I took some photos of my kids today. Autumn was desperately calling me upstairs to see her sparkly outfit she'd chosen to wear for the day and I couldn't resist taking some snaps.
Other than that we had a lovely walk over the cliffs to Eype with some friends, bought our Christmas tree and enjoyed the glorious Winter sun.
Unfortunately Friday's Foul Food Fotos at the moment are just going to have to come... when they come... so it can be a nice surprise when they do, as there's just too much going on at the moment to dedicate myself to it.
The mask I showed you last time is coming along very nicely. A plaster mould has already been made of it and this is what I got up to today...
Head in plaster.
Plaster front coming off.
And here the beauty is, ready to make the mask with.
He can breathe again.
But then I scraped his face away...
...to start Sergeant Pluck
I wanted him to be a lot thinner, so I pushed in his cheeks & added the paintbruch for his moustache.
Here he his! Although smiling too much... so I worked on him a bit more...
...but still wanted to keep the bulbous cheeks.
His nose reminds me of the child catcher.
That's a hell of a lot of spots! Think I got carried away a bit...
Some more news on the opera... we're on the Tête à Tête Opera Festival site! This is the first show, so if you're a London bunny, get your lovely selves down to see it and us. It's going to be amazing. Suppose I'm one of the Rogues... think they're right about that!
Here's a short clip to give you all a little peep into the world of Ergo Phizmiz's Opera, The Third Policeman.
And here's all the dates if you're elsewhere in the world and would like to catch a glimpse of it.
Click me to see!
On Thursday it should be time to actually make the masks and then on Friday I shall be painting them. Can't wait to see what they're like.
Two of the cast are coming over very soon and will be able to try them on. These include Erik Bumbledonk, who played Chris Evans in Phizmiz's last opera, The Mourning Show and Oblivian Substanshall who has just been released on Chinstrap by Ergo.
Talking of Oblivian Substanshall... has just reminded me of this little groovy number...
Ergo, Oblivian and myself... fed up one morning (see video description) found a CD of Abba... and got a bit carried away...
And last but not least!!!
I recently went to Soundart Radio and made some animations with a group of kids. Here is one of the videos made.
They worked really well and made this beautiful piece. There's lots more of these to come too.
Well... I'm off out for an evening bike ride now. Thankfully the sun's showing it's face.
Artists. It's very lovely being in the creative industries. Both myself and my husband are. He's a composer - amongst many many many other things (who I've talked about now and again) and goes by the name of Ergo Phizmiz. For years we have managed to get by one way or another and often had workshop work, grants, residencies and commissions come our way (so we can live and feed our little bubbas).
But things have changed. The wonderful, kind, lovely, giving people who run the Country have dramatically affected the Arts and now a huge massive majority of Artists are left like lost young goldfish going around and around and around in a dark bowl, constantly banging heads and not even knowing what their purpose be anymore.
I'm afraid I'm sick and tired of having to get little crappy jobs that pay pretty much nothing. £6 an hour... that's £3 for half an hour. And it sucks. Massive monkey bums! So thus end up spending all your time in the world, to earn a pittance and barely have enough to pay the extortionate bills, not spending hardly any precious time with your family & not get any further with a career of making something of yourself.
Just look at their little faces...
"Feed me mummy"
"We hate the Goverment mummy...now where's some pennies for some chocolate??"
In other countries they support their artists by giving them free spaces to use and make their work. They fund them and give them masses of support. Here, well, here...just makes you not want to be here, doesn't it?! They basically stick their fingers up at us and say, "Be off with you marvellous creative, colourful energetically minded people, off with their heads".
So...a big thumbs down for the arts cuts. Even more of a thumbs down as our recent project proposal's been rejected, therefore making us go... "Oh me oh my, Oh me oh my" and walking around in circles like headless chickens and wondering, how I'm going to keep up my love for avocados and their expense??! Yep, cheers for that Mr Cameron & Mrs Clegg.
Just look at them there, teasing me... mocking me.
If you haven't seen this video about the cuts yet, please do! It's a very good watch and also very entertaining. And makes so much sense.
It's all a bit late now to save the cuts... but here's where you can help...
Rich aunties, uncles, grannies & grandads beware!! We really need you!! We had originally applied through the Arts Council to fund an Opera, "The Third Policeman". And since we're not going to be getting any help whatsoever-diddly-squat from any funding, we're reaching out to everyday normal people. You can check out more details on the project here and support us here (Through Crowdfunder) whatever the amount, every penny counts and we can show those morons (Government) what we can do and what we're made of.
What is crowdfunding?
Crowdfunding is a revolutionary way for people to raise funding for exciting new projects by tapping into a 'crowd' of like minded individuals or supporters who pool their money together to back an idea, person or business and make it happen.
It's not a typical Opera by the way, by typical people. So don't expect any fat ladies. Here's a quote about it, that sums it up pretty well,"The opera will be funny, disturbing, catchy and deeply in the spirit of Dada. Imagine an opera filtered through Frank Sidebottom and Vic Reeves, with music one-foot in Monteverdi and the other in Captain Beefheart."
And here's where it will be showing.
The work has been offered a premiere at Tete-a-Tete: The Opera Festival in London in August 2011, with performances afterwards at ShutUp Comedy Club, Saltburn, UpItUp Records Liverpool, Bridport Literary Festival, and Soundart Radio, Dartington. It has been rejected Arts Council funding on rather spurious grounds.
RIGHTS...
Literary rights for the project have been arranged with A.M. Heath Ltd, who have agreed the rights for a 10% cut off box office takings.
WHERE WILL THE MONEY GO?
The money from this funding will go towards the following:
* Covering costs and living expenses for the participating artists during writing & production
* Materials for the design and construction of the mise-en-scene
* Rehearsal space
* Travelling expenses for artists to rehearsals and all performances
* Printing of press materials and marketing
All the information you need about the project is here & here.
Please retweet, facebook, blog this and so on. We really do need your help.
Lets keep the Arts going!!
And give these girls something to really celebrate!!
