Working It

The "Workshop" went okay, let's just say "lessons learned." I could feel that people were disappointed that they didn't get to actually play with any Jell-O. You have to blame the RG for that, as I never said anything about participation like the normal expectation of a workshop. In fact, I said I couldn't do that. I wish I would have insisted that it not be called a workshop, but maybe a salon or something. It was kind of an exhibition, with a lot to look at, but the set-up didn't work for that as most people had to sit and listen to me pontificate until they got restless and snuck out. I wanted to call it "Ask the Queen" but you know how that whole Queen persona goes over. (I see you rolling your eyes!)

I tried to show why we couldn't make it there, but that didn't really transmit. I mean, if we were all going to make what I call "Wet Jell-O," the jiggly kind, we would need a wall of refrigerators and an intermission of about 4-6 hours to let it jell. It could be done in two days, but the first day would take about ten minutes while we all stirred the powder into the water. So a jiggle workshop could be done, but over a few days. There will never be a time when I have an extra few days before the Jell-O Art Show.

We're deep into rehearsals, meeting three times this week and two last week to finetune our lines, our songs, our harmonies, and our props and actions. This takes a surprising amount of organization, rewriting the scripts and lyric sheets according to what is decided at each meeting. And we all have to get our costumes together, two or three for the Queen. I usually build on existing costumes but this year I had to start from scratch for one and I'm still not ready. Plus I needed a costume for the workshop.

And I have to make a few props, even though I handed over the set job this year, which I usually love to do but takes several weeks and a lot more room than I currently have in this livingroom full of archives. The ones I am making are fun as can be but also still need to be finished.

I had to dust all the pieces I took to the gallery, and my plan was to leave them there for this weekend, but that turned out to not be a great idea since they have spring break camp and we weren't even in the main gallery. So I will take a different set on Saturday, maybe. Since I don't need examples to teach from, that works. And then my car wouldn't start and I had to ask the neighbor to jump it. (It's fine now, but I almost broke it. I probably should stick to biking.)

I took a lot of headpieces to show the amazing variety but a few people wanted to buy them and I hadn't planned ahead for that. I am not the best at making decisions on the fly so it's best if I leave the ones home that I don't want to let go of. I looked through them today and I do have a few I can sell, but of course now it doesn't seem like enough so I decided about an hour ago to make some more.

I brought some bright yellow gelatin to the show to illustrate the ways you can manipulate it while it is drying, but didn't really get to spend much time on that, so I felt my demo was minimal and not very satisfying. There were some good questions, so thank you to those who were thinking about what they needed to know! I had hoped it would be mostly questions, but of course you have to have some background to ask things.

Some did. I saw quite a few of the regular Jell-O Show attendees there, and I know they wanted a much richer experience. I feel like I want to just keep making excuses. Being a Queen trying to serve my adoring public is really a hard role to play. I disappoint myself if I can't please people.

So next year (of course they want me to do it again next year) I will have to come up with an entirely new plan. Somehow I will have to set people up to make something they can take home. Something simple, maybe, like a flower or another type of object that is a mix of fantasy and representation. A still life. I have a year to think about it.

But today, I have to ramp up my speed and get more things on my list accomplished! I have enough nice pieces to make dozens of flowers but that would be kind of crazy, and anyway I gave away 60 of them last year for the 30th. That was then! I also made and gave away participation awards but that can't happen in this time frame either.

So this year it is up to you. You still have time! Make some Jell-O. I heard it was on sale this week so go ahead and make some Jigglers or find something to use for a mold and make something silly with it. Use my instructions (about 3 oz gelatin per cup of water, mix in cold water, let bloom for 10 min, melt in the microwave for 1 minute at a time, don't let it boil, be careful not to get it on you) and make something out of dried gelatin. Just glue the pieces together with the molten gelatin. Then hold them or clamp them for about 90 seconds and let them dry for a couple of hours.

Just make a start at it, make a beginning. That is what jenesis is all about, jenerating some joy.

You're on your own! I'm busy! See you Saturday at the Jell-O Art Show!