Concerts and Recitals -- A Love Hate Relationship

 

   As a pianist, I have been in my fair share of recitals and concerts.  While some people love being in the spotlight it is not my favorite thing. Now, I watch my students, preparing for a recital and it brings me back to when I was a student.  I absolutely hated playing in front of people back then, I'm not even sure how my parents and my teachers got me to actually do it.  I would have to say that not a lot has changed since back then accept that I have many, many more performances under my belt.  But it gives me insight into my students that struggle with the same thing.
       Well, Christmas as you can imagine, is a busy time of year for me.  Now, after last Christmas, I said, no more Christmas concerts!!!  It is just too much work, too exhausting, too stressful.  Well, of course, by midyear, I have forgotten all about the work, exhaustion, and stress and want to start planning a Christmas concert.  It's like breaking up with someone and a few months later, getting back together with them.  How can we only remember the good parts and somehow forget all the bad parts??  How do our brains completely misplace all the unpleasant memories??  Well, somehow it does, and onto the planning stages of the concert I go.
     This year I have decided to play the accompaniment for ALL the music for the concert.  In previous years we have used some background music for parts of the concert, but after viewing the videos, I am not happy with the result.  This may seem a bit self destructive considering I am also producing, singing and dancing in this concert, but with no turning back, I plunge head first into it.  September turns to December and I THEN remember how busy I get during the holidays, but I can't turn back now, Christmas is just a few short weeks away.
     The day is finally here, and of course I barely slept last night with all the things I have to try to remember.  Dress rehearsal goes smoothly, and I am excited to see my vision come to fruition. view dance video  Despite all my worries and fears and sleepless nights the concert goes beautifully.  Everyone does a superb job and it is well attended.  I couldn't have asked for anything better.  And now that the holidays are over I can relax and breath and plan my next recital.  LOL
www.pianobycheri.com picture below is a still life I did "Concert Prep" Music is Love in Search of a Word

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New Challenge

      Well, my art teacher Doris Rice gave us a big challenge this week, a still life with multiple items and textures.  So we have spent the last couple weeks learning to do different textures and now for the real test -- a full blown still life.  So I spent a week racking my brain as to what to bring from home to create my still life.  What to use, what to use??  I didn't want to do a bowl of fruit with a tablecloth, too boring.  I could do a picture of my dog, but what would I put with it?? Hmmm, maybe a martini glass with a mask and beads, a Mardi Gras still life, no, that's not really me.  Maybe one of my scarves, with a pair of boots? No, again too boring.
   

 And then, I finally got it!!  I have tons of old music, why not use that?? Ok, so now, what do I put with old music.  An old plaque with a music saying, yup that works, but what else?  A musical instrument would be nice but all of mine are too big.  Oooh, what about a pair of my fingerless gloves? Oh, and pearls and a flower.  Ok, I'm on a roll now.  All I have to do is arrange it in a way that looks awesome.  Well, now, that is easier said than done.  It took me 40 minutes of arranging and rearranging and taking pictures of them, and the help of another set of eyes to finally decide on one that I really liked. 

  Phew!!! That's over, well, I thought that was the hard part, wrong!!!  That was the easy part.  I bring my selections to class, set them up and think I should get my pencil drawing done of them this week, and can paint it next week.  HaHaHa!  Doris, had other plans.  She gave us all a sharpie and a cheep piece of watercolor paper.  Do a contour drawing in sharpie, she says.   OMG, are you kidding me??? I think I must of held my breath the entire time!  Just knowing that you can't erase it is enough to give you heart palpitations.  I guess, that is why its art CLASS.  I get half way through it and I think, Why did I select so many damn items?!!  But I finally finish the sharpie drawing and of course it looks awful.  But now we have to put in some of the color to make sure we are going to like the end product.  This is our "study" to make sure we really like what we are doing for a still life, to make sure everything is where we want it, to find out what background looks good with it, etc...  Oh, man, I think we were all glad when that class was over!

     So, next week, I get to actually paint this still life, and hopefully it comes out better than my "study" did!!
To see my art visit me on Etsy or on my website
pianobycheri.com

Holiday Sale!

    Well, I'm back, I know it's been a while since I've posted but hopefully I have worked it into my schedule, and will be posting at least once a week.  So, to get you caught up on how my hours have been spent the last couple months.  I have taken my art and decided to run with it, ok, maybe not literally run with it.  Although that may be an advertising option!  I have put it on www.etsy.com/shop/artbycheri and have been renting tables at craft fairs this fall.

     For those of you that don't know, a couple years ago, I could not do watercolor for the life of me.  Like a lot of people, I was drawn to it, but could not paint it.  So, I signed up for Kittery Adult Ed watercolor class.  http://kittery.maineadulted.org/  Well, my teacher, Doris Rice, was amazing, patient, encouraging (even though I was horrible at it for a while) and I just fell in love with how she taught.  http://dorisrice.com/  I have since taken several of her classes and am currently in one right now actually, through Kittery Adult Ed.  The current class I'm in allowed me to bring in all my cards that I have for sale and show Doris.  I was so thrilled to do show and tell with my teacher, you would have thought I was in school again.  LOL  Well, she loved them and she used them to give examples to the class, how to save the whites of the paper, doing birch trees, doing poked evergreen trees, etc.  I couldn't have been happier, I was like a proud puppy dog!
     Anyway, besides taking class, I have been out and about trying to sell my art.  Well, let me tell you, it is not an easy market out there.  I have been to a craft fair every Sat. since the first Sat. in November and I have to say, it is starting to wear on me.  I have done well at two of them, because I saw several people I knew at them, and bless their hearts, purchased from me.  But I'm beginning to think that cards may not be the best way to get my art out there.  So this weekend I decided to do some brain storming.  What can I put art on that will sell??  How can I get my art to be irresistible?? What are people buying??  Well, I don't know if I was able to answer all of them, but I did a little research and found out the top selling items at craft fairs are jewelry.  The top selling items on Etsy.com are jewelry.
   www.pianobycheri.com

 Ok, so people are buying jewelry, how does that help me, I paint watercolor.  Think, think, think.  Well, with a lot of thinking, and a little research, I found a way to get my watercolor art in the form of earrings. I am taking them to the craft fair this weekend to see what the reaction will be to them.    Now, I'm still experimenting with them, so you won't find them in my etsy store yet, but if you really want a pair, email me and I can mail them to you.
     Also, if you are looking for holiday cards and like my style of painting.  I am having a sale on my etsy store.  Use coupon code HOLIDAYSPECIAL2013 to save 13% on your entire purchase.  www.etsy.com/shop/artbycheri