Cassandra Phillips: Scenic Artist
 
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After the outdoor season opened here at OSF, the rest of the season began to FLY by!  

We painted a beautiful deck for "The Liquid Plain"  a new work by Naomi Wallace for our thrust stage that transports the audience to the docks of lat 18th century Rhode Island (Scenic Design by Brenda Davis).

We painted another new work "The Tenth Muse" for our giant Bowmer stage.  Discussing the works and life of poet, playwright and nun Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz, Richard Hay designed an imposing stone chapel-like structure.  

After my OSF season concluded, I flew down to Southern Utah to spend the Fall Season at Utah Shakespeare Festival, an old favorite of mine.  I had the opportunity to work with Jo Winiarski once again (Scenic Designer: OSF's Taming of the Shrew) for a glitter-ific version of "The Marvelous Wonderettes!" and a beautiful marble "Richard II."

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So many fantastic projects have come my way these past few months!  First, for "The Liquid Plain,"  I painted a 7'x5' acrylic reproduction of Nicolas Poussin's "Et In Arcadia Ego,"  originally in oil and 35 by 47 inches.  

Many challenges arise from a project like this, and overcoming them is what makes our job so much fun! 
First, all that beautiful blending of the fleshtones can be easily done in oil, but acrylic dries so fast, even with medium, and glazes do not give the same effect.  I had to work very quickly.  Secondly, many scenic artists out there can commiserate on the difficulties of blowing up such a small piece.  Little discrepancies not noticed in something so small become obvious when they become large.  I had to correct these inconsistencies and make the figures look natural without compromising the artists original style.  
Last but not least, the time deadline.  This piece took me about two weeks to complete.  

In the slideshow below shows a few process shots as well as the original image.  I didn't fuss too much about making them look absolutely identical, as the designer asked the piece to be HEAVILY aged.  

The day I added the finishing stroke, the piece was cut.  So I donated it to be sold at the fundraiser, the Deadalus Project, supporting people who are living with HIV and AIDS in the Rogue Valley.  
Working on the decking for "Liquid Plain" was also lots of fun.  It involved carving, covering sono-tube, adding layers and layers of texture, and turned out beautifully.  In the following video, Pappy talks a little about our process:



Here's a great shot of the pylons and the deck once finished.  

Pappy even made sure we added seagull poop to some of the pieces for an ultra real effect. 

and yes, that is a hard wood floor painted (by Lead Scenic Thayne Abraham) to look like black water washing up on a sandy beach.  
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One of my favorite  kinds of projects is foam carving.  I LOVE to think three-dimensionally.  This Fall, at the Utah Shakes Fest, I had the opportunity to carve a cartuche of the High School Mascot for "Marvelous Wonderettes,"  a chipmunk! 
We started with this source material, and scenic artist Liv Joyce painted the medallion pictured left.  However, upon further contemplation, Jo Winiarski asked the piece to be carved in relief, and I was more than happy to oblige!

All finished!  I give you "Chives" the Chipmunk!
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Oh yeah, also, I learned to weld-
How awesome is that?!?

Scenery Director Aaron Wilson gave the scenics a little class.  That's him in the pics below patiently explaining the basics and letting us practice as much as we want.  

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There have been so many other great projects and memories and friends!  
I hate to glaze over them, but today I start a new season, my third, back at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, and can't wait to dive in feet first!  
So here's a little gallery of some of the cool and fun things I've gotten to do and work on over the last few months.  

Many thanks to Michelle Fullerton, the awesome Scenic Charge Artist of the Utah Shakespeare Festival, and to Scenic Artist Live Joyce, for the fun times, and the teamwork through the tough ones. You've both made this Fall a great one! 


Cassandra Phillips: Scenic Artist