Ordinary Comics

I'm a big fan of webcomics, and Ordinary Comics is my favorite. The author, Ozge Samanci, keeps her personal information to herself, but I gather than she is a young Turkish (I think?) art student/artist who travels frequently. She makes panels out of every-day observations and posts them. A recent one is on the left.

She uses ink, watercolor, collage materials, etc.

I think these illustrations are gorgeous, and she reminds me to look for beauty, emotion, and humor in every little thing I see. Even the ordinary can become extraordinary.




Here is one of my favorites, I love the color. It is a little "deeper" than an ordinary observation. It was my screensaver for quite some time.





Think about it.

Harry Partch!

Music History strikes again! I am totally into this interactive website, which allows you to play Harry Partch's instruments! For those of you not enrolled in 20th Century Western Music History class, Harry Partch is an American composer (1901-1974) who approached music in a completely new way, designing his own scale and instruments. He was interested in all the aesthetics of a performances (aural, visual, sensual). This paragraph from HarryPartch.com sums it up:

"Harry Partch (1901-1974), one of the greatest and most individualistic composers of all time, was not only a great composer, but an innovative theorist who broke through the shackles of many centuries of one tuning system for all of Western music, a music instrument inventor who created dozens of incredible instruments for the performance
of his music, and a musical dramatist who created his own texts and dance/theatre extravaganzas based on everything from Greek mythology to his own experiences as a hobo. Between 1930 and 1972, he created one of the most amazing bodies of sensually alluring and emotionally powerful music of the 20th century: music dramas, dance theater, multi-media extravaganzas, vocal music and chamber music---mostly all performed on the instruments he built himself."

So anyway, this website explores the sounds of Partch's beautiful instruments. Very fun and very interesting.

I will never be able to afford

anything from Anthropologie's new home catalog.

But it is fun to browse. Excellent presentation and intriguing products as always.

That is all. It is too sunny to be inside on a computer today!

Nina Ricci

I have not posted anything about Paris Fashion Week! So here I am, sitting in front of the fire on a rainy day, pouring through collections. And the winner is...Nina Ricci!

"Olivier Theyskens said he wanted 'to introduce a new wave of cool—something urban and gray-ish, but nonchalant, fragile, and superlight'"

Fragile, indeed. Look at the ballet slipper pumps on these two images! So feminine! I love the flowly, barely-there skirt on the right. The look is urban yet ethereal.


The seams on this dress, the assymmetrical neckline, the layered skirt, the way it looks like it would melt in the rain. It is a dream.

Think the color palette is totally limited? Think again!


There are some very vivid yellows towards the end of the collection. It stands out beautifully against the cool grey. It is beyond delicate.

Stravinsky's Bird and Schroedinger's Cat

Changed my mind. This is what I can't live without:


My new most-favorite thing on etsy is this print by Kathleen Bryson. She describes her art as "highly textured mixed-media pieces." For her very interesting ideas, check out her profile on her etsy shop.

She describes this work ("Stravinsky's Bird and Schroedinger's Cat" if you didn't figure it out): "I am painting things which are half: Schroedinger's almost-there cat, in vaporous glow-in-the-dark paleness, stalking Stravinsky's bird in a fairy-tale wood, the bird guarding a nest of Russian nesting-doll eggs."

Tim and I have always been adamant about the art in our home relate our lives. I think it is a great way for us to reflect on our passions, travels, etc. and to communicate something about ourselves to guests. I would feel much more at-home in a room decorated with art that depicts music, science, and nature (our joys) than one with generic flowers and landscapes. Our home will be about us (and I can't wait to live in it!).

So. This little guy is perfect.

Panda

The end of Spring Break and coming back to school was a rather rough transition for me, as it made me lazy rather than productive. But I am back with creative venegeance!


Here is a panda bear from Free People that I don't think I can live without. It combines my two great loves, artsiness and bears.

Artemis

First of all, if you're not acquainted with Pandora Internet Radio, you are leading a sad life. Pandora takes your favorite music and creates radio stations that play your artists as well as introduce you to new, similar people.

I have been on a Bjork kick lately. Is there better music out there? Absolutely. But she is funky and refreshing, and I have always liked swans. Anyway, I made a Bjork station on Pandora and found out about Artemis. A blend of soul, hip hop, digital/electronic music, and Bjork-ness. Her creations remind of me GarageBand tracks (in a very good way). The first song I heard, Hypno, has some dialogue in the background of the singing that makes it very surreal. It was intriguing. The album it is from, Gravity, is very smooth throughout. I wouldn't consider it music to drive or exercise with, but it is very chill, good for homework and drawing times.


I think the cover art communicates the feel of the music. Smooth, ethereal, futuristic, etc.

Anatomie

Most everyone in my family (and some of my soon-to-be-inlaws) are involved in medicine. Because of this, I often check out crafty medical things for gift ideas. I really like Lisa Congdon's anatomie exhibit.


"...entirely three dimensional. it will include collage, soft sculpture, paintings and drawings"

To the left is a rather large shadow box. I love the pink sections and the dendrite-like image on the lower right.












These other two images are paper collages with textbook pages. They remind me of playing cards-each body part could be an image on a different card.

I usually cannot stomach body stuff. But this is very pretty. Lisa Congdon's blog, A Bird in the Hand, is a great one to check out.

Nymphenburg

Ooooh!


What we have here is Nymphenburg's Hidden Wealth dinnerware. The bottom of the plates are handpainted with beautiful floral patterns. Most brilliant of all, the set is sold with a glass table with a mirror beneath the surface. So gorgeous and so clever! It is outrageously expensive, but think of the money you'd save on tablecloths and placemats (you'd come out even for sure). The big mirror probably also makes the lighting in your dinner space very beautiful. I love pretty things, and notcot for sharing them with me.

Pride and Prejudice Costumes

The Marie Antoinette post I made a few days ago and my general love of inspiring period costumes led me to spend lots of time on a very special website, The Costumer's Guide.


"This site is meant to be a home for research on many different movie costumes. This site isn't exhaustive, but that's because there are a lot of movie costumes and not enough time to develop everything as much as I'd like to.

Many costumes just have reference images, which are important to costume study - some of them have "how to's" or suggestions for different fabrics, trims, patterns, or other accessories. Many movies have costume study groups already online on yahoo or other places."

I am a gigantic fan of Jane Austen and I loved the 2005 version of Pride and Prejudice with Keira Knightley and Matthew Gorgeous Macfayden. The Costumer's Guide has a site dedicated to Pride and Prejudice, both the 1995 BBC miniseries and the 2005 film versions.


The description of Elizabeth's (the Keira version) are awesome. They detail material, design, fit, and have great closeup images. These are very inspiring to me in my wedding gown searches, they are so pretty and feminine!

Mel Kadel

Okay. I am very infatuated with the art of Mel Kadel, an LA-based artist (originally from Harrisburg).

Incredible illustrations/collages full of whimsy, fantasy, humor, and at times touch of disturbance. I love her use of muted colors and distressed paper.


The titles are clever and interesting as well. For example, the title of the illustration above is A Little Time Alone and the one to the right is Grand Ole Fort.







This is Hearts Don't Break which might be my favorite. The image has perfect vertical balance as well as horizontal symmetry and interest (notice the funny bulge in the top left of the tree that matches the dangling legs in the bottom right). I love the pink tint of the outer flowers on the ground. It is full of reflection, retreat, peace, and mystery.



Below to the left is Rolling with the Punches. If it isn't very clear, the large stems are actually arms with fists. Isn't that awesome?










I found a great blog entry on new art about Mel Kadel that takes a good look at the meaning behind one of her works.

And P.S. Happy Pi Day!

Marie Antoinette

I really enjoyed Sophia Copola's recent Marie Antoinette, mostly for the breathtaking visuals including costumes, sets, and food. Is there a parallel between the emptiness of the plot/emphasis on surface elements and the emptiness of Marie's life and the emphasis on surface elements in her existence?



Anyway, there is a cool Etsy Treasury today with all things Marie.


Lots of feminine colors and designs. The collection includes jewelry, purses, apparel, prints, etc.






Fun to browse, today only : )
Eat some cake!

Ginger Pancakes

My fiance and I made dinner for my family tonight-ginger pancakes. I found the recipe on What Geeks Eat.


We've always been fans of pancakes for dinner, usually of the instant nature. It was fun and easy to make these from scratch, with mostly ingredients already in the pantry. Served with maple syrup, thick-cut bacon, and hot chocolate. There are lots of really well-blended flavors. These are the best pancakes! Very thick and delicious.

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 1/2 cups Half & Half
3 eggs
1 tablespoon plain yogurt
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon ginger
1/2 tablespoon nutmeg

Melt the butter, add the Half & Half, the eggs, the yogurt, and sugar and mix well. Sift together the dry ingredients. Combine the two gently (if too thick, add more Half & Half). Cook them on a hot griddle or pan.

Top with pecans and maple syrup. Enjoy with family.

Fifi Lapin

"Hi, I'm Fifi. Fifi Lapin. I was born one of 257 brothers and sisters but sadly there was an outbreak of myxamatosis when I was one year old and I was the only one that survived. My parents are therefore incredibly protective of me and spoil me rotten. I'm an haress to my fathers fortune which he made playing fast and loose with carrot and lettuce shares on the international stock market. There are a lot of rabbits out there so I guess he just struck gold (or orange you might say). Some people think I’m just a socialite but I think there is more to me than just an extremely stylish clotheshorse! "
Found one of the cutest sites in the land on the Free People Blog. Definitely the trendiest bunny ever!

What's That From?

Here's a cool thing about music history classes: drop the needle tests. You have a certain repertoire of pieces you are expected to know for a test. During the test, the professor "drops the needle" somewhere in the middle of a piece, and you identify and write about that piece/composer/other information. Some people listen to music while studying. I listen to music, period. I love my major!

So anyway, I had a music history (20th century) quiz yesterday with a drop the needle portion (Shostakovich 5, Antheil's Ballet Mecanique, and Hindemith's Ludus Tonalis...good stuff), and this morning's Adventures in Good Music with Karl Haas was "What's That From?" He played lesser-heard passages of well-known pieces (such as the end of Mendelssohn's "Wedding March") and it was the listener's job to figure out the piece. This is a fun challenge for anyone. It reminds you that there is more to a masterpiece and to a master composer than the few snippets that a recognizable to the public. Beethoven should not be relegated to "ba ba ba baaaah" (you know, the 5th Symphony), but when are we taught otherwise? Rarely, or never. School teaches all about political and military figures, scientists and their ideas, authors, artists, etc., but unless your school happens to have a symphony orchestra, you don't experience the great composers' masterpieces. Transcriptions? Watered-down arrangements? Maybe. But in general, a music program leaves you totally unaware of so much of what Western music is about. I know this was the case for me. I could rant about this for a long time (as a music educator, I am all about teachcing comprehensive musicianship). But I will conclude. Listen to Karl Haas, he will teach you everything that your band director did not.

Muffs!

Over at purseblog.com is an entry about the Hermes Fall 2007 collection, which featured muffs that double as small purses (known as the Kelly Muff). Apparently, it is going to be all-the-rage.

For the record, I got the UGG Fluffy Muff last summer, which is better because it is a purse, a muff, and extremely fluffy.




I do like the leather for fall though. White fluffiness is definitely a winter thing.

Why am I even writing about this? I will never buy anything Hermes ever.

Note: I own a dress very similar to the one that the model on the right is wearing (mine is from Free People). Do I see a black dress/fluffy muff outfit in the near future? Yes I do!

Interestingness

I love spending time exploring interestingness, a Flickr.com feature that organizes the best photos added to Flickr each day.


These photos are extremely diverse, and I guarantee that everday there will be something that catches your eye.

Dear Blog,

Hooray! With this post, we are in double digits. The blog has developed nicely, and now that I know I'll keep it up, the time has come for some explanations.

My name is Margaret. I am 21 years old, and a Junior at Case Western Reserve University (Cleveland, OH). I am studying music education. It is a pretty demanding major, so for the last few years I haven't had time for hobbies that were not music-related. Things are finally slowing down and I am getting back in touch with my other left brain interests. That is what this blog is about! I am using it to organize my online explorations, as well as share a few of my own creations from time to time.

See my profile (to the right) as well as all the links to learn more about what I am into.

The internet is an incredible resource for creativity, and insiparation. I am excited to be joining a fascinating community of artistic expression. Long live the Blog.