While helping build the sculpture my helpers and I chat about whatever comes to mind. One common question is "Why did I choose Robert Munsch?" I became a fan of his books while reading them to my children many years ago. I loved reading lines like "Hey mud puddle!" and "You look like a real prince but you are a bum." In addition, Michael Martchenko had created illustrations that were engaging and fun to look. I'd read a page then pause, spending a few moments studying at the picture and finding interesting, subtle details.
Another common question is, "Why the Paper Bag Princess?" The primary reason is because I like the story line and messages within. I like dragons, princes and princesses, I like the flipped roles where the princess has to save the prince, I enjoy the clever way the princess beat the dragon by tricking him into tiring himself out by flying around the world and I'm impressed by princess' rejection of the materialistic prince.
Something I explain to everyone when they arrive is why I chose this particular picture from the book as a basis for the sculpture. Michael Martchenko created brilliant visuals for the entire book but some are more sculpture suitable than others. I welcome blog readers to grab a copy of the book and look through it with me. In the first illustration the princess is wearing a gown but the sculpture needs to be wearing a paper bag. In the second illustration she's wearing nothing except a cloud of smoke. In the third she's wearing a paper bag but looks angry. In the fourth the dragon head is sticking our the door of its den. As a sculpture, this risks looking like a decapitated dragon. Not good. For the next three illustrations the dragon steals the show so that anyone seeing a sculpture would instantly see the dragon, making the princess appear irrelevant. The next illustration is perfect! The princess is waving goodbye to the dragon as he flies around the world. What a wonderful pose for a library entrance. She'll be waving hello and goodbye to people as they arrive and leave. She'll be waving hello and goodbye to people as they read stories travelling through the adventures within. None of the following illustrations of the Paper Bag Princess fit the library sculpture so well.
Another common question is, "Why the Paper Bag Princess?" The primary reason is because I like the story line and messages within. I like dragons, princes and princesses, I like the flipped roles where the princess has to save the prince, I enjoy the clever way the princess beat the dragon by tricking him into tiring himself out by flying around the world and I'm impressed by princess' rejection of the materialistic prince.
Something I explain to everyone when they arrive is why I chose this particular picture from the book as a basis for the sculpture. Michael Martchenko created brilliant visuals for the entire book but some are more sculpture suitable than others. I welcome blog readers to grab a copy of the book and look through it with me. In the first illustration the princess is wearing a gown but the sculpture needs to be wearing a paper bag. In the second illustration she's wearing nothing except a cloud of smoke. In the third she's wearing a paper bag but looks angry. In the fourth the dragon head is sticking our the door of its den. As a sculpture, this risks looking like a decapitated dragon. Not good. For the next three illustrations the dragon steals the show so that anyone seeing a sculpture would instantly see the dragon, making the princess appear irrelevant. The next illustration is perfect! The princess is waving goodbye to the dragon as he flies around the world. What a wonderful pose for a library entrance. She'll be waving hello and goodbye to people as they arrive and leave. She'll be waving hello and goodbye to people as they read stories travelling through the adventures within. None of the following illustrations of the Paper Bag Princess fit the library sculpture so well.
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