Total Art Soul - for artists

I have always been a slow worker, methodical and careful with whatever task I take on. Therefore my latest project has been some time coming, but I'm finally at the stage where I can start talking about it.

As I've been a member of a local amateur dramatic society for the past 20 years, and actively involved in the running of said society, I have often thought about holding an art exhibition at the theatre. However, I have never held one previously because I'm not sure the venue is right for an art exhibition as such. In September I began seriously re-thinking my idea. I needed a theme. I also needed a date to work towards, otherwise I would just keep on thinking the idea rather than getting on with it.

Whilst I was creating a treasury on Etsy, I suddenly thought "I wonder how many people in Hull, East Yorkshire are actually crafters on here". So I did a search for all the "Local Shops" and added each one to my list of favourite shops, also sending them a message to say I'd done so and how we should support each other. I got replies from most of them eventually, and bit by bit my idea has developed into a definite plan - although I have to admit it has been spurred on by another local event which I believe we will mutually benefit from. The church in Bilton, St. Peter's, is hosting a Christmas Tree Festival on the weekend of 4th & 5th December, and on Sunday 12th December. Bilton Amateur Dramatic Society have been invited to decorate a tree based on the theme of our organisation. I will be largely responsible for this, so I thought it was a good idea to hold a Christmas Craft Fair at our theatre on the same weekend - 4th & 5th December. We happen to have 6 tables under the stage area that are 6ft by 2ft trestle tables, which we will be hiring out to "Local" Etsy sellers. So far I have got at least 4 other artisans joining me and I am currently creating booking forms, conditions and posters etc.  I will update you as and when I get replies from everyone I have contacted, but for now I just thought I'd share my latest project as it will ensure I forge ahead with it! Also, I'm learning how the ideas pop up the more I plan it - I am hoping one or two exhibitors will do a demonstration of their work on the day, too.

Full details to follow

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As I think I've probably mentioned elsewhere previously, it's interesting how often I discover that artistic friends are more inclined to have a pet cat or just like cats than non-arty friends. I have always adored cats, can't imagine my life without actually owning one or two, and I make a bee-line for them wherever I see one.

I remember having to recite a poem as part of my drama lesson when I was about 12 - normally I wasn't that interested in reciting poetry, but this one involved cats and made me smile, so I thought I'd bring back those memories and try and get some photos to accompany it. I'm sure all cat owners will agree it's certainly true!

Cats sleep anywhere, any table, any chair.
Top of piano, window-ledge, in the middle, on the edge.
Open draw, empty shoe, anybody's lap will do.
Fitted in a cardboard box, in the cupboard with your frocks.
Anywhere! They don't care! Cats sleep anywhere.

Written by Eleanor Farjeon (1881 - 1965)

To prove my point, here's a selection of my cats sleeping in various places:

This is Oscar sleeping in one of his "proper" areas - a specifically bought cat shelf!

Here are two sleeping beauties on the decking a few years ago.

This is our previous Birman, Thelma, sleeping underneath our old scanner.

Oscar's favourite place at Christmas!

Oscar when he was 17 weeks old, curled up on top of a tool box....

Mavis deciding our curled up washing line makes a good bed!

Oscar, on the other hand, prefers the dirty wash basket!

This, however, is his usual position every evening, on Keith's lap.

Aren't cats just ace?

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I've recently written in my personal blog about one of my pet cats, Oscar. He had a nasty bite that had got infected and formed an abscess which burst last weekend. I posted a photograph of my beautiful boy (well, he is in my eyes, at least) before the attack. I say attack, as I'm sure Oscar is not the aggressor in these fights, but the defender - he hardly strays from our garden, except to visit our neighbour opposite or to use the field as a toilet! No, we have a rather nasty pet in the neighbourhood who goes by the name of Oliver. However, don't be thinking of poor little blonde orphaned boy asking for "more". Oh no, this particular Oliver has been renamed by the Highfield Rise Neighbourhood Cat Protection Group (just me and my husband, actually) as "Pug-Face". He is particularly nasty looking and walks like a world class wrestler on a bad day. I have been really upset by the fact that Oscar has once more been attacked- I am assuming it is by Pug-Face, but it could have been a new addition to the moggy crew around here. Either way, Oscar is such a baby boy, I'm sure (as every good Mother says about her children) he would never start a fight!

Here's a photo of Oscar being completely relaxed prior to the attack - this is his normal position on my computer chair - I have to squeeze in front of him, perched on the edge of the chair in order to sit at my PC!

The wound has been cleaned regularly with hibiscrub and he has been taking a course of antibiotics, but I still feel so sorry for him when I think how it must sting!

The culprit, whose photograph I managed to take one day when he was glaring into our house from the decking, is named and shamed below:

If you see this cat anywhere near your pets - I recommend that you do any or all of the following:  shout at it, throw water at it, chase it away, rustle bin liners at it, cough loudly in its general direction or sneeze violently at it. Under no circumstances should you ever approach this cat. It may display all the external appearances of a normal cat, and even start doing the usual "flirty" thing that cats do by rubbing themselves against your leg or the nearest hard surface. DO NOT BE TAKEN IN! This is not an affectionate cat - his owners have admitted such, and he will start a fight with your beloved pet cat if you have one. Even if you don't have a pet cat yourself, he will surely upset a neighbour's cat, and that must be avoided at all costs!

Here's my favourite photo of Oscar, just so that I leave you with a pleasant image:

And just in case she's feeling left out in all of this, here's a photograph of our other cat, Mavis:

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