A stitchin’ time

We have an art show tomorrow so, as is usual, I spent some time this evening rushing around trying to get the entries framed, backed and wired. Of course this was after I had scanned the works so that we can keep copies and upload to our websites. This time around I am not entering anything but the “family studio” was represented through one of my daughter’s photographs and two of my wife’s acrylic paintings.

I still need to sort out my office, to make things easier, but my trusty Epson V600 scanner does a grand job, and for the larger paintings I take multiple scans and then stitch them together using the fabulously free Microsoft ICE (Image Composite Editor). This may involve 6 or more images on some of the larger works (like the chickens, below) as the scan bed is about 12” x 9” (30cm x 22.5cm).

Then I run the resulting image through GIMP to color correct as I still haven’t made the leap to Lightroom or Photoshop even though my daughter has these (I’m a creature of habit, I guess), and we have the final saved images. It can be a bit of hard work for my old ASUS Pentium laptop, but it still manages it.

161117_eddie

161117_wildflowers

161117_hens

So, after a few hours of preparation everything is framed up and ready to be submitted to the show tomorrow.

What do you think?

161117_pix

~Richard

November 17, 2016 2

Our Own Installation Art

My daughter is currently putting together her art portfolio in order to apply to art colleges in Pennsylvania. This involves showing a variety of skills to add to her passions of animation and sculpture.

Over the weekend she finished her most recent addition – the adaptation of our oil tank in the basement into a version of The Beatles’ Yellow Submarine. This is a sister piece to a great animation she made earlier in the year to the Fab Four’s famous song.

This certainly has brightened up the basement and is our very own piece of Installation Art!

~Richard

November 14, 2016 1

Holier Bowls

And so it continues. After the stress of this week I managed to get some time to continue with my latest hand made “holey bowl” This one is 10” (25cm) diameter and I decided to make the rim undulating rather than flat, so it was time to get the shaving tools out while the clay was still at the “leather hard” stage. I’m looking forward to getting this one fired as I have some interesting ideas for glazes that I want to try out too.

Anyhow it was nice to be able to disengage from the outside world for a while and concentrate to an artistic endeavor for an hour or so.

It’s definitely something I would recommend to induce calm at this time!

~Richard

November 13, 2016 1

A Day for Reflection and Remembrance

A lot has happened this week. A seismic shock has been sent through the world as a brash, bigoted, businessman has blustered and blundered his way to the top of the totem pole. We have a new US President-Elect: Donald Trump.

As many of us who did not support him wring our hands and worry about our uncertain future I want to take a tiny piece of time to contemplate those who have given their lives, limbs or sanity on our behalf over the years to allow us the freedom to make our choices.

In the UK we always stopped work at 11:00 am on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month for two minutes of silent remembrance of the Armistice Day, as it was also known. Places of work, school, shopping areas and even the TV and radio would be silenced for 120 seconds of stillness and a show of unity.

This is not something that is observed in my adopted homeland, but I was moved to hear reference to the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of eleventh month at our local Veteran’s Day Parade in town last Sunday.

Today, I personally observed this moment of introspection and reflection in my office. I had a business meeting at 11:00 and told them I would be at least two minutes late attending in order to observe Remembrance Day.

This year it seemed particularly important to do so.

Never have we needed two minutes of stillness more than now.

1100 1102

~Richard

November 11, 2016 2

Sometimes

~ S o m e t i m e s ~

Sometimes,

I feel like

it’s all I can do

h o l d

i t

a l

t o

~Richard

November 10, 2016 4

#1600 Redux

I penned this six sentence story 8 months ago. Unfortunately, it appears to have been prophetic.

Good Luck, fellow Americans.

~Richard

November 9, 2016 4

Get Out and Vote – NOW

Today is THE day, so get out there, fellow Americans and HAVE YOUR SAY. If you don’t vote today, in one of the most important elections we have ever had, then you have no right to comment come tomorrow.

161108_ivotedtoday — image from Daily Kos, copyright unstated, used for editorial expediency

I have done my civic duty, so come tomorrow I will be commenting, one way or another!
~Richard

November 8, 2016 0

52 Week Challenge: Week 44

WEEK 44: Landscape: A Tree – Some of the most famous landscapes in the world feature a tree. Time to see what you can do.

Ok, you can argue whether this fits the description of a “landscape” in the classic sense, but I saw this astoundingly beautiful tree on the corner as I was driving the girls to school and the early morning sun made it look truly spectacular.

~Richard

November 8, 2016 1

Vote Like a Beast

How I wish the late great Frank Zappa was here to see this, and poke fun at the system. He was a great defender of democracy. In his absence all I can do is link to his video, with such an important message:

Now VOTE!

~Richard

November 7, 2016 2

Squaring the circle

The term “squaring the circle” originates from ancient developers of geometry and refers to the challenge of constructing a square with the same area as a given circle. It was proven to be impossible in 1882, when pi was proven to be a transcendental, and not an algebraic irrational number.

It is now used sometimes as a metaphor for trying to achieve the impossible.

On a much more down to earth note, I was practicing throwing bowls on the wheel yesterday and when I finished one I thought it would be interesting to hake a square topped bowl just for the sake of it. So, this is the first stage of my impossibowl, as I wait for it to dry a little before further manipulation…

~Richard

November 6, 2016 0

Author: ReevePhotos

A stitchin’ time

Our Own Installation Art

Holier Bowls

A Day for Reflection and Remembrance

Sometimes

#1600 Redux

Get Out and Vote – NOW

52 Week Challenge: Week 44

Vote Like a Beast

Squaring the circle

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