Puppet Master
Over the weekend I attended a short introduction course with puppet master Bernd Ogrodnik. Along with 300 other enthusiasts from around the globe, I learnt a little about carving, wood types, performance and the design of puppets. Bernd shared many examples from his workshop and demonstrated how the designs influences the movement. I think my favourites were the animals such as the elephant, birds and fish. The course included examples of table-top puppets, rod puppets and marionettes.
He also showed how to make a simple sub-bench or “kitchen table workbench” which clamps onto your bench and can help with carving or other tasks. There were some neat features from this which I am sure to copy. You can see the bench in the photo above, just to the right of the small dark-haired standing puppet on the table at the front.
I learnt after the course that Bernd was involved with the Strings film, which is not really surprising when you think about it.
Bernd is running another webinar later this week and he’s also offering an online foundation course which starts soon. You can see more details on his website. https://worldsofpuppets.com/online-courses/
Posted in: Inspiration
Metal sculpture in brass, mounted on an 1800s French Coin
