Willoughby was built for Asheville School’s production of Mary Poppins.
February 2024
Willoughby
Hand PuppetsAuthor: Nut Meg
UnTerry McCanny
Hand PuppetsA commission of Terrence McKenna
December 2023
Marley’s Ghost
Large Scale PuppetsMarley’s Ghost was a mash up of foam sculpting for the head, PVC construction for the torso and puppeteer’s mechanism, and some old clothes shredded and strategically draped on the form. The mouth articulates by a string running through the jawline and attached to the puppeteer’s handle as a trigger. Christmas Carol, 2021
Tiamat
Large Scale PuppetsThe five-headed dragon. Shadow puppet dragon heads mounted to fabric-covered PVC poles. She Kills Monsters, 2021
Jeweltones
Hand PuppetsI wanted to experiment with mold making, and pouring the eyes for these two puppets was the perfect start! Once the eyes were set, I hollowed out and glued craft gemstones for their sparkly irises.
Scraps & Marzipan
Hand PuppetsScraps got his start at the Snip Stitch Focus Workshop at the Atlanta Center for Puppetry Arts! Needing a sidekick/partner in crime, Marzipan came along soon thereafter. They can be seen on Instagram (@shellmakespuppets) in their Dog Days stories.
Bruiser
Hand PuppetsBruiser was a hand puppet with full working mouth, swivel head and wagging tail. Built for Legally Blonde, 2022.
Fire Dragon
Large Scale PuppetsBuilt for the cirque production, Cirque Arqadia, the dragon was an element in the fire realm.
Puppet-a-Week Workshop
Hand PuppetsIn 2018, I had the opportunity to hold a workshop on building a simple furry puppet in a nunnery in Spoleto, Italy. The workshop came out of a few weeks’ practice of committing to building one puppet per week. Below are some Puppet-a-Week samples.
Beholder
Large Scale PuppetsGiant eyeball with teeth, one of the monsters in She Kills Monsters, 2022. Built with an inflatable center sphere, covered in fabric and bedecked with foam teeth and fabric eye details.
Michelle Lakey 