Performance Coaching

A number of people have approached me within the last year seeking overall "performance coaching".  Performers of all kinds struggle with nerves from the "jitters" to full blown, paralyzing stage fright. While most of my experience with conquering nerves has been applied to coaching harp students, I have also coached people for job interviews, public speaking, TV and radio interviews, etc. As a result, I am now offering my services to performers of all kinds. If you are interested please fill out the contact form here and I will get back to you. 

Note: the phone number field is optional, I am happy to contact you by email only if that is your preference.

Back to Glass

Ages ago I began my college career as a double major in both harp and art. After transferring my studies to harpist Dr. Ruth Inglefield, I entered the world of national and international harp competitions. This left very little time to carry a second major so art fell by the wayside. By my senior year I had pushed so hard and fast through the music curriculum that I found myself with a couple holes to fill in my schedule and, because I had fulfilled all my core art requirements, was able to sign up for a class in glassblowing. That was it. I was hooked. And thanks to the fact that I stayed at BGSU for my graduate work, I was able to spend almost 3 years in a really top notch glass studio. 

The instructor at that time was Robert "Bud" Hurlstone. The studio was well away from campus across the railroad tracks (where nothing important could get blown up if the gas fired furnace's systems failed) and shared a building with the ceramics department. It was a pretty small operation, one tank, one gloryhole, one annealer, one grinding wheel, but it was a fabulous program and many fine glassblowers honed their skills under Bud. Years later, as I returned to campus for a recording session, I found that the old studio had been deactivated and a wonderful new studio, very tricked out with all the latest and greatest in glass,  built in the heart of campus. BGSU is extremely blessed to have this fine facility and, while Bud passed away in 2005, I am sure great glass is still being made there.

Unfortunately, after I left Bowling Green, building my own studio was not a possibility and finding other studios in the Chicago area in which to blow was extremely difficult. I have managed to snag a little time here and there but it has been very sporadic. So it was with great joy that I discovered Hot Shop Glass in Racine WI. Because they rent studio space, I finally have somewhere to reconnect with my love of glass and this year I began blowing again in earnest. Here is some of my work. I hope you enjoy it.

Fall Reminders

Summer lessons will be ending the week of August 17th with final lessons on the 18th. Be sure to email me your fall schedule during the week of August 24th so that we can begin lessons again by September 5th. As always, lesson times are assigned first to students with seniority as long as they get me their schedule in a timely fashion. Lesson rates will remain at the 2008/2009 level at least until January. 

The next masterclass "So you want to play weddings" will be in September. I'll post details as soon as the date and time are firm. 

A heads up -  students should mark their calendars for the KSO  concert October 3rd. This concert will feature Respighi's  "Pines of Rome" which all students in grades 9 through college will be studying this fall.

Remember, the best email for scheduling is annesharp@tds.

Latest Oz Cabinet Pics

I actually got these done two weeks ago but have been behind on posting. Jack Pumpkinhead is one of the oldest Oz characters, first appearing in "The Land of Oz" which is the immediate sequel to "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz". He also appears in many books in the series and has a title book later by Ruth Plumly Thompson.

The Patchwork Girl still needs work on the glasses and tray as well as a cloud of smoke and sparks from the Woozy. The Patchwork Girl, or Scraps as she is officially called, makes her first appearance in "The Patchwork Girl of Oz" as does the Woozy who can make real sparks flash from his eyes. After her introduction in this book, she appears frequently in other Oz books. 

So, tomorrow I finish Scraps and start Tik Tok the wind-up copper man from "Ozma of Oz".

First Summer Art Project

Summer is when I do a lot of painted furniture. I choose the summer because I like to paint outdoors in natural light and also because I have an easier schedule in which to take big chunks of time. When I'm painting illustrations like these I really need to do the pencil sketch all in one session and then the painting of that particular image all in one session as well. 

This particular project is a cabinet for my daughter that I started a few years ago. As an artist I tend to hop around a lot from project to project (focus issues, I suspect) so this cabinet has been going on for a while. As she is getting older - and soon will be too old to even enjoy this cabinet - I have decided to get my act together and finish the whole thing this summer :-)

As a child, I had the good fortune to read all of the original Oz books by L. Frank Baum. While the whole world is probably familiar with the movie "The Wizard of Oz", a lot of people don't realize that Baum wrote 14 books about Oz - 13 of which were illustrated by the fabulous John R. Neil. Only the first book "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" was illustrated by Denslow. These books were every bit as popular as the current Harry Potter series and children eagerly anticipated each new release. In fact, Baum became weary of writing about Oz. He had written many other non-Oz books and was frustrated that they did not have the popularity of Oz. He tried to discontinue the series at 6 books with the last entitled "The Emerald City of Oz", but there was such an outcry, he had to write 8 more. In fact, the franchise was so successful that, after Baum's death,  the publisher contracted Ruth Plumly Thompson to write several more Oz books, also illustrated by Neil. The illustrations I have chosen for the cabinet are all from the original 14 books - although in some cases I have rearranged characters or created backgrounds as my needs dictated.

One thing you will notice is that Dorothy is a blond. In the first book Denslow drew her as a brunette with braids and a prairie style dress. This is the look that was also chosen for the movie. Neil drew her as a blond with a bob and a bow and a drop waisted dress. I must confess that I prefer her as a blond - maybe it's reading those other 13 books so many times :-)

The Wizard and the Nome King (and the nine tiny piglets) 

Dorothy and Ozma

The Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman

The Cowardly Lion

The Hungry Tiger

Pencil sketch for Jack Pumpkinhead

Pencil Sketch for Scraps and the Woozy

Pencil sketch for TikTok and Billina (The hen on top of his hat)

I do these drawings freehand and the paintings are done with acrylics. I hope to have these three done in the next week or two and then move on to other parts of the cabinet.  I still have to sketch out the Wogglebug and some general Neil floral patterns.

Master Classes and Parent Meeting

If you are attending the masterclass and/or have a parent attending the parent meeting next week (6/24 and 6/25), please email me to confirm.  annesharp@tds.net

Art Stuff

As well as teaching and performing as a harpist I am also an artist who works in several different media: glass blowing, photography, monoprinting, jewelry, pencil, and painting. I also make jigsaw puzzles on my Delta scroll saw. From time to time on this site I will be sharing some of my art. 

I am also the colorist and production assistant on the nationally syndicated comic strip "The Brilliant Mind of Edison Lee" created by my wonderful husband John Hambrock. You can see some of his work here and my other blog here.

This is a picture of my latest jigsaw puzzle - a New Yorker cartoon by my friend Rina Piccolo.

Welcome!

Welcome to my news page! This is where I will be posting about harp events I may be playing as well as my other activities in the arts. In addition to being a professional harpist, I am an artist who works in many media, photos and news of which I will be sharing here.