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Painting Weirdness with PhotoshopBy Christine Stoddard QuailBellMagazine.com What is your creative background? When did you first fall in love with art? Did you receive any special art education? What unusual experiences, like fellowships or seminars, have you had as an artist? Have you been awarded any art honors? My art path has not been traditional. As a kid, I loved sketching, drawing, etc. In high school, I spent all of my time in the art room where I was fortunate enough to have John Morrow as an instructor. After high school I went my own way. It took me 10+ years to finally get any sort of college degree. I spent most of that time moving around, traveling, making jewelry, working at coffee houses and environmental groups, hopping freight trains, just generally being free spirited. When I finally got around to being a bit more serious about school, my focus was graphic design and literature. Today, I'm a full time freelancer working mainly on book design. Art plays a part in that, of course, but I also do art shows and participate in Atlanta's emerging artist scene. I'd have to say that the best moments are when the books and art come together. For example, I just did two covers for Bearport Publishing's Scary Places series: Wretched Ruins & Dark Labyrinths and that rocked! The Breadcrumbs widget will appear here on the published site.
Paws Up for Cuteness! By Margaret Amonette
QuailBellMagazine.com Hello Kitty’s esteemed Furry Tail Theater brought Japan’s magical world of Sanrio to American households everywhere in 1987. As I have not watched Sanrio broadcasting since the early 90s, it delighted me to see it again in 2011 - thank the Netflix super-gods for that. Kitty’s premiere episode showcased her critter friends collaborating to put on two plays: The Wizard of Paws and Pinocchio Penguin. Curtains whisked aside, the audience plunges into Kitty’s fantasy worlds with the resonating opening: Once upon a Meow. The series writers manage to follow the classic tales accurately while incorporating Sanrio’s personal flair. Hello Kitty’s sexy feline-thespian rival Catnip plays evil characters in each play. Kitty herself plays the heroes, absolutely nailing her roles as Hello Dorothy and Hello Fairy. As the characters travel through Anchovy City and Pinocchio’s Venice, the audience will laugh and delight in Kitty’s defeats. Furry Tail Theater proved a very cute, lively series guaranteed to please Sanrio fans whether you were four years old in 1987 or you’re four years old now. Give it a watch. The Breadcrumbs widget will appear here on the published site.
Let's Go VCU Rams! (Retroactive chant.) By Christine Stoddard
QuailBellMagazine.com Originally written in response to VCU v. Kansas during March Madness 2011. Who would've thought that college basketball would find a place on Quail Bell? Still crying, Kansas? Virginia Commonwealth University Rams must actually be baphomets--the goat deity of pagan lore that Christianity adapted as a symbol of Satanism in the 1800s . How else would the relatively obscure basketball team so easily humiliate the famous Jayhawks? VCU's known mostly for its scruffy hipsters, not its growling athletes. Someone must have lit some candles and uttered the right spells for Richmond to even have a chance in March Madness. Just further evidence that fairytales may have some relevance in modern life after all. The Breadcrumbs widget will appear here on the published site.
Tombstone Photo EssayBy Christine Stoddard Photography by Katy Rhodes QuailBellMagazine.com With verdant, rolling hills, artisan headstones, and historical gems galore, Richmond, Virginia's largest cemetery is definitely worth the visit. May these photos convince you to check out the 130-acre Hollywood Cemetery: The Breadcrumbs widget will appear here on the published site.
History of Long-haired Girls Locked in TowersBy Sandra Scholes
QuailBellMagazine.com Rapunzel is a German word with several meanings, like "field salad" or "lamb’s lettuce." In other versions of the same story, her name can also be changed to Persille or Parsley. The different types of tales all have a similar title; Petrosinalla by Giambattista Basile; Persinette by Mademoiselle de la Force and Die Padde by Johanne Gustav Busching. Although it is believed the brothers Grimm were the first to pen the fairy tale, there have been a few writers who have wrote the story before them; in fact the brothers Grimm were the last to write their own Rapunzel once they had seen one of the stories previously, and only then they were blissfully unaware of the other versions out there. Looking at the list of years and titles below it is interesting to find how they have changed over the years: The Breadcrumbs widget will appear here on the published site.
Puffy Elizabethan DressesBy Christine Stoddard QuailBellMagazine.com Flashback to May 5-7, 2011 at Lake Anna Winery in Staffordshire, Virginia. The Breadcrumbs widget will appear here on the published site.
Making Magic in the LabBy Doe Deere
QuailBellMagazine.com When I embarked on my lipstick-making journey, there was one question I was asked over and over by everyone I met. It was usually said with a note of surprise or disbelief in voice: “So, how exactly do you make lipstick?” It’s something I’ve often wondered myself. Specifically, how a girl like me who nearly failed chemistry in school, ended up in an industry that involves labs, chemists and long-tailed formulas. It’s no secret that I am no scientist – I couldn’t tell you the atom weight of cobalt or the melting point of titanium. But what I do know is that I live & breathe color, and have been using cosmetics long enough to know what works and doesn’t work for me. So that’s the approach I decided to take with my line: as a consumer. In other words, make something that I would use! There are 3 key elements to making lipstick: Formula Color Packaging The Breadcrumbs widget will appear here on the published site.
Musing about Mythology through PaintingBy Josephine Stone
QuailBellMagazine.com Mythology and animals meet in the artwork of Lynnette Shelley, a Philadelphia-area artist and vocalist for progressive rock band The Red Masque. Having quit her day job in 2007, Shelley works full time creating mixed media art and freelancing graphic and web design. Shelley's contemporary art has a particular style that frequently utilizes Celtic myth, instigated by a fascination with the Book of Kells. Despite keeping busy with the art shows she has almost every month, Shelley took a break, letting Quail Bell pick her brain for her inspiration, influences, and upcoming shows. What is your inspiration? Lots of things; growing up, I had my first big "ah-ha!" moment in art when I saw Celtic art, specifically the Book of Kells. I also like mythology and animals. I'm interested in archetypes, symbols, and patterns, which I try to use in my art. For example, last night I finished a piece called "The Locust" that depicts an Old Testament prophet-like guy, like John that Baptist. I like to use specific images. My art is a hodgepodge of the different things I've read. The Breadcrumbs widget will appear here on the published site.
Disney, don't you guys know your fairytales?By Ani Mikaelian
QuailBellMagazine.com Disney is pretty infamous for taking popular fairytales of all kinds and putting them on the big screen, aiming to entertain children and adults at the same time and providing a signature happy ending. For someone’s who’s been a Disney fan ever since she was born (the same year Disney’s take on The Little Mermaid) had been released, I have to say I now have a bone to finally pick with the popular company. The Breadcrumbs widget will appear here on the published site.
Carroll & Tenniel's Team EffortBy Christine Stoddard
QuailBellMagazine.com Often considered “the greatest revolution in nursery literature” (Lochhead 117) by literary critics and art historians alike, Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (1865) presents a famously puzzling story. Perhaps even more puzzling than the story itself, however, is the paradoxical way Carroll’s words interact with Tenniel’s engravings. The story communicates the idea that perception is reality, yet only Tenniel’s visual interpretation accompanies the story. The mere existence of Tenniel’s illustrations then contradicts the story’s central message: because everyone has their own interpretation of their environment and the events taking place in that environment, absolute truth simply does not exist. The Breadcrumbs widget will appear here on the published site.
Not Exactly Lucky Charms MaterialBy Miranda Schmidt
QuailBellMagazine.com Today we celebrate it with funny green costumes, parades, and plenty of Guinness, but St. Patrick’s Day wasn’t always about fun and frivolity. In fact, for much of the 20th century, pubs in Ireland were legally required to stay closed on March 17 in honor of Patrick, the medieval saint who brought Christianity to Ireland. The Breadcrumbs widget will appear here on the published site.
Fantastical FlorenceBy Cheyenne Glenn QuailBellMagazine.com Picture this: It's the dead cold; maybe a frigid 20 degrees outside. The car is warm, it’s safe, and the radio is on. This is supposed to be comforting, but given popularity these days, you're likely to hear a ton of top 40 songs beaten to death by synthesizers and auto tune. I'm not exactly sure where this electronica fad came from or why it's topping charts left and right, but something must be done. I blame Jersey Shore, which seems to be an adequate scapegoat for a lot of things these days...tans, bump its, Snookie...I digress. The point is we seem to be leaving behind the music essentials as we try to forge a new musical frontier with electronics like synthesizers (whose weight as an actual instrument is questionable at best). This isn't to say that all electronic driven music is terrible, but let's just say that it's a good thing all artists haven't followed suit. You still have the Black Keys, Paramore, Florence + The Machine...they stay true to their sound despite current fads, an admirable quality. The Breadcrumbs widget will appear here on the published site.
Pull Out the Pink PaintBy Doe Deere QuailBellMagazine.com This now hangs in my lilac living room: Before: It's hard to believe this started out as a simple wooden box from Michael's crafts and supplies. I re-painted it aqua and hot pink, pasted in different backgrounds and voila! Pretty doll house for unicorns! There are certain themes that you'll find throughout the Unicorn House--cupcakes, stars, bells and of course unicorns. The Breadcrumbs widget will appear here on the published site.
A Collection of Punk FairytalesFor immediate release
Elwin Cotman (301) 538 4667 elwin.cotman@gmail.com The Jack Daniels Sessions EP Explores Myth and History A Washington D.C. punk club gets a visit from very ancient—and dangerous—guests. The mythic and the mundane collide at a general store in the segregated South. A young boy becomes apprentice to the Angel of Death. Fantasy author Elwin Cotman explores these possibilities and more in The Jack Daniels Sessions EP (150 pp., tpb, $12.00), a collection of five folkloric, urban fantasy and dark fantasy stories told from an African-American perspective. The Jack Daniels Sessions EP is his debut collection. Charles Saunders, author of the “Imaro” series, says of Cotman’s blend of the contemporary and mythical: “The Jack Daniels Sessions EP is revolutionary, riveting and remarkable. Elwin Cotman’s prose grabs you from word one, and you don’t want it to let you go. This book marks the unveiling of a major new voice in science fiction and fantasy.” The Jack Daniels Sessions EP takes new spins on mythic tropes, while telling deeply human stories. In “Dead Teenagers,” a high school student’s relationship troubles lead her into direct contact with urban myth. “How Brother Roy Lost His Dog, Twice” is a story reminiscent of Zora Neale Hurston, in which a Florida logger has to adjust his grieving process when he finds the dead do not stay at rest. Cotman uses folk vernacular in particular pieces, adopting the language of oral storytelling for these uniquely American tales. Michael S. Begnal, author of Ancestor Worship, says: “Cotman’s interests are wide-ranging: Punk rock intersects with D.C.’s Dominican community, African-American folktale intersects with Greek myth, Goth teen suburban angst in 1990s Ohio sits side by side with racist atrocity in the pre-Civil Rights South . . . Yeah, there’s magic in some of these stories, but the real magic is in Cotman’s words themselves—stark and deadpan one moment, lushly descriptive the next.” Elwin Cotman is pursuing his MFA at Mills College in Oakland, CA. He studied Creative Writing at the University of Pittsburgh and University of Maryland. He is currently at work on an audiobook and a novella. Cotman’s website is www.lookmanoagent.blogspot.com. ISBN 1926616170 To place orders for the book, contact: CreateSpace 7290-B Investment Drive North Charleston, SC 29418 Phone: (843) 789-5000 Fax: (843) 760-0532 For wholesale orders: https://www.createspace.com/pub/l/createspacedirect.do?rewrite=true To arrange a book signing or interview, contact Elwin Cotman at elwin.cotman@gmail.com. The Breadcrumbs widget will appear here on the published site.
Start Shining that SilverBy Sandra Scholes QuailBellMagazine.com Preparation is of the utmost importance if you want to give your own tea party that special touch, as it is not just as it is not just about inviting your friends and relations round for a nice time. In 1876, Victorian England tea parties were all the rage, and to be invited to one was certainly something to talk about. Back then it was a social affair, so the hosts made a big deal out of how elegant and extravagant it was as far as the tea party’s appearance looked. It can be extravagant, but only if you want it to. If you prefer to go the whole hog, then you will want to make it as detailed and special as you can. By Christine Stoddard But before you plan your own tea party there is a chance you might want to learn more about the history.
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Victoriana Comes to LifeBy Christine Stoddard
QuailBellMagazine.com On the best of days, Nancy Lowden coordinates a whirlwind of enchanting historical interpretation events for Maymont Mansion, the heart of a beautiful estate-turned-beloved-public park in Richmond, Virginia. Broadly, Nancy's task is to get Maymont's visitors excited about the Victorian and Edwardian eras. Whether that means throwing a Mother's Day tea party or arranging horse-drawn carriage rides, she helps bring the lives of the former Maymont owners, Mr. and Mrs. Dooley, into modern Richmond context. More specifically, as Maymont's Historical Program Manager, Nancy designs engaging tours and celebrations, decorates the mansion, oversees the mansion's gift shop, coordinates historically-themed birthday parties and, most notably, runs a vast costume shop. Running that costume shop is what gives her most pleasure. The Breadcrumbs widget will appear here on the published site.
Some Words on VillainsBy Anica Lewis
QuailBellMagazine.com Most of the fantasy I've written has been without villains. Stakes, yes, and tension, but not the kind that comes from a single strong antagonist character throwing Donkey Kong barrels of plot at the protagonist. Recently, I finished a story that does have a villain, but found my excitement about this tempered by a suspicion that he might be fluffy. By "fluffy," I mean something incorporating "too sympathetic" and "not nasty enough." To elaborate, I will lay out the major villain types as I see them. The Breadcrumbs widget will appear here on the published site.
Wizardry and MusicBy Cheyenne Glenn
QuailBellMagazine.com Somewhere in between the wizard world and the muggle world, lie Harry and the Potters, a precocious rock duo, with a taste for punk and magic. Brothers, Paul and Joe DeGeorge formed Harry and the Potters back in 2002 with no other goal than to just have a good time playing songs about the books they loved. Eight years later, the duo shows no signs of stopping. The Breadcrumbs widget will appear here on the published site.
A Poppy Avant Garde Band By Ani Mikaelian QuailBellMagazine.com Organic sound derives a whole new meaning when New York’s own If By Yes is concerned. If by any chance the name hits a note of familiarity, the poem “Anyone Lived in a Pretty How Town” by E.E. cummings will refresh your memory. The group was formed by Petra Haden and Yuka Honda through sheer dumb luck. Haden and Honda weren’t always so fortunate with musical chemistry, and their past is made up of separate projects, which ultimately led them to where they are now. It was a day back in the ‘90s when their story began, with Haden and Honda both apartof separate bands. A friendship blossomed inevitably from the similar interest in music, one so unique that any adjective wouldn’t do it justice.
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Fairytale Fashion the Wal-Mart WayBy Christine Stoddard Photography by Michael Spanel QuailBellMagazine.com “Picture yourself in an enchanted forest in a land far, far away, ever so long ago…” Fairytale fashion is a very unique genre of clothing and accessories, including everything from cloaks to daggers to chokers to velvet robes. Many women focus so heavily on the latest trends and looking current that they forget to explore fashion as an art. In doing so, they remain ignorant of fashion's breadth and depth, and may not even be aware that fairy tale fashion exists at any time of year other than Halloween. Yet the range of possibilities is one of the most intriguing aspects of studying fashion. Fashion brings together both the benefits of materiality and immateriality, even if society focuses mainly on its materiality. (Yes, yes, we have all heard people stereotype Fashion Design and Merchandising majors as "materialistic airheads.") Fairytale fashion, for example, unites myriad immaterial topics, from literature to philosophy to religion, into one material garment that represents particular historical influences and mindsets. The Breadcrumbs widget will appear here on the published site.
Not Just for HalloweenBy Ani Mikaelian QuailBellMagazine.com If you are a true fan and participant of Halloween, then you know what comes in the territory of special effects makeup. If not, well, you still have plenty of time to learn. If you are familiar with movies, most of which are apart of this century, then you have a basic idea of what components are used to put the special effects in makeup. For example, any popular horror flick has used special effects one way or another—definitely something Universal Studios is famous for incorporating into their pictures. The Breadcrumbs widget will appear here on the published site.
The Unicorn Queen SpeaksBy Samantha Highfill QuailBellMagazine.com A self-identified unicorn queen, Doe Deere is famous in the fairytale world. She’s the creator of the highly successful Lime Crime Makeup and she keeps her fans up to date with her very own blogazine. A model and entrepreneur, Doe Deere works hard to “spread glee” to those around her. Here are some of the questions Quail Bell could not resist asking her: What is it about the fairytale world that fascinates you the most? Why?
My interest in fairytales began early on–most kids grew out of it, but I never did. The world of fairytales is the world where anything is possible–and that’s how I want my world to be! I love fairytales of all kinds–ancient and new, silly and deep-as long as there is magic of some sort, I’m in! The Breadcrumbs widget will appear here on the published site.
Werewolf WoeBy Michelle Labbé QuailBellMagazine.com Werewolves always get the short end of the stick. Or at least it seems that way sometimes. Time and time again, werewolves are pitted against vampires in the battle for our cultural affection, and time and again they're shunted aside, playing a perpetual second fiddle to the children of the night. Somehow it's the vampire who always gets the girl, not the werewolf. (Even when the vampire's a sparkly wuss and the werewolf rides a sweet motorcycle.) Buffy the Vampire Slayer's token werewolf, Oz is at least sympathetic, and he even snags resident overachiever Willow for his girlfriend, but he disappears after Season 4, while the vampire Angel gets a whole series to himself in which to vent his angst. Don't even get me started on the fate of Remus Lupin. Werewolves deserve more. They deserve better. I've been researching werewolf literature out of the conviction that there must be more out there. That there must be stories in which the werewolf wins out, where the werewolf is more human than beast. Werewolf legends are essentially about human nature, after all: about the battle between society's mores and our more primal impulses, about losing control and giving in to anger or fear or sexual desire, about how we all go a little mad sometimes.
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My Journey to Flapper Elegance By Erin Maloney QuailBellMagazine.com My style, like the sea, is ever changing. One day I’m a rock star, and the next I’m America’s girl next door and then some. I could never pin down one single look for myself, only make every look I like my own. One of my recent styles is the flapper look. Everything I learned about dressing like a flapper I learned from Velma Kelly in Chicago. All you need is the classic bob, killer make-up, and a whole lot of sass. If you have those down, the rest will come with it. And maybe a slight obsession with YouTube. For me it all began with the bob. One day, I took up a pair of scissors, cut my bangs straight across my forehead, and cut the rest of my hair to chin length. Deciding that a blond bob just wasn’t going to do it for me, I also dyed my hair dark brown. There, that’s better. It wasn’t until afterwards that I realized Ah-ha! I know this look! It was only a matter of time before I started developing the rest of my look.
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Vintage Fashion on Cary StreetBy Julie DiNisio QuailBellMagazine.com In historic Richmond, Virginia, the past is always in communion with the present. Just take a drive down Monument Avenue or a visit to Hollywood Cemetery and it should be obvious. However, a relationship with a richly historic past doesn’t necessarily have to involve monuments to the dead– Bygones Vintage Clothing bridges the gap between past and present with fashion. By Christine Stoddard |
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