Dramtais Personae # 3

Lady Mary Saquee is noted for her frequent improvisation in mid-performance, possibly inspired by the case of Dom Perignon which she keeps in her dressing room. This inspires some anxiety on the part of her fellow-performers.

News of the Tiny: I got a strange email which I am going to investigate further, apparently a project of the Elsewhere Public Works Agency, who did this miniature art installation in San Francisco's Mission District.

Here are tiny world pincushions by artist Mimi Kirchner

And here is a link to a small scale sculpture by jeweler Bruce Metcalf...if George Grosz had been a metalsmith...

Library card

This is part of a series of illustrations for the library card project on the femminismo blog. Jeanne sent out parts of a story contained in a library card envelope and asked for illustrations on the little envelopes. If you scroll down on her blog, you can see other contributions. 

In other news of small-scale art, I saw these wonderful things a couple of days ago on the designers room blog.

Bird Boat returns

Here is a version of the bird boat from an earlier post, worked into a t-shirt design for redbubble.  I'm hoping to do some linking to interesting projects tomorrow, I ran out of time today, there is definitely a learning curve with shooting the little Hamlet scenes.

Lights out for Earth Hour

A good night to to invite a neighbor for a walk around the neighborhood - especially on the West Coast, where we are getting some premature summer. Reminded earlier today on the Coffee Messiah Blog.

Poise

Alice's poise in the face of impending disaster was legendary.

For a tour of post-modern circus performances, see Sophism Press

Edit: Indrani has posted a beautiful series of some elephants appearing in a Brazilian soap opera at ishare

Hommage

Spelled the French way cause that's how he'd want it. Just pulled out my copy of "Ascending Peculiarity" by Edward Gorey, a series of interviews, including his own interview of himself. I find reading this quite comforting and inspiring. What infinite variety he pulled from pen and ink!

Mouse Variations

Here are variations based my interpretations/mashups of the comments.

From Nao and herminbryn the mouse as a Gandhi-like wise man

From Eva ,flawsnall and Adam, the mouse as rebelling member of the proletariat.

From Rick, mouse as wife lecturing a loutish lion

From Indrani, Jude, and Frederik , the mouse as persuader/salesman (I have been watching Mad Men lately).

If any of my narrators would like a little 4 x 5 print of this, email me at smsanford (AT) lmiDOTnet with your choice of mouse - if you prefer the unadorned original, I can send that.

Mouse and Lion

Here's a story or fable of some sort...What is going on here? Any ideas? If anyone has a suggestion I can illustrate, I'll continue this story in tomorrow's post.

Edit: Now that I think about it...if you comment, and it's a suggestion I can execute, I'll illustrate it and send you a small (4 1/2" x 5") print of your idea if you . I'm thinking add-ons -

We'll have to work out the email/address thing if I don't have your address now. I'll do illustrations for the first six suggestions (there's one comment so far).

I may make this a regular feature. Work with me! C'mon, it'll be fun!

Spring Spirit 2/Ophelia

Here's my Ophelia...I haven't named her yet

Spring Spirit

A Spring spirit to go with other blooms:

At Gerdiary

At PinTangle

At Artsyville

At BellaSinclairDoodlespot

At TeatimeTraveller

Dramatis Personae: Wilbert Carms Hamilton

Wilbert Carms Hamilton somewhat resembles the English actor Robert Carlisle in his tense and barely contained energy and in his diminuitive stature. The latter frequently results in his being cast in supporting character roles rather than as leading man, however, his enormous versatility in these parts makes him him much sought after.

I have yet to name the lead actor in the post a couple of days ago who will be playing Hamlet, please let me know if you have any ideas.

Search and Rescue

James Antiques is on Telegraph near Alcatraz in Berkeley. It's an extraordinary environment, with many hidden treasures. Many of the components of my figurines come from here, and the owner, James Cross, has told me I can take some pictures here...I'm thinking the Scottish play, although I have a lot left to do on Hamlet and should concentrate on that. If anyone has any teeny tiny pieces of plaid that they want to see up on the virtual stage, let me know.

Dog and Pony

Do you ever get that feeling?

Hamlet in China

Here are components of Hamlet's costume and the actor being fitted . I took some photos with a black ruff around the neck and he wasn't working as Hamlet, so I decided he needed a more complete (less lazy) costume to work in the part . I looked on the web for toy theatres today, and found some quite wonderful things:

A video from Naomi Guss in Melbourne on how to make a toy theatre (parents - something to do on Spring break in the event of rain!).

A post about a toy theatre from a theatre director at Enchanted Revelry (Piaf advisory). A very upbeat blog, with sensibility to spare.

This remarkable work at Mike Healey's Artstore and Gallery (he takes commissions)

It is my intention to make a small printable theatre to download to promote this venture, but for now, I'd better get stitching. 

Cat Hamlet

For another serious feline, see WAS at Spiritcloth.

Royal Patron

...waiting for mine.

Economy Monster

Here is an illustration I just did for the East Bay Monthly for an article about handling finances during the current situation. It happened to coincide with this very helpful post on Elephants and Redwoods, most of which is a quotation for some very current thinking from 1932.

Something else I found helpful recently which I'd recommend to other artistic types trying to gain some focus for bloggers who are interested in marketing with integrity are these blogging tips on Superpunch. The site itself is recommended for those who like their cute with a dollop of creepy.

Stick on the beach in Portugal

Lucilia at Couve-de-Mar ( wonderful necklaces there, suggestive of sea-wrack) planted this stick on the Portugese shore when she and her twins went to play in the waves. I think this photo will be quite a tonic for people still dealing with the cold and storms of winter - thank you, Lucilia, for the lovely placement.

When Legends Collide

This week's Illlustration Friday submission (in haste -taking the cat to the vet).

Tribal

Just trying out the new camera - Here's an altered Barbie Doll that I made a couple of years back, she is wrapped for some kind of initiation ceremony.

My sister and I went to an undisclosed location yesterday to start shooting some stuff for the tiny production of Hamlet I'm planning. She's been visiting, off soon to do community service in Argentina, where she'll be staying briefly (not the community service part) at a hotel recommended by Bindu at Transient Lives. Did I mention that the blogosphere is great?

Who's Your Grandma?

Another role reversal...Little Red Riding Hood mashed up with the homicidal caped character in "Don't Look Now". Yup, it's a t-shirt

Just saw Coraline, very interesting take on the child-devouring mother. And what was with the posture of the male characters in that film? Has anyone else seen it? I haven't read the original story, but I suspect the film may have added quite a bit of juice....By the way, do NOT take small children to see more than the first hour...it gets rather disturbing.

Another Spring one

The force that through the green fuse drives the flower

Drives my green age; that blasts the roots of trees

Is my destroyer.

And I am dumb to tell the crooked rose

My youth is bent by the same wintry fever.

                    - Dylan Thomas, The Force That Through the Green Fuse Drives the Flower

One of my assemblages , inspired by the poem, which seems related to the season.

Dragonfly

Just what I was working on today...looks like a creature that might live in Moomin Valley, now that I look at it again.

Two oxen

The above ox comes to you (through me)  from Michael O'Connell, a designer/illustrator in Florida. I'm sending Michael the ox below .

Jake, he was a dancing ox

The only one in all the flocks:

His hooves determined to rejoice,

He danced because he had no choice.

Spring Forward

As another blogger (to whom I owe on ox) has reminded me, tonight is the night to set you clock ahead one hour.

Shakespeare playing pool

This is an illustration from a few years back that I altered a little for this post. I'm going to say that Shakespeare's plays involved intricate plotting, to legitimatize this as this week's IF entry. In searching "Shakespeare silly" on Google Blog Search, I found this: Wm. Shakespeare's Five and Twenty Random Things Abovt Me by Mike McPhaden, it's wonderful - recommended reading, especially for English Literature teachers.

Edit: It occurred to me that this looks like a particular play to me...what do you think?

Lady MacBeth?

I did this awhile back, it's actually the "No Mind" part of "No matter, never mind" duo, of which my friend Katherine has the other piece. She does look like she's up to something (what's behind her back?), so it could be Lady MacBeth. Katherine has just done me the honor of including a piece of mine in an essay about her collage favorites on Etsy. You can see her beautiful work on Etsy here .

Dramatis personae #1

Lance Raptor plays Claudius in the upcoming production of Hamlet. Frequently cast as a heavy, Lance spends the off-season reading his poetry in intimate venues and cooking gourmet vegan meals for his close friends. Just don't call him a Tyro!

Heart in Hand

...Or maybe it's a duck quacking words of love. In any case, it should probably say with apologies to Reya at Gold Puppy, a mistress of shadows. She has been considering the subject of romantic love, with much commentary from readers of her blog, in her last post and the one before that. Head on over there if you'd like to join the discussion, and to see some amazing light and shadows.
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Link to ongoing issue with posts appearing at sites other than at Artsparktheatre

Cows as Sculptors?

These aren't my photos, they were forwarded to me by friend Terry, who is keeping a low profile. Not only that, but the title to the post is also by him. I just couldn't pass up posting this (taken when there was a break in the rain here). Thanks, Terry! 

Edit: Terry says this is in Round Valley, a wonderful Park with shy cows in it that exists East of Mount Diablo.

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Link to ongoing issue with posts appearing at sites other than at Artsparktheatre

(Edit now it's appeared elsewhere)

Edit: Here's a silly thing I'll be putting in the etsy store later today. I've decided to do Hamlet as the first of the Shakepeare plays on the new blog (Actually it's only going to be illustrated quotes - Shakespeare for the short of attention span.). This guy could be a messenger, announcing that Rosencranz and Guildenstern are dead...Anyway, this next week, I'll be posting mostly storyboard kinds of things, and won't be shy about asking for feedback. Let me know if you have any favorite bits from that play - I have always liked the overwritten speech including the scary story that was not told, the hearing of which would:

"Make thy knotted and combined locks to part and stand on end,

Like Quills upon the fretful porpentine".

Original post below.

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If you are reading this post anywhere other than the original site, Artsparktheatre, it's because the webmaster of the site on which this appears (who I have twice asked to remove me from his feeds) has chosen to take entire blogs (including mine) in order to drive people to his google adwords. I have now reported the situation via Google's spam complaints, which you can reach here if you are having a similar problem: Spam Report  . You will need to sign in with your google password to access the form.

All subsequent posts to this will contain a link to this post until I cease to appear on the other site. If you have subscribed to the site in question, please consider dropping your subscription.

I'll try to post something more pleasant later today.