Opera Garnier - Paris - July 2012

Jacques Dupont - Costume du madarin for Turandot by Puccini - 1968:

Spent a couple of days in Paris before heading south to Les Soeurs Anglaises.  The highlights were a visit to the Opera Garnier (magnificent!) and the fabric and haberdashery shops at the foot of the Sacre Coeur.

My photos of the Grand Staircase didn't come out too well, so this is just one of the side staircases:

The Grand Foyer which runs along the front of the building:

The Loggia outside the Grand Foyer:

View from the centre of the loggia, looking straight down Rue de l'Opera (I now realise I don't have a photo of the front of the building itself):

The foyer at the top of the Grand Staircase (which was full of people posing for photos):

Marc Chagall ceiling in the auditorium and fabulous chandelier:

Horseshoe auditorium, entirely lined with boxes (apart from a few normal seats at the very top):

The stalls (note the 'proper' seats - no tilt-seats here!).  Even the carpet was plush red.  (The photo was taken from the other side of the auditorium, which is why the seats are facing the opposite direction.)  The rear rows looked very well raked and I think must be very good seats.

Trompe-l'oeil safety curtain:

One of the Rotunde rooms.  Two small circular rooms similarly decorated but one is the Sun (gold) and the other the Moon (silver with owls and bats painted on the ceiling).  This set of mirrors were almost perfectly parallel, so the infinity reflections were in straight line:

One of the small stage models in the museum.  The sense of distance created by the various backdrops was amazing.

There was a display of some ballet and opera costumes.  This one included the King Rat headdress from The Nutcracker:

The Opera House's website has a virtual visit which has far better pictures than mine!   http://www.operadeparis.fr/en/L_Opera/Palais_Garnier/visite_virtuelle.php

There was also an exhibition of costume designs:

Jacques Dupont - Costume du mandarin for Turandot de Puccini, 1968 (these were done as 'ink blots' so were symmetrical):

I liked the wallpaper so much I took some close-ups.  The trees look like they're been drawn with a marker pen:

Jurgen Rose - Costume des filles-fleurs pour Parsifal de Wagner, 1973:

Christian Lacroix - Costume pour une danseuse pour Les Anges ternis, ballet de Karole Armitage, 1987:

Michael Levine - Costume d'Olympia pour Les Contes d'Hoffmann d'Offenbach, 2000:

Herve Pierre - Costume de la huitieme fille pour Le Parc, ballet d'Angelin Preljocaj, 1994:

Bernard Dayde - Costume des sept filles avec Thesee pour Bacchus et Ariane, ballet de Michel Descombey, 1967:

Mauro Pagano - Costumes du choeur des furies pour Iphigenie en Tauride de Gluck, 1984 (these were scary - very suitable for Dr Who!):

Franca Squarciapino - Costume du rajah et due brahmane pour La Bayadere, ballet de Rudolph Noureev (d'apres Marius Petipa), 1992:

Jean Sardy - Costume du sorcier pour L'Apprenti sorcier, ballet de Norbert Schmucki, 1973:

Julie Arkell - Les Soeurs Anglaises - July 2012

Just returned from the Julie Arkell workshop at Les Soeurs Anglaises in south-west France.  Another fantastic workshop hosted by Katie et al!  Still adjusting back to London life after spending a week with the singing Australians, charming Californians, Claire with the Fair Hair, and an undertaker.  The theme was Summer Fetes and Puppet Shows, so we did flower brooches, bunting, and puppets.  I started all three but then concentrated on the flowers so I could steal Julie's ideas be inspired by Julie's flowers while I had the opportunity.

The flower on the right was my first (named Flower of Frankenstein because of the appalling stitching); the 'poppy' on the left was my second attempt (made with fabric from an old duvet cover bought at Riberac market); and the daisy in the middle was the third.  I don't have photos of my bunting so here are other peoples':

The puppets were great, especially Susan's baker and wedding cake, which should be on display at the Solvang Bakery in California sometime soon:

Have just discovered how easy it is to upload photos, so here's my first: Bressay lighthouse in Shetland, with the ferry from Aberdeen in the background.  I stayed in the lighthouse keepers' cottages in April 2012 for Rachel Hazell's Extraordinary Expandable Sketchbook Journal workshop, and what a great time we had.

My book is, of course, still not finished.

Managed to use 3 tags as a miniature 'book', photo corners, mini brads, and Orla Kiely giftwrap (which I love Love LOVE) for a homemade envelope.  Disappointingly I used hardly any washi tape - what am I going to do with it all?!  Not that I learnt my lesson, as I bought two more rolls from the Peerie Giftshop in Lerwick after the workshop had finished.

I arrived on (or should that be 'in') Shetland a few days before the workshop started.  A visit to Jarlshof and Sumburgh Head provided lots of lichen photo opportunities, and some beautiful weathered paint and metal at Sumburgh Head lighthouse.