To: <puptcrit-AT-puptcrit.org>
Date: Tue, 23 Dec 2008 01:02:57 -0500
Subject: Re: [Puptcrit] Basswood


Looking at my box of mismatched wood pieces, I think I found some in the 
family of Linden (basswood or poplar).  They have the described properties 
of linden (easy to carve, short grain, not much splinter, lightweight, light 
color, but not prone to denting), and feel like the unfinished wood puppets 
I examined before.

The pieces are: a table leg, and a piece of curtain rod.
Are those items commonly made of basswood or poplar?
If so, I'll redouble my efforts in collecting them.  They are of useful 
sizes for making puppet limbs, and even some heads, fro smaller scales.

Having these medium-sized pieces means I can do some testing (chisels, 
Dremel carving bits, craft knives, files, sandpaper), even before I can get 
enough basswood to make my puppet.

It's strange how this puppet project has evolved.
At first, I was going the easy way, with carved foam covered in paper mache, 
then covered in stretchy fuzzy fabric (fuzzy socks). It hought the main 
problem was finding the right color of fabric, which I didn't, even when the 
socks were in season again.  But now, the puppet shall be made of wood, 
which already has the perfect kind of shade of sand colors I first had in 
mind. From simple-lazy to complex-challenging, it sure is evolving, and 
forcing me to follow!

I still don't know if I'll succeed at making the delicate head and fingers 
out of wood for this.
I can always fall back on paper mache, which, due to recent developments, I 
can now finish to look similar to the wood.
But first, I'll definitely try with the wood carving, keeping the fingers 
together without them looking blocky.
Wood working brings out the need for much more forethought, pauses, 
precision and patience.
I've been used to working in modeling clay. Thankfully, I've also been 
carving styrofoam blocks for a while now, which means I have at least some 
bases in negative sculpting.



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