Saturday, January 28, 2012

Cheshire Rock Opera, Metro Opera House, 2012






More pictures!

COV Performance at Metro Opera House in Oakland, Cheshire Rock Opera



                                                    Metro Opera House, Elise and Therese, 2012


Last night, my new all-women’s choir, COV, performed at the Metro Opera House in Oakland.  All of us wore a costume related to Alice in Wonderland.  The sopranos were the “spades” and my choir director, Joyce McBride, let some of us come dressed as a special character.  My costume made out of satin for Halloween was perfect for the Red Queen.   I researched it and found that she wears blue eye shadow and a red heart on her lips.  So, when I was putting on makeup, I looked for some red lipstick, but I didn’t have any so I used Crimson nail polish instead.   Since I didn’t have red hair, I whipped up the hat, using one of my furry winter hats and leftover fabric scraps from making my dress.  My husband, dressed as a pirate in the costume I made for him, took these pictures of my new friends and me.  The lights gave them a strange glow!

Sunday, January 22, 2012

Standing Free, acrylic, 7' x 10', 2012

New Direction in Painting Horses

I have dreamt of painting life-sized horses since I can remember! Yesterday at O'Hanlon Center For the Arts, I stapled a used bed sheet (found in my friend's FREE box on her boat dock in Sausalito) across the wall, mixed gesso with pthalo blue acrylic paint and with two big brushes in hand, simultaneously, I painted the "stage" for the "actors", my beloved wild ponies, who run free in Camargue, France. These horses are the ancestors of Napoleons herd, and are well-built and highly intelligent. For me, they embody Spirit with the beauty, freedom and determination that runs through my veins!


Elise Cheval