It Was Fate!

Great news! I am related to Grim Natwick!! You know, the guy who illustrated Betty Boop, Snow White, and many other Disney characters? He's related to my uncle somehow. Ironic, isn't it??

(For those of you who don't know, in high school I was known as Snow White. The name was even on my letter jacket. I used to get that I looked like her all of the time. You know, skin as white as snow, black hair, absolutely gorgeous. :) It must have been fate that I turned out this way!)**

This guy is amazing. I googled him today, curious to learn more about the man, and the search results were full of pages that hailed him as the greatest animator that ever lived. He's a real animator's animator. People kind of worship him. He's kind of a big deal.

Honestly, I can see why, he was one of the most influential cartoonists that lived. I mean, just look at the pieces he's worked on. All new and exciting in their time, and most still out-do cartoons today, if you ask me. But I'm not biased :). Seriously, even before I knew of this relation, I really admired the style and simplicity of the cartoons back that I now know he was responsible for.

The great thing about this man and his cartoons is that, before simplifying the human body so drastically, he studied it hardcore for years. I've found some of his sketches from his studies in Europe online, very detailed and realistic. His cartoons work so well because of this intense knowledge of the body and the way it works, even though they are portrayed in the most simple forms possible. It is so easy to want to jump ahead in art without really studying and learning to draw things "correctly" first. But it pays off.


It is really inspiring to look at Grim's work, whether you are related or not. To see a few more images from Grim Natwick's drawings, try Boing Boing, a blog with a collection of his drawings. Or you could just Google the name. Do it.

**For anyone reading this who doesn't know me, the answer is no. I am not actually that full of myself.

Inspiration from the East

Today, I thought I might do what I said I would in my first entry, share what inspires me. As of late, I have become increasingly interested in Eastern cultures. It all began with a little girl who resembled the goddess Lakshmi.

For those of you who have not seen this phenomenon, a little girl was born in India with a striking resemblance to the Hindu goddess of luck and beauty, Lakshmi. Why a phenomenon, you ask? The Goddess Lakshmi is generally portrayed with eight limbs, four arms and four legs. The mother had prayed to that particular goddess on the day Lakshmi (the baby girl) was born and had seen a sign, so thought the resemblance no coincidence. People would travel to come see the young goddess, to offer gifts and lay hands on her.


**Photo from website www.dailymail.co.uk

For those of you who are skeptical, this is not just a doctored photo. I saw this story on a TV show, where she was picked up, held and put down, and shown from all angles. Of course, there was a medical explanation for the extra limbs. Lakshmi's identical sister had been joined to her at the pelvis in the womb. The condition would have been life-threatening later on, so the child underwent surgery and is believed to be doing well.

My interest was really sparked by this goddess with eight limbs. What imagination! I began recalling stories I had been told from India, and remembering the beautiful artwork that accompanies most of them. I thought this would be wonderful inspiration, so I bought a book on the culture, rented movies based in the area, and have been googling related topics ever since.

Everything that I have seen so far has been amazing. I'm positive that you've heard of The Namesake, and if you have not seen it I do recommend it. Another film that I stumbled across and cannot wait until it reaches me from Netflix is called Water. It's about an eight-year-old girl whose husband (arranged marriage) died, and she is forced to spend the rest of her days in a Hindu temple for widows. Quite negative, but when you go to research a culture, you are bound to find faults.

The imagery that I have has all shown incredible intricacy and beauty, and the patterns involved really add a great touch. I like looking at the patterns used in Henna designs, and anything spiritual will always give inspiration. One type of image that I discovered that I had not known before is called Rangoli. Rangoli is one of the most popular artforms in India, made of colored sand/rice powder and often found outside homes or religious places. It is sort of a blessing, and patterns are often passed down through families. This particular Rangoli design really stopped me. It is for a festival called Diwali, and is much more extravagant than the everyday Rangoli.


**Photo from buckofive Flickr photostream

Anyway, for those of you seeking new inspiration, I'm telling you, this is the answer. The color usage, patterns, and style of illustrations from India and other Eastern countries are sure to inspire you. Google Rangoli, Henna designs, and Hindu gods/goddesses, and just see where it takes you. Best of luck!

Lovin' The Walker

So I don't know how much I've told you about the arts here in the Twin Cities. For instance, did you know that famous sculpture of the big spoon and cherry is here? Yeah. I had forgotten, too. And the museum where it's located, the Walker Art Center, is pretty freaking amazing.


One of my favorite things about the Walker is that there is a huge outdoor sculpture garden (where the spoon is), which is always open, and always free. There are all kinds of sculptures there, abstract, surreal, realistic, and some that maybe don't really make sense. But that's art. One is really pretty amazing. It's an arrangement of bushes and mirrors that created a very weird effect to where you aren't quite sure where you actually are in the space. The one shown below drew me to it because of the amazing detail in the fabric and position of the jacket, and the interesting composition of the three pieces. There is also a lovely little garden. A perfect place for a nice little picnic, or just to take a walk and get inspired.


For more photographs of the Walker Sculpture Garden, visit my Flickr photostream.

Something that is really inspiring to me is what was shown in the latest exhibition at the Walker, Design for the Other 90%. It was an exhibition with projects showing what engineers/designers have been doing to help those in need. Every single piece cut back on energy, cost, or back-breaking effort on the part of the people using it. And a lot of them seem like such simple solutions that had just been overlooked.

For instance, one invention was this doughnut-shaped barrel that holds water. A worker can tie a rope through the hole in the container, and easily wheel it to the rest of the workers who need water. This is so much easier than alternative forms of transporting water, and so simple!

There were also a few brilliant housing solutions for those in need. One required no tools to assemble, and is made out of weather-resistant materials. It would be easy to ship, easy to assemble, and quite comfortable for a relatively small family. There was also some solar energy kitchen equipment. One of them was basically a huge satellite dish with mirrors all around, and a place for a pot to sit in the middle.


The invention that I was most touched by (shown above) was a straw-like thing that made it safe for people without clean water to sip on any surface water without contracting diseases. Sort of a pocket Brita filter, if you will. Something extremely necessary in some areas of the world.

It is so inspiring to see what is being done for the less fortunate, and it really makes you want to be a part of it all. If this exhibition comes to a museum near you, I highly recommend visiting it. Or you could always come visit and get the full effect of the Walker, the spoon, and the rest of the exhibitions here.

(P.S. To friends and family in H-town, my thoughts are with you this weekend. I hope you remain safe and unharmed by Mr. Ike.)

REPUBLICAN INVASION!

So for those of you who didn't watch the news, the Republican National Convention was last week. And it was held (guess where) right down the street from me! Scary? Yes. Eventful? Mmmm yes and no.

So my first strategy was to hibernate. Who wants to get stuck in that kind of traffic? But when McCain nominated Palin as his VP, I realized I had to be a part of this. No matter who wins, this election is making history, and I would hate to tell my grandchildren that I was there, but hid in my apartment. It was also enticing to learn about the celebs in town - Susan Sarandon, Maggie Gyllenhal, Jon Stewart, and more! So I went outside.

To my disappointment, I ran into none of the above. If only I had better stalker skills! I did run into policemen, more policemen than I have seen in my entire life! There was one on every corner in downtown Saint Paul and Minneapolis, there was one waiting under every single bridge on 94 (and other roads, I'm sure), there were groups of them waiting in random areas, armed with bullet-proof suits and plastic handcuffs. I have never seen such anticipation in my life! And not once did I see any of them have a reason to be armed. It was kind of ridiculous.


I did see some interesting forms of protests - groups of bikers, concerts, signs. One blanket-sign in my neighborhood said, "More trees, less bush." And I saw one group of bikers who had paper-mached their bikes to be an elephant and a donkey, and on the elephant was written, "Forever in your debt." Probably the most extreme thing that I saw was a guy walking over the freeway dressed in a grim reaper costume, holding a black and white American flag. And there was a video outside of the Cathedral pointing out each Republican's flaws. People were rather creative!

Supposedly, close to 800* people were arrested this week. Some of them were even tear-gassed. I'm not sure there was always just cause. As I said before, there was a bit too much anticipation by the cops. For instance, I was walking in downtown Minneapolis on night, and ran into fleets of cops, cop cars and vans (and some News teams), waiting for a Rage Against the Machine concert to end. I waited there for 45 minutes while people streamed out, and I have to say I never saw a reason for the cops to be there (other than to direct traffic). In another instance, somebody had left a backpack on a bridge. They had barricaded the bridge with 40+ cops, and a few trucks and Hummers. People were standing all around the area, waiting for something to happen, but as in the earlier scenario, it was very anti-climactic.


(Only a small part of the pandemonium shown here. Imagine this times 5 on each side of the bridge. Quite an event.)

So my RNC experience probably isn't anything to write home about. Of course being here was pretty exciting, but I'm sure reading about it is a drag, as nothing ever did happen. The bars were all reserved for private parties, so it was hard to get in on most of the action. I did get interviewed by a German TV station! But besides all of the above, I saw what you all did on TV, and still haven't made my mind up about Palin. What do you guys think?

(P.S. Sorry for the lack of photos. I didn't exactly take my camera with me on my adventures. Smart, eh?)

At Home in St. Paul

I made it!! It's taken forever to get everything set up, but I am finally here, and I finally have Internet access. All I need is a dresser, and I am set!

And guess what is on the way up here from Texas. Kansas City. What does that mean? Hammerpress, Hallmark, and all kinds of kickass places!! The Hammerpress space is amazing. It was just inspiring to be there. Any artist or designer should try to make it there at some point in their career. And then you should drive on to Minneapolis to see me!! :)


For more photos of Hammerpress, visit my Flickr photostream.

My apartment is...let's call it intimate. It's a nice little studio space with small kitchen area and bathroom. It's perfect for me right now, and I'm very happy in it. It is true that there is no air conditioning, but I've put a few fans up, and it's really not unbearable. I feel like I get a look of pity from other people who visit, but I don't think they see what I do.

This place was built in the '30's, and not much has changed since. The windows, light fixtures, wood floor, etc. is all original. This means that the windows all stick and hardly open, and there are scratches and dings everywhere. I have to tell you, I love wrestling with the windows, and all of the scratches really just mean that I don't have to worry about messing things up. Nice for an artist.

The furniture is similar in that way. I've gotten most of it for free, "borrowing" everything from families who don't need them anymore, who are kind enough to let me use them. People say that I can get nicer things as I have more of an income, but honestly I'm perfectly comfortable here. I think I'll just save my money and satisfy my travel thirst.

My neighbors seem pretty interesting. The oldest tenant spends every day sitting out on the front lawn with her dog, sort of guarding the place and greeting passersby. There are some college students that stay here. One of the residents owns this ridiculous car [note the toilet on top]. It might be for a parade coming up, we'll see how long it stays parked in the lot.


(I wish you could get the full effect from a photo.)

The location is incredible, I am right behind a great local coffee shop called Nina's with free wi-fi, and a few restaurants and salons. There's also an art school on the corner, a park across the street, an old Swedish church on the corner of my street, and an old Cathedral a few blocks away. There are also a few pubs around, and a really nice street not far with a ton of small businesses and great locals to meet.

Did I mention that my complex has red doors? Just the cherry on top of an amazing place to live. Photos of the interior to come, I've got a few things to set up still. More about the Mini Apple and it's brother, St. Paul, to come as well. Stay tuned.

Taking the Leap

So guess what, folks. I am moving up there. Nope, no job yet. Screw knowing how I'm going to have any income, I'm just going to do it. I have a studio apartment in St. Paul, right near the governor's house, right down the street from Garrison Keillor and a huge beautiful Cathedral. We'll see what happens, eh?

Okay, a bit more info. I've always had the travel bug, and I've always seen myself moving out of Texas as soon as I graduated college. I had always seen myself as a New England kind of girl, but my sights have changed to the Twin Cities. That's right, Minneapolis/St. Paul. Where, you say? Don't I know it's cold up there? Yeah, I realize. But I'm excited.

I researched a bit and the Twin Cities is exactly my kind of town. The theater scene is huge, music is big, it's practically a design mecca, and the average age there is in the early 30's. It's a young, cultured, fun-loving scene, and I think I will fit right in. They call Minneapolis the Mini Apple, as opposed to the Big Apple. It is a lot like New York, only smaller and cleaner and more affordable. And more Scandinavian.

Alright, that's basically it. I wanted to let y'all know I'm doing it, taking the leap. That's right, I still say y'all. I think that's one I'll keep.

"Oh, Pep."

So, funny thing happened to me today. I tell ya, it's a very odd feeling to be trapped in a confined space. You may be thinking of elevators, where normal people get stuck. Nope. Think bathroom.

First I should tell you that I am staying at my aunt's house in Minneapolis at the moment, trying to find a job. So I am getting ready to shower this morning, and there was that odd moment when you are using someone else's shower when you wonder, Should I lock the outer door? What if someone needs to come in just to use the outer space? They know I'm showering, they wouldn't walk in here... The debate goes on, but you catch my drift. So I decide (yes, I made a decision) that I should just close the inner door. And I find that it locks! And then I find that it does not unlock and will not open. Mmmmm fun.

I took my shower, because if you think about it, they are more likely to go looking for me if they hear that I finished my shower and am still not out yet. Then I just sat and waited. I tried banging on the door a few times and yelling out names, but they couldn't hear me. I could hear them, but they couldn't hear me.

So I was just waiting until I hear someone walk up the stairs, and I am proud to say that I was rather calm. I rationalized that I wouldn't be stuck in there more than a day, someone would have to use that bathroom at some point. Plus, when you think about it, I was locked in the best place to survive for a long time. Think about it, you've got a toilet to use, and you've got water to drink from the bath faucet. You couldn't really eat anything in there, but you could survive quite a while in there. I was trying to think of something in there that would be edible, and I found myself wondering, What would Survivor Man do? I can just see it now. You know he would make it all dramatic. He would probably find some "extremely rare edible lotion," or wrap a damp bath towel around his head to keep cool.

I seriously did wonder about running out of oxygen at one brief point. Stupid, I know, but it was pretty humid and hard to breathe in there after I had showered. You always see them worry about oxygen in movies when they get trapped in a space. I wondered how long it would take to run out. It would be such a weird way to go. The paper would read, "Girl, 22, just graduated college and about to embark on the rest of her life, and had just arrived in Minneapolis to become a successful human being, died yesterday after accidentally locking herself in a bathroom." Life can be ironic like that. Have I told you I was hit by a Hummer a few days after my 21st birthday? Yeah.

Of course, it never came to that. I couldn't have been waiting more than half an hour before my aunt came upstairs and heard me. She didn't even have to call a locksmith or anything, she just got a screwdriver and jimmied it open. Anti-climatic, I know.

But hey, I can now add Trapped in Closed Space to things I have survived. When you think about it, it's interesting how much we live through. Sure, some hardships/dangers seem minor, but practically anything you do could be life-threatening. I mean, I've flown in planes more times than I can count on my fingers and toes. In the end, we do okay. It kind of makes you question fear, and the way we sometimes let it control our lives. It's a stretch, but my bathroom story comes with a moral: "The brave may not live forever, but the cautious do not live at all." Wise words spoken by the dad in Princess Diaries.

(If you continue to keep up with me, you may look forward to hearing many stories like this. I tend to get myself into weird situations. My friends in Lubbock would respond to a story like this with an "Oh, Pep." They're used to it.)