Torn between the arts

Well, when I say ARTS .... it could possibly be stretching the meaning of the word a little too far to refer to what we do in the Dicker Players as Art, but we're performing so let's call it 'performing arts' for argument's sake. Each year it seems to take a little longer to get into full 'luvvie' mode. We meet in the summer to determine who wants to be involved in the annual Cabaret and to decide on dates - they're the same every year, but one has to go through the motions - and all promise faithfully to come back at the start of September with lots of ideas for sketches and songs. At the end of the September meeting we all promise to come back with ideas for sketches and songs. By the time we have actually amassed sufficient material for a show we then have a break from 'rehearsals' while one or more of the cast take part in other productions - it's all a bit unsavoury, if you ask me, this sharing out of cast members, but it does show that we have such a good cast that other Drama groups can't keep their hands off them!!

Suddenly we find ourselves in the final run-up to Opening Night. Housework has gone to pot, costumes and props litter sofas, beds and floors, and as usual life gets terribly busy. I have 3 portraits on the go, 2 art groups and have just this morning done a painting workshop. I'm also in charge of ticket bookings for the Cabaret show. Jim has one or two gigs with the band every week and we're helping out with organising events including Mum's Christmas Tree Festival for the local church, Jim's band's Christmas Cajun Party in Hove and, looking to the future, both the Arlington and Hailsham Arts Festivals. I also had to co-ordinate a changeover of displays in the Hailsham Empty Shops last week, a project I have been involved in for over a year now, and which takes up a disproportionate amount of time - trying to get at least a dozen artists to be in the same place at the same time to remove/assemble displays is really not easy, the words monkey and cartload spring to mind. Oh, and we're both working at the office, Jim more so than me which is why I get time to write a blog.

There is just so much going on in my head at the moment that there really is no space whatsoever for creativity in a painting capacity. My creative moments are limited to when I'm on stage desperately trying to overact my socks off and raise my singing voice loud enough not to be drowned out  by the big bloke standing next to me. I did get to start a painting at the workshop this morning but it's almost an automatic response now, when it's a subject and style I have painted so often, so not exactly a creative process.


So, if you want to see me being creative over the next couple of weeks, come to Cabaret 2012 at Polegate School. In the meantime, here are some progress shots of my last commission in coloured pencils and a watercolour and pencil picture on the theme of Refelctions.