Is Santa wearing tweed?

My latest Santa is number 9 sculpted in my newest style. I'm seriously thinking about making a limited number of this style, perhaps stopping after I reach a dozen. I haven't made a final decision but it's a possibility.

I hate making the same thing over and over and that's what this is beginning to feel like. It's getting so they all look the same to me. Usually for me it's, "Been there, done that and moving on to something else now." I'm not saying I'm tired of working with paper mache clay, and I'm not tired of sculpting Santa, but I'm getting bored with this look. It could be I just need to take a few days off and do something else.

Since I began sculpting these little guys I've pretty much been at it seven days a week. In nearly six months I've only had about 10 days total where I wasn't working on them. With summer finally getting here, I should be spending some of my time in the garden and getting to those projects that I've had on hold. Perhaps I'll cut back from working on four or five at a time to only one. It'll feel strange and may take some getting used to, but I'm thinking it's the direction I'm heading in.

So, without further boring conversation I'd like to show you the new man on the shelf.

His coat was supposed to look like it's sewn from wool tweed, but I'm not sure if it doesn't look more like watered silk. Now that would be a bit strange.

From the photo it's hard to see the colors in the coat. The main color you seem to see is green but there are four more colors "dusted" in. I used a combination of methods for applying the paint on this coat. There are layered washes and some sponging and some of the paint was dry brushed on.

I've noticed that most of my bears look pretty much the same so I attempted to make one of the ones here in a different style.

Here's a closer look at the only other style bear I seem to be able to make. Perhaps I should have had one of my bear boys model for me, but I hate to bring them to work with me. They might start wanting to do it on a regular basis and then I'd really have a problem.

Here's the old style stuffed into the bag between the dollies.

This is a better close-up of the new styled bear. I'm pretty sure if we could see his back side he'd have that hump at the shoulders.

Here's the whole gang except for Mrs. Claus who's in the kitchen baking something that has cinnamon and ginger spices from what I can smell. Hope it's muffins. The other one not shown is the one for the giveaway. Can't show him now that there's something in his hands. That sure would make guessing easier though.

The whole point of this pictures is to show you what I mean about them starting to look alike. I was working on 4 other figures at the same time as this guy and without the paint they really did look alike.

Hope you enjoyed meeting the new guy. As I said there are some more in the making but when they're completed that may be the end of this style. Who knows, I may decide to make Halloween figures for awhile.

Here's a clue to what Santa is holding in the contest/giveaway:

There is a plate involved but it doesn't hold cookies or a sandwich or a turkey or ham or a sweet potatoe casserole. 

As always, thanks for stopping by.