New Vids up on the Tricks of the Light YouTube

We like to add a new piece of choreography to the show halfway through the festival season each year. Last year, we brought out our Dragonstaff Duo V. 1.0. Come back next year for Version 2.0!



It was 15 degrees, there was snow on the ground, and I was itching to spin some fire. Just some relaxed fun!

Mandala Products on Zazzle

I've put a lot more designs up on Zazzle! A bunch of them are organized into collections so you can find what you're looking for quickly.

Dorm Room Decor
by Kelsey Byram

Mandala Home Decor
by Kelsey Byram

Ready for Yoga Class
by Kelsey Byram

Norse
by Kelsey Byram

Accessorize!
by Kelsey Byram

Bags, Bags, Bags!
by Kelsey Byram

A Peaceful Office
by Kelsey Byram

Mandala Apparel
by Kelsey Byram

Nature in all its Glory
by Kelsey Byram

I'll Drink to That
by Kelsey Byram

It's all Fun and Games
by Kelsey Byram

Mandala Craft Supplies
by Kelsey Byram

Mandala Designs for Sale on Zazzle!

I've been working on setting up a couple new Zazzle stores (similar to CafePress), one featuring affordable prints of my artwork, and the other featuring my more decorative design art.

My Shattered Sky

This store has New Age/Pagan designs (Mandalas, Norse Runes and Helms of Awe, maybe an enso), and some nature photography.

Helm of Awe Tees by My_Shattered_Sky
Put pictures on shirts at zazzle.

Sunset Mandala by My_Shattered_Sky
Browse Mandala T-Shirts online at Zazzle.com

Zen Duffle Bag with Blue Mandala and Quote Gym Duffle Bag by My_Shattered_Sky
View another Gym Bag at Zazzle

While my "Kelsey Byram Art" store has prints of my fine art paintings!

Kelsey Byram Art

"She Hears Bells in the Birdsong" Fine Art Poster by KelseyByramArt
Check out other Portrait Posters at zazzle.com

Forest Spirit Goddess Watercolor Drawing Wood Wall Art by KelseyByramArt
Check out additional wood canvases at Zazzle

I'm excited to get these going!

More 8-Rings

A couple more short 8-ring videos to follow up the long one:

8-Ring Manipulation

I recently purchased a set of 8-rings (so named because they are shaped like figure-8's, not because there are actually 8 separate rings), and I have found them to be incredibly enjoyable. Manipulating them is like a mix of double staff, contact juggling, hoop, and buugeng.

My left hand is still a bit wonky, and I don't have a "vocabulary" of moves in my head yet to string together smooth "sentences" of movement. Next is to work on developing choreography so I can start to form "sentences."

The Hunt Evolution

The fire video I just posted today was recorded at a live performance at the 2014 Kansas City Renaissance Festival. It's of our "Fight/Hunt" choreography...or, should I say, the most recently evolved version of that choreography. One of the fun things about working together for so many years, and working with the some of the same pieces for so many years, is that we get to keep refining those pieces and exploring the possibilities of how they can evolve. This is our most perfect example.

Back when I was in art school, in 2009, I conceptualized this piece for my Fiber Art class. I was to be the Prey, and Cyricx was to be the Predator.  I designed costumes of linen, leather, wood, stone, and bone (actually the inspiration for the title of this blog). 

Me in the Prey outfit
Photo by Pseudography Image Forge

Cyricx in the "Predator" outfit
Photo by Pseudography Image Forge

We went out to a remote campground with plenty of trails and clearings in the woods, and recorded the first version of "The Hunt."

I danced around lightly, blithely unaware of the predator stalking my every move, until his first attack reveals him! It then becomes a chase - a Hunt - until he captures me at last. Clearly there wasn't much choreographed here - we had a couple of joint moves planned to points in the music (E Muzeki's "MacSuibhene's Trill"), and everything in between was freestyle.

Funny thing was, it was in mid-November, and it was below freezing outside. In these outfits, well, there's no way to wear anything underneath them...ahem...ANYTHING. Cyricx and I had only been dating for a couple months at this point, and maybe it was his willingness to go through this cold hell for my wacky project idea that proved to me that he loved me! (It truly was miserable.)

Then, we wanted to take this piece to the stage at KCRF, with the Sonic Sidhe Tribe. At first, it was only a little more developed than that night in the woods. Performance with the Sonic Sidhe Tribe at KCRF 2009:

And then we structured it more, and explored a more sensual side. Performance with the Sonic Sidhe Tribe, at KCRF 2010 Pubsing:

 


 In 2012, as we were developing Tricks of the Light to be its own stage show, we were exploring using this choreography as part of a dramatic storytelling set. For the story, we needed to have a fight before the Hunt portion, which introduced the section in the beginning before Viollca pulls out the fire fans. The story set was a flop out at the RenFest, but we immediately adjusted our entire show and turned it into a comedy. During the rest of the RenFest season, as improv onstage and interaction with the audience happened, the latest version of "The Hunt" was developed. Performance as Tricks of the Light, at KCRF 2014:

From the beginning, "The Hunt" has transitioned from being an artistic 'interpretive dance' style piece, to a non-interactive showcase piece, to a sexy and sensual "seduction", to a dramatic fight scene, and lastly to playful comedy. We have had a lot of fun with it, and it's still one of our favorite pieces to perform! I hope you like it as much as we do. 

I feel like the process of editing goes something like, "cut this, cut that, cut some more...and just when you think you're done, cut it in half."

With that as my mantra, I shouldn't ever pursue a career as a hairdresser.

But the good news is, out of something like 10 hours of footage from our 2014 KCRF show, I managed to make a 2 minute Tricks of the Light promo video for RenFests:

Now to work on making each individual piece its own video!

Inspired by the footage from the last couple of years, I've also gotten my new lotus fire fans out, and am working on getting as good with those as I was with my super-old lotus fans (that bit the dust this last season).  These things are massive, heavy, and awkward! It's not like the tricks are unfeasible or anything, just...difficult. Part of the practice is to get good at switching back and forth from my Khaos fans to the Lotus fans, since the size, shape, weight, and balance are so different for each of them.

Fire Hurricane/Tri-Staff video

I have been a video editing MACHINE! This video is from the 2013 Kansas City Renaissance Festival. The fire tools are called Hurricanes, or Tri-Staves. Our friend Goliath developed them, and they were a lot of fun. They can be used much like contact staves - Cyricx has pulled off steve rolls, conveyor belts, and even a Matrix. They also have an added quality of being able to "break" planes in unexpected ways; you can grab any two spokes and twist the third, and it goes in a completely different direction. Unfortunately we don't use them much anymore due to some durability issues, but that's an even better reason to get this video out there. 

New Fire Performance Videos up!

Tricks of the Light recently got a spiffy new video editor, so I've been spending most of my time recently going through hours and hours of video that we've been holding onto for the last couple of years. The result? Kicking our YouTube channel back into gear, with a mixture of Fire and LED/Glow spinning videos, as well as some behind-the-scenes fun.

A three-person fire staff dance, for the Kansas City Renaissance Festival closing gate.

And our first Blooper Reel...that's right, we have been filming our practices, which means you get to see our major fails, our falls, and our not-stage-appropriate banter... :D

Want to see more? Subscribe to the Tricks of the Light YouTube Channel to get the latest performance and behind the scenes videos!

"Sunny Day" Quilted Messenger Bag

By Kelsey (Viollca) Byram

 Setting up shop on Etsy as ShatteredSkyQuilts too!

Yes, I've been busy.  Also on Shattered Sky:

"My Meditation" Art Quilt, by Kelsey (Viollca) Byram

Mother Earth Goddess Gown by Kelsey Byram

I'm getting my Etsy shops going!  ElementalWear Boutique has handmade clothing and costumes, inspired by the elements and by the OtherWorld, that place where dreams come from and past, present, and future exist together. My quilted goddess garment is the highlight of the shop!

Shattered Sky Quilts carries art quilts, functional quilts, and quilted accessories. "My Meditation" is currently listed, and I'm working on quilting purses and messenger bags to be listed too!

The lesson of lilies and lilacs

     As a child, I squatted in the grass in amazement as evening primroses opened before my wide eyes, revealing their beauty only once the harsh sun had set. I played kickball and tag on the rolling expanses of lawn, imagined stories of pirates and adventurers with toys boats on the pond, and built empires in the sandbox. I hid in the open arms of the maple tree and sneaked raspberries before my mom could pick them.
     As I grew older, the garden worked itself into all aspects of my life. It taught me hard work and joy.  When I wanted to be a writer, I wrote prose and poetry about the miniature world full of tulips, evergreens, bees, and wind chimes. When I wanted to be a photographer, I took countless pictures of the carved stone and wood figures, the roses, the thorns, the silhouettes of the trees, the pond, in every stage of life - in beauty and in starkness. When I wanted to paint, I painted the luscious red lilies and the enchanting ochre sunflowers half melting into the shadows, half dappled by the sunlight. When I wanted to perform, I contact juggled and spun poi and danced on the grass, among birds singing and daffodils busily blooming.
     The garden nourished my body as well as my soul. What little bit of sun touched my skin, did it in the garden. I made jam from the fruits of the garden. I ate cherries and mulberries from the boughs of the trees. I partied there, posed for prom pictures there, relaxed and rejuvenated all in the comfort and mystery of the garden. More sacred than a stone and mortar chapel, closer to the divine in its daily living and breathing and growing than silent statues, the garden is a touchstone in my spiritual journey.  This is a journey that may have no destination, but the garden teaches me that it is still worthwhile to grow and bloom and revel in the sunlight day after day, and that perhaps it is exactly that day to day act of living that is the purpose.

I've been neglecting sewing lately, in favor of planning for ZenFest 2012.  I'll give you some sneak preview tidbits of what we have planned, after the prep meeting this Saturday.  I personally have tons of ideas and lots of hope for positive changes.  Once we get all these creative minds stewing together, oh my god the potential for things to explode this year!

Also, Corey White and David Cantor of the Vulcan Crew from California are in KC and staying with us this weekend.  Spin time, yes!  They'll be doing workshops this Saturday on contact staff, partner poi, and poi flowers and hybrids.  I hope I don't get called in to work...

Now, if I can just resist the pull of Lego Pirates of the Caribbean on the Xbox, and get to work...

HOW is that skirt staying on?

I've fallen into the bad habit of uninspired, straightforward sketches of new clothing ideas and concepts, more like technical blueprints, with no character or concept behind them.  I'm trying to break this habit...here are a couple of sketches:

Sexy warrior-woman!  Totally impractical, also totally hot.

More based in reality.  I am actually going to make this one for sure!

I still have a ways to go, but it feels really nice to be doing this again.  I think that was one downside of getting so busy with school - I resorted to simply the fastest, easiest way to get get the idea down on paper, so I could move on.

These bring up an interesting point... I find that a lot of my designs, specifically those for women, get labeled as "risque" or "slutty."  That isn't the point, and it's kind of sad that if a woman shows off her beauty or shows her stomach or something, she's looked down on.  I think female bodies are beautiful!  And while I do intend for the outfits to be seductive, in a sense, that seduction should come more from the woman's feeling of empowerment and confidence from wearing that outfit, rather than how much skin the outfit is or is not showing. I want women to step into the clothing and feel like a Goddess. No matter her body size or body type, when she wears this piece it helps her stand taller, lift her chin, and know - not just think, but KNOW - that she is sexy and strong and capable. That she can conquer the world. And I know, from years in theatre, that the donning of a costume or outfit really can change a person's demeanor. As a costumer, there have been so many times when I have seen an actor only get partway into a role, until they don that costume - and then suddenly they are this character, and they FEEL like that character. They are no longer just acting like they feel it.

And anyways...personally, I hate having my stomach covered. It's just uncomfortable.  When I wear tops that don't cover my midriff, it's actually more about being comfortable in my clothes, and not about trying to draw any sort of attention.

Turtle Invasion!

I totally can't complain about all the commission work that I've been getting (which you can see on my portfolio website), but there are times that I really get tired of sewing for 12 hours a day and need to step away for a minute.  And I've discovered a great way to handle feeling idea-blocked - graffiti my own walls!

We recently moved into a rehab house, which, thanks to all the b.s. that slammed us right after we bought it, we haven't yet been able to fix up like we were planning.  The good news about that is, I don't feel bad about painting on the walls, floor, whatever - because it's all going to get covered up or repainted anyways! It ends up being a great satisfaction of doing exactly what my mother always told me not to do when I was a kid!

This has meant an invasion of mini-turtles...

these make me smile every time I sit down to sew

Turtles lead the path through the kitchen!

I justify these because I eventually want the kitchen to be accented in blue-greens.  I'm just color-testing, see?

Oh yes, and the dream catcher based print I developed for stenciling onto clothing.

Cyricx the Ranger

I finished Cyricx's new RenFaire outfit! We are quite happy with it.  The material is a pretty heavy-duty cotton, with several layers in key spots, so hopefully it will stand up to his intense use.  I stayed pretty true to the original design (the concept sketch is in my previous post), since Cyricx and I worked several layers of meaning and intention into the details.  We also had strict requirements for the fit of the outfit, because of the range of movement he needs for spinning.  While we both loved the last pair of pants I made for him that were based on Japanese hakama pants, we soon discovered that the wide legs were a major disadvantage when trying to spin staff, poi, puppyhammer....well, just about anything!

On the right leg: The runes Wunjo, Sowlio, Kenaz, Raidho.

On the left leg: "Tricks of the Light," the name of our performance duo.

 

 The sleeves have a pleated section to allow for extra elbow space and arm movement.  The folded-over cuff is intended to stand up to the heat from Cyricx's nunchucks. 

The sleeves zip off!  (Shhhh! No one can see the zipper.  Lace-on sleeves would be more appropriate, but have you ever tried to lace something on or off in the 30 seconds in between pieces while onstage?  Not doable!)

Oh yeah....and the hood zips off too!

I love how this picture shows off his nice hair... *happy sigh*

 And the adjustable waistband, since our weight fluctuates so much between Faire season and off-season.

I'm still hoping to add beads and shiny things, but when I say shiny I don't be mean bright - I'm imagining earthy copper and bronze.  Just enough to add that metallic glint.

I've been a sewing fiend lately..

 I've been working  mostly on commission projects lately, so I haven't had much time to work on developing ElementalWear.  But the commission work is definitely helping me get practice in, as well as helping me develop the style that ElementalWear will start out as.  Here is the costume I made for Aither.  I unfortunately don't have pics of the other commissions yet, but I will post as soon as do.





This last week, my major focus has been on new RenFaire costumes for Cyricx and I to perform in for Tricks of the Light shows.

Concept Sketches:

Viollca

Cyricx

Cyricx's concept was a bit more set and definite from the get-go.  I wasn't so positive on what I wanted mine to be, mostly because I have had so many problems with costumes. The last top that I wore, which was based on bellydance-style bra, worked really well until I began fire hooping and playing with a long-string levitation stick.  The hoop broke off all the beads and decorations that were attached, and the long-string levitation stick got caught up and tangled around the few decorations that were left.  So in designing a new top, I want it to be able to look good and finished without tons of decorative bits.  And while I love the feminine look of a swishy skirt, anything long and flowing is problematic while spinning.  Hence the pants with swooshy ruffles only along the very bottom.  The ruffle belt is to replace a tribal belt, since tribal belts that use tassels are HIGHLY flammable.

Concept art for my costume

  Some process pics of Cyricx's vest:

Sleeve and hood pieces

The base layer and lining of the vest.

The sleeve (brown) mostly assembled, with the assembled lining (green).

The outer shell of the vest, assembled with applique and trim.  You can see the zippers that will be hiding under the shoulder flaps, as well as inside the collar, for zip-on sleeves and hood.

With that off my mind....here is what I've been up to!

Cyricx successfully built me a fire hoop!  And I have been (more or less) successfully spinning it!  I have gotten more burns this last weekend alone than I ever have from the last 4 years of fire spinning combined, but the hoop is awesome so it's worth it! It's like Cyricx says...it's when you play with the stupid amounts of fire that you get burned.  And yeah, the hoop is a stupid amount of fire! (I say that with all the happiness possible though!)

Photo by Kimberly Pugh.

 Photo by Noelle Cash Konsbruck.

Cyricx and I have also turned "Duile Teine: The Dancing Flames" into "Tricks of the Light."  Our current show set focuses on our amusing but passionate relationship.  At our last First Friday show in KC, Pseudography Image Forge once again proved his talent and skill with the camera by capturing the essence of the show:

 

Photo by Pseudography Image Forge.  

Introducing the characters....I am Viollca, sexy warrior woman!

Photo by Pseudography Image Forge.

Cyricx is the wielder of the Trinity Staff.

Photo by Pseudography Image Forge.

And we lead a pretty interesting life!  Our relationship is a lot of Cyricx being mischievous and getting himself in trouble, while I roll my eyes and prove myself to be his equal, both in wit and with fire.

Photo by Pseudography Image Forge.

But everything doesn't always go so well...sometimes there are difficult moments.  Our newest piece, to Shinedown's "Call Me," is more intricate and emotional than anything we've written before.  It tells the story of two people who have tried and tried to make the relationship work, but just can't do it anymore.  It was our challenge to ourselves, as a perfectly happy married couple, to write a breakup piece!

Photo by Pseudography Image Forge.

But how does the story end?  You'll just have to see the show to find out...