Sometimes when dealing with props I can’t find the real thing or even a replica of it, so I just have to make it. In this case, we needed a Pictish helmet as one of the apparitions in MacBeth. The halloween stores had loads of helmets, but were strangely lacking in anything Pictish. Spartan on […]
I spent the afternoon and much of the evening with Michael Schupbach, the puppet designer for MacBeth, as we did last touches on the puppets. I am pleased to say that, barring disaster, we are finished. We went out for dinner afterwards and a much-deserved beer. I think both of us felt like we’d been
MacBeth = finished Read More »
01:14 Attaching the bones to the glove. I’m concerned that I might have to do this with it ON my hand. Bad, since the operation involves hot glue. # 01:34 Missing five finger bones. Cutting them out now. # 02:03 Finger bones cut, covered, painted and attached. Connected the forearm to the upper arm. I
Twitters for 11-9-08 Read More »
12:14 Rob has the day off and he’s made waffles. I love my husband more than I can describe. # 21:41 Making stone bones for the stone witch’s small arm. Sigh. I want to be finished with her. # 23:27 Totally cheating and using grey gaffer’s tape on the polyethelene instead of making my own
Twitters for 11-8-08 Read More »
09:17 Heading for the puppet kitchen. # 12:48 I’ve cut the stone witch’s forearm off and am going to rotate the wrist 90 degrees and reset it. # 13:43 My god! My mother has joined facebook! # 13:54 I mean… my MOM on Facebook. It really IS the twenty-first century, isn’t it? # 14:04 While
Twitters for 11-7-08 Read More »
Papier-mache is one of the oldest forms for creating puppets and so a lot of people think that there must be something better out there. Actually, there are very few contenders. Done well, papier-mache is light, strong, fast, and non-toxic. I know, we’ve all had the experience of the lumpy paste, and corners that stick
To catch you up on what I spent the last several weeks building, I’m going to be posting some photos that I took during the build. The wood witch needed hands capable of picking things up. Fortunately, you can find such a thing in your local neighborhood hardware store. This trick won’t work for a
Wood witch’s grabber arms Read More »
00:11 Moved by McCain’s concession speech. # 01:12 I am so happy. Obama! # 01:33 Outside on the streets of NYC. It is crazy and beautiful. # 01:40 Everyone on the subway is making eye contact and grinning. But there’s also this look of shock, like none of us trust the fortune. # 17:08 Heading
Twitters for 11-5-08 Read More »
01:32 Taking a break for ice cream sandwiches. # 01:47 Back to making the collar of bones for Hecate. # 02:28 My friends in the same studio have just made the most beautiful dragon puppet. The thing is thirty feet long. Gooooorgeous. # 06:16 Heading for home. My parents arrive at noon for the weekend.
Twitters for 10-24-08 Read More »
03:20 Installing fog witch’s head on the mechanism. # 04:05 Braiding crowns. # 04:10 Beginning to paint the fog witch. Have I mentioned that the painting is my favorite part? # 06:11 Finished with painting the fog witch head. I’m starting the costume now. # 09:19 Finished the fog witch’s costume. I’m putting gold glitter
Twitters for 10-23-08 Read More »
01:44 It looks like we’ve managed to salvage the fog witch’s head. We cast it today in papier mache and, with a little rebuilding, it looks fine. # 17:21 Whew. The gun repair was only $300. I was worried it would be pushing a thousand. # 18:53 Making a Pict helmet. # 20:38 I’m sanding
Twitters for 10-22-08 Read More »
00:08 So that thing I was doing instead of dealing with the mold? I’ve now cut my hand & broken the grip I was building, just before finishing. [1. It was a shallow cut and I’m fine, it was just aggravating.] # 00:08 Today = not good. # 00:14 For those keeping score? This is why
Twitters for 10-21-08 Read More »
00:31 The stone witch is assembled with the basecoat of paint on her. I’m starting the detail paint now. Whee! # 02:29 Putting the dress on the stone witch. By George, I think she’s nearly finished. # 03:26 Stringing beads for the stone witch’s necklace. # 03:46 I’m cleaning up and heading for home. Tomorrow
I just wanted to thank you guys for being patient with me. The puppets are due on Tuesday and hopefully I’ll have time and brain power for posting more than twitters by then. 03:25 Calling it a night and heading for home. # 13:52 Rob made pancakes. Mm. We’re listening to Madama Butterfly and then
Twitters for 10-18-08 Read More »
07:15 At the puppet kitchen, treating the wood witch’s arms to look like tree branches instead of aluminum and dowels. # 08:27 Hands are sculpted. I’ve restricted the elbows so they don’t spin around like a zombie’s. # 08:43 Adding strips of mache to the arms to give a treebark texture. I’m getting a little
Twitters for 10-17-08 Read More »