Puppet Rampage 2007

http://www.puppetrampage2007.org

WORKSHOPS

Sculpting Heads for Casting in Li-Qua Che’ (liquid papier mache)

Bill Lorenzen

“Explore the process of translating character sketches or photos into 3D clay sculptures of desirable proportions (as opposed to “why does it look so weird?”). We’ll discuss making plaster molds that avoid “undercut” problems. Then we will demonstrate using Li-Qua-Che, a recycled paper fiber, polymer-based compound, comparing its advantages to other casting and molding materials”

Bill Lorenzen Photo

Bill Lorenzen has survived forty years as a professor of puppetry, theatre design and figure drawing at the University of South Florida. His students have developed character studies of a realistic nature, sometimes translating these into more stylized sculptures. A doll maker introduced Bill to Li-Qua-Che, which allows casting that are repairable and can be altered through direct hand modeling.

Bill insists he doesn’t have shares in the Li-Qua-Che company

http://tampa.creativeloafing.com/gyrobase/Content?oid=oid%3A4086

This was a three session workshop (approx. 5hrs 30 mins).

The aim of the first part of the workshop was to produce a clay model of a head that was generic – neither male or female, young or old and attractively symmetrical. As we were going to be producing molds using the same base over and over the final head could then be easily adapted into any character. This proved surprisingly difficult to do!

We were encouraged not to ‘fall in love’ with our creation while creating it. The exercise was to show the technique and not to come up with a finished product. Anyone reading this who has every made anything will know emotional detachment is not something we’re used to enforcing!

I think Bill must have a wicked streak (:P) as on more than one occasion he insisted we rip the nose of and start over. This proved particularly painful but a good exercise in speeding up the creation process!

Bill provided us with a polystyrene ball and some non water-based clay (plasticine).

We inserted a PVC tube in the ball at an angle to act as a neck and give us something to hold whilst sculpting. It was important to constantly rotate the head and look at it from all angles to check symmetry.

Tip: Bill suggested working with a mirror in front of us as this was great at showing up any defects we might otherwise miss.

We warmed the clay up a little in our hands and then layered the clay over the ball. We next made a chin and forehead.

http://www.activaproducts.com/literature/technique%20pdfs/Activa%20Liquiche%20Technique.pdf

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New and Old Wonder Crafts (What’s new at hardware, cloth and used good stores)

M’El Reum

“The purpose of this workshop is to cover new and old products that lend themselves to working on puppets. We will talk: best glues, clays, foams and plastics, good and bad. Uses you never thought of or forgot about”.

M'El Reum Photo

M’el Reum has been around longer than she will admit and has had a chance to try all kinds of puppetry such as performance, owning a theatre, workshops, TV, annoying PofA battles.. She is even past president of PofA. “I love bieng the Wolf or Princess at my age. I perform and do workshops and build new puppets with new materials. I don’t want to give up puppets or die ’til I’m all used up.”

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Opera Marionettes

Rob D’Arc

“In March of 2005, The Seattle Opera contracted Rob D’Arc to create a series of 36″ tall marionettes for their production of Offenbach’s “Tales of Hoffmann.” In addition, Rob was also hired to teach two professional opera singers how to operate the puppets! This lecture describes all aspects of the creation of a large project… from how to prepare a bid, to time management, to delivery of the finished product!”.

http://www.seattleopera.org/_downloads/press/releases/Puppets.pdf

http://gallery.passion4art.com/members/puppeteer/RobsBio.html

Scroll down to the bottom of the following link to see pictures of the opera marionettes

http://gallery.passion4art.com/members/puppeteer/index.html

Rob Darc Photo