Saturday, February 28, 2015

Taking the Form Off the Mold

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Cutting the paper from the mold.

Today was my second weekend workshop. I demonstrated paper - maching, and removing the the form from the mold. Thanks to all who showed up. I look forward to seeing you again and the puppets that you will make! Contact me if you are interested in learning some puppet - making skills and puppeteering at events.

Sunday, February 22, 2015

Trompin' Manikins' Logo

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Support the Trompin' Manikins by purchasing products from Cafe Press. All proceeds go to purchase art supplies to create more puppets!

Inspiration

 
Punch

Superior Concept of New York

My friend, Andrea Lomanto, puppeteer and activist working with kids in South Africa.

Processional In Douai, France


Viareggio, Italy


Royale de Luxe- Lille, France (Giant Puppets)

Brussels 1935
http://www.britishpathe.com/video/brussels-carnival/query/puppeteers

I love these!

Petaluma Rivertown Revival 2014 - Trompin' Manikins & the Hubbub Club

Puppets Pair well with the Hubbub Club



The chickens were the most popular puppets at this event.


Zoe, Nemo & Sara

The Puppeteers


Sheryl & Hillary

Puppet Love

Jessica and Fox friend

Winterblast celebration in Santa Rosa-Hubbub Club & The Trompin' Manikins

Winterblast 2013





We lost a few arms in the test run!

Jessica, Hillary & Nicole- the three puppeteers having fun at the Spinster Sisters after the parade.


The audience joined us in puppeteering.

Chalk Hill Artist Residency- All Species Parade

Hillary with Moby Head
In October of 2014 the Trompin' Manikins joined the Hubbub club again in a procession led through the beautiful vineyards of Chalk Hill.


Faust & the Canterbury Tales


After seeing an amazing puppet/live actor production of Faust in the Czech Republic during a puppet festival I became inspired to work on something similar with students. My colleagues
and I worked together on creating an American blues version of the classic tale of selling one's soul to the devil. It was my first foray into making large puppets and I had a hard time getting the detail in the heads my students and I created. Using just foam, duct tape and paper mache we created the forms.








In the fall of 2013 while I was teaching my puppet class, we created all the puppet heads and hands for our spring production of the Canterbury Tales, led by Doug Gallagher. The bodies and costumes were made by the cast in the spring.


Saturday, February 21, 2015

Morinesio - It all began here in 2013.




In June of 2013 I went to Morinesio, Italy to study pageant puppetry with Alex Kahn and Sophia Michahelles. 

 

I had studied marionette carving in the Czech Republic back in 2006 and had taught puppetry for many years before I decided that I wanted to add pageant puppetry to the mix. Since then I've been hooked.

Hillary & Doug sculpting the head.

Sam & Hillary painting the heads.
Village kids helping paint the base coat of the wolf.

My first cardboard processional puppet before the paint job.