Greetings everyone and Happy Spring to you! The weather here in Califonia is quite pleasant at a nice 78 degrees or so today and with such nice weather out I am confined to my little workshop indoors working on Elroys new hair! But don't get me wrong, it was a pleasure to cut & fashion Elroys mop into a nice little hairdo. I found the wig in a local 2nd hand shop and it will serve for right now. If (once I complete the body) a nicer one shows up, then I will swap it out. But for the time being I could have done a lot worse, especially since I am not a barber.
The funny thing about locating decent wigs around here is that they are VERY scarce. There was a time when one could locate them quite easily at the local thrift shops, but those days are long gone. The shortage all has to do with the fact that most of these 2nd hand shops now donate these old mops to the Cancer Assocation for folks who really need them after undergoing chemotheraphy, which is a great cause. Unfortunately for me, I will have to start looking elsewhere online. Oh well.
As for Elroy, the new pics here feature him with his new hairdo. The mechanics are completed and all work VERY smoothly (especially the self-centering eyes). I am now at work on his body. I am planning on sculpting the lower legs/feet out of balsa wood and the uppers will be made from the usual stuffed muslin. The reason for the lower legs being made from wood will be to avoid that spindly-doll-leg syndrome when using the figure; it doesn't look natural when one is performing with a figure and the puppet's legs are doing odd things when one is handling the figure during a performance. So, I am hoping that the lightweight wooden lower legs will remedy this problem.
As for Elroy, the new pics here feature him with his new hairdo. The mechanics are completed and all work VERY smoothly (especially the self-centering eyes). I am now at work on his body. I am planning on sculpting the lower legs/feet out of balsa wood and the uppers will be made from the usual stuffed muslin. The reason for the lower legs being made from wood will be to avoid that spindly-doll-leg syndrome when using the figure; it doesn't look natural when one is performing with a figure and the puppet's legs are doing odd things when one is handling the figure during a performance. So, I am hoping that the lightweight wooden lower legs will remedy this problem.
Once Elroy is completed, I will start on a clay model for a new creation and I will also begin work on creating a Finis tribute figure from some of my odds and ends.
Stay tuned and keep building !
