Earl Of Rone continued...

So, why the Earl of Rone? Well, he's just one of a number of fantastic English folklore characters out there, madly eccentric. If I'd done the Hastings Jack, it would have just been a lump of vegetation. The Earl has a great physical character, much more like one of my cast of characters. He's soft, stocky, chunky almost cuddly... but he is deeply dark. He reminds me of some old Polish/Czech character. Earthy in his sackcloth garb, but with the graphic white, red and black mask, with it's sharp angular nose. It reminds me of Kveta Pacovska.

WOW! where did that pop up from? i'd forgotten about my love for her work, in fact a great many wonderfully talented Polish and Czech artists i was a little obsessed with whilst still a student. Stasys Eidrigevicius was my absolute favourite (He's from Lithuania, near enough!)... i have a beautiful theatre poster of his tucked away somewhere... that needs digging out! (more of his posters here). He also made wonderfull masks.  I'm going to have to do a post on him now, when i get the time.)

Anyway, getting back to the Earl's mask, it just seems so un-earthy. it seems to have more in common with Joseph Grimaldi and early clowns. Mind you if you look at the Hobby Horse (or Obby Oss, as they're often called) that accompanies the Rone procession, you certainly get a big hit of that Harlequin clown flavour!

.... Aghhhhh... stop looking up even more inspiration!! There are just so many things i could devote months (years?) to exploring, but only so much time ... and work needs to be done, kids picked up from school, meals cooked etc etc. Sometimes (and i don't know if this happens to others of you out there, i get quite breathless/ anxious at the sheer scope of possible creative angles out there, especially theses days with everything a click away and varying social media and websites offering you even more treats that you just never would have been aware of 10-20 years ago. They would have just passed you by. Damn it, can't breathe... gasp! I often felt this way at college whenever i walked into the library... so much potential and it was all there just waiting for me to find it!  Often i just had to walk out as i felt breathless... really! I still spent more time in the library than the college studio... but that's because the studio was full of people!! I need a bit of solitude to create, so would often leave it until i got home and locked myself away in my room. I even used to BAN my then girlfriend from coming in to see me at those creative times! terrible, sorry Lydia!!

.... Where was i again... oh yes, the Earl of Rone. What also sells him to me as a possible puppet is his string of ship's biscuits around his neck, it's good for a character to have an accessory! His crudely stitched together sacking costume should also be a help to me and my lack of seamstress skills! A true character... and on the run and hiding in the woods! if only he had a cup of tea for those biscuits.... hmm, maybe...