Hobby Blues
I make puppets, dolls, and stuff animals. No big surprise there.
I like reading books and learning others techniques and short cuts. I like taking classes with puppet makers when I can. I did a number of classes at the Center for Puppetry Arts. I have taught puppetry to both children and adults. I talk to people about puppetry being for adults and kids. I believe in the power of the puppet.
Now when you go into your local bookstore, you tends to peruse the sections that you have interest in. I tend to look through the craft section to see what books they have on doll making and puppetry. I usually go through the theater section for puppet books too. Trying to find new books on doll making is hard enough, but Puppetry is close to impossible. There is a new book out called “Puppet Mania” that I can recommend for just about any level of puppet maker and I have seen that book in both Barnes and Noble and Borders Books.
Try to find good Doll making books. There are some out there, but very few new ones on the shelf. I belong to a couple of doll making e-mail lists and the members talk about these great books they have in their collection which I never see on the shelf. The knitting books and quilting books have the shelves groaning at their weight, but not the doll books.
Most of my good puppet books were gotten second hand or by sheer luck. I have a copy of Bil Baird’s Art of Puppets, David Currell’s Complete book of Puppetry all three editions, The Marionette Book, Of Men and Muppets, and Simple Puppets You can make. All of them now out of print.
I like to look through a book before I buy it especially if it is going to be a reference book for me to use. Buying online can be a pig in a poke. Amazon’s “look inside” feature doesn’t really help much with this kind of book. Libraries are fine, but they will only allow you to check out a book for so long and most of the books are out of print so you end up searching the internet. I find Abebooks a good place to go, but I have heard a rumor that they have been bought by Amazon.
So my quest for good books on Puppets, Dolls, and stuffed animals continues. Someday I hope that bookstores wise up and order more books on the subjects I like. There are bright spots. For example the Dark Crystal Book that was done for the movie by Brian Froud, had been reissued with additional material. I have the original, but it is nice to get new visuals. Now I am looking for books about the making of the movie Labyrinth. I think there was one kiddy version and one adult version made.
I like reading books and learning others techniques and short cuts. I like taking classes with puppet makers when I can. I did a number of classes at the Center for Puppetry Arts. I have taught puppetry to both children and adults. I talk to people about puppetry being for adults and kids. I believe in the power of the puppet.
Now when you go into your local bookstore, you tends to peruse the sections that you have interest in. I tend to look through the craft section to see what books they have on doll making and puppetry. I usually go through the theater section for puppet books too. Trying to find new books on doll making is hard enough, but Puppetry is close to impossible. There is a new book out called “Puppet Mania” that I can recommend for just about any level of puppet maker and I have seen that book in both Barnes and Noble and Borders Books.
Try to find good Doll making books. There are some out there, but very few new ones on the shelf. I belong to a couple of doll making e-mail lists and the members talk about these great books they have in their collection which I never see on the shelf. The knitting books and quilting books have the shelves groaning at their weight, but not the doll books.
Most of my good puppet books were gotten second hand or by sheer luck. I have a copy of Bil Baird’s Art of Puppets, David Currell’s Complete book of Puppetry all three editions, The Marionette Book, Of Men and Muppets, and Simple Puppets You can make. All of them now out of print.
I like to look through a book before I buy it especially if it is going to be a reference book for me to use. Buying online can be a pig in a poke. Amazon’s “look inside” feature doesn’t really help much with this kind of book. Libraries are fine, but they will only allow you to check out a book for so long and most of the books are out of print so you end up searching the internet. I find Abebooks a good place to go, but I have heard a rumor that they have been bought by Amazon.
So my quest for good books on Puppets, Dolls, and stuffed animals continues. Someday I hope that bookstores wise up and order more books on the subjects I like. There are bright spots. For example the Dark Crystal Book that was done for the movie by Brian Froud, had been reissued with additional material. I have the original, but it is nice to get new visuals. Now I am looking for books about the making of the movie Labyrinth. I think there was one kiddy version and one adult version made.