An inordinate fondness for beetles...

My next big sculpture will be a beetle.  The idea is to have something pose-able, that I can photograph.  I want the insect to be as realistic as possible, so I have to keep in mind what the beetle does (flies, walks) and how she does it.  It would be relatively simple to make a cloth figure that is accurate on the exterior, but of course, making something accurate and movable adds extra work and complexity.

Basic beetle from the top

The first problem might be the wings, but I lucked out in this case because the beetle I’m going to interpret is the Pinacate – or New Mexico Stinkbug (not a true bug!).  I was pretty pleased when I learned that this type of beetle has fused elytra (wing coverings), and do not fly.  One big issue with which I will not have to work  

is the wings.  Although we don’t think (and usually can’t picture) beetles flying around, most do, and do so quite well.  Their wings are covered by the elytra, the hard exterior we see all the time, which hinge up and pivot out of the way to allow the wings to extend. 

The major engineering concern is the legs.  Most of the time, we can barely see the feet of beetles (if at all), but most have long and many jointed legs.  There are joints that allow the legs to pivot at the join of the abdomen, and then ‘knees’, a set of ‘ankles’ and multi-jointed feet.  The multiplicity of joints allows for a huge range of movement.  All the major joints need to be in a figure to allow for the same range of movement in the final sculpture and the visible extras should be there for accuracy.

Basic beetle from the bottom

The Pinacate are beetles ubiquitous throughout the southwest.  They have a quirky, mechanical gait that looks oddly robotic and not at all beetle-like.  They trundle about fearlessly, and at some times of the year, they are truly everywhere you look.  When disturbed, the beetles stick their butts into the air and emit an odorous puff of chemicals.  I am one of those lucky individuals who can’t smell the odor, and I spent a lot of time as a kid playing with these guys.  Supposedly, they also taste nasty (haven’t tried it!), so birds and lizards don’t bother them much. 

One of the interesting aspects of the Pinacate (besides the headstands) is that the legs and joints are almost entirely visible.  The ‘knees’ seem to stick up and out from the body  (oval-shaped and black, black, black).  So, these legs will be visible in the final sculpture.  I’ve decided to use wire and Button joints for the legs.  Unlike my usual animal figures, beetles don’t have a face that people relate to, so most of the personality will have be portrayed with body language.  That’s not to say, she won’t have a face, it just won’t be a pretty one!

Stay tuned for construction updates in the next post.