like in his face. I wanted to achieve a chubbier look.

His legs and arms all have an armature and his toes and fingers are wired

He has no less than 8 joints and of course he has a nice long tail too :)

This raccoon looks much more like Kayla ; Aviva, the award winning raccoon I made back in 2007, had a more introvert and shy expression, very much like Caya, who was still alive in those days...

This is Aviva:

Aviva is the only creation I have ever kept, she is still with me and will not ever be sold. She reminds me so much of Caya....I can not make this kind of face anymore, I have not been able to since Caya died. It is not because I am so sad, but faces just don't turn out like that anymore since I got my little Tibetan Spaniel....Isn't that funny?

This is Aviva and Mai-Tai together... (Aviva on the left, Mai-Tai on the right)

I think that Aviva is more of an introvert and Mai-Tai is the inquisitive one. Now...help me.....is Mai-Tai a girl or a boy? To me, he is more like a boy with that chubby face. What do you think?

Because I used the same fabrics, they look very much related, even though the new design was drawn from scratch. I do love raccoons, everyone knows I have a huge passion for these curious critters, but boy.....did it take a lot of my energy to make this one. It was quite some project. After I finished him on Friday I swore I would not ever make another one in my entire life. Everything just hurt; my shoulders, hands, wrists and arms....Ouch.....Then I started thinking if perhaps I could think of a way to make this all a bit easier....Who knows, I might even find the courage to make another one, but to be honest.....I am so, so very much in love with making bears, that I find it harder to make animals. Teddy Bears have such a connection to people, they appeal to the child in us and I think that is why I love them so much. 

Let me know how you feel about the critters versus the teddy bears. I would love to hear your opinion...

Comments

[Joanne Livingston]

I love them both, I am in love racoons. I had two as pets when I was young. They do not make good pets. But I will always have a special place for them. Both designs are wonderful. I do like the posing possibilities of your newer one.

I am very much like you, as much as I like other animals it will always be bears for me.