ready, set, YO!(ga)

OH NO! i'm in love with yoga...

i've avoided yoga for a long time. i dabbled a bit, in the youthful days of my undergraduate degree - doing a bit of sun salutation here and there - but i never let myself get into it. not really. because, well, i thought maybe it was a hippy activity. because. a lot of the people i know who are into yoga are a little... hippyish. you know. with the not showering enough. and the veganism. and the clothes made from the hemp.

i don't approve of those things. not in extremes, for sure. and also i worried it might be a bit mambi-pambi with the thinking about your feelings and thoughts and whatnot. gross.

but i quit running. and i had to do SOMETHING.

and now i'm addicted. i go to three different studios here in edinburgh. (i'm a yoga hussy. i yoga around...) thursdays is at the dance base. it's only an hour. and it's more relaxed. sort of like a casual date night at the bowl... with yoga. good times. some laughs. then sunday is a little more serious. with union yoga. it's like a good brunch at culina. sure, i have to get up early, and walk a ways, but it's worth it. because the whole day AND week are better because of it. and they have lilies there... and bamboo floors. then monday nights with bristo. it's a doing up your house all nice for a romantic night in. it's dark. and warm. it's a ton of work. you think - is this too much hassle? do i really FEEL like going to all this effort? but of course you do. feel like it. you are so happy that you did.

and it's not even flaky! this whole sport. the people who are really doing it? they're working real hard. and they're hecka fit. and i wanna be like them. and i might even like drinking coconut water sometimes. but i'm not gonna stop showering. sorry. no.

fun with your friends and neighbours

studio time is basically gone for the year. which is kinda sad, and kinda nice.

but i did get my act together and do a few photoshoots with my classmates. so i can paint them in the future.

and i'm really happy with how they turned out.

thanks to: laura, kadie, alexa, fran, and eva. rock on.


fran and eva


laura, kadie, and alexa

awesomely awesome day o' printing

the other day i went to get my etchings all from etched state to print state. and normally i burn out pretty fast in the print stage. but the studio was empty the WHOLE TIME! which was awesome to the maximum. so. fueled by the power of dance and lady gaga, i actually had a great time and printed for hours, and even had fun times with colour!!! new and fun and great! the photos are rubbish, but the prints, i think, are rockin awesome. i'm pretty happy with them. self high fives all over the place!


she - having the advantage of knowing it was coming - did most of her crying earlier in the day
blue


dark, dark silvery-grey-mauve


toppling tower (in Jill Sander)
pink


toppling tower (in Jill Sander)

fashionable people

here's the newest painting on the go. the trouble is that hand in (that's portfolio in UK speak) is next Friday... so i only have another week and few days to work on it. AND the college is closed Monday and Tuesday. so. it may not get done. until later. when i'm home? who knows. but maybe it WILL get done. it could happen.



in other news, i met with beverly hood today. i don't know exactly what her job is, but i do know she gave me all the options for exiting the college. and here is what i now know:

i will be awarded a postgrad certificate and 80 credits for my time at eca. not a postgrad diploma. that would involve completing the research/critical study elements of the course and paying some fees. and not an MA. that would involve staying on till september and paying more fees. so. yay! that is good. it is SOMETHING that i can write down instead of 'failed to stick with it in an MFA at eca'. sounds much better than that. also, i met with my name tutor today, and he says i can have a reference from him anytime. which is really nice. especially because i didn't even have to ask. thanks charlie. thanks! now i just have to fill in a withdrawl form, and they'll take back my student card (sad!) and make me pay all the printing fees and whatnot and i'll be on the outs. strangely simple. just like that.

thanks guys

on friday i took down the show at the tea tree tea, and i even patched the walls myself! wow!

many many thanks to the awesome Jaime and Drew who were so kind and friendly and open to Justin and i. i promised Drew i'd mention him and the cafe in the major documentary that is bound to be made about me. but in the meantime. a mention in my major blog should count. i hope.

it is all for reals

this week, on tuesday, i broke up with grad school.

i met with the head of our department, glen, and let him know that i have decided not to return to eca next year. it has been a hard hard few months deciding. and it was a hard hard day making it official. glen had a lot of very kind things to say about me, and my work, and my attitude, and the hole i'll be leaving in the program. it was nice to hear. it is too bad that this is the first time i've heard any of it.

it is very bittersweet, now, telling those people in the program who i have grown to care for a great deal. i know i'm making the right decision (the school continues to frustrate - or infuriate me - daily) but i'm going to miss some of my classmates very much. so i'm going to try my best to enjoy their company and the time i have left.

sighing and sighing. what a strange thing...