Free Linguistics Conference and Chalk Festival

Hi, Friends, how have you been? I've been busy with the project in a studio. It's right on a track. Thank you for your patience and support. I miss you so much, Friends. A good lesson was "daily sketching is like an essential exercise." If I do not sketch, my hands get slow. Quick watercolour is my "keeping record, memory" and above all, an "inspiration source." So, even for 5 minutes, I should do quick watercolour every day.

Last 2 weeks, I enjoyed Free Linguistics Conference 2011 and Chalk Urban Art Festival in Parramatta.

The FLC was a great fun.
All presenters have interesting research projects and experts of their favorite areas.
Prof Andy Kirkpatrick is a key speaker on "Yin and Yang rhetoric and the prospects for public discourse in China." Political power has oppressed the freedom of speech in China. Thus, traditionally, writers would not tell things straightforward. Always, the end of writings could imply their real opinions. Andy said with a big smile, "So, always editors marked the last line of an article and sent it back to us. A rest of them had nothing to do with a topic." Interesting. Exactly the same is true of Japanese discourses under the influence of Chinese culture. You may wonder, but true, "Indirect and too polite." A Western rhetoric and essay writing paragraph structures are new concepts for Asian background students grown up in a traditional value system.Dr Phiona Stanley did presentation on " “Fifty k’s south of woop woop”: Making native English speakers more internationally intelligible." Uahahaha!!! What a challenging title! This youngish, enthusiastic and Scottish heritage linguist humorously talked about the power inequality between dominant Englishes(*eg. British & American Englishes) and a socially discriminated English such as a Scottish English. For me, the sample Scottish speech was very hard to follow. Wow...it amazed me so much. Not only advocating the powerless, Phiona's passion goes further to assist non English speaking students and workers at uni, especially, for mutual communication. Bravo~~!! I really hope people like Phiona will come up more and more on the earth. Go, go, Phiona!!

Now, another interesting presentation was Ms Ping Tian, "Publishing emotion: a stratified approach in understanding illustrated facial expressions." The research analyzes face expressions in picture books. But Friends, honest, I've never analyzed them mechanically. For me, facial expressions are things to feel, not for categolizing. Probably, difficult to sort out face expressions by a tiny piece in a face such as an eye brow or a lip etc. Simplification is questionable. My another Q is facial expressions and body language go hand in hand in picture books. Disregarding body language could lead into confusion or contradiction. We know, a smiling face, but with a cheeky body language means showing off, not simply happy. Illustrations capture well these sensitive elements. Sensitive movements in facial muscles and slight body language form a sophisticated message as a whole. It conveys a deep and inscribed message in a character --- I was thinking so and sketching the presenter. Unfortunately, the FLC and the Chalk Festival had a crash. I spent one day each for them. Regarding the Chalk, good sketches were sold there. But I have some.
This is the winner, Jennifer McCracken. She worked till the late 10 o'clock. I sketched her in darkness. Do you know? Jenny worked till 2 in the morning last year and won the first prize. Amazing artist!This is the Best 2D prize winner, Adam Celeban. All artists work so hard. I love them all. When I look back these 2 weeks, drawing and painting are my life, but also found linguistics is important. Both, I need. Linguistics gives me food of knowledge and insights.
And the importance of daily sketches! I try to update every Monday as much as possible, while I'll finish up the middle stage of the project this week.
With all my heart, I'd say, "Thank you, Friends."Happy painting!!

Free Linguistics Conference and Chalk Festival