mon trou

New Year = New Digs

2007-01-08T15:04:00.000-05:00

I'm over here now. I hope to see you there.

Eye Candy Friday

2007-01-05T07:54:00.000-05:00

While I deal with the fall out of realizing that I'm not really interested in things in which a lit grad student should be interested and that I don't work well unless I have a real deadline, take a look at part of my Christmas gift from Ptichka: postcards of my favourite marimekko pattern. Of course I haven't actually looked through all their fabrics because if I did, I'd wind up with too many favourite patterns. The entire set contains sixteen postcards, all of which are different.

Sewn Paper Decos

2007-01-04T08:30:00.000-05:00

I've been sitting on these decos for months because I didn't want to deal with scanning and/or photographing them. Well, it's time to send them on their merry little way, so I finally warmed up the scanner. The scans are extremely wonky but they do their job. The first deco is an unofficial member of the month treat for Aimee.

Front

Back

Inside

This one is for me. I used the same construction, just made it smaller.

Front

Back

Sigh

2007-01-03T17:37:00.000-05:00

I decided to try out blogger beta. Not the smartest thing I've ever done, since the new and "improved" blogger doesn't want to read my code for folds anymore. Oh well. I'll be moving over to another blogging service soon (thanks Mom and Dad!). I just need to figure out what my new blog name should be. Any suggestions?

The Artist's Survival Kit

2007-01-03T15:51:00.000-05:00

Stuck? Frustrated? Depressed? Check out Keri Smith's The Artist's Survival Kit. Good stuff.

Chrysanthemum

2007-01-03T08:53:00.000-05:00

A chrysanthemum ATC for a swap over at ATCards. Pen and ink and then some more pen and ink.

My copy of Plants was a constant companion over vacation along with another book I'll post about later. It felt good to just draw.

And now it's time to return to the diss. My advisor is still abdicating some responsibility in connection with one of the chapters, but what can I do at this point? I need to finish now. At least she's raving about the sections of the diss that she's decided are her responsibility. Let's just hope the rest of my committee is as keen.

2006 2007

2007-01-02T14:01:00.000-05:00

I'm always disappointed after returning home from a trip. There are always little interior changes to me: new memories, new experiences, new realisations. The landscape/cityscape/mallscape around me should change with me, but it's always static. Even though I expect some pathetic fallacy in my life, there never is any. Last night, the airport looked the same way it had when we left ten days ago. The primary difference between ten days ago and last night is that last night, Ptichka and I had an opportunity to admire the airport (and use the washroom). Ten days ago, we had the opportunity to make a mad dash for the gate (busy airport day + bad weather = great difficulties in actually arriving at the airport). I hope that it's a while before I get to experience either the annoyance-anger-worry waiting contiuum or running in any airport.

And to remind me that nothing much has changed here, we went from glorious, sunny, snowy weather to overcast drizzle, there was the same kitty mayhem at my front door this morning, and my landlord just turned off the water for the house after exclaiming to himself: "Shit!" while looking at the hot water tank. More crap Toronto weather, more cats, and more water problems. More of 2006, I suppose.

At least I feel different.

Happy New Year, everyone!

Happy posts with pictures to appear in the following days.

There's nothing below the fold.

Until 2007

2006-12-21T14:21:00.000-05:00

I'm sitting in the library computer lab and frantically entering all of my edits into my revised draft. The library is gradually emptying out as everyone prepares to take the next ten days off. Since my ten days off will begin tomorrow at 13.00, when I deposit my luggage in the cab to the airport and since I still have a mountain of work to accomplish before 13.00 tomorrow, this seems like as good a time as any to wish everyone out there a happy close to 2006.

If your 2006 sucked, I wish you a better 2007.

If your 2006 rocked, then I wish you an even rockiner 2007.

If you'd like to wish me anything, I'd love wishes for a quick and painless dissertation defense and a decent job.

If you'd like a personal wish from me for the New Year, leave me a comment.

I'll see you in the New Year. <3

There's nothing below the fold.

Random Links

2006-12-19T12:39:00.000-05:00

1. What is a print? MOMA answers this question with a neat little flash animation.

2. The Vienna Phil and State Opera Orchestra are just as sexist as when they didn't allow women to join. My favourite quote from this article comes from Dieter Flury, who is the business director of the Vienna State Opera Orchestra:

So if one thinks that the world should function by quota regulations, then it is naturally irritating that we are a group of white skinned male musicians, that perform exclusively the music of white skinned male composers. It is a racist and sexist irritation. I believe one must put it that way. If one establishes superficial egalitarianism, one will lose something very significant. Therefore, I am convinced that it is worthwhile to accept this racist and sexist irritation, because something produced by a superficial understanding of human rights would not have the same standards.

Can you just smell the patriarchal privilege and entitlementitis? If I think about this quote for too long, I can feel my head start to implode at the logic. It's like, you expect the patriarchy to be a bit more insidious, but, instead you have this white guy waving his penis in your face and you can't believe he's being that obvious.

3. Since I promised you random in my post title, let's end with a bit of pretty, shall we? I don't know what's come over me, but I want wallpaper.

There's nothing below the fold.

End of the Year Meme

2006-12-18T08:44:00.000-05:00

My brain is fried. You knew that, didn't you?

The meme? Go back to the archives, pull the first sentence written every month, and then post them. I'm sure that hilarity will ensue:

January: I'm still around.
February: I used to have another blog that started life as an academic blog but I just recently put an end to it because posting had become such a chore
March: Academic books, in an effort to appear sexier than they are, often opt for titles that don't really match the contents.
April: The neighbor's cat, she had some angst.
May: It's 1 May, which means that it's time for another annual installment of Karel Hynek Mácha's poem May.
June: This is the eagerly awaited post about the morning half of my workshop at the JPP: konnyaku and (mainly) Japanese paper.
July: No narrative.
August: Sometimes Dan Savage is obnoxious and sometimes he nails it:
September: I am working on a post in response to this post by Andrea. So many goals, so much fear, so little time.
October: I'm participating in an art challenge for the month of October via one of the Y@hoo! groups to which I belong.
November: Since 1 November, I've been making stuff at a more relaxed pace.
December: I recently looked through some scans of my older work.

There's nothing below the fold.

Moth Wing

2006-12-15T09:52:00.000-05:00

I don't like moths. They are the insects of nightmares, as far as I'm concerned. But this moth wing was so pretty, that I had to paint it. It also gave me an excuse to break out the gold paint.

It looks like a busy revising day today and a busy revising weekend in general. I printed out the next chapter yesterday and I am relieved to know that my last two chapters will not involve anywhere near as much work as the previous chapter and the chapter now under revision.

And somewhere amid all this revising, I need to get the rest of my brother-in-law's gift and some new shoes.

There's nothing under the fold.

The Best Acknowledgement Ever

2006-12-13T23:16:00.000-05:00

In my struggle to get this diss revised and ready for my committee, I find myself thumbing through lots of defended dissertations at the library. I'm not looking for brilliance. I'm looking to see how people get things done. Actually, I've been looking at chapter intros almost exclusively because I have a problem getting started. I also always look at the acknowledgements because I am a cheeseball rolled in nuts. My favourite acknowledgements so far are by Dr. David Andrew Meban, whom I googled. He is now an assistant professor at the University of Regina (Good show!). Here's the first paragraph:

To say that I took my time in the preparation of this dissertation would be an understatement. At the outset, therefore, I thank those mentioned below most of all for their indulgence and patience with my somewhat intermittent work ethic.

I love it.

There's nothing below the fold.

Canadians are Cool

2006-12-13T10:20:00.000-05:00

Since I'm still in the starstruck, I love my new homeland phase of immigration (even though Stephen Harper is really trying to take the bloom off the rose), I think that the Trans-Canada Etsy website is a smashing idea. It's a list of Canadian sellers on Etsy, which is a good thing because 1. the functionality of Etsy's geolocator has improved but it's still frustrating if you're looking at major urban centres and 2. it's an easy way to avoid blowing a gasket over ungodly shipping rates (or the lack of international shipping, period). I just saw a cute notecard set the shipping for which was significantly more than the cards themselves.*

*Seller's perogative and all that jazz. It's also my buyer's perogative not to buy the thing. And I usually don't.

There's nothing below the fold.

2006-12-11T20:46:00.000-05:00

Book artist Tara Bryan is profiled on the CBC website.

Yes, I should be working but I'm very, very tired. Maybe some wine would help me with Mukařovský?

ETA: I decided against the wine because Ptichka brought me tea and chocolate instead. Muky and les boys are done. I get the feeling that, even though my advisor told me not to make my chapter worse, I did just that. I bought these cards anyway. Aren't they awesome? I'll have to start writing letters soon. Any takers?

There's nothing below the fold.

I Love Poppies

2006-12-10T14:28:00.000-05:00

Since figuring out how to draw poppies, I haven't been able to stop. Here are two more.

Below the fold is my second poppy sister ATC, which will be heading out to Ottawa with tomorrow's mail.

Poppy Sister I

2006-12-08T10:05:00.000-05:00

Below the fold is an ATC for a themed blind trade with Miss Fish. Cuteness awaits you!
watercolours and india ink

2006-12-08T08:23:00.000-05:00

It was the wrong move to question the rights of the people and to try to override the Charter [of Rights and Freedoms]. He [Stephen Harper] must not be very proud of that.
-Liberal Leader Stéphane Dion

I hope that Stephen Harper's not very proud of introducing a flashy political bill that would have done nothing (much like the whole Québec as nation thing) and, more importantly, could have led to a Canadian government reintroducing inequality among the country's citizens, but I don't give the man that much credit. Thank goodness most parliamentarians have more common sense than the current PM. Here's hoping that under Dion the Liberals can get it together and force an election soon. I can't handle much more of Bush light. He may have single-handedly made Canadian women equal with a flourish of white-out, but I'd still like to see him gone. I guess I'm a (sarcastic) ingrate.

Therre's nothing below the fold.

Poppy ATC

2006-12-07T08:10:00.000-05:00

If you read this here blog regularly, you'll know that poppies have been giving me fits. By fits, I am not refering to opium-induced highs, I am instead talking about tantrums worthy of a two-year-old. Poppies are so simple. And yet such a pain in the arse.

Well, after gawking at many photos of poppies over on flickr, I think that I've finally gotten the hang out of drawing them. In profile. Anything else would be too complicated at the moment.

Here's a poppy ATC done in watercolours and india ink. Maybe now I can finally finish up those poppy sister ATCs that I owe a certain someone.

There's nothing below the fold.

Lunacy

2006-12-06T22:34:00.000-05:00

I saw Jan Švankmajer's latest film and, call me a feminist dyke (Feminist dyke!), but it left me asking one question: Why does complete freedom still look like the patriarchy?

I will grant Švankmajer's animated meat the props they deserve: Mad props to you, animated meat, yo!

There's nothing below the fold.

Kiwi

2006-12-05T22:13:00.000-05:00

via Ptichka, who always sends me the best things at exactly the right time.

There's nothing below the fold.

Bullets o' Stuff

2006-12-05T09:49:00.000-05:00

I'm tired.
On Project Runway there were two designers whom I did not like at all (well, three if you count the crazy one). One was involved in a scandal and the other one won. The redemption edit the winner received made me hiss. I think that I may be breaking up with PR.
A link to the latest addition to my inspiration board.
My advisor told me last night: "Don't make it [the diss] worse." I think that she was teasing me, but my real-world interface is busted these days.
I'm looking for lunch suggestions. Something portable, fast, and healthy that does not involve bread. If I have one more sandwich, I. will. scream.

There's nothing below the fold.

<3 <3 <3

2006-12-04T11:44:00.000-05:00

Ptichka and I are slowly working our way through the Loomis gift certificate my parents gave us for our birthdays. Yesterday's purchases included: some Pitt Artist Pens (me), a bottle of turquoise Sennelier ink (Ptichka), and a heart punch (me). Ptichka joked that every piece of paper in the house would have a heart punched out of it by the end of the week. Ptichka's prediction, by the way, is off the mark.

At the rate I'm going, there should be a heart punched out of every piece of paper in the house before I head out for an early Svatý Mikuláš party this evening.

2006-12-01T09:59:00.000-05:00

I recently looked through some scans of my older work. Beth just did the same thing over at her place. I can't believe that it's already been two years since I first decided to try the whole art thing. It's been fun and man, have I improved. I hadn't realized it until I saw some of my first ATCs, scans of which I am not posting. So there! Instead, here's a scan of an ATC from about a year ago. I still love this motif: monsters dressed up as animals.

I was going to tie the art tehcnique learning curve to the diss. I am amazed that all of the sudden it feels like I have actually learned something about my topic. But I'm not. I'm tired of the diss-related navel gazing and I'm sure that you are too. My recent dissertation posts are actually me trying to convince myself that I can do this. I'm sure that you've also already figured that out too. So here's another Regina Spektor video for your enjoyment and a link to some truly killer letterpress elephant cards and a link to something I probably shouldn't like but do. Back to the song: this one's plucky. Literally.

There's nothing below the fold.

2006-11-29T22:17:00.000-05:00

Even though today was busy, I didn't get as much accomplished as I would have like. I blame Mr. President Liberator (pan prezident sounds so much better). I spent my time wading through his books and not finding what I needed. I also have five different opening paragraphs. An embarassment of riches? No, more like a pile of poop. This chapter may not wrap up until Friday. Noooooo!

I've got my review exercises planned for tomorrow so I don't need to worry about class and I can get in another half an hour of work this evening. Woot!

At least I had the song below on repeat on my iPod. It made me feel a bit better. The video is pretty darn cool too. Animation = <3.

There's nothing below the fold.

Sigh

2006-11-29T09:07:00.000-05:00

The thought of today is making me very tired.

What's on your plate today?

There's nothing below the fold.

2006-11-28T22:30:00.000-05:00

I am getting really tired of the Conservatives. I can't believe that these clowns are expected to rule for another year.

OTTER!

2006-11-28T13:02:00.000-05:00

OTTER!

Transformation ATC

2006-11-28T10:07:00.000-05:00

This is my second go at a transformation ATC. You're welcome to find some sort of deeper meaning in the card, but all you really need to know is red + yellow = orange.

I've had a hard time working on these because all I want to do at the moment is work on the dissertation. Really. I read my second Czech chapter yesterday and it's actually really pretty good. I've got some cleaning up to do, I have some sources to hunt down, I have a really good point made by a friend to incorporate in my introduction (Thanks!) and make more explicit in my chapter, and I've got some background to provide. Should be tasty and done by Wednesday evening.

In case you're doubting my recent dissertation obsession, I'll offer further proof: I didn't want to watch Project Runway last night (and I didn't). It was the penultimate episode too! But, when it comes right down to it, I don't really care. It's just teevee. It is the best friggin' show on teevee, but it's teevee and my heart isn't in it these days. It's stuck in interwar Czechoslovakia.

Figures

2006-11-27T12:40:00.000-05:00

I was a bit obsessed (to the point of causing an undue amount of stress) with getting a new winter coat this season. I finally bought a coat (well, Ptichka bought me a coat) and then I had to get mittens. I have a wide array of scarves already, thank you very much. After much searching and and rejecting and frustration, I found mittens. I had wanted gloves but "one size fits all" means "too big for my hands."

So, anyhow. I am ready for winter. Bring on the snow! Right?

Wrong. It's 14 degrees celsius outside right now. It's supposed to be 17 on Wednesday.

I suppose that I'll bundle up and pretend that I'm in Antartica while looking at this blog.

There's nothing below the fold.

Stick a Fork in It!

2006-11-26T17:45:00.000-05:00

I just sent my latest chapter off to my advisor. After some split-pea soup, Ptichka and I are going for a walk and a peppermint mocha to celebrate.

Tomorrow, it's on to editing a different chapter that isn't seventy pages. Thank goodness!

By Thursday, I should be back to editing the chapter I finished today.

It's going to be over soon and I don't think that I'm quite ready for it.

There's nothing below the fold.

ATC Backs: Much Better

2006-11-26T09:22:00.000-05:00

The ATC backs below were also made using Miss Fish's technique. I didn't bother with the modelling paste this time around and stuck with heavy body acrylics (I did buy a whole bunch of tubs of it just before discovering fluid acrylics. They're not so matte. Yeah! Here are three backs made with an old engineering handbook.

And here are two more that I made using an old colour copy of a Munch postcard I had hanging about (the original image is a version of this painting). I mixed my acrylics with medium this time around because I wanted some transparency. As you can see, I didn't really get it. Next time.

And now it's back to the writing. I have a decent shot of making tonight's deadline. Really. It's amazing what can happen when your deadlines are realistic (although my extreme boredom with this chapter may be my undoing).

ETA: I've also just discovered that the cards I wanted to buy on Etsy are no longer available. Sigh. Now I really have no reason to not go back to bed.

There's nothing below the fold.

2006-11-25T19:20:00.000-05:00

I find that the easiest way to slow my mind down at the end of a busy day of writing is to make ATC backs. I have a couple of favourite techniques at the moment. The first one is the plastic wrap crinkle. It's super easy. Wet down a piece of watercolour paper and then add paint (either watercolours or fluid acrylics). You can add more than one colour if you'd like. Before the paint dries, cover your entire substrate with plastic wrap and crinkle it. Let dry for about five minutes and then peel off the wrap. Let your paper dry completely before using. Below are two large sheets waiting to be cut into a useable size.

Then there is a satisfyingly goopy technique that Miss Fish had described elsewhere. For the backs below I used modelling paste. I'm not sure that I like the brand of paste I just bought. It seems far more matte than my old stuff. And it turned my gold paint peach. Peach?! Ugh! I'm in the process of doing some more backs without the help of modelling paste. So far the colours look much better.

I'm looking forward to having the time again to do more than make ATC backs. Fingers crossed, that should happen in a couple weeks. Just in time to go to Manitoba for a couple of weeks.

There's nothing below the fold.

How My Day Has Been Thus Far

2006-11-24T14:16:00.000-05:00

delete delete

write write write write write

delete delete delete delete delete

write

delete

write

delete

write

delete

shit!

Transformation ATC: WIP?

2006-11-23T13:29:00.000-05:00

I'm currently working on my transformation ATCs for a swap that I'm hosting in several places. Well, I mostly think about my transformation ATCs in between mad writing binges. (My new-found dedication to my dissertation is seriously eating into my art time.) I'm aiming to have Burian finished and sent to my advisor by Sunday evening. If I make the deadline, I get to feed the letterpress fiend in me with these. I will make this deadline.

To the left is the first of my transformation ATCs. I wanted to play with colour mixing because that's a transformation of sorts. Cerulean blue + hansa yellow = the green stripe. Everytime I look at the card, I like it a bit more. I especially like the fact that it looks like a landscape.

I am unsure, though, if that's just my brain giving in. What do you think?

There's nothing below the fold.

The Best Thing to Happen to Me All Day (So Far)

2006-11-22T12:22:00.000-05:00

I discovered that Ptichka had forgotten her tupperware full of butter chicken at home. I just ate it. Lipids are an excellent antidote to angst.

There's nothing below the fold.

Heh

2006-11-20T22:57:00.000-05:00

I am a rock star! And now I'm going to bed so I can wake up and start working tomorrow morning. Whee!

There's nothing below the fold.

2006-11-20T18:48:00.000-05:00

I am not a rockstar, yet, but I am awesome. Since tomorrow will be a horrible, busy day spent teaching and sitting in the world's ugliest library, I should really go for that rockstar edge. Imagine me playing a power cord and sticking out my tongue here as I write some more about surrealism, theatricality, and the mise-en-scène.

Coffee on an Empty Stomach is a Bad Idea: A Three-Paragraph Essay

2006-11-20T09:23:00.000-05:00

I didn't make anything this weekend, except for some delicious cabbage-free borshch. And no, I did not take a picture of it. If I can't scan it these days, I don't bother. Me and the focus function are not the best of friends.

And since I shouldn't always be all me, me, me, me, me; Ptichka and a friend rocked the Hunky Bill's yesterday afternoon. The proof is sitting in the freezer. Yum!

It's time to write. I have two writing quotas for the day: the if-I-meet-it-I-am-a-rock-star quota and the if-I-meet-it-I-am-not-a-rock-star-but-I-am-still-pretty-awesome quota. Since, in real life, I'm not a rock star but I am pretty awesome, I'm aiming for the latter quota. If I do achieve the former, I promise not to let it go to my head. I'll still remember all of the little people from before.

There's nothing below the fold.

2006-11-17T09:29:00.000-05:00

It's winter cleaning time! I've managed to keep the kitchen in reasonable shape for the past two weeks (something of a feat here, really), I cleaned around my desk, I finally bought my plane ticket to Manitoba for Christmas, and I'm working though a not-too-terribly-long list of mail art obligations. Notice that I didn't mention the diss. I don't even want to look at it because every time I do, it's worse than I remembered it. Sigh.

This is a long-past obligation (even older than a hand-bound book that I owe someone): a bird deco. Cute, non? It's 100% acrylics.

There's nothing below the fold.

Vine ATCs

2006-11-15T22:09:00.000-05:00

I'm going to fall short of my writing quota for the day. The ideas have not been coming today, although I did force a bunch. I'm going to continue writing for the next hour but I'm not feeling too hopeful. I just took a Re@ctin (because stress is making me break out in hives) and it's making my extremities feel all tingly and heavy. And Ptichka brought home Introducing A. R. Rahman, Lily Frost, and Night Song. I keep concentrating on the music, instead of on my chapter. That's right, it's all her fault I'm so flaky. *ahem*

Since I'm pretty much useless at this point in the evening (and tomorrow is jam-packed with business), here are some vine ATCs. You can see close-ups of the individual cards in my ATC set on Flickr. The blue one is my favourite and the gold comes in second. Bling!

And now, back to the chapter.

There's nothing below the fold.

Another Butterfly Wing

2006-11-15T08:59:00.000-05:00

My most garish butterfly wing to date. At least it's matchy-matchy. I love ultramarine blue + white these days.

acrylics

There's nothing below the fold.

Dark Landscapes

2006-11-13T21:47:00.000-05:00

This is how I feel at the moment. The rewrite of my latest chapter is taking much longer than expected because I forgot a couple of things: that this chapter needed a major reorganization, that it takes forever to decipher the handwritten notes on the script, that teaching days are not good writing days.

It's also hard to stop reading secondary sources. Maybe I'll find the perfect quote. Maybe, but most likely I won't. I do need to cite this one guy at least once, though. He's supposedly an expert.

This is a deco page for a dark landscape deco. I've been wrapping up everything on all my to do lists, including opening a new bank account and picking up some stuff that's been hanging about for a while. Whee! Go me! Now I just need to finish plugging away at the diss so I can defend already.

I mean, I have all of these great plans for my post-diss life, like spending my first real paycheque on a tabletop press (I have Ptichka's permission), taking a drawing class, etc., that I really need to finish. Post-diss life looks so grand that I want it to start now.

There's nothing below the fold.

Hey there, cutie!

2006-11-12T19:27:00.000-05:00

Even monsters like to play dress up.

See?

2006-11-10T13:16:00.000-05:00

Today is one of those days. Everything's in flux and not quite doing what it ought to be doing. Everyone (with a few expections) is getting on my last good nerve.

I'd love to pitch a fit because the cosmos is just not listening to me at the moment but, as the great grey poet once said: "I am the captain of my own ship." Or was that Tennyson? Well, whatever, a dead white guy spoke truth. I can dig.

I've been exacerbating my angst by gawking at pretty things. Please, gawk with me.

letterpress bird prints
Impress
note cards
Nature morte

I need to stop dicking around.

There's nothing below the fold.

2006-11-08T10:46:00.000-05:00

I was going to name the series of butterfly ATCs to which this card belongs after Nabokov. Then I named the series something obvious, like, I dunno, Butterfly Wings.

Acrylics and india ink on found paper.

There's nothing below the fold.

I Feel Lucky

2006-11-07T19:53:00.000-05:00

I don't normally get home until after 20.00 on Tuesdays. I went to the library first and checked my e-mail. These prints by Maria Passarotti went on sale at 19.30. The run was sold out by 19.50. I bought print number fifty-something. I'm tempted to eat it, it looks so good, but then I wouldn't be able to admire it.

You can check out more of Maria Passarotti's work here. It's all good enough to eat.
There's nothing below the fold.

Blackbird in Silhouette no. 3459

2006-11-06T17:18:00.000-05:00

I cannot stop working in blackbird decos. They land in my in-box and I must work in them. I'm not even a blackbird person by choice. I'm a blackbird person by coincidence. Yes, I can appreciate them but only because I've been forced to.

This is a blackbird...or a paynesgrey bird if you'd like to be precise. It's a page in a deco for Wendy.

The whole thing was done in acrylics. I'm happy with the wash for the background and the shape of the bird. It's amazing what you can see when you pay attention.

Today is one of those days. I hope that your Tuesday isn't. If it is, you have my sympathies.

There's nothing below the fold.

Platitudes

2006-11-06T09:35:00.000-05:00

Since 1 November, I've been making stuff at a more relaxed pace. The ideas keep flowing and I keep putting them down on some substrate or other. It feels good. I feel alive. I feel engaged. I feel like I contain multitudes again.

On the dissertation front, it finally clicked that I have learned some things during the past few years. I suppose that the accumulation of knowledge while writing is so immense, so concetrated, and so specialized, that it's difficult to quantify. Bitterness and exhaustion also probably colour my vision. What is that massive pile in the corner? Most likely some worthless shit.

As I clean up my Burian chapter (WHY didn't I write my entire dissertation about him? WHY?), I'm surprised at the information and connections that I'm adding. I found it disturbing on Saturday when I realized that I'm non-chalantly spouting off about Aristotelian poetics and wondering how I missed Burian's digs at it before. Geezus H., kiddies. I. am. an. expert. on. something. Writing still makes me brain hurt but in a good way. I don't dread the office as much as I had in the past.

Most importantly, I can see the end of the road. I'm going to finish and it's going to be awesome. Birds will sing. The sky will be brighter. Food will taste better. My hair will be shinier. I will have a fancy pants title that I will use because I. will. be. an. expert. on. something. Who cares if I'm an expert on Burian, about whom most North Americans have never heard? I care. Take that yankee pragmatism.

And now I am off to the library, which shall certainly kill my good mood. That place sucks.

There's nothing below the fold.

Art by the Card Challenge 2006: Card no. 30 (!)

2006-10-31T10:08:00.000-05:00

To the right is my final card: another heart botanical. This time I mucked around with a fiddlehead. I also decided to use a slightly different colour palette. Autumn has really just hit here and I'm already sick of the colours. Not good.

Acrylics and micron pen.

I'm taking the rest of the week off. I'd like to focus on some real-life communication. But before I go, allow me to point out some viking humour on flickr and a set of animal drawings that makes me smile everytime I look at it. For me, the highlights are the flying pig(gle)s and the cat-bird.

There's nothing below the fold.

Art by the Card Challenge 2006: Card no. 29

2006-10-31T10:00:00.000-05:00

This is another one of my favourites. The design was also adapted from 4000 Flower and Plant Motifs. It's just so graphic and it used my the most-recently purchased colour of Sennelier inks at the time. Ptichka and I have since added two more colours to our stable of inks. I'm afraid that we're going to wind up with all thirty-odd of them.

The blue is acrylics and everything else is ink.

There's nothing below the fold.

Art by the Card Challenge 2006: Card no. 28

2006-10-31T09:54:00.000-05:00

Today will feature the last three cards from this year's challenge. Next year I plan on making another thirty. They'll be more varied, though. At least in technique. Neither botanicals nor hearts are going anywhere.

This ATC is also based on a design I found in my new BFF (take that, gesso!) 4000 Flower and Plant Motifs. It lost quite a bit of the original art nouveau feel in adaptation.

Acrylics and micron pen.

There's nothing below the fold.

Art by the Card Challenge 2006: Card no. 27

2006-10-30T17:36:00.000-05:00

My final post for the day. Here's card no. 27, which I call "Spindly Heart Plant." What an accurate thesis statement!

Acrylic background and artist ink hearts and spindles.

There's nothing below the fold.

Art by the Card Challenge 2006: Card no. 26

2006-10-30T12:24:00.000-05:00

Look! No hearts! You have my Friday night shopping to thank for this break. My first stop was Loomis, where I picked up three more colours of Sennelier inks including the green I used for this ATC. My second stop was Currys, where I bought a set of Pitt artist pens in sanguine. My third stop was the PP, where I bought 4000 Flower and Plant Motifs. The three leaves are adapted from an art deco design in the book.

Artist ink and pen.

Only four more cards to post!

There's nothing below the post.

Art by the Card Challenge 2006: Card no. 25

2006-10-30T09:17:00.000-05:00

Another plant with heart blossoms?! NO! If you're sick of this motif (and I know that you might be), take heart; I only have five more cards to post from the card challenge. There can only possibly be five more cards featuring plants with heart-shaped blooms. Except that I may now start designing my valentines for next year...

This card was done in acrylics and more acrylics. The flowers are not based on any real flower.

More posts to come later in the day. With pictures! I had cake for breakfast. Can you tell?

There's nothing below the fold.

Art by the Card Challenge 2006: Card no. 24

2006-10-29T15:34:00.000-05:00

Of all the cards I've made so far this month (and I've made 29 so far), this one is my favourite. There isn't even much in the way of competition (Okay, card no. 7 offers some competition). I mean, this card is pink and green! It's got hearts! Look at the shading! And it's far more delicate than my usual style. As Ptichka commented, "It's you but not you."

Acrylics and Pen.

Look for the rest of my cards during the next couple of days. Then, I'll return to my normal spotty blogging.

There's nothing below the fold.

Art by the Card Challenge 2006: Card no. 23

2006-10-29T15:30:00.000-05:00

Everytime I look at this card, I wonder who exactly made it. It sure as heck wasn't done in my style, but it's sweet. So, I'll keep it.

Acrylics and artist ink.

There's nothing below the fold.

Art by the Card Challenge 2006: Card no. 22

2006-10-29T15:26:00.000-05:00

Grass is cool. Really. Just ask me.

Acrylics and artist ink.

There's nothing below the fold.

Art by the Card Challenge 2006: Cards 20 and 21

2006-10-27T08:03:00.000-05:00

I've been trying not to repeat myself too much this month (really!), but a new design every day was getting difficult. The only thing preventing me from making duplicate cards is that I hadn't come up with any one design that I thought merited multiple cards. That all changed earlier this week. Behold! Delphinium with hearts instead of flowers. As you'll see in later posts, I could do this type of thing for, pretty much, ever. I think I might even see a possible solution to my current poppy girl problem.

Heart Delphinium I: sharpie and acrylics

Heart delphinium II: non-sharpie pen and acrylics.

In dissertating news: Ptichka noted the night before last, "There's hope in your voice again." Yes, there is.

And, please, check out these crows on Flickr.

There's nothing below the fold.

I Don't Remember Becoming a Crazy Cat Lady

2006-10-26T07:49:00.000-05:00

The cat count at our place has been one for the past two years: a stray, who counts as half a cat and RZA, who counts as half a cat. Really, having half of two cats is good enough for me. I don't actually need my own cat. I'd prefer not to have to worry about things like vet bills and grooming. Leave that to actual cat owners, I say.

Well, now we have one and a half cats in our life. Meet ~~Riley~~ Emile.
We can't decide if he's an actual stray, an abandoned kitty, or a well-loved minou who's sneaking in an extra meal. All we do know is that he's gorgeous. Check out his eyes, which I don't think he wanted me photographing because he would not sit still when he came in for a quick snack this afternoon.

There are more photos of his gorgeousness (including a shot of his paws) below the fold.

And now it's time to do too much work on too little sleep. At least I finally came up with a solution for all my diss angst that does not involve quitting.

Art by the Card Challenge 2006: Card no. 19

2006-10-25T07:33:00.000-05:00

I think that I'm in the mood to carve some stamps because my images of late would look good as hand-carved stamps. Yeah.

A water lily bud done in artist ink on an acrylic background. I do wish that Sennelier made better greens. I also wish that I owned a jar of red. Maybe after payday.

I cannot stop looking at the second page of this flickr set. Botanicals!

There's nothing below the fold.

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Art by the Card Challenge 2006: Card no. 18

2006-10-24T08:04:00.000-05:00

I straightened up my desk yesterday and now I can find neither my extensive collection of backs nor my steel ruler. Ptichka, of course (and rightfully so) does not trust me with her ruler. Who knows where it would end up. So, I have to cut new backs on the sly before gooping them up.

My current chapter is still meandering. I'm feeling quite a bit like a bare tree. All underlying structure and no leaves.

I was going to play around with ink washes in this card but I didn't do so well. Eh. I still like the way the tree looks like a hand-carved stamp.

The background was done in fluid acrylics (of course!) and the tree was "painted" in artist ink.

There's nothing below the fold.

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Diwali

2006-10-23T13:29:00.000-05:00

All you really need to know about our trip to Little India to co-opt Diwali, you can see in the following two pictures.

Before:

After:

There's nothing below the fold.

Art by the Card Challenge 2006: Card no. 17

2006-10-23T07:17:00.000-05:00

I painted card no. 17 after Ptichka and I came home from out nightly walk on Friday. We picked up a few fall leaves along the way. One tiny maply leaf inspired this one.

I'm so happy with the colour of the leaf that I'm going to ignore the off-kilteredness of the leaf's stem. The entire ATC was done in fluid acrylics. When am I going to use the tubs of high-viscosity stuff I bought this summer?

There's nothing below the fold.

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Art by the Card Challenge 2006: Card no. 16

2006-10-22T19:10:00.000-05:00

Let's go back to the cards, shall we?

Fluid acrylics, embroidery floss, and silk thread.

I'm almost caught up on my cards, although I doubt I'll catch up completely until next weekend.

In other ATC-related news: The Ptichka now has flickr going on. Her stuff is super.

There's nothing below the fold.

Art by the Card Challenge 2006: Background Edition

2006-10-20T09:52:00.000-05:00

I made one mistake this month: I started using new supplies. It all began quite innocently. Ptichka bought some Sennelier artist inks, I bought a massive tub of modelling paste and a tube of unbleached titanium high-viscosity acrylics. Then the new supplies got out of hand. I bought fluid acrylics in a few colours. Then I needed them in a few more colours so that I could mix more colours. Then, I discovered that Tri-Art (which is my favourite brand) makes fluid acrylics for a fraction of the price of Golden paints. Cheaper paints = a few more colours. And now I have a tonne of backgrounds and no urge to do anything to them because I really just like most of them they way they are. Also, I don't want to screw them up, even though there is always my BFF, gesso. He hides most mistakes.

Enjoy my backgrounds. Most of them were done with acrylics. There are more below the fold and they are very bright.

I did start one ATC last night. I should be finishing it up at some point today between the diss and the dishes and dinner. It's on a background that you don't see here, but which is very, very cool. Trust me. You'll see it soon.

We're Back to Unbirthdays Here

2006-10-19T10:35:00.000-05:00

I've decided that I am no longer going to celebrate mid-week birthdays. They rather suck because in everyone's rush to do important things like work and eat and sleep and take care of the kids, they tend to forget. This is completely understandable but my ego is irrational and sensitive. Its feelings still get hurt.

I might change my mind about mid-week birthdays after the dissertation is done because the diss makes everything suck. Celebrations, even for non-diss-related things, seem like a bad idea. Back to the mid-week birthdays, I won't be able to tell you for several years if this attitude towards the mid-week birthday is tenable because next year is a leap year. In 2007, I'll have a Friday birthday. Woohoo!

Birthdays are not birthdays without some showing off (even if it's stuff you bought for yourself).* I've been searching the internet to find a picture of my new knee highs (cotton, angora, cashmere, and stripes!), but I can't find anything. Instead, you'll have to settle for a peak at the print I bought.

The weekend is almost here. I'm planning on ODing on Indian sweets on Saturday. Hurray for Diwali!

*Ptichka bought me dinner and half a sewing machine. I'm buying the other half for her. Pictures and many poorly quilted, sewn, and machine-embroidered items coming to this here blog once we actually pick out and buy the thing.

Art by the Card Challenge 2006: Card no. 15

2006-10-17T08:44:00.000-05:00

I am two cards behind. I do have a bunch of blanks prepared but I'm not sure what to do with them, other than slide them into a drawer for safe keeping. If I didn't have to teach or mark journals or go to a movie or actually finish writing my diss, I'd catch up today. The weather's horrible. It demands that I drink too much coffee, do laundry, and putter. Unfortunately, the weather is being overriden by Real Life. That Real Life can be such a bitch sometimes.

I present to you my fifteenth card. Grass is awesome. I've been keen on it in the past. This card was done with acrylics, silk thread, and variegated embroidery floss.

I'm contemplating adding a single, wind-blown red leaf to the card to make it pop just a bit more. I am, however, afraid that my leaf would turn out ghetto-assed and then the entire card would be ruined. What do you think?

In completely different news: I'm afraid that this past episode of Project Runway (it was the real woman challenge here in Canada) marks the beginning of a redemption edit for Jeffrey. His mother mentioned that he was a recovering alcoholic and he cried when Robert was sent home. These are bad signs. Jeffrey's been nothing but an asshole so far. Don't temper it with hard-luck stories! Even if he does get the redemption edit, though, I still dislike him for his misogyny. Alcoholism and losing your best friend on the show still don't justify that.

There's nothing below the fold.

Art by the Card Challenge 2006: Card no. 14

2006-10-16T20:04:00.000-05:00

Acrylics and paper scraps. Pretty? Pretty.

And now I'm going to go gawk at my newest book: Plants. It's huge and contains nothing but pictures of, well, plants. Maybe I'll buy Animals next.

There's nothing below the fold.

Art by the Card Challenge 2006: Card no. 13

2006-10-16T07:34:00.000-05:00

I made a couple of cards this weekend. I'll post them throughout the week. This is card no. 13. It's a lily done in acrylics and Sharpie.

I've realized that I have to produce an awful lot of "eh" stuff to produce anything even remotely good.

There's nothing below the fold.

Art by the Card Challenge 2006: Card no. 12

2006-10-13T12:12:00.000-05:00

Card no. 12, which I finished up this morning, was done in fluid acrylics and artist ink.

No further commentary because:

It's Friday.
I'm tired.
For the first time in my adult life, I have thrown out my back. Yeah me!
I'm tired.
I've got five pages to write.
I'm stuck for more ATC ideas that do not involve bare branches, vines, leaves, and flowers.
Poppies are hard to draw.
Did I mention that I'm tired?

A good weekend to you all!

There's nothing below the fold.

Art by the Card Challenge 2006: Card no. 11

2006-10-12T06:47:00.000-05:00

Quinacridone red + ultramarine blue = happiness. This was a low-effort card for the challenge because I've been working on drawing poppies. I had no idea that poppies were such a pain to draw. No idea at all.

Happy Thursday, everyone! The weekend is right around the corner. I'll be writing this weekend, but we won't get into that.

Art by the Card Challenge 2006: Card no. 10

2006-10-11T18:38:00.000-05:00

This is the card that almost didn't happen. I'm telling you, it's getting harder and harder to make ATCs. I have no idea what I'm going to do tonight. Perhaps a little abstract? Maybe something sewn? Criminal Minds is on tonight. I've forgiven them for the sucktastic season premiere, so maybe I'll sew up an ATC while watching the show. I can't just watch television.

This card was done in Sharpie and fluid acrylics. I love how the acrylics look like watercolours. Sweet, sweet fluid acrylics. Now, I just need a bottle of cadmium red, which Golden only makes as a hue. A hue! Hmph!

Art by the Card Challenge 2006: Card no. 9

2006-10-11T08:29:00.000-05:00

Even though I appear to be a day behind, I'm not. Card 10 is sitting on my scanner bed at this very moment. I'll get around to posting it tomorrow. I'm actually finding the documentation as exhausting as making the ATCs and, believe you me, the making of the ATCs is getting exhausting. It's like when you start exercising again: the first run is easy-peasy, but the second run just about kills you. I'm waiting for the endorphins to kick in and the ideas to flow.

Heh.

This ATC is aptly named "Flower Thing." It was "Flower Thingie," which is more me (there are no things in my life, only thingies), but, well, there are two extra letters to write and I'm tired. Have I mentioned that already?

Commence rambling: I now know that I love fluid acrylics. They're like watercolours but permanent. Yeah! I've also discovered that I love hansa yellow. It looks nasty in the bottle but it's sweet and acidic on paper.

I *could* ramble on and on and on and on and on, but I figure that I should save that for diss rewrite eleventeen.

There's nothing below the fold.

Art by the Card Challenge 2006: Card no. 8

2006-10-10T13:54:00.000-05:00

And thus began week 2. This was hand-sewn (because I hate myself and have nothing better to do) with machine-embroidery thread on silk paper. I'd like to try doing something similar with a beading needle to see if I can avoid the slightly puckered look.

I've planned the next three classes, if we ignore the fact that I still need to write a quiz for next Tuesday.

Off to be academic-ish.

There's nothing below the fold.

Art by the Card Challenge 2006: Card no. 7

2006-10-10T07:00:00.000-05:00

Yeah! Those stubby, gloopy trees shall now begin their descent down this page. I really didn't like them. I like this much better.

Once again, a vine. The design is borrowed from card no. 5 for the challenge. The background is fluid acrylics mixed with heavy-body acrylics. The main vine is silk thread, the leaf details were done with machine-embroidery thread, and the leaves themselves are konnyaku-treated Japanese tissue. The blue is steelier in person than it is in the scan.

I've also decided to parlay my vine obsession into an ATC swap over at ATCards, should you be interested in making some vine-inspired cards.

I have two more cards that I made this weekend to post. I suppose that when I get tired of writing lesson plans, I'll write about ATCs, even though I should be writing about Burian. Pfft. Anywho, if you're really impatient, you can check out my Sharpie Scout cards so far on flickr (which is a horribly addictive little site).

There's nothing below the fold.

Art by the Card Challenge 2006: Card no. 6

2006-10-07T12:32:00.000-05:00

I'm still on track for the challenge. I was contemplating getting ahead this weekend but I slept until nearly 11.00 (!), it's 1.30 and I'm still in my PJs, I'm heading out to Loomis for some more fluid acrylics (I need red and yellow), Loomis will be followed by grocery shopping, and I still need to write 2.5 pages today. Ahead probably won't happen. I'll be happy with on top.

To the left are some bare trees. I need to work on minimizing my goopiness. Ptichka has suggested watering down my acrylics more, so I'll give that a shot tonight. Otherwise, I'll stick with acrylic backgrounds and artist ink drawings.

To all you Canuckleheads out there, Happy Thanksgiving! I'll return on Tuesday with at least two more ATCs and maybe a diss update.

There's nothing below the fold.

Art by the Card Challenge 2006: Card no. 5

2006-10-06T07:43:00.000-05:00

Since this whole art by the card challenge is being brought to you by the Sharpie Scouts, I figured that I should make at least one all-Sharpie card. Here it is. And look, there's a vine too.

There's nothing below the fold.

Bringing the Sweet

2006-10-05T08:16:00.000-05:00

I couldn't resist showing off the latest addition to my ATC collection. I scored this in a one-on-one trade over at ATCards. It's by rocnic23.

Vines may be the new birds but nothing can replace penguins.

Speaking of bringing the sweet, the neighbor's cat has taken to sleeping on the piece of scrap paper I used to paint on. There are so many layers of gesso and acrylics that what was once craft paper is now more like fabric. I've been using a different piece of paper to protect my table, but I'm worried that one day, she'll decide to take a nap on a piece of paper with wet paint on it. I can only imagine the kitty crankiness and the mess.

Art by the Card Challenge 2006: Card no. 4

2006-10-04T21:56:00.000-05:00

I can't believe that I've stuck with this so far. Yes, it is only day four and I only need to make thirty ATCs this month, but I am easily distracted.

Another vine ATC for your viewing pleasure. The background is watercolours. I drew the vines with Sennelier inks again.

I think that vines may be the new birds.

There's nothing below the fold.

Art by the Card Challenge 2006: Card no. 3

2006-10-03T22:05:00.000-05:00

Another vertical card! This one is of bare trees at sunset. The background wash was done with watered-down fluid acrylics. The trees were done in my other latest addiction: Sennelier artist inks.

It's late and I'm tired, so admire the card. I may discuss the rest of my life again sometime this week...even though I'm trying to ignore it.

Botany Deco

2006-10-03T10:31:00.000-05:00

I will admit that sometimes it just feels good to make a deco. It's a small bound book that you send out into the world for people to art up when you're sick of having it hanging about the house. Try to do that with a pamphlet-bound booklet.

Above is the front of a botany deco with its "obi" to keep the sleeve shut. Pictures of the rest of the deco are below the fold.

I'm always on the hunt for interesting constructions. I saw this deco's construction in Creative Correspondence last week and figured that it would be perfectly suited for a sewn paper deco I've been wanting to make. The botany deco is a trial run. There are four envelopes on hinges attached to a protective sleeve. Inside each envelope is an ATC back. The construction, I hope, will make it difficult to accidently much up someone else's work, and be able to accomodate 3D elements (Why people glue those "jewels" on a page in a flat book with no room in the binding is beyond me. Respect le livre, people!). It's also fun to get a book with an unusual construction.

Below is the rest of the book. It was putzy to make but rewarding in its fussiness.

The front of the deco sans "obi."

The back of the deco sans "obi."

The deco open. Each envelope holds on ATC back.

Art by the Card Challenge 2006: Card no. 2

2006-10-02T19:40:00.000-05:00

Earlier today, Miss Fish posted at the Embellished Circus about ATC orientation, i.e. landscape or portrait. It would appear from a very small, unscientific sampling of four people, that I'm in the minority. Most of my ATCs of late have been landscape, not portrait.

Later today, I made a vertical ATC. It took everything I had not to turn it on its side. To the left is "Vines." There's some Sharpie, some fluid acrylics (Why didn't I know about these earlier?), and a whole lot of gesso.

Gesso is my new best friend because it covers up many of my mistakes.

There's nothing below the fold.

Art by the Card Challenge 2006: Card no. 1

2006-10-01T21:30:00.000-05:00

I'm participating in an art challenge for the month of October via one of the Y@hoo! groups to which I belong. My goal? To make thirty ATCs this month. To the left is my first card. There will be twenty-nine more. I hope.

No. There will be. I hereby decree the month of October The Month of Getting Shit Done. Feel free to join me.

There's nothing below the fold.

Blackbird Deco

2006-09-28T09:21:00.000-05:00

Last night, I finished up a page in a blackbird deco for Caren. It's ink and coloured pencils. I love coloured pencils, by the way. Unfortunately, using them is booooring. Especially when large areas need to be coloured in.

The page is below the fold and if anyone can tell me where I've seen the exact same composition before, I'd appreciate it. I know that I've seen it somewhere else. I think it was a book cover. Maybe for an edition of Beowulf?

Mine, All Mine

2006-09-27T19:45:00.000-05:00

One of the joys of hosting ATC swaps are the extras: ribbon, paper, ephemera, and bonus ATCs. Today I received this ATC from the super talented Miss Fish as an extra for a transformation-themed ATC swap that I'm currently hosting. Life is good.

It's inspired by Norval Morrisseau. I'd never heard of him until I saw the above ATC on Miss Fish's blog but now I'm contemplating seeing the big retrospective of his work at McMichael.

P.S. I cut off the top of the ATC during the scanning but I'm too lazy to fix it at the moment.

There's nothing below the fold.

Work of Anti-Art in the Age of Artificial Reproduction

2006-09-26T09:14:00.000-05:00

My "artist statement." Poor Walter Benjamin must be rolling in his grave.

Zhenia Venture's work investigates the nuances of surveilance cameras through the use of jumpcut motion and close-ups which emphasize the Artificial nature of digital media. Venture explores abstract and still scenery as motifs to describe the idea of infinite space. Using random loops, non-linear narratives, and allegorical images as patterns, Venture creates meditative environments which suggest the expansion of culture...

You can write your own here.
There's nothing below the fold.

2006-09-25T08:31:00.000-05:00

Most of my brain is focused on teaching and writing at the moment. * Why else would I get excited during my daily perusal of novinky.cz that there's a news story about the birth rate in the Czech Republic? This ties in with the article we just read about living arrangements in the Czech Republic! We can use numbers! There are irregular comparatives! YEAH! Welcome to the life of a language teacher.

With my brain being elsewhere these days, expect lots of links. Like this one to Jaime Zollars. I especially enjoyed the step-by-step section and I will keep hoping for another limited edition silkscreen print to appear on the site.

*At the moment, the rest of the brain is trying to figure out what the big scandal on Project Runway is. Yes, my Yankee friends, Project Runway has come and gone for you, but tonight's Scandal Night here in Canada. I.Cannot.Wait. Ptichka and I have been promised that the scandal is big and well-worth-it. Did I mention already that I cannot wait. Well, I can't.
There's nothing below the fold.

My Very Own Seal

2006-09-22T18:48:00.000-05:00

You can make one for yourself here.
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It's Friday!

2006-09-22T10:35:00.000-05:00

In honour of surviving my first full week of teaching, here's a photo of my first, real, grown-up bag.*

*I do have another bag but it's small and dressy, i.e. not suited for everyday use. I do also frequently borrow Ptichka's bag from Fleurtje, but it's not the same thing as having a bag of one's own.

There's nothing below the fold.

I'll Lay off the You Tube after This

2006-09-20T10:15:00.000-05:00

But this report on gays in the US military was brilliant.

And is it me, or do homophobes think about gay sex way more than homosexuals?

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Further Proof That I'm Being Canuckified

2006-09-19T13:35:00.000-05:00

I get giddy when Canada makes either The Daily Show or The Colbert Report, even if it makes me throw up a bit in my mouth.

I mean, really, Peter Mackay?

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Avast, ye scurvy dog!

2006-09-19T10:00:00.000-05:00

It's International Talk Like a Pirate Day, which is funny because Ptichka and I had an in-depth conversation on the plane yesterday about why pirates and all things related to them (like scurvy) are funny.

And now, if you'll excuse me, I shall return to work.

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Oh la la!

2006-09-14T11:02:00.000-05:00

I've started receiving the Nigerian scam e-mails en français. Merci, M. Morgan! I feel so worldly.

And with that little tidbit of news, I'm off. I'll see you Monday! I've scheduled a light blogging session before my diss-related breakdown. It's been a few months. I'm due for one, especially since it feels like this damn thing is never going to end.

There's nothing below the fold.

Playing at Impressionism

2006-09-13T08:22:00.000-05:00

This is a spread for a La mer deco for a round robin. It took a while as I waited for paint, glue, and more paint to dry, but, damn, was it satisfying. I'm into the goop these days. Paint, paint, and more paint with some rayon tissue thrown in for texture.

There's nothing below the fold.

I'll Have One of Those

2006-09-11T09:23:00.000-05:00

You know how people sometimes sit around and discuss which body part they'd replace if they could. Most people choose the same handful of body parts: breasts, tummies, etc. Well, I know which part I'd like replaced on e: my right ankle. Just as I'm getting back into the running habit, it goes and sprains itself this morning on the home stretch.

Stupid thing. It's like it wants me to be larger than the rest of me wants to be.

There's nothing below the fold.

2006-09-10T20:52:00.000-05:00

Some Sharpie art squared for your enjoyment.

A flower inspired by vintage fabric.

I haven't decided what the carrot is going to say. "Please tell me that's a carrot in your pocket?"

Another One?

2006-09-07T21:57:00.000-05:00

Yes, another WIP. Last Sunday, Ptichka and I went over to a friends' house for dinner. One of these friends is an artist. A real, live professional one with the fancy pants degree and everything. Seeing her work (and spending too much on art supplies just before heading over for dinner) got me anxious to try playing with texture. The WIP in the previous post is a result of my playing and here's the other result.

Once again, I'm stuck. Suggestions? Or do you think I should leave it? I'm tempted to do just that but there's something missing.

In unrelated news: tomorrow is orientation. Blech. The school year starts next week. At least I have my syllabus and first day of class planned.

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Now What? Some Randomness

2006-09-06T20:50:00.000-05:00

The diss has been reconfigured. I still don't want to work on it. It still makes me want to vomit. I'm faking the confidence pretty well, but let me tell you, it's gone. As is my momentum. I opened the file that was to be my final chapter in the old configuration and I had inserted a congratulatory note at the beginning: "You're almost done!" My arse.

I have a meeting tomorrow morning for no real discernable reason and then the person calling the meeting wants to have lunch with everyone at the meeting. I do not want to be social. I want to be alone to work (or not work) on the diss and pick up an ILL book.

I've been paying attention to the Euro qualifiers...in Czech. I tell myself that it'll help my Czech. I have learned some soccer-related vocab and some colloquial constructions. Really, though, this is just diss and teaching procrastination, brought to you by men in shorts and a black and white ball. My favourite random bit of useless info gleaned from my Czech-language soccer fandom is the Czech name for Lichtenstein: Lichtenštejnsko. Hee. So cute.

The rest of this post was an excuse to post a WIP. This ATC is obviously not finished but I'm stuck. Ptichka suggested dry brushing on some silver paint, but I'm open to other ideas.

Meh.

Meh, I say.

Stupid universe, thwarting me and robbing me of my momentum. Sometimes, you really suck.

When I write again, I'll do it as an adult. Promise.

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Landing: The Interview

2006-09-06T09:01:00.000-05:00

My letter from Immigration told me that my interview would be at 8.00am in Etobicoke. Ptichka and I took the scenic route, which featured a lengthy (and unnecessary) foray by bus into Mississagua. The office was at Kipling station on the subway line. Who knew? Obviously, I didn't.

The interview was something of a cattle call. We, and by we, I mean about sixty other Canadian hopefuls, were trundled into a large room with a Canadian flag and a dais. We all sat and waited until a woman came in and told us how the interviews were going to go down. We would be called randomly and questioned by one of five immigration officers. Two were set up at the front of the auditorium, while the other three were at these wickets. Everything was out in the open.

Before some of us were interviewed, we had to pay our landing fee, which involved a trip up to the third floor. Ptichka and I went upstairs and found the cashier. It was one lone woman in a poorly designed office. A Polish couple paid before us. In cash. The best part of this transaction was watching the cashier put the money in an envelope and then seal it with a glue stick. She was very thorough with the glue stick, by the way.

I paid my landing fee after the Polish couple and returned to the hall. We sat and waited until my name was called and then we went out to one of the wickets. To my right was a refugee from China. To my left was someone from lord only knows where asking questions about OHIP.

My interview was very short. I was first informed that I no longer needed a student authorization, since my current once, which I renewed a couple of months ago, was paperclipped to a page in my passport. Then came the questions: Did I have any dependents outside the country? No. Had I been in trouble with Canadian law enforcement? Had I been deported? The immigration officer snickered after the deportation question. The answer? No and no. She then asked Ptichka if she understood her obligations as a sponsor. Ptichka said yes. I then initialled a couple of spots on a form and signed at the bottom. The officer ripped off the bottom copy, because CIC does everything on carbon paper (man, my file was thick) and handed it to me. She took my immigration photos, had me sign another form, and told me that my permanent resident card would arrive in the mail in four to six weeks. She then welcomed me to Canada.

Ptichka and I left the building in search of breakfast. We found a diner across the street that was full of old people and skanky business men. Always a good sign for a diner's quality, really, even though you wouldn't want to see those people at other places, like that hot bar down on West Queen West. We kept telling each other that I'd landed. Then we'd either squeal or have some more pancakes.

I thought that landing would be like passing my comps: a long, drawn-out build up to a crappy release. It didn't work like that, though. I'm so relieved. I get to stay. If I had to, I could find a job. There are so many things about which I no longer need to worry that I feel lighter and younger.

Now I just need to finish the diss.

2006-09-04T20:41:00.000-05:00

I hate waiting for stuff to dry. At the moment, I'm waiting for some self-leveling gel, some modeling paste pieces, and one truly goopy paint/medium/tissue concoction to stop being so freakin' tacky.

Sigh.

In the meantime, I re-watched the only part of the VMAs that I enjoyed. Enjoy along with me. Start at the one minute mark because Jack Black wasn't very funny and Chris Brown is not very hott. And may I say something that reveals the onset of my old codgerdom? Youth should only be allowed to produce dumb, danceable pop. Translation: Panic! at the Disco and Fall-Out Boy both need to be roughed up.

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