Jill Of All Trades

It snowed.

Went out and took some photos after dinner, just as it was starting to get dark. I went out once and it was difficult for me to turn my head against the wind - snow blew up in my eyes whenever I faced the house. Went out again a minute later and it had died down.







Once I came inside and finished defrosting my fingers, I set out on a painting spree.


"(A)Drift"
11"x14"; acrylic paint and nail polish on canvas


"GrassShoots"
7"x9"; acrylic paint and nail polish on canvas (this one looks better in person)


"Unfolding"
5"x7"; acrylic paint and nail polish on canvas (starting to see a pattern?)

These I'm trying not to get too attached to, as I might sell them (if I can, that is) and thus (maybe) get a head-start on student loans. In the meantime, I'm completely at a loss for titles. Suggestions? (Price suggestions also appreciated).)

[Update 2/13/08: Finally settled on titles. How do you like them?]

Oh, hey, I just realized I forgot to put up the abstract painting that started it all.

Ladies and gents, meet Flare.


(created September 19th, 2007)

This one's a tiny bit bigger than the 11"x14" black one (above), and it too is in acrylic and nail polish. I submitted it to a small-time campus art show, but it - sadly - didn't get in. Instead, I got a strange form-letter e-mail that essentially said it was creative and had artistic merit, but it...didn't match the other paintings. Ooookay then.

I love it all the same. (Yeah, this one I've gotten attached to. It's not going anywhere. Sorry.)

May make a post later explaining its influences...or may not, and let you actually think about it yourself.

- Miz L.

Found a lovely macabre, femme fatale/gothic horror-themed music video from The Pierces (courtesy of a friend) - thought I'd pass it along. (Here's their Myspace page, for those who do that sort of thing.)



Sticks and stones will break your bones
And leave them lying in the mud
But you'll be scared when we're alone
Like I might suck your blood
And I could tell you a witch's spell
But it just might blow your top
And you start to run just as I'm having fun
It's awfully hard to stop
It's awfully hard to stop...

Practical Origami, Newspaper Recycling, and a Guerilla Gardening idea



While searching for a more practical use for origami than continuing to fold billions of cranes, I stumbled across instructions to fold seed starter pots out of old newspapers. You know those fancy, expensive pots you can get at the garden center - the ones made of packed peat, that you can plant directly into the ground (as they decompose)? This is a much cheaper, and possibly greener, DIY option. Not only is it recycling old newspapers (rather than using up more natural resources) - because it's origami, there's also no staples, tape, or glue to fall into or contaminate the surrounding soil.


The instructions are here, and consist of 14 easy-to-follow (or I thought so, at least) instructions. If I have time later, I may put up my own version of the tutorial, especially as it relates to the newspaper proportions - the tutorial-writer lives in Japan and is using a Japanese newspaper, which from the pictures seems to have different proportions than most ones here in the U. S. I've just tried it with normal 8"x11" paper (not with newspaper), so the proportions and sizes may turn out different. I'll come back with an update - soon, I hope!

- Miz L.

Finally getting around to posting the photos I took over the summer. I know, I'm pitiful...