| When All Four Quarters Come Together... |
[Mar. 18th, 2009|08:54 pm] |
| [ | Tags | | | cleveland culture, ego, event, henna, maps, mehistory, palimpsest, photos, polylove | ] |
| [ | Current Location |
| | Home, second floor | ] |
| [ | mood |
| |  artistic | ] |
| [ | music |
| | Will Ferrell : You're Welcome, America with ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif) moominmuppet | ] |
... the magic happens. It was wonderful and fantastic and enthralling, what with creating this art and bringing it to our skins, and seeing it on us, and becoming a part of the mosaic of Palimpsest, makes me thrilled and tingly right down to my toes. A warm, heartfelt beam of gratitude goes out to Ferrett and Cat, for their most excellent write-ups and linkage, and to Gini for the extra pimpage, and Jeremy for the pictures. You are all precious, gleaming folken who make me feel special and help me be an artist. Thank you.
Our four quarters of a map....
... brought together. (Sort of - the lineup could be better.)
But it's really really hard to get them to line up!
In the end, though, we all come together, mapmaker and archivist and shaper and builder and progenitor, to share our love of the City. |
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| A City Just For Us. |
[Mar. 18th, 2009|12:13 pm] |
For those of you who missed the Palimpsest party on 3/16/09 @ Mac's Backs, you missed a hell of a shindig. It all began before that, though....
I'm sure, if you're a regular reader of me, you've already seen the sketches of the maps I created for me and zodarzone and theferrett and zoethe.
Sunday night, I began the process of hennaing those maps onto our skins. Everyone has a neighborhood, in Palimpsest.
Laying out La Libra Ultimatis Station on Jer/zodarzone
Jeremy wearing La Libra Ultimatis Station
~ La Libra Ultimatis Station ~ In the city, there is a Library. Every good city has a library, but the Library of Palimpsest is unusual. It holds volumes, true, thousands upon thousands of volumes, but they're rarely read and never loaned out. No one has a card for this library. There is only one book in La Libra Ultimatis - the Book of Names, and the number of volumes is so immense that it takes several annexes just to house it all. Everyone in Palimpsest is recorded in that book, everyone who has heard its clamor and walked its streets and lived in its buildings. Off to one side of the library complex is a clutch of round towers that stretch far above the city, the Spires of Sighs. In the Spires, you can walk through the giant arches, the long sloping ramps, spiraling up and up, and hear the first sigh emitted by each and every person after their first breath of Palimpsest's air. La Libra Ultimatis is surrounded by dormitories for students of the Book, and merchant streets jammed with papermakers and bookbinders and inksellers and quillerists. ~
Gini/zoethe wearing Chakrazoe Station
~ Chakrazoe Station ~ So many trains run through Palimpsest, it's hard to figure out how they connect. If you're lucky, you'll venture into a neighborhood with a wheelhouse, a place where the train lines come together before flying apart again, off on their way to other parts of the city. Everyone passes through Chakrazoe Station at some point, on their journey through the city, but the only ones who stay are the ones who need the hum of rails under trains, the shouts of porters directing luggage and stock, the scent of burning coal and hot metal and steam. The neighborhood around Chakrazoe is surprisingly peaceful and sedate. The residents live the small, quiet lives of temple builders, only expressing themselves in the beauty of the Stations they create, for this neighborhood is where the Stations are built, piece by piece and brick by brick, before being boxed up and shipped off on their beloved trains, to be assembled as a Station they've never seen and most likely will never visit. Every thing you see in a Station was created here, the shining brass bars on the ticket window, the curling wrought iron benches, the smoothly polished and inlaid wooden floors, the sometimes-ornate and sometimes-simple signs proclaiming the names of the Stations. ~
Ferrett/theferrett wearing Whalejack Station
~ Whalejack Station ~ Every city relies heavily on the transportation of goods. While the trains of Palimpsest are beautiful, they only run so far, and sometimes things need to come from farther away than the trains reach. Enter Whalejack Station, on the harbor of Palimpsest. Here is where the ships that sail the wide open sea come to be safe, to rest and be repaired, to be relieved of their burdens so they can skip gaily from wave to wave again, unencumbered by the weight of necessity. The warehouses of Whalejack Station are filled with things that will be made into other things, metal and wood and thread and rock, vast stores of potential. Stevedores live here, and chandlers, and boatbuilders - they draw comfort from living with their ships, from being so near the ocean, hearing the thwack of waves against wood, the cries of gulls, smelling the winds that blow the scents of far-off, unheard-of places. Yet, none appear tempted to jump on a ship as it leaves its safe harbor; they all seem happy to stay in Palimpsest, as if all things that matter eventually come to the city and they will be contented when it arrives, an adventure that no one has to leave home to experience. ~
Me wearing Crooked River Station
~ Crooked River Station ~ In every city everywhere, there's a place where the regulated order of streets break down, where margins blur and nothing is set in stone. Crooked River Station sits on the border of just such a place. The banks of the River are twisted and high, yet still people crowd to live here. This is where the river people dwell, those who make their living working the tamed, bounded waters of the River, ferrymen and washerwomen and basketmakers. This neighborhood is where the shantytowns spring up, all along the riverbends, and where the floating folk make their temporary dockings. It's the Gypsy part of town, and to walk its streets is an unparalleled adventure. Your pockets might get picked, you might see the love of your life, you may hear unearthly music you will never hear again, you might get your fortune told true, you might dance all night around a fire, you might be netted and whisked away to live a wholly new life, never to return. One can never truly know what happens in the Crooked River until you go there - everyone finds something different, something unique and just for them, an experience that will never be repeated no matter how many times you visit. ~
To see our map, whole and entire, and see photos of the launch event, follow the links. |
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| State of the House, Illustrated Edition |
[Feb. 3rd, 2009|02:29 pm] |
Jeremy got a kickass camera recently, and in result, we've been going photo-mad. He's posted some of the pictures he's taken in his lj - a collection of pictures of me (awwwwww, you sweetie Bear), a whole passel o' poochie pics, some of our Post-Modern-College Dormesque apartment, and one I took of him and Ditko (hee hee hee, dog in a sweater!)
Today, though, I also want to share with you some pictures I've taken recently. 'Cause, y'know, I can't resist our shiny new camera. It's soooooo preeeeeeeeetty......
And works so very well.
This picture was taken at 3 AM with no flash, of my house's stairstructure to the third floor studio. Amazing at capturing low light, isn't it?
Suspicious Jax is suspicious. (Jer actually took this shot.)
Grafton's new truck is goddamn-Browns-orange. Highly disturbing, given that he's driving it in Michigan, but hey, at least it's functional and we can find it in a parking lot.
Speaking of Grafton.... I looooooooooove this shot I got of him.
I told you it was good in low light. Very important to me - I love Cleveland's skies, and now we finally have a camera that can capture them in all their glory.
*sigh* SO pretty.
Annnnnnnd..... all together now, in your best Eddie Izzard voice.....
moar funny pictures
*falls over laughing* |
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| I leave marks everywhere I go. |
[Nov. 5th, 2008|01:36 pm] |
I'm sure some of you remember the post last week in which I hennaed theferrett and yuki_onna.
Since then, they've both sent back shots of their aged mehndi. I love hennaing my friends - it's so easy to get shots of mehndi after application when the folks who got hennaed are still reachable afterwards.
Here's theferrett's - the edges are bit worn, but the color's astounding. Let that be a lesson, friends: the longer you leave the dried paste on your skin, the better your color and deeper the stain will be. Ferrett left hsi on for an extra day, I think. Astounding.
Here's yuki_onna's - her edges are still nice and clean, and the henna took wonderfully to her skin. I think I can pronounce her ready for wedding henna. It'd be a joy to do art on that scale, and if it comes up as nicely as this, she'll look great at her wedding.
Hurrah! Henna! |
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| Surprise! |
[Aug. 1st, 2008|11:50 am] |
I don't really have anything to say.
I know that's a shock to some, but really, I've just spent a couple hours going gaga over having my very own Mac-pooter and shamelessly catching up on teh intarwebs. So, in lieu of actual literary content, I give you art!
This henna piece is two-or-more years old, and I can't think why I didn't post the pictures at the time. The line/edge work is a bit wonky, and that may have been the reason, but I remember at the time thinking that I should attempt a lace-like "glove", if you will, of henna. (Props to teh Jaxeroo for being such a good... prop? background? )
Those pictures were taken some time after the application; I can't remember how long after now, but you can see the wear on the design, so maybe 5-6 days after application. I like the overall effect of what I was trying to do, and perhaps I'll try it again soon, since I have better-textured henna now.
Oh! Which reminds me - I need to order more henna. The Great Henna Party nearly wiped me out, and I only have a couple cones left.
While we're on the mehndi train, I should mention theferrett and zoethe. Right now, Ferret's in his last couple of weeks at Clarion, a super-groovy writer's workshop on the other side of the country. The two of them have a fascinating relationship, and they pay a lot of attention to each other's needs as well as wants, and they're just about the most adorable, cutest, devoted, lovey-dovey, sincere, and serious-about-each-other couple I've ever seen. (For all of you who think Jer and I are sickeningly sweet on each other, I'm here to tell ya, we got nothin' on Ferret and Gini.)
So, as a gesture of love and devotion, Ferret made arrangements with artists to provide Gini with artwork specifically themed to her whilst he was away. Let's say it together now.... "Awwwwwww"! Ferret asked me if I'd be kind enough to create a mehndi piece for Gini for Week Five, and of course I said yes. Clever minx that I am, I set up a weekly bellydance date with her before he left for Clarion and oh-so-cunningly used this past Monday as her Week Five Art day so she'd be surprised. Yay for surprise art! She created a lovely piece, mixing Indian and Native American images into something very beautiful and very personal to her. It's a fantastic piece, and very unusual for me for create given its location, and when she posts a picture, I'll let you all know! I'm very proud of the piece, and very pleased and honored to be a vehicle of Ferret's love for Gini. |
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| Even yet more henna! |
[Jul. 1st, 2008|02:11 pm] |
At last, I got to do grf's mehndi last Saturday, the day after the henna party - he chose a similar Native American design to the bits I used to create my most recent hand piece.
( More mehndi here! Clickers! )
Tomorrow, serpentseye's Egyptian-themed Pride mehndi! |
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| Well, well, ain't we proud! |
[May. 28th, 2008|10:15 am] |
The MAMA LIA Art Walk was awesome in a lot of ways. First off, it was killer to have such a responsive audience. A lot of performing our type of dance is dependant on audience energy; the more involved and attentive the audience is, the more we enjoy ourselves, and that shows very clearly in our dancing. I've danced at shows where the audience is indifferent or simply not present, and it's such a drag to try and pull out a really good number when you think that no one's watching and wouldn't care anyway if they were. (That feeling is something I struggle a lot with, since I feel that people lose interest in my dance due to my size, but that's a depressing meander for another time.) With an audience like we had at the artwalk, however, it's a joy to dance, because you can feel the audience's attention on you, and it's inspiring, pushing you to be sharper, more fluid, create new combinations, and generally peform better overall. 'Cause, you know, they're watching and you owe it to them to give them a good show.
( Jolly good show! Video and pictures (lots and lots of pictures) under the cut! Click me! ) |
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| Awesomeawesomeawesome show! |
[May. 19th, 2008|03:09 pm] |
Saturday's performance for the Lakewood Art Walk went wonderfully! The hostess and owner was wonderful, and enthusiastic as all get out. She gathered all of her Greek family and friends, who tipped us like mad! It was the first time I've been showered with money and had it shoved in my hip belt. Of course, my trusted and beloved support crew, zodarzone and grf, came along and were supportive, from scooping up our tips from the floor to taking fabu photos.
( Pictures and videos under the cut! ) |
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| Cairo in Columbus '08, or, How I Rocked the House |
[May. 5th, 2008|10:28 am] |
Happiest of happy belated birthday wishes to the wonderful grf(lovelovelovellama), the fantastic-and-oh-so-edrudite yuki_onna and a happy-early-birthday hug for vrax!
I totally forgot: no class today, because it's Finals Week! Aaaaaaaaafinalsaaaaaaaa! Ok... that's enough of that... time to tell the story.
Wow. And I mean wow.
This weekend was a blur, and yet a good blur. Such frenetic activity! Friday night, while Jer went to the Carol and John's Free Comic Book Day party, I frantically worked on my ANT 493: Ohio Archeology final paper. (5 different topics, 11 pages, single spaced, total word count 6,865. Holy jumpin' jellybeans.) I finished it up by about 5:30 AM, and crawled into bed for a few hours of sleep.
Saturday morning, we got up at about 9 AM, and I packed like a madwoman while Jer showered. Thank goodness I'd made a pack list. Makes it so much quicker. When ofmagdalena showed up, we got us all packed into the car and headed off to CSU to drop off my paper. Thankfully, my prof didn't want to chat long, and gave me back my other research paper, "Reflections of Hopewell Culture from the Grave". I got a 96%, which is so whoo-hoo, and yet, I'm peeved that he took 4% off for incorrect in-text citations. [Essentially, you're supposed to do them like this: ... end of sentence. (Author 19/20XX: p.#) and I did them like this: (Author, 19/20XX: p.#)] 4% off for COMMAS??? WTF? All right, whatever, still an A paper, and no doubt an A in the class.
After CSU, we scampered off to Lakewood to pick up habari and set off. After driving in the rain nearly all the way down there, (me sleeping for most of it) we got to the hotel, checked in, and then Jer and A. droped me and Habari off for Laylia's master class seminar. Great class; I learned a lot of useful, interesting things about audience interaction and balancing props. I wish I had a sword... could have learned more if I had a sword. Anyhoos, after the class, we scampered back to the hotel to get ready. ofmagdalena helped out immensely by doing my hair, which is far too long for me to curl by myself, and she did an excellent job of it, too. We got back to the venue just in time for the start of the show.
( More story, pictures, and video under here. ) |
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| Second Post (shorter than the first) |
[Apr. 18th, 2008|02:13 pm] |
Grrr.... lj ate my post again. So, I'll start over.
Hey, look, I got new glasses!
What do ya think, huh? It's kind of weirding me out to wear glasses again after wearing contacts for so long. Apparently the fishbowl effect and visually perceived -vs- actual distance issues will go away soon, once my brain relearns how to see. I can't wait, to be honest. It's making me extra clumsy today, since I can't really trust what my eyes are telling me.
Don't get me wrong, as soon as my brain stops fritzing, I'm sure I'll love it. But right now, I feel slightly weirded out. Still, even in my weirdness, I must effusively thank moominmuppetfor her incredible generousity in funding the new glasses. Thank you tons.
In other news, I've finished my solo choreography to "Start Wearing Purple" for Cairo In Columbus '08. Now all I have to do is learn it. And wait for the new 25-yd skirt to get here so I can practice with it. *wishes for sooner rather than later*
In yet other news, here's the rest of the Socially Conscious Meme I promised, oh so many moons ago... (still a chance to get in on tha luv, y'know, just ask)
The original was longer, I swear. |
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| Poopy poopy poopy poopy day |
[Mar. 27th, 2008|09:47 pm] |
Well, the day's been pretty astoundingly sucktastic so far. Yesterday was kinda crummy, too, so I decided to get crafty in order to cheer myself up. After I had finished my craftiness, pictures were in order to record the awesome crafty vixen that is me. (I actually have a step-by-step photo set, if anyone wants to see how I made the headgarden.) I took the "cheering myself up" part a wee bit too far, perhaps.
Jax certainly seems to think so. But doesn't he look adorable? xD |
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| I'm just Posty McPosterpants today. |
[Jan. 31st, 2008|12:07 pm] |
I mentioned a photo shoot. It happened due to a confluence of events. Since she was coming over to get hennaed anyway, I figured, why not take the shoot I promised to Fin? Afterwards, this is what I did.
I'm quite proud of the peacock, but the flowers&vines are kinda chunky. I was a bit hampered by the fact that she doesn't have full mobility in her wrist.
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| I'm alive! |
[Dec. 19th, 2007|11:28 am] |
I've survived finals! Yay!
In other news, life proceeds at a breakneck speed. The winter holidays are almost upon us, and thankfully the shopping is damn near done. Warning, gift list ahead!
I think that's it. If I've forgetten someone, I'm sure I'll find out soon.
So that's about it for today's news. Later on, I'll be posing for
firinel's art and hennaing Jamie. Pictures later! |
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| Ugh, the grunge. |
[Nov. 14th, 2007|05:09 pm] |
I'm now on the upswing, which means I'm clogged all to hell. I hate travelling with a cold. My sense of balance is so out of whack that public transit becomes a strange and unpleasant ride. It doesn't help that my route travels directly through the worst construction in Downtoan.
I took the camera along with me a few days ago and snapped some photos of Euclid and Tower City. It's a fair mix of pretty architecture and massive holes in roads. I think I'll start with the pretty, it'll cheer me up.
( Lots of pictures, probably a long upload. Totally work safe, though. ) |
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