I can't believe I caught photos of this! I've seen lots of random Santa hats around Edinburgh lately, but these were the most outrageous ones.
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Blog: Elizabeth O. Dulemba (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
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Blog: Elizabeth O. Dulemba (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
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Last year we didn't brave the adventure of buying a Christmas tree, but this year we decided to give it a go. We headed down to a nearby Christmas tree lot.
Blog: Elizabeth O. Dulemba (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
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Each year after deadlines we students have had a pot-luck Christmas Party in student housing. It's a new group of students this year from last, but they were just as good cooks. The feast was multi-cultural and amazing.
Here I am with Eshow (ee-ShOW, as in Ow!)
Blog: Elizabeth O. Dulemba (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
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This weekend was our last Picture Hooks workshop. This time we studied picture book covers with Tiffany Leeson, Creative Director of Egmont!
On day 1 we studied existing covers and their target markets. The differences were so obvious when seen together. We discussed color, fonts, graphics - everything! Then we were each assigned a story and we had a go at a purely illustrated cover, and then an all text cover. It was left to everybody else to guess what title we'd been assigned. Can you guess? I got Sleeping Beauty.
After lunch Tiffany assigned us books to re-design. I was thrilled to be handed MOG, which is as much of a classic here in the UK as Snoopy is in the US. And while I wasn't happy with my Sleeping Beauty art from the day before, I was thrilled with what I did with Mog. Everybody else seemed to like it too. I even achieved a foil by putting glue on my cut out letters and rubbing foil wrapping paper onto it.
Blog: Elizabeth O. Dulemba (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
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You probably all played with this in Kindergarten, I know I did. But I started using tissue paper in an entirely new way. It all began over at Hazel Terry's blog - Printing With Tissue Paper. Hazel is always experimenting with new and creative ways of working. Well, this particular post lit a fire under me. It's so cool! So on the way to uni after reading her post, I stopped to pick up some tissue paper and try it for myself. One problem. Most tissue paper these days has a binder in it so that the ink doesn't run. Well, that's exactly what I wanted it to do, so none of the stuff I tried worked. I asked Hazel about the tissue paper she used and she, lovely lady, actually sent me a pack. And I was OFF!
Blog: Elizabeth O. Dulemba (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
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This one is for a grade! It's end of the 3rd semester in my MFA in Illustration - our most difficult semester of all! I'm on the couch working on my dissertation, which I will submit this Friday. *pant, pant* Meanwhile, the studio is off limits to us because the tutors are reviewing our summative submissions. Mine looks like this.
Blog: Elizabeth O. Dulemba (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
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One of the best things about where we live here in Edinburgh is my walk to and from Uni. It's 1.6 miles and it goes through the heart of some of the best twinkle light displays in the city. Here's my path. I go around the castle, which has colored lights shining on it. Yesterday was blue, today was red. I go north on Lothian, cut across Princes Street, then hook a right on George Street. Which is where I encounter this.
I then walk down the length of George Street where I see things like this.
and this
Blog: Elizabeth O. Dulemba (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
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Each month I attend the Literary Salon hosted by the City of Literature. To get there I left the Edinburgh College of Art, walked through Grassmarket, and up Victoria Street...
Blog: Elizabeth O. Dulemba (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
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It's a bit quiet on my blog this week because I'm in the middle of writing my Masters Dissertation (called a Thesis in the US). It will be 6,000 words on, "Comparing US and UK Picture Books: An Analysis of Cultural Contexts Between Medal-winning Titles" - or at least, that's what it is right now. I'm at 11,000 words with more to go and lots to cut.
I'm also finishing up studio work for our December 6th semester deadline. So, please be patient with me while I get through this enormous hurdle. And know that this is indeed part of my Edinburgh adventure - just a very demanding part!
Meanwhile, here are some random images and hints at my experiences right now. This first one is a sign I pass every morning on my way to buy a cup of tea from Mustafah.
My textiles workshop, in progress...
I'm still finding gloves on fence tines and recording them. This will turn into something, not sure what just yet. I have about thirty of them.
Best of all, the MAs are graduating right now. Lilly (peace sign) came by to say 'hi' to all of us who are still slogging it out. This will be us come the end of May. Lilly is an inspiration to us right now. This is me, Karin (also graduated), Boris, Lily and Nadee.
Blog: Elizabeth O. Dulemba (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
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Rather than rush around to see all the touristy things in Edinburgh at one time, Stan and I have been waiting for friends to come in town to see the main attractions. That way, we get to see them for the first time too, and with friends. So far, it's worked out great. And our friends are so varied and interesting, we have yet to duplicate anything!
For example, recently Ellen Kushner and Delia Sherman came to visit from New York. It was a whirlwind trip for them with book signings in Glasgow and London, finally landing with Terri Windling in Chagford (Devon) for some quiet writing time. We were lucky enough to have them in Edinburgh for a few days.
As a thank you for lodging, they treated us to dinner at The Witchery. I had been eager to try this place and it's no wonder. It's right on the Royal Mile, just near the castle. In fact, our friend Dave B Mac was playing his slap guitar just up the street when I arrived. He jumped up to give me a hug. (I think he was just really cold!) We often go see him play at venues, and the Royal Mile is one of his regular spots during the day.
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Once again, our friend Connie hosted her Edinburgh Salon at our flat for Thanksgiving. (This is a dining club that moves around each month.) Being the Americans in the bunch, with the recipes for all the 'strange' Thanksgiving food, it seems only natural. But our flat is a bit hard to find. So, Amandine came over early to help blow up balloons as signage.
Once again, our flat held a lovely group of people. "Where interesting people meet for great food" is the salon's motto after all!
Blog: Elizabeth O. Dulemba (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
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I often take photos of the work I've accomplished in a day to share with Stan when I get home. This time, I thought I'd share them with you too.
You've seen the crosshatch pieces I've been creating. Well, Vivian showed me a picture book recently, John Brown, Rose and the Midnight Cat. The artwork was crosshatched and then colored, much like Maurice Sendak's Where the Wild Things Are. I wondered what my pieces would like like with color added. What do you think?
Blog: Elizabeth O. Dulemba (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
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It's hard to believe we've been in Edinburgh long enough to be a part of annual traditions, but that's exactly what's happened! Our friends Connie and Marta celebrate their birthdays on the same day and Stan and I were lucky enough to be part of the festivities again this year. First we caught up with Connie at The Dome for her annual Birthday Bellini (after she had a lovely spa day).
Blog: Elizabeth O. Dulemba (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
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This past week, the University of Edinburgh hosted the symposium Shaping the View: Understanding Landscape through Illustration. For two days we were treated to lectures by expert illustrators and illustration academics talking about this year's theme. The CD project we did was part of the exhibit in honor of the symposium.
That last topic was Desdemona McCannon's, which I sadly missed as I had other uni obligations (dissertation meeting). She is the symposium's organizer and an illustrator and illustration scholar from the Manchester School of Art at Manchester Metropolitan University. I met Desdemona when she came to speak to us last year and I kidnapped her for tea. She was extremely helpful in the early stages of putting together my PhD proposal so it was lovely to connect with her once again. Here she is introducing a speaker alongside my tutor (teacher), Jonathan Gibbs...
Printer Angie Lewin shared her linocut/screen printing process with us, which I was especially keen to see considering my recent linocut experiments.
Here I am with my mentor and friend Vivian French and Patrick Benson - lucky me!
All said, it was one of those events wherein I'm reminded that I am a student at one of the most prestigious universities in the world. What a wonderful event to attend! Add a Comment
Blog: Elizabeth O. Dulemba (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
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Remember I told you about the CD cover I made for an illustration brief at the University of Edinburgh College of Art? Well, the project has really come together. All of the 25 students in the MA and MFA program came up with a CD case -
Blog: Elizabeth O. Dulemba (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
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The Fruitmarket Gallery has an annual gathering of book publishers and book creators to share the love of reading and stories with the little ones here in Edinburgh. It is appropriately called the LITTLES MARKET.
Blog: Elizabeth O. Dulemba (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
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Throughout my studies here at the University of Edinburgh College of Art, we have been given briefs to do various projects. They're good for students who don't quite know what they want to work on, and they're excellent for trying out new ways of working.
You may recall the 15 prints project I did last year - The Wild Hunt via woodcut. This year we've been assigned a CD cover, tying together the ideas of Landscape (for an upcoming conference on the theme), music from our homes, and created images. I decided to go with an Appalachian bluegrass tune from our mountain home in Epworth - "Muddy Road to Ducktown." I loved that it was so distinctly American and also honored a friend...
The tune was written by a copper hauler trying to calm his beasts as they trudged along the Ocoee River Road, hauling copper ore to Cleveland, Tennessee via mule or oxen. If you've read my novel, A Bird on Water Street, you'll know that the area was completely deforested as miners cut down trees to feed the smelting pits that spewed sulfuric dioxide into the atmosphere and came down as acid rain, which killed any remaining plant life. In other words, the road in and out of the area was nothing but MUD.
I've written stories (not yet published) about how the song has been handed down from fiddle player to fiddle player, a cultural treasure, but I'd yet to illustrate it. Now, Lisa Jacobi, my friend and one of the latest treasure-keepers of the song (it was handed down to her by 99 year old Bob Douglas, who played it live one year later on the stage of the Grand Ole Opry in celebration of his 100th birthday), she will get on me about the oxen - they used mules more often than oxen. But they did use oxen too, and that's what I've had in my head for ages. So, in the very short amount of time I had to do this project, I went with the oxen. Here's my process.
It began with a quick sketch.
Blog: Elizabeth O. Dulemba (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
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Something I have embraced here at the University of Edinburgh is the art of the handmade book. There is an entire community of people who love, collect and make handmade books. And their ideas of what a book is are all over the place.
Take this recent exhibit by Artist-in-Residence Susie Wilson. If you look at the presentation in the College of Art library, it explains a bit about the project.
Our ECA librarian Jane Furness and I have become friends (you know I love librarians!) and so I had the chance to meet Susie during the recent official opening of her project.
Check out more of Susie's work at her website. Add a Comment
Blog: Elizabeth O. Dulemba (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
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One of the many things that the University of Edinburgh does very well is check in with the students regularly to make sure everything is going okay. They do this through an incredible support system of tutors, advisors, and student representation. I've recently become part of the support structure in this last capacity. Along with Ann-Kathrin Müller, who is the class rep for all our MA & MFA1 Illustration students, I am the MFA2 Illustration class rep.
At my level as a post-graduate student, that is not a tremendous job - there are only four of us including myself (26 total between the MAs and MFAs 1 and 2). But for the undergrads, that can sometimes mean representing over 200 students - being their voice – and that is no small task. Training teaches us how to listen, then objectively and anonymously share topics with advisors.
Being a class representative is also a nice responsibility to share on one's resume. For an undergrad, that can be a big deal. Granted, at my stage in life I don't need the resume help so much (I’m an older student). But it is nice to be a person students feel comfortable coming to as needed. Click the logo to learn more.
Blog: Elizabeth O. Dulemba (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
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Have you wondered why I've not shared a big outing, meal or adventure of late? It's because it's time for formative reviews. We're already half way through our fall semester (can you believe it!?) and this is a marker for how we students are doing.
Monday I turned in what I have so far of my dissertation. Must admit, I geeked out and overwrote my topic. But this will be the only opportunity I have for my tutor to actually see and comment on my work specifically before the actual deadline. Academic writing is new to me, so I'm trying to learn as much as I can at this stage.
The other formative review is for my studio course. Here's what my desk looks like as I type.
None of my projects are complete at this stage, but they're all coming along quite well. I'm pleased.
But I'm also antsy. I have so much to do! I need back in my studio with all my stuff so that I can keep working! Add a Comment
Blog: Elizabeth O. Dulemba (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
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It's backwards here in the UK - you write a Dissertation for your Masters and a Thesis for your PhD. So, I am in the thick of writing my Dissertation. No play time for me!
My title is, "Comparing and Contrasting a Decade of the US Randolph Caldecott And UK Kate Greenaway Medal Children's Books to Identify Trends, Similarities and Differences Between the US and UK Markets." And it is fascinating. I am learning so much by really examining these titles and seeing how they are presented to their respective markets. You may be familiar with the Caldecotts...
That's just a taste of what I'm learning. It's also why you'll only be seeing the top of my head for most of this term as I lean over reading, studying, and writing, writing, writing. Add a Comment
Blog: Elizabeth O. Dulemba (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
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I was stumped what to share with you today, dear readers, because I have been laid up in bed sick for most of this week. PAH! But no worries, this is Edinburgh. Sometimes, the wonder of this town comes to you. I started to feel a little better so had moved to the couch. After dinner, we heard an odd noise outside. And then again, and again.
"That sounds like fireworks?"
Indeed it was.
Turns out the end of the 2016 Edinburgh International Festival was being celebrated with a Virgin Money Fireworks Concert on Calton Hill...which is right up the hill from our flat. This was our view. We got to see the whole thing. The ball of light on the left side of 'our tree' is the moon. The ball of light on the right is the fireworks show getting going.
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I suppose it's an American thing to do leisurely Sunday gatherings too, but it's truly become part of our lives since moving to Edinburgh. Uni keeps me extremely busy, but I usually try to give myself one play-day per weekend, so I really value these gatherings.
Karin's (Romania) and Antti's (Finland) flat was a warm and happy place, filled with treasures, where we all relaxed.
Catherine (Chile), Me (US), Antti and Karin.
Nadee (Thailand) and Antti.
Stan (US).
Boris (Taiwan) and his adorable new wife, Vicki (Taiwan).
The reason I mention everybody's home countries (including ours - the US) is because we counted up, and between us and the dishes, we had no less than 17 nationalities represented. I absolutely adore how international our lives have become here! It's such an easy and comfortable thing that I wish more people in the world would get to experience.
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A lot of folks who work in Edinburgh live in Cupar. It's a short train or car ride in, prices are cheaper, and it's adorable to boot. We enjoyed looking around and Stan had fun playing with his camera. That's me taking pictures, although most of these images are his shots.
Blog: Elizabeth O. Dulemba (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
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I've got another story which will take several posts to cover! My friends Karin and Antti invited the Fabulous Four to their sweet flat in Cupar. Karin graduated with her MA at the end of the summer, but happily she is still at the Uni as Artist-in-Residence. So, really we're the Fabulous FIVE! Karin invited us all up for a leisurely Sunday gathering. So, off to our friendly Waverly train station we went.
I've shown you photos before, but here were some funny things I noticed this time, like this trash train. I know it's only rubbish, but isn't this totally cute? I would have loved to jump in that engine car and spun around in this when I was a kid.
Boris said he saw seals on the way up, although I have yet to spot any.
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Beautiful tree! Well worth the effort. Happy Holidays!
Very cute little guy. With a lovely view. Have a very Merry Christmas.
Thank you Karmyl - we think so too! :)
Thank you Diana!
Happy Christmas!
:)
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