Thursday Challenge: Color -

"She Comes In Colors II"
digital collage by Mick Mather

This image has been sitting in the files for a few weeks. When I saw that "color" was the theme at Thursday Challenge this week I hauled it back into the super-secret filtering system and started to play. The result, to me, has a rather Peter Max-ish, Summer-of-Love sort of poster/graphic feel to it. As we baby boomers continue to gray, we're already living in the 60's again, whether we want to or not! :D

Keeping an even keel -

"Green Plaid Shirt"
digital collage by Mick Mather

Sorry about yesterday's post, folks. I was at the NYFA Fellowship Seminar last night and there's really only one way to close one of those wing dings out - that's correct! Cocktails! Cocktails! A few rounds of Harp, Guinness and a delightful Pinot Noir, along with the ambience provided by Kitty Hoynes, made for an entertaining evening with no time to upload a post upon returning home. With the crushing workload at the office as the CRC staff scurries about, getting ready for the 7th Annual Syracuse Irish Festival, I should say that there's scant time again tonight. After raiding the archives, however, I was able to come up with something...gotta run, we'll chat later!

Moody Monday: Self -

"Selfportrait of the Artist as an Internet Search"
digital collage by Mick Mather

I s'pose this new addition to The Selfportrait Series only serves as further proof that nature abhors a vacuum. No, no, no guys! Not that kind of vacuum! We're talking Physics 101 here and no sooner did I uncover three pieces from this series that had never before been used than opportunity came knocking - not once, not twice, but as tonight's post will attest, thrice! Thanks to the team over at Moody Monday for coming up with the theme of self. Anyway, it won't take much scrolling to uncover these if you're on my main page, or just follow each link if your view is a static page. No, no, no guys! Not that kind of static! Tell the truth, you were either thinking "cling" or your "better half"...either way, go ahead and have that extra beer, that escaped sock is the only one going anywhere and you've already paid for the static. :D

Inspiration Challenge: The World of Elegance -

"Two of Four Ain't Bad (Hinkley Elegance)"
digital collage by Mick Mather

Just as I was lamenting the end of my vacation, along came Odilia Liuzzi, fresh back from her own summer of down time. It's great to see Inspiration Challenge back and this week's theme gave me an opportunity to feature everyone's favorite look-a-like sisters, The Hinkley Triplets. As luck would have it, elegance has managed to reach all the way down to the farm where Darlene and Darline have managed to make quite the statement this summer at the annual "Cob Roast & Watermelon Crawl". Suffice it to say that the other two sisters, Darleen and Darlean, got tangled up with some especially potent melon and those rascally Bailey Boys, Bub and Bif. Yes, that means that we could've made the sight of our downhome girls a quatriple feast for the ol' eyes if all of 'em could've been coralled long enough. Anyway, don't these two look every bit o' the part? Sigh. :)

NEW from The Selfportrait Series -

"Selfportrait of the Artist Before His Morning Coffee"
digitally manipulated photograph by Mick Mather

Dang! My vacation is quickly turning into mist and I'll be watching it disappear with the rising of the morning sun. Oh well, truth be told, I'm a bit anxious to get back into the fray - lots of projects left hanging and a bit of fun to be had along the way as well. So, another hit and run post for the faithful. You're out there, aren't you?

Illustration Friday: Run -

"Selfportrait of the Artist Running"
digital collage by Mick Mather

Not too much going on - I'm still on vacation - and this will be another short post. I figured that this week's theme for Illustration Friday was just right for a new addition to The Selfportrait Series. Which brings up a hilarious tee-shirt that my good friend and co-worker, K'rine, found a while back - PUT DOWN THE BONG -- VOTE! Sounds like a crackerjack campaign slogan to me! :D

Thursday Challenge: Plants -

"Plants"
digitally manipulated photograph

I'm just in from a glorious week of perfect vacation - especially the weather. Coincidentally, this week's theme at Thursday Challenge happens to be plants and looky here! An entire field of 'em that I took in the village of Camden, New York because I liked the old, red barns. Anyway, I'm home, tanned, rested and ready for danger!

Packing for a trip -

"Creation From Mysterious Blueprints"
digital collage by Mick Mather

Yup, I've been so excited all weekend that I can't even sleep! Tomorrow I head for Old Forge, New York for a well-deserved few days away from it all. I might stay a day, two or the whole week...who knows! Anyway, since I'm up, wide awake and may need to be scraped off the wall in the morning, here's an image just for fun. It may have to last all week folks...but, then, I told you that the other day! :D

Illustration Friday: Match -

"The Merry Prankster's Match"
digital collage

It's really difficult for me to pass up an Illustration Friday post...so I didn't. Have fun, a great big box o' do nuthin' is waiting for me in the living room. Yup, right next to the couch and all those fluffy pillows!

Thursday Challenge: Hot -

"Hot"
digital collage by Mick Mather

Alright boys and girls, if this isn't "hot", then I dunno what is. Either way, this week's Thursday Challenge chose this as the theme and, as I have one foot out the door for a week's vacation, here 'tis! I don't know whether I'll be around this blog much for the next 10 days - don't get worried if I'm not about. I'll be back! However, do feel free to drop in to check up on me. :D

WOW!!! What a show!!! -

"Long White Coat"
digital collage by Mick Mather

I've just got home from the opening reception for the "Icons & Images" exhibition at Syracuse Technology Garden. I coudln't begin to tell you the number of people who attended...suffice it to say that it was probably the best opening I've attended in quite some time. Curator, Katie Rapp, a senior at SUNY New Paltz this year, and STG Intern for the second year in a row, did a terrific job. What else can I say? Even though the weather was sunny and warm, upon leaving it felt like long, white coat tails were flying from the excitement of it all, not from the wind. WOW!

Moody Monday: Moving -

"She's About A Mover"
digital collage by Mick Mather

Oops! I seem to have missed my Moody Monday post yesterday so this one's a day late. Yesterday's image would've fit perfectly too, but, that's water under the bridge at this point.

Submitted to Espresso Stories: "She's About A Mover"
"In that slinky, red dress she looked like she was moving, even when she was standing still!"

The clatter of dancing feet -

"The Step Dancers"
digital collage by Mick Mather

Simply put, I was fooling about with mirroring and multiple images when things began to get interesting. I don't suppose that this pair of leggy dancers in red, satin outfits hurt anything after some pause. Anyway, a hit and run post this evening 'cause the week before vacation means a long, rough week at the office. Must dash!

A little taste -

"Twilight Field of Wildflowers"
digital collage by Mick Mather

Even a cursory glance through the most recent half dozen examples of work reveals that my style is figurative for the most part. I also have a growing body of subjective realism - in evidence is this evenings post. While I'm most fascinated with the human figure and spend my days and nights deconstructing and reassembling faces, bodies and scenes, the natural world also has its way with me. The 12 pieces that I'll show later this week (as mentioned a few days back) are much more akin to what you're seeing here. In a month I'll be mounting another exhibition with 13 more images in this vein. Anyway, I thought a sneak peek at what I'm about to be up to in the coming month might be of some interest.

Women in uniform -

"At The Women's Club Luncheon"
digital collage by Mick Mather

Every once in a while certain things just tickle me. Recently, that rare situation when two women appear at a function wearing the same outfit. How do they decide how to handle the situation? Does one actually leave in embarassment? Toss a coin? Sit at opposite sides of the room? Hmmmm...form a club! :D

Illustration Friday: Play -

"Play"
digital collage by Mick Mather

Something fast and simple from a pair of old images I've had that never seemed to fit anywhere.

..."Pretty, pretty girl
what have you to say?
'Nothing', said she,
so busy at play"...

Thursday Challenge: Happy -

"Happy"
digital collage by Mick Mather

Submitted to Espresso Stories: "Once We Were Happy" -

"Staring through moist eyes, you didn't recognize me at first. Suddenly, the world's brightest smile - a witness to better days so long ago."

Eight Days A Week -

"Alone in Paradise"
digital collage by Mick Mather

Back to the image archives tonight. I've been working feverishly, getting ready for two up-coming exhibitions. One is a week from today at Syracuse Technology Garden with a slough of artists taking part. The good folk over there put on one heck of a wing ding too; so, if you're not doing anything from 5:00pm to 7:00pm next Wednesday evening stop down. With barely a breather, I begin framing a dozen pieces for my next exhibition opportunity with gal pal and nature photographer extraordinaire, Melissa Morgan. That show hangs at The Maxwell Memorial Library Gallery in the lovely, quaint village of Camillus, New York. There's no opening reception scheduled at this point but I'll keep you posted as the hanging date in mid-September gets closer.

Circular breathing -

"The Sisters"
digital collage by Mick Mather

The title of tonight's post - circular breathing - is a reference to my ongoing fascination with one, particular subject. I may have mentioned this vaguely in late Spring of this year and, I should admit, it's still that way, vague. I remain in the dark as regards where this experimental series of work is going. That said, tonight's image is a by-product of that work but not of the series. The reasons for taking the side road or a suspicious, unlocked door is for the wonder and discovery one is likely to encounter along the way. Fun. Did I mention that? It's just plain fun...well, in the end, quite productive too. So, rounding third and heading for home plate, while the subject itself is quite familiar, the context in which it resides is often uncharted territory.

Moody Monday: Devotion -

"Devotion"
digital collage by Mick Mather

Excerpt from The Inventor's Diary: "The Sinner, Not The Sin" -

"...as I sit, contemplating our one, good season, comparing it to these empty years that followed is ever painful. I've not failed to understand this distance in a general way, but your personal reasons were both vague and contradictory. I only say so because none of it matters in the end. With you, or without you, my daily devotion is always a surprise to me. An unconditional love that, burning like the eternal flame, has given me a glimpse into the bottomless well of compassion that God pours out to all sinners..."

Kuriouser and kuriouser -

"Kuriosity Killed the Kat"
digital collage by Mick Mather

It's a beautiful day and that old, old Kinks Kronikles ditty, "Sunny Afternoon", is surely looping in my head...in the summertime, in the summertime. Between this perfect, glorious day and the somewhat darker side of the song's true meaning are these two kittens with, it seems to me, mischief on their minds. Sigh! Pass the lemonade!

Stretching a bit -

"Window On Your World"
digital collage by Mick Mather

Lately, I've been experimenting and stretching a bit. Quite a number of my recent works have been a lot more graphic in their final presentation, if not by design. High contrast, posterization, patterns in the background - all by way of taking a turn into some other tools and filters to affirm a certain style I seem to have fallen into over the longer timeline of developing the work. Anyway, I thought it might be somewhat interesting to see a few of these pieces that haunt the files, but not often allowed to see the light of blog!

Illustration Friday: Capture -

"Capture"
digital collage by Mick Mather

Excerpt from The Inventor's Diary: "Capture of One Lucid Moment" -

"...the weather turned bitter that day, from blue to grey in an instant. One chill blast of the north wind, for the first time enabling you to capture one lucid moment, stands you up at the crossroads. That moment of devastation when you finally realize that your own misguided choice is the fuel of breaking hearts. Suddenly, like the slap of a newborn babies bottom, sucking in unfamiliar air as sharp as a razor, you see that your own is at the top of the battered heap..."

Thursday Challenge: Sky -

"Field, Drumlin, Sky"
digital collage by Mick Mather

The theme over at Thursday Challenge is sky, I believe for the second time. If not, another web site, maybe more, have used this one in recent memory. No matter, I have another piece to add to the fray...or, would that be frayed?

NEW from The Selfportrait Series -

"Selfportrait of the Artist With a Defensive Woman"

digital collage by Mick Mather

Excerpt from The Inventor's Diary: "Come to Spain With Me" -

"...I talked and I talked and I talked. 'Stop me anytime,' I remember saying, 'I want to know about you.' Nary a glimpse was forthcoming. The trip to Spain was a joke, really. I never expected you to say that you'd come. At the same time, I actually thought that you might reveal something, anything. You didn't. You haven't...I suspect that you never will considering the height of the wall you've built 'round yourself..."