collage

my latest project, which is for a mom expecting a girl this november. she's giving me a lot of freedom since the collage theme is femininity. unfortunately the polkadots appear merely because of backlighting, so they'll disappear once it's hung on the wall. next phase: EmBeLLishMeNt::::*:*:*::* (mwahahaha!!)

a doodle that looks a lot like a dress to me (esp after photoshop)

La la la

shnookums

my dog max wearing bunny ears for his red sweater portrait...

Midnight Baking

So last night I'd decided to try another frame, this time by baking a snacklet. I wanted to create a simplified version of the print on one of my skirts. 

So I found a coffee cake recipe and instead of swirling the jam into the batter, i spread a border around the edges and gave the design a shot using a toothpick, tiny blueberries, and a diced peach. 

Even though the baking warped some of my work, sending the blueberries to edge of the pan, I could see this succeeding with shortbread or pie crusts.

The border is a photoshop creation of numbers taken from our kitchen timer. Is it just me, or do these look like the matrix...

 

A garden frame

my mom's garden

Pear vase

The Night of the Ball

a quick impression (with paint, pencil, marker and glitter for the lights) of Golden Hall of Stockholm's City Hall, a place I imagine for Cinderella's ball

If you can't wear it, draw it

Three outfits from a catalogue and a fluttering "Crepe de chine silk" by Versace ("price upon request"). Oh, and the doodle on the jeans was just me going a different direction....

Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister: At a Glance

One of my goals is to learn how to write good stories. One of my new favorite authors, Gregory Maguire, invigorates fairy tales with modern perspective and historical setting. Here's a Sparknotes* approach to reviewing a book:

Full Title-- Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister

Author-- Gregory Maguire

Type of Work-- Novel

Genre-- Historic Fiction, Fairy Tale

Language-- English

Time and Place Written-- 1999; written at Blue Mountain Center (NY), the Hambridge Center (GA), and the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts

Date of 1st Publication-- 1999

Publisher-- Harper-Collins

Narrator-- Ruth and a nonparticipating narrator

Point of View-- Ruth at the beginning and end; distant narrator

Tone-- past

Time-- 17th century

Place-- Haarlem, Holland and Amsterdam

Protagonist-- Iris van den Meer

Major Conflict--

The merging of two dissimilar households: Margarethe Fisher, a poor, hardworking woman, along with her unappealing daughters Ruth and Iris, marrying Cornelius Van der Meer, a family of wealth, good breeding and physical beauty.

margarethe, the head of the household, holds it together on the outside but her own selfish ambition and plans pull them assunder. complicated family dynamics: weak, absent father and dominating, destructive mother. 2 ugly and one beautiful. about trying to make it inspite of your own weaknesses.

Rising Action--

1. The day Margarethe, Ruth and Iris move in with the Van den Meers

2. The Master's commission to paint Clara

Climax--

1. Margarethe's marriage to Van den Meer

2. The ball

Falling Action--

1. The fire that destroys the Master's painting

2. Returning Clara's slipper

3. Clara's marriage to the Prince and later, her death in Amsterdam

Themes--

1. Prosperity is fickle

2. Tulips invading Holland

3. Protestant v. Catholic aesthetics

4. Love is blind

5. Love at first sight

6. Celebrating and recognizing beauty

7. Home life

8. Learning how to really see

9. Superstition (ie: Clara thinks she is a changeling)

Motifs--

1. Painting the range from humanity horror to glory (ie: the Gallery of God's Mistakes)

2. Sickness and death both in and out of the Van den Meer house

Symbols--

1. wildflowers; tulips (both to celebrate)

2. the mysterious household imp (revealed as Ruth)

3. the bubonic plague (paralyzes and isolates us socially, morally)

4. ashes in the fireplace (Clara's resting place)

5. Margarethe's sore eyes (inability to see)

6. fire (destruction, transformation, purging)

7. crows (spirits that changed Clara when she was stolen)

Foreshadowing--

1. encountering the dilapidated windmill on Clara's first outing in society since she was taken

2. black veil Clara wears to the ball

3. Master's secrecy over the portrait of Iris and ambivalence/regret over Clara's portrait (his greatest work)

*Sparknotes Format:

1. Context

2. Plot Overview

3. Character List

4. Analysis of Major Characters

5. Themes, Motifs and Symbols

6. Summary and Analysis

7. Chapters 1, 2, 3, ect...

8. Key Quotes Explained

9. Key Facts (the part I examined for this post)

10. Study Questions and Essay Topics

Also:

*theme: fundamental and often universal ideas explored in a book

*motif: reoccurring structures, contrasts and literary devices that develop and inform the text's major themes

*symbols: objects, figures and colors used to represent abstract ideas or concepts