Halloween – Fall Harvest Festival 2013

by Jamie Bennett

So Halloween, 2014, for any number of days, over a two week time span I paper mached a giant monster head and arms for a popup tent trailer. I mixed equal parts flour and water and this is the largest paper mache (thing) that I have personally completed to date... out of paper mache. I used all my seventh grade chicken wire training and assembled this beast.

The monster is a Rockwood Tent Trailer by Forest River. I believe it was 19 feet long, which is short as these models go. The monster's bones are paper wads and chicken wire, sealed in a gesso mesh of paper mache. I used gesso and a Rustoleum spray paint to seal the thing against the elements. I made teeth with bunting and the tongue is  red astroturf. It had a uvula. I balasted with sand and bungees. I was exhausted when this was done, my hands hurt but it was an epic photo op for the guests of the Northwest Adventure Rally. 


... My family went as Pandas for Halloween.

In addition to the monster I painted these cutouts. People love cutouts. As a kid I thought similar photo ops were just about the funniest things, whenever I attended fairs and/or events. I would often repeat cutouts (for years even) – switching partners and places. Here is my wife and I. She is my inspiration. 

... And

to the right is my daughter. She isn't as fond of cutouts as I was at her age... Different strokes...