miscellany

in memoriam

Had a lovely day today which I will post about at length over the weekend.

But my mom called tonight to say that Lucy, who has been the family cat since my junior year of college, died today.

She was all white so she was easy to spot when she would sneak into the backyard after being allowed out on the deck. She liked to sit in sunshine and flop on the floor.

I can’t find any photos of her on my computer, but this is a picture I drew of her circa 2001 or so:

She was a sweet kitty, and she will be greatly missed.

By erin, ago

finished bunnies & suggestions welcome

The Phantomwise Tarot 10s are done, remarkably ahead of schedule. You can see the set in the tarot minors gallery on phantomwise.com or over here on my art-based LiveJournal. Someday I might combine that blog with this one. Today is not that day.

Here are the finished bunnies, in bookish tea party glory:

I kind of can’t believe the numbered minors are complete. I’m really pleased with how they’ve all turned out, so often the minors are dull in comparison to the majors, and I’d like to think these hold their own. Now it’s just a matter of getting the courts completed, and then the deck is done. I doubt I’ll know what to do with myself then, I might need another epic art project of some sort.

In other news, I am going to endeavor to blog here more frequently. I was going to set a lofty goal of once a day but that seems too lofty at the moment. So I’ll start with several times a week and maybe attempt that every day thing in April.

I’ll need topics, though. Suggestions are welcome, just comment. Otherwise you’re just going to get more writing, art, kittens, and possibly a lengthy essay on why I love LOST in general and Michael Emerson in particular.

And you get a Watchmen review on Friday, of course.

By erin, ago

technical difficulties & a bunny

My Macbook is unhappy. Googling indicates that it’s suffering from a kernel panic, a malady that makes me want popcorn. I’ve tried all the helpful hints for creative restarting but it persists in panicing, so it will get a trip to the Apple Store in the nearish future. In the snow.

I am sick of snow. I am bored with hibernating. It’s pretty, but I’m cold and I would like some greenery. Flowers and butterflies and a world outside my window not covered in ice, please thank you.

I am working on the 10s for the Phantomwise Tarot. They are all sketched and some of the paintings are started. I should be able to finish them by the end of the week.

The ten of cups got overrun with bunnies. Here’s a teensy peek:

I decided I only had a few cards left to be silly in, to make the deck more me than Rider Waite, and bunnies, books & tea seemed a good way to do it. The pents are rather non-traditional, too, and I managed to sneak each totem animal in their respective suits for good measure.

So, painting and editing in a winter wonderland, waiting for Spring and trying not to get impatient about it.

By erin, ago

ear candy for you, with a message

Wil Wheaton has a post on his blog today about Zoë Keating, and how NPR used her music without permission or credit.

I discovered Zoë’s music last year via Amanda Palmer (she’s featured on a couple tracks of Amanda’s solo album) and fell instantly head over heels in love. Here, watch & listen:

 

 

She does fancy digital loops of her cello and creates this gorgeous, layered one-woman symphony. She should be in Apple ads or something, for all their fusion of music and technology.

Wil has more info on the NPR stuff including quotes from Zoë. I hope it was an honest oversight and that they’ll rectify it, and I hope through the wonder of the internet and word of mouth more people will discover a wonderful musician.

You can buy Zoë Keating’s music on iTunes, eMusic, Amazon, or from her website. I have both the full album and the EP and I listen to them often, they are phenomenal and I highly recommend them for music while writing, painting, or doing whatever artistic endeavor suits your fancy. They’re also brilliant for simply sitting & listening, too.

Listen, buy, spread the word.

By erin, ago

the mouse circus alone is worth the price of admission

We went to see Coraline this morning. I have been looking forward to this for ages, I adore the book and I adore Henry Selick so the combination of the two made me downright giddy with anticipation. (I even painted Coraline-inspired art while I was impatiently waiting for the film to be released.)

It is only playing near us in 3D, which I was somewhat concerned about. I have rather wonky eyesight so I don’t always see things in 3D and such all that well. Remember those Magic Eye posters that were all the rage years ago that looked like abstract patterns but had images hidden in them? Never saw a single thing in those, am somewhat convinced that it was a big conspiracy.

But despite mild reservations we decided to give the 3D a whirl and I’m glad we did. It’s absolutely gorgeous. I could see a lot more of it than I’d expected to and it gave everything a glorious depth. I spent most of the film baffled by the artistry of it, the animation is downright amazing. And it’s a testament to the skill of the creators that I kept forgetting that it was all done by hand, the film is that absorbing.

The level of detail is astounding, the Scottie dogs and the mouse circus and each and every button. The characterization, especially of Coraline herself, is wonderful. Have I used enough favorable adjectives for you to tell that I adored it? I kind of did.

It’s definitely a different animal than the book. But I’m rather fond of cases where the book and the film are distinct, separate pieces of art. A book is not a film and a film is not a book, after all, and I think this is a very good example of a film that isn’t exactly like the book in a number of ways but still successful in its own narrative and form.

There are some teensy changes that I wasn’t entirely pleased with, but most of them were minor. Really, I was too mesmerized by the world to be bothered much by passing bits of plot. I loved the aesthetic of it, the feel of the film as a whole too much. I played on coraline.com quite a bit when I got home, just to stay in that world a bit longer.

Highly recommended. And I’d recommend the 3D version, too, it definitely added a dimension to the experience.

By erin, ago

the rain sounds cold

It is raining. Or hailing. Or some other sort of frozen rainesque thing that is turning all the fallen slow to heavy wet slush. 

I should probably invest in some new boots.

For now I am hibernating, in the warmth with my tea and a pile of new books. 

I am slowly but surely getting into the swing of 2009. 

We got ourselves a Wii Fit for the holidays and started it up on January 1st. It’s nice to have a way to exercise that doesn’t involve going out into the slushy snow, and I like the format and routine. Perhaps it’s the kindergartener in me but I enjoy being able to stamp a date on the calendar and get credits for minutes. Simple rewards, gold stars for good behavior. They work, though. Everyone likes a star.

Back to reading and listening to the freezing rain cascading down the side of the building. Am mid-way through Kelly Link’s Pretty Monsters and have Tana French’s In The Woods to pick up when I’m finished. Am going to endeavor to read more this year, and keep better track of what I’m reading, too.

Now, if only kittens were sleepy or snuggly instead of running around like maniacs it would be a very cozy afternoon.

By erin, ago