PS


FRANCES ØSTERFELT

Puppets and Art

A wooden legacy

Being the daughter of a carpenter, I grew up with sawdust in my nose and a love of the aroma of a carpentry workshop. But this love was only consumated by a two-week workshop in the marionette capital of the world – Prague in 2008. 

I returned from Prague, inspired and filled with impressions from this magical 14 days.

The skills I’d learned mustn’t be lost. So with bits and pieces, my next project was to be “Behemot - Woland’s Cat” – a major figure in Mikhail Bulgakov’s amazing novel Master and Marguerita, written during Stalin’s reign in Russia.

The cat was first seen trying to get onto a street car with a ten-kopek coin in his paw.

"Behomot" -Woland’s Cat

Wooden heads

Before Prague, all my puppets were created with a plasticine-like material, which couldn’t stand up to the stresses of theater production. My goal was to achieve the same sensitivity of expression in this wonderful – and for me, new – material. ...

Cupid's Arrow

Signs in the country

My husband and I have a wonderful oasis just an hour’s drive north of Copenhagen.

The only flaw in the picture has been the conflict of whether to be at my workbench in Copenhagen, or to enjoy the open spaces in the country.

But the conflict evaporated with the purchase of a small wooden cabin that we placed on the property. Now I’m the proud and very happy owner of a workshop in the country.

But my own personal oasis needed a name – and a sign. Out came a piece of wood and work began.

What better name to give the place than to say it was MINE!!! In Danish, mine is “MIT” hence the sign. A resting clown, a dancing girl and a half-open umbrella spell it out …

... and of course -

our HAPPY GARDEN !!!

Wooden heads (cont'd.)

These bodiless heads stood patiently on my workshop, waiting to become whole ...

The time had come -

"Little Girl", with her openly naive glance was the first. A lovely knitted sweater from a second hand shop was the kickstart ...

"La Diva" followed, with her stern dignity, her body and limbs demanded the same tight lines - and of course a long, elegant cigarette holder clenched between her spidery fingers ...