Gift art for Jess

Very Claire Robertson-influenced. But I can still see my style in it - which is a good thing I suppose.

Gmail!

I got Gmail! I'm not quite switching my email completely, but at the rate that spam is pouring into my apsak.com address, a spare is a good thing to have. My account name is the name of my favorite softshoe dance. (Haha, let the spambots guess that one.) First one to drop me a line gets a gift picture!

Update: Congrats, Jessica! (Slip jig rocks my poodle socks!)

Madison Feis

Ah, the first annual Madison Feis. At first the layout seemed strange, but it worked very well. "Camping" was confined to a large space separate from the stage areas on either side. Thus the stage areas were clutter-free and navigable. The results boards in the camping area were easily accessible. Results sheets were taped to the boards, and awards distributed at the same spot - no need to copy results from envelope to board, no piles of envelopes for volunteers to shuffle through when a dancer came to pick up a medal. On one wall, a digital projector scrolled through announcements and results.

The feis schedule was even more unusual than the layout; it was completely backward: traditional set, hornpipe, treble jig, slip jig, reel, jig. There were different opinions on this, but I found it an interesting break from the usual order. (Of course, figures and beginners still came first. Last would not be good!)

I watched a few beginner dances on Stage 1. Right after each, the adjudicator would meet the dancers on stage to give them feedback and awards. Personal attention! I wish my first feis was like that!

The only thing that went wrong was the slowness of results. To my amazement, my open-level competitions (minus soft jig) finished at about 2 PM, but then the last of my results didn't come out until two hours later. Still, this is a small complaint for a first-time feis that otherwise was quite brilliant.

Results: 1st in hornpipe, 1st in treble jig, 2nd in slip jig, and FIRST IN REEL! Finally! Of course, this is right after my teacher tells me I can move up to prelims in the fall, anyway. But I think she'll be happy.

Chicago, part 2: New things

Last Friday was the grand opening of Millennium Park in Chicago. Early in the morning, I wandered the nearly-empty grounds, marveling at everything and taking pictures. Friday was also final exhibit day for my Art Institute class, so my family came and we went to the park in the evening. By then it was flooded with crowds, musicians, and entertainers. But to me it will always be those silver structures shining in the morning sunlight. A businesswoman who slipped off her shoes to dance in the fountain. The curious faces reflected in the not-quite-finished surface of the Cloud Gate.

Break a leg?

My Irish dance school mate broke her ankle a few weeks ago. Ouch. So my very first Illustrator drawing is her get well card. (If you know anyone else that needs one, click on the picture for a printable PDF.)

Three weeks of painting

Badger State Feis

Deep in the bowels of a Wisconsin sports complex rang the discordant collision of accordian, concertina, fiddle, and flute. Upon three oblong seas of supple, sheddy Astroturf rested seven plywood flats. Thousands bustled about, creating ever-flowing human rivers. Dress bags, clothes, and foodthings lay on every folding table and chair. Blankets and camp chairs congregated in quiet corners. The air was thick and hot, the day long, but barely dampened was the spirit of the dance.

Anyway, for the record: 2nd in slip jig, 1st in hornpipe, 2nd in treble jig. Nothing in reel - the Reel Studio curse strikes again!

Break in your shoes, Hannah!

What wigs are for

Sadly, the ECP session meanders to a close. We finished our final-week projects today, and will be pinning everything on the studio walls tomorrow for a final-fling mega critique session.

Being the art/dance nerd that I am, I chose an Irish dance theme for my project. (Surprise.) I was planning a glorious series of 3-4 paintings highlighting various facets of the Irish dancing experience - then was only able to get one painting done. (Ah, but done well.)

So the other day, my teacher was taking a look through my source materials - several issues of IDM - bursting out the expected reactions to the dresses, the hair, etc. And he asked, What if you just wore your hair straight, like in Riverdance? As an Asian, aren't you offended by their placing value on curly hair? Shrug. I've never thought about curly hair that way before. I think it's just style gone extreme - curly ringlets accentuate jumping and leaping, so Irish dancers try to don as many of them as physically possible.

Should I of very straight natural hair be offended? I think not. Nobody wakes up in the morning with hair looking like an Irish dance headpiece. In theory, any girl can curl her hair. In theory, nobody with decent-looking hair of any kind would lose a point for it in competition.

Now frail, skeleton-thin fashion models, that is offensive aesthetics.

Chicago, part 1: Shiny things

Indy Feis (yesterday)

Indianapolis Feis is always great fun. Clean, well-organized, highly competitive, over-air-conditioned fun. This year had much more competitors, though - enough to strain the spacious comfort of the convention center. (You know there's something funky when you see comps split into E groups. On the other hand, they did seem rather generous in their splitting.)

I did pretty good: 1st in set, 3rd in reel, 5th in slip jig, 3rd in treble jig, and 4th in hornpipe. Which means I somehow did worse in my favorite dances. Ah, adjudicators work in mysterious ways.

Train sketches

The impossible is happening: I feel sick of painting. One and a half weeks of painting every day under time constraints and constructive criticism, and though I'm surely getting a lot out of it, I'm starting to get a headache.

Maybe it's the gray, dirty studio, or the pungent smell of oil paint, or the waking up at six-fifteen.

I did the sketches on the train today. It was like therapy, like letting creative tension drain from the subconscious. No pressure to accomplish or prove anything. No unwanted distraction. Just the pencil and the paper and the impulse.

The Art Institute, Chicago

Awesome first week of classes. Fun and very helpful teacher. Great experience being with so many artists my age.

Photos are from Friday. Chicago is beautiful in the morning.