PRISCILLA QUEEN OF THE DESERT

So about two weeks ago, I had the opportunity of attending the opening of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, the musical. And I have to say it was absolutely AMAZING!... the costuming, the dancing and obviously the music, just awesome.

I had seen the film, from which the stage version was adapted, years ago. I might have been in high school as I recall... yikes- So it's definitely been a hot minute since I was familiar with the plot, characters etc. The other night, out of boredom, I decided to revisit the original 1994 release, and was pleasantly surprised! The story was incredible- it's no wonder that they decided to do a stage version of this tranny trek through the desert-the only question is why it took so long? The screen to stage adaption really did the film justice. There was an obvious attempt to keep true to the story and characters while making it revenant enough to a younger audeince by replacing ABBA references with the queen of re-invention- Madonna.
Other than the aforementioned, the plot translation from screen to stage, even with the obstacle of the fourth cast member- the bus- seemed flawless and on point. What a marvel of set ingenuity.
The play really monopolizes on key sequences in the story where one would expect a musical number and effectively interjects them, enriching the overall story telling experience.
The nuances of the stage characters as mirroring their screen counter parts was impeccable- from Ticks trepidatious attitude, to Felicia's exuberant and boisterous swagger to Bernadette's wistful and contemplative demeanour. These traits were not only exhibited in effective acting and convincing dialogue, but were re-inforced in the way the actors would move and perform the musical numbers on stage-it was all encompassing.
The music itself was fun and playful. I mean when referencing disco, funk and 90's hits- how could it not be??? The costuming- lets not even talk about it. Gorgeous... just gorgeous. The show is about drag queens... just imagine what you might expect and multiply it by at least 10. The costumes aren't afraid to be over the top, literal translations in the most interesting way. Example- in the scene where the cast members start painting the bus and they brake into 'Colour My World' by Petula Clark- those back up dancer bitches show up in dresses that mimic the silhouette of giant paint brushes... Genius!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vKK1vTIEj9s
Loved it soooo much. It rekindled my affection for the movie... colourful, vibrant, delicious. What more is there to say.

PART-TIME

So, it's official. I will be reducing my hours at my current place of employment to a part-time capacity starting November 1st. I'm super excited about this. I'm really going to have the opportunity to refocus my energies and expertise back on my art. Obviously, I'm a little nervous and anxious, but this is going to open up so many opportunities and freedoms for me. I mean, I'm turning 29, if I don't take advantage of this time, when will I ever do it?!? and I know I'll just be kicking myself if I don't try out of fear. I'm young, I'm talented and I have no ties or obligations- the time is NOW!
Wish me Luck.

I've Been Asked to Show!

The neighbourhood I live in is home to a slew of great cafés and restaurants that I often frequent. They all have the most wonderful ambience and atmosphere bewitching on to eat, drink and spend money! Recently I approached one restaurant in particular about using their space to showcase some of my art. After reviewing my portfolio, they graciously extended themselves to me, requesting my work to adorn their stylish walls.How excited am I?

The Rushton, is a hip and well designed restaurant situated on St.Clair West, with great food, and a beautiful aesthetic. My work is gonna look awesome in that space. The Show has been slotted for March 2011.  

http://www.therushton.com/index.php

Squingy Bitch Takes a Tumble

So I promised myself that during my two days off I was going to work on Squingy Bitch. I did, but definitely not as much as I would have liked. I'm trying out a couple of different techniques for the production of the Squingy Bitch Series. In this image, I've used a style that you might be familiar with- it looks a lot like my drawings found under the design portion of my blog.  

Now, I like this look, but it takes a REALLY long time to do. I'm still feeling the look of the other colour composites I did... the ones that I posted earlier. What I think I need to do is refine the drawing first before taking it to colour- which means there will be an extra drawing step that will go to final. The refinement will not come digitally but through the drawing process, then colour will simply be layered on top.
Ya, I think that might work... 

Commisson!

So I've been working on a commission for my friend Heather, and I'm gaging over it. Here it is.

48" X  48"
(this shitty picture does NOT do this piece justice!)

She requested a yellow colour scheme, and the composition for the piece just came to me. I almost hate to sell it. I'm kinda obsessed with it....

Hope you guys like it... I hope Heather does too.

48x48...GOD THAT'S BIG.

So, I've got my first painted commission, and boy is it a big one! A friend of mine named Heather is the first person to request an abstract piece and I couldn't be more excited to start. Her request was for something 50x50, but I couldn't find a pre-fab canvas stretched to that size... what's an extra 2 inches squared anyway...

I awkwardly shlepped the canvas home and I'm ready to start. AMAZING!

Nuit Blanche 2010

Nuit Blanche... more like they should start over Carte Blanche...
Now, I'm not trying to be a bitch about it, but for the last few years I've been all excited to discover art, installations and fun in the city on this faithful night with no avail. I mean, what's going on Toronto?
So, that night my friend and I decided to explore Zone B ( Yonge-Dundas and surrounding areas) because it had the largest concentration of Exhibits and Independent Projects on display... or so it seemed.


I have to say, people really seem enthusiastic about getting out and experiencing art and one another... I mean mass mobs don't lie...but every year I just feel like something is missing.

My friend and I traversed Yonge-Dundas Square, City Hall and surrounding areas... What a load of pretentious crap. What a waste of potential. Nothing is ever clearly labelled or charted out... I spent most of my time speaking to people about where things were supposed to be rather then viewing the exhibits themselves.

Now what I DID come across had the raw elements of being quite powerful or engaging, but fell short in leu of pomposity... I'm OVER IT!

Ultimately, most people that come out to Nuit Blanche are just looking to have a good time ALL night long.
Some of them might have an understanding of conceptual art, but most of them just appreciate art and wanna have some fun!
The most successful Exhibit I saw that night, and that I've seen since the conception of this Event in  Toronto was put on by Chevrolet, believe it or not. The Chevrolet CRUZEremix experience. 
They commandeered a parking lot between City Hall and University Ave and fitted it with a test driving track and elevated DJ both.

The concept here was that you would test drive these Chevrolet cars in what looked like a grown-up go-cart track; your facial expression and comments would be recorded from within the car and displayed on a big screen behind the DJ both while your comments where then mixed with the House music the DJ was spinning... Genius!
Not only are you engaged with the art, but you become the art.
Lastly the music was so fierce, that people kept coming in waves to join this impromptu party and it became a huge dance session.

Mobs of people dancing, laughing and having a great time in a parking lot in the middle of downtown Toronto... Now THAT'S what it SHOULD look like!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OkNkUB8Wo7A&feature=channel