Work samples

  • Mixed media marionettes on set for THE FOREST CHILREN project
    Mixed media marionettes on set for THE FOREST CHILREN project

             Mixed media marionettes, "Molly Moocher" and "Sally Sanghunter" on hand painted set for

             THE FOREST CHILDREN project, a work in progress,

             by M. J. Oelke.

             

            

  • NueNue original music project, MJ Oelke on flute and violin

    Nue Nue is a musical work in progress (2023-2024) collaborative original music piece performed by progressive rock band, Alakazam.

    This clip of the full work features Mary Jane Oelke on flute and violin.

     

     

     

    The full work can be heard in Projects and features band members, Tony Del Giudice-guitars, Todd Bonner-vocals and bass, Mike Potter-sax, keyboard, melodica, vocoder, Herald Hammen-percussion

    and Mary Jane Oelke-flute, violin. 

      

     

  • Maryland Bred, oil on canvas, M. J. Oelke
    Maryland Bred, oil on canvas, M. J. Oelke

        MARYLAND BRED, oil on canvas, 24"h x 30"w, Mary Jane Oelke, 2008

         Painted in Baltimore County, Maryland.

  • rehearsalvideoSpectresofWar

    This is a rehearsal video of "Spectres of War", with papier mache' marionettes by M.J. Oelke' This video is accompanied by musicians from the group, Pulling Strings including original electric violin by M. J. Oelke

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About Mary Jane

Baltimore County

        Mary Jane Oelke is a musician, puppet master, actress, artist, theatre artist and has performed and designed  sets, props, masks and puppets for numerous theatres. Her puppetry performances have been seen at venues including The Walters Art Gallery, Towson University, Spotlighters Theatre, Fells Point Corner Theater, The Vagabond Theatre, and more. Oelke combines original music, scripts, set design, acting/voiceover, marionette performance and scene painting skills to create original… more

View Mary Jane's Resume
Jump to a project:

THE FOREST CHILDREN

THE FOREST CHILDREN

A brother and sister wander the forest, encountering wildlife and learning about eco-systems.

This marionette show project will be aiming to peak students curiosity about forest eco-systems and wildlife habitat, yet be entertaining to all ages.  Although loosely based on the German and French fairy tales, "Hansel and Gretel" and "The Lost Children", using somewhat traditional characters, this project will include story development that will introduce wildlife safety and forest ecology issues in an entertaining  marionette performance that is environmentally educational.

Each marionette takes 100 hours or more to construct. The set is designed to fit a portable marionette stage. Most of pre-production has been done on this show. I would like to finish this production, culminating in a live performance run and a video version shot as "shorts" to be released as a New Media Project under a SAG-AFTRA micro budget agreement. 

  • Joe the Woodcutter, demo

    This demo video shows Joe the Woodcutter, a mixed media marionette by M. J. Oelke, as he practices splitting a piece of firewood with his axe, all for his upcoming role in  THE FOREST CHILDREN project. 

  • Cranky Crow, mixed media marionette
    Cranky Crow, mixed media marionette

    Cranky Crow, is a mixed media marionette created for THE FOREST CHILDREN project.

  • Rageddy Raccoon
    Rageddy Raccoon

    "Raggedy Raccoon", mixed media marionette by M.J.Oelke for "The Forest Children", marionette show project.

  • Mixed media marionettes for THE FOREST CHILDREN
    Mixed media marionettes for THE FOREST CHILDREN

    mixed media marionettes by M.J.Oelke...from "The Forest Children"

  • Hungry Hound
    Hungry Hound

    mixed media marionette by M.J. oelke...."Hungry Hound" from THE FOREST CHILDREN

  • THE FOREST CHILDREN
    THE FOREST CHILDREN

    Scene from "The Forest Children", theatrical work in progress with mixed media marionettes, set design and scene painting by puppet master, M.J.Oelke

  • Ducky
    "Ducky"

    mixed media marionette from, THE FOREST CHILDREN, "Ducky" by M.J. Oelke

  • Molly Moocher and Sally Sanghunter
    Molly Moocher and Sally Sanghunter

    Mixed media marionettes by M.J.Oelke - characters from "The Forest Children" with set design and scene painting by Oelke.

  • Wild Turkey marionette demo

    Demo of mixed media turkey marionette from, THE FOREST CHILDREN, by M.J.Oelke

  • Characters for THE FOREST CHILDREN
    Characters for THE FOREST CHILDREN

    Scene from THE FOREST CHILDREN, with mixed media marionettes, set design and scene painting by M.J.Oelke

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    • ORIGINAL MUSIC projects with MJ Oelke on flute violin and vocals

    ORIGINAL  MUSIC   PROJECTS: My passion for marionette theater pushed me to study instrumental and live music performance and I hope to incorporate and collaborate further with musicians and others to create works involving original puppet and marionette theatre with original music.

       I studied violin with Adrian Semo (then associate concertmaster for the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra) and Raffaele Faraco, (Concertmaster for the GSO and music director for the Baltimore Philharmonia Orchestra) and others, including, "Rock", "Celtic Rock", "Jazz", "Experimental" and "Old Tyme" players. I started playing flute as a 13 year old and was taught vocal singing by the Sisters of Notre Dam de Namur of Ilchester, MD (Ellicott City). Eventually I played with several local Baltimore bands, performing electric violin, flute and vocals.

     

    "Nue Nue" is a work in progress, collaborative, original, composition by the Maryland progressive rock band, Alakazam, a Baltimore based group of musicians established in 2003. (alakazam1.bandcamp.com)  This piece is introduced by a voice quoting Asimov's, "Three Law's For Robotics".            Along with Mary Jane Oelke, playing violin and flute on this piece are, Tony DelGuidice (acoustic and electric guitar and vocals), Todd Bonner (vocals and electric bass) Herald Hammen (percussion) and Mike Potter (saxophone, keyboard, melodica, voice, vocoder and sound design).  Mary Jane Oelke joined the group in 2023 after being a guest artist/violinist on Alakazam's latest album Carnival Dawn. (alakazam1.bandcamp/track/something-wicked) 

     

    "Kreep" is an original song written by Mary Jane Oelke performed locally with the band, "PULLING STRINGS" With flute, violin and vocals by Mary Jane Oelke, with Rick Serra - guitar, Dave Thomasi - bass, Brian Jacques - lead guitar,  Tom Miller- drums.

    Other original collaborative songs in which Oelke played violin are "MahaRikaba" (with Rick Serra on guitar) and "To the Folks at Home", another "PULLING STRINGS" collaboration.



     

    • NueNue original music

      "Nue Nue" is a work in progress song by the Maryland progressive rock band, Alakazam, (alakazam1.bandcamp.com) a Baltimore based group of musicians established in 2003. Along with Mary Jane Oelke, newest member, who is playing violin and flute on this piece are, Tony DelGuidice (acoustic and electric guitar and vocals), Todd Banner (vocals and electric bass) Herald Hammen (percussion) and Mike Potter (saxophone, keyboard, melodica, voice, vocoder, and sound design).  Mary Jane Oelke joined the group in 2023 after being a guest artist/violinist on Alakazam's latest album Carnival Dawn (alakazam1.bandcamp/track/something-wicked)

    • Kreep

        "Kreep" is an original song written by Mary Jane Oelke performed locally with the band, "PULLING STRINGS" With flute, violin and vocals by Mary Jane J. Oelke
      and with Rick Serra - guitar, Dave Thomasi -bass, Brian Jacques - lead guitar,  Tom Miller- drums)

    • MahaRikaba

      A collaborative "progressive" musical work with Mary Jane Oelke on violin and Rick Serra on guitar.

    • To the Folks at Home

      A collaborative original piece by the band, "Pulling Strings", with Mary Jane Oelke on violin, Rick Serra on  guitar, Brian Jacques on guitar, Dave Tomasi on bass and Tom Miller on drums.

    • 20210616_032620.jpg
      20210616_032620.jpg

      Original violin music

    •

    • Paintings by MJ Oelke

    Paintings by MJ Oelke
    MEDIUMS: watercolor, oil, acrylic

    My first forays into the art world was, like many others, using crayons and watercolor paint. When I discovered puppetry, the skills of painting and especially landscape painting, aided in enhancing my marionette shows with scene painting skills. Painting stuck with me as a lifetime endeavor. I especially like painting watercolor landscapes, and landscapes in general.

    • The Neighbors Farm, oil on canvas, M. J. Oelke
      The Neighbors Farm, oil on canvas, M. J. Oelke

         THE NEIGHBOR'S FARM oil on canvas, 12"x16"

          artist: Mary Jane Oelke, c 2012

         This painting came about when I was working on a movies set as a background actor portraying an Amish woman and became enchanted by the remote Maryland farm location being used as the setting. While I was in holding, I made sketches of the farm and finished this painting later.

          

       

    • PIMLICO watercolor on paper M.J. Oelke c 2023
      PIMLICO watercolor on paper M.J. Oelke c 2023

      PIMLICO, Watercolor on paper, Mary Jane Oelke, 2023

         Maryland is "horse country". I could not resist trying my hand at a watercolor painting depicting the annual famous Maryland race, "The Preakness".  which has been traditionally held at Pimlico race track in Baltimore, Maryland for over a century. 

    • The Blue Trail
      The Blue Trail

      The Blue Trail, oil on canvas, 16"x24"

      Artist, Mary Jane Oelke, c 2012

    • Barn Cat plein air watercolor by MJ OELKE.jpg
      Barn Cat plein air watercolor by MJ OELKE.jpg

      Barn Cat original watercolor by MJ Oelke

    • Portrait of a Holsteiner, event horse
      Portrait of a Holsteiner, event horse

      PORTRAIT OF A HOLSTEINER EVENT HORSE  original equine portrait, watercolor on paper

      MJ Oelke,  

    • Jerusalem Mill, watercolor
      Jerusalem Mill, watercolor

      Jerusalem Mill original watercolor by M.J.Oelke 

      This painting was meant to portray historic, Jerusalem Mill, located along the Little Gunpowder River in Harford County, Maryland, as it may have appeared in days past when it operated as grain mill. Today it houses the headquarters of the Gunpowder State Park.

    • JUDES FERRY, original plein air watercolor on archival paper. (2017)
      JUDES FERRY, original plein air watercolor on archival paper. (2017)

      This is an original plein air watercolor landscape (on paper) by M. J. Oelke, painted while on set during a TV shoot location, while Oelke was working as a (SAG-AFTRA) featured extra at "Jude's Ferry", a remote farm in Southwest Virginia. located along the James River.

    • OCEAN DOWNS, WATCHING WARMUPS an original watercolor on paper
      OCEAN DOWNS, WATCHING WARMUPS an original watercolor on paper

         OCEAN DOWNS, WATCHING WARMUPS, watercolor on paper, 20x16 

         M J Oelke, 2002

    • CUNNINGHILL COVE, plein air watercolor
      CUNNINGHILL COVE, plein air watercolor

      CUNNINGHILL COVE,

      plein air watercolor on archival paper, 

      This work was painted on location at the Hammerman area of the Gunpowder State Park in Baltimore County, Maryland. It is currently on display at the Chesapeake Maritime Museum as part of the "Changing Chesapeake" Exhibit, through Feb.26, 2024.

      MJ Oelke, artist

    • JERICHO ROAD COVERED BRIDGE, watercolor on archival paper
      JERICHO ROAD COVERED BRIDGE, watercolor on archival paper

      JERICHO ROAD COVERED BRIDGE, a plein air watercolor of the historic Jericho Road Covered Bridge located in Kingsville, Maryland, painted by Mary Jane Oelke.

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    • Spectres of War

             This is  a music video in development. with papier mache' marionettes by M. J. Oelke

     with original music by Pulling Strings. musicians, Rick Serra- guitar,  Brian Jacques-lead guitar, Dave Tomasi- bass guitar, Mary Jane Oelke-violin and

    Tom Miller- percussion.

     

    • Spectres of War
      Spectres of War

      "Spectres of War" with papier mache' marionettes by M. J. Oelke

      music by Pulling Strings

    • Spectres of War
      Spectres of War

      Detail of the mother's head, "Spectres of War", papier mache' marionette by M.J.Oelke

    • Spectres of War
      Spectres of War

      SPECTRES OF WAR..detail of papier mache' marionette - showing head of baby by M.J.Oelke

    • rehearsal video Spectres of War

      rehearsal video of Spectres of War papier mache' marionettes by M.J. Oelke. Video is accompanied by musicians from the group, Pulling Strings (with original music by Rick Serra playing Guitar and M. J. Oelke on electric violin)

    • Spectres of War
      Spectres of War

      papier mache' marionette by M.J.Oelke for, SPECTRES OF WAR, music video.

    • Spectres of War
      Spectres of War

      detail of papier mache' marionette from, SPECTRES OF WAR, c M.J.Oelke 2018

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    • HYSTERICAL HISTORICAL REENACTMENTS

        A centuries old tradition is for puppeteers to mock the aristocracy  and elite through veiled innuendo and thinly disguised social and political satire and allegory using puppets (and often slapstick humor.....think "Punch and Judy").

     HYSTERICAL HISTORICAL REENACTMENTS will be episodic shorts using marionettes portraying actual past events, produced to be performed live and on video


      The First part of this project will be to spoof the debate between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump during which they actually called each other puppets. The title of this short will be "Puppets of Puppets that Called Each Other Puppets". Then I am adding Bernie Sanders and his pal, "Burdie" and a few other characters including "Joe the Woodcutter"  and some of his friends, Melania and Putin marionettes have been finished for this project and also Elizabeth Warren. 

       I attended some SAG-AFTRA workshops with the goal of producing a signatory  video short of this project under a SAG-AFTRA short projects agreement.  I also attended a workshop on production with Marc and Maria Unger, local actor/producers of , THESPIANS, a wonderfull independent series, also a SAG-AFTRA signatory project which is shot locally in and around Baltimore. I am currently working on sets, finalizing a budget and etc, etc, etc...

    • Burdie Scene demo

              This is a taped preliminary rehearsal of the BURDIE SCENE, for the project:

                                HYSTERICAL HISTORICAL REENACTMENTS

       

       

    • Melania marionette for HYSTERICAL HISTORICAL REENACTMENTS
      Melania marionette for HYSTERICAL HISTORICAL REENACTMENTS

      "Melania" mixed media marionette created for HYSTERICAL HISTORICAL REENACTMENTS awaits costuming.

      Artist, M. J. Oelke

    • 20161027_151753 (1).jpg
      20161027_151753 (1).jpg
      "sHillary" and "Trumpster" , mixed media marionettes by M. J. Oelke c 2016
    • 20161003_151958.jpg
      20161003_151958.jpg
      Mixed media Marionette, "Trumpster", By M.J.Oelke. This marionette has a flexing jaw for voice-over performance.
    • 20161001_120555 (1).jpg
      20161001_120555 (1).jpg
      "Trumpster", mixed media marionette
    • Burnie Sanders marionette for HYSTERICAL HISTORICAL REENACTMENTS
      Burnie Sanders marionette for HYSTERICAL HISTORICAL REENACTMENTS

      This is a mixed media marionette, "Senator Burnie Sanders",

      created for HYSTERICAL HISTORICAL REENACTMENTS

      artist, Mary Jane Oelke

    • Burdie, marionette
      Burdie, marionette

      "Burdie", mixed media marionette by M.J.Oelke. This puppet accompanies "Senator Sanders" during the second vignette, "Bernie and the Bird" (from HYSTERICAL HISTORICAL REENACTMENTS)

    • DONKEY
      DONKEY

      DONKEY, mixed media marionette, by M.J.Oelke

      portrays the Democratic Party in an episode of HYSTERICAL HISTORICAL REENACTMENTS

       

    • BUBBLES the ELEPHANT
      BUBBLES the ELEPHANT

      BUBBLES THE ELEPHANT, mixed media marionette by M J Oelke

      "Bubbles" portrays the Republican Party in an episode of

      HYSTERICAL HISTORICAL REENACTMENTS

       

    • ELIZABETH WARREN, marionette
      ELIZABETH WARREN, marionette

      Elizabeth Warren caricature, mixed media marionnette by, M.J. Oelke, for "HYSTERICAL HISTORICAL REENACTMENTS" . This puppet can lift her eyeglasses. 

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    • THE STRINGLING MARIONETTES

       THE STRINGLING MARIONETTES,  was founded by Mary Jane Oelke as a touring puppet troupe of hand crafted marionettes, with original scripts, sets and music, that features live character acting and live music. 

    • Mary Jane Oelke with Stringling Marionettes about to perform at a local festival
      Mary Jane Oelke with Stringling Marionettes about to perform at a local festival

       Mary Jane Oelke with Stringling Marionettes about to perform at a local Baltimore festival.

    • The Silly Circus clip

      This is a short excerpt from "The Silly Circus" with our Stringling Marionette Company set squeezed into a Baltimore Row home full of kids to perform live with master musician, Jay Walton, providing  live trombone accompaniment. 

    • 1002101457.jpg
      1002101457.jpg
      portable marionette show stage by M.J.Oelke for THE STRINGLING MARIONETTES
    • Back drop painted by M. J. Oelke for The Silly Circus, a live marionette theater performance by STRINGLING MARIONETTES
      Back drop painted by M. J. Oelke for "The Silly Circus", a live marionette theater performance by STRINGLING MARIONETTES

      Hand painted backdrop by M. J. Oelke for, THE SILLY CIRCUS, an original marionette play set, "In a town far away, in a land long ago....", performed by STRINGLING MARIONETTE COMPANY.

       

    • MatildatheHon
      "Matilda the Hon" warms up the audience before a marionette show . Mixed media puppet with live voice by M.J.Oelke
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    • The Art of Beekeeping

    During the "pandemic" (2020-2022) I found myself with a lot less performance opportunities and started a small apiary project at my home (under lockdown).  I studied beekeeping and took classes locally and online (Penn State University).  I was intrigued with both the ancient, traditional and modern practices of beekeeping, which some consider an art. As do I!  There is definitely a distinction between large commercial and "artisinal" small scale  beekeeping. I have been especially influenced by the online teachings of Dr. Leo Sharashkin, who promotes natural, organic beekeeping and founded horizontalhives.com. One method he advocates is to keep beehives at least 10 (or more) feet apart to help prevent "drift", where returning bees that have been out foraging return to a different nearby hive. It has been shown by several studies that drift plays a role in spreading bee parasites and viruses. Since many apiaries paint their hives all the same and keep them very close together which could promote disease and parasite infestations to spread from one hive to another, a better choice where possible is to keep hives at a greater distance apart and to paint the hives to appear unique! When hives are close together and are all painted the same way, drift occurs, thus diseases and parasites spread more easily. Dr. Sharashkin suggests uniquely decorating each hive so that bees from one hive will not migrate to a nearby hive, thus preventing "drift" (bees going into a hive not their own original hive) The unique colors and art applied to each hive helps the foraging bees to accurately identify their correct home. Voila! I have started decorating and painting my hives, I have only painted a few so far but it is an endeavor I will continue! I find that my other art studies, especially scene painting and set design, is foundational to this endeavor, because practicing patience, perseverance and study as an acquired habit helped me to begin to master the necessary skills in the art of beekeeping.

    • Decorated beehive
      Decorated beehive

      uniquely painted beehive 2020

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