Wim & Mary

We set an alarm so that we wouldn't meet out 9:00am meeting with the international guy at SintLukas. His name is Wim Aertz. Hes a shorter guy with a decent accent but good English. He reminds me of Steven Slappe. While waiting for him I saw a guy who looked like the Dutch version of Mike (Kimpler is his last name, I think). Wim told us about the structure of the program, how it is graded, how they deal with international students, and so on. It was a lot of information. Didn't see a lot of the art from the students and couldn't walk around so I don't know what sort of work they are producing. Lenny from PNCA lent me a couple comic anthologies that they had made and those were fantastic.

The weather was miserable. It was raining really hard as we walked there and as we walked back. On the return we took the trolley/street car. It got us to Congres really fast and simple. Before we went to the hotel to pack and check out we stopped by Mary's Chocolatier. It was noted in my guidebook (and it was right down the street). It was near empty compared to the bustling chocolate shops of the Grand Place. We picked up something to munch now and something to munch later.

I had mostly packed in the morning so getting out of there was quick. My bag had become distinctly heavier during my vacation. Comics and intaglio plates are not light.

We checked out and hoofed it along the cobble roads and through the rain. We took a shortcut through one of the metro stations and after dragging our bags down a considerable amount of stairs, we arrived at Centraal and at our platform with half an hour to spare. Trains came and went every minute from all the platforms.

Our seats were rear facing. I took a little nap. Dad read his book. Our train had to stop at Schipol due to some errors but they had a train waiting on another track to take us to Centraal.

Dad dropped part of his luggage on my head during the bustle of disembarking. It really hurt but I wasn't bleeding or unconscious so we continued on.

It wasn't raining in Amsterdam, in fact it looked exactly how I left it: full of tourists.

We were given rooms on the topmost floor of Abba Hotel. Three flights of ridiculous stairs. Still don't know why we dragged our luggage all the way up them for only one night.

Our last day and night in Amsterdam was spent walking about. We went to Wok to Walk, a trendy wok and noodle shop, and had dinner. Both our plates were scraped clean. We set to walking in a general direction towards Centraal Station. Neither of us had a map. We walked through shopping districts and a sort of China Town. Saw a lovely ginger kitty that really liked me and wanted to come home with us. There was a flower market, crowds, bikes, the Dam, canals. Lots of Amsterdam things. It was a great walk. Our feet have been well and truly worn through from travels so we went to the hotel early.

I watched a program on the Royal Academy of the Arts and its yearly open exhibition. We also watched Waterworld but it kept being interrupted by women's football(or soccer as we call it).

We set the alarm again, just in case.

gesloten

The last night in Brussels. It went by so fast. Wasn't it yesterday that I was pondering if five days would be enough? Still sort of want to see Bruges though.

We slept in today. We didn't miss breakfast, but we did miss the chocolate filled pastries. The area downstairs was crowded. When we get there early it is normally about six other guests. Had the usual (minus the chocolate pastries).

The Wiertz Museum was closed from April through July.

The park nearby was lovely. Some kids were playing in the park, might have been recess at a nearby school. The girls joined in the game of kickball, no kids had iPods, PSP's, or other technology of that sort, and none of them were obese. Total contrast to the last time I saw kids in a park.

The area around us was where the European Union buildings is located. Very business centric with little lovely architecture. Jubelpark had some lovely sculptures but it was overly well kept and pristine. It has its own Arc de Triomphe.

The Armory Museum and Military Museum was huge. It just had wing after wing. There was a large blimp hanger sized room filled with planes, there were tanks outdoors, plane engines that dad got all worked up about, a long room filled with uniforms and equipment, and a level devoted to the history of Belgium during World War II. A grand mystery is why the marine, war, and uniform part of the museum closed down from 11:45 to 1:00. Just closed down. The rest of it stayed open. Lots of planes. Lots and lots of planes. Big ones, small ones, and a couple helicopters as well. The designs of the tanks intrigued me, as did the variations in uniforms from World War I and earlier. No offense, but the Belgium uniforms were sort of silly. We spent quite a few hours walking around looking at history. There was a little cafe in the museum and we had lunch there.

It needed more hands on things like pilot seats you can get into and go PEW PEW PEW.

You could climb up to the top of the Arc de Trimophe and look around. Great view, not 360 degrees, but amazing. We could see the Atomium from up there.

After the museum we decided to go to Sint Lukas and check that out. By this point in our trip our feet are quite dead so we decided that taking an adventure on the subway would be a good way to get up to the school. We boarded at Merode station at the end of Jubelpark, got off at Arts-Loi, transferred to the Orange line to Simons and left at Botanique. We cut across the Botanical Gardens and took a side road to the school.

Sint Lukas is an art school in Brussels. It has a program with PNCA where I could, potentially, study there for a semester during my junior year. I'm thinking about it and wanted to check it out. The area looks harmless but isn't really nice. I couldn't get a good look at the school because the guy who would show me around had a meeting he had to catch a train for. Also the school is setting up for final exhibitions (next week would have been a better time to show up)so I couldn't wander about. We have a meeting tomorrow morning so I hope I will get a better gander then.

We walked back to the hotel, got some drinks on the way there, propped our feet up, and pondered dinner. Dinner ended up being a gluttonous meal. We went to Grand Place, got some meaty substances with frites and mayo, then we got some free samples in a chocolate shop, then got some ice cream. Ohhhh maaan. So good. If it wasn't for all the walking, I'd feel guilty about stuffing my face like that.

hyper fixation

Whoo! My computer is up and running. That was a frustrating couple days. I changed some of the other numbers to zero, removed the password on this account, and made another admin account. My files had vanished but they still existed elsewhere so I just transferred them over here.

But one loss of the computer issues: I lost all the portfolio pictures I had recently taken. DAMNIT! Now I have to retake and rephotoshop them. Bleehh! Sets me back.

Slept in and when I got up I just had some cake and hot chocolate for breakfast. I have been reading Fun House, which is Alison Bechdel's memoir. I dislike it for being really overwrought with forced metaphor and implementing an overly literate vocabulary. The art is amazing but the narration makes me wince. Also the font is too big, Epileptic and Persepolis had nice small font that was perfectly legible. This is like...huge. It makes me feel like I am reading a Junior High comic when it really isn't like that.

Talked on the phone with Dad. Karen stopped by and used my computer (her internet is wonky). After she left was when I gave fixing it some real focus. And it worked!

Lindsay came home fairly early and Karen came over (again) with some stir fry. It was tasty and plentiful. Chelsey came over a little bit later and retold us her story of being at the James Turrell after party where it was located within a super posh apartment and she met lots of super posh people (like Elizabeth Leach). We hung out and watched videos from the Internet (like Lasagna Cat). Jim came over and we chatted and ate more food (I had two servings of Karen's stir fry). We decided to play some Apples to Apples because possibly there were enough people to play and then there was a knock and Kristen and Chris (Cris? Kris?) were at the door! So we played a game of Apples to Apples. Kristen won. Chelsey was a wee bit hyper. Well more than a wee bit. But yeah, fun was had. I walked Jim to the max (which didn't come for about half an hour) and when I came back only Karen was left. We talked for a bit more and then she went home.

Now I am enjoying my functioning computer. Wheee!

fear & frustration

Today was...difficult. I did the assignment for Modou somewhat wrong. The first part was right but I didn't know the second part also had to be done on the same sized paper so I have to redo that. I do not like doing assignments wrong when I attend class and pay full attention. Not at all. He is also not above saying what he thinks, calling you out, and humiliating you in front of the class. I wasn't outright humiliated but it still wasn't fun being told I was wrong. He said worse things to other people ("You came late so this is no good.") but I'm still distressed about it.

We did still lifes and then we were told to find the animals in the things we had been drawing. I saw a scorpion/whale/platypus/anteater all in the same teakettle. And Ibanez and a camel in this fancy silver teapot. I forgot how to draw most of those with any sense of realism so really only the chubby platypus turned out. Modou liked them so I guess I passed.

I walked Lindsay to work and swung by Powell's to pick up The Time Traveler’s Wife. Yay for having lots of copies and a few on super sale.

Didn't spend much time at home. Ate Trader Joe's cheese puff and watched the new Lost episode online. Pretty good start, interested in seeing more. Very mysterious with the Charlie and parachuting person stuff.

I met with Lennie about studying abroad. Belgium does not have a summer program so I am going to make Pont-Aven in France my main focus. It seems cool. We had a great meeting concerning my options. Yeah I'm rather pissed at PNCA. They seemed to punish me for registering early by adding a first unit of Illustration to this semester. I will be here for three years but my last year I will probably be part time. Right now I am looking at studying abroad in Belgium at Hogeschool Sint-Lukas for a semester in my Junior year. This is something I have to think about now so I am not leaving it to the last minute. Like I am doing with France.

After the meeting I quickly wrote up my still life sum up for painting, grabbed a bite to eat, and hobbled off to class. Well not so much hobble as shove my way through the throng of smokers.

The final touch on my still life was to add a background but the wash looked horrible so I am not so keen on it. I think it looked best three-fourth of the way complete. Oh well. Happens. Sat between Jen and Karen and we had a fun old time in the back row singing songs and exchanging words.

The weather was just horrible enough that Lindsay and I couldn't be bothered to leave the apartment for First Thursday. Karen came over and we drew and chatted and I added an idea to Lindsay's idea book. I made gyoza which was enjoyed thoroughly.

Karen left and then I noticed the time and remember I had yet to write my summary of Understanding Comics for class so here I am blogging late at night after staying up working on that. I'll be tired tomorrow and I have a fair amount lined up to do:
Comic Class!
(Printmaking probably)
Work!
(more printmaking probably)
Movie night!

Leave at 7:45 am, get home at 8:30pm ish.

living spaces/storing spaces

I was eating pizza with Lindsay and Karen called me up all frantic wondering where I was. I didn't know I was supposed to be anywhere but there was apparently a shindig/collage party going on so when I had my fill of pizza I went up. We hung out into the wee hours of the mornings, making jokes and collages and talking about theories and things.

It was gray and somewhat rainy all day. I was prepared with awesome rain pants and plastic bags so I didn't get soggy or even cold (those rain pants are seriously warm).

When I got home after work and my comic run we sat about and talked and we did some moving about. She had to reorganize her room to accommodate a large scale painting she will be working on throughout the semester. I wanted more room so I asked if I could move my book shelves into the living room (she moved her hula hoop light structure into the living room as well) and she said yeah so I moved them on out and stacked them. Now our place looks eclectic and lived in. I hate to say it but I am actually starting to like Goose Hollow. We might be taking a trip to Ikea in the near future to pick up some bowls, a stand for a lamp, and maybe some more shelves. I really like our living room and now my books are more accessible. I'm not worried about Ibanez and my books. It is too formidable for him to climb and he doesn't claw books.

Work went by really quick. Actually I think I might have forgotten to do something because I finished up so early. Didn't do anything eventful. A new refrigerator was bought, it seems chill enough. Mike now has a studio and some of the new people are starting to move in. The MFA's are as awesome as ever. I finished reading Understanding Comics at the end of my shift. Scott McCloud is officially the type that can't do and so he teaches. Some good concepts and he lays them out clearly but he hasn't really applied them to himself that much. Oh well.

Illuminating Manuscripts went by fairly fast. Most of it was just the teacher talking but I think we are still getting into the class and so once we get around to the actual comics it will be more interactive discussion based. Had a chat about McKean and Gaiman with a girl in the class who is currently sporting an old hairstyle of mine.

I went home for the break between class and work and ate oatmeal and drank cocoa and chatted with Lindsay about things which are not fit to share in this space.

After work I made a run to Floating World to pick up the remaining "textbooks" for class. Happily, an anthology, an independent publication, a trade paperback and three issues came in at only $50. Jason gave me a discount. The frequent customer awesome rad person discount. Also the Alex Cahill comic for the class came in the mail. The only thing left is From Hell. Lindsay said she really likes this class because I bring home all these cool comics to read (she has discovered that I lend out from my library quite generously). The bike ride up Jefferson was really hard; it felt like I was towing fifty pounds up the hill.

Tomorrow is a luncheon for Goose Hollow PNCA people and I will also be photographing my work. I need to assemble a digital portfolio if I want to study abroad this summer. I have a great deal of stuff I will need to do all next week pretty much. Well, lots of forms, letter of interest, and a portfolio. I really want to do this so I will find the time to do it. Belgium, UK, Ireland, maybe possibly France (even though I have no real interest)...HERE I COME!! (hopefully).

tea time: fact or fiction

Whoo! Long day spent in the print lab. Got to school right on time, even a few minutes early. The first hour and a half was spent mostly in demonstrations of cleaning, etching, and printing.

I retained more information than I thought. After lunch I finished cleaning my plate and carbon transferred my drawing onto the plate. The etching really hurt my hand. It required more pressure than I thought it would and the needle kept slipping. Some of my lines are far from perfect and some are pretty awesome. The hair on the guy turned out pretty fab. I stayed a little late and managed to produce a test print. It needs some more work, probably work I will do tomorrow. I'm very pleased with how it looks to be turning out. With some more work it should be a real piece!

In the middle of class Yoshi boiled some water and informed us it was tea time. Seriously. I heard there was a print lab tea time... I had pomegranate tea.

During lunch I went to a meeting about Global Studios and studying abroad. Some of the information was muddled but from what I gathered I can go study abroad this Summer. I just need to find a school, fill out some forms, and apply by February 12th. So yeah...under two weeks to do a lot of stuff. But I can do it. The schools I am interested in are:
Chelsea College of Art & Design (UK)
University College Falmouth (UK)
Burren College of Art (Ireland)
Hogeschool Sint-Lukas (Belgium)

Hogeschool Sint-Lukas and CCAD are the ones the school already has programs with. I'm going to go for it.

It was raining pleasantly as I went home. Need to get into the habit of having my rain pants with me.

I'm sort of watching Life of Brian in the background. Ehhh. Not Monty Python's best.