WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) – By day 3, when he was quarantined in his Australian hotel room for quarantine, David Marriott became bored. He has watched several seasons of ‘The Sopranos’ and his eyes get tired of reading.
Then his lunch came in a brown paper bowl and he thought ‘Aha. This is a hat waiting to happen. ”
The paper cowboy was born.
With the good quality paper bags that his food delivered every day, Marriott, an art director of TV commercials, started designing an outfit. He added an edge to his hat, and then came the waistcoat and hood. Following? Of course a horse.
He found an ironing board in his closet and tied a table lamp to his neck and head and created a skeleton. Coffee pods became the eyes and nostrils. He names the horse Russell after a joke from an old father: ‘Have you heard of the paper cowboys? They were caught and hanged for rustling. ”
The creative world that Marriott made in his hotel room in Brisbane became more complicated by the day when he added plot lines in video clips he posted online. The Clingfilm Kid became the villain to steal Russell while he slept.
Like Wilson from the movie “Castaway”, Marriott says that Russell can also be a sounding board.
“It’s an existential conversation, very philosophical,” he says. ‘Like, why are we here? What are we doing? ”
And he laughed at the staff of the Rydges Hotel by asking that Russell be taken for walks.
“It excited everyone,” he said. “The hotel staff is hospitable, but they have all these guests that they cannot see or with whom they can communicate.”
The story behind Marriott’s quarantine stay is more sobering. His father Harry fell at his home in London and was taken to a hospital, where he underwent surgery and began rehabilitation. But then he caught the coronavirus.
“I was really happy that my mom and sisters were there and were allowed to see him,” Marriott said. ‘I would zoom in with him at 3 o’clock. It was heartbreaking to see him deteriorate. But I could say goodbye and make peace. ”
Marriott flies in from Australia for the funeral in which he was on a gloomy journey. Like other Australians returning home, he had to be quarantined in a hotel for two weeks.
Marriott said he has been making props all his life. Even when he was a child, he got into trouble for breaking his father’s tools.
Since quarantine guests are considered contagious, their food is delivered in disposable containers and disposable plates rather than recyclables, which according to Marriott is a bit grating. But he said he had barely thrown out anything since starting his stay, and that he only had to order a few extras like adhesive tape and adhesive plastic.
And when he leaves on Saturday, he hopes to take Russell and his other creations with him. He said there was interest in a movie center that Russell wanted in an art show.
“He’s a little superstar now,” Marriott said.
After all, he can just fold up for Russell and throw it in his pocket.