Bee Coming!

February 17th Show

2012-02-12T15:34:00.000-05:00

HI I AM PLAYING MUSIC at the Dominion on Queen (500 Queen St. East) at 8pm on Friday, February 17th for the What Are You Doing Back There? 2012 Festival. It's going to be fun and I am even making demo EPs that will be for sale for Pay-What-You-Can for the occasion.

Laying track.

2012-02-03T12:55:00.001-05:00

And also, does anybody remember the railroad I stenciled on the wall in the yellow staircase at OCAD? The project was to print something on the wall.

Well this year, a student printed little trains and unicycling people over it and it pretty much looks amazing.

Ideas are like this.

2012-02-03T12:45:00.001-05:00

I said, "ideas are alive". And Maddy said, "or at least, they are perishable". She said, "they're like bread. If you leave them too long, sometimes they grow mould. Or sometimes they just go stale.

"Either way, you'd better use them quick."

Some new things including a horse.

2012-01-25T20:58:00.001-05:00

Oh hi, how are you? I haven't seen you in a while.

While you were out I made this Etsy shop. My new hobby -- one that is surely to get lost amidst the myriad of other hobbies in which I partake -- is to search out semi-valuable vintage items at thrift stores and flea markets and then sell them to collectors. That way I get to collect them myself but I don't spend much money in the process, and the objects get to be appreciated properly, instead of being forgotten in a heap in the back of an old truck. I've found some awesome things so far! There's more to follow.

What else? Looks like I will play some music in public again on Friday, February 17th. I've been kindly asked to play the What Are You Doing There? Festival once more. It's a lovely basement show; always intimate and fun. I will post details as soon as I know!

I've been all-consumed by my thesis lately. It is large and all-encompassing and paralyzing. So I am reading "How to Be an Explorer of the World" by Keri Smith to get my brain going and myself out of my little comfort zones. There is life outside our comfort zones. (Please see INSPIRATION for more on this topic.)

Also I drew a horse:

Direction.

2012-01-14T19:26:00.001-05:00

Sheet music.

2012-01-08T23:58:00.001-05:00

Found this lovely note with some pressed leaves in a book of sheet music I bought at a flea market.

Drawings parte deux.

2011-12-30T19:35:00.001-05:00

Hello, I am in Montreal with watercolours, everybody! It is cold and snowy outside but cozy and sweet inside.

Drawings! It is true.

2011-12-28T20:52:00.001-05:00

Week of Christmas.

2011-12-24T08:32:00.001-05:00

Dislikes: cold, dishes, running out of time, holiday service public transportation, running out of medication, bed-head.

Likes: the spa, the Comedy network, jumping up and down, celebrating with dear friends, sea salt, homemade cookie dough, riding the subway to Kipling station.

New project.

2011-12-18T21:31:00.001-05:00

A sudden need to work really hard on one large thing.

Week of December 12.

2011-12-13T20:24:00.001-05:00

This week's dislikes: short days.

Likes: free bouquet of yellow flowers from a stranger on a lonely december evening.

Double Whammy

2011-12-03T10:01:00.001-05:00

Today is the BOOK ARTS FAIR at OCAD U. It's on until 5pm. My thesis class will have a table of stuff, with proceeds going towards our final show.

Also today: I'm playing music! 6:30-7:30pm at Cave Novo, 1986 Bloor St. W. (near High Park subway station). Me + coffee + a real piano = what more could you want!

So your whole day is planned now.

I will also be playing at Cafe Novo on December 10th and 17th, 6-7:30pm. :D

Found Yesterday on Raglan Avenue

2011-11-25T20:02:00.001-05:00

As promised:

Side A

Side B

First Install!

2011-11-24T22:40:00.001-05:00

Hi,

Yesterday my class put up our work-in-progress for all to see: a sneak preview of our April thesis show. Quite happy! Look at my project here or see the entire show LIVE at OCADU; it's up for the next two weeks.

Notice the very appropriate and very magical breeze from a mysterious source.

Also: an elegant solution to "translating" my found pieces into a new form..?

Stay tuned! And please refrain from bothering Stephane. (Stephane: my apologies for putting you on the internet.)

And tomorrow: a note that made my month! True story, true notes. By Xenia Vakova.

2011-11-21T20:28:00.001-05:00

Sometimes the thing you

fear the most is

actually the only

thing that can

set you

f r e e .

November Rain

2011-11-17T20:18:00.001-05:00

It's the time of year when we're all working away; sometimes happily and sometimes out of fear.
This is what starting work looks like:

This is what school looks like:

And here is some art prep: I traced the veins on my face for a project.

Life is fine. Thesis is not so scary.
My face however...

Notes notes notes.

2011-11-15T00:30:00.001-05:00

I think I need more notes.

Week of 11/7/11.

2011-11-13T22:27:00.001-05:00

This week's dislikes: showering, ennui, ill-fitting clothes. Likes: guy friends, girlfriends, being a little bit drunk, Matthew Good Band.

Unspent Love launches November 11

2011-11-05T16:08:00.000-04:00

One of my favourite people types Shannon Gerard is launching Unspent Love, a book of her lovely prints and short stories about people like you and me. She is very kindly allowing me the honour of playing my music at the launch! This is no joke, I'm going to be performing, and it won't even be a joke, you'll see. Come out, Friday the Eleventh! See you there.

PS: Mentioning 'Apple' and 'iPhone' in my previous post instantly increased traffic to my blog by about 1,000 views. Thanks, Apple! iPhone iPhone iPhone.

Unstoppable Power!

2011-11-02T02:01:00.000-04:00

So, everybody. I have cracked and joined The Times: I purchased my first Apple product, an iPhone.

Guys, all you proud luddites and otherwise alternative lifestylers: this is no joke. No, this thing is actually BRILLIANT.

It's a phone, a decent music player, a surprisingly nice photo/video camera, AND it holds the internet.

How have I held out so long? This is embarrassing.

The dangerous thing about this though, is that now I can have two internets going at once. Which means I can function in approximately 16 different planes at once and actually bend time (though NOT travel faster or as fast as the speed of light).

Dangerous? Or... unstoppable? This is for y'all to decide in the following week, as I likely will upload more content than I can produce (time-bending) and/or my senses shall be swallowed by digital pleasure as I remove myself, entirely and finally, from any remaining human contact.

In other News About Stuff:

Today, I freakin' bought a LITTLE PRINCE dayplanner/journal. It is amazing, as it was amazingly expensive... But I figured, if not me, then who? WHO WILL BUY THIS? (The Little Prince is my fave existing book FYI.)

Also, guys, I have to sleep. This is serious. Money can buy you happiness but... without sleep, you are NOTHING. Your blog posts just cease being remotely relevant.

And you have to pee sometimes.

Drumroll

2011-10-08T16:16:00.000-04:00

Finished cropping and editing all the scans of my found notes. I've got a total of eighty-two (82)! Since the last scan, I'd also found a couple more. So I'm pretty sure this will never end and I will inevitably be featured on Hoarders: The Extreme Edition. But 82 is exciting!

I've also decided to come around to Found Magazine. Perhaps I will mail them all my stuff once I'm done with it and avoid being a reality TV star in this way. (But who wants to avoid that?)

Illness still illing me. I miss my bicycle. Happy Thanksgiving?

Sick Times Weekly

2011-10-06T22:09:00.001-04:00

Hi, have you ever had a headache that is centralized in your face? (Is this what they call a sinus headache?) Well it's here and it's happening in my face, and it hurts. I've been struck by a sickening sickness that's kept me mostly bedridden since Tuesday afternoon.

And since I no longer have a boyfriend to relay all the excruciatingly mundane details of my day to, I shall spew them out into the Great Interweb. Should I get a diary? Yes.

Watched today:
1. The movie Husbands and Wives.
2. A million episodes of Dr. Katz Professional Therapist.
3. The new episode of Picnicface! (Homegrown Canadian funnies!)
4. The new Law and Order: SVU, obviously.
5. The Daily Show.

Complaints:
1. I was too achey and weak and have-the-flu to vote today... Will probably kick myself in the groin later tonight.
2. My friends won't come over because they are scared of getting sick.
3. Any existing depression is conveniently apparent via the lack of outside influences and all-day basement livin'.

Luck:
1. Parents came through today with promises of car rides (Father) and food/drug delivery (Mother).
2. I don't gain weight so overeating is still fine.

I started another song today. I am thinking of putting a call out for a person to start a band with me, so they can take the twenty-something kernels of songs I have given birth to (gross, sorry) and complete them and write them down. They may also play an instrument, that would help.

One useful thing: I've been editing scans of my collected handwritten notes. I am going to use them for printmaking -- not totally sure how, but my heart said, scan all of these and make them crispy! So I have been.

This is going to be a @#$%^&*+ long weekend.

Music Posted, October Begins, Art Party Cynicism Expressed

2011-10-01T19:57:00.000-04:00

Oh hi, I have a new tab: a page for music! You can listen to my songs and watch me cover some other music on poor-quality video. I hope you enjoy this!

So tonight is Nuit Blanche and you are going to go out and have fun. I want you to! My plan is to do this also. But my hope is that most of the art I see will be good based on inherent naturally-arising goodness and not irony. I don't like artwork that completely rests on irony.

It's cool and everything that those two guys have practiced for months to carefully and exactly recreate a famous tennis match. I don't know, maybe I'm just not into sports, but beyond respecting their creativity and effort, I just don't care. I'm not going to go see that. It's like noise music. (Sorry, Keren.) It's like you have to 'get it' in order to enjoy it.

Art needs to be able to stand alone, to affect you no matter who you are or what you know. (Maybe I expect too much of you, Art.) I mean, I don't want my desired reaction to a piece be an oh-yeah-that's-quite-clever chuckle. I would like it instead to be a what-the-hell-is-that gasp or a this-makes-all-the-sense-in-the-world grin.

I'm probably an idealist though I think it's safe to say. See you!

Worry, Etc.

2011-09-28T11:47:00.000-04:00

I don't really like things right now. I have to stop writing and start printing already. Cleaned and sorted a lot of my apartment but it never feels like enough is accomplished. Coffee is cold.

What else can I complain about? Bad dye job. Lack of loan (loan-less, lonesome). Coffee is cold, I'd already said that.

People. Most people bother me; they say too many words or say words too loudly.

Feeling tired as per usual. I need a subway token. If you can spot me a subway token, I'll be in the computer lab in printography.

PS: Printography is not a real thing, I just made it up to stand in for 'the print hallway.'

PPS: It may not look like it much but I probably spend too much of my life worrying about appropriate punctuation. Note to self: cut down punctuation worry by five minutes daily.

Recently Have Found Evidence.

2011-09-16T14:40:00.000-04:00

So I have mentioned to some of you, in the recent years, that majoring in print was probably a mistake. I recently have found evidence to the contrary and I would like to present to you my findings.

Because screenprinted posters are tight with music culture and I'm a musician. Because I love notebooks and stationery to no end. Because in high school, my friends and I made up a jingle* to express our joy of photocopying papers. Because the best part of photography is opening that package of fresh prints. Because I've always made books and zines. Because maps and typewriters and wood blocks.

Because, at age five, I was taught how to paint a butterfly: paint half of butterfly on half of sheet of paper, fold in half before dries, unfold. Then: stickers, stencils, carbon paper, stamps, subway transfers, carving. You can keep playing forever and never make one thing twice.

Printmaking is, can, equals. Dissemination of information (plant seeds in the wind, postcards in the mail). Postmodernism (copy of a copy of a copy of an interpretation of a representation of a copy of an idea). Evidence (footprint to direction, as fingerprint to identity, as film to light, as fossil to existence).

* "Photocopying papers/ Whoa yeah/ Photocopying them/ Papers and more."

Hi!

2011-09-07T14:27:00.003-04:00

Time to blog, time to blog again. So there was a summer, and things happened, but let's not worry about that for now. What's in front of us: Thesis. I'm finally nearing the end of my very long, very arduous schooling journey. (Oh boy, has it been arduous.) But: Thesis! It has been the stuff of legends; the light at the end of the proverbial tunnel, and the great obstacle course of obstacles. And now I am here.

I like categorizing things and you will notice I've been doing some categorizing RIGHT HERE on this very blog. You can now enjoy miniature portfolios of each kind of work I [now and then] do AND keep up with the day-to-day rollercoaster of words and emotions and objects that is my creative life.

My objective from here on out is to post little unpolished notes and idea kernels, [actually] semi-daily; including low-brow inspiration sources. Like how normal people blog. AS WELL: this is now the official document of my thesis. Here you go, Shannon Gerard and Wendy Cain and Luke Painter who are my teachers.

B.R.B.

Good April Morning, Blogoshpere.

2011-05-08T12:32:00.000-04:00

Hi friends,

I put some work into this guy recently; let me know what you think! We needed a sprucing around here. I feel sufficiently spruced! Hope you do too.

I have a gig on Tuesday, May 10th at the Local. You are welcome to come out! It's a lovely bar in my neighbourhood; good food/times. My set starts at 9:30 and I will be opening for another songwriter, Brooke Harris.

Also, recently I started working at Telegramme Prints, a framing shop that also sells a huge variety of prints. It's great!

That's all for now; over and out.

Casual Blogging Weekly

2011-03-15T23:43:00.002-04:00

Dear Diary,

It's 11:29 and I hope to be in bed with my eyes closed by midnight. Is this possible? I implore you!

More clock-related things: according to the trusty Weather Network, our Sun is now up for almost 12 hours every day! Isn't that great?

You know how I love Spring, guys. I am a huge personificator of seasons -- it is my Russian destiny.

Today really hinted at Spring. I have been seeing skateboards and hackey sacks at the university... Rollerblades. Bikes, certainly. All the things for our feet to get them moving again. Moving fast!

But everyone -- and I'm serious about this -- I really don't want to see any bare toes until at least May. No person should be wearing sandals and a scarf at the same time -- or even a sweater, people! It doesn't go! This isn't Abercrombie and Fitch. It confuses the eye!

Speaking of May, have you heard about Bixi, the bicycle-rentin' system coming to town? I am curious but currently too tired to research.

I was already researching healthy foods today! My stomach has been wonky for almost 2 weeks now so I am starting a health food religion. I have been overall setting up little habits and new routines to maximize Xenia Potential, so this is just the next logical step. (My personal health guru/ Reiki therapist/ nutritionist must be glowing with pride right now!)

Overall, art-wise... I'm sorting through online photography, working out songs, printing at the OCAD... Building my Internet Emporium. And hugging my cat; ALWAYS hugging my cat. But that's neither here nor there...

Good night, all of you.

PS: Oh, and I found a for-realsies love letter today in the yellow staircase at OCAD! It was poetic and ridiculous and sad. It was my first favourite thing about today. Click on "Documents of Hands" under "Related Projects" in the side bar for a modest collection of similar objects. (Yes, I have heard of Found Magazine, though not before starting the collection... But something need not be original to be loved!)

Local Show, Goodbye COSM, and Streetcar Poetry.

2011-03-09T18:04:00.003-05:00

First, new business:

1. Bee Coming! is getting remodelled! So you may see some things change or disappear in the meantime, as I set up a bunch of stand-alone pages. But in two weeks or so, there will be a grand unveiling, and all will be well and organized, and then we can have a party.

2. I have pretty much stopped using myspace, as it's set up really annoyingly right now, and switched to Sonicbids. You can take a look at my profile at the source here. I wrote up a bio this week and any feedback from you would be greatly appreciated.

Also, I hooked up this account with my facebook page, so the songs and some other stuff will be right there on facebook. You can now download and share my songs online! And I can upload other songs, if you want.

2.5 I also got rid of my youtube account to pave way for a more "professional" account, in case there are videos in my future... (I think there are videos in my future.)

3. C.O.S.M. is officially closing up shop. If you know what that stands for, then I thank you for your support. If not, then don't worry about it. Jones and I have worked over a year on this initiative and our accomplishments hardly outweigh the time and energy we put in. Our lives simultaneously and naturally have moved on beyond this project but we hope that awareness was spread (like jam) and some seeds, planted. Special thanks go out to Allie and Maddy.

4. That doesn't mean that politics has seen the end of me. Last Sunday I attended the first meeting of an artist-activist group called Community Noise, as initiated by Demian Carynnyk (remember Heart Beat 960? That guy). Will keep you updated on progress... And can anybody out there help me understand parentheses grammar...?

5. Booked a show! I am opening for Brooke Harris at The Local on Tuesday, May 10th. This is a lovely pub three blocks from my house and I'm very excited. Information updates and reminders will happen via all my internet things. Everybody plus their friends is welcome!

See you in two weeks! (And wear your party dress.)

Explanations, Advice, Hope, Corn (Lengthy and Verbal)

2011-02-15T18:47:00.001-05:00

I'm glad it's still February, because if my mind/heart generated this much content in Spring, probably my head would explode (into a million glittery confetti bits).

So many good things, you guys!

If you've read my previous couple of posts, you're probably aware that some change has been afoot. The truth is that for about the past year I've been feeling like Everything's really close to getting solved/resolved; like I'm really close to this last puzzle bit that will suddenly connect every seemingly unrelated piece of my world and bring the Big Picture into focus.

Don't ask me how it happened, or how much I had to with it, or even what it factually is, but I think that last connecting bit has finally surfaced.

One major ingredient here is my sparkling-new ADHD diagnosis -- a Christmas present from my physician. (PS: Health & Wellness is one of the few smoothly-functioning aspects of OCAD.) Years of feeling useless and dumb have been demolished to make room for a high-rise Self-Esteem condominium (to be completed June 2011). (I like metaphors. I also like asides.)

It makes sense, suddenly, why I've been finding printmaking so frustrating. It's next to impossible for me to muster up the patience and the planning it requires. When I make art, it is instant and spontaneous; and if I carry around an idea for too long it just doesn't end up materializing.

As changing my major is not an option this far into my degree, I've decided -- painfully and begrudgingly -- to change my attitude instead. Bad Grades no longer equal Uninterested and Uncreative Student. Bad Art does not equal Failure. And the hardest, most dangerous belief equation to have been busted: Success at Art School = Success as Artist = Self Worth.

It sounds obvious, certainly, but I wasn't even aware of believing these things. I had to dissect my mind a little bit, the way I like to do, to arrive at these bizarre conclusions my body cells have made unanimously and forever ago.

I've been pushing myself to make art for the last year and a half to create, instead, only mountains of shame and guilt and frustration and insecurity.

What have I done in the meantime, in the valleys of these horrific boulders? I've enjoyed playing keyboard and guitar. I love to sing; it no longer bothers me how cliche that is. I've got books filled with little notes and potential lyrics. And I actually spend my own money in order to perform, which I have come to love insanely.

Visual art -- whether through the experience of the Scene, or commerce, or post-secondary institution -- no longer represents that same passion for me. At least for the time-being.

What I'm trying to say is, I don't want this blog to be my diary. Therefore, to summarize: I have upgraded my keyboard and I no longer consider university to be my current sole purpose.

Lovely by-product: by taking printmaking out of the pressure cooker and myself off the Art-Career Conveyor Belt, I have began to enjoy making art again. (Only in small doses, though, and still never to be handed in on time -- so don't get ahead of yourself.)

I don't want to jynx it, but today, for example, I may have actually come up with a print idea that excites me, process and all. (This hasn't happened since the subway transfer project of 2009. School has been tough.)

And what I've learned about ideas is that you sort of have to catch them; secure them into place. Like planting a single little seed into the soil, lest the wind carry it away. Which is why I have to run right now and put this shit into action.

(Oh my goodness, I am corny.)

Hey Guys, Things Are Going Okay.

2011-01-27T17:18:00.001-05:00

I decided I like this independent-thoughts format. You can read them in any order or dis-order. You can try to connect the dots. You can eat a whole pie, I don't care.

We know from the movies that it's cool to be a misfit or loner in high school. We know that person is about to kick so much ass come post-secondary. But what if you had lots of friends in high school and university kind of blows? I wasn't even a cheerleader, for God's sakes.

Turns out I can change my mind!

Things humans will never understand about time: [1] A decision you made that doesn't continue to hold five years later does not equate to a mistake. [2] Friends and loves will hang out a little, or for a while, and it's still cool when they go away. Don't hold grudges, Xenia. If you had kept all the friends you've ever made, you would never be able to keep everyone's stories straight. And you would be very tired. [3] Birth and death. What happens? I worry sometimes.

Try dissolving your expectations of friends, family: they will surprise you. Then do the same for yourself to really get surprised.

And a definition of magic: something you weren't expecting? Something nice.

PS: This was a quick post written midday in-between activities and places, so no time for photos. Photos later.

PPS: My life is having an orgasm.

Several Thoughts from a Restless Mind

2011-01-19T01:16:00.002-05:00

A university degree is a degree is a degree is a degree is a degree...

Is it a rite of passage for a young woman to acquire and hang up a poster of Audrey Hepburn? (Have you considered the fact that your future is likely mediocre?)

What if I didn't make art? What if I don't have to? What if I just kept on being a person if I gave away all my art supplies? Threw away all my collections of useless things?

Do old dreams really mind if we don't stay faithful to them? Letting go is always encouraged, except when it is a sin. Maybe dreams don't want to live forever, just like people?

I've been twenty-four years old for one week now. It looks like growing up is about not having any person around to tell you that you are good, or to keep going, or where to go, or why. Life kind of becomes a daily extraction of reasons for movement.

And: "parents." Let me take a break until the word loses its cliche status. (Is that possible?)

I think that what I need is a nice electric piano with weighted keys.

Thank you. And some photos I've altered using the dandy Pola program I downloaded recently:

tunng plays The Rivoli, November 2010

corner of Queen and Spadina, November 2010

College Street, November 2010

my beautiful boots on Manning Avenue last Fall 2010 (because that Fall was last year and that year is over)

Joshy, one of the few roommates I remember with fondness, in that lovely McCaul Street apartment where we lived like poor people, Winter 2010

Happy Happies: A New Year's Eve Post

2010-12-31T20:32:00.000-05:00

2010: My first wedding and my first funeral. Three moves. Seven months single and counting! Zero-point-one percent creative productivity.

Dislikes: School. Clutter. Ambivalence. People who are jerks.

Likes: Riding a bicycle. Dancing with myself. The Internet. Reiki. Salvador who is a cat who lives with me. Girlfriends. Quiet. Recording devices of every kind.

I am cutting my hair so it's finally even on both sides, to symbolize stability in the New Year. Have fun tonight and lots of love from the bees. (I am a dork.)

New Things! Jazz Times, Socializing, and Budding Cat Lady

2010-12-23T17:01:00.001-05:00

Hallo guys,

Where have I been? I've been packing and unpacking, and then trying to teach my cat to make coffee (with little success).

Here's a new video of me singing.

I've discovered some amazing stuff in the last couple of weeks. Really really currently enjoying John Campbell and all his various comic pursuits, likely to the point of unhealth. And my new favourite bands are The Mountain Goats and Casiotone for the Painfully Alone - as per the side bar links.

Good things!

Also, guys, I caved and got a Twitter account. So... add me, I guess, that would be nice of you.

Enjoy your times off, eat good foods, and be happy with your friends, okay!

Moving, Moving

2010-11-28T17:03:00.000-05:00

Hi,
I found my first very own apartment - a little basement with one tiny window and one orange wall. I am very excited about this. I'm finally going to have my own space: as quiet and as undisturbed as I make it. Hoping that much creation will come out of this. Watch out!

In the meantime, here are photies.

Bee-ringing You Up-to-the-Minute Facts!

2010-11-10T15:43:00.002-05:00

Hey, so, if you are sick of
my cheesy puns then you shtould probably stop reading the blog because I medically can't stop turning them out...

And now that the non-believers have been shunned: so many updates, you guys!

1. Just a little cover for you, not at all serious, of Joanna Newsom's "Peach Plum Pear". Love this song, hope you do too!

2. Even more video magic: my fellow compatriot Jones Miller and I speak out on behalf of OCAD students! (POLITICS.) I get a little bit derailed at the end but only because my passion clouded my logic. (Speeches are tough!)

3. And photos. Always photos.

Phlogging Away

2010-10-27T15:56:00.001-04:00

So yeah, you guys, I bought a lovely blue netbook (complete with both 'shift' keys) and I've updated my hot camera to fully working condition. This means two things:

#1. I'm soooooooo digitalized right now.

#2. Phlog!

Aroma View I

Perhaps it's the fact that OCAD's quickly morphing into a government training facility for little solution-producing worker ants, perhaps it is the fact that my studio right now more resembles a haphazard storage space than anything else, but I'm - once more, unfortunately - resistant to art-making for the moment.

Aroma View II

I won't get into the details of my issues at art school right now; I just want to create a context for the solace I'm finding in photography. Cameras have always had this sweet power to get me out of my own head. It's the only art practice which causes me to look outside myself, and simply to pay attention.

Aroma View III

Beauty is kind of the best thing in the world, however cheesy or obvious that may sound. Love, friendships, our relationships to whatever and our causes and beliefs are all fleeting; but as long as there is light and shadow there is beauty! It's nice to count on that.

Spadina Rooftop I

So I've been carrying the cam around, taking my little pictures, and briefly feeling like myself as I've done so. I'll be posting my favourites on here. Let me know what you think. And if you have a moment, before Fall draws to a close, sit at night on a quiet street under a shedding tree and listen.

Spadina Rooftop II

PS: I've also added a new list of links at the bottom of the page which summarizes the links I've mentioned in previous posts.

Back to School (and I can't Think of Anything Clever to Add to that at the Moment)

2010-09-16T00:17:00.002-04:00

*quick disclaimer: from now on, i am limiting my use of capitals as i only have one functioning shift key left on my keyboard. so i don't want to see any e-mails complaining about the lack of capitals, okay!

friends, fellow artists, everybody,

yes, it's that time: many of us are back at college or university for another year. i myself return to the ontario college of art and design [university] and find that my enthusiasm for the institution - and consequently, for my art career - wanes with every semester.

many of us that are at the school now had dreams; passionate and very real dreams of being immersed in creativity, of becoming great, of a cozy and inspiring community of artists. we came to ocad because it's supposed to be the best art school in the COUNTRY.

i'm in my fourth year and i stand back and look around. here's a university - which, by definition, attracts the brightest minds - of artists - by nature, a liberal and open-minded folk - in the biggest metropolitan in democratic canada in the 21st century. we have got every opportunity and every right to voice our opinions and, in theory, we are encouraged to prod and question the existing reality.

but three-thousand-plus students stroll in and out of class every working day SILENTLY, as:

- enrollment increases every year by the hundreds and no new classroom/studio space is provided
- bell-curve grading is in effect even in classes of 20 students and less
- 73% of our teachers are part-time 'sessional instructors' with no job security or even health benefits
- studio fees are implemented where there were no studio fees before
- students in the drawing/painting major - the most popular - now have to APPLY for their 4th year thesis study and corresponding studio space (whereas before there was enough room for all of them)

all the while this is going on, the student union - supposedly representing the student body - addresses zero of these issues and the university has just announced that they found a company to design ocad's new 'brand'.

if you still see no problem here, please watch the recent interview with our president, where she justifies the existence of our school based on the fact that [some of] its students help design hospitals and i-phone apps.

as arthur lismer, the forefather of this our great here institution, rolls in his grave, i stand dumfounded and wondering where the values of higher education, fine arts, and fucking democracy went.

if you or someone you love go(es) to ocad, please join COSM (collectively organized student movement) if you want anything at all done about any of this. come to the meetings, talk to people, write to the student union and to sara diamond. it's not funny anymore, guys. i'm actually scared at the state of things right now and i need everybody's help.

love and hugs.

Archive: Toronto Payphones

2010-08-18T18:33:00.001-04:00

Payphones of the city have all experienced being desperately needed to being entirely ignored and obsolete to being sites for advertisement and/or artwork. Bottom line: they look mighty pretty all lined up in a row.

PS: I will no longer be in the show this Friday though it's still going on.

More Music To Come

2010-08-09T21:06:00.001-04:00

I am playing two house shows at In-House Theatre for their semi-annual Back Burner Arts Festival - and I believe this may be their last one. It's going to be a chill acoustic show out on the patio with the stars and insects and cheap beers - always the cheap beers. I will be playing a short set both these nights. Come on out, would love your support and presence!

Friday August 13 AND Friday August 20
8:00 - 11:30 pm
11 Lonsdale Rd., Toronto
see map here

PS: I have survived 2 weeks of children! I can now do anything.

PPS: Bear with me, please, on this week's music list. I am feeling pensive; I blame the month of August.

Just Announced: Music Show

2010-07-14T16:37:00.000-04:00

Everybody, everybody!

WHAT: musicatorial performance by Yours Truly
WHERE: The Silver Dollar Room
WHEN: 8:30pm (I'm opening so don't be late.)
HOW: by way of magic, long hours of practice, and a keyboard rental
WHO ELSE: neGar, Box Tiger, Trap Tiger, and The Auras

Bring your friends and get your beers on! Cover is 6 dolla.

Still Kickin'

2010-07-10T23:18:00.001-04:00

Hi friends.

So I know I always have excuses for my shamefully minimal blogging but this time it's personal: my laptop broke and won't turn on. I've been mooching interweb time off my roommies and sweating it out at the libraries of my fair city.

Not a whole lot to share but I thought I'd let you both know I'm still kicking!

June saw me working the Luminato Fest: babysitting a Chinese-junkboat-made-installation called Ship O' Fools by Janet Cardiff and George Bures Miller. My next gig will be co-ordinating and teaching a short art program at a series of private music camps! I got this job by a fluke but dammit, I'm gonna do a great job! More on this later.

I've been meaning to link you to this: Closer by Silver Starling. This is a lovely song by a lovely Montreal band that's comprised of some friends of friends. I had the pleasure to rock out to it live as an extra in this sweet video!! Check it out and see if you can spot me. If you can, I'll send you five dollars.

And, saving best news for last, I'm finally making my musicatorial comeback!! Mark your calendars (ALL of them) because yours truly is playing The Silver Dollar in Toronto on Saturday, July 31st. New songs promised as per usual. Love will be old, though.

Enjoy this blistering heat we are in the best you can and I'll try to be back very soon!

The music selection this week: okay, a little bit mainstream. I guess I've been listening to the radio!

New Songs: Yes

2010-06-09T19:13:00.000-04:00

Hi everyone!

I just put up the demos Master Reg and I recorded in December! It was two intense and snowy days in Montreal and I had a cold. Enjoy my husky cracking voice!

Also, thanks so much to another superstar, Fjola Evans, for her excellent - and improvisational! - cello playing on Porch. My friends are great!

Enjoy.

Another Month, Another Website

2010-05-03T21:45:00.001-04:00

Hi every bodies!

Here are the updates:

PAST:
1. So I only finished about half the crayfish project for the deadline but am continuing to work on it. So I will post it when it's complete!

2. I did make another website-type object and it can be viewed here. But apparently someone else had a similar idea except it was even better!

3. I went to Montreal last weekend, you guys! It was really fun and I hung out with my old artist friends from ye Etobicoke School of the Arts. I remember my roots! Yes. And so, I did have my little running-away after all. I continue to endorse these.

PRESENT:

1. I am learning to keep an open mind to this music the kids are listening to. Think about it: if the same pop star's songs are all written by different musicians/composers, isn't there a good chance that a couple of them would be written by talented musicians? Maybe I'm a little late for this train - or, ok, about 5 years late - but Britney Spears' Toxic is actually a really well-composed song!

THE POINT IS: I'm introducing a new sidebar feature! It's called Bee Listenin' and lists my favourite songs of the week. I like music!

2. I AM WRITING NEW SONGS. Yep! I don't even have space to set up my keyboard right now but the words are comin' and I'm doing my best to take 'em all down. I miss playing, you guys!

FUTURE:

1. Uploads, uploads, uploads...

2. Summer music shows!

3. Collabs?

Le Fin! And Happy May.

New Work and Adventures in Curation

2010-04-12T01:19:00.002-04:00

First of all, HAPPY FIRST BIRTHDAY to the Blog!! Though I haven't been consistent with posting, it HAS been kept up for a whole year now! And what a year it has been... Thanks, Bee Colony, for making it worthwhile!

End-of-Year hit us all very suddenly, as did Spring. And the latter makes the former bearable, no?

I've written a bit about the multi-use artist-run space called HeartBeat 960 on here... Unfortunately, it is no longer with us; I helped close it up this week. This Is Our Emergency was the last gallery show at the space and it included some pals from OCAD as well as a couple of friends. Thanks to Demian for making it possible, thank you to the artists for all their help and involvement, and thank you to everyone who came to check it out. It was a grand learning experience for me to put this thing together and all-in-all it was a successful exhibit.

Then what happened? Well, I finished my placement at the A.G.O.... Basically I have mad experience now and plan to land a killer job for at least the summer. Maybe go somewhere?

And here's my latest work. This is a website I made - my first from scratch - for my digital publications class. Feel free to laugh and make fun of it.

And recently, I had reconnected with an old flame: Marie Curtis Park. This is the park on the beach in the deep West End where I spent a lot of my time in high school.

I love finding stuff on the beach. Sometimes the waves wash up cool broken things and there are always little coloured bits of glass made entirely smooth by the water. This day I found like a million dead crayfish (or their remaining exoskeletons) of all sizes. I collected as many intact ones as I could carry in my camera pouch. (They were very fragile so I couldn't stick them in my bag.)

Anyway they are really quite beautiful. These are the pictures I took of them after they've been coated with gloss medium. They are slightly different colours - some more red, some blue, some purprle. Some are tiny and some are almost the size of your fist. I am currently working on a project including some of these guys! It's very exciting but also challenging... It has to be done for a class this week so I'll try to upload it on Friday. Wish me luck!

Oh, and the one below has differently sized front claws... pinchers? What are they called? Anyway, she is special.

Am I Ready? Is It Enough?

2010-03-07T19:39:00.000-05:00

So, I didn't go to New York after all but I did move 3 blocks down the street last weekend. Now I live literally around the corner from Magical Chinatown: alien-looking fruit, late-night restaurants, and cheap, cheap household goods. I love it!

I'm also that much closer to my studio now. Hopefully that means I will go more.

It's that time of year now when winter's been on for too long and school has been on for too long and I just don't want to put on my coat anymore. I keep getting myself ready: maybe if I clean my room, I can be more productive. Maybe getting up at a different hour will give me more energy. Let me first set this up or finish that and then my life can begin.

Everything I think of I feel I am already late for. Calling myself an artist or musician must make people laugh; my hands have been idle for months and months.

Spring will come and I will wake up again but for now I am hibernating. And putting stickers up in my room.

Quick Hello

2010-02-23T01:39:00.000-05:00

So I have this thing where once in a while, when I'm bored with my life or overwhelmed with stress - or both - I want to run away. Pack only the essentials, don't bother saying goodbye, and board a bus like Enid in Ghostworld. To go somewhere else - what a spontaneous adventure!

Did you guys run away as kids? I didn't, but as a young adult I have: places like Guelph, Halifax, and Montreal. And I noticed, begrudgingly, that boredom and stress always came back.

So now I've got my bee tattoo and I don't run away anymore but I still dream about it when life gets a little hard. It may be an urge that will never fully leave my body.

I don't mean to go into lecture mode here; this is just leading up to a fun little decision I made tonight. I saw a poster at school for reduced-rate last-minute seats on the 5-day annual reading-week art trip to New York and thought, okay.

It's cheap but it doesn't mean I can afford it. Another reason not to go would be the mountains of homework I've neglected over the course of the semester that are definitely catching up to me now. (Mixed metaphor, I know.)

But little runnings-away are important. They keep me sane. They give me new reasons to create and to smile. A vacation, I guess, you'd call it.

Though I prefer little runnings-away.

Ketchups with Xenia

2010-02-17T02:15:00.002-05:00

Hi!

So look, I'm making an effort - 1.5 weeks is better than 7 weeks, yeah? My goal though is to write every Friday, even when I'm too tired to upload. It's important to just let you know I'm still here, eh? I hope so.

Things that are happening these days:

1. First and foremost: if you are studying or staffing at the OCAD, or if you love someone who is, please please join COSM: a little group I started with Laura Rafferty and Maddy Cooper that is steadily gaining momentum... This is our little activist baby aiming to fight against a variety of injustices at the school, or at the very least, voice the fact that no one is a fan of bell-curve grading or studio fees to the mighty Board of Directors. Support the cause(s)! It is good!

2. One of the classes I'm taking this term is Art & Design Education Lab, did I tell you? It's pretty cool because I get to intern a coupla hours a week at the Art Gallery of Ontario with the children! [Other people's] kids are great - and their art is fascinating! So far I've only been around grade eights but they're fucking smart. And whenever I make art with kids I inevitably get new ideas for technique, approaches, etc. (It's all about me.) Stay tuned!

It looks like that's all I got to tell you tonight. Did I really need to number those points since there are only two? You decide!

How about all the exclamation marks in this week's post? You count 'em, I'm going to bed!

But I leave you with a couple of prints because I don't like to visit empty-handed. I mean I'd rather buy you a pie than help with the dishes.

The screen for this ballerina print was made by exposing dried leaves,flowers, and a little dead bee I found. Appx. 4x6'' on canvas.

The rest of these are from the Intro to Screen- printing class I took in the Fall. I played around with vintage toys (double meaning, get it?!!). All of these are about 8.5x11''.

While the dog was lovingly adopted from a second-hand store just last year, this fellow has been with me since I was a tiny child growing up in the suburbs of Moscow. I traced the text from the single entry entered into my travel log in which nine-year-old me describes, briefly but excitedly, the adventure of moving to Toronto as she is about to naively embark upon it. Unfortunately, the diary is blank except for this first page: I forgot it behind! I retrieved it and the associated memories a few years ago when I went back to visit. But the short story is that this hairy friend never fails at disturbing my curious guests!

Back from Hiatus

2010-02-05T17:16:00.002-05:00

Friends (the both of you),

This has been my longest absence from the Blogosphere yet and, let me tell you, I missed it! Did you know that the so-called Real World is not HTML-compatible? Yeah, I know! (Nerd jokez.)

So I'm back. Am I better than ever? Probably! Have I done a lot of mind-blowing artwork and music over my "holiday"? Not exactly. But, for those who are curious, here's what I've been up to:

1. Joining The White House (The OTHER White House). Run by the only other lady in Toronto who shares my first name, the WH is a lovely collective of artists that periodically puts on the best parties attended by the most hipsters. When they announced they were moving their studios to Kensington Market, I jumped at the chance to snag my very own 100 square feet amidst all the happening action! Plus, my apartment being a tiny hole above a Chinese restaurant, I'm just glad to have a separate space to work and keep my supplies/hoarded trash.

2. Recording in Montreal with my old pal Reginald McLean, producer and engineer of ye olde TRANS FROM. Things went slightly awry, however, as I seem to have set a record for Number of Notes I Cannot Hit in my own Damn Songs. On top of it all, I had a cold in my lungs. So we recorded a coupla demos that will be up at some point in the near future but the production of the blasted Staircase EP keeps eluding me. I encourage you to send me angry demands to help motivate me to finish the darned project.

3. Sleep (self-explanatory).

Well, God help me, I'm going to update this guy (or lady) once a week! I have so much **** to put up, I just need to photographize it all. (How did this post suddenly turn so angry?)

First and foremost, check out the project that WAS my Intaglio & Relief class last semester.

So one October afternoon my kind pal Keren kept me company all of the seven-and-a-half hours it took me to collect one subway transfer from each station on the TTC. The result: 84 transfers documenting our travel time.

Using black ink and stampery, I made copies of these to create a sort of transportation diary. I am interested in documenting banal things and also marrying the objective/technical with the subjective/personal. (I can write an artist statement... not. Sorry, Shannon Gerard.)

Then what happened was I displayed these guys in the shape of the subway map and was quite happy.

(Transfer Project, 2009, series of 84 linocuts)

Next week: childhood joys and pleasures!

New Video of New Music

2009-11-03T00:17:00.020-05:00

I have been a bad blogger. Here's a video.

The lovely Petra of Heartbeat 960 videotaped a couple minutes from the October 22nd show. I am playing "Red Rover" (not yet recorded). Thank you to everyone who came out and those who made it possible!

Heartbeat Music Show This Thursday

2009-10-20T16:39:00.002-04:00

Here are the details for the show!

7:30 - Doors

8 - Jeremy Murphy (talented singer/songwriter on acoustic guitar)

9/9:30 - meeeee

There may be a surprise musical act in the middle.

The cover won't be more than $5 and there will be snacks and stuff for sale. (If you would like booze, please bring your own and disguise it at least a little.)

I will be playing brand-new never-before-heard songs (!) and, of course, the old favourites like April Fool, etc. Perhaps there will also be a cool cover or two! I am super excited!

Please, please try to come and tell/bring your friends. This is the first show I'm headlining so it's a big deal for me!

HeartBeat 960 is located at 960 Queen St. W. between Ossington and Shaw. It's a brand new artist-run gallery/studio/shop/concert venue that's creating a lot of opportunities both for local artists and the people that want to connect with them. By coming to this show you will not only be supporting me but this lovely initiative and all the local artists it's helping.

Hope to see you there, lovelies!

Poops, a Tiny Landmark, and Promises for a Bright Bloggo Future

2009-10-07T13:17:00.000-04:00

Friends!

Someone has been pooping on my latest posts... I can only assume that these people really don't want me to play shows! And to them I say, you mind your own business, misters!

Now that that's out of the way, we can celebrate: I officially have TEN FOLLOWERS. Thanks to all who've stayed loyal since the Spring and to the newest additions to the Colony!

I'm going to start archiving my older artwork on here, though it might take a while. But look forward to it! I will try to have everything organized with titles and prices in case anyone wants to adopt some art.

Happy Thanksgiving if you are a celebrator. And if you are not, like myself, then please be celebrating life this weekend in your own special way.

Like maybe by listening to the Great Lake Swimmers.

Another Music Show

2009-10-04T21:29:00.001-04:00

Hello friends! I will be playing at ol' Heartbeat 960 - 960 Queen St. W. - on Thursday, October 22nd. There will be at least one other act, so stay tuned for the details. My set will feature the new songs plus a brand-new cover or two. I look forward to playing for you at this lovely venue!

PS: From now on, the blog will be updated at least once a week, so keep checking back.

This Just In...

2009-09-29T17:30:00.000-04:00

I'm opening a show for a lovely lady named Nadia Hosko THIS THURSDAY NIGHT at College Street Bar. Doors are at 9pm and cover is $8 (sorry). I'll be playing all my newest songs - some never heard before at a show! Please come and support me and tell your buddies, too.

Present this coupon to me at the show and I will give you a big hug for free.

Since Regained My Excitement.

2009-09-21T02:45:00.002-04:00

Over the past week or so, I've talked to a bunch of you about my previous post, and I want to thank you all for your concern and advice! I'm happy to announce that I have since regained my excitement about my work and I have several new projects currently on the go. My new-found focus is more on exploration/experimentation and less on sell-ability.

I also feel very lucky to live in this wonderful city where inspiration is a local and renewable resource. This past week I've had the pleasure of experiencing the lovely folk band Bear Layer and my friend Suzanne's new band Kind Heights. Check them out - they are great!

Happy Fall. (Don't be sad that it's getting colder; be happy that the Earth is still turning.)

Children Are the Future

2009-09-21T02:01:00.000-04:00

Hi!

This Sunday I will be doing my last bit of business at the market but it will be a little different. It's to be an arts-and-crafts corner for children/families! Most likely I will have all kinds of fun materials for the kids to use and show them how to make a collage (they are usually better at this than I am). I will also have the Daily Doses of Mystery, the DIY collage kits, and buttons for sale ($3, $2, and $1, respectively).

WHERE: the lawn at 611 St. Claire Ave. W. (St. Michael's and All Angels Church), at the corner of Wychwood and just west of St. Claire West subway station

WHEN: this Sunday 11am - 6pm

COST: $5 per child/person (I don't discriminate; I am not a restaurant with an under-12-years-old-only children's menu.)

WHAT ELSE: there will be music and dancing in the streets; true story.

So tell your cousins and friends who have children or just bring some children you find in the park.

Summer Summary, Declaration of Independence, and Good Old-Fashioned Wish-Making.

2009-09-10T18:37:00.004-04:00

Hello you,

A lot has been on my mind lately. It's back to school for me and, for the first time, I'm returning to the university from the previous year. This is a strange experience! Kind of reminiscent of high school - I know the people in my classes? I have friends now? - so I guess it's no wonder that the themes of my high-school angst have resurfaced.

As creative folk, we go through phases. There are people around me who are incredibly disciplined in their work habits. There are people who have isolated, if not a specific medium, then at least an articulated idea of what it is they're exploring.

There are people around me I envy.

When I get down on myself, I assure myself that, at the very least, I am still working: this carries me through those insecure moments - kind of like the helium balloon tied to a railing on a very windy day you can't bear to watch lest it break away and fly off into space.

However, currently, I don't have that assurance; my art balloon is rising into the stratosphere. I seem to have hit pause on my creative life. I am standing back and taking a careful look at what it amounts to and in which direction it is going.

The result is frustration and the result is confusion and the result is uncertainty. I have been exploring so many ideas and media, yet I haven't stuck to one thing long enough to become an expert in any area. What's more is that vending, which started out as a way to market/exhibit my existing work, has silently and surely become my main area of focus. Instead of showing/selling the work I make, I have been working in order to sell.

I realize now that I've been creating things that are stale. I haven't been challenging myself, I haven't been asking questions. I haven't been learning -- and this makes me sad.

I used to have a million ideas; I used to write and document life a lot more extensively. With money (or the lack of money) and with the Scene, I somehow forgot about what it was that I was interested in.

I want to apologize for this, both to you and to me. For as long as I remember, I've been a proponent for the starving-artist lifestyle: where it doesn't matter whether or not you make money or even if the majority likes your work, as long as you are excited by your work. As long as you are "happy".

Hilariously, I have become a hypocrite without even making money. This summer, I've gained nothing artistically but a tiny bit of exposure and the knowledge that I'm not interested in vending.

Perhaps another season will go by and my brain will become re-arranged all over again, but currently, I'd really like to return to my high-concept aspirations, to gallery shows, to absent-mindedly and whole-heartedly collecting entirely useless objects.

Guys, send me good thoughts so the magic of it all may return to me and, the next time I'm exposed to completely inspiring work, I don't end up crying to Peter Jackson on my rooftop.

Here's to a little magic for us all; there's actually enough of it out there.

Trip Down Memory Lane

2009-09-02T15:47:00.007-04:00

Hi everyone,

Packing and unpacking led to uncovering forgotten treasures. This is a children's book my friend Adrienne Sweetman and I made for geography class in grade nine.

Patio Plays Music Night

2009-08-22T00:39:00.002-04:00

I realized just now that I forgot to post this info:

I'm playing the Patio Plays Arts Festival at In-House Theatre tomorrow night: SATURDAY around 11pm. It's at 11 Lonsdale, which is a private house (click on the address for a map).

This is a really cozy, intimate summer show held in a backyard patio. There's a small art show in the house itself and cheap beers; the cost is pwyc. I haven't heard the other musicians before but I imagine they will be mostly folky singer-songwriters. :D

Please come out for support and to weigh in on my never-before-heard songs. I would love to see you there.

What's Up August

2009-08-07T20:06:00.004-04:00

Hello hello,

I'm back from my leave of moving, reading modernist novels, and getting my hair cut. I've missed you, Blogosphere!

Upping You to Date:

So it looks like the mid-summer lull is over and I'm back to doing a bunch of shows during the month of August! Next Sunday is Midnight Market 2 [the Return] back at Kensington's Augusta House, back with The Alt. This show promises to be a continuation of the wonderful live-dance-performance/DJ-party/craft-show medley; artwork is cool again! As always, booze will be available for purchase on premises.

The theme this month is Sequels, because Zine Dream is another fair coming back [at ya]. I wasn't involved in the first one, but it sounds like it will be a sweet mix of zines, prints, and other multiples with live music on the side. Plus, it's put on by OCAD folk in collaboration with the Toronto Zine Library folk [led by the lovely and urbane Suzanne Sutherland] and, let's face it - that covers most of my favourite folk.

WHERE: The Tranzac (south-west corner of Bloor and Brunswick, next door to The Lab)
WHEN: Sunday, August 30th, 12-6pm
PLUS: performances, music, DJs, bake sale, and TZL open-house/workshop (I think you will find something to do here. Did I mention there's a bar?)
PS: I'll be sharing my table with the infamous Shannon Gerard.

In related news, I'm unofficially booked to play a music show!!! This is very exciting, both for me and for you. The In-House Theatre is having another all-around two-week-long arts festival and they want me to come back and play for them! I have a ton of new songs to share with you all... More details on this soon. But in the meantime,

A demo of Stairwell, to appear on the upcoming record. As always, I welcome your feedback.

[PS: This month I like editor's brackets.]

Love It or Hate It - Part 3: New York, The Final Frontier

2009-07-17T05:00:00.019-04:00

It only took me forever, but I finally have the final N.Y.C. post for you - this one actually being about N.Y.C.

It took me this long not only because I am [creatively] disorganized, but also because I had to get around to getting the film developed for the accompanying visuals. I know! This is the very last batch of analog photographs! Treasure...

N.Y.C. F.A.Q.

Q: Are New York drivers really as nasty as they're portrayed in the movies?
A: I think they're mad at me. But when is a roundabout street ever a good idea?

Q: What about the subway?
A: Yes, dirty, and all the stations look identical minus the signage. Plus, you're pretty much screwed for directions underground since the only passengers who aren't tourists will not be aware of any alternate pronunciations for letters of the alphabet and will give you a big blank stare when you inquire about the "Zed" Train.

Q: Follow up: what's with all the letters/numbers? Am I in school?
A: Once Manhattan started expanding beyond standard downtown size, they pretty much stopped bothering with word-based naming.

Q: Where can I find Little Italy?
A: Smack in the middle of Chinatown. Obviously.

ALL JOKES ASIDE...

During my short weekend in the city, what made it That Great wasn't the architecture or the history or even the atmosphere -- it was the little bits of world-class art strewn about everywhere and readily accessible. Here are the best things that happened to me:

1. Picasso. One of the small galleries held a free exhibit of P.P.'s
work from his Mosqueteros period: the portraits of jagged, colourful features he's sometimes famous for. Picasso's version of the kiss motif (Le Baiser) was so incredibly bright and sharp, I felt it had its own gravitational pull. Sadly, this representation only recalls a tiny percentage of that experience.

2. The (Free!) Choreography Show at Juilliard. I searched long and hard but could not find any documentation of this mind-blowing show. It included a fairy-like harp player with helium balloons tied to her many braids. It included a partway striptease by a gang of lumberjack boys to a flamboyant French song from the 30's. And it included. The happiest high-energy group piece set to Wolf Parade's "I'll Believe in Anything" as the finale!

3. Morgan Library and Museum. Three of Gutenberg's original bibles and Van Gogh's letter to Gauguin with a sketch of The Bedroom - all in one building for your friggin' convenience! Add the illuminated manuscripts and you've got a printmaker's wet-dream.

BUT THERE WAS OTHER STUFF, TOO. NON-PRETENTIOUS KINDA STUFF... SORT OF.

1. In Chinatown, I bravely bought myself a banana-leaf wrap without knowing what it is or how to properly eat it. The women who sold it to me didn't understand English and had a good laugh when I bit into the leaf -- turns out it's only used for keeping the rice and beef inside.

2. Another bravery: meeting some Brooklyn folks at a mellow bar on the East Side. Samir and Chase turned out to be movie-makers/writers -- and they didn't seem to be struggling. And throwing the Rude New-Yorker stereotype straight out the window, they spent a good half-hour on their cell phones helping me find where my specific hotel was located in New Jersey and what my options were for getting there at midnight. ("The tour guide's name is Victor... I don't know his last name! Tell them he has a moustache!")

3. Walking through Brighton Beach ("Little Russia by the Sea") with my mother gave me a strange sense of closure, even though I'd never been there before. She showed me the building where she lived and worked during the two years of my childhood that she'd been away. The beach was still cool but we dipped our hands into the ocean -- just the same way as we'd dipped our hands into Halifax's ocean together -- and I thought about how I didn't dislike her.

Began Recording

2009-07-07T01:27:00.009-04:00

My friends,

I am sad to say that, due to construction, Wychcraft is cancelled again this week, and I am broke-broke-broke. I will post the make-up dates as soon as I know what they are.

But in-between crying, I've been recording some music for the album (entitled The Porch, The Bridge, and the Stairwell)! And this makes me really happy. It looks like there will be exciting collaborations on this record...

Please enjoy photographic proof of the recording process! These glamour shots are from the [illegal] session we did at a downtown church with a grand piano and everything. Thanks goes out to Parker & Pals, as well as Steve Jacobs for the photos!

And the following video, created at my studio at home, is strictly for your enjoyment. Though it's also educational: did you know that the same phrase refers to both, a sugary protein snack and the thing where you plug all your plugs?

I guess Parker also thought "Triple Threat" was the appropriate choice of power snack for me.

Just for Fun with ReSpekt

2009-06-30T08:16:00.008-04:00

With "Far" coming out recently, Regina Spektor's been on my mind a little more than usual lately. Because I'm feeling curious, whimsical, and not-yet-fully-awake, here is a list of her songs according to each letter of the alphabet. Off the top of my head.

A is for Apres Moi (Begin to Hope)

Apres moi la deluge. After me comes the flood.
(Who said this, originally?)

B is for Baobabs (one of my favourite rarities because it references The Little Prince!)

You have tamed me. Now, you must take me. How am I supposed to be? I don`t have my thorns now.

C is for Carbon Monoxide (Soviet Kitsch)

We're still cool, we're still cool, we're still cool.

D is for Dusseldorf (rare live recording)

Barcelona, Buenos Dias, chocolate, le Picasso...

E is for Edit (B.t.H.)

You can write but you can't edit.

F is for The Flowers (S.K.)

Things I have loved I'm allowed to keep. I`ll never know if I go to sleep.

G is for The Genius Next Door (Far)

The genius next door was bussing tables, wiping clean the ketchup-bottle labels.

H is for Hotel Song (B.t.H.)

I dream of orca whales and owls but I wake up in fear.

I is for I Want to Sing (11:11)*

But tell me, what have I done to deserve you? Must have done something `cause that`s how it works. Must have been kind to kittens and birds. In a previous life, must have thought happy thoughts.

J is for Just Like the Movies (rare)

My heart eats beets. My heart eats love.

K is for...

L is for Loveology (rarity that stops my heart a little bit each time I listen to it)

Oh, an incurable humanist you are.

M is for Music Box (rare)

And when I do the dishes, I run the water very very very hot. And then I fill the sink to the top with bubbles of soap. And then I set all the bottle caps I own afloat and it's the greatest voyage in the history of plastic.

N is for No One (Secret Stash) (rare)

Tell me what you told me again and I might believe you this time, maybe give it another try.

O is for Ode to Divorce (S.K.)

You've eaten something minty and you're making that face that I like and you're going in, in, for the kill, kill; for the killer kiss, kiss; for the kiss, kiss.

P is for Prisoners (Songs)

Down in my cell, I'm tattooing myself with mermaids and swallows...

Q is for...

R is for Reginasaurus (rare)

If I was a dinosaur, I'd be a reginasaurus.

S is for Somedays (S.K.)

Some days aren't yours at all. They come and go like they're someone else's days.

T is for That Time (B.t.H.; one of the few guitar songs)

Hey, remember that time you O.D.'ed? Hey, remember that time you O.D.'ed for the second time?

U is for Us (S.K.)

They`ll name a city after us and later say it`s all our fault. And they'll give us a talking-to, and they`ll give us a talking-to, because they've got years of experience.

V is for...

W is for The Wallet (Far)

I'll take your wallet to my local Blockbuster. They'll find your number in their computer.

X is for...

Y is for Your Honour (S.K.)

Gargle with peroxide and a steak for your eye, but I'm a pizza-tarian so it's a frozen pizza pie.

Z is for...

PS: Wychcraft is cancelled again this Saturday, but it`s back on July 11th. Please address complaint letters to the Toronto Transit Commission. Make-up dates posted soon!

*PPS: Admittedly, I Want to Sing is one I had to look up. How refreshing for a musician not to have a million songs starting with I! In the same vein, if anyone knows any songs starting with the letters I`d missed, please post in comments!

Witches and Homosexuals, Same Thing: A Change of Plans

2009-06-26T21:31:00.004-04:00

I'm a little sad to announce that Wychcraft won't be happening tomorrow due to TTC construction... Yeah, seems like it's cutting into our there lawn. What a drag, right? I'll make up for this by doing an extra day later on though.

The good news is that now I can gaily attend One-Inch Topless Moustache tomorrow with all of my zine friends! So excited! See you there, I hope!

PS: The voting turn-out so far is shameful. You will not only support me with your vote, but the democratic process itself! That means that if you don't vote you're a communist. Do you want to be a communist? Do you?!?

Recent Shows, Music News, Beetles...

2009-06-23T01:23:00.006-04:00

It's been too long; I've missed you!

Things have been happening recently and some of you made it out and that made it all worth it. Although... BIG on Bloor was pretty terrible, regardless. It rained half the day and with the awful bands, I'm just happy I broke even.

But! The opening for Whoa Nano! was awesome! I even played some tunes on guitar which will probably NEVER happen in public again (sorry if you missed it!).

The next three Saturdays I'll be doing Wychcraft. This Saturday is also One-Inch Topless Moustache which should be super-fun.

The other thing I've missed though, as I realized after my hilarious musical comeback on Friday, is playing shows and working on my music in general.

I posted some new videos of me practicing for a show, so take a look. There's also a possibility that a full-length record may very well be in the works. So Music Xenia will be back soon enough! (More details soon.)

While you're at it, have a look at my new-and-improved flickr account, which I will now be using to post photographs only (and not photographs of other work). I just put up a bunch of new work.

Happy Summer! The insects are finally free to enjoy themselves and you should be too.

Event Deets + Sneak Multiple Preview

2009-06-14T12:22:00.006-04:00

Whoa Nano!

where: HeartBeat 960 (960 Queen Street West)
when: June 18th - July 3rd
opening: Friday, June 19th, 7pm - 12am
who: you and me

Courage Leaves. mixed media.

One-Inch Topless Moustache

what: proud part of Plot, Engage, Disperse event on Pride Weekend
who: Shannon Gerard and the nano-publishing team
what what: arty buttons, printing your shirts on the spot and leaving you naked in public, and faux facial hair - all free!
when: Saturday, June 27th, 3-7pm
where: Paul Kane Parkette (Church & Wellesley area)

Shameless Self-Promotion is Hard Work

2009-06-11T14:31:00.004-04:00

Just been added to the bill for the BIG on Bloor Festival!

On Saturday, June 2oth, a lot of Bloor Street West will be closed off for this eclectic free-for-all. From live musicians and dancers to the Green Party, to Britten Memorial Spiritualist Church, to yours truly, the festival will HAVE IT ALL. So bring your cashes and your open minds; you know the drill. 1-9pm.

I need sleep.

Stuff is Happening this Weekend

2009-06-10T14:10:00.004-04:00

Hi, buddies!

Midnight Market was super-fun and I met a whole bunch of talented folks. Stacey and Lorena have taken the first step toward Operation Trailer: buying a permanent, and mobile, home for their brainchild gallery, The Alt. Keep checking back because I am likely to get involved in their further fund-raising endeavours.

Reminder: this Saturday is my first appearance at WychCraft! I will have collages, cards, DIY collage kits, and Mystery Grabbies. 11am - 4pm, on the lawn of St. Michael and All Angels Church at 611 St. Clair Ave. W. (Added bonus: farmers' market is just down the street at Wychwood Barns.)

Also this Saturday is the first of a series of Whoa Nano events: the Toronto Small Press Spring Book Fair. My lovely OCADian colleagues will have a table with our zines and multiples: 9am - 5pm at Toronto Reference Library (789 Yonge St.).

Happy June!

New Collage

2009-06-06T16:15:00.008-04:00

In honour of starting the season (and my life as a crafty craft vendor) tomorrow night, here is brand new mixed-media work!

Self-Portrait in Flowers
marker and collage on wallpaper, mounted on wood
9.5 x 11.5

newest addition to the telephone series
Call Waiting
ink, marker, and collage on wood
7.5 x 9

Suzy and Jules
charcoal, ink, marker, and collage on wallpaper
8.5 x 11

Sleep! Collage I
collage on lumaboard print
4 x 6

and one for old times' sake:
Untitled (Fall Collage), 2006
collage on paper
appx. 10 x 10

Whoa Nano

2009-06-06T15:05:00.011-04:00

Hello, everyone!

I am here today to tell you about Nano Publishing: a summer class I've been taking at OCAD with the lovely Shannon Gerard. There's a group of maybe twelve of us: both boys and girls of different majors, ages, and walks of life. We made some sweet zines and artist multiples and now we want to share them with YOU!

one foot two foot: my zine is about travel

So here's the deal. We are going to have a bunch of events where you can experience nano magic for yourself. They are as follows:

Saturday, June 13th - SMALL PRESS BOOK FAIR
we will have a table where you can check out and purchase our work

Thursday, June 18th - OPENING PARTY at HEARTBEAT 960
we're launching a tiny show of our work at this brand-spanking-new art space.
good chance to meet all the artists and have free snacks!

Saturday, June 27th - ONE-INCH MUSTACHE at PRIDE
for Pride Weekend, we will have a tent set up to print shirts and make buttons for you! all free, all original art.

I will have more details for you next week, but I thought you should mentally prepare yourself and clear your schedule a little ahead of time.

As you know, I will be doing WychCraft on two of those dates, but I will be attending the opening party. Shannon, however, will be at all the events and that is extra incentive for you to come. You need to meet her!

Midnight Market!

2009-05-31T23:13:00.004-04:00

Hello, lovers and strangers.

I would like to personally invite you to the Midnight Market next Sunday at the Augusta House! I have just been added to the bill last-minute, so I will be there selling all my bells and whistles while you party your little hearts out. Come! Bring your friends! It sounds like it will be a fun night. Cover charge goes toward helping the Alt Space - new indie gallery - get a permanent space.

Love It or Hate It - Part 2: The Wheels on the Bus

2009-05-26T17:00:00.006-04:00

Hello friends!

I know you're all groaning and going, "God, a whole second post on the bus trip?! When are we getting to New York?!" And me, well, I like to build anticipation.

But the real reason for the post is because I. could not. have done. justice. to Victor the tour guide. in only one post. Read on!

Another part of the en-route entertainment program was an ongoing trivia game on the history and geography of North America - naming the states, ancient political figures, this type of thing - created and conducted by Victor the Tour Guide.

The questions all required complete multi-part answers to win the prize: a book. (I forget what the book even was... Clearly, there wasn't enough incentive.) They were hard!

So half-a-day in and having not awarded anyone with the prize, he had pity. He announced - and I think you'll agree - the "simplest question about our Native Toronto": What are the ten sports associated with the CN Tower?

But maybe you are as ignorant as I once was and are unfamiliar with this important aspect of our city's culture, so let me enlighten you.

Racing up the stairs of the Tower - for men.
Racing up the stairs of the Tower - for WOMEN.
Racing DOWN the stairs of the Tower - for men.
Racing down the stairs of the Tower - for women.
Climbing the outside of the Tower. (?)
Racing up and then, consequently, down the stairs - for men.
Same thing, women.
Racing up/downstairs with refrigerators. (someone Google this for me, would you?)
Also with pianos. (or Wikipedia.)
Racing up/downstairs for people. in wheelchairs.

So I know that in the beginning you felt sorry for Victor, being made fun of like this on National Blogosphere - just because he was different. And I wouldn't have written about him at all if he didn't take every opportunity to make a variety of prejudiced comments such as this - no minority was left out!

So yes, Victor is not our friend; please have a laugh (and maybe shed a very small tear) at his ignorance.

The Hills Are Alive... with the Sound of Slammin'-Sweet Poetry

2009-05-24T01:22:00.004-04:00

So between Hot Docs, my Trip to New York, and CONTACT, this has been a pretty amazing month of experiencing the art cultures. A sort of renewable source of inspiration. And it's like, I can't even blog about it all fast enough!

I haven't even come close to finishing my tales of far-off lands and there are already new exciting things to write to you about! Like, for instance, did you know that Toronto has a whole scene of... poets? That these poet-folk all get together and have the open microphones, like musicians do? That they all drink beer and get really rowdy and sexy and inappropriate and win money for the very legit, very awesome form of art that we all thought was dead as snail-mail?

Sure, there are a few poets who maybe put a book out. We go to see them read at Scream in High Park and then we are content for the rest of the year. But if you know where to look, slams actually happen all year round in our fair city - and here's the kicker: they're high-energy good times.

My lovely pal Samantha spontaneously asked me to go see her give this slamming thing a whirl tonight at the Toronto Poetry Slam at the Drake. (PS: you were wonderful!) For only five dollars, I enjoyed a full night of entertainment that included beat-boxing, feminism, profanity, and even a hilarious sketch-comedy troupe. The "slam" aspect is the fact that the event is also a competition. Twelve poets are given marks out of ten by a group of select judges - just like in the Olympics! - and the best seven enter the second round with new poems/readings/slams. They are judged once more and the top three SLAM TO THE DEATH - or rather, to win eighty dollars.

I don't know if everyone already knew that poetry was cool again and has been going to poetry slams all along WITHOUT TELLING ME or if I just had too many beers tonight, but it was exciting, and so, excitedly, I am writing about it to all four of you.

Catching the fever, even I signed up for the open-microphone portion of the evening to wing a vocals-only never-before-heard (-or-practiced) version of "Saving Heart". I was lucky enough to be able to solicit the help of the very talented beat-boxer Scott, who is, very appropriately, going off to REPRESENT CANADA in a beat-boxing CHAMPIONSHIP in Germany.

So go to the Toronto Poetry Slam website; it will tell you what you need to know about the upcoming spoken-word events.

One that's not mentioned on the site and that I learned of tonight is the Rochdale Rhymes and Readings: Thursday June 4th, Regal Beagle, 8pm, pwyc. slam stars + open mic.

Keep breaking it down.

Music Videos and Marriage Licenses

2009-05-07T16:39:00.009-04:00

Hi!

It's May now, which means that it's Spring, which means that I'm in a good mood 90% of the time. And you should be, too! Because today will be my FIRST VIDEO UPLOAD.

Please be thanking Brand-New Roommate Sammy for letting me use his sweet MacBook Pro (PRODUCT PLACEMENT) to bring ME to YOU.

This is a cover of Lua by Bright Eyes taped in December 2008.

And to go with the upLOAD, some upDATES:

1. A revised list of whom I will one day need to marry, besides Darren O'Donnell
(you are yesterday's news, Dar!):

- Ryan North of Dinosaur Comics

- Jeffrey Lewis of the Jeff Lewis Band
(coming to Toronto this month!)

- Mike Kinsella, aka, Owen
(granted I'm just getting into his music, but any man who voluntarily covers the theme songs of both Degrassis (then and now) can be a husband of mine.)

2. the finalized WychCraft dates are as follows:

- June 13
- June 27
- July 4
- July 11

yay!

3. Also, I am going to New York (THE New York) for Victoria Day Weekend. Much culture will be experienced in the standard tourist marathon fashion, then reviewed right here, before your very eyes and noses.

More updates/loads coming your way super-soon.

I LIKE TO USE CAPITALS.

Summer Adventures in Business: Part I

2009-04-30T00:37:00.013-04:00

It's official: I'm going to be a vendor! The lucky venue is WychCraft Market - a craft show set up on the lawn of St. Michael & All Angels Church, operating every Saturday all summer long! Unfortunately, not all of my work will be represented as I was told to "hone my focus" for the coherence of the market, so I will only be presenting my mixed-media work. Starting in the month of June, I'll be at the market with all of my bells on every Saturday from 11am to 4pm. Stop by to chat and experience my work live! Yes! Lots of other excellent crafters as well; fancy some handmade soap, perhaps?

Commence collage parade.

1. Camping with Moose. 2006

mixed media on wood. 3x9

2. Untitled (Girl and Cat Collage). 2005

ink and coloured paper on paper. 8.5x11

3. A spontaneous collab! The only good thing to come out of 1st-year English (sorry, OCAD). Half-credit goes to Ekaterina Ivanouchkina, my homeland homie. (2008.)

mixed media on paper. 8.5x11

4. Julia Diptych. 2005

marker and collage on paper. 8.5x11 each

5. The Customer You Are Calling. 2008

mixed media on wood. 11x18

6. Significant Landmarks. 2007

mixed media on wood. 24x24

Writing on the Stalls

2009-04-26T23:35:00.007-04:00

Hi, everybody!
Thanks for all your lovely comments over the recent posts; I'm totally encouraged.

Tonight, I will share with you a little gem I recently had the pleasure of participating in: an insightful documentary on bathroom graffiti by up-and-coming filmmaker Bert McKinley. I was briefly interviewed on my opinion on the subject and I even show off some of my pieces. Enjoy my on-camera awkwardness, sweet local graffiti stylez, and other work by Bert by clicking on the link above.

PS: Poor Bert, I gave him such a hard time on misspelling my name in the credits... Now I realize that the "L" actually stands for "luscious".

Prints Are Like This.

2009-04-24T01:18:00.011-04:00

aOkay, back to posting!
Today we are looking at the prints I made during this school year.

But first, let me announce to you that
THIS BLORG NO LONGER HOSTS ADVERTISEMENTS.
That's right, I realized the errors of my ways. So please, folks, let me make it up to you... by continuing to be your
#1 bee-related blog edited by a cat!

1. This series was inspired by photographs I took of my good friend Laura Bolender of Random Acts of Dance.

relief prints using variations of four aluminum pieces
appx. 16x20

2. Here are some babies of print and collage for you (prize goes to whoever can think of the best name combining the two media).
They're part of my ever-evolving body of work on the subject of telephones.

relief print on Yellow Pages, mounted on stretched wallpaper

edition of 5, 8x10

These ones here are best viewed in a bunch, kind of like a quilt constructed of telephones or
a new litter of kittens that you don't have the heart to separate.

woodcut on mylar with Yellow Pages and staples, mounted on paper
edition of 12, 5x5

3. Lumaboard cut dealing with the anxiety of sleep.

edition of 10, appx. 16x20

4. This print is the exception in this post, as the series was actually completed in 2005, when I was in my final year of high school. It's the only print I have left of the series, which was very limited to begin with. It's very special to me because it's based on a bunch of photographs I took of a chance magical encounter between an anonymous little girl and an equally anonymous kitty outside my bedroom window of the time. Remind me and I will make a separate posting on this lovely story.

intaglio, 3.5x5

5. A silly lithograph inspired by the Netherlandish fairy tales that I grew up with.
I am not Netherlandish.

edition of 10, 16x20

That's all for now. But check back soon for more, the three of you! X.

In the Meantime, In-Between Time...

2009-04-21T15:04:00.008-04:00

Hi friends.

I have so much to post to you! But first I must study for and write an exam in the period of the next 27 hours.

In the meantime, look at this sweet blorg started by the lovely Danielle Bleackley! She has honoured me by making me a contributionist, so from now on, I will be posting little [poeticized] tidbits on here, as well. Collab!

Straight from the OCAD.

2009-04-06T15:12:00.004-04:00

Still pretty excited about the possibilities of this. I can blog from all kinds of places, spewing commentary wherever I go! My wit and intelligence need never go undocumented again! What a world.

I also can't wait for something outrageous to happen, so that I could immediately follow it up by saying, "I have to go blog about this!" And then go blog about it, for realz.

It's the last week of class for the OCAD folk, and I'm about to go sit through the last ever 1st-year visual culture lecture. WHAT! after four years, in-and-out of university, I will FINALLY be done with 1st year. If I were the partying kind, I would say that this occasion calls for the heartiest of parties. But since partying hearty makes me lonely and depressed, and since I say things like "partying hearty" in complete sincerity, I will probably just finish this delicious coffee and bid you all a good day!

Welcome to my Brain on Blog!

2009-04-06T02:39:00.002-04:00

Friends, it's taken me this long to finally realize that new media technology, too, can be my comrade. I celebrate this notion by starting my own blog!

I am no less original than the multitudes of today's narrowcasters! I have links! I have opinions! And now, I, too, will indulge in narcissistic, unchecked documentation! Yes, the day has come. Let's rejoice, everyone.