I finally sent off these three images to Clive Hicks-Jenkins' Puppet Challenge. I am not yet happy with the photo's so I'll change them when I manage to take better ones. So far I have spent two or three days taking photo's that just don't do justice to the troll.

 

I made a last minute change to the mouth, which delayed the video, but he didn't look right with a mouth that didn't open.

 

Although the mouth mechanism was very time consuming I am very glad I took the risk - I am very pleased with the final result.

I realised a few days ago why it was that I did not feel the representation of the troll in the Ladybird book lived up to my idea of what a troll should be like. I realised that if the red nose was just a little bit smaller and the hair was taken away from the top of the head, then it looked just like my grandfather. Although I was very young when my grandfather passed away I loved him very much and often think of him in happy childhood memories.


This is the unedited video I made with the help of the family - technical difficulties and lack of time has delayed the final cut, but I hope to post it soon. It is well worth watching