Trolls: The New Batch

More trolls were installed downtown this past week, more concepts, more styles and more fun.

Acrobat Troll and "Mer" Dog. This guy is still missing the "Mer" Dog.

King Putt. 

RVB the Fisherman. Love the hair.

Spindle the Recycled bicycle Troll. Proudly displayed in front of a downtown bike shop.

Woodn't You Want A Kiss From Me?  Intricate wood carving troll.

Solar Troll Power

Right about now you are probably gagging at the thought of another troll post.

Yes I know that this is like the 15^th post regarding trolls this year, hang in there I’ve only got a couple more after this one.

In the future I will post about the automotive poly-coat used to protect the sculptures, tomorrow there will be six new trolls debuting downtown, Friday I will be at a Loons game (minor league baseball game) where all the troll artists will be recognized on the field and finally the auction in September.

In addition I’m sure there will be things that pop up this summer that warrant some sort of mention so be prepared for a few more troll topics.

The good news is that my next project is nearing completion and it’s completely, 100% certifiably Halloween related.

Scary stuff…dark stuff…the stuff of goose bumps.

But for now another blurb about the troll sculptures.

Two of the artists did something very cool, they incorporated solar powered lighting into their sculptures.

Mean and green and sure to grab your attention after dark.

“Garden Granna” features some LED lights strewn throughout her foliage hair and “The Band of Trolls” features chaser lights powered by the sun.

Kudos to the creative thinking. 

Broken Boris

Boris had been downtown five days when someone decided to vandalize the poor guy, it looks like they either kicked or used something to bash one of his fingers.

The troll is pretty tough so it must have taken a bit of effort to punch the hole.

After talking with the bank branch manager I came back later that afternoon with my paint, brushes, clay, paste and materials to create texture.

The broken shards of mache were removed and I filled the hole with papier clay then used a small paint brush and some paste to smooth the surface until it was flush with the remaining finger.

Normally at this point I would let the clay dry, but because the piece is on display I decided to apply paint to the wet clay to match the existing paint job.

Exterior black latex was applied to the wet clay; because the clay was wet the paint essentially dyed the clay.

You can’t really dry brush wet clay so I stippled some green paint over the black with a small brush to create a textured look.

A small amount of diluted brown acrylic was washed over the green to tone it down and match the existing shades of green.

Done.

Wet painted clay.

The goal is to let this dry then do some touch up painting and small application of sealant to match the shine of the rest of the statue.

Sitting on the sidewalk playing with papier mache as people walk by, it doesn’t get any better than this. 

Kudos to the D.D.A.

A shout out to Midland’s Downtown Development Authority for the fine job on the 2011 Downtown Summer Sculpture Series Guidebook, the publication is fun to read and looks great.

The Tridge Troll II guide features photos and bios of each troll and artist plus a map pinpointing each troll in its downtown location.

It was a pleasant surprise to see the guide included in the Sunday edition of The Midland Daily News, a nice start to my Sunday.

Super 8

Anybody that is friends with me on Facebook knows that I've been eagerly awaiting this film all year, any movie that pays homage to the Amblin Entertainment era of Spielberg and company has to be good right?


Well I saw the movie this afternoon and....


Super 8 is a combination of Close Encounters, E.T., The Goonies, The Iron Giant and a dash of District 9.


I liked this film a lot but I can't say that I loved it.


The only thing that kept me from loving the film was the feeling they were trying a little too hard to make it feel nostalgic, it is a really great film being emotional, tender, exciting and in a couple places very scary.


I actually enjoyed the first third of the film that dealt with the characters more than the later monster/sci fi aspect. 


The cast was perfect and the production design was dead on plus it had a rock'n soundtrack featuring The Knack, ELO other great songs from the late 70's.


The friendships in portrayed in the film rang true and even though I was aware they were trying to make me long for 1979 I did feel a tinge of my childhood.


The film works and is easily one of the best summer offerings in a long time.


I so wanted to be blown away but in the end I can only say I really enjoyed and respect Super 8.


I'm also thinking that the phrase "Mint" is going to be very popular this summer. 

Please Feed The Troll

Gotta say, I didn't see this coming. 


When I built the troll I was concerned about the mouth design because it would become a receptacle for water, but instead it seems that folks are putting coins in the mouth instead. 


Hey everybody, FEED THE TROLL FOR LUCK!


Only 49,998 more pennies to go to break even.

Tridge Trolls II 2011

Most of the trolls were installed downtown Midland today although five or six are still MIA.

The sculptures are a nice mix of pre-formed bodies and custom built trolls made using a variety of techniques.

The following is a visual rundown of the trolls adorning the streets of downtown Midland as of Friday evening, June 10^th, 2011.

Enjoy!

First up is Boris, my papier mache creation that is sponsored by Commerica Bank. 

Greenie the Gardener. (Love the vibrant colors)

Geoff Miles Stone. (Too groovy)

Benches with Tridge Troll II information...nice touch.

C.H.A.S.E. the Troll by Legacy Studios.

Trollin' the Pub. (A troll after my own heart)

Ebakaneezer the Tridge Troll. (Personally I love the vibe of this creation.)

Garden Granna. (She's a beauty..I think Boris has a thing for Granna, plus she has solar powered lights strewn throughout her hair)

 Mystic Delight. (Very cool and ornate)

Planters Wart. (A very fun papier mache creation from a couple of personal friends.)

Time for Repotting.  (Unfortunately I couldn't get a good view of this troll.)

Band of Trolls. (Another fun entry featuring solar powered lighting)

Troll Like an Egyptian. (Love the Gold and Blue paint scheme)