Cello - 10 Murder in mind.

I've not posted for a couple of days..nothing to worry about, I've been mainly working on my current commission which i hope to be able to show you once finished.As you can see, I've introduced another figure into the world of the Cello Girl..(yes, she is holding a skull!)...there'll be one more later.

I've also been doing more role play. For those of you who don't know about this line of work, I'll explain. My wife Jan is the midlands contact person for a company called 'Professional Role Players' Based in London they employ actors to provide role playing for various clients.Usually organisations that have professional contact with the public e.g:..Psychiatric services, social services, emergency services etc..It gives an opportunity to train in specific scenarios dealing with the public in difficult situations...This week I was role playing for The Royal College Of Psychiatrists. To become registered with them, a psychiatrist has to pass a series of exams..part of which is to be presented with a series of scenarios in which the candidate has ten minutes to reach an appropriate diagnosis and treatment plan.They are usually faced with twelve scenarios one after the other...each scenario is in an enclosed 'station' within which is the role player and an examiner/assessor.To be able to run the examinations for real, a trial or pilot session is arranged as a mock. The purpose being to test run the scenarios and 'tweak' the way they are written if needed.

It's tough for the candidate as progression around the twelve stations takes approximately two hours.On Monday I played the husband of a woman who'd had a series of extramarital affairs..she was currently seeing her gym instructor.(If I was married to me..I'd be seeing a gym instructor too!). Basically I was suffering depression and anxiety at work as I found my job becoming difficult and on the verge of redundancy. I was not allowed to mention my wife's affairs of my worries concerning home life unless the candidate asked me..because as far as I was concerned, I just wanted something to help me cope at work(which 50% of the candidates failed to do). The candidate then went on to the next station where they met my wife who proceeded to tell them that I had tried to suffocate her on one occasion for a previous affair..had been violent and abusive..and was now carrying a knife and was on my way to kill the gym instructor!..the successful candidate would piece all this together and call the police to detain me...

It was great fun being part of this, and with the added bonus of being well fed and paid. But it's back to the day job afterwards. Tomorrow I was booked to role play for the Benefits Assessment Services..however I had a call today to say I was not needed. Because of the late nature of the cancellation, I will still get paid however!...and I can now spend more time on my artwork.