Twig

Kickstarter preparation- Shaman puppet being

2012-02-25T12:02:00.008-08:00

So, the puppet I want to build for this kickstater project is somewhat vague yet. He is coming to me here and there. bits and pieces... images... feelings. He is inspired by several things.... Last spring I had the honor to participate in a Sacred Plant Spirit Medicine Ceremony. It was such a powerful experience for me. Not only journeying with Plant Spirit Medicine, but the ceremony, the Shaman and the group of people. All of it. It was so unbelieveable. It was such a deep window into self. That single experience has rocked me for a year. This medicine showed me who I am. Who and what we ALL are. I wasn't just told or shown this..... I felt it with all my being.

I am moved to create from this place and inspire others . The Shaman from this Plant Ceremony was very powerful...He sang Peruvian songs(Icaros) during the whole ceremony. When he sang it was as if he breathed the song out and I breathed the same air in and simultaneously experienced its sentience. Yes, sound as sentience. Something I never even considered.. This was so powerful that I wondered about the role of the Shaman, healing, ceremony and song. This is definitely worth some consideration. Does the Shaman simply inspire us to heal ourselves? Does the commitment of the Shaman to the ceremony make the participants feel its depth and importance ? The depth and importance of their own healing?....the power we have as self healers. Ceremony becomes a special platform for the experince of healing together as a group...journeying together. I could go on and on! To say the least I am quite intrigued by all aspects of this.

About a month ago I saw the image below and it really resonated within me.. I originally thought I would be making a Bunraku style puppet (that you puppeteer from behind) but after having seen this image I said to myself "wow, I think I'm building a medicine puppet!" With this in mind it appears he will be puppeteered from inside/underneath.

After realizing the type of puppet he is I can now move on to the particulars of how he actually looks. I am still working in this area with nothing clearly defined yet. Although here is a really interesting character study....

He came out of a freeform process : exploring pods and twigs, flowers, shells and how they fit together . I was amazed when I saw him taking shape.

I like many aspects of this study. I love his face. It's a bit walrus and even a bit manatee. Funny enough it came from the sea. It is the butt of some kind of clam shell. When I picked up its brokenness from the sand ...I immediately saw some sort of face...some sort of little aliveness that was recognizeable as alive.

In the above image you can see his eyes.... they look closed ...as if he has gone inside himself. I would never have 'thought' to make eyes closed that only periodically open.

The antlers I love.. I am into antlers right now...and reindeeer. Not so long ago I read an interesting story of how some think the story of Santa Claus, flying reindeer and pine trees (christmas trees) all came about. The article I read connected this fables' source with Sacred Plant Medicine of the Fly-Agaric mushroom. You know, the red one with white spots you see in fairy tales and even Disneys' Fantasia.

It is suggested that Santas' suit was inspired by the colors on the mushrooms' cap. They grow under pine trees and reindeer eat them. It is said that the reindeer are affected by the hallucinogenic properties of this fungi.(humans as well!) This is supposedly where the idea of flying reindeer originated. The Shamans of Lapland ( region of Finland) are said to have used the Fly Agaric as Plant Spitit medicine and that they are closely linked with this story of the origins of Father Christmas. Now, I have just briefly touched on this and there is plenty of reading on the web on the subject. True or not...I like the story of it. Very interesting...being deeply intwined with nature. I like stories of ancient rituals and ceremonies. It seems to have been a way for people to gather together, to share in the name of something sacred.

Here is a fantastical relic.....

Wings?

I was struck by its velvety surface much like that of an antler. It could be a unique type of antler or even a winglike appendage. hmmm. so many possibilities.

Here are some other studies I did from nature things...these came out while I had the intention of finding the Shaman.....I have to have the intention and then let go....that is, if I really wanna play with the creative process and allow ideas to flow from that mysterious unknown place in the nethers.

Kickstarter preparation- mini "Divining Lights"

2012-02-22T20:40:00.000-08:00

The performance and puppet I am creating for Twig Theatre Kickstarter project will be an evening performance. Not that it can't be done in the daylight, but there is something magical about a gathering of folks and shared experience in the twinkling hours.

The Divining lights sit on the ground in front of the theatre and illuminate the puppet, define the "set" area and create a mystical ambience. They will each have a battery powered light inside.

A Divining light points the way...

the light we seek emanates from inside....it is who we already are.

I sculpted them (Sculpey) baked and painted them. Boy was this fun! No wonder the Kickstart is taking so long to Kickstart....havin' way too much fun!
The largest one is about 2 1/2 inches in diameter. The full size ones will be under 2 feet in diameter. And no I will not be doing clay sculpts on the big ones! (Rob! :)) I just wanted to play with design and Sculpey seemed the best fit. Any design on the big ones will probably be L-200 foam or something of that nature. (something light and non-breakable) The designs will be similiar but simpler. For some reason it is my nature to start more complex and then work towards letting go and simplifying.

Here is some of the process...

Sculpting over dome shape. Got the clear plastic domes at Michaels Craft store. They are in the baking section: confection molds. I just cut the shapes out. Each dome is also sprayed with a "frost" spray in a can. (Michaels, jo-Ann's or Home Depot)

after baking, some cracked. just glued and painted

in my room in front of the cart

Kickstarter preparation- mini lantern brackets complete!

2012-02-17T11:45:00.000-08:00

Got these pretty little things in the mail yesterday. I e-mailed my mini bracket design out to a friend that has been doing beautiful intricate scroll-saw work for years. A week later I am holding them in my hand. What a great feeling! Thanks Ed! They are really lovely.

They are wood....1/4 inch thick, about 6 inches tall and about 2 1/2 inches wide

What it will look like with the lantern hanging on the bracket. Next photo here will be brackets truly complete....stained, painted and mounted on the miniature cart with Lanterns hung! Maybe today!

Stained and ready to glue on some hinges

I will cover the hinges with fabric(leather) or something like that will hide them as well as add an "old" feel to the look of the cart. After seeing the way they look on this mini cart I think I am anticipating that the brackets and lanterns on the full size cart will actually be a bit smaller in comparison.

I love love love it! It looks even better than I thought it would. it is starting to have an old world European-ish feel (at least a cinematic Europe!) ...the Gypsy vibe is comin' through. My Grandmama was from Hungary. I've felt for a long time the wondering gypsy in my bones.

So my thoughts about a a logo....

I at least want the name TWIG to appear on this side of the cart. This is the audience side and I want them to know the name of the theatre without wondering. I'm still working on that ....I think maybe a part of me has been waiting for more of the cart to take shape so i would know how simple or involved to go with a logo or drawing...I'm starting to think the simpler the better now...hmmm.

......more on logo coming soon

Here again is the actual cart in its 5 foot unfinished-ness...soon to be finished!!

Here the backstage doors are open.
Ready for some mystical puppet beings to emerge from behind...

Kickstarter Preparation- Lantern Brackets Design

2012-01-26T17:46:00.000-08:00

So, I need a bracket to hang each lantern on the cart

You'd think I would just whip out some regular old brackets to hang my lanterns from.

And pass up on a design element?...no way! So, Here are some bracket sketches....

Each design with a lantern hanging from it...

beanpod

s-curve

yummy nouveau swirl

peacock feather- love

seahorse-

interesting and too complex

my last sketch and favorite.

The overall shape frames the lantern perfectly. As well, the foot of the bracket mimics/echoes the shape of the wheel on the side of the cart.

Funny, once you cut this little design out there's really nothing to it....will have to find the right material. foam is flimsy...maybe if I layer foam and glue it that will stiffen it. or maybe wood. will post pics of the finished brackets..maybe even mounted on the cart with lanterns hanging and flickering. excited already!

Kickstarter preparation- Twig logo design

2012-01-21T14:30:00.000-08:00

Okay, I want to post about my logo which appears to be an ongoing process. I really like all of the designs I have come up with and I feel I am getting closer to what I am trying to express..

This was the very first logo several years ago. I have always known there would be some element of Art Nouveau. The space in the middle was to be an abstract illustaration of trees or grasses with a glowing lantern.

Here is my second logo attempt...kept the Art Nouveau lettering. Lost most of the border. Kept the abstract grasses...all scraggly and bent made for a bit of darkness. The "lantern" became a glow emanating from the grasses. I love this design...something mystical hiding in the dark grasses...our illumined beingness.

I elongated the "T" so it looked like the first letter in a giant storybook

Had so much fun drawing this one

love it in pencil

I played with it in high contrast to see what it looked like as a blockprint (sort of) you get the general sense anyways.

playing with colors

Here it is on the mini cart. I really do love this and also feel it is more like an illustration or mural...rather than an abstract logo. I don't actually even like the word logo. feels 'commercial'. I just want something visual that represents all I'm trying to express...haha! don't want much! no wonder it is an ever evolving process!

Anyhoo..after stewing and brewing for a few weeks this came out....

A moon, crescent.

Twig in the shadow of the moon. Dangling tangle-vine hanging down the right side. quite Art Nouveau. In fact my first real Art Nouveau drawing. (to me!!!) Am very excited to be bringing this art movement into my work. I have felt very passionate about it for sometime. There is a bit of akwardness in the "T" and how it joins with the rest of the letters...will play with that some more. Process process process! am feeling this design in my chest....I always feel Art Nouveau so viscerally, as if the lines were coursing through my body. like it lots. will work on lettering tonight.

Here is a turn of the century artist that has inspired me very much lately

Margaret MacDonald Mackintosh

I will post more on the logo as it unfolds.

I am very excited to see how this Art Nouveau stuff makes its way into the actual puppets!

we shall see!

Kickstarter preparation- Mini Art Nouveau Lanterns

2012-01-21T12:41:00.000-08:00

These mini lanterns will hang on either side of the miniature puppet cart.

Here is their construction...

This was the first little mock-up...first play with Art Nouveau lines....decide to make window holes smaller and maybe a different cap...although I like the magical mushroom look.

I started with a sheet of Foamie(found at Michaels craft store). Comes in many colors. I played with many window design ideas and settled on Art Nouveau lines. I love love love Art Nouveau and have for many years and can't believe I am finally going to play with it myself in my own project! I will soon post some very inspiring Art Nouveau images and artists.

Cut pattern out with a blade.

Surprised to see it almost looks like a butterfly in the middle

spray paint brown

Cut clear acetate and frosted tracing paper to adhere to back. If you have frosted acetate how perfect...saves a step!

acetate spray glued on

tracing paper glued to that.

sun shining through...going to be a magical lantern

wrap this around the base of a battery powered candle and you have the perfect size mini lantern

Here they are again . The one on the left has been antiqued with a little burnt sienna(rust) and a little Jamaican sea green (oxidized copper) The "dots" are also a new addition. I believe these dots may be a continuing theme with the theatre. There is something creature-like, or at least animated that they add to the look.

Here they are both complete with dots and rust. The one on the left is turned and you are viewing it in profile.

flickering Lanterns by night....

KICKSTARTER preparation- Twig Theatre Project

2012-01-21T12:15:00.000-08:00

Twig Theatre has been in developement for some time now. Financial restraints have been part of the reason but when all is said and done....it just wasn't time. Not sure how to explain this ...the creative process(and creating a project) is such a strange interesting thing. It happens or it doesn't. There are things you can do to help it along, however until its truly ready to come out it will just meander all over the place. It doesn't play by any rules..... And I'm not the type to push and barrel thru.

I have sought to honor this process, although, i must say, it has been quite disheartening at times. In fact, as of this spring...I gave it all up. All my plans with puppets... I said 'to hell with it' . I'm tired of all the efforting to manifest something that doesn't seem to want/need to manifest. So, even though I felt it my gift I just relinquished.. I surrendered completely any control over this manifestation. There was even a mourning process because I was prepared to not look back. It had been a painful process pushing something which doesn't want to be pushed. So I stopped. This felt like the last straw for me. I was still struggling with some long term health issues. I didn't have a career, a family (of my own), a house or anything else like that to lose. The puppetry was it...the last major(obvious!) identity I was clinging to.... so I gave it up. I was scared, yes, what would I do if I couldn't even manifest what my gift was? I ,at least, remained curious about this.

Then, ironically(or not) over the last several months I noticed some intense shifts in my energy and vitality. And one morning to my surprise and delight I awoke, rubbed my eyes, scratched me bum, and a voice announced in my head. ...it said...'Heidi it's time to launch Twig Theatre as a Kickstarter project'. And I said.....wow...really? Is this it? is it time?

It appears so. TWiG theatre project seems to have a momentum of its own now and I am really excited. Okay! I guess I'm back on board. And I'm not having to "work" at it so hard...it is WANTING to come through me and manifest. was it the surrendering? was it just the right time? I don't know. I don't know . I don't know, but here i go.

As you may know Kickstarter is a funding platform for artists and their projects. You passionately pitch your project so as to inspire others to want to be involved. If individuals are moved to support you they donate funds to your project and in return you not only include them in the creation process, you also give them cool interesting rewards that are connected to your project.

So, my kickstarter Project will be two fold....the creation of the physical theatre/cart AND the creation of a specific performance to go with it. The cart needs 2 speakers, 2 - 24" handmade amish wagon wheels, 2 lanterns and further decorative touches to be complete. My vision for the performance is a nightime ritual ceremony piece with illuminated props , a Shaman puppet and other little beings and creatures that glow, fly and invoke magicalness!. It will be an exploration of our primal earthy nature. healing. the inner healer. our resources...our inner shaman.

In an effort to be creative with my project pitch I have decided to build a miniature of the whole thing.... theatre, props and puppets so as to give the viewer, the funding angel, a feel of what it is I am trying to create. I will shoot the miniature scene as if a performance is just about to happen ... my intention is to invoke the feeling of a mystical otherworld.

I hope to launch my kickstarter sometime in February(or march!)

I thought I would start by sharing the miniature theatre with you.

As you may have seen in the blog entry "mobile puppet theatre aka twig gypsy cart" the Twig Theatre is a 5 foot tall wooden cart. It will house the puppets as well as act as stage and carrying box for sound system and other props. you can see the half finished full size cart here:

http://themagictwig.blogspot.com/2010/02/mobile-puppet-theatre-aka-twig-gypsy.html

Here is the mini mock-up it is about 12 inches tall.

Here it is with the doors open. This is "back stage". Here, I will put the puppet on and then step out from behind to reveal to the audience.

There are 3 compartments with curtains that hold puppets and props. The top compartment holds the amp and ac/dc converter. The compartment with the door will lock and hold personal belongings. there are two shelves below that for my sandwhich board, two folding chairs, an extension cord and my puppet first aid kit!

Here is the "front" or audience side of the cart. This logo is in process.

Video performance of Little Man Monk!

2012-01-04T13:08:00.000-08:00

This is a performance that took place at a Valentines celebration in 2009.

Even thought it looks fairly low light on video it was much brighter 'in person'. As soon as I figure out what happened with youtubes new uplink to Google(arg) I will Embed the video here. until then.....

http://vimeo.com/34598156

I was pleased with the performance. It is always so interesting to perform. It IS much like a meditation. Moving with the flow of what is happening...not with what you had planned!! The two amazing musicians put their sounds together in a 5 minutes rehearsal. so lovely.

my only critique is to keep working on his hands. Actually his wrists....I would like to have wrist movement so there isn't so much stiffness to his gestures.

Much Thank you to Serge Gubelman (cinematographer)

Patrick Baker(throat singer)

Christopher of the Wolves (musician in back)

Scott Robinson (coordinator of event) and

of course, Heather Pendergast, my sister, the other puppeteer (on his right)

Little Man Monks moving hands/ fingers

2012-01-04T11:55:00.000-08:00

I wish I had documented more of the hand and arm making process. It was the most difficult, stumbling time, consuming aspect of Little Man. The head...one chunk of foam done in days. The hands and arms ...many redos over weeks and weeks.

Here is the first arm I built. I knew I wanted at least the wrist to move. I watched a step-by-step tutorial online. Here is the tutorial I used:

I can't remember why I didn't stay with this design..I seem to remember it working quite well.

So then I built my own wrist movement mechanism. It involed two tubes one seated inside the other, the length of his forearm. The outer tube(plastic pvc) had a slit in it about an inch and a half long and the inner tube(aluminum) had a pin in it that fit in the slit of the outer tube so that it slid up and down inide the outer tube. Still with me? I then used a spring at the wrist to create an uppull on the inner tube and to pull the wrist down. So, as my hand hoeld the rod at the end of the forearm I only had to pull down on the pin (sliding it to its bottom parameter) to cause the inner tube to slide down pulling up on the wrist/hand.

This was his right arm.

His left arm I wanted to have finger movement and be able to pick up small objects. I was amazed whan I saw a puppet performance by Beau Bond a seattle based puppeteer. His puppets were small and his finger movements exquisite. So I referenced his hand control mechanism, which you can see below.

The toggle I have my thumb on is a fixed piece of hanger wire seated into a rotating dowel. Pulling down on the mechanism pulls the strings running throught the 3 tiny tubes and closes the hand. Pretty amazing and not that tough to build

The thumb is fixed as leverage for the fingers to have something to grip against and yes that IS mini measuring tape you are seeing as fingers...i couldn't find anything else that worked. I spoke with a puppet friend of mine (Fred Fraleigh, creature suit fabricator for film)) and he said he once heard of someone using measuring tape metal for fingers. So I tried it and it worked amazingly well! It is strong yet easily flexible and has spring-back to it. The perfect combo.

I eventually made both of his arms/hands this way. so, the fingers on both hands can pick up small objects or scratch his ear. I really like the element it adds. Now to just figure out how to move his fingers AND his wrist so that his wrists aren't fixed and stiff. Workin on that!

Little Man Monk inspiration and creation

2012-01-04T10:43:00.000-08:00

Little Man was inspired by an inkling of an idea.....of dueling stories. Sacred and "non-sacred"...the holy and the taboo. more on that part in a bit!

The creation part......I had an idea of his general nature and movement. I looked for references (faces) of people who I felt embodied this beingness...a certain sweetness, an accessability, something a little creature-like.

These Tibetan people (or at least the photos of them in this moment) held the essence of what I was looking for.

I like the assymetry in her face right here. Is she grimacing, smiling, or just content? Its just a little ambiguous and I like that. Leaves more for the viewer to project. I see the sweet creature-being in her. Just what I was feeling for Little Man...Something to take him a bit out of the human realm and yet not too much.

dear sweet face, gentle, kind eyes.

My sister Olivia (Holly) Pendergast did the design drawings of Little Man Monk. These drawings would be what I used to build Little Man....

I used a little bit of all of them. The top two are a little bit Gandhi looking...A little more Indian looking.

...A few more

Basically I started with a square piece of "couch" foam. A cube. I drew his profile on either side of the cube and approximated his eye, nose and mouth position on the front. I tell you....I don't know how I did this in one try. I was quite shocked with the results. It felt as though something came through me and already knew how to do this. I don't know what that means but that was my experience. I just started to cut away at the cube of foam with a pairt of scissors. I used a blade a bit but mostly scissors.

His eyes were a little too difficult to cut so I just did them separately. I paper mached over a small ball. two half moons....when they dried I popped them off the balls and painted them a dark green(almost black), added some yellow accents and some clear gloss nail polish to make them look wet and alive.

I did not want a "pupil"... it makes the gaze too penetrating. i wanted a gentler looking. Otherworldly was what I was going for...I did have a few people think he was actually an alien (not sure how with the robes, Mala beads and all but that is what they experienced.) I'm sure if he had humany puples he wouldn't be seen as alien. There is a balance in there somewhere. maybe I have found it ...maybe more exploration

His body I began some time before I even got to his head....
It was crudish but worked. I ended up keeping the same framework (pvc pipe) and just refining some of the joints

I tried and tried to come up with a way to attach my shoes to the back of his shoes but every attempt led to complication, awkwardness and loss of control of his movements. I eventually arrived at the simplest solution after loads of sweating and cranial exertion....I cut his shoes open in the back and I stick my toes in! 3 toes to be exact...allows me to grip. it is easy...he then can go from sitting meditation to walking without too much gadget interference.

I must tell you a secret now.....

Little Man Monks true inspiration came from none other than this person....

tehe :)

Can you see the influence?!

It began for me after watching two different biography/interviews with Britney. One was a heartfelt seemingly honest look into a persons life with Barbara Walters (i think) and the other was like a "Star Magazine" trashy biography; same person portrayed very differently. I was struck how we label others and ourselves. And how quickly something sticks and "becomes us". Or I should say we believe ourselves to be this thing. Mind is pretty gullible this way.

Then I had the thought of an individual who is considered sacred or holy, such as a Monk....and what if this Monk did something somewhat out of character...such as dance and grind his hips? Would we suddenly think less of this individual? Would we close our mind, our heart? ...would we make generalizations about Monks or Buddhism or religion in general? Would we question this means of expression? Is the expression of a Whirling Dervish more sacred and more divine that Britneys expression....who decides where this begins and ends?

Maybe seeing a monk shake his hips would make for an opening....and in this opening would be a questioning of self...an inquiry into how easily we sum up our experience ....what is the divine? maybe everything is an expression of the ONE. Just playing with duality here.

Mostly I think people experience his dancing as amusing and sweet ( I mean he twitches his hips but he doesn't grab his junk or anything!) I'm okay with that (with it being interpreted as funny sweet) I'm not out for a shocker....it is mostly something I was exploring for myself. Thought it would be interesting to share how I arrived with Little Man at my side.

YOUTUBE videos of Little Man Monk

2010-03-24T10:49:00.000-07:00

http://www.youtube.com/user/themagictwig/videos

This is the first set of videos exploring Little Mans' character. Who he is, what he likes to do etc. This is just the beginning of that exploration. They are but little snippets...a moment here and there...nothing climactic happening. Nothing "happens". That is intentional.

In my own life I have noticed the tendency to expect or hope the next moment to be better than this moment....the constant striving to improve myself or my external circumstances. When I find myself doing this I am filled with anxiety... worry. I have often found myself using words such as goals, intention, focus to manipulate myself...just do it and IT will happen. Have the right "INTENTION" put it out into the universe and you will get what you want! What do you do when years of 'intentioning' and efforting aren't producing the results you think you want?

I realize that maybe it isn't about producing results or trying to make the dream I have in my head unfold the way I 'think' it should..... It seems to me to be in the area of surrender...NOT through an efforting. So, the intention is still there...."to make the puppets/theatre happen" .....HOWEVER there is a letting go of strategic mental planning (The efforting and planning that would appear to be 'supporting' the intention). There is a letting go of always having the hound dog nose to the ground sniffing out opportunity....always on guard for what can serve my dream and my intention in this world.

I have innocently thought the efforting was my part in the game.Maybe I have misunderstood the meaning of intention. OR maybe my intention isn't what I thought it was! Maybe the foundational intention is to become more conscious, more aware...awake to my true unconditional nature and everything I 'do' ..my craft, puppetry, storytelling, performance......is in service to this ultimate intention. Then I see the way my path has unfolded is exactly what I have needed for this deeper intention.
I will continue to create from this place of intention and let it take me where it will....

A surrendering to what each moment has to reveal. The mystery...the magic. There's no bounds to what could arrive on the doorstep..... something unimaginable to the limitations of mind.
I stand on the edge.....

Mobile Puppet Theatre AKA TWIG Gypsy Cart

2010-02-07T22:28:00.000-08:00

So Here is the official TWIG mobile theatre. The idea is to be able to perform at festivals,in parks, on streets(busk) or anywhere else with a fully self contained theatre....I took two 8 week woodshop classes and built a giant entertainment center!! (haha!) Under the guidance of a great teacher and friend...the very noble Sir Robert Stevens (and his trusty accomplice in greatness...Dale Evans.) Thank You, Thank You from the corpuscles of my heart. You shall never know...

Without wheels it is about 5 feet tall, 22 inches deep and 32 inches wide. This is a shot before the doors went on. See the handle on the other side...it will tilt and roll like a hand truck (once I get the 2 wheels on it!). The top two compartments house the amplifier, the battery and the ipod- Also the AC/DC "switch". I will have the ability to plug in or be self sufficient!

The next two large compartments(with curtains) are for puppets as well as the larger curtained compartment below. The valuables will be stowed away behind the little door with the lock on it. Below that- puppet first aid supplies and the bottom slot is for my sandwich board and a coupla small fold-up chairs. I tried to think of everything!!

Living in California and watching the street performers sparked my interest in this rather intimate way of being with the audience. Busking makes "the magic" available to all, right there unexpectedly. I love that. Suddenly, total strangers are talking and laughing together. I am interested in bringing puppetry to everyone...especially adults....Those of us who have forgotten the wonderous heart.

Hence, I built the theatre with this in mind. As well, I considered these parameters outlined in the Santa Monica buskers guide manual.

All performers/performances must....

1- be self contained...meaning no plugs...DC only..(.however for most other venues I knew AC would be available so I wanted both.)

2- be able to be moved/relocated in ONE trip....getting wheels...check!!

3- NOT "set up" a stage....while I don't exactly need a classic puppet stage I do need a "staging area"...a backstage area. A place from which to reveal the puppets out from behind. The cart itself serves this purpose with nothing further to assemble. It is the perfect height to be able to hide behind and put the puppet "on".

Here it is ...doors open. This is the audience side. The audience sees the design and name of the theatre...I am imagining 2 lanterns on either side towards the top..they will be old world gypsy lanterns with crackled amber isinglass (mica in thin sheets). The lanterns secretly house two small speakers. This is a gypsy cart ya know! The facade must be complete!!. I'm not messin' around. The wheels are going to be 24" hand made Amish wooden wagon wheels... this tops off the gypsy look- it's the Hungarian in me! Thanks grandmama.

Here is a closeup of the Logo design. It is an Art Nouveau Font. I have always felt very passionate about The Art Nouveau movement. The space below will be inhabited by a small woodland scene. Something dark....a little hard to see...kinda nondiscript. like..."OOoooo, thats mystical and curioso...what is it?!"

A dark piney forest...a lantern...star sparkles, smudges and fireflies...yeah...something like that.

Details details details! I love the details!! Here is a close-up of the steel bar handle... I wrapped leather around it and stitched the pieces in place and then added some colorful wispy yarn pieces. Back in '89 I went to Magico Magico School and let me tell you, colorful wispy yarn pieces are like basic 101 magic conjuring.

I will also be adding a cowbell for carting the crowded cobble streets of buskingland. To top off the old world Gypsy look I have been saving this old rusty turn-of-the-century padlock that I will use to lock the two doors together. As we roll up to perform people will say "Whoa! What could possibly be inside such a magical looking thing?" and I'll say "stick around and see ...more magic indeed."

Here's the stain ...water based stain with acrylics (mustard, magenta, olive green) rubbed into the surface to give a deep rich colorful bejeweled presence to the wood.

The doors will each have a rod at the top that swings out. A curtain will then hang down. This will create the staging area where I can put each puppet "on" and then come out from behind.

More pictures to follow of finished cart.

Meet Magpie!

2010-02-07T21:52:00.000-08:00

Magpie will be the next puppet I work on. Not quite as sophisticated a puppet as Little Man, but none the lacking for it. Magpie is bursting with childish curiosity. He is love and innocence in a sock and dying to get out there and express it!

Although he is the very first puppet I ever built he has yet to perform for an audience. He always seemed to be "in process". Magpie had the privilege of being my puppet school 101. I have rebuilt him about 5 times. He is how I first came to learn how to build a puppet...even if he was (initially) really ugly and weighed a ridiculous amount due to all the wood and metal in his body!!! I am looking forward to re-building him one last time(haha thats what you think!) using L200 foam...making him super light weight( "hollow") and much easier to maneuver. Don't worry his head will remain a sock!

this is his old (current) structure; a plastic pvc skeleton.

"Thats what you think!" said magpie laughing uproarously.

Little Man Monk performance @ 12 Minutes Max

2010-02-06T22:21:00.000-08:00

On The Boards in Seattle does a performance every month called 12 Minutes Max. It is for new, experimental works or 'works in progress' no longer than 12 minutes! Heather Gosnell and I auditioned with Little Man...and although the audition was a little clumsy for both of us- we got in! 2 weeks later (nov. 22-23) we did two evening shows with 6 other performers/performances.

This was a great experiences! It helped me to really work on the piece and work out a lot of the details/kinks. It was really interesting doing the piece for a theater audience versus an outside festival audience. Being inside a quiet theater there was a lot less stimulus (aka a lot less to "work with") We choreographed a lot of the performance as I was not sure what interacting in this environment was going to look like. I was a little nervous!

I really liked the performance we finally came up with. I think the audience did too. We really found the reverence of Little Man Monk; not just his demeanor but also the colors of the piece, the drummed entrance; all the way down to the gold fringe on his platform. Now that we have really explored that side I am really excited about exploring more humor and absurdity with this Little Man. There is a deep well to explore here!

Sitting long enough...time to get up and move around a bit.

We assist Little Man in the "dismount". He's a bit squeeky in the bones ya know.

sitar please.....

and if you must know here is the song he was dancing to....played by the extraordinary Nathan Flutebox Lee!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YL-gbDvwi0E&feature=results_main&playnext=1&list=PL227611416EFAAA9B

Feelin' the flow...

Time for the Sacred Ditty.

some hip action....

he likes this part!

He's serious about his dittying

and peace out

And another video featuring Nathan Flutebox Lee....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VILDXRtxG5E
can't hep it!

New Wooden "Altar" for Little Man Performance

2010-02-06T21:32:00.000-08:00

Finished Lovely

I built this beautiful altar (AKA coffee table in my room! )with the help of my good friend John Blunt. He generously contributed his time, his woodshop, and his creative geniusness. Thank you John! To see more of his beautiful work go to:

http://www.liveedgeonline.com/

http://isgoodwoodworks.com/

This Altar was made specifically for the Little Man Monk performance. It is much lighter than the laminated beam I WAS using. It was made from materials scored at the "Re-Store" in Ballard. When I saw the tabletop with its sliding dovetails I knew it had the look I wanted. It was $15! The legs are made from a $5 painted beam. Building this table was an amazing experience as I learned how to use/make peg joints to hold the legs on the table.

John demonstrating how to cut a peg joint off with a Japanese saw

Me giving it a whirl...

Hey, I like this!

A coat of dark stain and it dried just in time for the 12 Minutes Max performance!!

Little Man Monk goes home to NC

2009-11-23T13:53:00.000-08:00

Even though I genuinly felt I had found a solid, wonderful performance for Arts and Nature Festival (Seattle) I was still doubting Little Man Monk "just BEING" with the audience...was it enough, was it "entertaining" , am I entertaining them?? Is that what it's about?

I think I just needed to go "home" . My folks live in North Carolina...it's where I grew up after age 11. In my 3 week visit I performed about 6 times. Two times on ASU campus for the students. Once for a "Puppet Festival" that just happened to be going on during my visit. Once for St. Lukes Fall Festival, in a cafe on International Day of Peace and in a sweet little local shop that sells Green Goods. The response was very sweet and overwhelmingly open armed! In fact literally open armed ...after one performance Little Man hugged all the children and once again it came to be that the adults wanted very much to be a part.....So, very quietly he spent a moment with each individual ...after a gentle embrace they each would bow to him and him to them. "The God in me sees the God in you. " It was truly magical. With each performance I could find my trust building. Trust that the performance was enough....trust that HE is enough; That I am "enough". He afterall mirrors the thoughts I have about myself. He is my teacher. The teacher of GOOD enough. In his eyes We are all God enough.

The following performance is at the cafe back home. We bring him in and the performance /appearance is in complete silence(meaning he doesn't speak) and then he gets up after about 10-12 minutes of sitting and" being" and does a little dance...the sacred ditty.

Little Man Monk and Dahlia

2009-11-23T13:11:00.000-08:00

Dahlia seems to enjoy his quiet company too.....

so, get this, Dahlia became very fond of Little Man. So much that I had to put him in his zipper bag because she was getting cat hair all over him. One day I left him on my bed in his bag..... But you can't fool Dallyboo....she knows where the lovin is! She managed to find her companion even in his zip bag. I was flabberghasted!

I peaked him out so you could see. she found him!

The name...Little Man Monk

2009-11-23T03:11:00.000-08:00

Little man Monk is what I call him...its actually not his name. He doesn't have a name. He hasn't told me one yet. so until then I call him Little Man Monk.

Arts and Nature festival...Little Man's new performance setup

2009-11-23T03:05:00.000-08:00

Here is the new setup. I love it. I knew from Artopia Festival that I wanted to create an atmosphere of reverence. I found a nice laminated beam to act as an "Altar". I put a Tibetan Prayer Wheel on the altar along with other items...his sacred rocks...which are sacred because they mean nothing...he just moves them about as the impulse hits him. Other items include...candles and some evergreen bough, as well, I hung Tibetan Prayer Flags. I later changed my mind on the authentic paraphernalia(prayer wheel and Tibetan flags). As I wanted to go more simple...I also didn't want to use these authentic items "un authentically"

Here is the exciting thing! I placed small carpet samples/wedges out in front of the Altar...this was perfect it told the audience..."put your behind on here and watch!!" No guessing, they know their role and are able to relax and just "Be" with Little Man Monk

Here are some mini photos of the festival. Notice the "costume". While at Artopia Festival John Leith and I discussed the need for more "sacred attire". I feel we are in service to the Monk ...due to his age he is somewhat limited in what he can accomplish without help. So, we are there to serve him and his purpose. I decided I wanted him to have an "entrance" as opposed to me pulling him out from behind the box...however having him enter from "across the way" posed a problem..walking...walking isn't his strongest movement or ability...Its also hard on me as well because , at this point, I am barefoot and stick my toes into the back of his shoes! Hence walking great slow distances with periodic gravel isn't ideal...so , I created the platform. We carry him in. I am in the back puppeteering him and Heather(Gosnell) is in the front striking a small drum periodically. It is a nice 'ceremonial' addition. The platform gives the feel of a sacred figure being carried in. It works out very well...there are awkward moves here and there but we work that awkwardness into the performance... everything goes!

Artopia festival with Little Man Monk (this summer in Seattle)

2009-11-23T02:09:00.000-08:00

One of those amazing chalk drawings..if you look at it from any other angle (other than this one) the drawing is extremely exagerated and stretched out.

Little Man Monk checkin' out the crowd...this performance was seat o the pants ...Nothing was planned...John Leith and I just went with an open enthusiastic mind! It was fun, somewhat scary and VERY informative.....

We set up our "Lemonade stand/Dr. therapy advice booth/ Zoltar machine" and had a go at it.

Okay, so, this was my first performance after Freehold Studio Series... We show up and its like 80 degrees and our "spot" was slap dab on the blacktop....did not anticipate this!!! too hot to stand on in bare feet to make him dance(my feet have to be bare to fit in his shoes!) So, some kind soul from the festival brings us a painters drop cloth...yay! very grateful! then I put Little man Monks cloth down in front of the box(so he can dance). Without realizing it I was totally setting myself up for people KNEELING on the cloth and confiding in the Monk Puppet...Here were a few..

"Will I succeed in life????" this was a very genuine inquiry and it was a little bit difficult telling her the puppet didn't talk. And then a kid having witnessed her inquiry kneels down...

"Will I get the puppy I want?"..Little Man just looked up at his mother. My improv skills are not very strong! I tried to be kind and not embarrass them but it actually made ME feel uncomfortable...I don't want to tell fortunes or give advice!!!!!!!!!!!!! There were others that were too painful to go into. I learned that I can tell the audience their role by how I set the performance up. The audience WANTS you to tell them what to do...it makes them comfortable when they know how they are to participate...of course not wanting them to be "comfortable" is another approach to performing.

This was the gem of the day...I was close to tears as this little girl interacted with him. The wonder in her face as she tried to discern fantasy from fiction...She asked her mother "What is it?" Her mother answered, "what do you think?" She looked back at him with furrowed brow and then .....

took his hand and looked deeply into his eyes. ....they became one in an instant.

Little Man Monk gets new "skin"

2009-11-23T01:26:00.000-08:00

He was covered with whats' called "Muppet Fleece" or Antron Fleece. I dyed it yellow and initially it seemed to do the job.I have always thought it made him look somewhat 'muppety' or cartoony. The look I was after was a bit more "realistic" or filmic like the creatures from The Dark Crystal. In this photo I am popping the seams on the muppet fleece.

I replaced it with1/4 inch foam...or is that 1/8 inch?? anyhoo...thin foam! It works great! I am happy because the rest of his exposed skin will match his head!

I glued the skin down to the cotton batting (AKA muscle structure) with spray adhesive (77 spray from Lowes)

Next time I will use Barge Cement for gluing the seams coming together...the spray adhesive is too hard to use. Barge is easier.

Almost done.To dye him yellow I just mixed acrylic paint with "a lot" of water and then dabbed on the foam...the foam cells grab the color here and there. It will be frustrating if you are looking for a nice even deep coat of paint. I was at first frustrated and then when I stepped back from the project and looked with "new eyes" I saw that he indeed needed this rough, uneven wash of paint to give him a more real appearance.

Puppet stage/hauling box

2009-11-23T00:07:00.000-08:00

In the workshop....building the box, staining etc

Brett helpin' out!

....sorta.

testin' out the heigth. I imagined this boxs' purpose as double duty...hauling vessel AND puppet stage. It was strange as either...just because something seems like a good idea...in practice this doesn't always work!

Here is said "hauling box" finished. Here's the modified bike cart to carry the box to a performance event.

Quite the nifty pair! Looks good! However, a bike cart is designed to be towed by a bike not a human! Fully weighted this sucker is hard to control down a hill! I DID have a modified human "handle" on it.....however imagine trying to slow down by pushing down...there is no way to "brake" it. That could be changed by putting a 3rd wheel on the front...somethings ya just gotta try out before you fully understand how they work!

Okay, so lets look at it as a puppet stage.......

Here's the general idea...puppet on box...2 puppeteers behind box puppeteering puppet on box.

Okay, so honestly, tell me it doesn't look a bit like Lucy's lemonade stand or wait was it a Dr./therapy stand???

Anyhoo, I must say, as well "thought out" as the design of this was...I was not able to see that the final product would look like a "Little Man Monk advice giving booth" It may not seem as if the look is that important...However the design and presentation of the piece helps tell the audience what their role is. The audience doesn't often know unless its obvious! This would require some serious consideration in the development of the "Little Man Monk" piece.

Small Puppet Cart

2009-05-13T11:00:00.000-07:00

Found this outside a neighbors house.... FREE

yay!

I took all the extras off...

And added my own touches- it is now a "flatbed" that can transport (either by hand (with modification)or by bike) both the small and medium puppet boxes(stages) I am building.

A detail of the materials...burlap, leather, and cool yarn!

Monk Puppet Performance at Freehold Theatre

2009-03-21T19:45:00.000-07:00

Heather (Gosnell), the other puppeteer, supported the puppets' hips and maneuvered his right arm. I controlled the head by holding onto the back of his neck...I really like the direct contact it is a more intimate connection than using a rod. As well, I controlled his left arm. His feet were control by putting my toes into the back of his Chuck's into some specially made "toe cups" .

I was most nervous for the first dress rehearsal as this was the first time I had performed with one of my puppets in front of an audience, you know...knotty stomach, shaky hands. After that I was just shaky. When it was bad he looked like he had the 'old man' shake goin' on!!

Hope to soon follow this with some video snippets.

Monk Puppet with additions

2009-03-09T14:52:00.000-07:00

I think the additional "robe" and "jewelry" make him feel a little less "cartoony." Or maybe I mean a little less Muppety.

Finished Monk Puppet

2009-02-22T23:41:00.000-08:00

Several months ago I submitted a performance project idea to the Freehold Theatre Studio Series 2009. Students, alumni and staff were invited to submit a project idea that would be workshopped over 3 months culminating in a performance no longer than 30 minutes. My project was selected!

The proposal was to finish building the Monk puppet, find a 12 minute story through the rehearsal process and put it up in front of an audience. This was something I hadn't done yet. At the time I only had his trunk and legs built. The arms were challenging and I questioned whether I was going to get him done in time.

He did get done in time! We just performed this past weekend..February 20th & 21st.

AND I just received word that we were one of the pieces that made it into the Studio Series Encore weekend. YaY.

I will eventually post some video of the little guy moving!

Monk Puppet in the workshop

2009-02-22T23:16:00.000-08:00

I want to thank Rob D'Arc for all his guidance with Little Man. My apprenticeship with Rob quickly turned to friendship! We worked well together on many projects. I deeply admire Robs' gifts and engineering ability....he is a genius puppeteer and you can see his work here..
http://gallery.passion4art.com/members/puppeteer/index.html

Just before he got his "skin"!

Little Monk Puppet

2009-01-20T23:45:00.001-08:00

This little guy is about 4 feet tall. He is a "Western" style Bunraku puppet. His shoes attach to my feet and I operate his head and his left arm. A second puppeteer supports his body and operates his right arm. He totally comes alive with the most subtle movements..... doesn't take much. I am still working on him. His arms need to be covered with cotton batting then covered with some fabric for "skin". I'm thinking something like a yellow ochre. He doesn't have a name yet.

His head is carved from couch foam. I used scissors and a razor blade. Onto a block of foam I drew the front of the face and the side, then just cut away. I will continue to update his progress and will include photos of the arm "mechanics".