Writing: the Blathering

Okay, this comes across as way bitter, and I'm really not. I just found the concept amusing and went with it, hopefully you can get a laugh out of it. Or at least a wry grin.

On Sending a Love Poem

So that poem I said I wrote a poem about, a couple posts back. Well here is the meta poem...

Grains of Paradise

Medieval spice traders sold a variety of peppercorn called Grains of Paradise when they couldn't get their hands on black pepper. They claimed that it was taken from the stream that flows out of the garden of Eden as a way of inflating the price.
They are still available through specialty spice traders and they have a lovely, complex, rich flavor.

Accidental Sonnets

I actually wrote a sonnet entirely on accident the other day, and it was halfway decent but it was for two very specific people, so I won't post it here.

Grease Burns and Coffee Stains

Flash fiction and poetry, what is this, 2009? Hopefully I'm better now than I was then.

How I Will

Hmmm... I guess I'm in a mood tonight

Swirled Rooster

I haven't posted here in months! YEAH! Thaaatttt's terrible, I've been doing a lot of book arts stuff (ohlookafacebookgroupderp) for Paper Tapir. And ohmygod the Fruit of the Loom guys are riding ponies and pretending to be crazy medieval dudes---but I digress. Recently been doing a bunch of free hand inking. Here's the rooster from a couple days ago. Colors dropped in Photoshop. Yerp.

The Hunt

I cranked this out after class let out early, it doesn't make much sense, may work as a mood piece, but I really enjoyed writing it, a nice change of pace from my second novel and the play that I'm working on...

I've been really moving stuff around an unearthing old art I did in the past few years. It feels like "new"! This image really is new. It's a digital composition I created using a photo of a painting I'm working on (in progress, very "sketchy" atm) and some photos of ceramics I painted last year. Final form tbd.

Remembrance

Um, first thing I wrote on my new computer? Not very good, but...

Once

Just a little exercise, but it made me smile, so.

Every night

Umm, I'm really not sure about this...

And Silence in the Forest

But not silence from me! I finished something, shocking, I know. It's only like 3000 words, but hey, its a thing. Please, please, please tell me if it sucks, because if no one does I'm submitting it to a workshop in nine days...

An Apology and a Plug

First, I haven't written anything in far to long, life has been busy and ennui inducing, and what I have written has been scribbled into a notebook and not good enough for me to bear typing up.

On a more positive note, my story Yes, I Am was featured today on 365 Tomorrows. So, that's cool.

Once I've moved I assure you all I'll be posting again.

The Rover's Band

The title really doesn't fit...

Comic (sans text)

I've been experimenting with different styles to continue my comic (found here), and after wrestling with both my tablet, and various digital artwork programs, this is my favorite:

What type of feeling do you get from it?

I'm trying for a kind of wistful, slightly sad, but kind of dreamy feel.

This Place

I guess this captures my mood right now. Not really sure why though.

Character Concepts

Some character concepts for an animation, will probably get to work sketching out movements this weekend ^___^

Eddies in Stone

Not sure if I like this or not, might expand it at some point. It definitely ties into this setting that's developing itself against my better judgement... Oh well.

Switching Stations

It starts quite rough but, I think, gets better.

The Patron Saint of Dead Bikers

I don't know if this works as well as I would like it to. I may revisit it sometime.

The Emerald City

I like the beginning at least, I may use it for something more worth while in the future.

One Line at a Time

I never post anything that isn't a crappy webcammmm~ Worked on this while doing the movie marathon today. Yay!

Strange Constellations

Written more because I haven't written anything in almost a week than because I had any real inspiration.

Chekhov's Gun

Hey.

On St. Matthew's Hill

It's a thing! It's also short, but not so short as my last offering, so it won't waste much of your time.

Flash Fiction?

How do you name a story that is a sentence and a half long? I really don't know. Anyway, since my introduction is now longer than the story here goes...

He saw the world as a blank book, if he chose to write a tragedy? So be it.

That's it, does it work? I think it does. Anyway, working on a novella, almost done.

Crab Man!

When I started drawing this was going to be a man on a horse. Huh. I'm not exactly sure what happened.

Home eventually

Our flight out of Pusan is delayed, so I figured I should update the too many blogs that I post on. The trip was a lot of fun. There's so many photos to go through right now, it's not even funny. It's just sort of sad. Didn't do too much drawing, as there was a lot to do every day. Here are two doodles though.

The Forest of Twisting Cloth

This began as a shared idea with my friend Emme for a possible installation piece, and the first line sort of floated into my head. It's a fantasy, and my first real return to my favorite form of storytelling in a while, I kind of like it actually.

Game Over Rough Composite

A cram towards the end and I'm done shooting. The composite is rough and very unfinished, but I have other projects to do that take priority so I might not get back to this for some time.

I'm not really happy with how it looks, because the equipment just wasn't very good, but I learned a couple things.

Music:

Kabooom! https://8bc.org/members/DEER/

Inking practice

The Story

"All of this is true, mostly." - Kurt Vonnegut

Chalk Marks

Every morning the names of the dead were found, etched above the door, and we gathered and stared and then silently dispersed. Sometimes, especially early on, a few of us would stay behind crying. In those days we brought offerings of food or flowers, our little sacrifices to unknown gods, a symbol to ward off ill-fortune as much as a gesture of condolence.

Redgirl Coloring

Well, the fun detail seems to get lost here... but whatevs. I'm still busy.

This is not how I want my model colored for my animation, it was just the newest lineart I had around to use for my last coloring assignment. Any issues?

Btw, my stop motion piece will be done by friday, otherwise I have socializing to do and moving.

Also is everyone just busy? or is the blog dying? :/

Masquerade

I'm not dead, I'm just spending 80 percent of my time in a black windowless room where no one can see me. And, well, finals.

I made this title card for Meg Hamann's senior project short animated film. It's super awesome and you should totally see it and the other seniors' films (including Jacob's) at the film screening next Friday at MCAD. DO IT.

A Sacrament

As promised, one of those rather short short stories I write in an hour or two and inflict on you people.

Sunset scratchboard

Well,

As none of you likely care enough to remember, you have been largely spared my updates due to my being buried up to my elbows in a novel. Well, you're out of luck, the first draft is done and, while I have a couple of ideas for other long pieces (one novella and another novel) I will likely be focusing on shorter works again for a while, there are three or four ideas especially that I'm interested in exploring. So that's neat.

I would love to be able to post an excerpt or something to prove my point, but I really don't know what I could post out of context that would have any meaning.

So back again, it's been quite a while (oh noes!). These are a bunch of doodles I did the other day trying to establish a good lead/antagonist to a short animation I want to do. Specifically, the beginning of this song evokes images of a surly giant thundering into a town (think like a western, but mythical and w/ different architecture).

Any opinions on which doodle I should expand from?

Just a little bit of Florence underneath those Cheerios. Ah, so shiny.

Tooth fairy back from vacation

This started out as a scifi drawing, then became steampunk, and now is finally a modern tooth fairy. I have no idea how that happened.

z day

Getting down there. Almost time to install. These pots are both the same view of San Marco's, one stretched outward and one pulled in.

Mother?

Inspired by a true story... a poem, after the break.

So Cold it Burns

Playing around with GIMP, and brushes I could find online.

Where has Shannon been?

I've managed to drop the ball hardcore on this, between school, packing for my eventual moving back in with the parents and getting a new job. I have been working on some things, but it's more on the every-3-days schedule instead of daily >_>

Here's some doodles from a comic I've been working on for a while! These are all directly scanned from my sketch book, eventually I'll get around to cleaning them up with Photoshop...

Secretly tiny

It's a jellyfish onion...onion jellyfish...thing. Yep. :\

One of my most successful so far, this is the front steps of the Duomo in Florence.

this is where my thesis is...red clay, black drawing on white slip, pot cross sections defining the frames of my drawings...I was trying to do insides and outsides of pots, but I'm more strongly pulled to just drawing on the insides. I'm definitely having trouble keeping it uniform throughout my many pieces, so I hope that will be okay in the final install.

More Legos

Project approved. I'm finishing the ground plane with it's bushes and rocks and then I start shooting. 4 weeks to do this sucker. Panic mode has begun. Any readability issues?

Futility in Motion

Poetry? Yeah I do that sometimes, sorry...

It should maybe be called Futility of Motion but whatever. Text after the break

Lego characters

A couple lego characters I made for my stop motion. I shot the health bar yesterday morning, but I still need more legos to finish up the background before I start shooting.

Rough Game Over Animatic

Game Over Rough Animatic from Katrin Haerterich on Vimeo.

This is really rough, but I don't have time to plan much :/ I think some parts in the middle might be a little too fast maybe? Is there anything that's too confusing or not working?

How to use /cut

Hi guys.
Just wanted to give you a heads up, I know some of you are aware of how to use cuts, but it's a good thing to know. Please use a cut if you're posting a lot of text, larger videos or longer embeded media files, more than two or three images, etc.

Cuts will show as a link on your post that will send the reader to the full blog entry. It cuts down on lag and slow loading times on the blog, and post flooding.

Please use: < !--more-- > (no spaces when you add) in the HTML post section of your update, before the content that you want to cut, it will automatically add in the link for the full entry.

Thank you-

Reels

I'm doing resume-y things, so all I have to show atm is demo reels. Here's my general one. Whatcha think?

Generalist Demo Reel from Katrin Haerterich on Vimeo.

This one is more of an FX, and less of a modeling one.

FX demo reel from Katrin Haerterich on Vimeo.

A modeling reel too.

Modeling Reel from Katrin Haerterich on Vimeo.

Rat/Preying Mantis thing

I've been in a bad mmod and watching the syfy channel lately, so here's a a rat/preying mantis thing. :-)

I don't really like the head. I think I might change it to something more insect-like. Here's part of the under-drawing I did.

Bunny Hat

Magic Hat Phenoscope from Katrin Haerterich on Vimeo.

A short zoetrope? I think that's what it's called. It was a small assignment, that I put a little more effort into it.

Lauren here! I'm not sure if this will actually post under my name (as this is the first time I've done this, it's late, and I'm under the influence of Too Much Lady Gaga Music), but here goes:

I, too, have been bitten by the Homestuck bug. Which prompted me to create...this, in homage to the ironic beauty we all know as Hipster Ariel.

Oh, Eridan. You and your godsbedamned Science Stick ruining everything for everyone. May your PBR be eternally warm in whatever layer of Hipster Hell you wind up occupying.

Prrrnnnttss

Good morning! This is the intaglio print that I may or may not have promised from a while back. Whoops. Anyways, umm yeah, sugarlift, whiteground, and aquatint, purposely underwiped because I'm a derp. In other news, I'm super happy, as my Sketch for Japan fund is at almost $200 after only a couple days! :D

Model Portfolio

WOAH, Junior Review was sort of a nightmare to plan for. I made all these turntables.. which took way longer than they should have! So here those are... nothing really new, just more presentable.

Mausoleum Model from Katrin Haerterich on Vimeo.

Deer Model from Katrin Haerterich on Vimeo.

Fluffy Sheep Plushy from Katrin Haerterich on Vimeo.

I also have my vase, which I haven't uploaded yet, and my 'Redgirl' which is still naked and probably counts as 'mature content'.

The Shipyards of Mars

This isn't great, but it's been a while since I did straight sci-fi. This is a setting I may develop further, I was just getting the feel for it really.

Update, and a Renewed Outcy

The book, such as it is, stands at 23,232 words and eight chapters. I will be wrapping the first "act" in the next two chapters and, if all goes well, I will have the rough draft done by mid-April.

That's when things will get interesting. I want to publish it, because damn it I've invested too much time to only have a handful of people read it, but I would rather not go the conventional route. To that end I have created a Kickstarter account for the Chorus.

I'm not asking you to contribute to it, just to take a look, maybe tell some folks, help me spread the word. I don't know what I need, or whether I deserve to get it, but I would appreciate anything really. Even if that is just someone telling me that I'm full of crap and should probably stop wasting my time.

So I thought I should include some of my ceramic art, (now on display at Wilson Library at the U of M) (!), to give some context to my architectural explorations... These pots are actually from the very beginning of last semester, so it's been a while...

edit: oops I should probably mention- photo credit Jerry Mathiason

Man Night

Blue Insano in Scrubs from Katrin Haerterich on Vimeo.

I probably shouldn't have shot at 30fps... oops.

I made a flower.

Strata-cut Experimentation from Katrin Haerterich on Vimeo.

LOOK AT IT GO!

I can't post because THESIS

I AM DOING THESIS THAT IS WHY I HAVE NOT BEEN POSTING

look see that, that is thesis stuff, elements n' the like

WOOOHOOO don't mind me I am crazy

The Engine Man Cometh

So, I hate small towns. May they all die the same death as this one...

Jillian Again

More senior project stuff. Jillian doesn't actually have that color hair, but that's her image color for the project so I guess it sort of makes sense? This is a weird drawing because it's sort of related to the actual project, but more is just me being bored, and scanning something that wasn't inked. Thus the funny lines. Colored and toned. Herpderp. Maybe it should look a little more like...this?
Yeah something like that is a bit more accurate. Though, after discussion with my SP class, Nicholas' color is going to be a bit darker. Jillian and Nicholas apparently suck at finding their way around places. Also, just look at that map, no wonder they're confused!

Redgirl Model

Edit: Here's my current revisions

Um, not sure if titties are allowed on blogger and was too lazy to check, soooo, yah. Anyway, I've been working on this model for over a month, and I need to rig it before Tuesday. So crit ASAP pleaaaaase. It's the same woman that I put concept images up of. I just haven't made her hair or clothes yet. I specifically am having trouble with her shoulder blades and neck. Thoughts?

The Book

So, instead of working on my novel like I should be doing I wrote this little... thing. Allow me to present whatever it is courtesy of Phillip K. Dick and Jorge Luis Borges.

Quick and dirty workup of an image I've had sitting around. Colors are really hard for me without a source I can steal them from.

Expressions

and by expression I mean maniacal laughing.

Dr. Insano's Blue Cousin Can't Laugh. from Katrin Haerterich on Vimeo.

So this one is (my birthday post!) my sister's profile, with an interior church wall background, all set into the dome and skylight of the Pantheon in Rome. My sister is a rockstar! :)

Look I'm being Professional!

I made a business card last night/ this morning after being bitched at the zillionth time about it in class @_@ The smoke cloud will probably have my info text in it, but atm I'm having trouble finding a font that works with lowercase letters and I don't feel like sharing my phone number with the internet. Which reminds me... does anyone think that's important? I'm leaning towards just my e-mail and website.. which I don't have yet, but I will soon. Sorry, rambling. Oh, and the back will be bright yellow :)

On a Moonless Night

This is a singularly poor use of voice, but I like the character and the premise. It's a simple story, and a nice enough one, such as it is.

Awk.

Awk. Awk. Awk.

EDIT: This is fun. Here's another one: "Drama"

My Cry For Help

Nope, not a story. I've been working on what is shaping up to be a novel or novella and so for the next month or two, maybe more, and so I probably won't be updating as much as I was.
Now the cry for help; I've never done anything like this before. This will be by far the longest and most involved story I have ever told and I'm really staggering in the dark. I have an outline and a set of rules as well as the prologue and first chapter written, I would like someone to help with reviewing and editing it but I'm reluctant to post much more of it here. If anyone is interested let me know and I'll share you the documents on gmail.

Thank you,
-Per Wiger

I've been working from photos I took of buildings in Italy...I keep discovering new things in photoshop. I took a bunch of pictures of St. Peter poking out from behind other buildings. Imagine if the architect (got to go look it up...) (Oh no, there were millions of them) Okay, but as I remember it, one of them (maybe Michelangelo himself) really designed it to be seen and admired, especially the dome part, and then everyone built buildings right next to it and a big ol' facade on the front so that a clear view is not actually possible. In any case, St Peter's dome always seemed to be creepin' in the background.

Walking Doll

I suck at stop motion, so hard. Also there was no heat and my hands kept getting numb, and the tripod was broken, and I'm not a happy camper.

Finally starting to get back into ps and some 2 d work! I did this a few weeks ago.

The Hallelujah Chorus

I've had, for some time, an idea. One of the nasty sorts of ideas that takes up residence in ones brain and surfaces, from time to time, just to make you feel bad for not acting on it. It began its germination in a form wholly different from the one that it has begun to take here and will probably evolve beyond recognition before it has exhausted either me or itself.
Suffice it to say that this is the beginning of a longer piece, possibly novel length. It will be a narrative in three parts, each part following a different character; Devin, Gideon, and the as yet unnamed woman that I am thinking of as Holly, a name that I probably can't use for copyright reasons and that wouldn't fit anyway.
The setting is the Twin Cities metro area plus a city in Colorado, probably Boulder, and there will be more overtones of magical realism. Cities and places with strong emotional resonance will have anthropomorphic identities and the death of Minneapolis is what will drive the plot, though in what direction I have not yet decided.
Please, please, please, comment. Give me encouragement or critique and I will be eternally grateful.

Dr. Insano

Did some revising to my stop motion clay guy, I decided to make him look more like Dr. Insano for funzies, or more like Dr. Insano's Jamaican cousin. idk. And of course, I have poor lighting.

My tablet is fixed!

Here's more MSPA fanart. I am now officially obsessed.

Paper doll

Paper doll backed with metal wire for stop motion animation for my final... I hate it already.