Sketchbook cover
Jan 2010
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By request, here is the cover of the sketchbook that the Leslie/Flairé comic was drawn in. I bought a little package of Japanese paper and proceeded to cover up the complete doke who previously adorned this book. He was rollerblading with a giant pen.
Flairé and Leslie are represented, but the rest is just random.
I will not be updating for a little while. But I have some stuff for you when I start again!
Hi! So I think that those of you who know are probably wanting an update on the Provincials that I was rumoured to be in today…
In case even this is news to you, well, a couple weeks ago I was playing piano in the Performing Arts Festival here, and Walter Prossnitz really loved my crappy playing for some reason - it must be better than I thought! I’ve improved over the last year… but I didn’t think that much. Anyway, so he recommended me to the BC Provincials at National level, and they were in Duncan. So I said “YES I WOULD LOVE TO GO EVEN THOUGH SAE HAE WOULD TOTALLY BE A BETTER CHOICE.” She was the runner up he chose.
So, I practiced pretty hard, and my pieces improved again even more, and then I got up at 6:30 this morning and went to Duncan. I was first up… The first movement of the Waldstein… could have gone much better in a lot of places. My hands just wouldn’t stop shaking. Actually, it was much better than the local Festival, so I’m grateful for that. And there were parts where it was very nicely under control. But I messed up the first run which is really embarrassing. The adjudicators said that I need to release tension (VERY TRUE) and it needs more dynamic contrasts. And other things.
The second movement went well. They liked the musicality but it needs more march-ness. Interesting - not something I had thought of.
The third movement went pretty well except for a LOT of little slips… hands more under control but still having a few problems. They said I should be more open, again, for more sound… more sturm und drang… maybe doing the literal pedal thing that Beethoven marked down - the loooong pedals in the first theme - not so great akshuly. But if I didn’t do them I think I’d more criticism from more people. So those are staying. But I will try and fix the other things. Over time. I don’t think I can become magically better very fast. But Cindy my previous teacher was there and apparently she has a student who practices so much his parents can use the threat of cutting practice time! THIS SOUNDS SO AMAZING. I MUST TRY IT. Of course, this means giving up this thing that people usually call ‘a life’ but it might be worth it? For a while? Yah?
So the runner up (he looks sad… all the time…) played Mozart and then the Prokofiev piano concert #2 or something… and someone played the Tchaikovsky piano concerto… the winner was like 12 years old and Mom thought he was a girl because of his haircut but he’s not, and he’s not overtly Asian but I bet he is… he played the 2nd and 3rd movements of the Beethoven #3, and then Rhapsody in Blue. SOLO. All by himself. No pianorchestra. It was INCREDIBLE.
…I feel so pathetic now… I am adequately pleased with my performance of the Dutilleux but I am not in the league of those other folks yet.
Soooooo… I work hard this summer? On music? No summer job for me, I think. Gonna be too busy!
Also then I went to salsa for the first time in MONTHS and everyone still remembered me! Sam got a haircut. I saw lx-sama on the bus up there and he knows Sam so he said to say hi. Salsa was incredibly fun and I was really tired afterwards and needed a drink really bad but I still ran most of the way home. I need to start running regularly for exercise… I’m quite round in the belly.
The Totally Not-Canon Adventures of Flairé: Episode 1: Lost Blackbird: Page 33: Waking Up
drawn/coloured May 17-21, ‘10
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Leslie: Was it a dream? I could have sworn I fell asleep in the practice room… Look, there’s my backpack and my music books, and my keys…
She goes to look out the window of her dorm, and then turns away to her computer (Faceborg!! j/k). But a mysterious smile still hangs in the reflections in the window…
THE LASTEST PAGE!! I’m actually feeling a little bit sad that I don’t have to do it anymore. The weekly scramble to draw and colour pages on Sunday… continuing a story I don’t even know if anyone reads or cares about or finds interesting… but that’s okay! A new story MIGHT start in September! Anyway, I’ve been told by other artists this is completely normal. And in fact I’m not that sad. It’s nice to finish something! I have a lot of things I want to finish!
The next thing I am planning to finish is Ephraim’s Story. So perhaps you will see some chapters of that going up. I have to be careful because I have Provincials to practice for. And after that organ to practice like crazy.
I also want to work on character bio portraits (Flaer’s is soooo hot - but he’s the only one I’ve done!) and character sculptures. And play Marth’s game. Whoo.
Also I have completely fallen in love (again) with Eric Beaudry’s voice. I’d marry that voice. srsly.
The Totally Not-Canon Adventures of Flairé: Episode 1: Lost Blackbird: Page 32: Memory
drawn/coloured May 17-19 ‘10
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Leslie never forgot how that music made her feel - all excited and relaxed at the same time, as the songs grew more and more lyrical, peaceful, and happy. But she could never remember how it sounded. (falls asleep on chair…)
And music happens with some trite totally cliché’d voiceover narrator. The colouring went better this week, but I coloured in some of the wrong squares in the blanket so I had to fix it in Photoshop. Boring page, I know. But come Sunday for the shocking conclusion!
Flairé: The conclusion is shocking?
Yes! It is! Weren’t you there?
Flairé: I… yeah…
While our resident stalker goes to recover his memory-
Flairé: Hey!
-we’ll talk about something else. Actually there is not much else to talk about. My brother’s French course is singularly useless for teaching French to people who don’t already know, like, grammar and stuff, which my brother doesn’t.
Also my soul got eaten by FFIV and now I can’t listen to any other music. And I keep prowling the Wayrift websites in case someone comments and I have a response.
Also I have light in my room again! My burned out lightbulbs (75% of the light in my room) got replaced!
Also Philosophy is strange. Ugh.
Also my piano teacher is happy with my progress the last few weeks but she doesn’t think (or want me to?) I’ll become an organist ever. Bah.
Also I dreamed I was studying music theory with a friend while sitting on a couch, and I kept leaning over to see what he wrote, but I guess he didn’t like that because he pushed me off the couch. : P
The Totally Not-Canon Adventures of Flairé: Episode 1: Lost Blackbird: Page 31: Flairé Never Shuts Up
drawn/coloured May 14-16 ‘10
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Flaria: And now, time for some music!
Flairé: Yeah!
Flairé: And I’ll need my pipe, and my… whistle? and those drums, and the guitar…
Flaria: wouldja shut up for two seconds together?
Ever get the feeling they’re siblings? LOL. So yeah, now they’re going to play some music. Not much else to say. Except that for some reason when I was inking my hand was sliding all over the place so there are some weird smudges everywhere and I’m not really happy with anyone’s face except for Flairé and Leslie’s in the bottom panel. And Flairé’s supposed to have a stool, but I forgot to draw it. Oh well. He’ll have one on Wednesday. Also, this page has answered a question that many people - me - were asking about Deerfleet - does Deerfleet have pants? The answer seems to be YES HE DOES. Mystery solved!
Omigosh, only two more pages left! These last days have just whizzed by. I’ll be done soon! And then I shall start doing other things, like Sculpey and learning how to draw. Wowee.
Also I am totally in love with FFIV. I listened to its music for about three hours last night while messing around with Zazzle. I now have three Zazzle shirts, and I’m going to add more… I’m going to add one of the site logo. I’m also going to put the site logo as buttons and things, as I’m going to do a more circular version. That means repainting the silver, though. But I have a tablet! This shall be easier than last time!
Actually I feel like doing some fanfiction. So after I write a bunch of paragraphs on Dave Hume I shall play some FE8.
In other news, we have lost our dear, beloved conductor Janos Sandor, who just retired from 15 years of conducting the UVic and GVYO orchestras. He died of cancer on Friday. He was always cheerful and upbeat, and an amazing musician. Everyone loved him. We will miss him terribly.
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