You may have wondered why I took a writing break…
I have always enjoyed life at a frantic pace, zipping from one project to another with brief respites in between. At college, I was compared to a hummingbird on crack. Now, I am more like an over-caffeinated bumble bee.
I frequently wonder if my life’s theme is “damage control.” Although, I always plan ahead, preparing for any obstacle that may come my way. Last fall, I anticipated the brewing of a perfect storm – a tropical depression that had the potential to develop into a hurricane. My parents were battling several health issues at the time. I became hesitant to schedule any extended out-of-state projects until everything was under control. I delayed international projects and accepted “in-state” projects in their stead.
I gave myself a six-month window (Dec. 2021 to May 2022) to “wait in the wings” – just in case my help was needed at home. Thank goodness I decided to stick close by… In the past two months, my mother, father, and mother-in-law, have all visited the ER. I am glad that I listened to my intuitive hunch. I started writing this post in the hospital today, as we waited for more test results for my mother-in-law.
In addition to battling the geriatric health care system, I also juggled several work projects. Two of which included scenic designs for Haymarket Opera Company’s “L’amant anonyme” (Chicago, opened June 17) and Opera Louisiane’s “Tales of Hoffman” (Baton Rouge, opening tomorrow – June 24).
Fortunately, I only had to build and paint the scenery for “L’amant anonyme,” as “Tales of Hoffman” was constructed and painted by the New Orleans Opera shop in March 2020. As with many other 2020 shows “Tales of Hoffman” was cancelled and recently slotted for a new venue. Unfortunately, changing venues mid-stream is never easy. I am thankful that the same scenic artist for Hoffman, Nathan Arthur, was still on board.
By the end of April this spring, I began painting scenery for “L’amant anonyme” with traditional materials and historic painting methodology. Distemper painting (dry pigment paste and diluted hide glue) is extremely therapeutic – at least for me. Painting to classical music helps me find my center, and frequently lowers my own blood pressure. Who knew?
Although the set-up is painstakingly slow, the scenic art speed and fast dry time makes up for any slow start. I rented the motorized paint frame at Hamline University in St. Paul, Minnesota. All told, was on site a total of 18 days. My first day on site included the load-in and set-up of the space. The second day was setting up my wet palette, making size, and positioning the first three pieces. By the third day, it was off the races.
I had a total of three borders (5’x36’), six wings(18’hx18’w), one backdrop (18’hx24’w), and four profile pieces (4’-0” x 5’-6”) to paint. It was the combination of the subject matter (foliage and draperies) and traditional painting methods that made everything go lighting fast.
In eleven days, I completed three borders, six wings and a backdrop, before loading out of the space; there was another rental in for a week. I returned a few weeks later for a few days to load-in, paint, and load-out the four profile pieces (two trees and two statues).
Keep in mind that I had also painted the model with distemper paint – so I knew the color combinations that I was aiming for…
Nothing like practicing when everything is small and manageable. It was also my own design, so I wasn’t laboring over “getting it perfect” for someone else. I was able to take a few liberties, ones that you can seldom do when it is someone else’s design, unless they really, really, trust your instincts. By the way, everything was designed to be easily transported from Minneapolis to Chicago in our SUV. This design also marks the first of Haymarket Opera Company’s stock scenery collection.
I worked closely with the Lighting Designer, Brian Schneider, for both productions. Thankfully, we speak the same language. Translucencies were incorporated into both designs – but very differently. “Tales of Hoffman” utilized both backlighting and projections to indicate a time-travel theme (1880s, 1920s and 1960s).
“L’amant anonyme,” however, was an 18th century period-inspired design. I used a combination of transparent washes and opaque washes, while incorporating Jean Honore Fragonard’s color palette from his painting, “The Swing.” The highly saturated dry pigments are perfect for scenic art translucencies. As I worked on tree trunks and foliage, their increased areas of opacity helped accentuate the transparent areas of sky and foliage. The scene was intended to glow and accentuate Stephanie Cluggish’s costumes.
The show opened with a wonderful review in the “Chicago Times” that reported, “Commitment to period-appropriate details like those shaky yet era-specific natural horns – is an unalienable Haymarket signature. It’s also behind some of the more mouth-wateringly sumptuous details in this “L’Amant anonyme,” like Wendy Waszut-Barrett’s awe-inspiring hand-painted sets and Stephanie Cluggish’s intricate costuming, perched at the intersection of historical fidelity and whimsy.”
My next Haymarket Opera Co. project is Monteverdi’s “L’incoronazione di Poppea.” It opens in September.
