DIPPED TO PERFECTION:: sarah

I have been working on my performance for the upcoming Venus Uprising show: Cult of Myth, April 25-26. I love participating in big theater shows like this one. It provides a play space to create something really special. I jumped into this show with both feet in - lots of big exciting ideas. I remind myself that with all the effort and creative ideas, granted, there is no guarantee that it will be a “hit”. That is the risk any artist takes. That risk opens the door for a flop and for unequaled greatness to occur. I am happy to take that challenge.

I acquired white veils. Seeing the white white next to the opalescent color of the rich creamy pearls of my Salome costume, I could not bear it. I became determined that I needed off white veils. I went on the message boards and sent emails to dye companies asking how does one dye off white. Many responded by saying I needed to do a complicated mix of different dye color chemicals that would then vary on how much I was dying to achieve an off white color. Somehow, I got the idea to use tea. What better way to bring my costume back in time by using a natural old school way of dyeing. I spent the other day dyeing my veils as well as another skirt option for the costume. As I sat there for hours steeping and dipping my silk to just the right color I questioned my sanity. Who cares what color white my veil is? Is it really worth hours and hours of my time? And I suppose if I purely looked at the project as cost and effect, the hours devoted to the perfect shade of silk would not be economical. But as an artist, the perfect candle light cream veil will compliment the glory of my pearl encrusted costume.

The next day I drove for miles to meet up with Pete Auslan who is a sound engineer for many famous stars. He had just completed a 52 hour hellish work binder yet opened his door to me with a smile. I plopped down my little pieces of music from here and there and he chopped and hacked away with the ease of an ice skater. I wanted a knock at the door and was stressed about how to achieve that. As the words of what I wanted came out of my mouth, he pulled out a microphone and put it next to a door and said "knock". And moments later, my piece had a knock at the door added on. I also needed to add on a percussion piece of music that Kazuki created just for this piece among other things.

I had always known that Kozuru-Salifoska was a talented drummer. I worked on her new CD cover with her. I was so excited by her music and enthusiasm for recording that I asked her if she would work on this project with me. I learned that among her many positive attributes she is also an absolute joy to work on a project with.

As I work on this Salome project, fussing with perfection, I realize once again, how much time everything takes. And that big things can never get done alone. Being that things take so much- it is amazing that anything gets off the ground. But I suppose that once it goes gloriously live, that all the exhaustion of creating it will pale away and be forgotten. And the next project will be begun before the realization that once again there is a pile of things to be dipped to perfection before one can go to sleep for the night.

Send luck to complete the remaining details for the show next week.