From: =?Windows-1252?Q?Mathieu_Ren=E9?= <creaturiste-AT-magma.ca>
To: <puptcrit-AT-lists.driftline.org>, <PaperMacheArt-AT-yahoogroups.com>,
Date: Wed, 8 Feb 2006 21:39:54 -0500
Subject: [Puptcrit] New puppet pics: Finally!


Hi to all puppet and paper mache friends.

I've just gotten a visit from one of the puppeteers from the show I worked for recently.
He brought the Old Lady puppet and we staged a few poses for my portfolio.
(Ok, i coerced him to be the puppeteer for the shots, as he needed my help adjusting the puppet for a subtler movement they were working on.

I made her and the costume. She is a transformed baby commercial doll, on which I added articulations (including ball socket and elastic  for the neck) and re-sculpted the entire face. I also "wigged" her by cutting an identical wig to the one worn by the real old lady in the show, and added some strands strategically to reproduce the hairdo. Lots of cutting! 
Her entire body is covered in many layers of Paper mache strips (Kraft paper and white glue). Very strong. Her eyes are supposed to look a bit sick, which is rendered by applying nail polish carelessly in small puddles, repeatedly.
www.magma.ca/~uubald/vieille.jpg
www.magma.ca/~uubald/vieille_poses.jpg

He also brought some "passable" photos of the Egg- headed wonder, The Old Lady's son.
His head is thin yet very strong paper mache, becomes translucent enough to be lit from within, by a small LED book light I embedded in there. It looks cool, slightly blue-ish light when lit in the dark. The battery pack and switch are outside and are used as a manipulating rod. The head starts in the world by itself, then goes graft itself onto the body's neck, since both have powerful magnets in them. The other rods, for wrists and heels are stiff wire, covered in paper strips, which made it all very stiff, comfortable, stiff, and very easy to paint in black.
Only to paint the rods, I used the Americana DecoArt acrylic paint in the small bottles. It's cheap enough for small quantities, and flat black. 
I'll still have to take my own photos during a show, but this photo will give you an idea of the costume-maker's great work on him.
I'm hiring her on my next puppet project. She got faery fingers for small details. She hand-sewn the sleeves back to the tronc, directly onto the puppet, and it doesn't show at all.
www.magma.ca/~uubald/piaf.jpg

Comments and questions are not only welcome, they are encouraged.



The show is called La T=EAte Blanche, and is inspired from the true life story of a Lady who, despite her age and hard life, will stay forever young. (My own personal interpretation of what I saw, of course).  She plays in the show, with 3 other actors, 2 puppets, and and a few objects (some are object puppeteered). The lady in question has been made the star of the show, and even though she's not an actress, she's great!

It plays in Montreal till the end of February and willm probably play again in the year. Contact me for more details if you want to see it.





Mathieu René Créaturiste
Marionnettes, Masques, Etcetera...
Puppets, Masks, Etcetera...
creaturiste-AT-magma.ca
www.creaturiste.com
(514) 274-8027
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