Monthly Archives: August 2021

Painting a Quick Portrait of Dr. Ramani

Posted on August 31, 2021 by Aya Katz

Sometimes all we need is a short span of time to create a recognizable portrait of someone we know. We all know how certain people look, even if we have never met them. Dr. Ramani is a well known public … Continue reading →

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Kate Gladstone Talks about Errors in Medieval Manuscripts

Posted on August 28, 2021 by Aya Katz

  Handwriting expert Kate Gladstone regaled Julia Hanna and me with many amusing stories about errors and doodles in medieval manuscripts last night. Here are some of the links to the stories and images that Kate shared with us. https://medievalbooks.nl/2018/10/05/doodles-in-medieval-manuscripts/ … Continue reading →

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Filksing with Leslie Fish and Samantha Moore

Posted on August 20, 2021 by Aya Katz

Leslie Fish is a legend in the filk world. Her name is synonymous with great filk music, of which she is the writer, composer and best known performer. Samantha Moore is well known as Mistress Ambra Michelli in the SCA. … Continue reading →

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GrubTerra Black Soldier Fly Larvae for Backyard Chickens

Posted on August 19, 2021 by Aya Katz

I have backyard chickens and ducks. I got them in 2020 when the pandemic started. Recently I was invited to represent GrubTerra, a purveyor of black soldier fly larvae for poulty. GrubTerra is a startup that came out in 2019. … Continue reading →

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A Closer Look at the Clearingwing Hummingbird Moth

Posted on August 16, 2021 by Aya Katz

At the end of the summer season, when all the flowers go to seed, we get to see butterflies and moths at the end of their life cycle. Sometimes at that time, we get a closer look at insects that … Continue reading →

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Colleen Kitchen: How the Pandemic Changed My Art

Posted on August 14, 2021 by Aya Katz

Colleen Kitchen is a multi-instrumentalist and multi-genre artist. She is a singer-songwriter, musician and graphic artist. Julia Hanna and I interviewed her, and she shared her experiences since the pandemic.   Where to find Colleen’s music: Colleen’s music always comes out … Continue reading →

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How to Paint Fast

Posted on August 13, 2021 by Aya Katz

If you sketch with paint, you never have to erase. Continue reading →

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Rudyard Kipling: A General Summary

Posted on August 11, 2021 by Aya Katz

We are very little changed Continue reading →

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Can You Paint alla Prima with Acrylics?

Posted on August 10, 2021 by Aya Katz

Alla prima painting refers to painting fast, wet on wet, without waiting for earlier layers to dry before applying an additional coat of paint. Alla prima paintings are usually completed within a single painting session. The impressionists liked the all … Continue reading →

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An Interview with Professor Esmat Babaii from Iran

Posted on August 7, 2021 by Aya Katz

Last night Julia Hanna and I had the great privilege and pleasure of interviewing Esmat Babaii, an Iranian academician and author. Some of the topics that we discussed include: The effect of social media on scoiety How Covid has affected … Continue reading →

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