Left To Burn

One vain rabbit with a once nice two story little house, now all burnt out. This one's got a provocative little pose going and a contented grin on its face, unaware of the problems it holding on its back. By the way, if you want a closer look at any of these, just click the picture.
Side view
and a close up of the house

Foolish Bird (the cynic)

and here is the second one. I wanted him to look older and grumpier. He resigned himself long ago and has really crumbled under the weight of his tower. You can't see the back view, but his ribs and spine slowly become the beams and siding of the tower. I wanted the line of distinction between animal and structure on this figure to be especially obscured, to convey the length of their symbiosis.

Foolish Bird (defeated)

This is the finished first bird: Foolish Bird (defeated). He has a dopey kind of look on his face and some nice big fat rolls from his lack of movement. He's a lazy and sad character, content to sit and dumbly ponder his fate.

The second piece in the series - a fat, lazy bird. Grounded by the tower he's got on his back, he just sits dopily. I wanted to make three bird, one fat and lazy (this one), one old and cynical, and one stupidly optimistic. They would all be tethered to each other by bridges connecting the towers. I have yet to make a stupid optimistic one I'm happy with, so the two I finished have just been displayed alone and flightless.

A Beast Submits

The finished piece: A Beast Submits

Clay work was done, so now just drying it out for the glazing!

Back view after the slabs were added for the house.
and the front. They were still pretty soft when I put them on so it would look more like they were melding with the skin. I thought this was important for the concept - not that the houses were just built there or fastened on, but that they grew from the animals and their relationship was symbiotic.