A Grand Night for Star Trek XII

So I'm playing the harp in Rodgers & Hammerstein's A Grand Night for Singing at Swift Creek Mill Theatre in Colonial Heights. I got the music about ten days ago, got a harp to practice on last Tuesday, have participated in four rehearsals and the show opens the day after tomorrow. And just like that, I go from a nine-to-five nonprofit fundraiser to a sleep-deprived gigging musician.

COOL!

I have a tendency toward being a night owl so the late nights don't really bother me.... it's that pesky day job thingy that requires I leave my cozy bed by 8:00 if I'm gonna make it to the office by 9:00. To the parents who are reading this, yes, I know how sleep deprived you all are and I fully recognize that I have no idea what "tired" really, truly is. But, if anyone can appreciate functioning in a bleary-eyed semi-conscious state, it's actors and musicians. (And folks who work the night shift... had to give props to my Robbie.)

Most actors and musicians -- at least in Richmond -- have to hold daytime employment in order to pay the bills. But I've never really heard anyone complain about it... that's just how it is. By no stretch do I consider myself a professional the likes of Audra and Scottie and Sandy and Paul and countless other pals who secure a steady stream of work by putting their acting and musical talents to work on a regular basis. But I am fortunate to get called upon to fill the occasional niche (say, for a harp), and that makes me perfectly happy.

So while I am and will be "So Very Tired" the next eight weeks, I will be enjoying every minute that I get to pursue my true passion for creative expression during the twilight hours with amazingly talented people. If you get a chance to see A Grand Night for Singing, please do. It's two glorious hours of song, dance and witty repartee. The next morning might come a little bit too soon, but it'll be worth it, I promise!

Phreedom from Phleghm?

Had pneumonia. Got better (or so I thought). Then, sore throat, aches, sniffles... you know the rest. Was really trying this time to treat this homeopathically and not have to opt for drugs. Here's what I've tried so far:

raw garlic
raw honey
almonds
orange juice
cherry/pomegranate juice
ginger granola
homemade chicken soup
echinacea tea
pu-erh tea
salt-water gargle
Neti pot
vitamin D supplements
"lung heatlh" supplements
multi-vitamin supplements
water by the gallon
16-20 hrs. of sleep

Today, I woke up without a voice and more gunk in my lungs than the previous days. So much for putting in an appearance at work.

There's only so many herbs and supplements a girl can ingest before opting for pharmaceuticals. Robbie's doctor told him to take Mucinex for his cold and cough, but I've resisted trying it, mainly because of the unpleasant side effects. "Be careful because it'll really dry you out." "It made me bounce off the walls, but it did the trick."

Not being a big fan of guzzling large amounts of water to begin with, the thought of tripling my current already-increased h2o intake makes me want to reevaluate how bad my cough really is and if I can get away with not taking it. I also cannot imagine having the jitters on top of being sick. That just sounds awful.

Soooo.... here we are. I had fantastic take-out tonight from Mom's Siam... spicy green curry chicken and vegetable soup with tons of garlic. My sinuses feel better. Still coughing though. I guess if the symptoms persist tomorrow, I will break down and try the dang Mucinex. I do get a kick out of those phleghmy-looking cartoon thingys in the commercials. At the same time, they are kind of gross. I'm sure there's a green curry joke in there somewhere, but I'm not on top of my game presently, so you're on your own.

*cough* *cough*

SPRING!

The sky might be overcast today but all other signs point to the fact that Spring is here. One of the best things about living in Virginia is that we have actual extended weeks of Spring and Autumn. [There is that pesky hot & humid drudgery called "Summer" sandwiched in the middle but I'm choosing to ignore that for the moment!]

These are some photos from last spring taken in my neighborhood. This is what my neighbors and I have to look forward to:

 

Hooray for Spring, time change and all!

$tained gla$$

I've been attempting to come up with some fresh ideas for stained glass panels, prompted by a couple people asking me about commissions and consignments. I still consider myself somewhat of a novice when it comes to crafting glass pieces. I took a class at the Visual Arts Center a few years ago and immediately fell in love with this artform.

I've always been a fan of Art Deco, Art Nouveau and Prairie Style designs. Awhile ago, I bought a book of postcards that featured Arts & Crafts tiles by Motawi Tileworks of Ann Arbor, MI. The designs are inspiring and I think they would transfer exceedingly well to glass:

I love the symmetry of these designs and I can envision them with varying color schemes and glass textures. The thought of tackling one of these panels is exhilarating. So what's to stop me from getting out the glass cutter and grinder right this minute?

$ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ 

Creating a glass piece in the hopes that someone will not only be willing to buy it, but buy it at a price that will allow me to recoup my expenses, let alone make a small profit, is a huge leap of faith. Glass materials are not cheap, and if a design has several pieces, assembly takes hours. If I remember correctly, this 13x13 panel took some 24-odd-hours to complete:

So, what to do? Fork out the dough (i.e. bust out the credit card) and hope I can sell pieces in a timely manner? Or secure the commissions first ? The latter is a tricky proposition. I am hesitant to request deposits up front; although, if I don't, I then have to foot the bill entirely until I finish the piece and receive payment.

I tried over the holidays to sell some of my leaded glass snowflakes on etsy.com. I sold three, but at a very minuscule profit margin. I pulled my snowflakes because I didn't have the time or patience to put into marketing myself through the site. I think it's easy for one's artwork to get lost in the myriad of creations the site has to offer potential buyers. I had more success through local word of mouth and working directly with customers. I much prefer that method, although generating business that way is hit or miss.

I'm fairly new at the whole idea of having a craft and offering my work for sale. I have limited workspace (the 3'x4' table in my living room), and thus have to keep pieces small, usually 15" max. It would be fun to try a larger panel, for a transom or full window.... but that will have to wait until I have room to spread out and not worry about stepping on stray shards of glass.

In the meantime, I suppose I can take inventory of my existing glass materials and see what I can make with what I already have. I made this piece entirely out of scrap glass. One lady's scrap is another lady's masterpiece! 

P.S. If anyone has any feedback regarding business strategies,
I'm all ears!

Sick, slick, stick

Sick. I'm sitting here with "a little pneumonia" in my right lung, feeling guilty for not going to work today, even though I spent most of the day working from home and got more done here than I probably would have at the office. I had pneumonia once when I was in college. It was severe. In fact, the doctor called my parents and told them to come get me and bring me home where I could recover. 

I had no idea my current condition was so serious -- I just had a minor cough and fits of wheezing that made it difficult to get a good night's sleep, which was annoying more than anything. A low blood oxygen reading and two chest x-rays later, I'm popping antibiotics and steroids like candy. Not to mention the puffs of albuterol.

But, I will definitely be going to work tomorrow.

Slick. Meanwhile, last week and over the weekend I spent some time updating (or as BC corrected, "overhauling") my website. I switched over to a flash site that I think is pretty darn slick. The other site was ok and served its purpose, but I can't deny that I am overjoyed with the new one. Take a look, www.emilyjcole.com.

Stick.  Updating the website gave me pause. I couldn't help but think of all the other artists and arts employees in Virginia whose livelihoods are in the hands of the General Assembly. The budget for the next biennium is scheduled to come out of conference committee this week. On the chopping block is the Virginia Commission for the Arts, which helps fund hundreds of arts organizations -- large and small -- which employ over 20,000 workers.

Arts advocates across the Commonwealth have been pulling out all the stops, calling, writing and visiting with legislators, using logic and sound economic arguments to pursuade lawmakers that eliminating the VCA is a lose-lose situation for everyone. All in all, I think advocates have demonstrated that artists are not just a bunch of communist pot smoking attic-living bums. We have clearly articulated our cause in a reasonable and diplomatic way...walking softly. But don't forget about that big stick we're carrying.

If the VCA is eliminated, that stick is going to strike a heavy blow on the Virginia economy in ways that will make lawmakers' heads spin and number crunchers' calculators spontaneously combust. I hope with all my heart that our elected officials will receive an epiphany in the next couple days, helping them to recognize the integral role the arts play in our state's economy and leading them to make a rational decision regarding funding the arts.

Otherwise.... we'll all be up [another s-word] creek.

Mystery photo...

I took this picture with my cell phone a couple months ago. Any guesses?