Sunday, August 31, 2014

The Sunday Currently

After having stumbled upon (and getting inspired by) Sidda Thornton's The Centennial Sunday Currently, I thought I'd try it out and check to see if it's a really good way to keep updating my blog in spite of my negligent blogger behavior.

Sunday Currently is  pretty self-explanatory. It's a round-up of answers to various current questions about yourself.

C U R R E N T L Y . . .

R E A D I N G  Just finished Neil Gaiman's Stardust (novel), and about to pick up the graphic novel.

W R I T I N G  html and css scripts. Random ramblings. Snarky tweets and comments. I think I'm blocked.

L I S T E N I N G  to Joshua Radin. It is a dreary sunday, after all.

T H I N K I N G  of what other books to pick up. Ideas for a friend's blog. Starting up a new business. Work. Teaching children.

S M E L L I N G  cigarettes. Always cigarettes. I reek of cigarette(s'?) smoke.

W I S H I N G  for opportunities to further my goals and dreams and ambitions.

W E A R I N G  a black polo from my university (and university days!) and red nails.

L O V I N G  family, friends, my dog, and dreary sundays. 

W A N T I N G  the new hazelnut milk tea from chatime. I was late to the milk tea game, only developing a taste for it this year (and being a much bigger coffee drinker than tea drinker), but Chatime's oolong tea and roasted milk tea are a particular weakness for me.

N E E D I N G  to start dieting. 

F E E L I N G  Anxious.

Friday, August 29, 2014

Inspiration: Boldini and Degas


From L-R: Giovanni Boldini's The Woman in Red, The Mondona Singer,
Princess Marthe Lucile Bibesco 

Not until historical romance did I begin to appreciate classical impressionist art, but Boldini and Degas are quickly changing the game for me.

My first encounter with Degas was back when my then 15-year old sister, Shutterhound, started painting ballerinas. I was a wee tot of 7 back then. I knew zilch in those days and just a little more than that now. At present, however, I am more able to appreciate their strokes of genius now. (Get it?! lol)

From L-R: Edward Degas's The Green Dancer, Dancer Resting, Reading a Newspaper,
??? Please feel free to email me if you know the title

Both Boldini and Degas produced work during the late 1800s through to the early 1900s. Their various art contain both a lightness and darkness to it, a whimsy that manages to carry a thick, blanketing malaise -- a hauntingly bright effect that is specific to these two.