Backstage at the Gershwin Theatre in NYC

When my friend Lynn said she knew someone who would give us a backstage tour of the Gershwin Theatre before the first showing of Wicked, I told her to count me in.

 To be on the actual stage an hour before the show was amazing. There was so much to see in so little time.

This carriage was suspended above the stage when I snapped the photo. During the performance, it's the carriage that Fiyero rode in on during the first act.

This was the "bubble" that Glinda, the good witch, used throughout the show.

 

 All of the elements in the show had a steam punk look to them. There were gadgets and gears everywhere.

 ~ The Great Oz ~

~ The wig room ~

These are the masks for the flying monkeys. The mask with the horns on the bottom, right-hand shelf is the mask worn by the character, Dr. Dillamond, the goat.

 This gentleman demonstrated how he makes a wig using real hair.

I couldn't get enough of these flying monkey masks. The wire hair is very creepy. Notice the subtle shading and color tones in each of these masks.

One of the stage hands mentioned that he uses a laundry basket to transport the masks to the dressing rooms.

~ Wigs ~

 

~ Flying Monkey ~

 

~ Wicked ~

 ~ Broadway ~

We lucked out with mild weather in New York City. It was slightly overcast, but at least it didn't rain in the city.

A Day in The Catskills

What a beautiful day for a junking trip in the Catskill Mountains! On our way back from Monticello, New York, I spotted an observation deck overlooking the mountains between New York and Pennsylvania. The view was spectacular.

 

This scenic location is located in Port Jervis, New York.

 

~ A view of small-town America ~

Bird's Eye View of the 2012 Bloomsburg Fair

This year we had the opportunity to see the Bloomsburg Fair from a new perspective. One might say we had a bird's eye view taking it all in from above. With this vantage point, I captured many usual sights from different angles. In particular, I enjoyed seeing the unique patterns on each of the tents.

 Here's an excellent example of the complementary colors blue and orange at work in advertising.

I often wonder what waits for thrill seekers inside these crazy tents. I don't like rodents, so I wouldn't waste my money. When referring to the word giant, I wonder if the giant rat would give a New York City rat a run for the money.

~ Colors, colors, and more colors ~

Painting Project Near Completion

We're almost done painting the grotto at St. Leo's Church. The picture above shows the fountain rocks before we added green paint to depict moss.

Here you see what the fountain rocks look like with a touch of green paint.

I used a mixture of light green, sap green, yellow, and burnt umber for the moss. I diluted the mixture with some water and placed it over the rocks so as not to take away from the color of the rocks.

 I'm pleased with the results, and I can't wait to see the fountain when the water's running.

This small door, which covers the sacraments, is above the altar in the grotto. The door is metal, so I suggested that they remove it and use some gold spray paint to cover it. Then I'll use a bit of black enamel to highlight some of the raised areas on the design.