Category: Uncategorized
+KHAOS+ EP.8: PARALLEL
+KHAOS+ EP.8: PARALLEL
+KHAOS+ EP.8: PARALLEL
After arriving at the unknown planet currently known as Ellea, Milo and Ed spot a robotic creature–similar to the ones that the previous meteor released. Not only does the creature catch their attention, but also the eerie deep holes on Ellea that seem to contain tubes filled with liquid, spinal cords, and robot parts. The tubes seem to resemble the projects SALV Corp has been working on–the production of SALV robots to protect humanity. It seems like Milo and Ed are not alone, as two mysterious figures spy on them from a distance.
+Author’s Comment+
I am back! I just want to clarify that the name Ellea doesn’t mean anything, I just thought it sounded cool. 😄 Hoping everyone had a wonderful Christmas; only three more days of 2020 left!
Follow my Art Instagram Account: @kats.art.folder
Art Biz with Liz: The Arts and Christmas
Happy holidays and winter break, everyone! Hopefully the past week has been a restful one. Additionally, if you celebrate Christmas, I hope the day has been a safe and joyful one. For many, Christmas celebrations have looked a little different this year. Due to the pandemic, many are unable to see family members in person. Others have recently lost loved ones or their form of income. For some of us, it may seem strange to go through with joyous celebrations. For others, Christmas offers a sense of comfort during unprecedented times. As such, there are still numerous ways people have followed through with traditions and otherwise created a sense of normalcy surrounding the holidays. These traditions, along with other “Christmassy” things, owe a lot to the arts, as the arts are behind many of the ways we celebrate the holidays.
There are the simple, artsy things people participate in at home–decorating gingerbread houses and cookies, making handmade cards or ornaments, singing Christmas carols–but the different kinds of art we create, purchase, and enjoy during the holiday season is extensive. Film is arguably considered an art, and there is no shortage of festive Christmas-themed movies. Elaborate nativity scenes, wintery paintings, and Christmas lights are on full display. Small sculptures, wall art, and more are used to spread holiday cheer throughout homes, while decorative garland adorns small-town shops. The creativity and imagination behind visual arts are enough to evoke warm feelings and other emotions associated with the Christmas season.
The performing arts are also important to the holidays. Even if done virtually this year, watching a ballet such as The Nutcracker or a theatrical performance of A Christmas Carol is a staple tradition for some. Music, religious or otherwise, is undeniably another popular aspect of the holiday season (I dare you to turn on the radio and step into a store without hearing, “God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen” or Mariah Carey’s “All I Want For Christmas is You”). Our ideas of the Christmas holiday and thoughts about the arts are not mutually exclusive, and our consumption of the arts during the holiday season aligns with deeply entrenched traditions. With the pandemic, many people may heavily rely on these traditions when other aspects of our lives have been disrupted, and Christmas would not be the same without the arts.
With that, I wish you, “A Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night!” (“A Visit from St. Nicholas”)
The Poetry Snapshot: Parallel Lines
I sat with the uncertainty of landing to a reality
I’d never seen with my own eyes.
I kept adjusting my economy seat.
I sit with the anxiety of finally returning,
after trying so hard to get back on my feet.
I was once eager to arrive
and dissolve my wistfulness with an embrace.
Now I’m nervous to see the empty space,
only filled with memories I still can’t face.
Back then I wanted the minutes to go by faster.
Folding time to reduce distance and see you again.
Today, I can wait.
I can be slow to get where I’m going
and make the destination farther away.
I am flying the same journey again,
but on parallel lines.
I can’t seem to balance this cheerful anticipation
with my fear of noticing the signs;
that times are different and things have grown
in ways I’m not familiar.
But perhaps returning to change is what I need
to finally get some closure.
poco piano: sounds in the reflection
I’ve been home for winter break and something I’ve observed a few things: 1. the fridge is awfully close to the piano (10 steps). 2. my piano’s upper register is so very out of tune 3. the couch is always more appealing than the piano bench 4. my piano has a very shiny varnish (compared to all of the university’s pianos). When I practice, I’ve been looking at the reflection of my hands rather than my actual hands. Since I’m preparing to play this concerto (Rach 2) in January, I’ve been thinking a lot about how the melody fits and memorizing the piece so working on this video really helped with that.
Contrary to what the video might suggest, I think that the Solo piano part (B&W) is actually really lush and colorful. It has beautiful harmonies that blending parsimoniously and actually enhances the simple melody through metric displacement. The solo part is calm but almost acts like a motor, pushing the melody along. It’s rather like a swan’s paddling feet, aiding and propelling it along; the melody gliding gracefully above.
