Digital Art Catalogs

I just completed three interactive art catalogs of digital art on my tumblr. They have a new feature which allows posting up to ten photos at once and I had been ignoring it. Up until today that is. What a fun snow day!

Cross Check Cross

This started with two crossed lines and then I just filled in on four sides. Such fun to make that I started creating little repeat patterns, and then added some color. Done with marking pens from Staples on cheap water color paper last night in bed because it was too cold in the office to sit at the computer. Today it was warmer so I scanned them and played around in Photoshop.

 

See more Cross Check Cross designs on the tumblr.

Primary Dots Turnaround

From an acrylic painting done a few years back and stretched a little to even out the repeat. After a while they start to look like beads. This next one makes me think of Kumihimo braided bracelets.

I Like Ike

I really like this pattern but I am nervous about the use of two of the photos. Especially the one of Einstein with the clown nose. I even did a Google image search to try to locate the source.

 I'll be applying this "turn-around" scheme to everything I've done to date no doubt. This one is one of my favorites. I started the original collage in 2008. Perhaps I will finish it next year.

Starburst Swipe

I did not mean to swipe this--I tried to resist--but the urge to see what would happen was too strong! You really can't tell from the final mutation, above. But an earlier version, below, reveals my source.

I was actually thinking of that fabulous Christmas story by Gerald Potterton, The Star (And George). Inspired by the outstanding graphics at Geometry Daily and more on the tumblr.

Flatland Cold, Flatland Hot

I scanned some of my little leftover "flatland" squares which I try to store out of reach of Mica because he loves to chew little holes in things I am trying to save. Lots more Flatland on the tumblr.

Italian Lessons

Yesterday I finished a collage that had been kicking around for some time. I decided to scan the background, an old book page on watercolor paper on which I had drawn a grid. Then I scanned the individual elements and played around in photoshop. You can see the entire development on the tumblr.

3 More Swatch Variations

I'm really having fun with these--can you tell?

Image - Adjustments - Invert

Last night I was playing around in Photoshop creating patterns from some Spoonflower fabric swatch photos. I suddenly discovered how easy it is to create something like the above by inverting a selection of the design. See more of the Swatch Series on the tumblr.

Beyond Roderick Slater

Take a look at this work by Augustine Kofie. It reminds me a lot of Roderick Slater but moves beyond right angles and has me totally inspired. Thanks to Cartwheel Galaxy I made the discovery this morning.

Eric Ravilious

I was surfing on my favorite used book site and I came across a jacket illustrated by Eric Ravilious that looked very familiar! It served to remind me of the book scanned above which has been sitting on my shelf in the front hallway for a few years just waiting for me to make this morning's connection. I have additional volumes and even though the set is incomplete I am happy to have paid .25 for each at a church used book sale.

Here's a nice Flickr Set where I found the image displayed below. Check out this Google image search to enjoy more art by Eric Ravilious. I particularly like his designs as applied to mugs and plates.

Alan Watts and Target Fascination

I have been listening to Alan Watts on YouTube recently.

In his three hour lecture titled Do You Do It, Or Does It Do You? Watts mentions a phenomenon he calls "Target Fascination" whereby skydivers are so involved in gazing at the approaching target that they forget to pull their parachute cord. The target represents doom. How timely.

I started to think about this association of targets with doom as it might be represented in modern art. The work of Jasper Johns immediately sprang to mind.

I did a little online investigation of the concept of Target Fascination and found an interesting article citing a study of pilot errors due to "fascination," concentration on some object or task that caused loss of voluntary control over response. This was called the moth effect.

The illustration at the top of this post (which was found here) is a portrait of Jasper Johns by Shepard Fairey. The second and third illustrations are works by Jasper Johns.

Additional items of interest found:
Artist Eva Lake is looking for targets and has posted some nice images on her blog. I love her mixed media gallery of women and targets.

Check out this video of Jasper Johns discussing his target paintings courtesy of the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art site. Unfortunately, I cannot hear the audio as it seems that my cat Frida has chewed through my computer's speaker cable!

Hammerdots No. 3 Revision No. 2

I was browsing though my tumblr archive and decided to do a second revision of my Hammerdots No. 3 because I suddenly could visualize now nicely this cropped version would repeat.

My favorite version is the one in chartreuse green at the top of this post, although I am fond of the golden yellow version as well.

See the entire progression on the tumblr.

Volapuk Follow-up

Back when I was working on my second Divorce Diptych I learned about the universal language called Volapuk. The Public Domain Review just did an outstanding article about it.