The puppet and the storyboard evolve

The storyboard evolves, and I have started making L’EhBehroux. He is hanging up by the kitchen window looking rather forlorn and bald headed, ( his hair is down in my studio). He watches our kitchen activities, awaiting that spark of life. At one point I laid EhBeh to rest I ditched the springs idea, because it was a nightmare getting his feet to point always to the front. So I dismembered him, and gave him wooden arms and legs, ( forgot to take photos here). Graham said he preferred the springs …..so I amputated his arms and legs again, and the springs are back; I think I have solved the problem of the twisting limbs, I least I hope so.  Note he is wearing his tartan pantouffles ( slippers), this is very Perigourdian. Although you tend not to see it so much these days, when we arrived 25 years ago, most people at market would be wearing their  slippers, ( I even got into the way of it myself, wearing them to paint in ) ; there would be huge market stalls given ONLY to selling them, and they were mostly tartan. You can  still see market-stalls of pantouffles, but less choice and there is always a stand of them in the supermarkets at certain times of the year.  I digress : here are some photos of storyboard and construction in progress , although that’s probably not the correct word ( for progress read regress!)!!

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1. drawing.

2. making. I soaked the telephone directory for days, it refuses to pulp! I used it anyway.

3. the head stuck on a pencil for now. The 2 wire sculptures I made years ago contemplate the madness, but they were the seed of my idea for using springs, I wanted the see-through quality.

4. laid to rest. Decision to ditch the spring idea.

5.  decision to go back to the springs idea. He sleeps after the double double amputation. The next operation will be hips and shoulders, i.e. grinding the bolts off, but leaving that till last. I am glad I haven’t painted his face yet, I don’t think I would like the look he would be giving me!

 

 

 

 

5. A few days later……….hanging at the window, at home in the kitchen, Ehbeh has taken a new stance- his hands on hips waiting for me to make his night shirt. I notice that even though I haven’t painted his face yet, there appear to be the faint markings of eyes and a mouth, and an expression is forming as if by magic. It’s strange…. all I did was sand his face a bit smoother, and there it is.

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The Storyboard continues………

 

14. st georges in the moonlight.

 

15. cantering through the streets.

16. A menacing figure blocks his way.

17. he wins the scuffle.