art

Before/After Part 3

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While making good use of the chrome spray paint, I grabbed two black canvas and a few fasteners lying around the garage and made a wet, metallic collage.

I like this project and plan to follow up with seashells and various spray colors

Blackout

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I’ve been experimenting with digital crossword puzzles and newsprint lately. With crosswords, I’ll solve the puzzle (entertaining in its own right) and then bonus(!) I will take a screenshot of it when complete. Then, in Apple Photos, use my Apple Pencil to markup the image to find words that stand out. After those are mapped out I will then cross out the rest to come up with some poetry. Although, that is limited to the words on the puzzle so they are more statement than poetry.

After reading an interesting article with Apple News, I will take a screenshot and do the same for the article- try to connect words and to form a new phrase or sentence.

The whole premise is ridiculous but it is mentally challenging and time consuming. I’ll see how long the fun lasts but for now, I am enjoying it.

After
Before

Type Art

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There are many reasons as to why I was looking forward to utilizing my typewriter after I relocated. One, was to make art from it. I’ve been a long time fan of ASCii art but there are people out there that have taken it to the next level and then some.

After nerdscrolling and falling down a few internet rabbit holes, I’ve discovered so many type-art resources out there.

Such as a pamphlet from 1979 turned into a pdf from the Internet Archive entitled Typewriter Mystery Games.

Obviously this would utilize multiple ribbons, paper and practice but I’d love to explore this further.

Until next time,

Read-O-Matic

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I want to design and place a machine to fill up with books that people can purchase on the go as opposed to them buying a soda or a snack. I know we will all be a lot healthier.

They remind me of the Little Free Library stands all across the country, of which I used to be a curator of one back home.

They also remind me of the Art-O-Mat art vending I’ve seen in Las Vegas.

Finger Painting

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The glass tablet in my hand is not just a consumption device but also a creative one. I am limited in talent and funds to explore creating art with a physical canvas and physical globs of paint. And so in their place I am using technology to augment my creative practice.

To put it simply- sometimes I “paint” on my iPad. I’d say half of them are made with an Apple Pencil stylus and the other half by scrolling a finger over the glass. Finger painting minus the mess!

Ukulele For Dummies

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Way back in 2007, I was invited to photograph the Birmingham Jazz Festival weekend and even attended a few workshops. One workshop was hosted by a group of brilliant high school jazz students from the jazz school. The special guest was the blues saxophonist “Blue” Lou Marini. He listened to the group practice and was asked what he thought. His reply, and I am paraphrasing here, was that they each played their notes perfectly and it was all very technical. But this isn’t jazz. You have to pour your soul into your music to make it stand out. The kids grinned, tried again and their passion came through.

I am not musically inclined. I have never taken a music theory class. I can sing and have always enjoyed it so my experience with music in a group setting has been limited. I can hear subtle notes and pick up rhythms from each instrument individually. My musical tastes are eclectic. But I cannot play…yet. At one point in the future, I will have to have my daughter, who plays beautifully patiently teach her old man.

In the meantime, I will fat-finger these strings on the ukulele technically for awhile. But real soon, I will heed Blue Lou’s advice and pour some passion into it. Technicality be damned.

“Anybody can play. The note is only 20 percent. The attitude of the m*therf**ker who plays it is 80 percent.” – Miles Davis