Paper sculptures
The heading "Post from the past": Such amazing detailed sculptures can be made only from paper, but they are sold for tens of thousands of dollars.
Husband and wife Allen and Patty Ekman place the paper pulp in a clay mold and seal it to remove water. (Solent News & Photo Agency)
Then the craftsmen remove the dense lightweight pieces, and then start working on the details with the help of numerous tools. (Solent News & Photo Agency)
The couple has been making these creations since 1987 in their home studio in South Dakota. The family has already earned 3 million pounds from the sale of their sculptures. (Solent News & Photo Agency)
The paper sculptures depict scenes from the history of the Cherokee Indians. (Solent News & Photo Agency)
The most expensive sculpture is called "Eagle of the Prairies", which was sold for 47,000 pounds. (Solent News & Photo Agency)
"We create sculptures of Indians partly because my great-great-grandmother was from the Cherokee tribe, and my family admires these people," says Allen. (Solent News & Photo Agency)
"I work on sculptures of men and animals, and Patty works on women and children." (Solent News & Photo Agency)
"Most of all I like to make details. Paper is a unique material. I am attracted by the material of Indian costumes, physical and spiritual culture, and the entire period of the history of our people. From the moment of the Western conquest to the Civil War and beyond, everything is interesting for me." (Solent News & Photo Agency)
"Do not confuse our sculptures with papier-mache. These are completely different things. What we do, I call cast paper sculptures." (Solent News & Photo Agency)
"Some of the sculptures we create are made in full size, some are on a scale of 1 to 6." (Solent News & Photo Agency)
"These sculptures are depicted in various poses, and some animals do not have ears, tails or fur." (Solent News & Photo Agency)
"We make details with different densities and textures, as if stringing them on a finished sculpture." (Solent News & Photo Agency)
"We like the way our technology has improved over the years. We have created a process that is worth sharing." (Solent News & Photo Agency)
It takes up to 11 months to create such sculptures. (Solent News & Photo Agency)
"It seems to us that there are many artists and sculptors in the world who will like this way of performing." (Solent News & Photo Agency)