October: Play with Black Lipstick Month.

This is me, Persephone!

Hellsingish.

This is just a painting that, has been though many transformations to finally get to it's final stage. I was kind of indecisive of where I was going with this but, I like what I ended up with.

Review: Hidden Talents' Les Miserables

Recently I stumbled into an old friend from High School, on one of my drinking adventures. Long story short, he had came back to Sarnia from Toronto for personal reasons about a year ago. In the past month, he was in this musical production of Les Miserables. For the reason why this part has any reverences to my review: Eleven years ago I had seen almost the exact same play. Same director: Carrie Beauchamp, same theatre: Imperial Theatre, and almost the same cast. The stage setup, the props they used, the script, and songs were all the same. Even my friend, Adam, was also in it eleven years ago with his minor role. This time around he had the role of Marius. The true difference this time around is that, eleven years ago Hidden Talents' cast of Les Miserables were no older than 19! So, there I was finding all this out and, feeling obligated to go see this, because of the obvious reasons.

For some of you who don't know what Les Miserable is about: The story starts off with an ex-convict, Jean Valjean, who was imprisoned for 19 years for stealing a loaf of bread. This takes place wayyy back in the days of the french revolution. Breaking his parole, Valjean escapes to start a new life. In his efforts of redemption, Valjean agrees to care for a young girl named, Cosette, for her late mother, Fantine. As Father and daughter, Valjean and Cosette live a quiet life together. Well, almost, Valjean is being ruthlessly tracked by Inspector Javert over the years since Valjean escapes his parole. And the rest is an epic story that unfolds.

(And yes, this is a novel by Victor Hugo, also a movie that was recently made in the passed year or two. Let alone a musical production from Broadway.)

The cast line up they had this time around was amazing in the musical and on the karaoke stage at my local bar of Lizards. I already knew that Adam could sing for, I have seen him in S.C.I.T.'s production of Little Shop of Horrors as the lead of Seymore. Let alone other school musicals and some songs he sang in the band called Canteen back in high school. The lead role of Les Miserables, Valjean, was portrayed by Andrew Colboure. I have no prior information on him but my goodness, the man can sing! For what I did read on Andrew, this is his dream role and also that, he is artistic director for Dance Academy. With all that being said, he is also directing the upcoming musical of Catch me, If You Can in the month of October this year. I am certainly going to go see that. Other amazing voices of Les Miserables are a music teacher, Jen Brown Nead (Fantine), Newly HS graduate, Garbrielle Drapeau (Eponine) and Jayime Cowen (Young Cosette) just to name a few of my favourites of this musical. Other people that I know in this musical are Joe Bainbridge, a fellow drama classmate of mine and Linda Morin, Ryan of the LBC's girlfriend. *It's a small world after all!*

The other amazing part of the musical was the orchestra playing all the music and, the crew who ran the sets, lights, props, and whatever else so smoothly. I don't know anyone personally or any works prior to Les Miserables but hopefully, they'll all get together for another musical, if not Les Miserables years down the road.

As the seats were filling up in the audience, I was lucky enough to have both seats beside me empty. Even though when I picked my seat, Row E 29, both seats beside were already booked, in reason why I went alone. However, I was content that the seats were empty anyways. The red curtains open... and the opening scene was prisoners in the aisles of the audience, pulling on a rope to a huge ship on stage, singing the prolonge of, "Look down, look down, don't look them in the eyes.." while getting whipped by the prison guards. I started getting goosebumps as I was having an odd feeling of DejaVu watching this. The opening scene is also where I discovered Joe Bainbridge was in this musical, as I'm thinking to myself, "Is that Joe? My goodness... it's Joe!" Essentially, I got goosebumps every time my favourites started singing like, Andrew, Adam, Garbrielle.. and the whole musical was certainly a case of DejaVu in a good way. I personally think that the whole thing was better than it was eleven years ago.

After the musical was done, a huge crowd and I were chatting and waiting in the lobby for the cast to slowly appear. Joe and I were talking at one point, catching up and all the jazz. Until Adam and I caught each others glances as we were looking over the shoulders of the people we were chatting with. When we finally made it to each other, we hugged, and chatted a bit on how the musical was amazing and then I got him to sign my ticket. On my way home, the only thing I could listen to from my MP3 player to match Les MIserables was Nightwish. Of course, Les Miserables had an orchestra and Nightwish is metal but both equally epic in regards of vocals. I was also thinking that going to see this was worth penny I spend on my ticket.

Organic Organ.

Here I am, taking off the hiatus hat. It's been quite some time, I know. However here is one of my latest drawings. It was originally suppose to be an outline for a painting I was going to do but clearly that never happened. So, one night after coming home from the bar... I was feeling restless and started adding more details and shading it in. I'm not gonna lie, it's not my best and it could be a lot better but, it certainly something to look at.

Deformed.

It's unfinished, but it's been a while since I posted anything for LBC. This particular image marks a 10 anniversary for me. So yeah, 10 years, and I'll only gotten better. I'm still learning though. 

I don't quite know which way to take it. It bothers me that there is so space to be filled. If this was 10 years, this page would have been filled already!

The Untitled Painting.

Another painting of mine. I hope the picture isn't too foggy to see the details. 

So, there is no long story or a story at all behind this. I just started painting this to get my painting cravings out.  

Enjoy!


I can't seem to think of an appropriate title for this. So, I've decided to leave it untitled. Each their own interpretation. 

Corruption.

Thursday I decided to go and buy new paints, since the ones I have are shitty. In the store I was pretty much sitting the art supply aisle and rambling out loud, "That isn't the right colour" and, " What the fuck is the difference between wicker white and titanium white?" What? They look the same to me.  

I don't know why they just don't have your basic primary colours. So,  I decided to go with lipstick red, daffodil yellow, bright ultramarine,  titanium white, and pure black. They did the trick.  

When I started painting, I originally had it on it's side, and just planned to paint whatever came to mind. You know, because it my way of rebelling against the idea of people being sooo precise when they paint. Gotta stay within the lines right? Well, Fuck the lines! 

Anyhow, the concept isn't new. I have like three other paintings from this little world I tend to go back to. I think I'm going to make into an album. I don't have an official title for it yet.. but I imagine I'll have one for it soon. It'll probably come to me when I get back into the groove.  

Review: E L James' Fifty Shades of Grey, and Darker

Prelude:

I started reading this book without any information on it what-so-ever, until I got myself a copy of it. To my discovery, this book that everyone has been talking about, is actually an erotic novel. It is also fairly new, and part one of a trilogy. Last discovery but not least, there is an earlier version of it somewhere online. I'm not interested in checking it out but, with that being said I was hopeful for a hole-less story.

Reading the text:

I was eager to get to the bottom of this book, and with my book worm tendencies: I started reading it the moment I got it; just to get it started. I must say, it was a very smooth read. I would go and sit down intending to only read one chapter, to actually end up reading three. I think the some of the wording could have been better, like some of descriptive details. But hey! Each their own opinion.

The story:

So the story goes: An university student, Anastasia Steele, interviews a millionaire, Christian Grey, for her school's news paper. As he is one of the benefactor of the university, will be conferring the degrees at her class' graduation.

Anastasia is as innocent as they come, and is your typical independent and smart lady. Christian on the other hand, is a control freak with issues. Besides that, your typically guy. Undeniable attraction happens between the two, andddd yeah.

Opinion:

Okay, so this book makes me feel Bi-polar! Not because we are reading from Anastasia's point of view into discovering sex and all that. I'm talking the whole book. Like there were chapters I liked, and chapters I disliked. There were moments I enjoyed, and other moments that were just.. annoying or just plain awkward.

Another thing I noticed was the originality of the story. Some events, minor character traits, small details, and location all remind me of another book, (that I'm not going to mention), that disgusted me. BUT, on the flipped side, the author's own stuff was alright.

Now the main characters: Anastasia and Christian, they swayed back and forth with being relate-able characters, to not so much. More Christian, than Anastasia though. Christian, as I said, would be your typically guy. Like he actually remind me of a particular someone, but then, he would have this twist around and do things that wouldn't actually happen. The problem with Anastasia's character is that, she came off a little too perfect, and didn't have any flaws.

I can definitely  say that, this is not a love story. Sure, romantic things do happen, but considering what this was leading up to.... love was not concept here. Above all, I was hoping for this book to be darker.

Verdict:

I give this book 2 and half spankings out of 5 spankings. For making me Bi-polar and undecided if I really want to bother with the other books.

Extra:

Yeah, quick little Google search, and stumble upon this. 

The Hollywood Reporter: Bret Easton Ellis wanted to write the screen play for 50 Shades.

Shades Darker: Opinion and Verdict.

So, I finally decided to read the second part of the Fifty Shades series. Hey! I got it at discount price.

Anyhow, remember all that stuff I said earlier? Well, turns out that my opinion on the first book, does NOT reach the second one. I'm basically saying it proves to be better. Like Anastasia has flaws now! And Christian's characters makes sense as well. And the author's writing is more of her own story. Is it darker? I guess it is by their own standards. (I guess my definition of darker borderlines with Horror... Hey! I like my romance horrors! xP)

After awhile, I don't why, (Besides the names) but Christian Grey in my mind started to be recognized as Christian Bale. When I think of Christian Bale, I think either of Bruce Wayne or Patrick Bateman. So, Christian Grey started coming off as Batman to me. Since we are reading from Anastasia point of view, when Christian went off to his own thing: That was when he went off to be Batman. xD

Another thing I've noticed is that, (As I mentioned, These books are in Anastasia point of view) The way it is written is that, Anastasia, has three conflicting side of her personality:Herself, Her Subconscious, and her, "Inner Goddess." Sound familiar? In Psychology, particularly Freud relating thinking, there is three sides to a person's personality: Ego, Super ego, and Id.

1. Logical thinking; 
1. Ego: Herself
2. Moralistic thinking; 
1. Super Ego: Her subconscious
3. Instinctive thinking; 
1. Id: Inner Goddess            

Unlike everything else, I thought what the author did there was pretty interesting. I don't think I've ever read a book with defined personality aspects emerged into one point of view.

Verdict:

Start over with Three good spankings out of Five good spankings.

Extra:

There has been this buzzed going around how Fifty Shades will have a movie franchise. I think it's ridiculous, I really don't want to see this series to explode like Harry Potter, Twilight, The Hunger Games, and so on, and so forth. It would just ruin it, making it lame and disgraceful. Yes, disgraceful.

But if it does turn into a movie I can also see that, Ian Somerhalder, from Rules of Attraction, and Vampire Diaries. (Also books that turned into viewing materials) to portray Christian Grey. As for Anastasia alot of people say, Angelina Jolie... I'm on the fence with that one though.

IMDB: Fifty Shades Of Grey

 

Review: Kaori Yuki's Angel Sanctuary

In recent weeks I've lost my memory stick with all my word documents, power points, pictures, and music. In a sense I'm kind of fucked. Coincidentally, my old disks from 2006 have reappeared again, I was over joyed.

Anyhow, among one of these disks contains Angel Sanctuary: The three episode anime. Originally Angel Sanctuary is a twenty-six volume manga series written and illustrated by Kaori Yuki. The manga is basically about a very conflicted teenage boy, Setsuna Mudo, force into the realization by questionable characters, that he is the reincarnated organic angel Alexiel: Who started a rebellion against God. In pursuit of awaken Alexiel's spirit, certain individual's twisted agendas are revealed, and Setsuna is caught in the middle, as war flares up again between angels and demons.

And that is all I feel that I can't reveal about the series without spoiling it. But yeah, it is about a war raging against angels and demons.

I personally love the manga because, its has little bit of everything. It is, however, a little fucked up, but once you started reading you will be hooked. If you put aside the story line, you will notice that the comic panels are amazing, but together there were moments in the manga that were rather poetic and just great. Besides all that, I had a pretty good laugh too. So there is comic relief to all the seriousness. So, if you want to read it, you should read it. There is no other manga like it.

Now, for the three episode anime. I fucking hated it! The anime does not do it justice what so ever. The three episodes are clearly based on the first three volumes, and I found that whoever decided to make it an anime: Just ended up hacking and cutting a whole lot events, and somewhat important character for the beginning of the manga right out of it. If you were to watch the anime first, you will sit and probably be like, "What is Angel Sanctuary?" They don't tell you what it is, and I think it's totally ripped off. Honestly, I am glad the anime is only three episodes long.

Overall Angel Sanctuary, love it or hate it: Once you have finished reading it, (I do recommend the manga over the anime... clearly), it's going to stick with you. Just talking about it, I almost want to include some panels of my favourite moments and quotes, and even tell you guys who is my favourite character is, but.... I can't, not without spoilers.

Dark Hibiscus

Photographed, and photoshopped. This is a flower from my hibiscus. 


I figured I would add this for the sake of Spring. 

Warhorse Review.

Run, Horse, Run! -BORING.

Its all Risexual's fault.

Hello, Hello, Remember me?

This is my second drawing of the year in my new sketch book. I think that this is pretty awesome that, I don't think I have to tell you who it is. I'm not saying she is that famous.. but if you know her blah, blah, blah... 

Anyhow, I only drew this for a friend. And, uh, yeah, I'm just giving it away.  


Btw, Coopersville... I meant shading with pencils, or pens. Not in Photoshop. 

Doodle me this!

Recently, I brought a new sketch book, and this is the first huge doodle in it.  Its also the first drawing/doodle of the year. Blah, blah, blahhh.. Its kind of dark and organic... blah, blah, blah... Enjoy! 


And, Yes.. unlike Mr. Coopersville, I am a shading fiend. 

Revisited.

I was looking in my closet one day, and came across my very old sketch book. I decided to share one of my drawings from it. Then again, I figured I just remake it, since I originally drew this drawing when I was 15yrs-old. I made some big and small changes, added more detail, but I tried to keep the original likeness of the drawing.

Nega-View!

Messing around with my camera phone I decided to take some pictures in Negative Effect.. and this is what I got.

Death of the Orange.

 Simple pencil crayon drawing.