2013 Sculpture Series

My sculpture for Midland's 2013 Summer Sculpture Series is now displayed on main street in downtown Midland, MI. The Mighty Midland Mantis will be on display until September so if you are in the area stop by and take gander...just look for the bright green bug!

Mighty Midland Mantis Complete

Completed Mantis Sculpture

Completed a 5 ½ foot tall praying mantis sculpture for the 2013 Summer Sculpture Series Downtown Midland. 

The big guy will be delivered this week and all things considered it was a very fun project. The “Mighty Midland Mantis” was constructed from ½ inch pieces of plywood that were designed to fit together using minimum hardware. 

The project was very much like assembling a large wood puzzle. 

Miniature version of the concept.

Assembly process of the Mighty Midland Mantis

Assembly process of the Mighty Midland Mantis

Assembly process of the Mighty Midland Mantis

Assembly process of the Mighty Midland Mantis

Assembly process of the Mighty Midland Mantis

Assembly process of the Mighty Midland Mantis

Assembly process of the Mighty Midland Mantis

Painting process.

The sculpture will be displayed in the downtown are of the city during June, July, August and September.

Build a Zombie Head

The first 2013 papier mache workshops starts Tuesday, May 21^st from 6pm till 9pm. Four evenings of fun as participants create a severed zombie head completely from scratch all while watching and discussing some classic zombie films. 

Tuesday, May 21^st. 6pm – 9pm

Thursday, May 23^rd. 6pm – 9pm

Tuesday, May 28^th. 6pm – 9pm

Thursday, May 30^th.  6pm – 9pm 

This unique experience is recommended for those 16 years and older. The workshops can be physically demanding requiring participants to stand, kneel,  lift and work in uncomfortable positions. Papier mache can be a bit messy so please dress accordingly. The class uses a variety of non-hazardous materials such as flour, glue and joint compound, as well as latex and acrylic paints.

Workshop cost is $100 per person which includes all tools and materials.

You are encouraged to bring your own drink and snack. No alcoholic beverages please.  Call (989) 750-6457 to register. Payment is due at the first class. Class size is limited to 8 seats.

Visit www.stolloween.com for additional workshops.

New STOLLOWEEN Studio

Been busy the past month as we moved our passion for building papier mache Halloween props to a new studio space at 718 George Street in Midland, Michigan. The studio is open to the public and will serve as a classroom and my personal workshop. 

STOLLOWEEN Studio is an inspired work space created for the sole purpose of bringing imagination to life through papier mache. In addition to being a working studio, the facility is also a classroom offering a variety of workshops allowing students to create projects from start to finish.

STOLLOWEEN Studio is open to anyone with a desire to create. Papier mache is a simple medium very capable of producing stunning results even for the first time user. The knowledge, experience and resources available in the studio are second to none.

-Instructor with over 30 years experience in television production and papier mache.

-Large, comfortable and well lit workspace.

-Comprehensive reference library including hundreds of books and publications.

-Gallery displaying many diverse papier mache projects.

-Well stocked equipment and material room.

Our 2013 Summer Workshop schedule is posted here. Many fun and exciting papier mache workshops to choose from...gonna be a crazy summer!

Happy Father's Day

Happy Dad Day to everyone that falls into this category.

We rode our bikes downtown and had lunch on the sidewalk at Diamond Jim’s and just happened to find a publication featuring a certain troll.

Lunch was yummy (French Dip with some awesome onion rings) and had a good time with my wife and youngest son. 

My oldest son is currently in Florida at Disney World but I did get a Happy Father's Day wish from him in the form of a text. 

From Concept To Completion

One of my favorite things to study is pre-production concept art; I find it fascinating to see how an idea changes and develops as it progresses.

Last February everyone interested in creating a troll was asked to submit concept art so the committee could see what the artist intended on creating.

The Tridge Trolls II guide book contains the original concept art for each sculpture so I thought it would be very interesting to match the original artwork with the finished piece.

In no particular order here are the trolls from concept to completion.


Click to make larger.

Who Stole The Troll?

Yesterday the troll displayed in front of Dow Diamond was stolen, here’s the information.

“So Sorry to report... help us return him, Midland! On Friday, June 17th, 2011 sometime between the hours or 9:30 am and 10:30 am, an unknown person (s) stole the troll sculpture which was located near the front circle at Loons Stadium. If anyone has any information please contact the Midland Police Department at 989-839-4713 or if you wish to remain anonymous please contact Crime Stoppers of Midland County at 1800-422-JAIL.”

Here’s hoping the culprits get a big fat Egyptian curse thrown in their face.

“Troll Like An Egyptian” was created by Erik Johnson.

 Erik is a talented illustrator, you can find his blog here.

Take Me Out....

Last night the troll artists were treated to a Loons baseball game in the Northwood University suite.

A fun evening that included dinner, gifts and being recognized on the field prior to the game, it was great to meet the other artists and make some new friends.