Full Circle

The last barrier standing between me and being done with my BA thesis was getting a release form signed by my advisor. It’s finals week here at Williams, and she had to proctor the final two-and-a-half hour exam for ARTH 102: Introduction to Western Painting. It was taking place in the massive subterranean auditorium in Bronfman, the [...]

Spectral Bagpipes

The Utrecht school that brought you “The Steadfast Philosopher” now brings you “Alluring Bagpiper”, coming soon to the National Gallery of Art!
Start of classes has been actually pretty exciting. Last night the six majors doing art history theses sat for two hours briefing each on the work that’s been done so far. Curiously, my work [...]

Inside Joke Wallet

That old couple at the Clark? Back again, and this time he was carrying a wicker picnic basket! Too bad it’s 15º outside. Perhaps they were lunching in the penthouse café. Or amidst the compact shelving.
I’m spending my last days here finishing up the paper. It’s been a rather odd Winter Study compared to the other [...]

Wintry Mix

I’ve been continuing work on my preliminary paper for my art history thesis this year. I’ve been reading the literature for months, so now I’m down to looking closely through the major catalogues to figure out what images I’ll want to focus on. It’s a little daunting, but my advisor has provided her usual excellent [...]

Spoons! What are they?

“It was the advent of the salver spoon which changed so much about seventeenth-century Europe. Up till then, it was a backward province; a place of love, but not of lust; a place of culture, but not of high culture. With the advent of this trinket, everything changed.”
I’ve been re-reading Simon Schama’s Embarrassment of Riches. [...]

I never hesitate

 
My days have been quite consumed by work on a design for a Williams College mosque/Islamic center, but I think the results are rather compelling.

Booted and Spurred

Overheard conversation between an adorable elderly couple at the Clark Art Library this afternoon:
Woman (in vague British accent): Do you think you’ll be ready to go soon, dear? I thought we might walk the path around the pasture, it’s so lovely outside.
Man: Oh yes, that sounds wonderful. Twenty minutes?
Woman: I’ll be waiting at the door, [...]

Pre-decorated cupcakes

Attn: Williams Dining Services – It’s not Decorate-Your-Own-Cupcake night if you’re just serving a larger-than-usual variety of cupcakes for dessert.
Not that I’m complaining, really.
News on a buncha buncha burnin’ fronts:

GQ has new frosh! Rob, Rob, Ryann, and Marissa are the proud representatives of the ’11s in our hardy gang. We’re off to a galloping start [...]

Days turn into months

Did classes only start eight days ago? Surely not. This ranks up there with the longest weeks I’ve ever had, and it’s not even finished yet.
All the classes are going great. Italian at 9AM every morning is going to get me down eventually, but the professor is adorable and really good. Rembrandt, Methods, the Mosque [...]

Happy-Busy!

Today (and really most of last week) was the kind of run-around week where, rather than feel exhausted and useless, you only feel exhausted. I’ve been corralling all the recommendations, letters, and forms for my study away program next spring, the Siena School for Liberal Arts.
Thursday was a very big day – I declared as [...]