Dora Ficher art blog

Due to my busy summer schedule with my summer camp

it is very hard for me to post during June -end of August

Stop back after Labor Day for new upcoming posts.

Wonderful Artists interviews are set up for the fall.

My Wednesday Interviews will now appear on Mondays.

Due to my busy summer schedule with my camp

it is very hard for me to post in the middle of the week.

Please stop by on Monday.

Today I am very lucky and have the pleasure of interviewing my hero.

Jonathan is a freelance photographer and artist with a keen insight into the human spirit and a unique perspective on the world around him.

To read more about him go to his website.

Why did you decide to become a photographer?

I have always been a photographer. I first formally studied photography at a school called Cinekid when I was about 10 years old but I always enjoyed using a camera and taking pictures.

My decision to pursue a career in photography started to take form after I was in a very serious car accident in October of 2004. At the time, I was studying political science at the University of Pennsylvania with the intention of going to law school.

In the accident, my colon was ruptured. It took me about 4 to 5 months to fully recover. I was unable to return to Penn to complete that fall semester and I spent that time at home recovering. I was very lucky that my mom was able to take the time off from work to help me recover. I spent a lot of the time with her but I also spent a lot of time alone evaluating my life. I came to the realization that my particular skilset would not really fit in law school.

I was lost for a time but I kept thinking about a photo project I had done for my Color 1 class the previous spring. It was my first venture into painting with light and it produced my first series of conceptual imagery (on my website I call these images “originals” within my conceptual portfolio). I kept thinking about how much I enjoyed the process of creating those shots: I would put on headphones, walk around at night, and take pictures of colored lights. Then, I would put on headphones, go to the darkroom, stand there in the pitch black for hours, and print (the color darkroom, unlike a B&W darkroom, has to be pitch black). Over those several months at home I decided that I was in process of creating imagery in my life. I realized then that I would make a career of music, color, light, and creative imagery.

What do you like/dislike about being an artist.

I love that it is my job to be creative. I was always a daydreamer, always looking into space trapped in my own thoughts with millions of ideas racing through my head. I’ll be honest, the majority of those ideas are nonsensical. But every once in a while I manage to capture and understand an idea and carry it out. It is my creative process and it is what I enjoy most about art. The final product is wonderful, I love all my photos, I love Bite Sized, I love all the design projects I have done, but what I love most is how seeing each of those things just brings me back to the process I went through to create it. I’m a big process person.

I often go through long stretches of life where I don’t have any ideas, at least not any worth sharing. Those periods of creative block are extremely frustrating and the most difficult of my life, I just wish the faucet were always on. There was a period from around January 2007 until I started my “Neon Shines Through Smoky Eyes” series in the spring of 2008 where I felt like I didn’t have a single good, original idea. I realize now that those periods, even though they are frustrating, are also part of the creative process that I love, and part of the path that has led me so many times back to a really creative place.

What inspires you?

Lots of things inspire my artwork and it often varies, but the one thing that is always there is music and, specifically, instrumental music. Lyrics inspire me in a different way, more in a motivational way. For instance, if I need a kick in the ass I’ll listen to hip hop or other more lyrically driven music. But when I’m creating I find inspiration in the improvisational music of the jambands I listen to. Beyond just the way the music sounds, which is often enough to spark some ideas, hearing the artists create the melody on the spot and understanding how all the band members are each individually creating music spontaneously while still maintaining cohesion as a group fascinates me and makes want to create.

What advice do you have for young artists like yourself?

If you want to be a career artist my advice is to make sure you know what you’re doing and know what you’re getting yourself into. You also have to be passionate, determined and very thick-skinned. You can’t let rejection get you down and you have to keep going back to the business even if it’s kicked you or left you feeling down. Being very talented and creating beautiful and inspiring work is great, but if it’s your job you need to know how to flip that beautiful work into an income. When I got into this I had no idea what I was doing, didn’t know anything about the photo industry, and didn’t know anything about running a photo business. I am very lucky that I have such a great support system. I was able to live in my grandparents apartment for 4 months, I lived at home with my dad for a while, when I moved to New York I lived in my girlfriend Jessica’s apartment for the first 6 months I was here, and I always have gotten great support from my family and friends. Without my family and friends and my determination, I would probably not be a photographer right now.

If you are looking for a real treat for your eyes, go to  Jonathan’s food photographs on his blog that he has with his girlfriend chef Jessica Hertle. There you can get wonderful recipes and look at photographs that will make your mouth water.

Jonathan can be reached through his website and at The Bite Sized Blog.

Good Morning friends,

My regular Wednesday Interview will be up tomorrow this week.

And, it’s a great one! Don’t miss it!

I am running a day behind.

See you tomorrow!

Meg Mitchell

• Meg Mitchell is an artist who lives in Canada sells hand painted pillows and totes on Etsy. She does this so that she can go to Paris every year. In Meg’s words: “It’s my little reward & my place to enhance my creative juices “. For more than 25 years, Meg recruited women for management and board of director positions. She now works on her art full time. “Priscilla Mae et al” was born in her studio in Niagara-On-The-Lake, Canada. She captures the spirit and voices of women of all ages through an artful celebration of images and tidbits of feisty female wisdom.

Meg and I met online while working on our mutual blogs. We were classmates in “The Blog Triage” class given by Alyson Stanfield and Cynthia Morris.

You say on your about page that you have decided to make this phase of your life “a window of self discovery” . Could you expand on that for all my readers who don’t know you yet.

• When I turned 60 several years ago,  I decided that this decade was going to be for me because if I didn’t do it soon, I might run out of time.  I had run a successful consulting company for over 27 years as an executive recruiter placing women in management and board of director positions. I was able to make a large impact on Canadian corporations to open up avenues of opportunity to capable women in business and government.   Also, I had raised my son as a single mom and got him off to university and onto his life.  And then, I decided it was my turn. I didn’t know what the second part of my life was going to look like but I know I wanted to try something different.  I have always loved home decor, and fashion and I certainly knew women well.  In my search for what I might do, it occurred to me that midlife women were overlooked in many areas of life, including retail.  Women over a certain age were made into charactertures.  Youth is  praised and the focus of the media and products are made for the younger woman.  Midlife for many women was feared, not celebrated.  I decided to paint midlife women on small pillows with a fun quote on the back that artfully celebrated “women of a certain age.”  My first series was called “Midlife Madonnas.”  They sold out constantly. I got started by packing all my special pillows in the back of my car and driving around to all the high end retail stores in the Toronto area.  I’d walk into a store with big baskets of fun women pillows and their quotes and the customers would gather around and laugh.  Most of the owners were midlife women themselves and they too liked the pillows because they were different.  Luckily, my business started off like a shot.  Midlife women were looking for gifts for themselves and their friends and this group of women had the money to buy them. I am constantly re-evaluating my life and thinking of activities and ideas I want to pursue.  Going to Paris on a yearly basis is one thing I love, writing a blog is another, traveling and doing things on my own at times continues to give me the confidence I need to keep trying and living the life that I seek.  Sometimes being afraid forces me to reach outside my comfort zone and look at and live life more fully.

Could you tell us about Priscilla Mae? Who is Priscilla Mae? And why did you call my company Priscilla Mae et al?

• For many months, I tried to figure out what I was going to do with the rest of my life. One night, I was sitting on my porch with a glass of wine or two and enjoying the absolute peacefulness of the evening. I was thinking about my Mom’s life and whether she had ever sat and dreamed of what her life could have been. She was a brilliant and wise woman but who lived at a time when women didn’t have as many options to decide the direction of their life. Mom raised our family and she did a wonderful job but she had so much more in her. My mother died many years previously and I was having some difficulty remembering what she looked like. So with my wine glass in hand and a pencil and paper, I began to sketch away to try and bring back my mother’s face. The faces kept coming but they were younger pictures of my Mom and maybe they incorporated a bit of me. It was a wonderful night and the time just flew by. Before I knew it, there were dozens of faces all over my porch floor. Not just faces of my Mom or me but lots of faces of women. Funky women with big hair, bedroom eyes, funky earrings, great hats with feathers…they made me happy! It came to me then. Draw what I know…women. And call this new endeavor, “Priscilla Mae et al,” in honor of the first and most important woman in my life .. my Mom.

What are your dreams as a “woman of a certain age” ? I’m one of those women as well so would love to know!

• My dreams are ever changing but the one dream that encompasses all of my ideas is that I keep trying new things and playing around with new ideas and that I don’t become too comfortable with the status quo.  I try not to be concerned with what the world thinks about what I do or who I am.  I see so many women stay “within the lines” to please their husbands or partners, their community, etc.  I did that too at one point in my life.  But pleasing people never really pleases all the people and I think we end up sick, or very sorry and wondering where our life passed us by. I have a dream book.  I cut out pictures, articles or write my dreams in this book.  I’ve done this for over 30 years and almost all the things that meant a lot to me, I’ve accomplished or tried.  Something as simple as painting big roses all over my bedroom wall because I felt like it.  Friends were appalled that I would do this in my home bit to me, it’s only a wall.  It was a two week fun project with great music blaring in the background.  Will I keep the roses on that wall?  Probably not.  I have some new ideas I want to try.   The way I figure it …. why should anything last longer than me?  It’s only a wall!!!!

©Meg Mitchell Meet Garance FRENCH WOMAN WITH CIGARETTE (Don't treat me any differently than you would the Queen.)

How long have you been doing your art full time?

• I started Priscilla Mae et al over 8 years ago and most of the time, it is a full time love affair.  I have, however,  gone up to 6 months not stepping into my studio because I was totally burned out.   Granted, I do feel that Protestant Work Ethic guilt when that down time occurs but I know that I’ll be back there when the spirit moves me.

How do you get your inspirations?

• Movies, blogs, internet, books, tons of magazines, sitting in outside cafes in Paris, television, fashion shows, meeting women, my dreams…..  Carrying a camera is one of the best new ways for me to be inspired because it makes me constantly aware of my surroundings.  Even having a blog keeps me on “inspiration alert” because you always need another new post.  That pressure can be both good and not so good.

Is what you paint, part of your personality?

• My painted women make me laugh and give me lots of pleasure.  They incorporate all the things I love and most important, I get totally lost in the pleasure of the creating them. I’m not sure they are a part of my personality.  I think they may all be just great friends. When it’s not fun anymore, I won’t do it.

What advise do you have for aspiring artists?

• I am not a trained artist as most of you can tell but I’m not afraid to try something new.  I love it when women buy my pillows.  Sometimes I am surprised but I’m always grateful and the fun of it all keeps spurring me on to try new creations.
  My biggest thrill was being asked by ELLE ITALIA  magazine to feature one of my pillows in their September 2009 fashion issue.  That was a cool moment.

• Do what you love and don’t worry about whether someone likes it or not.  If they do, they’ll buy it.  If they don’t, they won’t.  Others will find and feel your passion if you create from within.

Thank you Meg for answering my questions!

You can see more of Meg’s work at her Etsy shop and on her blog.

I did a Showing of my art this past Saturday at Plymouth Meeting Friends School’s 73rd Annual Strawberry Festival. It was a wonderful Day as it is every year. This year I brought my encaustic paintings, first time out in a public showing. Many people did not know what “Encaustic Painting” was so I decided to write down a little history about this wonderful media. Following you can see a few of my newest works.

As I mentioned on my recent posts: I think I’m falling in Love, The Birds & The Bees, The Bees and me, I started doing encaustic painting a few months ago and I am LOVING it! Let me give you a little history on this medium.

I got the following information from wikipedia.org

Encaustic painting, also known as hot wax painting, involves using heated beeswax to which colored pigments are added. The liquid/paste is then applied to a surface—usually prepared wood, though canvas and other materials are often used.

The simplest encaustic mixture can be made from adding pigments to beeswax, but there are several other recipes that can be used — some containing other types of waxes, damar resin, linseed oil, or other ingredients. Pure, powdered pigments can be purchased and used, though some mixtures use oil paints or other forms of pigment.

Metal tools and special brushes can be used to shape the paint before it cools, or heated metal tools can be used to manipulate the wax once it has cooled onto the surface. Today, tools such as heat lamps, heat guns, and other methods of applying heat allow artists to extend the amount of time they have to work with the material. Because wax is used as the pigment binder, encaustics can be sculpted as well as painted. Other materials can be encased or collaged into the surface, or layered, using the encaustic medium to adhere it to the surface.

This technique was notably used in the Fayum mummy portraits from Egypt around 100-300 AD, in the Blachernitissa and other early icons, as well as in many works of 20th-century American artists, including Jasper Johns.

Kut-kut, a lost art of the Philippines implements sgraffito and encaustic techniques. It was practiced by the indigenous tribe of Samar island around 1600 to 1800.^[1]

In the 20th century, painter Fritz Faiss (1905-1981), a student of Paul Klee and Wassily Kandinsky at the Bauhaus, together with Dr. Hans Schmid, rediscovered the so-called “Punic wax” technique of encaustic painting. Faiss held two German patents relative to the preparation of waxes for encaustic painting. One covered a method for treating beeswax so that its melting point was raised from 60 degrees Celsius to 100 degrees Celsius (from 140 to 212 °F). This occurred after boiling the wax in a solution of sea water and soda three successive times. The resulting, harder wax is the same as the Punic wax referred to in ancient Greek writings on encaustic painting.

Encaustic art has seen a resurgence in popularity since the 1990s with people using electric irons, hotplates and heated stylus on a variety of different surfaces including card, paper and even pottery. The iron makes producing a variety of artistic patterns elementary. However, the medium is not limited to just abstract designs, it can be used to create complex paintings, just as in other media such as oil and acrylic.

Kadira Jennings is a creative artist celebrating and encouraging the creative in all of us. In Kadira’s words, “my works are complex. I am an artist who is constantly challenging you the viewer and also pushing my own boundaries in terms of technique and content.”
Kadira is really excited to merge the digital and non digital arenas together, combining the fine detail you can achieve with digital with the rich texture, colors and tactile qualities of oils.  Her next exhibition will be an exploration of these mediums and techniques.
Kadira’s blog “Unfolding Creativity” is a discussion, a resource, and a hub for creatives and those of you who think you might be creative but aren’t sure yet.

Kadira and I met online while working on our mutual blogs. We were classmates in “The Blog Triage” class given by Alyson Stanfield and Cynthia Morris.

Why did you decide to change your name from Bernadette to Kadira?

• Last year was a huge year of personal growth for me, a time in my life when many things changed, including the end of a 30 year marriage. I felt like I was in a sense being born again and wanted a name thatreflected who I am growing into being.  I chose Kadira because it is different and it means powerful woman.  I also had a numerological assessment of it done before I finally accepted it.  The on May 24th last year I had a unique name changing ceremony done by my beautiful friend Lani Neilsen who is a medicine woman. I was very privileged to have her perform a special aboriginal ceremony for me which she was given permission to do.  Unfortunately one of the conditions was that no photos were allowed to be taken and we respected that – so I have no photos to send of that.

So, since you ask this question to your readers, I will ask it to you: When you look at an artwork, what do you see?

• I think the first thing I always look for is beauty on some level.  I am always attracted by color first and form and design second.  I  find that meaning is important to me – I look for what the painting or art work is trying to tell me.  How does it make me feel?  Does it engage me enough to go back for a second look.  I always remember the first time I say an original Monet – it was one of his haystack series.  I was absolutely mesmerized by that painting.  I must of spent at least half an hour looking at it.  Every time I went to walk away I just couldn’t leave it.  The color, texture, light – everything about it was so stunning, so magical. It was a painting that had to be experienced not just looked at.  I think ultimately that is what I would like to be able to bring to my own art – that experience for others.

How do you feel when people interpret your artwork differently?

• I expect that everyone will do that actually.  We are all totally individual and as such no two people who look at my work have the same background or reference points.   I have always considered art to be a totally subjective experience.  I can only express a point of view, an idea, feeling or expression of beauty as I see it.  Some people will love it others will not and everyone will probably take away something different.  I believe my work can only ever reach a person in terms of their current life experience anyway, however I hope it will perhaps give them food for thought.

What/Who inspires you?

• In the past  I have been very inspired by Georgia Okeeffe I love her work and her story is such an inspiration in itself. There are so many talented artists out there these days and I draw inspiration from looking at others work on the net.  I think we all have much to offer and share with  each other which can then be incorporated into and re shared through our own unique lens or viewpoint.  Currently I’m finding a lot of inspiration in using photoshop because I’m very into layering images and ideas so Im composing images in photoshop and then painting them in mixed media on canvas.

How do you feel after you finished or while you are painting?

• Thats a tricky question to answer.  When the paintings going well, I’m in the zone – time ceases to exist and 2 hours usually goes by before I even come up for air. If on the other hand its not going well or I’m not sure what to do next I usually have to just sit down and almost doze off. At about that point inspiration strikes, I jump up knowing what to do next and carry on. The subconscious has had time to get in on the act and I’ve managed to get out of my own way.

Did you ever feel like giving up?

• You could say that! In fact for the last ten years you might say that I had given up really.  I do remember saying quite clearly at one point -’ Thats it! I’m never painting again.’ I have been through a long, hard and  difficult time personally, during which time I painted the odd painting here and there  but some how the creative spark inside me was dead. I just couldn’t find the passion any more. In fact never mind passion there wasn’t even a spark of desire.  It is really only this year that it has come back again. A lot of this was tied up with the whole starving artist, syndrome and struggling to make money doing other things which I hated.  I tell you, I’ve been there and lived it – all those cliches …..I guess it just gets to the point where you just have to get over yourself and either get on with it or really give it up. I think if there is one lesson that I have learnt it is that for me anyway, ultimately its not about ‘being an artist’ its about ‘being a creative’.  The artist label was to limiting for me and I just couldn’t live up to it. However when I think of my self as a creative that allows me to play in many different sandboxes.

Thank you Kadira for participating on the interview.

You can find Kadira on her blog “Unfolding Creativity”.

Kathy Robinson is a batik artist who works with silk, velvet, and wool.  She hand-paints jackets, scarves, wraps, purses, ties and other accessories.  Kathy creates feminine, bohemian and eclectic pieces, all done using the traditional batik tjanting to outline the designs before they are painted.  They are then waxed and dyed several times.  Her designs are carried in galleries and shops across the country.

I have known Kathy for many years. Our sons went to school together back in the early 90’s. I always loved her work. It is so elegant and creative. It is always fun to see someone wearing a piece of art. Thank you Kathy for doing this interview with me!

Kathy, I read in your bio about your recent trip to Italy and the Florence Academy of Art. What was your experience like. What exactly were you doing at the Academy of Art?

• I have traveled to Italy several times in the last 5 years-my last trip in October I spent time sketching and photographing ancient ruins of Pompeii, Venice,  Lucca and the very colorful island of Burano off the coast of Venice- this as a matter -of-fact was the inspiration for my latest batik wearables collection.  The time before that I did an intensive summer program at the Florence Academy of Art taking classes in the Academic method of Figure Drawing-  learning the Renaissance Sight-Size technique and  working from casts (plaster casts of antique statues) to render proportion correctly and model the effects of light and shadow. These were techniques that I had not learned in design school and were quite a challenge for me since I am used to doing my batik technique from my imagination and not from what I see in front of me. Art history tours of the Accademia and the Uffizi and just soaking in the sculpture, architecture and layers of history made a deep impression on my work

What’s the best thing for you about being an artist?

• I find one of the best things about being an artist is the way that you can look and take notice of  the patterns and colors of nature and then create something from that inspiration. It is a way of “seeing” even when you are not conscious of doing it. When the ideas are flowing, I want nothing more than to be in my studio, absorbed by creating. Also, seeing one of my customers put on a piece of my wearable art and  lighting up and feeling glamorous for that special occasion is always a pleasure for me.

What’s the worst thing about being an artist?

• One of the worst things about being an artist is that your income can be very hard to predict and base a budget on. Another difficult part is having to deal with rejection when applying to shows and having your work  turned down.

What is batik tjanting?

• The batik “tjanting” is a metal tool w/ a spout and wooden handle used since ancient times in Indonesia and Africa. It is dipped into a pot of simmering wax and then the melted wax flows through the spout to coat the fabric  and create outlines.

What advice do you have for aspiring artists?

• It takes a dogged persistence and belief in what you are doing to succeed as a craft artist- you have to wear so many different hats-promoting yourself, continually coming up with new designs, producing, staying in touch with customers and/or galleries-up-dating your website etc.- it definitely helps to have some background in business also.

You have been doing this for a long time. Did you ever feel like giving up?

• Sometimes when there have been periods in my life that I have not felt inspired to create that can be very difficult  especially when your income depends on it.

Could you tell me a little bit about “Artista“?

• Artista was created with myself and two other craft artists as a means of showcasing our own work along with that of other artists- with a focus on local talent.  Having a gallery in Mount Airy, a neighborhood in Philadelphia that I have lived in for 22 years, and being able to participate in the community is very important to me. It is a very exciting time to be here and watch the growth. Many of the artists that  we show are right in the neighborhood and my own studio is just a few blocks away. Some of the  things that we do at Artista are: feature different artists every First Friday and  have fundraising events for  local organizations  to benefit those in need in our community several times a year.

Thank you Kathy for your beautiful artwork! You can see more of Kathy’s work on her website and at Artista Gallery.

The above is a work in progress

I had a wonderful week learning all about “promoting your art online”. I attended Alyson Stanfield’s workshops.

In Lancaster, Pa. “No Excuses-Art- Marketing Workshop” and in Rehoboth Beach, DE. “Shameless Self Promoton Workshop”.

I first went to Lancaster, drove there with my son Jonathan Meter who is a photographer in NYC and had never taken any of Alyson’s classes.

He and his girlfriend just started a new blog, “The BiteSizedblog” and he wanted to learn all about promoting it.

In Lancaster we met some wonderful artists. The workshop was sponsored by The Pennsylvania Guild of Craftmen.

I was very excited to be able to help Alyson with her sale’s table in both workshops. I had a ball.

I have taken many classes with her and I am always learning new things.

Facebook, blogs and twitter are constantly “changing” and Alyson is up to the last minute changes in everything “social media”.

It was great to meet new artists. I believe that for me this is the most fun of participating in both online classes and in workshops. You meet so many wonderful people.

After Lancaster I came home for a day, picked up Heidi and headed down to Rehoboth Beach where neither one of us had ever been to.

The Rehoboth Beach, DE. “Shameless Self Promoton Workshop”. was held at The Rehoboth Art League and organized by Kim Klabe.

Saturday after the workshop we walked around the town and visited several art galleries. My favorite was the working artists studios: Base where many of the artists that attended the workshop have their studios.

What better way to end a week long journey than with a great dinner at an awesome seafood restaurant.

If you have never taken any of Alyson Stanfield’s online classes be sure to visit her blog and sign up for the next one. You will learn tons!

Last week I had the pleasure of helping out in the production of “The Wind in the Willows” performed by the 6th grade class of Plymouth Meeting Friends School, the school where I taught for many years.

The kids did such a wonderful job! You would not believe that they are only 12 yr. olds. I have known most of these kids since they were only 5 yrs old. It is such a pleasure to watch them now.

Theater production is a totally different art form than the art I do. Even though they are different, they still have many similarities.

The biggest one for me being that the director starts out with a blank canvas and builds up from there up to the finished product which is the performance.

The book, music and lyrics were written by Frumi Cohen, adapted from Kenneth Grahame’s novel “The Wind in the Willows”.

Well, let’s find out.

Today I invited my good friend, the director and playwright Frumi Cohen to tell us how she works with 12 year old students.

And this is what Frumi said about teaching theater to middle schoolers:

“The whole thing is a crazy, sometimes frustrating, process,” Cohen wrote in the summer 2006 edition of “Teaching Theatre Journal,” published by the Educational Theatre Association for a readership of some 5,000 middle and secondary school teachers. “But it’s also very educational, both for me and my students.
“I have learned how to work out the kinks of a scene, fix the ending, shift a character’s importance, strengthen the theme, rewrite lyrics, add songs, and all while I am hopefully giving a class of 12-year-olds (most of whom have never seen a Broadway or even a way-off-Broadway show in their reality TV and Disney-drenched lives) their first amazing experience of putting on a full scale musical.”

Yet, somehow – with all of the false starts, adolescent angst and hair-tearing – the light at the end of the tunnel always shines bright…on something. Maybe not the production of her dreams, but something with personal significance for each participant in what she refers to as “this unique and somewhat strange ritual called theatre.”

Frumi Cohen’s Mission:

“Kids inspire me and so does musical theater. Using a measure of both, I write musicals that tell stories of unlikely, unsung heroes; a girl who fights her computer from a wheelchair, a boy who creates a green monster that can only sing. I aim to write stories that are honest, fast moving and believable–yet full of magic.  And I don’t write happy endings, just satisfying ones.  I want to see young people and their families as both actors and audience for my work. I want to show them that musical theater is every bit as gripping and in many ways more alive than an action film.”

Frumi Cohen is a two-time recipient of the Grant Fellowship for Playwriting from The Pennsylvania Council on the Arts. Lyricist, composer and librettist, Frumi has written and directed over 20 original musicals since 1979, to showcase 6th grade students training in theater arts. Her work has gone on to be published and to place in national playwriting competitions by IUPUI, AATE and others and has been published and produced in New York and in theaters and schools across the country. Her musical A SHOW OF HANDS, enjoyed a three month run off-off Broadway at The Thirteenth Street Repertory Theater.

Thank you Frumi Cohen for being the first artist guest on my blog!

So, going back to how is this related to my art:

Both Frumi and I are creating, We both use our imagination which is something I remember talking about to all the children I have taught in my 30 or so years as an educator: “Use your imagination”

I use a brush and Frumi uses a computer.  We  both work very hard.

Something I learn and see every year is how the  lights work, how Andy Emery, the lighting designer mixes the colors and paints a picture with the lights on stage.

Same thing for the make-up. The children’s faces get transformed and become their characters thanks to Ann Alberts, Jon Elliot and Laurie Harbeson. They are all art forms.

And then the sound, that has been my job for the last few years. Another art form and not easy dealing with the neurotic sound system. Every day is a new experience with this.

So let me tell you how all this impacts my work in the studio. It totally energizes me, it makes me want to go and create new things. You might even see Toad, Mole, Rat & Badger in one of my next paintings.

Or maybe the weasels, yeah.

Following are photographs which I took during the week of rehearsals. Enjoy!

Set Design by Ann Alberts

One of my favorite quotes that hangs in the PMFS art room