A Frog is Born

By Chrstina Bain

Puppets in Prague is one of the major foundations of my puppet life. I did their summer

carving and performance course a few years ago and it cemented in me a determination to

build and work with puppets. (I have written about that incredible and transformative

experience in a previous blog post if you want to know more about it.) I am now a full-time

puppeteer and puppet maker and the inspiring and encouraging teaching of Puppets in

Prague has a lot to do with that.

In 2025 I was desperately missing that magical Prague workshop. I was absolutely thrilled to

discover Mirek and Leah's series of monthly Puppet Recipes stock full of technical drawings,

in-depth instructions and unique tips and tricks. A veritable font of information on all things

puppet!

I was so excited to make the Frog Marionette Recipe. Mirek provided detailed diagrams with

proportions and dimensions. In the video he guides you through the making. This recipe

offers three different controller designs which I particularly like as it gives you options as a

maker to learn different styles and choose what best suits the needs of your puppet.

My frog is a little smaller than Mirek's due to the sizes of wood I had to hand. However

everything in the recipe is adaptable so never let not having the exactly perfect materials

hold you back from giving it a go!

Wood was not the only thing I was a little short on. I had a distinct lack of time last year but

with the Golden Czech Hands subscription I could check back on the video anytime which

was extremely useful. It also meant I got to see other participants posting about their frogs

and further recipe creations which I found really inspiring.

Making the frog itself was such a lovely process. I particularly enjoyed carving the eyes and

moving mouth mechanism. Mirek's design for the back leg stringing creates an extremely

satisfying mechanism.

One thing I love about making puppets is the freedom to exaggerate. The puppet is still very

much a frog, but I didn't feel the need to veer towards hyperrealism. I kept the angles sharp

and the chisel marks pronounced. I also kept the painting quite simple and bold. I

undercoated the puppet in a rich green which I then gently sanded back and recoated in

washes of yellows. The ridges and chisel marks then catch the lighter colouring offering a

more interesting texture. I gave her a bright yellow underbelly and big yellow spots to make

her pop then gently sanded back again to give a slightly vintage feel and bring the highlights

back out before varnishing. There is a fantastic video on painting a puppet available in the

Puppet Recipes which I strongly recommend.

Mirek and Leah are always available to answer questions and offer advice at the beginning

and end of each video session. Their enthusiasm for puppets is infectious and their

knowledge absolutely enormous. I have just signed up for another year of puppet recipes

and I cannot wait!

Find out more and see hundreds of photos of past Masopusts on the Roztoky Association,website.

The organizers are currently putting together a book that will come out next year and celebrate 30 years of the tradition.

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