MY NEIGHBOUR TOTORO PLAY SPOILERS AHEAD!!! (mostly in regards to the puppets)
I’d first like to state that this museum is my favorite place we’ve been to so far. I spent most of my time standing far too close to the paintings, trying to observe each brush stroke like my life depended on it. I also adored the portraits, and I aspire to reach a level of skill similar to some of the paintings I saw there. (Emphasis on aspire, because oh my GOODNESS that level of skill must take a long time to attain.)
The paintings and drawings distracted me, of course, and I wound up having to return to the theatre exhibit to figure out what I wanted to do for my chosen object. I knew it didn’t have to be specifically from that exhibit, but I did have something in mind: The puppets. Puppetry fascinates me, which is why the object I’ve settled on is the rabbit from His Dark Materials.
The animals in the series are of course animated, but puppets were used to give the actors something to connect with during filming The rabbit in particular caught my attention because of its design. Its body has sections to allow for better movement, with the only real detail being in the face. Compared to older puppets in the museum, this was vastly different (and somehow more unsettling for me). Curiosity immediately got the best of me, and I looked into how some of the puppets were designed for My Neighbor Totoro. I was pleasantly surprised to see some similarities in the design. Take this goat, for example.
It utilizes the same sectioned-off design (Apologies, I’m not a puppet expert. Pretend I have a better name for that.) to allow for less restrained, and therefore more realistic, movement. Yet it also has a much higher level of detail. Which makes sense, since these puppets are part of the world, and not just a tool to create the world.
I mostly just think its fascinating that puppets are becoming a more advanced storytelling device, and how utilizing them has led to advancements in design. Particularly in theatre, where movement is required. With film and television (I’m currently thinking of the muppets), it’s a little easier to use movie magic. But on stage, a different route has to be taken.
Okay, art!!
I remembered I had free will and drew a portrait of Lin-Manuel Miranda at a kids table in the theatre exhibit. One person even asked to take a photo of what I was drawing, which is neat but also scary because now there’s a photo of an unfinished Lin-Manuel Miranda out there. Terrifying. Anyway, here’s the man:
I have critiques about how this turned out that I’ll keep to myself, mostly because I don’t want to point out my mistakes for YOU to notice, if you haven’t already.
I also did a quick study in charcoal of a sculpture!! I got a weird perspective of it on purpose to try and challenge myself.
Okay, one last one. I did a painting of some avocados to get a little practice in working with color. I have a hard time choosing colors for shading and highlights, so I’m trying to get better at that. And painting in general, actually.
Overall, I felt like I was having an off-day with art. Nothing came to me easily (art isn’t easy at all but you know what I mean), and I was struggling to accurately recreate what I was seeing. But I’ll post this art anyway, y’know, for growth and all that.
Okay, that’s all. Peace
Theatre in London U of A 