DANCING MARIONETTES WITH GEOFFREY GORMAN
May 1-5, 2027
Port Orchard, WA
Join Geoffrey Gorman for a workshop that introduces artists to the rich history of marionettes, from traditional puppetry and carved wooden figures, to contemporary sculptural interpretations.
We will explore how artists and craftspeople have used wood, found materials, and simple mechanisms to bring imagined creatures to life.
Ascension
Through hands-on demonstrations and experimentation, students will learn the fundamentals of carving, articulation, stringing, and control while developing their own animal marionettes. The workshop honors the traditions of craft and puppetry while encouraging artists to push beyond conventional forms, embrace reclaimed materials, and discover their own expressive language.
By connecting historical processes with contemporary sculpture, artists will gain a deeper appreciation for the origins of these practices and the possibilities of carrying them forward in new and personal directions.
Desert Dwellers: Horny Toad Marionette
Using unusual techniques developed by Geoffrey to overcome construction challenges, each artist will complete a variety of forms, something they want to create. Artists will be asked to bring some of their own favorite cast-off materials.
This class is perfect for beginners seeking an introduction to creating curious objects as well as intermediate and advanced artists wishing to reach the next level and break out of their comfort zone. Artists need to be familiar with using hand and power tools such as drills, band saws, and sanders.
Tarandus the Blue Deer
Itinerary
Day 1, May 1. Finding the Creature
We will meet in the Bellissima Art Studio for introductions and to review the schedule. There will be an introduction to animal anatomy, gesture, and marionette design. Artists will develop sketches and choose materials, then begin constructing the basic body and head. Lunch will be provided and class will end around 4:30 p.m.
Day 2, May 2. Carving and Constructing
Meet in the studio at 9:30 a.m. Today we will explore simple carving techniques, shaping wood, and combining found objects. Artists will establish the character and proportions of their animals. Lunch will be provided, class over at 4:30 p.m.
Day 3, May 3. Building the Moving Body
Meet in the studio at 9:30 a.m. Today you will learn how to create articulated joints, attach legs and other moving parts, and develop the structure that allows the marionette to move. Lunch will be provided, class over at 4:30 p.m.
The Roadrunner
Velvet Teeth
This Art Escape includes
Five days instruction by Geoffrey
Five lunches, one dinner
Some Art Supplies
Private Facebook Page
New art tribe
The cost of this workshop is $1,200. A non-refundable $600 deposit is due upon registering. The remaining $600 is due March 18, 2027
Port Orchard is the site for the workshop. The location is 9 miles north of Gig Harbor, WA which is listed as one of the most desirable cities in the US to visit (or live). It is located south of Seattle, across the Narrows Bridge on Hwy 16.
The Bremerton-Kitsap Airporter stops in Gig Harbor and in Port Orchard.
There are many AirBNBs and B&Bs in the area. A list of accommodations will be provided if requested.
We will provide
Assorted wood, branches, and reclaimed materials
Carving knives, rasps, files, and sandpaper
Hand drills and basic woodworking tools
Wire, string, cord, and eye screws
Wood glue and suitable adhesives
Paint, brushes, and finishing materials
Pliers, cutters, and small hardware
Body parts
Small decorative materials such as feathers, beads, wire and thread
Scissors, rulers and clamps
Old tires/inner tubes
Body parts minus the head will be provided
Artist Supply List
Two part Aves Epoxy Clay (optional) to make head or add texture to body parts
Found objects — old tools, hardware, buttons (studio has a lot), bottle caps, metal scraps, doll parts
Fabric if you plan on adorning your marionette
Small pieces of leather
Thin sheet metal
Day 4, May 4. Strings, Control, and Character
Meet in the studio at 9:30 a.m. Today you will attach strings and control mechanisms, test movement, and refine the animal's personality through pose, balance, and gesture. Lunch and dinner will be provided.
Blue Deer in construction phase
Day 5, May, 5 Finishing and Performance
Meet in the studio at 9:30 a.m. for our last day of creating. Today you will complete surface details, paint or embellish the sculpture, and adjust the controls. We will have a late lunch to allow more time for completing your animal. Then we will clean up and have our Show “N Tell. The workshop ends around 4:30 p.m.
The Great Escape
Western Blue-Eyed Duck
Bellissima Art Studio
“Each participant completes an original animal marionette, gaining experience in sculpture, creative reuse, articulation, and the expressive possibilities of movement”
Geoffrey Gorman is a mixed media artist who lives and creates in Santa Fe, New Mexico. He has taught several Bellissima Art Escapes and is returning again for a workshop inspired by his art practice. He has worked as a contemporary furniture designer, gallery dealer, curator, and art consultant before becoming a full-time professional artist.
He shows his work around the United States and has also exhibited in China, South Korea and Canada. Over the years, his unique sculptures have been written about in the New York Post, Southwest Art, American Craft, American Style and Cloth, Paper, Scissors.
Gorman’s fondness for animal subjects and use of found materials comes largely from his upbringing. He had a self-described “Huck Finn” experience of youth. He spent his childhood exploring the barns and woods around old horse farm he lived in outside of Baltimore, Maryland. The menagerie of pets, both domestic and wild, he kept as a child explains his fascination with animals.