The Anatomical Exploration of Leonardo da Vinci: A Mini-Essay

     There is no question that Leonardo da Vinci was a revolutionary man, from his redoubtable artwork to his drafting of helicopter and submarine prototypes centuries before their actual inventions. In 1503, the great thinker added an additional element to his vast repertoire of innovations: exploration of the human anatomy.[1] Allowed access to the unclaimed corpses at a Florentine hospital, da Vinci began a long process of dissecting and artistically cataloguing the inner workings of the body. It was an arduous and unpleasant task, especially in an era without electric lights and refrigeration, and one which held significant consequences if his surreptitious contract with the hospital was discovered by the Catholic Church and its notorious Inquisition. Because the human body was considered a sacred entity by religious standards, the process of scientifically dismembering and scrutinizing it organs was a blasphemous deed and grounds for trial and persecution.[2] Although da Vinci was no stranger to religious prosecution – in 1476, he was accused of sexual relations with the male prostitute Jacopo Saltarelli – the potential for punishment did not diminish his natural curiosity and the artist utilized his efforts to craft a detailed sketchbook of the human body.[3] In fact, historian Sherwin Nuland reveals that this text, despite it somewhat flawed understandings in comparison to our current medical knowledge, was the first to show anatomy in a purely realistic stance, rather than the diagrammatic and symbolic renditions in centuries prior.[4]

Works Referenced

Friedman, David. A Mind of Its Own: A Cultural History of the Penis. New York: The Free Press, 2001.

Nuland, Sherwin. Leonardo da Vinci. New York: Penguin Books, 2005.

O’Malley, Charles. Introduction. Leonardo on the Human Body. New York: Dover Publications, 1983. 13-35.
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[1] O’Malley, 21-24.
[2] O’Malley, 22-23.
[3] Friedman, 59-64.
[4] Nuland, 165-66.

Doll Head Candlestick

$15 - $20 (based on 2017 prices)

Makes one candlestick

While building the pumpkin dolls for 2017’s haunt, I purposefully reserved one of the heads for this project. I had seen several concepts for old dolls used as candle holders and decided to fabricate my own version to incorporate into the theme. Since using fire in a haunt is never a wise idea, I substituted a real candle with an LED one.

• One candlestick
• One 10 oz. can of interior/exterior, fast-drying spray paint in metallic silver
• One small vinyl doll head
• One 2 oz. bottle of acrylic paint in flat black*
• One 2 oz. bottle of acrylic paint in flat brown*
• One 2 oz. bottle of acrylic paint in flat gray*
• One 2 oz. bottle of acrylic paint in steel gray*
• One 2 oz. bottle of acrylic paint in hot cocoa*
• One 2 oz. bottle of acrylic paint in flat red*
• One 8 oz. bottle of wood glue*
• One battery-operated LED candle
• One hot glue gun and glue sticks
• One 0.44 oz. bottle of clear nail polish*

1. On a newspaper-lined surface in a well-ventilated area, apply a few even coats of metallic spray paint to the candlestick. I used two, but you may apply more or less depending on your desired coverage. If you use a glass holder, roughen its surface with sandpaper to help the spray paint adhere.

2. Use a brush with splayed bristles to create an aging effect around the base and stem of the holder. I found that working from dark to light (i.e. black to steel gray to flat gray) produces the best results.

3. Insert the LED candle into the candlestick and use a permanent marker to indicate where the top of the holder rests. This will serve as a guide for the process in step five.

4. On a newspaper-lined surface in a well-ventilated area, crackle paint the doll’s head. To do this, begin with a base coat of black paint and, once that has dried, use a thick brush to smear a smattering of wood glue onto the prop. Try not to over think your application (a random pattern produces the best results). Let the glue sit for a minute to become tacky and then cover the head with a coat of hot cocoa paint. As the glue and paint dry, they will form cracks. To further the aging process, give the prop a light smudging of brown paint to simulate dirt. If you want an additional level of creepiness, sew the doll’s eyes and mouth with black thread.

5. Use a sharp knife to cut a hole in the top of the head large enough to accommodate the candle. You may have to gradually trim the opening until the candle passes easily through it. Once this is done, feed the candle through the hole and ensure the base of the head sits flush with the mark from step three.

6. Using hot glue, give the candle extra girth by building up layers and piping drips of wax down the sides and onto the head. I found that pumping the glue along the top of the candle and allowing it to naturally run downward creates the best results.

7. Apply three coats of red paint to the candle. I used three because I wanted a deep, vibrant red to contrast with the dull blacks and browns of the head. You, of course, are free to use fewer (or more) coats based on your chosen appearance for the prop.

8. To make the candle look waxy, cover the red paint with a layer of clear nail polish. If you want the candle to seem old and unused rather than freshly melted, do not add the nail polish, but give the candle a light brushing of brown paint to mimic dust.

9. Insert the remaining portion of the LED candle into the holder. Since the prop separates at this junction, you can easily access the on/off switch and battery compartment.

*You will not use the entire bottle’s content for this project.

“A Baby’s Cradle with No Baby in It” (A Poem)

In 1893, the British poetess Christina Rossetti released an illustrated collection of rhymes focused on the wonders of childbirth and infant rearing. Like so many versions before and after it, Rossetti’s text is filled with tender depictions of children and romanticized presentations of parenthood. Unlike many of its peers, the work also presents darker entries which explore the pains of loss. Two such pieces, “Baby Lies So Fast Asleep” and “A Baby’s Cradle with No Baby in It,” comment on the high infant mortality rate which marred Victorian society and present a poignant glimpse into the era’s mourning process.

A baby’s cradle with no baby in it,
A baby’s grave where autumn leaves drop sere;
The sweet soul gathered home to Paradise,
The body waiting here.[1]

Works Referenced

Rossetti, Christina. “A Baby’s Cradle with No Baby in It.” Sing-Song: A Nursery Rhyme Book. London. MacMillan and Company, 1893. 15.
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[1] Rossetti, 15.

“Dolly” Mask

$10 - $15 (based on 2017 prices)

Makes one mask

I normally craft my own mask and costume for each haunt to correspond with the theme. Working on a haunted house in 2017 presented me with the opportunity to costume not only myself, but a collection of scare-actors. To achieve this, I made several doll masks for each one to wear and help unify the motif.

• One plastic doll mask
• One 2 oz. bottle of acrylic paint in au natural*
• One 2 oz. bottle of acrylic paint in flat black*
• One 2 oz. bottle of acrylic paint in cherry cobbler*
• One 2 oz. bottle of acrylic paint in flat gray*
• One 2 oz. bottle of acrylic paint in spice brown*
• One 2 oz. bottle of acrylic paint in steel gray*
• One yard of brown yarn
• One yard of burlap
• One 4 oz. bottle of all-purpose tacky glue*

1. On a newspaper-lined surface in a well-ventilated area, give the mask three coats of gray paint. I used three coats, but you may want more or less depending on your desired coverage.

2. Detail the mask by building up layers of smudged steel gray, au natural, and spice brown paint around the eyes, mouth, nose, and along the edges of the cracks. To enhance the mask’s visual impact, move from light to dark. Finish the initial painting process by applying a flecking of black. You can do this by either quickly flicking a paintbrush or using an old toothbrush and strumming your finger across the bristles. Since this process flings paint everywhere, it’s best to perform it outside.

3. Accentuate the features with black paint. You want to trace the lines of the cracks. If the mask you purchased has preformed marks in it, use these as a starting point to create your own patterns and achieve the amount of breakage you desire.

4. Use a sharp knife to cut the jaw off the mask. For visual interest, create jagged edges. To make this process easier, trace the outline of your cut with a marker first.

5. Using a darning needle, sew the jaw onto the mask with the yarn. You want the needlework to look messy and uneven. Likewise, you do not want the edges to match-up exactly, so skew the jaw and trim portions.

6. Cut a swatch of burlap large enough to cover the back of the mouth area and glue it in place. If you want further detail, distress the fabric with black and brown paint or adhere plastic insects to the cloth so they faintly show through the mouth’s opening.

7. Use cherry cobbler paint to write dolly across the mask’s forehead. You want the wording to be haphazard. To achieve this, exaggerate curves, create sharp points, and elongate certain aspects. You could also write letters backwards and deliberately misspell the word. Keep in mind, though, that the word needs to be readable, so try not to overdo your artistic flairs.

8. If the mask did not come with tie strings, you can fabricate some with extra yarn or replace the existing elastic band with a makeshift twine version for additional creepiness.

*You will not use the entire bottle’s content for this project.