Wednesday, July 3, 2013
Tuesday, July 2, 2013
Monday, July 1, 2013
Ratings, Opinions, and Online Comments
It is important to sum up the overall picture. Are the comments more or less somewhat in agreement? If most are united in a consistent rating, with a scattered few reaching the extremes, then you can pretty well go with the consistent flow. Even the extreme ratings can be accurate if they pretty much dominate the overall opinion. But you can usually ignore the misplaced opinion that is extremely negative when most everyone else is positive (or reversed)... unless they bring something to the table which has been overlooked and missed by the majority!
One other thing you must keep in mind is, especially when dealing with areas of personal taste, you absolutely must factor-in that we all have our likes and dislikes! These personal likes and dislikes are not right or wrong... no matter what you think or what the other person feels, but you must know whether they are the opinion of someone who is similar to yourself in that particular area. If you don't like a particular type of music, show, food, etc, you sure can't agree with someone who is just the opposite in that area!
When you have not had the luxury of having a hands-on experience, the shared experiences of others can be of great value and well worth your time and effort.
Sunday, June 30, 2013
Saturday, June 29, 2013
Friday, June 28, 2013
Thursday, June 27, 2013
Wednesday, June 26, 2013
Tuesday, June 25, 2013
Monday, June 24, 2013
Sunday, June 23, 2013
Saturday, June 22, 2013
Friday, June 21, 2013
Thursday, June 20, 2013
Wednesday, June 19, 2013
Tuesday, June 18, 2013
Monday, June 17, 2013
Sunday, June 16, 2013
Celebrating Father's Day
He has been greatly missed by his loved ones, though not even known by his grandkids raised in the years since. His legacy continues to pop-up in one fashion or another and abstractly surfaces to shed light on our memories of who he was and who we are. We especially miss him on days such as this.
(Art rendered from a photo taken around the time referred to.)
Saturday, June 15, 2013
Insect Sketch
A pencil is an incredible basic little tool that we often take for granted. When doing a quick sketch, the trick is to rapidly capture the feel and tone of what you are looking at. When used correctly, lines, shapes, and tones can emerge on the most simple sheet of paper or other material. Too many artists are guilty of not realizing that their pencil sketches, if executed correctly, are capable of standing on their own... sometimes letting the viewer into the true world of the artist like no other medium can.
Friday, June 14, 2013
We are all aware just how fast things are changing now. Daily, quickly changing and evolving technology alters ways of life in both expected and unexpected ways. Western culture not only embraces quick change but we have economic systems which are greatly based on fast paced change. Without consumer goods constantly changing, multitudes of jobs would dissolve overnight. We rely on people buying and replacing items that otherwise have little reason to even be replaced.
But it is not the evolving electronic items that cause me to stop; catch my breath; and attempt to figure out what's happening, it's all those other facets of life that have no need to change and yet they do. I'm not referring to bad conditions and attitudes which have room for improvement... I get flabbergasted by areas which change even though nothing good comes out of the change. The old adage comes to mind... "If it ain't broke, don't fix it (or 'why fix it').
Since I turn television on for at least a little while most days, the incredibly rapid change that's taking place to our language pops-out at me as if it were a slap in the face. Being in marketing, writing, and proof-reading, I am constantly aware of the way things are said, how they are said, the particular words used, the best way to say it, and the way words are normally pronounced. This is a part of my training and professional world view.
I have noticed in recent years that a few American-pronounced words have changed so they are pronounced with more of the British pronunciation. I am so surprised to hear these pronunciations coming from television, film, newscasters, politicians, and even the president of the United States that it is quite a relief to watch an older movie or TV show and hear it pronounced the way I was always accustomed to. This is proof that I am not going crazy... things have changed, they were not always that way. My memory is correct! Whew!
Another simple example is when a commonly accepted word disappears and is replaced by a different word. Example: My whole life I had heard about tidal-waves. This was the term used in conversations, movies, television, and in print. Then all a sudden in the 1990s the term tsunami appeared and was instantly adopted. Since then I don't know if I've heard of a tidal-wave ever again. A centuries-old word was almost instantly gone. A term widely used in every form of media disappeared as if it was never there (unless you read old books or view old films). But most surprising of all is even modern dictionaries have practically dropped the term... you have to find a pre-nineties dictionary to see an honest definition. The scattered dictionaries that even include it at all do so as if it's an odd and improper word to use!
Though I've only mentioned such menial things such as words and language, and realistically so many of the changes apply to other trivial things such as food and perceptions, changes also apply to far more important areas of life like rampant inflation, employment, values, ethics, attitudes, acceptance, rejection, likes, dislikes, and where you stand and where you fall. And though these things might seem unimportant on certain levels, they all contribute to a person's insecurities and instabilities.
And that more or less brings about what is troubling regarding our quick change, quick acceptance world. It all brings about the feeling that so many things are unstable. We can't be certain of anything now. We are living on top of a powder keg. If the natural disasters don't get us first, the mysterious haze that our society is throwing our way will do it's best to confuse, confound, dissimilate, and try to trip us as we move along on this path of life. It's just another reason to pay close attention to the king of all teachers, prophets, and leaders when he advises us to not even be trapped on that confusing and wayward path. That path might be wide and well travelled but it is his small narrow path which is the true and stable way to go. His little path is secure and will not mess with your mind. Perhaps this is a good time in your life to switch paths, you'll be glad you did.
Bear in Tree Loose Sketch
I occasionally have to put pencil sketches on here for the simple reason they are serving the purpose of explaining some creative/technical practices to those who don't fully understand the artistic process.
Thursday, June 13, 2013
Window Visitor
Window Visitor
The building was old and rustic. It didn't have electricity, plumbing, or even clear window glass which you could see through. There were very few colors anywhere. Whites, blues, and a couple of other pale colors were about all I could see... if you don't count the unpainted browns and grays. I don't believe they had many colors of paint back then, back when this house was built. This was the way civilized people once lived before we got our computers, microwaves, central heat, fast food, and indoor toilets. To us it was simply a novelty, but to those who lived back then, this was a way of life.
The Artist's Artistic Wife
Carol's hands are never idle. When she's not making sure her environment is just right, and everything is in it's place... and clean; when she's not fixing and moving and revamping her world; when she's not shopping and adding and subtracting her surroundings; her hands are busy with arts and crafts and making both useful or ornamental things.
Carol's hands paint pictures, make crafts, knit, crochet and sew. Paintings are created, crafts are formed, and articles of clothing are produced. Her environment is filled with machines, materials, and the tools of her trade(s). Even when she rests and sits at the end of the day, her hands continue with some artistic endeavor.
Bear Cub in Tree
For an artist there's joy to be had in quickly rendering the ten and fifteen minute sketch. There's just something about working with minimal art tools while using your skills to quickly capture the moment as accurately as possible. Sometimes the sketch can stand on it's own and provide an energy that a finished piece might lack.
