Ink, Watercolor and Gouache on Paper…

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Lawrence Yang

Beware of Tangents…

The Counseling Center had an open house today and free plants. This is Bernice. I don't know where the name came from but while I was trying to be a photographer (which I am not in the slightest, notice the blurriness of the image if you haven't already, sorry about that) the name blossomed in my mind… pun totally intended (honestly, when someone says "pun not intended" 9 times out of 10 they were, so they're lying, and the 1 time it's them not realizing they said it but everyone else did so everyone else laughs or groans or moans which ever you prefer… or any other -oan words… then it takes you a second to figure out what they're laughing about and you look like an idiot. So I own up to my puns because I can make myself look like an idiot anytime thank you)… ummm *looking back to see what I was talking about before* so, I'm hoping the plant won't die on me. The wonderful women at the center told me to give it a good amount of sun (on my bookshelf next to my window…check) and water it every few days. I can do that.

I have another plant, Bernie, and he's a one of the small bamboo plants you can get at New Age Creations, but Bernie was purchased from Ikea actually. But he requires minimal, and I mean minimal sunlight and I change his water three weeks. I'm hoping that Bernice will bring out my… well I was going to say nurturing side but I'm already that… I hope it bring about a good side of me. They say that old people with plants will live longer than those without them because you're driven every day to take care of something, the plant. I have an old soul, so maybe it'll be revitalized because I have no one here to take care of (that sounds sad…)

Maybe I'll find out that I have a green thumb. If so maybe I can go live in Central Park and press my green thumb to the grown and, magically, flowers and other flora will grow. I better be careful of not upsetting those who live in the Kingdom of Trolls because flowers are prohibited there. Maybe if I go down there and show them how truly beautiful and wonderful flowers are they wouldn't be so angry and miserable… like other people I know…

The League of Ivy…

I don't know what it is about Ivy League schools but I've always been attracted to them. Something about the feel of it. I love the prep look that's associated with it, it's a classic.

I love to imagine myself walking to class in the middle of autumn wearing an off-white Oxford shirt, navy knit tie, slate gray cardigan with brown trim, brown leather belt with a brass buckle, khakis slightly rolled up to show off my red socks and brown wing-tipped shoes. I'd be carrying my books in my vintage leather backpack. And I'd also have a 1950s bike.

Having attended Buffalo State College for one year I got the feel of having a campus. Now at the Fashion Institute I don't have that. I'd love to throw a football in the middle of campus or sit under a tree doing homework with friends. I can go to one of the many parks here but it just isn't the same.

I've always wanted to experience a New England autumn. The picturesque trees, sidewalks crowded with leaves of orange, red, yellow, brown…

Some of my favorite movies and books are set in New England and or prep schools. The Dead Poet Society, Mona Lisa Smile, A Separate Peace by John Knowles. I love a good bildungsroman. (I just learned that word right now when I went to look up the author of A Separate Peace on Wikipedia and the novel was described as a "bildungsroman." It is German for "formation novel" or more commonly known as a coming-of-age novel.) I really enjoy reading about boys, usually teenagers or young men in their early twenties, maturing and becoming men.

I just wanted to mention that I'd be on the volleyball and crew teams.

I have also been intrigued with the clubs, the traditions that have been kept alive and also the secret societies. I'd be the student to get out of bed after-hours to go with my friends to a secret club meeting. A club that has been only a whisper throughout the outside student body. Harry Potter comes to mind. I can see myself living in a place just like Gryffindor Tower.

The college halls… how breath taking. I wish I knew more about architecture to describe them… but I guess that's what the pictures are for right? The brick buildings, the clock tower, the ivy growing up the sides…

…and one more thing…

I just had to include this…

This is Yale's mascot, Handsome Dan. Throughout the decades multiple Handsome Dans have been kidnaped by Harvard and Princeton students all because of their hatred for each other… ugh I love it. There have been 17 Handsome Dans and I would just like to go over each one by stating their original name, if given, and why they retired.

Handsome Dan I - 1889-1897; moved overseas to his original master

Handsome Dan II - 1933-1937; died of a broken leg

Handsome Dan III - 1937-1938; retired due to emotional instability, fear of crowds

Handsome Dan IV - 1938-1949; spine fracture due to a car

Handsome Dan V - 1940-1947; "Bull", died of old age

Handsome Dan VI - 1947-1949; died mysteriously at age 2

Handsome Dan VII - 1949-1952; retired due to emotional instability, bad temper

Handsome Dan VIII - 1952; retired due to emotional instability, intense discomfort with public appearances

Handsome Dan IX - 1953-1959; "Danny", died of acute kidney disease

Handsome Dan X - 1959-1969; "Woodie" aka "Boodnick", retired due to old age

Handsome Dan XI - 1969-1974; "Oliver", retired due to arthritis

Handsome Dan XII - 1975-1984; "Bingo", only female Handsome Dan, was kidnapped by Princeton students and was eventually returned

Handsome Dan XIII - 1984-1995; 1996; "Maurice", retired due to old age, twice

Handsome Dan XIV - 1995-1996; "Whizzer" aka "Hetherbull", died of a heart attack

Handsome Dan XV - 1996-2005; "Louis", unknown death

Handsome Dan XVI - 2005-2006; "Mugsy Ragoon", still living

Handsome Dan XVII - 2006- ; "Sherman"

Toilet Paper Roll…

Art by Anastassia Elias

I'd Live Like This…

Steampunk

A subgenre of speculative fiction [which covers science fiction, alternative history, horror and fantasy] that is commonly set in an anachronistic [noun that seems to be displaced in time; belonging in another time] Victorian or quasi-Victorian alternative history setting with an emphasis on aviation. Mainly, it's set in the "past" with modern technological developments that were accomplished with the technology present in that time period.

In other words…these people live in the Victorian past and everything runs on steam.

I love watching movies set in this time…there are a lot of gears and goggles.

Cuddle Time…

Cuddle

[verb] to hold close in one's arms as a way of showing love or affection

[noun] a prolonged and affectionate hug

Being the cuddle connoisseur that I am, I have started a list of different cuddling positions and the names of such. (I'm going to use the male as the dominant figure and the female as the secondary)

1. Traditional - Male on his back with his arm around the female's shoulders with her head between his chest and shoulder. She either has her arms against his side or one arm around his waist.

2. The Clinger - Male is in the Traditional position and the female has one arm around his waist and one leg on top of his.

3. The Hanger - Male is in the Traditional position and the female has one arm holing his clavicle, more commonly known as the collar bone, or his sternum, the small dip between the two clavicles. Her leg could either be at his side or on top of him.

4. The Spoon - A very common and well known position, I don't think I need to explain it.

5. Reverse Spoon - The best way to explain this position is like this: Imagine two people spooning, now flip the "little spoon," the female, so she is facing the big spoon, the male. Now with the knees still bent, fit her knees above his, not on top of. (My lesbian friend Lindsay and wanna-be-lesbian-friend Gabby showed me this.)

6. The Zipper - Male and female are facing each other, male with his leg on the bed, female with hers on top of his, his on top of hers and finally her leg on top. This could be done in conjunction with the Spoon.

7. The Burrower - Either the male or the female burrows their head in between the body and bed of the other party.

8. The Knot - Usually both are facing each other and appendages are intertwined in a comfortable way for both parties.

9. The Cuddle Puddle - A group of three or more people cuddling with one another creating a big pile of cuddle love. (Primarily done by theatre kids and extending friends of.)

Things I Love...

...cupcakes...

...happy socks...

...greenhouses...

...tree houses...

...castle rubble...

...book shelves...

...trunks...

...and geary clocks...

Carnevale di Venezia...

...I'll just put this on my To-Do List...

Lost in the Dangling Conversations...

Walking. Talking. Not realizing how far you've gone. Losing track of time.

Next to counting the stars, this is my next favorite thing to do. To walk with someone and talk about the most ridiculous things is more than words. Not only are you exercising but you're also having fun! [infomercial?] To get to know someone on a one-on-one level is superior. You're alone with them, no one else to distract. Everyone is different, for the most part, when there's no one else around. You get to know them on a more personal level.

For me, I love to ask the... different questions: What's your favorite color, if you were an animal which would you be, which of the original Power Rangers are you, favorite Greek god(dess), which time period do you want to live it, pick a super power, which Hogwarts house are you in?? You get the idea. I love doing this so much. I always loose the sense of where I am and what time it is, kind of like when I was with Rosie in Tim Horton's, if the best. Getting lost in the depth of the conversation to the point where you look at your cell phone (because honestly, who has a watch anymore?) see the time and say, "No it can't be that late!" What a stimulating moment.

I only go on walks like that with people I feel comfortable with and I tend to let me guard down and talk about things I wouldn't talk about in a group setting or in the daytime. Having that personal feeling with someone does something to the cement that holds my wall up; it's loosened. I feel that happens to the other person too. It's nice to let someone know something sort of secret about you. To confide that one feeling with someone lightens your load just that much more.

But the fun really starts after 2 am. Something happens then where conversations take a turn to the cerebral. You contemplate theories, philosophies, religion, existence, science, things like... what if everyone sees "different colors" but because they grew up with it they see no difference. Like my red is someone else's purple but because we grew up with that you can't tell. I really hope you got that. You talk about the future, the past, what's in store for you. You talk about the ifs of life. Maybe you think back and say "What if I did this..." "What if I was born in a different month..." Oh the ifs! Those are the craziest things in life. But you have to talk about that with someone late at night on a walk, or laying in a field, on someone's back portch, driving... anywhere.

Every person has a different insight to things. Listen to what they have to say, it might be important.

A Cashier's Dream...

Today at work something amazing happened. A woman's total was $63. 59 and paid with two $50's. The change was $36.41. To a regular person that is just another number. But to me, a cashier, it's so much more. giving something $36.41 back as change means you give them one of everything that the drawer can hold. You give them back one 20, 10, 5, 1 and 25¢, 10¢, 5¢ and 1¢. How glorious! It was the first time that happened to me in my almost four years of being a cashier.

I just though you'd like to know that.

Vision Blurred...

"This Brutal House"

Paintings