Currently, I am working on a Japanese figure holding a puppet fashioned after those of the Hyakki Dondoro, a group founded by Master Hoichi Okamoto in 1974. I’ve been fascinated by the life-sized puppets and masks he created. Performances include works based on Japanese legends or people’s hidden emotional world. Often the puppeteer plays a character interacting with the puppet. The word “hyakki” means “unlimited spirits,” the idea that the puppet is a vessel that receives the human spirit.

Dec. 21 Update:

It’s three days before Christmas and I’ve finished “The Spirit Puppet,” as I’ve decided to call this figure. With the holidays and a three-week vacation in January, I won’t be back to doll making until February. My next figure will involve a dragon. Can’t wait!