Thursday Challenge: Peaceful -

"As Peaceful As It Gets"
digitally manipulated photograph by Mick Mather

It was a lovely Memorial Day weekend, just passed, and we went to the cemetery to pay our respects. I got a good group of photographs featuring my 3-year old granddaughter, Leighlund, who didn't seem the least out of sorts at being in such a reverent place. In fact, her first task, chosen all by herself, was to attempt to scrape a years worth of moss from Great Grandpa and Grandma's headstone. As I looked over while she was busy assessing outcomes, I couldn't help but think that this is one of those perfect moments frozen in time. As peaceful as it gets? Pretty close.

Let the mudslinging begin -

"The Really Creepy Internet Candidate"
montage by Mick Mather

Given the news coverage of the You Tube campaign pages of every major presidential candidate, tonight's post is a satirical, absurd and logical extension of the trend. I should begin a wagering pool to see who begins using smear tactics and character assassination to discredit which political party before the other, claiming the moral high ground while doing exactly the opposite. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to know who plays that game better already and it's going to be fun to watch! Isn't it always? :D

Back to work!!!

"Arlene"
digitally manipulated photograph by Mick Mather
(original photograph by Michael Moody)

The long weekend was a nice change for me. A lot of loafing, catching up on missed nap time, aimlessly fun web surfing, mindless entertainment courtesy of the idiot box and a few casual dinners and a breakfast with family and old friends. Speaking of old friends, tonight's post fits the category perfectly. Arlene Abend is a local sculptor and restoration specialist whom I've know for almost a decade. Even though we don't see each other more than twice a month or so, it's always a joy to chat and get caught up. A toast to Arlene, says I.

Moody Monday: Heavenly -

"A Heavenly Glow"
montage by Mick Mather

For the theme of heavenly at Moody Monday this week, I went scrambling through the artchives for something to suit my laziness over this long weekend. I found this old image and decided to run it through some of the new filters here at the Secret Visual Laboratory. I've always liked the mysterious mood this piece evokes in me. Now, I'm off to spend a day with the family and I must dash.

In and Out, Again! -

"Bonfire At Black Beach"
montage by Mick Mather

As mentioned yesterday, this is a holiday weekend, our Memorial Day to be specific. With that in mind, I've made special plans to loaf about and do what my mood fancies from moment to moment. It's dark and cloudy too which means I might even get to take a walk in the rain if the thunderstorm arrives at just the right moment, oh boy! I'm already designing a boat made out of a leaf - one lucky caterpillar is going for a ride! :D

The Fourth Annual Horizon Awards -

"Sunset"
watercolor by Mick Mather

It's been quite a week at the office, not that I'm going to spend very much time on the subject, other than to introduce tonight's post. This watercolor was a donation by me to the Silent Auction portion of The Fourth Annual Horizon Awards. It's a tiny little thing, almost actual size as you see it I believe, with a value of $50. I think the winning bid was half that, but that's why auctions can be so much fun. Anyway, this is a holiday weekend for me so it's going to be another hit 'n run posting initiative for the next few days.

Illustration Friday: Cars -

"Cars"
montage by Mick Mather

Too bad this theme, cars, wasn't offered at Illustration Friday a few weeks back when I loaded my Citroen CV. On the other hand, if it had been, I likely wouldn't have done the same illustration anyway. This afternoon, then, I went wandering through my photo files and picked a few with lots of cars in them. Just for fun, I cut out a single car, pasted it into the new (to me) DrawPlus software and fiddled for about an hour. Not much was working and, as often happens, I took one more stab at it before throwing in the towel. Voila! The result is kind'a, sort'a 1960's Peter Max-ish, wouldn't you say? I'm pleased...let the holiday weekend begin!

* I've had so many positive comments on this piece that I decided to post an alternate version of "Cars" alongside the original photograph, "Cars On Main Street". Also included is an image of the car used in this post before filtering and manipulating. You can see it all here.

Thursday Challenge: Food -

"Eye Candy"
montage by Mick Mather

I have to admit that I've been stumped for two days as regards the weekly theme, food, at Thursday Challenge. I had more than one image in the files that would've been a perfect fit, but each has already been used - this one and this one. I've started a number of other pieces and now have three more in various stages of completion. Since I wasn't at all happy with them I went on to do this image that was finished yesterday and set aside for a bit of reflection. I like it just fine and, given my bent for puns and visual double entendres, here you go!

Painting with 1's and 0's -

"Flags Flying"
digitally manipulated photograph by Mick Mather

Not so long ago I discovered a box of slides that I hadn't seen in over a decade. I scanned them, put them into a digital file and forgot about them again until a few weeks ago. All of these images were dark, diffused and saturated with false colors - a challenge to be sure and I wasn't up to it. As so often happens here at the Secret Visual Laboratory, I pressed forward anyway, layering, softening and finally, into the paint filter. I haven't been using that one much, since the end of 2006, and I didn't have high hopes for my success rate. All of a sudden, BAM! This dark and brooding impressionist thing began to take shape. I like it.

NEW from The Making Faces Series -

"Dark Thoughts"
montage by Mick Mather

Sometimes the pieces that result from this series have a will of their own and they simply appear at some point during assembly. I was really just fiddling about last night, not particularly expecting anything worthwhile, when the image took charge and, honest, finished itself. Okay, okay...so I did a little more tweaking and layering, but you know what I mean. Anyway, I'm posting rather early in the day since I'll be serving on a Public Art Panel later this evening and won't have any time to create let alone chat. I hope to have more to say about this Public Art project, especially since one of the sculptures is my design and it was installed over the weekend. What? You demand to see it now? Alright, you'll find the details and two photos here. Just the pics, please? Okay, go here.

Moody Monday: Colourless -

"Tall Cool One"
digitally manipulated photograph by Mick Mather

The weekly theme is colourless at Moody Monday. A dichotomy exists here: is it the theme that's lacking? Or, is it the theme that's lacking? See what I mean? Anyway, as I was driving home from my office the idea that ice, water and glass were all relatively colourless so I set up a simple still life, shot it and ran it through the array here at the Secret Visual Laboratory. There's only one thing else to do then, yes? A shot of bourbon to go with it...bottoms up!

Caught up in a fiction -

"Future Memory of Gillian O'Casey"
montage by Mick Mather

As I begin to better see the structure of a story at my other blog, Outer Dust Rings, I find that the work, divided between the two blogs, is becoming an issue. It's more of a battle these days when deciding where an artwork is destined to go. I've been able to handle this well enough, so far, by keeping posts at ODR to just one per week while saving some specific images into holding files for future consideration and completion. Still, every new idea comes much more slowly while passing through that prism of decision. So, here's a piece that firmly belongs in The Outer Dust Rings, but I like it so much, I prefer to put it here...and now for something completely different. I'm off to a breakfast tea. Ta!

Watching too much Schiele -

"Haunted by Egon Schiele"
digital collage by Mick Mather

Last month I was walking down the street when I spotted a shop window that was shaded with newspapers so you couldn't see the rehab work going on inside. I took a few photos, dumped the digital files into the computer, settled on three different images found on various pages and began to play around. Once again, I shuffled images about digitally - just like I would if using torn papers. When satisfied with the various layers, manipulations and filter applications I stuck this in a holding file for further review. It looked strangely familiar to me, but why? As I thunked and thunked over it, I finally realized that this piece would fit, comfortably too, in any retrospective of Egon Schiele. So, with a tip of the hat to Herr Schiele, I say, enjoy!

Illustration Friday: Signs -

"The Space Walker"
montage by Mick Mather

This is an old piece that I really got a kick out of the first time around. Since it hasn't seen the light of day for a few years and, since it fits the theme of signs perfectly, I add it here again and at Illustration Friday for the first time. That said, I'm in a bit of a rush...it's the weekend and lots to do, so, enjoy! :D

Thursday Challenge: Motion -

"Motion"
montage by Mick Mather

Motion is the theme at Thursday Challenge this week. I had begun a piece a few weeks back with a honey bee as the subject, manipulated into a spiral swarm of the little buggers. Since it wasn't quite what I wanted I changed gears and began working with the cluster fly instead. Their illogical, ziggity zag flight patterns seemed to fit the idea better, especially considering that their motion is exotic and erratic. Well, the minipulation of another spiraling group of buggies never did come out the way I wanted so I changed course, ending up with this. Attention, everyone...and, Australian Salute! To!

A breakthrough? I'm not so sure -

"In Praise of A Woman and the Stars"
digital collage by Mick Mather

For months and months I've been working with a new series of filters. Yes, I know that I've talked about this more than a few times before, so please bear with me. This particular piece began with 4 very different and unrelated elements that were assembled as a collage just as I might if I were arranging paper instead of pixels. I must admit, I was more than happy with things just as they were, almost. As I normally do, I ran everything through the super secret filter array. It got better and, once again, I was satisfied, almost. I've been studiously pouring over the large body of work by the German Digital Artist, Roland Winkhart (perhaps better known as AruXet) who's a genius! One more time then, through another series of filters it went and "BAM"! Life is sweet! I really like the way this turned out and hope that it isn't too close to Winkhart's territory. I intend to follow this look and style a lot further and, what was it that I said yesterday? "There's always work to do!"

NEW from The Nightmare Series -

"The Zombie"
montage by Mick Mather

Like Mayflies, the troubles I've been having most of the month are beginning to disappear. At least, they're becoming less pesky and the last few days have elicited some positive results, one of them being tonight's post. As it happens, this piece fell into the relatively dormant Nightmare Series. The beginnings of which arose from a very bad photo of my granddaughter and I can't remember when I last posted something from those files. I still have a few tucked away, waiting, rather demanding, a bit more finish. Always, there's work to do (sigh)!

Moody Monday: Industrious -

"Industrious in His Avoidance of Life's Complications"
digitally manipulated photograph by Mick Mather

This week's themed offering, industrious, at Moody Monday hinted at something contrary to the obvious meaning for me. This photograph of a local street person has a variety of connotations in any number of contexts...but, sticking with the concept at hand, I can only pose questions of my own design. In the spirit of one or two of the old 10-minute manager cliches, "even no decision is a decision" and "work smarter, not harder" we can evolve, or in this case perhaps we devolve, into some form of industriousness. Sitting in the sun, letting life wash over you, come what may, surely has a harsh price tag attached. So far, at least on this day, the subject didn't seem to mind.

Comfortable and relaxed -

"The Japanese Chairs"
montage by Mick Mather

I always enjoy these early weeks of springtime when the world is soft, fuzzy and painted in that rainbow of pastel hues. The lawns, parks and country clubs appear to be surrounded by green, velvety felts, the sort that you want to run barefoot across, perhaps to throw oneself down upon, with abandon, and roll all over them. Then there's the subject of today's post, an old favorite of mine, chairs. As I've mentioned here before, I have a journal specific to chairs and I love them. To me, each and every one offers an invitation, "Come, rest here with me a while, let your cares go free, sit quietly, listen intently and observe this beautiful place". An invitation that I've accepted often since I was a young boy and many of my new friends (a wink for Kirsi) have been discussing that issue of the "examined life"...a pursuit that is highly recommended.

Political art -

"49th Senate District, New York State"
montage by Mick Mather

Last year at election time, Hart Seely, a writer for The Syracuse Post-Standard, called me with an interesting request. "Mick, have a look at some of the maps of the state Senate and Legislative districts. Tell me what you see?" We had a meeting, we looked at dozens of gerrymandered district maps, discussed what the abstract shapes might be and then he let me loose to do 3 montages to illustrate his forthcoming article. At this point, I don't recall which of them went into the paper, however, it was only one image, not three. I'm still waiting for a check too...I bet it's "in the mail". In any case, here's one of the three images submitted. I'll post the other two as it seems appropriate to do so. You can read "appropriate" to mean anything from a long day to a short nap. :D

Illustration Friday: Citrus -

"A Subliminal Misunderstanding"
montage by Mick Mather

The theme at Illustration Friday this week presented a bit of problem for me. Oh sure, with the theme being citrus, I could have easily done some sort of still life or chosen the least known fruit of this genus, the shaddock. Instead, I followed along the trail of a misunderstanding, a mistake, a miscommunication and the subliminal misfiring of a memory gap! I hope you enjoy it.

Thursday Challenge: Architecture -

"Architecture"
digitally manipulated photograph by Mick Mather

It just hit me - between the eyes - that another one of the problems I've been having is these headaches. The migraines appear to be back and they're decidedly taking a toll on my ability to think clearly, process information and maintain any kind of creative balance that's acceptable. Therefor, tonight's post on the theme of architecture at this week's Thursday Challenge, was a fortunate find for me. As I was walking from the office to my parking lot, camera in hand, I stumbled upon this discarded newspaper and took the shot...now tell me, is this serendipity or what?

Stormy weather -

"Blue Water Sail"
tempera-on-paper by Mick Mather

Today's post is allegorical in some ways. I've been struggling and restless with my artwork lately and this old tempera sketch has a lot to say about the way I've been feeling: at sea, rough and unfinished, flying in the face of danger, unsettled, fearful that all of this may go under, away, sinking out of sight! At the same time, there's no meaningful gain without some risk so I set sail every day, ploughing through choppy waves without a compass. What this usually means is, the wind is about to change - that I'm close to another series of meaningful work or on my way to a change in style. We shall see, one day at a time, yes?

NEW from The Mr Existence Series -

"Mr Existence Finds His Blue Poodle"
pen & ink with digital collage by Mick Mather

All the bright and sparkly colors in this piece are from an old pen & ink drawing I did in the 1970's. I was playing about and in up to my waist with pointillism at the time. As a slight diversion from one dot at a time, a few pieces used broader squares of color...similar, but not matching, a style that made Chuck Close a household name. So, jumping ahead some 25 years, I scanned the original, cropped it to fit my usual working frame and began looking at it - turning and looking, turning and looking. Not unlike those magic 3-D prints that reveal a hidden image once you figure out how to unfocus and allow it to jump out at you, I spotted something. Spot! As in "see Spot run!" Well, not exactly, since it's a French Poodle I happened to see...and so, after a bit of digital collage and the usual manipulations via the super secret array, voila! Was Mr Existence excited about finding that darned doggy? You can bet your flea-bitten collar that he was. :D

Moody Monday: Rich -

"She Owned Every Yellow Flower"
digitally manipulated photograph by Mick Mather

I wasn't sure how the photograph featured in tonight's post for Moody Monday was going to turn out and I was stunned when I finally got a good look at it. Twice today I happened to witness, on separate occasions, a little girl picking wildflowers, treasure equivalent to gold it seemed to me, both times. After giving them a good look, a sniff and a twirl, not yet having learned greed, both were happily offering their riches to family members. In this case, the heir apparent was the grandfather. So, as for this week's theme, rich, today's transactions and those who had the good fortune to witness them, are surely rich beyond our wildest dreams!

Feeling lazy and nothing seems to be working -

"Living on the Edge Where the Edges Have Edges"
montage by Mick Mather

I've hit another dead spot. Nothing is coming out the way I'd like and I'm not particularly happy doing the work at the moment - but, read on. This is no great problem in the long run. Neither am I alone in this and, as I may have said before, the cure is simple enough: GET BACK TO WORK! Doing that might be painful at a time like this but it does get one over some of the higher hurdles. So, tonight's post is decidedly related to such feelings of apathy, self-doubt and lack of any burning fire...I, too, am right on that edge where the edges have edges! Say that fast 3 times! :D

NEW from The Mr Existence Series -

"Sister Existence on a Dog Day Afternoon"
digital collage by Mick Mather

I was playing around with a few elements last night, including a wonderfully scribbly drawing by my 3-year old granddaughter. This was layered over a rough 'n tumble, hazy, blocky base of cut 'n paste before running the whole business through the super secret array. It didn't take long to realize that we had another piece where Sister Existence is out walking the dogs. "What dogs?", you might legitimately inquire. Let me see, pretend this is one of those "Where's Waldo" books except that we're looking for "Fido" instead. Well, two of them actually. :D

Illustration Friday: Neighbor -

"Nosey Neighbor"

pen & ink drawing by Mick Mather

Long week, long conference and I have a headache. For this week's theme of neighbor at Illustration Friday, I went to some old sketchbooks - and I do mean O-L-D - to retrieve this image. I suppose it's self explanatory in some fashion. The details I leave to each of you and your creative imaginations! :D

Thursday Challenge: Noisy -

"Jackhammer"
montage by Mick Mather

The weekly theme at Thursday Challenge is noisy. Since some of the most annoying repair work at my office over the winter and early spring has required a jackhammer, let's just say that my course was clear. I should also say that working on this piece made me think of those old, cigarette pack cards that were particularly common during the middle of the last century. The modern day equivalent is the ATC and I believe this would make a good one. Now I've gone and done it...more work to do!

NEW from The Making Faces Series -

"La Bouffant"
digital collage by Mick Mather

As mentioned in yesterday's post, I'm really not here - well, I am here but never mind the mechanics of it all. I'm just popping in to upload an image after a long day split between my office and the Folk Arts Roundtable. As promised, a hit and run post as the really BIG day will be tomorrow and I'm tired already!

I'll be away for the rest of the week -

"The Black Body Suit"
digital collage by Mick Mather

I've been so caught up in my work lately that it completely slipped my mind that I'll be away much of the week. The New York State Folk Arts Round Table begins tomorrow in beautiful Skaneateles, New York, situated in the Heart of the Finger Lakes. I expect to see someone like this wandering around town or at the inn - yes, my eyes have gotten worse since last year! So, I'm not exactly certain of my posting schedule through Friday, perhaps Saturday. If I'm able, I'll get some things loaded and ready to go...however, consider that there may be missing posts. At best, the rest of the week is quite likely going to be hit and run. To the war!