Puppet Part 2!

My last week was when everyone was back in the studio after the holiday. Because Anton and Yoga and I had met that Saturday, I ended up getting quite a bit done over the weekend, so I was ready for feedback and next steps. The Saturday work session had been about the spine, ribcage and the hips, and I was ready to make the arms and the legs and get the knees and the elbows well jointed with a piece of narrow webbing.

I made really good progress in the early part of the week: on Monday, I pulled the papier-mâché face off the clay in three pieces (should have been two, but ah well, everything seamed together easily) and was able to retain most of the clay sculpture with some minor repairs to the eyes and mouth. To join the pieces, we super-glued the edges together to get the three pieces reassembled, and then I put masking tape over the seams, and then papier-mâché over that. I also learned they only papier-mâché three layers so that the piece is still really flexible in order to take it off the clay easily, and then you apply the last two layers from the inside, so you don't lose the detail of the sculpt, which makes sense. I was going for strength, which is not a terrible idea, and I did a pretty good job of retaining the detail, but, as I made the second face that week, after repairing the sculpt, I did apply three layers, scooped the clay (so no seams) and then reinforced from the inside.

I worked back and forth between assembling the arms and the legs, finishing the first face, and layering the second face simultaneously. On Wednesday I was at a batik workshop all day. Thursday was their 20th anniversary lunch, and I was grateful to be there and see what an amazing community they have. A lot of alums and former performers and supporters attended, and it was a real celebration. On Thursday, we attached the legs to the hips, and Anton cut the pipe to shorten the hips a little bit. At that point, I started making papier-mâché feet which I should have started when I made the hands, because they didn't dry in time, to attach before leaving. Again, I made a wire armature that I stuffed with paper, and then wrapped it with masking tape, and filled it out a little bit. They're not great. I'm not sure that's my solution, but I made something, at least to see if the scale and joints will work. The whole back of the heel is open so that the leg has a joint at the ankle. Basically, I need to drill a hole straight through the shoe and leg, and pin everything together. 

For the second face, the three layers dried by Thursday, so I scooped out the clay at that point since I didn't have to reclaim it or try to save it. 
Of course, that was much faster since I didn't have to patch anything together. I trimmed it down, and added two more layers of papier-mâché from the inside to make it nice and strong and retain the detail on the front. Back to the first face, Ewan, one of the founders, came and saw my process, and suggested wiring the edge. And I said, “Oh, just, like, making a hat, of course.” So, I ran a sturdy wire around the face and bound the wire to the face with more papier-mâché. I had seamed the wire at the forehead and learned on the second head to hide the join behind the ear where it’s much easier to disguise.

At that point I had still been fussing around trying to make a papier-mâché skull, which I eventually bagged, switching to a rattan cage, since it's going to get covered by hair anyway. It's lighter and it gives more flexibility for the hand hold. I had the neck joint started, promptly putting the head on backwards. Sigh. I'd been so good about keeping the front and the back straight, and then screwed it up. I had already made the wire joint, but at least I hadn't put the foam over the it yet, when Anton came in just in time, and he's like, oh, I think it's backwards and twisted the joint to get it realigned. I was going to undo the wire and flip the head, but he's like, nah, we can massage it in place.

BUT it was really exciting- once that joint was in place and the head was attached to the spine, even though the skull wasn't there yet, and there were no feet, it really sprang to life so quickly, being able to articulate the head and get the hand in there. Anton has such a great eye because, he said, “I think you need to shift the arm a little bit.” The angle was slightly off and one palm was sort of flipped out in a slightly awkward way; he could diagnose the issue so quickly. On Friday, I finished the rattan skull and attached it to the rest of the face. So, the puppet was ready for a little show and tell on Saturday! I’m excited to paint her and have a costume, and actually manipulate and perform with her soon. My last day in the studio was the Monday before I left and I was able to see a run through of their piece, Stream of Memory, before they go on tour.