Prom

I have never been to prom- ever- not even in high school.   In high school a few friends and I went out to dinner etc. instead~ we were not the popular prom-going types and had yet to evolve from nerds to geeks.  (geeks are cooler than nerds, and we all did successfully transform).  Anyway, much like the first boy I kissed and the first boy I dated, my not-prom date turned out to be very successful  in life and gay.  Ah well, at least that trend stopped there- (as far as I know...)

Being the art teacher though I have made my share of prom backdrops and decorations.  They tend to all cycle through the same themes: Paris (with the Eiffel tower/ cafe scene), Midnight/Twilight in the garden (cue pillars, fake trees and lots of Christmas lights), Mardi Gras/Masquerade (gaudy and involving extra amounts of glitter/masks), City (actually, the city theme can become: Hollywood- add stars, movie lights, snap boards, Roaring Twenties- toss in a few token flappers,  Times Square/NY- add street signs)...and that's about it.  For some reason we never do beach themes (though you think that would be easy and suitable for us, being near the sea and all~)....and this year it is back to Mardi Gras.  (last year was Paris, year before Twilight, before that Masquerade).   So the seniors are cranky a bit at it being a) a recycled theme and b) in the gym instead of elsewhere.   For once we are not paying out a kabillion dollars to rent a hall in the city- we are cutting back and doing it the old-school decorate the gym way.  Which I think is thrifty and cool, but the kids are dubious that it will be special enough.   So...prom being April 21, I have been given the task: MAKE BACKDROPS and DECORATIONS.  With the promise that the prom committee will help, but what that really translates to is that I can either 1) wait for them to show up after school, then sheppard them on their endless trips to the bathroom, out for snacks, and cleaning up messes  or 2) just do it myself.   Which I actually love- I love painting big, and backdrops are my only opportunity (the canvases have been painted and repainted a thousand times), and I turn on the music and paint.  I don't mind even if the kids are in class- they watch me and learn by watching, which is cool.  I'm in the mood and ready to get started- spent all morning so far researching images and different ways to approach this rather than the purple/gold/green giant masks and creepy jester.

     I started with the colors, and thinking peacocks, which are purple/gold/green but stylish- the kids like them.  I found images of feathers, Tiffany stained glass, other glass, just random ideas.  Then I drifted over to New Orleans painters images of Mardi Gras- which are interesting- I like one parade scene in particular.  And I like the style of Alphonse Mucha, art deco look.  Combining the three, I am thinking to create door panels for the entrance as Peacock 'stained glass', side panels like above with the Mucha ladies (add a mask to her face, glitter and luminescent paint), the main panels the distant parade scene.  I found this tutorial on creating lanterns out of mason jars, so I am thinking the same thing will work with other glass bottles- alcohol inks, gold lacy Moroccan-type design over that, turn them upside down and plant them along the path.  Either put LCD lights inside of them or paint them with glow-stick stuff.  (Which we could also spray along the path- which is actually a sidewalk- ).  Bring in our host of stick trees, add lights, spanish moss, beads.  Drape tables in peacock purple/blue/green, gold trimmed plastic ware (clear with gold trim).  Table decorations- more of the votive lanterns (no candles, LCD), beads, doubloons, gold glitter spray (light).  Gaudy but not over the top- going for festive.  King cakes with treats baked inside, maybe a few voodoo dolls hidden about (hey, it is *me* doing this part of the show- and NOLA is nothing without some voodoo around).

I am actually excited- and if they shoot this down in favor of the creepy jester, I am going to be a sad, sad, puppy.