‘Bäru’ Bernese Mountain Dog
Articulated animal puppet Bernese Mountain Dog ‘Bäru’ for Moosegg open-air theatre (Switzerland)
The process started with collecting pictures of Bernese Mountain Dogs. Then I watched some videos to see how the dogs move. What movements do they have to be able to do? What should the dog portray on stage? Using models and two-dimensional drawings to estimate the size, the process continued towards the clay model. I then moulded the clay model using a thermoplastic sheet material. Once the clay has cooled, it can be removed to make room for the mechanics and structure. In the end, the stable shell of the dog is covered like a second fur skin. The fur is artificial. The challenge with this figure was the weight and weather resistance for the open-air performance.
Construction at the beginning of 2022, built for https://www.freilichtspielemoosegg.ch/michelis-brautschau/