Friday, June 26, 2009

Haunt Theory: Recycling

I have been born more times than anybody except Krishna.
- Mark Twain


I love recycling props. I love tearing old props apart. And I love giving face-lifts. The last time I was in the attic collecting items for this year's haunt, I noticed that my HOLLOW scarecrow wasn't looking so good. Since he was only intended for my yard haunt, I didn't build him as durable as my other props. I didn't have to worry about the rain or heavy wind. I've learned a bunch of shortcuts over the years. Building props for a one-night event is a totally different animal than building a prop for the shop, or a scarecrow for the contest. Well, HOLLOW was looking a little spent. And my Pumpkin Sentinels were designed and burning a hole in my brain.

The first Sentinel's head is, you guessed it, HOLLOW's head. The hands of both Sentinels are HOLLOW's hands (I love one-armed props, by the way).


HOLLOW lives again [left]

Recycling your old props, even ones you love, can make you grow artistically I think. There will always be the nostalgic props you adore, (and don't you dare lay a finger on them). I'll always keep ROOTS and JOHNNY APPLESEED. But the others are fair game. Like a mache junk yard of spare parts for future monsters.

Recycling is like making a prop immortal - or at least making it last until next Halloween.

8 comments:

Civ said...

Nooooooooo...

There are hundreds of Sleepy Hollow scarecrows out there but I thought that one captured the feel of the movie. First Farrah, Michael and now this news.I'm bummed. You should have saved this for Monday!

Love the Sentinels but this is going to hurt for awhile ;^)

Rot said...

I can always make another HOLLOW ; )

Anonymous said...

would never of guessed that it is the same jacko looks so different

Dave Lowe said...

Art school lesson remembered...

We were asked to draw 2 identical still life's as homework. The next week, the instructor collected all the ones we thought was the better of of our two drawings.

He then ripped them all up. Our mouths hung open. He said...

"The second one should of been as good. If you did it once, you can do it again"

Rot said...

Dang.

bean said...

bash their little mache heads in, honey. put on horror movie music as you do it.

Grim said...

The prop I am working on right now has the "recycled" hands and head of my first attempt at a groundbreaker. They look completely different on this prop, and I'm not sure anyone would even know they are the same. I should be finished with it this weekend, then I just have to take some good pictures.

JHMDF said...

I was going to make a joke about taking Rotten Hill apart, but I cant even joke about that... there's no way that would ever happen! :)