#fun fact i used to be both a regular student of live model drawing as well as model

[thezenanna]

art model agatha and pathetic loser rio au 😳

everyone go read ash's fic 💞

unholy uncropped version of agatha

[getanattitude]

Buzzwords, De-buzzed: 10 Other Ways to Say fireinsidemusic.com

“THE more you dig right into a bit of Ives, the more enjoyment you have from it,” the pianist Jeremy Denk mentioned not too long ago, sitting at a piano inside of a rehearsal Area on the Juilliard University. “It’s like solving a puzzle.”

Then he enthusiastically deconstructed Ives’s “Concord” Sonata, untangling and detailing the themes and motifs embedded within the complex textures of the interesting rating.

Mr. Denk is going to release a disc, “Jeremy Denk Plays Ives” (Think Denk Media), that includes two piano sonatas, an esoteric choice of repertory for the debut solo album. But then, there's nothing generic concerning this adventurous musician. His vivacious intellect is manifest both equally in his playing and on his blog site, Assume Denk, an outlet for astute musical observations and witty musings, whether a lament about inedible meatballs or simply a spoof job interview with Sarah Palin.

Mr. Denk will reveal his more mainstream qualifications when he performs Liszt’s Piano Concerto No. one with Charles Dutoit and also the Philadelphia Orchestra commencing on Thursday on the Kimmel Centre in Philadelphia and on Oct. 12 at Carnegie Hall.

Mr. Denk argues which the Ives sonatas, composed early during the twentieth century, are mistakenly categorized as avant-garde works instead of “epic Intimate sonatas with Lisztian thematic transformations.” On the relaxed listener, the audio that Mr. Denk describes while in the CD booklet as “brilliant, ingenious, tender, edgy, wild, unique, witty, haunting” can unquestionably audio avant-garde. Ives, who built his residing in the coverage enterprise, integrated jazz, riffs on Beethoven and American hymns, marches and people songs into his daringly experimental piano sonatas, full of polytonality, thematic layering and rhythmic complexity.

“It’s so splendidly in-your-face,” Mr. Denk said, demonstrating a very maniacal passage while in the “Concord” Sonata. “It’s also pretty astonishingly unsightly. There is a thing maddening about his sense of humor. Ives is continually thumbing his nose at you in a method.”

But Mr. Denk suggests that Ives’s tenderness, which he illuminates superbly In this particular recording, is underappreciated. “Ives is frequently about things recalled,” he said, “or Recollections or visions fetched from some difficult position.”

He played the harmonically misty passages in the next movement with the “Concord,” where by Ives directs that a bit of wood be pressed over the higher keys to produce a cluster chord. “It doesn’t sense gimmicky at all to me,” Mr. Denk explained. “It’s all blues in The underside. Ives knew the way to use Those people tiny clichéd bits of Americana in a means that all of a sudden will get your intestine. You can’t believe how touching it's.”

Mr. Denk, forty, has been passionate about Ives because his undergraduate days at Oberlin in Ohio, where he carried a double big in piano functionality and chemistry. “My overall double diploma knowledge was to some degree of the continuous freakout of 1 type of A different,” he claimed.

He had been a “really nerdy high school scholar” by using a constrained social existence, he stated. “Ever considering the fact that I had been a kid I planned to head to Oberlin and preferred the liberal arts. Certainly I really get rigorous satisfaction outside of drawing connections between parts and poems and literature and concepts.”

Mr. Denk explained himself to be a “practice maniac,” but his horizons have prolonged considerably beyond the apply area since Oberlin. When nibbling a massive bit of chocolate cream pie at an Upper West Facet diner near the condominium he has rented due to the fact about 1999, Mr. Denk referred to his blog, contacting it “an surprisingly excellent outlet to release tensions of one form or Yet another.” He claimed it had drawn new listeners to his concerts. An avid reader of liberal political weblogs, Mr. Denk desires of creating a classical music Model of Wonkette, he reported, but that might be not easy to do devoid of offending individuals. And he attempts to steer clear of offending persons, he extra, while he did not long ago write-up a rant about plan notes.

Mr. Denk, who phone calls himself “an actual Francophile,” is gentle-spoken but intense, his dialogue peppered with references to numerous “obsessions”: espresso, Ives, Bach, Proust, Baudelaire and Emerson.

He went off on “a Balzac mania” a number of years in the past, he claimed.

“That was a perilous time, and almost everything in everyday life seemed drawn outside of a Balzac novel,” he extra. “I misplaced about three decades of my lifetime to Proust. I’m guaranteed it improved anything, including my playing.

“Sooner or later my supervisor was like, ‘Dude, You should deal with your occupation and receiving your stuff together.’ ” At that point, Mr. Denk claimed, “I had been bringing Proust to conferences.” He extra: “I’m unsure I really experienced a occupation route. I had been just undertaking my Odd issue, which most likely gave the impression of a disastrous nonroute to a lot of the individuals that have been viewing around me. I don't forget some exasperated conferences with my management, Nevertheless they were incredibly affected person and faithful, which I’m insanely grateful for.”

Mr. Denk grew up in Las Cruces, N.M., amongst two brothers, a son of audio-loving nonmusician parents. His father, who's got a doctorate in chemistry, has actually been (at diverse occasions) a Roman Catholic monk plus a director of Laptop or computer science at New Mexico Point out College.

Mr. Denk continues to be hooked on the chili peppers of Las Cruces, he said, seemingly only fifty percent joking: “The red and the green and The full spirituality of chili peppers. It’s nonetheless a large part of my everyday living. When I go house I go to this true dive and obsess in excess of their eco-friendly meat burrito.”

When not on tour, Mr. Denk spends time with his boyfriend, Patrick Posey, a saxophonist as well as director of orchestral things to do and preparing at Juilliard, wherever Mr. Denk been given his doctorate, researching with Herbert Stessin. Mr. Stessin recollects owning been impressed by “the maturity and intensity” of Mr. Denk’s participating in and remembers him as “an extraordinary university student who absorbed things pretty promptly.”

Mr. Denk said he “was in class permanently” until finally “at some time I made a decision to believe in my own instincts.” Now he teaches double-diploma undergraduates for the Bard Higher education Conservatory of Music. The pianist Allegra Chapman, who researched with him, explained he was “worried about quite a bit greater than the notes about the web site, constantly mentioning literary and historic references.”

“Now I attempt to technique songs within a more holistic viewpoint,” she additional. “He is incredibly passionate. He used to bounce around the area and bounce about and wave his arms. It was really enjoyable. He tried to get me to think about the music that has a sense of humor.”

This blend of passion, humor and intellect, so vibrant in both equally Mr. Denk’s enjoying and his creating, is what distinguishes him, according to the violinist Joshua Bell. The 2 have already been normal duo companions because 2004, when they carried out with the Spoleto Competition United states.

“You obtain the mental musicians or people that have on their coronary heart on their own sleeve without having a number of musical imagined,” Mr. Bell reported, “but Jeremy manages to accomplish each, Which’s great. Now we have lots of arguments in rehearsal, and that is the fun component at the same time. The very fact we don’t generally see eye to eye keeps issues clean and would make me problem anything I do.”

Mr. Bell, whose options of repertory are generally additional regular than those of his much more adventurous colleague, mentioned he wasn’t normally an Ives enthusiast: “Having a good deal of contemporary tunes I’m somewhat cautious. Despite Ives, right up until I read Jeremy. He just delivers it alive. He has this sort of a terrific creativity, and nothing at all is done randomly.”

Ives’s piano sonatas, Mr. Denk mentioned, “are in a way like animals that don’t wish to be tamed.”

“Each individual efficiency needs to be so distinct,” he included, a person purpose he was to begin with hesitant to file them. Like Bach, he said, Ives leaves quite a bit to the performer’s creativeness.

A wonderful interpretation of your “Goldberg” Variants at Symphony Area in 2008 discovered Mr. Denk’s profound affinity with Bach. Mr. Denk will complete the do the job and Books one and 2 of Ligeti’s Études at Zankel Corridor on Feb. sixteen.

To keep the “Goldberg” Variations fresh, Mr. Denk is incorporating new fingerings, he stated, “to reactivate the link involving my brain and my fingers After i’m enjoying it.”

“I believe it’s an actual magical put If you have the muscle mass memory,” he extra, “even so the Mind is ahead from the fingers.”

Switching the fingerings is one method to avoid routine, he explained. “I get real pleasure from producing in a very fantastic fingering. It is actually like relearning the piece, and it tends to make you not acquire any Observe as a right.”

The musical philosophy Mr. Denk relates to Bach, Ives and other repertory is probably best summed up in that website submit on system notes: “I’ve never been a major enthusiast of your ‘Picture how revolutionary this piece was when it absolutely was composed’ college of inspiration. For my dollars, it ought to be innovative now. (And it's.) Whatever else the composer might have meant, he or she didn’t want you to definitely Believe, ‘Boy, that have to happen to be interesting back again then.’ The most basic compositional intent, the absolute ur-intent, is that you Enjoy it now, you enable it to be take place now.”

[waitinginthedarke]

Existing

A BTS/ Kim Seokjin Fanfiction

Summary: He looked like an angel, and spoke like a singer. Next to you, a university student surviving on 5 hours sleep a night, and holes in your shoes, he seemed to have it all. But at the end of the day, you were both just Existing. You just cant help but think, it might be more fun to Exist together...

A/N: I am so happy to release the first chapter of this story to you, after sitting on it for quite a while. But im glad that you can finally have Jin’s story! :) (for regular readers, it will follow the kind of formatting used for Voices and Exposure- although this first chapter is slightly longer.)

Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12

Part 1

‘I seriously don’t know how they expect me to get all of this done in two weeks.’

Exhaustion taints your words as you lean back in your chair, resting your head back on your shoulders as you look longingly out of the café window, the same view having greeted you for the past 4 hours that you���d been sat trying to work on your latest assignment for university, and each time having taunted you with the prospect of escape, before you’d ultimately turned back to your laptop to continue tapping nonsensically away.

‘Come on, Y/N, only 3 more weeks and then you’ll be free of this.’ You mutter to yourself, dragging in a deep breath once more before sitting back up and cracking your back as you refocus on what you were writing.

Although, its after around 5 minutes of staring dumb-foundedly at the paragraph of gibberish on the screen in front of you, that a loud hulking laugh penetrates through your concentration and you peer up at the counter of the café to see two tallish boys chuckling away together, their faces immediately catching your attention as you take in how stunningly beautiful they were.

‘Well, that’s a sight for sore eyes.’ You mumble, taking a moment to appreciate the beauty of them, but getting cut off when you suddenly see the most angelic boy turning to look in your direction, hurriedly looking back down at your computer and feeling your face heat up like a furnace. Of course, you couldn’t stop yourself from taking one last peak up at them when you hear them begin to mutter between one another once again, watching them receive their order of two hot drinks and a selection of cookies and biting your lip when you see the tempting sight of chocolate.

‘God, I could really do with a cookie right now.’ You murmur to yourself, sighing, and shaking yourself out of your thoughts as you try to reject the exhaustion pulling at your bones, instead leaning back to stretch in your chair and momentarily closing your eyes as you take a moment to escape the stoic pose you’d been sat in for the past few hours.

You draw in a deep breath as you sit up once more, feeling like weights were pulling at your eyes and having an odd sense of disorientation as the café blurs in your vision slightly, before you peer at the clock on the wall to see that rather than the 5 minutes you were expecting, 2 whole hours had passed.

‘Oh My God!’ you gasp, realizing you must have fallen asleep and awkwardly scrabbling into a more upright position, rubbing your eyes weakly and groaning as you think about how much time you’d lost that you could have spent working on your assignment.

‘Im so dead.’ You groan, instantly standing and walking over to the counter to order a coffee to go, and quickly packing up as you wait for your coffee to be ready.

‘Americano?’

You sigh as your order is called, hurrying to shove the rest of your stuff into your bag so that you could swing it onto your shoulder, before going to turn back to the counter, only to almost walk straight into a set of wide shoulders.

‘Oh, sorry.’ You mutter, about to move around them, before you realize the man was holding a cup out for you to take, your order of an Americano in his hand making you frown as you try to remember if you’d paid for it…

But that was before you looked up.

And you took in the same angel’s face with those warm chocolate brown eyes that you’d seen stood at the counter earlier.

Only this time, those eyes were staring down at you.

‘Here.’

‘Uh…’

You couldn’t help but stare at him, your sleep-slackened mind not helping your confused state of mind as you take in the smooth, yet strong plains of his face, the darkness of his brows and his lashes, the luscious, model-like curve of his lips, and the startling beauty of his brown eyes.

‘I…uh…I’ve already paid for it…so don’t worry about the bill.’

His manly timbre ran the length of your spine, and its not until you’d managed to shakily raise your hand to take the cup from him, that you realize what he’d said.

‘Oh. I…Thank you! I….weren’t you here earlier?’ you ask, widening your eyes when you realize what you’d said, but before you can get too embarrassed he’d begun to chuckle and nod his head, the light lilt of his laugh making you bite your lip in your awkwardness.

‘Uh…yeah…I-I saw you working. I-um, actually, I’ve been here all afternoon. After my friend left I realized you’d fallen asleep, but I was- God. This is going to sound really creepy….but I just wanted to watch over you. – I mean, I wanted to make sure no-one tried to steal your stuff..I-‘

‘Oh. Wow. Now i’m embarrassed.’ You mutter, trying not to think of the amount of drool that probably left your mouth as you slept, and how you probably looked ridiculously gross while you slept, the fact that he’d seen it all factoring into your mind quicker than the fact that he’d wanted to watch over you.

‘No! No. Don’t be embarrassed! You’re really pretty when you sleep, I just didn’t want anyone- I mean…I…guess, there is no way to explain this without me sounding creepy.’ He chuckles, his awkward slightly higher-pitched laugh involuntarily making the corners of your lips tilt up as you catch his eyes and for some reason you find yourself un-tensing as you look at him.

‘I…I’m Seokjin, by the way. …although, people usually call me Jin.’ He murmurs, smiling gently down at you, and you’re almost sure he’d stolen the expression from an angel, the rays of heavens light shining from his face leaving a warmth in your chest.

‘I’m Y/N.’ you respond, watching the way his eyes twinkle slightly, and you cant help but feel your heart flutter as you flicker your gaze to the clock on the wall behind him and see that it was almost time for your dorm’s curfew.

‘I, uh…I kind of need to get going. I don’t want to miss curfew.’ You stutter, hating the fact that you’d slept for the past two hours when you clearly could have been talking to the beautiful guy in front of you. But before you have chance to ask for his number or suggest that you meet up again, he’s moved his gaze to the window.

‘Would you like me to walk you back home?’

You’re surprised by his sudden question, looking outside to see that night darkened the streets, and you feel yourself get excited at the possibility that this guy wanted to make sure you got home safe, although a little voice in the back of your mind questions your judgement of him as you remember he’d just been watching you for two hours.

‘Uh…do you promise you’re not a stalker, or a serial killer or anything?’ you ask, too happy to seriously take into account that he might be harmful, and smothering a chuckle when he quickly turns back to look at you with his eyebrows raised.

‘Yah! With this face? How could you ask that?’ he questions you, his expression appearing serious as he frames his face with his hands, before he begins to laugh as he sees the look of surprise on your face, suddenly grabbing your free hand and pulling you towards the exit.

‘Thank you!’ he calls over his shoulder to the ahjumma at the counter, who appears to smile fondly at him as she waves, before the two of you are outside and your heart finally catches up with the realization that Jin still had your hand held gently in his as he stops to ask you which way was ‘home’, regretfully letting your hand go as he does so.

‘Uh…this way.’ You nod, glancing up at him with a shy smile, before taking a sip of your drink as he begins to walk easily with you down the street, putting on a face-mask when the two of you begin to walk, and you cant help but note the way that his eyes only shine brighter when you’re able to move your attention away from his lips to his eyes.

‘So…why did you fall asleep in the café?’ he asks, his question loosening the quiet that had come to encompass the two of you, and you feel your face heat up as you see him watching the way you were sipping at your drink, quickly clearing your throat before answering him.

‘I have a big assignment due in for college in about 2 weeks, and its taking up all of my time…I barely sleep anymore because of it. I guess the exhaustion crept up on me.’ You laugh awkwardly, biting your lip out of nervousness as you look up at him.

‘Oh, you’re in university?’ he asks, a slight frown marring his features.

‘Uh, yeah. Final year. Why?’ you respond, wondering why he seemed so concerned by your educational status, but being surprised when his expression suddenly turns to a smile, before he looks over at you.

‘Me too. I graduate in around a month.’ He says, the revelation causing a subconscious smile to paint your face, and you’re almost surprised by the light chuckle that leaves you at his thoughtful smile, before you quickly smother it by sipping at your drink again.

‘So, since we’re heading this way, I assume you live in the dorms? Woah!-’ he shouts, quickly throwing his arm out to stop you from getting run over by a car that suddenly speeds down the road, and you find yourself gripping tightly to his bicep, feeling your heart race a little in your surprise, before you look up to see him staring at you intently, the expression clearly asking if you were okay.

‘Thank you.’ Is all you’re able to mutter back, still stunned, but when you feel his hand gently cover yours on his arm, before clasping and interlinking your fingers together, you instantly feel a lot calmer, despite the way your heart races in your chest at the endearing move.

‘Are you okay?’ he asks softly, watching you the whole time, and smiling gently when you nod timidly.

‘Good.’ He murmurs, smiling happily at you with his angels smile as he raises his other hand to tuck a strand of hair behind your ear that had become misplaced when he’d saved you from the car, before beginning to pull you along the road once more with a content, pleased expression.

‘Come on. I don’t want you being late for curfew…’

(T.B.C)

[shsl-shipper-gamer-fangirl]

Imagine Max and Chloe taking Kate to the two whales diner!! They'd eat a good breakfast of eggs and bacon, and they'd be all happy talking about stuff. I'd like to think that Kate would love that Chloe's mom would work there. Then they'd spend the day in the beech, playing and kicking in the sand. Then the sun goes down and they watch the sunlight hand in hand with happy smiles and gosh I love them

Breakfast for Three at the Two Whales

“Well, here we are. Welcome to the Two Whales Diner.”

“Where they give special service to two whales whenever they eat here.” Max quipped with a smile.

Chloe snorted as she settled back comfortably in their booth. “Close but it’s actually called Two Whales’ because you’re gonna end up the size of that if you don’t eat at anywhere else.”

“And it’s too late to back out now. Once you’ve had a taste, you’ll never be getting breakfast from any other diner. You won’t even be able to look at cereal without seeing Joyce’s famous waffles!” Max leaned forward excitedly and she sounded like she was almost drooling just from the mental image.

Kate giggled at her friends’ antics. It’s not exactly her first time here but it was her first time with Max and Chloe and them hyping it up. She could tell just how fond they were of this place as they strode in like one would walk into a home, safe and welcomed. They looked out of place among the truckers, fishermen and other regulars, and yet at the same time, they fit in more than anyone else.

If Kate would re-imagine this scene, she would draw themselves with bright colors that wouldn’t outshine but rather complement with the surroundings. The diner would be colored with warm undertones, the kind of warmth that wasn’t alienating but rather was a slow and reliable burn. When she thought that this would make a lovely photo op for Max, her friend did just that as confirmed by the flash and the whir of her camera. And Chloe just looked like she was enjoying herself with their company. She’s not one for art but rather living in the moment and Kate thought that in itself is an experience and its own art form.

“Max, I can hear your praise even from the kitchen. Always the flatterer.” Joyce said when she walked to them with coffee on hand and a beautiful smile on her worn out face.

“It’s not flattery if it’s the truth.” Max said with her eyes sparkling with mirth and when Joyce just gave her an amused look, she toned it down a bit with a shy batting of eyelashes. “Okay so I may have used more metaphors than usual but it’s called poetic justice.”

“Pfft! Yeah, right! Poetic justice would be if a whale falls on this diner. Maybe two, depending on how they land.” Chloe guffawed louder when Max elbowed her.

“Now don’t drag the whales into this. I know it’s a well made sign but it’s not meant to attract whales unless they suddenly decide to leave for land and have something to eat that isn’t fish. Until then, I’m obligated to serve only human customers.” Joyce scrunched up her nose at her daughter knowingly. “No matter how much they eat like a pig.”

Even Kate snorted at that although unlike Max, she was polite enough to hide her laugh behind her hand. Chloe herself didn’t look offended at all and took it in as if it was praise. “I think you got your animals confused. I’m more of a "wolfing down” kind of eater.“

"I agree with Chloe here. Have you seen her eat? She doesn’t even chew, she just breathes the whole plate in!” Max backed her up and Chloe raised her fist for a celebratory fist bump but Max did it with a devilish smirk. Chloe knew in that instant that Max had only helped her up just to drag her ass down. “If she’s anything remotedly related to a pig then just look at her room instead. It’s an absolute pigsty.”

“I stand corrected. I’ll keep that in mind when me and my daughter will talk like civilized people at home later.” Chloe groaned at this but didn’t object too much so that’s the end of this discussion or whatever that was. Joyce then turned to address the new crew member. “And who is this lovely lady right here? A friend of Max? I’m sure that Chloe wouldn’t associate herself with an upstanding model student that easily.”

“Hey, she’s my friend too!” Chloe argued back and she wanted to say more but Max was looking at her smugly and so she pulled back. “But yeah, she was friends with Max first.”

“Kate Marsh. Friend of both Max and Chloe.” Kate introduced herself with a shy smile which grew in confidence the more she spoke. “It’s nice to finally meet you, Joyce. You’re lovelier than what I’ve been told of.”

“I see you’ve been talking with Max then.” Joyce quipped.

“Just a bit.” Kate sheepishly admitted. “I’ve heard only good things about you, both from Max and Chloe.”

“Well it’s good to hear that my daughter doesn’t gripe too much about me especially not when I serve her free breakfast.” Chloe just rolled her eyes and Joyce ignored her altogether. “You look like a nice kid. As much as I want you to be a good influence to Chloe, I’m worried that hanging out goes both ways.”

“A nice kid? Are you serious, mom?” Chloe reached out over the table and placed a hand on Kate’s shoulder with a proud grin. “You’re looking at a saint. She’s like an angel only without wings.”

“As in a person.” Kate amended her, her cheeks were flush with embarrassment.

“As in a really good person.” Max seconded with a smile. “Don’t worry, Joyce. I’m here to make sure that Chloe doesn’t drag poor Kate into any more trouble than legally acceptable.”

“Well you haven’t broken my trust yet.” Joyce winked. “Except for that wine stain incident.”

Max instantly flushed and Chloe just hollered beside her despite being the partner in crime. “That was just one time!”

“Wine incident?” Kate asked curiously.

“Oh, man that was gold! We were kids and we got our asses drunk on mom’s wine. We were so wasted that we threw up on the carpet. Yup, good times.” Chloe reminisced all too fondly.

“No, we didn’t.” Max insistently objected with a glare. “There isn’t even a wine stain in your story!”

“Duh, it’s called subtext.” Chloe rolled her eyes at Max’ accusation. “We were shitfaced so of course we’d spill the wine at some point.”

“Chloe, if you keep talking I will make you shitfaced only without alcohol.” Max winced at her language and murmured a quick apology to Kate. “We accidentally tipped over Joyce’s wine. We scrubbed for days and we couldn’t get the stain out. To this day, it’s still incriminating evidence on the carpet. That’s it. That’s the whole story.”

Max looked at Kate as if pleading for a response. Meanwhile, both Price women watched on expectantly with similar amused grins. She faintly took note of just how much related they looked like right now. Their grins were dazzling bright and infectious so much in fact that Kate couldn’t help sporting her own playful smile. “Right… If you say so then I’ll believe in your story, Max.” She winked at her.

The booth broke out in laughter with the exception of Max groaning. Joyce was the first one to recover. “Adorable and funny. I can see why anyone would want to be in your company. If I didn’t already have Chloe then I’d be happy to adopt you.”

“Ouch, Max. You’re not mom’s favorite anymore.” Chloe feigned hurt for her best friend as she patted her on the shoulder in a show of sympathy.

“Shut up, Che.” Max shoved off the hand and rolled her eyes. “I’m sure Joyce still has plans for me.”

“Max, you’re already like a second daughter to me. There’s no competition there.” Joyce said warmly and then winked at Kate. “And given time, you might want to consider my offer at being the third.”

Kate was positively beaming. This was more than just the usual polite welcome. She felt accepted already. “I’ll think about it.”

“I’m sure you will.” Joyce nodded in approval and then regarded the whole booth. “Now I know you three didn’t come here for lip service so what’ll it be?”

They ended up ordering different meals but it was mostly due to Chloe’s insistence. Kate was going to order what Max was having but Chloe came up with the idea of sharing bites just so Kate could taste half of what’s on the menu. Max joked that Chloe just wanted to eat off everyone’s plates to which the punk did not deny.

Once the food came, true to her words, Chloe wolfed down her bacon omelette so fast that Max had to chide her before the food could become a choking hazard. It seemed that Kate had taken over the manners for all three of them since Max was surprisingly eager in her meal as well. She gently wiped Max’s face when sauce dripped on her chin.

The meal was far from a quiet affair. It wasn’t like the dinners she had at home where her mom insisted that eating was like talking to the Lord. It was like praying and just like everything else involving the Lord, it had to be carried out with utmost grace and reverance. But this was no graceful meal. Their heads weren’t bowed and their hands weren’t fixed to small movements. Instead they were loud with chatter and messy with spills. If her mother could see her now then she would have been frowning or scowling in disappointment but Kate could not find it in herself to do anything but smile.

Kate was not talking to only the Lord but she was also talking to her friends. And she found it quite the enjoyable experience to have them talking back in carefree volume and not in hushed whispers. It was different and she thought that she did not mind the change. In fact, she welcomed it in open arms. She hadn’t known that breakfast could be this loud or fun and she’s always open-minded to learning. Kate stared at both Max and Chloe with certain fondness. The breakfast was their idea and they still have a whole list to check through.

Breakfast may be over but their day was just beginning.

[kireigin-blog]

Broke Student Art Supply Tips

Are you broke or on a low budget and want to develop your art skills?  If the answer is yes, then this blog post and future posts on this topic are for you. This post is collaborative in nature with Jody- Ann Rene. She is a lovely homo-sapien whose vlog and blog posts highlight the struggles of inner city youths. If you are unfamiliar with the term “inner city youth” as most of the students at our college were; it is a rather loose term to refer to youths who live in ghettos or the projects or areas where most families are in mid-level middle class to lower class economic brackes. These groups tend to have tight budgets at times. I had a lengthy conversation with her regarding the fact that there are many artistic youths  in these areas. Many of whom like photography and digital arts.

As someone who comes from a mid-level middle class family myself I am no stranger to financial dry spells. In this post I have identified some ways in which someone in this situation, a student or someone who is a bit frugal can develop their art skills on a low budget. Please note that some of my suggestions mainly applies to The Republic of Trinidad & Tobago because this is where I live but at the core they may apply to where ever you live.

 As a student, I  rarely have enough dinero to drop for high quality art products to develop my skills with and when I do my heart and wallet shrieks out of sheer horror. So there are four core points which apply to the suggestions in this post that I need to get out of the way:

You do not need high quality art supplies to develop your skills. 

Make use of more affordable or free substitutes.

Sometimes it is not what you are buying but rather where you are buy it.

Don’t have something? Make your own!

Digital Arts/ Graphic Design

Vector Graphics- There are many cheap and free vector graphic programs out there. But if you are on a really tight budget you may want to consider Gravit Designer. This is a browser and desktop based vector graphic program. So you do not have to install it since there is a browser version, you just need an account and you can access your cloud and art anywhere in the world on most computers. So, if you are between computers, you can use computers at the library, school or even at an Internet Cafe to create your art.  I do suggest you invest in a flash drive, so if the internet drops you can easily save your work to the flash. If you have a computer even better for you, you can download the desktop version and use that. I have personally used this program for the past  four months and it has saved me a few times. Here is a list of some free vector graphic programs that I have come across:

Gravit Designer (can be used online)

Vectr (can be used online)

InkScape

SVG-edit

Boxy SVG Editor

Image manipulation- Unfortunately I have not been able to locate a browser based , free image manipulation app. Granted these programs cannot compare in performance and features to Adobe and Corel programs they can work well enough while you are learning. Here are some alternatives to photoshop that I have come across. 

Gimp

Pixlr

SumoPaint (online editor)

Photoshop Express

Lunapic

iPiccy

FotoFlexer

Digital paintings- Applications like Corel Painter allows persons to paint digitally. So here are some free or affordable alternatives.

Krita

PaintTool SAI

Artweaver

FireAlpaca

YouiDraw (can be used online)

MyPaint

Sketchpad (can be used online)

Photography

You do not need a DSLR to learn & practice the core elements and principles of photography. A “point & shoot”camera, smartphone or tablet can work. When it comes to photography you need to know, understand and practice the principles and elements of photography so you do not need a fancy DSLR to get started. For the practicality of today the easiest device to obtain and use while being cost effective might  just be a smartphone. Mind you it doesn’t have to be an expensive brand. There are Blu, Alcatel and Huawei models with good cameras and software. Just keep an open mind in your search and you will find something that works for you.

Tablets

These are not necessary since you can draw on paper and either take a photo of your work or scan it and then redraw/ colour using software and/or  your mouse to create digital art. If you really want a tablet however you can start with lower end models like the Wacom Bamboo(pad tablet). Also contrary to popular belief Wacom is not the only good tablet brand there are many other good and more affordable brands (depending on the model) such as:

Huion

Gaomon

Ugee

Xp-pen

iskn 

 Also did you know you can use a regular tablet as a screen tablet? There are many people opting to purchase an iPad Pro as opposed to expensive screen tablets. Also others like Microsoft Surface, Lenovo Yoga Book and Samsung Galaxy Tablets can be used as screen tablet alternative. Once again keep and open mind, do some research and consider things you normally wouldn’t consider.

Traditional Art

As stated previously you do not need professional grade materials to get started. In Trinidad and Tobago in particular professional grade or higher end brands can torch your wallet, from $60 Acrylic Paint to $1000+ Prismacolor coloured pencils. Here you really have to hunt to find affordable supplies. I will try to help you out in that endeavor as much as I can if you wish. If this aspect of the topic is interesting to you let me know and I will do dedicated posts to art supply hunting in Trinidad. For now I will include a list of some places I go to for affordable supplies and a couple tips to save some cash regarding buying supplies.

Some Places I have gotten some decent quality supplies that didn’t murder my wallet are:

Knowledge Zone ( I kid you not! You need to check these people out)

Charran’s Bookstore

Naipaul’s Bookstore

Arnim’s Framing & Art Supplies

Craft Creators

Art & more

Please Note: While I got affordable things at these stores it does not mean that everything in these stores will be very affordable. It depends on what you are buying and where you are buying it.

Buy in “bulk”

Instead of paying almost $5 per B type pencil ( like 2b - 8b), consider buying them by the box. At Naipaul’s bookstore in Arima I have gotten 12 pencils in a box for just under $20. I tend to buy somethings in bulk like this since my younger relatives also do art and sharing is caring. You can band together with friends or classmates and buy your supplies in bulk and split the times up among each other. My classmates and myself put together and purchased large sheets of illustration board and then divide it among each other also, Mr Arnim was kind enough to cut the board up for us.

Consider mid - low quality supplies

For initial practice avoid buying expensive paints use low to mid quality ones instead. I have seen people online use crayola washable watercolours and do pretty good work. The cheapest watercolour cake set I have come across locally is Winners brand which was just under $10, at Food Basket. I have also seen decent quality Acrylics at Knowledge Zone and Craft Creators (Trincity Mall) for around $40, also I know there are significantly cheaper Acrylic brands but I have not personally tried them yet.

Invest in the long term

Invest in a few good brushes. Yes, the idea is to save money and investing in a few good brushes which can last you almost a lifetime is better than having to constantly buy new brushes. Visit are stores like Art & More and Arnim’s to get good quality brushes. They have friendly staff who will surely help you out.

Brands do not always matter

Instead of always buying high end brand paper pads consider lower end ones. Watercolour paper pads can run you a good bit but you can get a decent quality  watercolour pad (160gsm, acid free, A4 sized, 24 sheets) for just $30 at Charran's Bookstore. In the past couple years I have noticed that Charran’s has been carrying more Asian brands in art supplies and stationery which tend to be cheaper than most other brands you see on the market here and they work very well. Also if you want a thick medium sized sketchbook consider Knowledge Zone because you can get those for $50 as opposed to $80 and up that I have seen at art supply stores.

Use art quality when necessary

Do not use art quality supplies unless you have to. For daily practice like gesture studies or observation ( in some cases) you can use a composition book or plain copy paper. If you want something with a little texture or bit thicker consider card stock or even bristol board. Now, I have only personally seen card stock in Excellent Stores and Naipaul’s Bookstore. At Excellent Stores it was under $30 (if I remember correctly) and there was a decent amount of pages for the price. I will double check the price and amount if I spot it again. Also you can use HB pencils and ballpoint pens for practice, both of which you can buy by the box easily.

Make your own supplies

If you don’t have tool sometimes you can just make one. If you are doing pottery you can dig for clay and prepare it. I once that an individual make their own dip pen from plastic bottles and the you-tuber PeterDraws used it in one of his videos. In terms of simpler items like sketchbooks you can make your own easily. There are many tutorials on youtube and other websites for DIY supplies.  I personally made my own ink last month based on tutorials on how to make walnut ink. It most definitely was not what I expected but I had fun doing it and I am going to make as many pieces as I can using it. 

Education

I am going to stop you right there. Since you are reading this blog post you are aware of the Internet. There are a multitude of free tutorials and open source education resources. So make use of that google and youtube. You can do free courses from recognized universites to develop your skills via online open learning platforms like coursera or the local site knowledge.tt from the University of Trinidad & Tobago.

So you see guys, where there is a will there's a way. Use those big beautiful brains and imaginations of yours, be optimistic and find a way. Heck, if can make my own ink, I am sure you can make something amazing.  Until take care and have fun trying new things.

[just-your-casual-nerd]

@v3nusxsky

art model agatha and pathetic loser rio au 😳

everyone go read ash's fic 💞

unholy uncropped version of agatha