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Created by Los Angeles experimental opera company The Industry, in partnership with L.A. Dance Project, the "Invisible Cities" opera portrayed the meeting between emperor Kublai Khan at the end of his life with the explorer Marco Polo, as told in Italo Calvino's fantastical book. Staged at iconic Union Station and utilizing wireless technology provided by Sennheiser, the innovative and interactive opera offered audience members headphones to hear the work amid the hustle and bustle of the train station's everyday life. "Invisible Cities" was composed and adapted by Christopher Cerrone, directed by The Industry's founder and artistic director Yuval Sharon, with choreography by Danielle Agami.
Artbound director Bruce Dickson was also nominated for his work on Gary Baseman And Me: Critique, Correspondence And Collaboration In The Art World.
In total, KCETLink won in five categories at 66th Los Angeles Area Emmy Awards, which took place at The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences in North Hollywood, and received nine nominations, including six for its weekly local news magazine, SoCal Connected and one for the 54th Annual L.A. County Holiday Celebration, produced by KCET in partnership with the L.A. County Arts Commission and CDK Productions.
Best Entertainment Programming: Invisible Cities: An Opera for Headphones
Matthew Crotty, Producer
Joris Debeij, Producer
Juan Devis, Executive Producer
Drew Tewksbury, Co-Producer
Invisible Cities: The Dematerialization of the Opera
Artistic director Yuval Sharon details his inspiration for "Invisible Cities," and the endless possibilities opened up by the use of headphones. The presence of wireless technology in the experimental work creates a new operatic experience -- and maybe even expands the definition of opera.
Invisible Cities: The Science of a Silent Opera
Sound designer Martin Gimenez explains the challenges of getting wireless technology to deliver the extraordinary sonic experience that befits the unconventional opera.
Invisible Cities: Composing an Opera for Headphones
In composing the music for "Invisible Cities," Christopher Cerrone created many levels of orchestral detail that would evoke the elaborate and fantastical places that Calvino imagines.
Invisible Cities: The Choreography of Union Station
Dancers in "Invisible Cities" execute an array of moves in Union Station that range from rigorous solos to improvisational and hip-hop-like explosions, to glacially slow stances.
Finding Space in the Inferno: Observations on Calvino's 'Invisible Cities'
Union Station is an ideal place to realize the opera "Invisible Cities," an adaptation of Italo Calvino's book about relationships between built environments and social and economic life.]]>
Brazell sat down with Artbound in 2013 to speak about her work with Arts for LA and the influential role of arts and culture in Los Angeles.
Arts for LA advocates for communities throughout Los Angeles Country to have access to rich arts and cultural experiences. We do that advocacy work through many, many different strategies and tactics: primarily around giving voice to communities around arts and culture and connecting communities with their public officials to voice support for arts and culture. And we do a lot of work around arts education and making sure that every student has access to arts education.
I believe access to the arts, access to arts and culture, is a civil rights issue; and I believe that because I think that communities prosper when they have access to the arts. Communities and people prosper with participation or through participation with the arts through a myriad of ways. Number one is that it is so much about the way in which the art stimulates local economies. I think that arts and culture also helps to create cultural identity and helps to instill cultural pride and self-esteem. And when you do that, your communities end up having more joy and more hope and through community engagement, and through hope people tend to lift up a little bit more and reach a little bit higher.]]> The economic crisis that the state and the country have faced over the last couple of years has impacted the arts and cultural landscape exponentially. Despite that, however, we see there are great opportunities for arts and culture to contribute to the solutions that many of our economic challenges have. Part of it is so much about the way in which arts and culture has transformed communities through looking at how when an arts organization or activity is built in a blighted area -- we've seen that in redevelopment--which in California went away -- how through redevelopment, arts and culture and neighborhoods were just transformed. And yet, now, with redevelopment going away, we see that that opportunity is possibly lost. On the flip side, we can also see that cities throughout the region have maintained their commitment to making sure that there are still resources for arts and culture, primarily nonprofit organizations that are really delivering rich work for communities.
I would love to see each of the mayoral candidates come out with a platform that talks about how they would utilize the arts to create a magnificent Los Angeles. And when I talk about the arts, I'm not just talking about pieces of art on a wall, I'm talking about arts and culture in all of its diversity--from the for-profit to the nonprofit, from the community based to the cornerstone institutions, for as part of our tourism, as part of our community anchors -- as a way to combat some of the most pressing issues that our region faces.
We often see that the arts do get put on the chopping block, first and foremost. We're working really diligently with community members, with our policy partners, with our public officials, to make sure that, look, Angelenos value arts and culture across the board -- and the thing about us is that if that you're part of the cultural community, you vote. And so one of the things that folks are really starting to get the message is that we want our arts, and you really have got to start to listen to us cause we're the voters.
Dig this story? Sign up for our newsletter to get unique arts & culture stories and videos from across Southern California in your inbox. Also, follow Artbound on Facebook and Twitter.]]>
This hour-long documentary captures the epic 240-mile journey along the Los Angeles aqueduct, commemorating the centenary of its opening on Nov. 5, 2013. The patient, steadfast pace of 100 mules over the course of 20 days provides a moment of meditation on the nature of our watershed. Mules were used to haul the gigantic pipes into place and transport the materials for the miles of concrete channels that exported water from the Eastern Sierras to Los Angeles. The journey took place on Oct. 18, 2013, drawing the line between the Intake and the Cascades, the beginning and the end point of this engineered lifeline of the city of Los Angeles.
Featuring interviews with Michal Govan, President of LACMA, and Jonathan Parfrey, executive director of Climate Resolve, "One Hundred Mules" marks the second part of the trilogy series presented by Artbound and Metabolic Studio. The first installment showcased Metabolic Studio's "AgH2O" project, which connects the elements mined from the Owens Valley, silver and water, to the emergence of the film industry. The trilogy concludes with Metabolic Studio's most ambitious project, "Bending the River into the City," a piece of engineering proposed for a new century in which the L.A. River will be dammed, its concrete jacket punctured and its water lifted sixty feet from the river basin to the top of a sixty foot water wheel before it is treated and redistributed in the city's first community water bank.]]>
This hour-long documentary captures the epic 240-mile journey along the Los Angeles aqueduct, commemorating the centenary of its opening on Nov. 5, 2013. The patient, steadfast pace of 100 mules over the course of 20 days provides a moment of meditation on the nature of our watershed. Mules were used to haul the gigantic pipes into place and transport the materials for the miles of concrete channels that exported water from The Eastern Sierra's to Los Angeles. The journey took place on Oct. 18, 2013, drawing the line between the Intake and the Cascades, the beginning and the end point of this engineered lifeline of the city of Los Angeles.
Featuring interviews with Michal Govan, President of LACMA, and Jonathan Parfrey, executive director of Climate Resolve, "One Hundred Mules" marks the second part of the trilogy series presented by Artbound and Metabolic Studio. The first installment showcased Metabolic Studio's "AgH2O" project, which connects the elements mined from the Owens Valley, silver and water, to the emergence of the film industry. The trilogy concludes with Metabolic Studio's most ambitious project, "Bending the River into the City," a piece of engineering proposed for a new century in which the L.A. River will be dammed, its concrete jacket punctured and its water lifted sixty feet from the river basin to the top of a sixty foot water wheel before it is treated and redistributed in the city's first community water bank.
Check out all of Artbound's "AgH2O" content:
Artbound Special Episode 'AgH2O'
Artbound kicked off their third season with a one-hour special looking at Lauren Bon and the Metabolic Studio's "AgH2O."
AgH2O: Silver, Water, and Pinhole Camera in a Silo
Lauren Bon's "Liminal Camera," comprised of a repurposed shipping container mounted on the back of a truck, captures the dessicated Owens Lake in large-scale photographs.
Liminal Elements: A Shipping Container Becomes a Camera Obscura
The "Liminal Camera," housed in a traveling shipping container, is both a one-of-a-kind camera and serves as its own photo processing center and storage facility.
De-silvering the Mirror: Mining for Film in the Owens Valley
It is a little-known fact that some of the silver and chemicals to produce the films that made Hollywood the global center of the movie industry were extracted from the Owens Valley.
One Hundred Mules: Tracing L.A. Aqueduct with Lauren Bon
Lone Pine film historian Christopher Langley discusses working with Lauren Bon and the Metabolic Studio on the project AgH20.
Water, Pipeline, and 100 Mules
Lauren Bon and the Metabolic Studio will perform "One Hundred Mules Walking the Los Angeles Aqueduct," a commemorative artist action to connect Los Angeles to its water supply.
Camera Obscura: Photographing the Aqueduct
Nothing is as it seems in many images of the L.A. Aqueduct and its landscape. Take a look at a photographic history of the L.A. Aqueduct.
Riding Along the Aqueduct with '100 Mules'
Chris Langley rides with Lauren Bon and the Metabolic Studios' "100 Mules Walking the Aqueduct" through the scenic Alabama Hills to Lone Pine in the Owens Valley]]>
Featuring an eclectic mix of videos profiling artworks like Barry Le Va's "Shatterscatter" and prolific artists such as Sterling Ruby, Nan Goldin and Fatima Al Qadiri, Artbound Presents MOCAtv will showcase a series of original short videos designed to engage a global audience with contemporary art and its intersection with film, video, music, performance, dance, comedy and more.
Discover more about the featured artists here.
NEA Acting Chairman Shigekawa said, "The NEA is pleased to announce that KCETLink is recommended for an NEA Art Works grant. These NEA-supported projects will not only have a positive impact on local economies, but will also provide opportunities for people of all ages to participate in the arts, help our communities to become more vibrant, and support our nation's artists as they contribute to our cultural landscape."
For a complete listing of projects recommended for Art Works grant support, please visit the NEA website.
Featuring an eclectic mix of videos profiling artworks like Barry Le Va's "Shatterscatter" and prolific artists such as Sterling Ruby, Nan Goldin and Fatima Al Qadiri, Artbound Presents MOCAtv will showcase a series of original short videos designed to engage a global audience with contemporary art and its intersection with film, video, music, performance, dance, comedy and more.
Watch the special episode on KCET-TV April 17 at 9 p.m. PST. Check local listings here.
The episode features the following segments:
Sterling Ruby
Los Angeles artist Sterling Ruby first exhibited his monumental urethane sculptures as part of MOCA Focus: Sterling Ruby, SUPERMAX 2008, an energetic show of painting, collage and sculpture. MOCA visits the artist in his studio for an exclusive look into
his process.
Born in 1972, on Bitburg Air Base, Germany, and raised in rural Pennsylvania, Sterling Ruby moved to Los Angeles to attend Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, CA. The highly prolific artist has maintained studios in the industrial outskirts of Los
Angeles since 2003. Plunging into the damp basements and tagged streets of contemporary America, Ruby transforms iconographies of industriousness and virtuous craft into masochistic lamentations. Ruby vilifies the artistic gesture as a conditioned
response, bound to a history that is, to him, at its best a crutch and at its worst a stifling prison.
For the first time, film crews visit Ruby in his Vernon, California studio complex as he works with a team of assistants to create his famed urethane works. Ruby brings the camera inside the process, offering intimate views of the mixture of chemicals,
application of urethane, and the heavy machinery used to invert and transport his works. Where once was the ecstatic solo dance of Jackson Pollock is now the clandestine construction in the studio with Sterling Ruby as its fastidious foreman. The
comparison to a laboratory--be it scientific or street drug--is altogether welcome.
Featuring music by Ernest Gibson: "When You Get There."
Filmed on location in Los Angeles, summer 2013.
Niki de Saint Phalle/Soko
The latest in an ongoing series of lyric videos in which musicians interpret the words of contemporary artists. The series is created by L.A.-based director/curator Aaron Rose.
In this video, Aaron Rose and MOCAtv invited the French singer Soko to record the words of the artist Niki de Saint Phalle -- an artist whose work is in the MOCA collection -- interpreted in a way that is designed to potentially bring a new audience to her
work and to MOCA. The work of Niki De Saint Phalle comes alive in "Loveletter," a new single by pop singer Soko inspired by the late Franco-American artist. Just as Soko's romantic lament takes form in the words of Saint Phalle, so does artist, curator and filmmaker Aaron Rose animate the artist's drawings from her 1971 artist book "My Love, Where Shall We Make Love?," which expands and enlivens the motion implicit in Saint Phalle's accordion-folding book. The constellation of characters in "My Love," including voluptuous, feminine nanas, are flattened, art brut-style illustrations of sculptural figures that Saint Phalle exhibited in museums and public parks the world over. These figures helped Saint Phalle advance her career-long inquiry into the quirks and intricacies of devotion.
Written and performed by Soko
Produced by Ross Robinson
Animation by San Charoenchai
On February 10, 2014, The Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles installed Barry Le Va's Shatterscatter (Within the Series of Layered/Pattern Acts) (1968-1971) under the guidance of MOCA Curator Bennett Simpson with a sledgehammer. The work is part of the permanent collection at MOCA. Born in Long Beach, California in 1941, Le Va gained prominence when his felt "distribution" works appeared on the cover of Artforum in November 1968. Scattered across large expanses of floor, these works appeared at first to be random in their execution and were grouped with the art of emerging sculptors such as Robert Morris and Richard Serra. But unlike those artists, whose main concerns involved the reliance on chance, Le Va's distribution pieces were the result of carefully planned and choreographed activities.
In Shatterscatter, six sheets of glass are stacked on top of one another, and as each new layer is added, it is struck with a sledgehammer at its center, causing it to shatter. A final layer of glass is placed over the stack of shards and left untouched.
The resulting sculpture is cut off from other works within the exhibition space; its pristine glass top encases the raw energy of the work's creation into what Le Va called an "isolated contained act."
Nan Goldin
The Ballad of Sexual Dependency is currently on view at MOCA Grand Ave, and Nan Goldin's work is in the permanent collection. Mixing an in-depth interview with slides of her career-defining work, this video presents the strategies and stakes of Nan Goldin's The Ballad of Sexual Dependency: "I didn't care about good photography, I cared about complete honesty," Goldin says. From its elastic life as slideshow series exhibited across the globe, to its structured legacy as a photo book and collection of prints, The Ballad of Sexual Dependency underscores the camera's documentary function, offering not just enthralling compositions but proof of experience. Creating intimacy with rather than distance from her subjects, Goldin sought to "to show exactly what it was," whether that it was her friends, housemates, lovers, or the plague of AIDS that hit her community. Discussing Larry Clark's influence on her "saturated vision," the dueling desires for intimacy and autonomy that haunt human relationships, Goldin re-orients the dominant perspective on this vital work, setting the record crooked: "We were never marginalized. We were the world."
Crime - Marcus McGhee
The artist Alix Lambert has an unusual and distinguished resume, spanning the worlds of visual art, publishing and filmmaking. She has been an award winning screenwriter for HBO shows like "Deadwood" and "John from Cincinnati," as well as participating in
gallery shows in Europe and America as an artist and as a curator. But one of her main fixations in both art and film is crime. She has made several documentaries and published a book of interviews in which she interviewed criminals. This series came as
the result of her collaboration with Sam Chou and his Canadian animation studio Style 5 tv in which they used a noir-inflected aesthetic and animated excerpts from several of the interviews. In this piece, Marcus McGhee, a school teacher in Hartford Connecticut, tells the story of when his car was stolen and the police did not help him. The animation is a combination of hand-drawn, pencil on paper, paint and digital paint and composite.
The film was featured in programming at Sundance Film Festival 2014.
Bruce Conner
This is episode it one of a four part series celebrating the work of cult experimental film maker Bruce Conner. Conner is represented by several pieces of work in the permanent collection at MOCA. He has been called, rightly or wrongly, the godfather of music videos. Long before MTV existed, part of his work as an artist involved cutting footage he filmed and often found to pop music. It may have been an unusual sight--an elder statesmen from the Beat Generation hanging out at Mabuhay Gardens in San Francisco at the height of punk, taking pictures of bands like Negative Trend and slam dancing with teenagers. But Bruce Conner was restless and the energy of punk invigorated him. For MONGOLOID (1978), the short film Conner began preparing after seeing Devo on their first tour, Conner spliced together newsreel, educational, and b-movie footage which resonated with their satirical lyrics about an underdeveloped man-child determined to fit into and positively contribute to mainstream American society. Gerald Casale discusses meeting Conner in Los Angeles and finding political and aesthetic common ground with Dada and Constructivism. Other episodes in the series explore Conners creation of the 'first' music video Three Screen Ray featuring a track by Ray Charles. Another episode focuses on the video Breakaway made in association with Toni Basil. And the video Mea Culpa in association with Brian Eno and David Byrne is the subject of another episode. The series features interviews with members of the bands and academic analysis and interpretation by leading film scholars.
Ghost Raid - Fatima Al Qadiri
The artist Fatima Al Qadiri straddles the two worlds of music and contemporary art as do her L.A.-based record label Fade to Mind. As part of the Art + Music strand of programming, MOCAtv has made dozens of videos that reflected the ongoing history of
these two art forms in conjunction. From Bruce Conner and the origins of the music video, to documentaries on the Art of Punk and many "music videos" to the latest generation of visual artists for whom videos, music, YouTube and the internet are all
part of the medium as well as the mode of distribution of the work. Inspired by the blend of technology and destruction in Fatima Al Qadiri's EP "Desert Strike," artist Alex Gvojic's lush visualization of "Ghost Raid" is a blend of real war footage, video games, and original computer animation. Drawing upon the background of the Gulf War and ancient myths of Djinn, the film documents the creation of secret machines in unseen dimensions, black particles rising like smoke from oil fires, evil energies drawn from conflict and war. Working alongside otherworldly entities, the Djinn are the spirit of military technology, ghostly machines crafting conflict, much like a child outfitting a soldier in a video game. "Ghost Raid" is a hyperreal meditation on history, spirituality, and contemporary violence.
3 Union Shop - The Colby Poster Company
The distinctive Colby poster has been used by many L.A. artists such as Alan Ruppersberg, Peter Coffin and Craig Stecyk III, and has been featured more than once in MOCA exhibitions. When the Colby press announced they would close in late 2013, artist Stecyk and director Felipe Lima paid tribute to a unique piece of Los Angeles art history with this short documentary. Until its doors closed on December 31, 2012, the family-run Colby Poster Printing Company made the letter-pressed signs, posters, billboards and showcards that were a ubiquitous feature of the visual landscape of Los Angeles. For three generations, promoters of boxing bouts, rodeos, reggae concerts and literary-minded visual artists were drawn to the swift graphic science of the day-glo poster, its essential purpose to quickly and efficiently convey information to viewers zooming along the autoscape, and to the durability of the product, hanging on telephone poles and chainlink fences from Venice to Las Vegas for months and years after the commission. In this short documentary, C.R. Stecyk III visits the company to make one last print, and to expound on its enduring appeal to anyone who ever wanted to leave a mark of their own in the city of signs.
Narrated by C.R. Stecyk III.
Directed by Felipe Lima & C.R. Stecyk III.
The Artbound episode "East is Eden" will air on Thursday, March 27 at 9 PM PST on KCET-TV.
Check out the videos included in this episode below:
Metralleta de Oro: Bringing the Bling to Cumbia
The trio of young Mexican American DJs Metralleta de Oro specialize in Sonidero, an extremely rhythmic sub-genre of the Mexican, Central and South American cumbia genre notable for its thumping repetitive bass lines.
Bringing Healthy Food Alternatives to Boyle Heights
Poor diet and lack of physical activity in Boyle Heights are made possible by barriers to health in the L.A. neighborhood.
The Infectious Ephemera of Germs
Visual artist, Jaime "Germs" Zacarias takes inspiration from religious iconography, lucha libre, and the city of Los Angeles to create his signature tentacle-filled works.
Counter Cliché: The Asian and Latino Bi-Cultural Experience
Shizu Saldamando's portraits are heavily influenced by Chicano art sensibilities and her Japanese heritage. Her subjects aren't the cookie-cutter characters we see in popular culture, but real, breathing beings actively building their identity.
Domestic Affairs: The Poetically Political Art of Nery Gabriel Lemus
Artist Nery Gabriel Lemus gracefully exposes the subtle racial tensions between Latino and African American cultures in his work.
Date Farmers: Desert Detritus Becomes Chicano Pop Art
The Date Farmers make Chicano pop art; they are desert Rauschenbergs, infusing abstract expressionism with a politically charged, pop culture update.
Chicano Batman: Not Another Band from East L.A.
As the cultural map of music making continues shifting in East L.A., Chicano Batman has become the sound of local Latino music in the 21st century. The band performs in the KCET Studios.]]>


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Part 2 Introductory How to Cut Hair at Home program.
How to Cut Hair at Home-Introduction
Hi there! I'm so glad you've decided to invest your time to learn what I know about cutting hair. I'd like to take the time to introduce myself. My name is Nannette and I created this haircutting program so that anyone can learn how to cut hair at home. I'm a licensed cosmetologist and I've been in the industry for 12 years now. My hair cutting experience has consisted of working in various different salons including a very high end salon in a five star resort where a lot of my work was with clients who were very particular about how they wanted their hair cut. From there I moved on to cutting hair in my own salon for a few years until finally deciding to sell it and start a new business venture that allows me more time to spend with my amazing family. The bottom line is that I'm very passionate about helping other people be and do more than they ever thought possible. My goal with this hair cutting program is to help you learn to cut hair starting with the basics. As a professional, I feel many other programs on the market, which are designed to teach people how to cut hair, are very broad and leave out a lot of important details. For that reason, I made sure when I created this program to include everything you'll need to know to effectively cut hair. Please keep in mind this program is designed to teach you how to cut hair at home. Whilst you will learn how to effectively cut hair you must remember that time, patience, and practice is the key to success. I also want you to be aware that even though you'll know how to cut hair like a professional, it is NOT legal to cut hair for profit until obtaining proper licensure which would cost you at least $10,000 and a minimum of 10 months of your time. This how to cut hair program is designed to save you money starting with the initial cost to learn. Your savings will continue every month you don't have to take your entire family to the salon paying an average of $20 per person. I'm going to teach you how to cut hair, what tools to use, when to use them and how to use them to create different effects. You're going to learn what the four basic cuts are (that's right, there's ONLY 4) and variations of each haircut. You'll learn how to choose the perfect cut based on particular face shapes and you'll learn all the stuff in between. I'd like to recommend a very effective way to use this how to cut hair program. That is, to start by watching the whole thing all the way through without trying to do anything. Just watch. Then go back and watch it again, stopping along the way to practice everything up to the point of actually cutting. You must feel totally comfortable with every step before actually cutting the hair. Some parts may feel a little monotonous watching it a second time through, but it's better to feel that way temporarily than to miss something really important. If you're still confused with any of the information after watching it a second time through, go back and watch just that section that you're confused on. Please take my warning seriously when I say, don't watch just a couple sections of the program and pick up a pair of scissors or clippers and start cutting. I could almost guarantee if you do that, you'll get through part of the haircut and come across something you didn't expect and that you don't know how to handle. I practiced on many, many mannequins and made many, many mistakes. Since you probably don't have a mannequin handy right now you'll want to utilize all of the information available to you BEFORE you begin. So let's begin!!
How to Cut Hair at Home-Tools
There are 3 methods of cutting hair. They are scissor cutting, clipper cutting, and razor cutting. We're going to focus our attention on scissor cutting and clipper cutting because razor cutting is a more advanced technique which requires a significantly more amount of practice time and it requires much more finger strength. I will, however, show you how to use the razor for creating texture which we'll get into a little bit later. Either way, whatever method of cutting you choose to use, it will require a certain set of tools. Let's look at the basics you'll need to do either men's, women's, or children's cuts. In order to properly cut hair you will need:
Where can I get the tools I need to learn how to cut hair?
You should be able to get all of the tools listed above at a local beauty supply store near you. Just make sure to call ahead of time and find out if they sell products to the general public because a lot of beauty supply stores are actually distributors for licensed professionals only.
How to cut hair. Cape
When selecting a cape, you will notice there are many types to choose from. You'll see haircutting capes, color/chemical service capes, multi-purpose capes, etc. I recommend trying to find one that's lightweight and not too bulky. For example, color/chemical capes are usually made of a thick plastic to ensure the clients clothing doesn't get stained with color or saturated with perm solution. I have found these capes to be too bulky to use while cutting hair so I prefer a cape that is lightweight and made of cloth. If you're trying to cut cost you can use a torn garbage bag. Please don't use this technique on a small child due to the risk of suffocation. I would avoid using a towel because they are really hard to wrap around the person without a lot of bulk getting in the way.
How to cut hair. Combs
The most common comb, that's used when haircutting, is the 7 inch Styling comb. It is a great tool for many reasons. First of all, the spacing of the teeth is different on either side of the comb. One half of the comb has teeth that are spaced really close together and the other half has teeth that are spaced a little farther apart. This allows for different amount of tension. When the teeth are spaced closer together you can comb the hair with much more tension. This is great for creating very precise lines to cut. When the teeth are spaced farther apart, it allows you to work with larger amount of hair. Also, less tension is put on the hair creating a softer line. You may also notice with this comb that it has markings at each inch up to seven inches. This is so helpful for determining how much hair you need to cut or how much hair should be left on the head after cutting. The 7" Styling comb comes in really hand when someone tells you, specifically, how many inches of length they want cut off their hair. I always show them my comb and say something like, "This is what an inch really is. Do you still want that much cut?" Often times, one person's idea of what an inch is, are a lot different than another's.
How to cut hair. Clips
When selecting clips, there's no need to be picky. The main idea when selecting clips is to make sure it will hold a significant amount of hair since it will be used to clip large sections of hair out of the way.
How to cut hair. Scissors
Haircutting scissors are a MUST! You absolutely cannot do a decent haircut without them. And, no, really sharp craft scissors will not do the trick. Haircutting scissors come in a wide variety of sizes, shapes, and functionality. You don't need to get really fancy when selecting a pair. Most beauty supply stores that sell to the general public don't sell the really fancy, expensive ones, so your options will probably be fairly limited anyway, which is a good thing! The main thing you'll need to pay attention to is the size. I would recommend getting something from 5 ¼" (5.25) minimum to 5 ¾" (5.75) maximum. If you get a pair that's smaller you'll have to work with much smaller amounts of hair and if you get a pair that is any bigger, you really run the risk of cutting your fingers or cutting the person whose hair you're cutting. Larger shears really require a great deal of handling in order to use them without getting cut. I know it sounds a little ridiculous hearing me tell you to be careful not to get cut but it's important to remember that you're often times cutting towards your fingers and hands. Normally, I would also recommend you find a pair that is comfortable for you but since you're just beginning, everything you try is going to feel a little awkward until you get used to handling them. So, let's talk about the parts of the scissor and how you should hold them. The scissor has six different parts that we're going to talk about. They are the tang, the finger grip, the thumb grip, the hand screw, the moving blade and the still blade. The tang is the little piece of metal that extends from the finger grip. This is designed for you to rest you pinky finger on when you're cutting, for stability and control. The finger grip is connected to the tang and is the round opening where your ringer finger on your dominant hand would go. The finger grip extends along the length of the scissors, diagonally to meet the still blade. The thumb grip is the round opening below the finger grip and is the opening where your thumb will go. The thumb grip controls the moving part of the blade. In the center of the scissors you will notice the hand screw. This serves the shears in a couple different ways. For one, it holds to two blades together. It can also be tightened or loosened. When the hand screw is tightened, the scissors become harder to open and close. When the hand screw is loosened the scissors will open and close easier. The ease at which your scissors open and close, is entirely up to your personal preference.
How to cut hair. Clippers
Clippers are another necessity if you're going to be cutting boys or men's hair into a buzz cut or a fade. Most clipper sets come with a matching trimmer for detailing areas such as the hairline, around the ears, and any facial hair. If it doesn't you can purchase the trimmer individually or you can choose to use your clippers to do the job. I must warn you that without the experience of using the clippers for detailing, you run a higher risk of accidentally cutting hair that you hadn't intended to. You will also need to invest in a set of clipper guards if your clippers don't already come with them. As with everything else, clipper guards come in a wide range of sizes. You really, only need four different sizes. They are the blender, a 1/4", a 3/8", and a 1/2". The blender cuts the hair closest to the scalp and the 1/2" guard leaves a 1/2" of hair on the head. If you want the hair to left longer than that, you could transition to use you scissors for that section. For example if you were to do a fade where you wanted the hair at the nape of the neck to be really short and you wanted the hair on the top of the head to be left at an inch and a half you would start at the nape of the neck using the blender guard. Then as you progress up the back of the head you would switch over to a 1/4" guard, then 3/8", then 1/2", and finally blending the sides in with the top using your scissors. I'm going to show you later on, just how to do this.
How to cut hair. Razor
The last tool that is commonly used to cut hair is the razor. As I mentioned before, I'm not going to focus on doing a full haircut with the razor, although after you learn the basics of cutting you'll be able to do a haircut with the razor if you so choose. Just know that it takes a lot of time and patience to master a full razor cut. I prefer to use the razor for things like texturing or thinning the hair which I will show you how to do a little bit later. There are multiple types of razors you can get. I prefer one with an immobile handle. As with the scissors, I want to talk briefly about the parts of the razor and how to hold it. It's important to get comfortable holding the scissors and the razor because once you're ready to cut hair, you'll be adding combs, clips and hair into the mix of things you'll need to hold onto and it's important that you have a good grip (pun intended) on how to hold the tools that can cut. There are 6 parts of the razor that we're going to talk about. They are the tang, the handle, the shank, the shoulder, the blade edge and the blade guard. The tang is where your pinky finger goes for stabilization and control. The handle is attached to the shank. Some handles are immobile while others have a handle that moves allowing you to work in tighter spaces. When holding the razor, you fingers should be on top of the shank while you're thumb grips it from the bottom of the shank. The shoulder is where the blade attaches to the razor. The shoulder can usually be used to remove and old blade in order to replace it with a new one. The blade edge is the cutting edge of the tool and the blade guard fits over the blade, protecting you and the person whose hair you're cutting. Only an experienced professional should use the razor without the blade guard and even then it's a technique that should be used with extreme caution.
How to cut hair. Thinning shears
The last tool I will tell you about is an optional one to have on hand. It is the thinning shear. This tool is designed to create texture or remove bulk within the cut. The thinning shear has teeth that are spaced different widths apart. The closer together the spacing of the teeth, the more hair can be removed and the more texture is created. If the spacing of the teeth is farther apart, less hair is removed from the design and less texture is created. An average amount of spacing of the teeth on a thinning shear is 1/16" apart. I find the thinning shears work exceptionally well for blending lines, as with a fade haircut. When it comes to creating texture, I prefer to use the razor.
How to cut hair. Holding the scissors
Now that I've gone through the tools you will need for cutting hair at home, I want you to take some time and practice holding your scissors, especially. I want you to make the blades move and I want you to practice moving your thumb in and out of the thumb grip which is going to be necessary when we add the comb. Once you feel comfortable with this I want you to pick up your comb using your thumb and index finger of your cutting hand. To do this, you'll need to remove your thumb from the thumb grip and grasp the scissors so the blades are closed and so that your index finger and thumb are free to pick up the comb. At this point you would be ready to comb the hair. Once you've directed the hair to point at which you're going to cut it, you're going to have to switch the comb to your left hand (if you're right-handed), hold the hair between the index and middle finger of your left hand (if you're right-handed), and put your thumb back in the thumb grip. At this point you would be ready to cut the hair. Of course at this point we're not going to actually cut the hair.
Once you feel comfortable handling the scissors, comb, and hair, you can move on to practice holding the razor. When it comes to holding the clippers, it really depends on what part of the head I'm cutting around to determine how I hold the clippers. [Show how to hold them here]
So, now that you know what tools to use and how to use them let's talk briefly about where the best place is to do your haircut. A few things to take into consideration when determining the place to cut hair are:
How to Cut Hair at Home-Anatomy
Now that you're all set up in the right environment with the proper tools it's time to take a look at the head as this is the part of the body you are going to be working around in order to perform a haircut. As we begin this section I think it's important that we cover a little bit of anatomy so that when I say the nape, you know what part of the head I am referring to. The main areas or points of reference when cutting hair are, the crest, interior, exterior, fringe, front, back, sides, perimeter, nape, crown and occipital. The crest is the widest part of the head and is shaded in gray in the diagram below. The interior portion of the head is the whole area above the crest. The exterior portion of the head is that which is located below the crest of the head. The front of the head is located from the ears forward to the face and the back of the head is considered to be the area from the ears to the back of the head. The sides of the head are located from the crest down. The fringe is a small section in the interior, front portion of the head. The perimeter is the entire outside of the design. The occipital bone is located in the lower back portion of the head. You can feel a protruding bone in the back of your head. This is your occipital bone. The nape is located below the occipital bone and the crown located diagonally back from the eyes, in the center of the head. The crown is a place where you will find a strong growth pattern. It's important to either cut the hair in this section really short or leave it longer than the rest of the hair in order to keep it from sticking up on end. It also helps to work against the growth when cutting this section of hair. I'll explain a little more about this later on when I'm showing the haircut. Now that you know the parts of the head let's talk about choosing what cut to do.
There are a lot of things to take into consideration when determining what would look the best based on the features you have to work with. The information I'm about to share with you is knowledge that a professional stylist uses before giving you her "advise". The first thing you should know about face shapes is that an oval face shape is thought to be the most esthetically pleasing or ideal. It's a fact that a small percentage of people actually have an oval face shape. Therefore, it's the job of the hair stylist to make up for it by how she/he cuts the shape of the hair. The four main face shapes, other than oval are:
Now that we've taken the person's face shape into consideration, we also have to look at the neck and shoulders to determine how the hairline should be cut. If the person has a short neck, they may benefit from a haircut with added height. If the person has a long neck, width can be added to the haircut to fill in the space between the head and shoulders. As far as shoulders, if the person has really broad shoulder, they may benefit from a round or curved hairline. If they have narrow shoulders, a squared off hairline may be more appealing. Last but not least we have to look at the existing biological features the person has regarding how much hair they have on their head and what direction(s) does it grow in. For example, does the person have a receding hairline? Is there any balding? Does the person have any cowlicks that would stand up if cut too short or in the wrong direction? You may be wondering what to do after you've noted all of these features. I will answer those questions a little bit later on when we're doing the haircut.
Believe it or not, you are up to the point where you will actually begin the process of cutting. There is a specific sequence of actions to take during a haircut. It begins with sectioning the hair. Sectioning is simply dividing the hair into more manageable sections on the head. A lot of haircuts involving longer hair involve dividing the hair into four sections. To do that you would make a center part starting at the front, center hairline and drawing a straight line back to the crown. You can now section out the sides by starting at the top center part and drawing a straight vertical line down to the ear. Everything from the ear forward can be clipped out of the way. Then move to the other side repeating the same process of drawing a straight vertical line from the top center part to the other ear. Once you clip this section out of the way you will have three sections. To make the fourth section, you need to continue the center part from the crown extending down the back of the head and ending at the center of the nape.
How to cut hair. Parting and distribution
Once the hair has been section you are ready to begin with your first parting. Parting the hair is subdividing the sections even further. When parting within a section you can part straight, diagonal or curvy lines depending on what shape you want the haircut to have. For example if you want the back of the haircut to be rounded, you can use diagonal lines when parting. After the parting is complete there are just a few more things to take into consideration. First of all is how the hair will be distributed in relation to the part. In other words, the distribution is the direction the hair is combed, in relation to the part, before cutting it. There are four types of distribution. They are natural, perpendicular, shifted, and directional. Natural distribution is how the hair lays over the head due to gravitational pull. You can visualize what natural distribution might look like if you think of shaking your head back and forth when it's wet. Whatever position it falls to when you stop shaking your head is considered natural distribution. Perpendicular distribution is when the hair is directed at a right angle from the base parting. Shifted distribution is when the hair is directed away from the parting at any other angle besides a right angle. Directional distribution is when the distribution varies from one area of the base parting to another. Once you've determined how you will distribute the hair you need to think about how you will project it out from various different parts of the head because as we know the head is not perfectly round. Projection is how the hair is lifted in relation to the natural the curves of the head. It's hard to visualize this so I want you to think about a protractor for a minute. I'm going to show you what projection is all about using the protractor. [Show projection here] A few final points of the haircutting procedure are:
At this point you're probably feeling a little overwhelmed. You may be saying to yourself, "Well, how do I know which way to part, when to distribute and what to project?" That will make a little more sense as we go through each cut and you can see for yourself.
It's time!! We've followed the procedure and we're ready to learn the first haircut. As I mentioned before there are ONLY four. The four basic cuts are solid form, graduated form, uniformly layered, and increase layered.
How to cut hair. Solid Form
Solid Form- A solid form cut is often times referred to as a blunt cut or a bob. The type of cut is created when all of the hair falls over the natural curve of the head (crest) and is cut at one length and at 0? projection. 0? projection means cutting the hair without lifting it away from the head at all. What that means in regard to the length of the hair on different areas of the head, is that the hair in the exterior part of the head is shorter than the hair in the interior part of the head. This happens because the hair on the top of your head has further to travel before meeting the design line. The design line with a solid form haircut is stationary. Once you cut the design line/guide, it stays put and all of the other hair is brought down to meet it. So, let's walk through the procedure starting with sectioning. You would section the hair into four sections as described above. Then take down one section from the clip and part a horizontal line. The distribution will be natural to the part at a projection of 0°. Your finger position will be parallel to the part and if you're working on the back of the head, the head position should be forward. If you were working on the sides, the head would be tilted away from the side you are working on. This is the procedure you will use for all four sections of the head. Some examples of a solid form haircut are:
How to cut hair. Graduated form
Graduated form- This cut is similar to the solid form haircut in that the hair in the exterior portion of the head is shorter than the hair in the interior. One of the big differences with this cut is that the hair in the interior doesn't fall to meet hair at the nape of the neck, Instead it falls just short of that creating a stacked look. The way to create this kind of layering is by projecting the hair. That means you're going to have to pull the hair away from the head before cutting it. The degree at which the hair is lifted away from the head will determine how steep the graduation is. If you want to create just a little graduation in the layers, then you would use a low projection. A low projection is anything under 45°. If you want a lot of graduation in the layers you would project the hair above 45?. You should know that the standard for a graduated form haircut is 45°. Another big difference with this haircut is that the design line is mobile. Every section of hair that you cut becomes the new guide for creating the ultimate design. The guide changes and moves throughout parts of the head. This concept is probably going to be a little hard to grasp so I want to walk you through the procedure again starting with sectioning. I still like to section the hair into four sections and make a horizontal part in each of the two back sections. The part should be about 2 inches up from the hairline in the back. To begin the haircut you may need to start with a forward head position because you will be working in the nape of the neck which can be a bit of a tight workspace if the head position is upright. Please note that when you get to the section at and above the occipital bone, the head position should be upright. Okay, so now that we have a two inch parting at the nape of the neck, you will distribute the hair perpendicular to the part and project the hair away from the head at 45°. It may help to visualize the protractor until you get a sense of what a 45? angle looks like on different parts of the head. Your finger position should be parallel to the part as well. Once you cut off the desired amount of length, you now have your first guide/design line. This guide is what you will use to cut the next section that you bring down. Part horizontally, another two inches up the back of the head. The guide on the bottom should be brought up to meet the new section that is projected at 45°. Once you see the guide underneath you can cut the excess length off the new section. The new section of hair you just cut becomes your guide/design line for the next section you bring down and so on and so forth. At this point you are probably getting a better understanding of what a mobile design line is all about. Don't worry if you're still a little bit confused because we're going to go through the entire haircut a later on in the program.
How to cut hair. Uniformly layered
Let's move on to the third haircut which is uniformly layered. With this haircut the hair in the interior part of the head and the hair in the exterior part of the head are the same length. To give you an understanding of what uniformly layered would look like, I want you to visualize a bald head and for the purpose of our conversation, pretend that every strand of hair grows at the same speed. If the bald head started to grow hair with the same amount of speed on all areas of your head, you would have the look of a uniformly layered haircut. What that means is if you were to measure the length of hair on top and compare it to the length of hair in the crown, nape of the neck, or side of the head, you would find it would all be the same length. In order to create this look you would need to project the hair at 90? on all areas of the head. This means that you will be using a mobile design line again. Let's walk through the procedure. Start by sectioning. For this cut I like to begin with just 3 sections. I clip the front two sections out of the way. I leave down all of the hair in the back to start working with. The partings will vary throughout this haircut, from horizontal to vertical to pivotal. Once you've determined what you want the length of the haircut to be you'll begin with a small horizontal parting in the crown. I like to start with creating my guide in the crown because the crown is center most point of the head and by starting here you can move in any pivotal direction around the head. However, with the front sections being out of the way I like to start by working my way down the back of the head. The head position should be upright. The distribution will be perpendicular to the part and the projection will be 90°. Your finger position will be parallel to the part. After cutting my guide I will start with a small vertical part down the back of the head and cut the hair closest to the guide. Once I do that, the guide then continues to move around the head with me. I'll continue the haircut with vertical and pivotal partings around the head. Every time I get to a new section I will start back at the crown and work my way out to the hairline in all directions. Make sure that your partings stay small so that you're properly projecting the hair. If you're sections are too large some of the hair will be projected properly and some won't which will leave you with a very uneven haircut.
The last and final cut is an increase-layered cut:
With this cut the hair in the interior part of the head is shorter than the hair in the exterior part of the head. To create this look you're going to use a stationary guideline again just like with the solid form haircut. The big difference is in where the hair is ultimately directed to. With a solid form haircut, the hair is naturally distributed over the curves of the head and with this cut the hair is distributed perpendicular to the base parting. Again, to give you a visualization of what this haircut is really about I'm going to have you picture a really odd scenario. If you were hanging by your legs from some monkey bars, all of your hair would fall with gravity toward the ground. Now, if someone came along and cut your hair perfectly straight in this position, when you turned right side up again, you would have an increased-layer cut. Obviously because you're not going to string someone up by their toes to create this look, I'm going to teach the real way to do it. Let's follow the procedure. Start with three sections, clipping the front two out of the way and leaving the entire back to work with. You're going to be using small horizontal partings. It will be distributed perpendicularly. The projection is going to depend on what part of the head you are looking at. At the mobile design line, the hair will be projected at 90° but with each subsequent part the hair will be projected at 180?. The head position will be upright and the finger position will be parallel to the part. You will continue working in horizontal partings around the head while projecting the hair toward the original guide/design line.
You now know all four of the basic cuts!! It's important to know that there are variations of each cut which can occur simply by changing the design line. With that being said, there is one more cut that I want to tell you about and that is a combination haircut. A combination haircut is one that uses two or more of the basic cuts in one form or on one head, rather. For example: You could have a graduated form haircut in the back of the head while having a uniformly layered look in the front. This is where the artistic piece of cutting hair comes into play. This is where the possibilities are endless! You can change the partings, the distribution, the projection and your finger position to create virtually any look you want but you will wind up with one or a combination of the basic cuts that you just learned. If you want to buy a couple mannequins to experiment with some of the possibilities, more power to you. However, if the only hair you have to work with is on a living beings head, I strongly recommend getting very familiar preforming the basics with minor variations before moving on to more complex designs. You must master the basics before moving on to creating your ultimate master piece. After all, Michelangelo didn't wake up one morning, pick up a paintbrush, and start painting the Sistine Chapel.

subset: commoncrawl


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You're leaving Wedding Paper Divas to see the Deal of the Day at our parent site, Tiny Prints.
You won't be able to dismiss this by usual means (escape or click button), but you can close it programatically based on user choices or actions.
"The design says that the background is black. This is partly true because the shadow behind the flowers is black, but the card itself is a deep navy. I was initially concerned because my wedding colors don't include black, but this Save the Date turned out to be exactly what I wanted. I made a few minor changes to text colors, i.e. I changed the color of "Save the Date" and "Formal invitation to follow" from the default deep pink, to the dusty lavender/lavender-grey font option, as I prefer softer colors."
"We didn't have the opportunity to take engagement photos but still wanted something that would feel personal. This was perfect for us! "Outdoorsy", simple, fun, but elegant. The paper quality is great and the image is exactly what I expected it to be. The only thing I would say is the default font for your names can be a little tricky to read at first glance; we capitalized the first letters of our first/last names, which seemed to help, but overall it's not a huge deal. I loved being able to add our return address to the envelop in a font that matched the cards, too! Overall, love these and very satisfied."
"The design of Breathtaking Blooms is so pretty and exactly what I was looking for. I was able to customize the font and color to match the style I was going for. The customer service and response times are always fabulous with WPD and it really makes the process so enjoyable. I would recommend this design to others, the quality is great and it arrived faster than I thought. Happy customer!"
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"So I kept my save the dates with the yellow orchids, as I am having a wedding in Hawai'i and yellow is one of my three wedding colors. I wanted the pearlescent effect on the cards, and I felt it was definitely worth the extra cost. The invite is petite, simple, yet elegant. The paper quality is perfect! It is very smooth and sturdy - absolutely love it!"


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Tag Archives: Giovanni Pelizzoli
It's back!
It took a while but the wait was worth it. Here we have the Ciöcc San Cristobal frame that I left to Mr. Pelizzoli himself a few months ago and asked him to restore. Maybe you remember a previous post about it. He took really good care of it, and now it shows all its original beauty. The color is a special one, custom made only for the cycling team "Verdellese" based near Bergamo (IT), and makes this piece extremely rare. I had to wait a little longer than usual only because we were waiting for the new set of decals to be printed, but from now on, if you're planning to have the team restore your Ciöcc, you should know that the all series are available again. Please get a look to the full gallery here.
Hey! the green one is mine!
Since yesterday, Pelizzoli's new website is online! It is called Pelizzoli world. Digging into their blog i found these pictures of frames waiting to be restored, and here it is! An old friend… Actually the green one is mine, I left it there last month and soon it will be perfectly restored… Looking forward to that! Now enjoy Pelizzoli's website and blog, where you can find the new frames (road and track) made by Giovanni himself. For any information related to frame buying feel free to contact me, I'll be in Bergamo soon to talk once again to the artisan Giovanni.
La vecchia scuola – Giovanni Pelizzoli
… or the old school if you prefer. This is an example of real Italian craftmanship. Mr. Giovanni Pelizzoli is still really active with his brazing torch, and in this picture he is showing one of the latest model made, lugged steel construction, Columbus tubing and gold finishing for lugs and chain stay. Sweet, don't you think? There is a small number of frames like the one you see in this picture that are for sale. For any further information, like prices, sizes, colors and so on, you can contact me via mail. They are such masterpieces!


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This blog post about
The ancient art of haiku:
Challenging to write.
April 17th happens to be National Haiku Day, and we here at Marbles: The Brain Store are pretty excited about the celebrations going on in multiple cities which pay tribute to this art form. For those of you who missed out on the definition during English class, a haiku is a poem consisting of a 5-syllable line, a 7-syllable line, and a third 5-syllable line. Very poor examples are scattered throughout this posting.
Japanese art form
Juxtapose two images;
Stream of thought gets cut.
There are a multitude of rules, restrictions, and definitions that many writers, readers, and scholars have debated in relation to the haiku since it first gained importance in 17th century Japan. The most important distinction is the fact that Japanese verse consists of sound units called "on", which roughly translate into "syllables" but that does not do justice to the thoughts or emotions that can be communicated in Japanese. When writing in English, one is always attempting to fit unwieldy English into this most elegant of Japanese writing styles. Traditionally, as well, the haiku by definition must contain a seasonal reference, or kigo, which is why the majority of haiku have natural or pastoral themes.
Haiku is a word
Taking both singular and
Plural form; not unlike "sheep".
One of the other major aspects of a haiku is the kireji, or "cutting word" which traditionally occurs in the third final line, ending the train of thought or providing an ironic counterpoint to the previous two lines' images.
The cutting word is
The end point of one's haiku;
Lets verse stand alone.
Of course, the whole point of exploring words and writing poetry is expression, and many writers today only take on the restriction of the 5-7-5 syllable structure, writing on whatever subject matter they wish—indeed, some don't even restrict themselves to that structure—but that gets into what defines a haiku, and that's an argument for a completely different blog post.
Of my examples
None of them could be seen as
Classical haiku.
A fantastic tool for wordsmiths (and language lovers), as well as a really fun way of playing around with words is Haikubes, a set of 63 cubes with words on each side, which you roll like dice to create poems randomly. Two extra cubes included in the package come with red text that you roll to give your haiku a specific theme, for example, "A Desire For" "My Future" or "A Vision For" "Our World". Then roll the rest of the cubes and choose 17 syllables from what you have rolled to complete your haiku. The cubes are high-quality, and can be displayed and rearranged as often as you feel like it.
Haikubes turn party
From awkward conversation
Into clever blast.
Haiku Challenge
We realize poetry isn't normally competitive, but we'd like to have a little fun in honor of National Haiku Day. Leave your best Marbles: The Brain Store-themed haiku in the comments below. One lucky creative haiku artist will win a set of Haikubes!


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All replies will come later today. Did not have wifi for a while because Comcast was a butt. Thank you so much to all those who have stuck with me and been patient with me this past week. I promise I will make it worth the wait.
~ Ashlinn
For what it is worth, and for those who care, I'm alive.
This is the most absent I have been on this account and I am sorry for it (I have been saying sorry a lot lately but I do feel like a terrible person). The summary of the last week goes like this: I have been home the first half of the semester preparing for the second half. The second half of the semester I'm studying abroad so it has been hectic trying to put all my affairs in order for it. This last week I had the combination of lacking a phone and being without proper internet connection, hence the absence.
It is my goal to get most replies done tomorrow and work on my inbox.
For now, gotta finish three assignments before midnight. Erp.
I've missed you guys. I missed being on here. I've just missed this a lot…
This is Ned.
At the very moment you are reading this he is twenty-eight, four months, two weeks, four hours, and seven minutes old.
Ned is obsessed with making pies and the proud owner of the establishment "The Pie Hole." Ned has a talent for making pies, but this piemaker has another talent - one that very few people know about: with one touch he is able to bring the dead back to life.
Here is my Ned from Pushing Daisies blog that I mentioned a couple of times. It is not much yet but I have an open starter posted for all those that feel inclined, and I will do greeting posts for all new followers! Feel more than free to roleplay with Ned even if you already roleplay with Merlin, I will love you fivever if you do.
I do hope that all of you enjoy it <3
Trying this one last time before I bury myself in my inbox and tend to stuff there. Merp. Sorry I suck, some of that stuff is a month old… it won't happen again.
If you like me as an roleplayer, want to do a rp with a rather unique character and that is acted by the amazing Lee Pace then please follow. I adore AU's and interacting with new people; I am a friendly person, promise <3
This is Ned.
At the very moment you are reading this he is twenty-eight, four months, two weeks, four hours, and seven minutes old.
Ned is obsessed with making pies and the proud owner of the establishment "The Pie Hole." Ned has a talent for making pies, but this piemaker has another talent - one that very few people know about: with one touch he is able to bring the dead back to life.
Here is my Ned from Pushing Daisies blog that I mentioned a couple of times. It is not much yet but I have an open starter posted for all those that feel inclined, and I will do greeting posts for all new followers! Feel more than free to roleplay with Ned even if you already roleplay with Merlin, I will love you fivever if you do.
I do hope that all of you enjoy it <3
Converse cladded feet rushed frantically through the leaves and brush of an inconspicuous forest in central Wales. Twigs and branches scraped against his skin adjourning him in small stinging scratches; yet he refused to pay them any mind as he pushed himself frantically onward to his destination. There was many a time that his panicked movements awarded him with an untold amount of stumbling and bruises. There was not an amount of pain or obstacle in the world that would keep him reaching his goal.
The day that Arthur died in his arms was the day that his very purpose had crumbled apart before his eyes. Arthur Pendragon was his other half, he never imagined existing without him; then that one fateful day he was suddenly forced to do so. Since that day he had been waiting in a complete broken and lost state for his once and future king to return. The warlock had spent these centuries merely existing, nothing more.
Today he had been debating whether to spend the day nestled on his favorite bench in the park or go home after work. He always tried to fight the growing burning sensation to drown his sorrows at the nearest bar. The urge to forget his troubles with a stiff drink was growing by the day, it was only fended off by his resolution that he would never forgive himself if he did.
The distress over what to do with himself had ceased to exist when a sensation sparked up in him; the one that he had been waiting centuries for. Hope and happiness enveloped the very essence of his being the very moment he sensed the gates of Avalon open. The young man had jerked up from his seat at a street-side cafe. He put down money upon the table to pay for his coffee and blueberry muffin as he then rushed off to greet his fate at the shores of the lake.
With his heart pounding relentlessly within his chest, the young warlock stopped at the very edge of the lake as the waters licked at at his shoes. His heart violently froze within his being the moment he spotted a figure emerging from the waters. He debated upon what to say or do to greet his long-lost king for so much had changed since the day of his death, even with the warlock himself. Yet those thoughts, like his pounding heart, ceased as the sight of a man with brunette hair - rather than golden locks - had emerged from the waters.
The legendary warlock could not believe his eyes to the point he was compelled to do a double-take. The second glance brought him to the same conclusion as the first; this was not his beloved king but his king's bane. He managed to voice a single word at last, the man's name: "Mordred…"
"You two will not be going anywhere." She smirked, raising her hands up. Conquering the vines that grew within the walls of the castle. The vines spread towards the two. It grabbed Aurora by the legs, making her fall over. "Merlin!" She called out as the vines bound her arms and legs.
"Morgana..!" Merlin started but was immediately interrupted as he spotted the vines snake rapidly towards them. He jerked down, practically flinging himself at Aurora, to grab and prevent her from being bound up within the vines. He tried to rip and tear at them hoping that would suffice for he did not want to reveal his magic to Morgana if he could help it; but he would if that meant saving Aurora's life.
"Ohhh, so that's why you like it. You know, I could bring you a coffin. Although, some humans find that rather disturbing…. Odd creatures." Undertaker rambled before rolling off the bed. "Do you~?" he asked, now laying on the floor as he had literally rolled off of the bed.
"I appreciate the offer, I really do, but I have enough people asking about me without a coffin laying in my room," Merlin somehow managed a coherent reply to a rather incoherent conversation. The warlock eyed the mortician cautiously the moment the strange man vacated the bed for him. He was grateful, yet this also seemed too good to be true after the amount of difficulty he had experienced thus far. "I have to wake the prince, serve his breakfast, dress him, then polish his armor, muck out the stables, attend to his sparring sessions… then be at his mercy for the rest of the day; I do call that a busy day," he let out a quiet sigh and began to dress down for bed.
(Source: onesideofthecoin)
"It's pretty basic. Kind of cute, and it has more than they gave us in the asylum. Do you have any baking materials and supplies?" Ceri asked him curiously. She thought it only right that she make him something to thank him for letting her stay with him.
So rarely you meet someone who is like yourself, that much she knew. He was a drifter, much like she felt, just riding the waves of time. They were intwining with society, but they did not belong, not in this world and time.
"Emphasis on basic, but I'm relieved you like it," Merlin replied with a pleasant smile as relief spread through him. He was still much too used to Arthur's demands and reprimands, he was not used to people just happily accepting what he offered them. It was nice.
He paused as he did his best to recall what was in his kitchen for it had been largely neglected over his years of waiting. Once it had been quite certain that Arthur was not going to return for quite sometime, Merlin had grown oddly depressed and lost and that reflected in his neglecting his daily needs. "I believe I do have the basic baking necessities," Merlin managed a reply after a moment, "I hope it's enough. What do you have in mind Ceri?"
(Source: onesideofthecoin)
"I have to say, more muscle on you than I had imagined. You are thinner then I thought you would be as well, considering how much time you spend in the tavern." Arthur wanted to know more about the other's body, temptation to order him to drop his pants hanging over him like a dark, twisted cloud. The prince stood, walking over to lock his door and pull the curtains. "And the rest?" The temptation had pulled over him completely, curiosity and desire to see all of the other winning over him.
The tavern…
Merlin had begged Gaius to stop using that as an excuse for his missing whereabouts.
Nevertheless Merlin's mind was mostly occupied by Arthur's compliments on his body, "um thank you sire," he replied uncertainly as he watched the prince lock the doors and pull the curtains to obscure the windows.
"The rest sire?" he had managed to choke out then. He suspected this whole ordeal had been a slippery slope, the rest of his clothes would be requested by his beloved to disappear off of his body. Still, he was shocked. His mind had fought through his shock and nervousness to enable him to function again. Arthur would not be persuaded otherwise even if his manservant was certain the man would be disappointed. "As you wish," he responded hesitating briefly before taking off his boots and socks. He then hooked his thumbs on his trousers to pull them off of his thin body. With shaking hands and a great deal of anxiety, Merlin gripped his underwear and pulled them off in a quick fluid motion before he could think otherwise.
The naked warlock then stood there in front of his sire and love completely naked, with his arms wrapped awkwardly around himself and a deep blush on his face, as he awaited Arthur's response.
(Source: onesideofthecoin)