Wakko's Patronus Charm by FerryQueen

This is a personal favorite of mine which never fails to make me laugh. A friend of mine drew it back in 2010, and combines J.K. Rowling Dementor from Harry Potter and Warner Bros. Wakko. Here, Wakko has conjured his Patronus. Most times, this would be an animal. In this case, Wakko's got a hammer, and the Dementor looks distinctly worried. The contrast between the bright blue and white at the center the darkness on the edges draws the eye to the center and then explores the corners. It's bright, its bubbly, and fun.

http://elementalsadvocate.deviantart.com/art/Wakko-s-Patronus-Charm-191190630

USAF Battleship Excalibur by Mallacore

This starship was designed from the Stargate intellectual franchise, by artist pen name Mallacore. I watched the Canadian/American TV series Stargate as a teenager and was entranced with its story and science fiction. The show hosted many different designs of starships, but my favorites were the ones designed for humans of Earth. Though the series has been discontinued, artists continue to surprise, as has Mallacore. This is the Battleship Excalibur, a 1 kilometer long vessel capable of enduring tons of punishment as well as dishing it out. The lines are smooth and utilitarian, but there is a sense of power and majesty in the Excalibur's bearing that appeals to me. A larger picture can be found on deviantart.com, here:

http://mallacore.deviantart.com/art/USAF-Excalibur-Multi-View-2-54284772

Propaganda Poster: Stop the Abuse

For a class assignment, I was required to create a poster using techniques of propaganda. I chose to use something as in your face as possible. Stop animal abuse.

When I was in elementary school, I remember the red white and black color scheme used by the D.A.R.E program. It works to get across something stark and bloody, and that's what I wanted. It wasn't easy. It isn't pretty. Animal abuse is about as ugly as it gets. Check out the link to the Humane Society of America.

A little bit of Do, A little bit of Not, A little bit of Resuscitate

In this picture, I have attempted to create a triptych, a series of geometric shapes, in order to convey something or nothing. 

I started with three simple letters. D N R. Do Not Resuscitate. They also happen to be my initials. 

The first box started with a lowercase helvetica font d. D for Do. I wanted to convey the action of the word, so I  used primary colors red, blue, and yellow. Playing around with the shape and adding arrows for the borders help to enhance the sensation of action.

The second box was a lowercase helvetica font n. N for Not. Not is a compare and contrast word, stark in its heavy handed rebuttal. So I stuck to the strongest of contrasts: black and white. Instead of having a black letter in a white background, I switched the colors around. Than I just made the corners a little sharper to add emphasis to the spiky aspect of No.

The last box started with an uppercase helvetica font R. I wanted to make it look a tree, but I couldn't make the line turn out quite right. So I played around with the borders and the fill of the letter. I wire brushed the borders of the form to make it look more organic.

Photomontage: A cat in time and space: (And pushy all over)

I call it economic. The Artist calls it "Bling Blang!"

This is a very simple piece by artist Tom Clements. As he says in his description below, he started out with a piece of maple that he had cut a couple of commas out of for a yin yang, but he didn't want to just throw away what was left over.

Now, he has created something far better with all the bits and pieces he had left. It's a playful piece, with all the bits and pieces sort of thrown together to make something greater than the sum of its parts. The dynamic between the light and dark woods, light colored metal to dark stone and jewels, helps to reflect the duality of the symbology, the yin yang symbol which began this art piece. The fact that this piece is hung at an angle makes it more alive, and the effect is heightened by the sweep of lightly colored metal at the back.

I truly enjoy this piece.

Color Physics

Page 39, Chapter 2, The Element of Color
Color Theory, as it is explained in the textbook, is the art and science of color interaction and effects.

• The physicist studies electromagnetic wave-lengths in order to measure and classify color
• The chemist, working with the molecular structure of dyes and pigments, seeks to produce highly permanent colors and excellent paint consistency.
• The physiologist investigates the effects of color and light on our eyes and brain
• The psychologist studies the expressive effects of color on our mind and spirit. 

Colors are in essence, the basis of imagination. One of the most prolific examples of this is the rainbow. It represents an unfathomable and tantalizing aspect of the world, which incites the mind to wonder how such a large thing can simply appear and disappear. Where does the rainbow end? Where does it begin? Is it a bridge to another world? Another plane? Or is it a marker for a pot of gold or other riches?

The collection and diffusion of color makes the world new and different. Different combinations, different patterns, different pigments add spice to life, and to art. 

Culture and Myth

These are five ceremonial native american masks, made by artist Judith A. Dilley using wood and decorated with polished stones and shells to augment their beauty. I grew up reading about myths and legends, and as an American, I find these masks represent an indelible part of our culture. 

I tried to catch all the details I could by taking multiple photos from different angels, and I picked out the best shots, and included taking pictures of the descriptions provided by the artist.

A Blast to the Past. In Wood!

On May 18, 1980, Mt. St. Helens in Washington blew its top in one of the most stunning pyroclastic displays ever recorded in North America.  My own parents were witness to the ash-clouds which covered this area. My father had even planned to visit the area of Mt. St. Helens that weekend. Luckily, circumstances kept him in Richland. Otherwise, I would likely not be here today.

This wood carving was made by artist Tom Clement, and depicts the disaster. Made from wood, jasper, and agate, this is a compelling "photograph" of the eruption, and gives a great sense of the scope of the volcanic event.

 This carving depicts the possible last moments of Harry Truman, who lived at the base of the mountain. Artist explanation at bottom.

Art

Self Portrait -- Stepping Up!

As an aspiring young artist, I often tried to make self portrait's. Unfortunately, there is only so much a seven year old kid can do with crayons and rough pulp paper. So, for the first time in years, and the first time in Photoshop, I have created a self-portrait.

My first idea was to simply create a picture, cut in half, with one side being half of a front view shot of my face and the other half being a side view shot of my face. Then, I took it one step further. I took pieces of my side view shot and cut it up, taking what I consider to be important aspects of myself and imposing them on my face.
That was the easy part. However, after I actually got into Photoshop, I started playing around with the various art and design options.

...As you can see, I went a little crazy.

That being said, I feel that this portrait captures myself; my sense of drama, my spontaneity, my literality, symbolical connections, pattern recognition, and a sense of humor (Somewhere).

On to Outer Space!

This from Stewart's textbook, preface page xvii, picture i.3. At first glance, the satellite looks like its actually in space. With the light glaring straight from one side simulating the harsh uncompromising glare of the sun from outside our atmosphere, and with no other immediately visible light source, the picture does capture some of the stark-ness of space, the atmosphere of extreme cold and mystery of the void. Then you start looking into the corners and along the borders of the picture, and realize that the satellite is actually sitting on a frame and is not in fact in space.