Thursday Challenge: Sky -

"Sky"
digitally manipulated photograph by Mick Mather

As the title suggests, the weekly theme at Thursday Challenge is sky. I had a lot of photographs to choose from but something about the tip of the pine tree, barely edging its way into the frame, was appealing to me. Anyway, I'm counting the days to vacation and already practicing the art of laying about!

A quick study -

"Girl on the Stoop"
digital collage by Mick Mather

I'm beginning to feel the tingle as vacation draws ever closer. Just to be clear, I'll be loafing about from August 11th thru August 24th. Not to worry, I'll be loading posts ahead of time so that you'll still get an image everyday. However, my plan is to stay away from the computer and the blog for most of that time. I think a few weeks with my sketchbook and camera is just what the doctor ordered.

Have you seen? -

"Standing in the Shadows"
digital collage by Mick Mather

Something short and sweet as I scurry about, preparing for the upcoming vacation that I seem to have been going on and on about all month. So far, I have two-thirds of the posts covered for the expected dozen days of down time. Since I'm in the middle of a creative lull this has been a bit difficult at times. Be that as it may, carry on is the theme of the week.

Going Green -

"Green Girl"
digital collage by Mick Mather

I really liked what the manipulating software was doing to this piece, except for the hand. It seems to have turned into some sort of leafy appendage that I find rather unsettling, but I've grown used to it. In the arena of green this and green that, I'm beginning to see the whole idea of labeling all things under the sun, including initiatives of sustainability and sustainable living, with that very term, "Green", as a disservice and more than little misleading. Be that as it may, and just because the word itself is so much fun to say, here's something else that's a little bit - wait for it - green!

NEW from The Selfportrait Series -

"Selfportrait of the Artist Flummoxed by the OH SNAP! Photo Booth"
digitally manipulated photograph by Mick Mather
- original photograph from the OH SNAP! photo booth -

Yesterday's celebration of Syracuse Arts Week, a connecting series of art events & activities developed with a variety of partners and managed by the Cultural Resources Council, was a huge success. One of the highlights was seeing "The Hand" erected over the course of the day. This new public artwork designed by Brendan Rose is a brilliant marriage of art & architecture and a superb demonstration of project management, cooperation and fabrication. The entire team deserves a big round of applause. Also a huge success was Joanna Spitzner's "Urban Art Rangers" and "The Arts Week 'Zine" project - Edition 1 & 2 are available as a FREE download at the Rangers web site, scroll down and have at it! Lots of painting went on courtesy of Th3 and the "Michael Berman Interactive Arts Project"; the 40Below Public Arts Task Force was on site with the "OH SNAP!" photo booth as well as the "Syracuse PARK(ing) Day" platform; The Redhouse brought in blank maps for "An Atlas: Radical Cartography Exhibition"; and a fund raising event for children with cancer via "Alex's Lemonade Stand". There's a lot more to be said here and if you're interested follow each of the links. Suffice it to say that today's post is another image in The Selfportrait Series where, while waiting for my photo booth photographs, I'm totally befuddled as regards the timing between snaps! OH!

Gotta run -

"Turn, Turn, Turn"
digital drawing by Mick Mather

Something abstract that I can toss up quickly as I head for the door. Syracuse Arts Week is in full swing from Noon to 6:00pm today in Historic Hanover Square Downtown and I'm on my way out so the participants can load-in. We'll chat later.

Illustration Friday: Canned -

"Canned"
digital collage by Mick Mather

This week's theme at Illustration Friday, canned, sent me back a long way in my thinking. All the way back to the days of WWII when the British were hanging on by a thread, well before the United States got involved. Patrolling the North Atlantic to thwart the German U-Boat attacks on all manner of shipping was, I'm certain, a cold, daunting, grueling and lonely task. Heroes are rarely the sort one sees in the movies or television dramas; my hat is off to all who served and, do remember: "they also serve who only stand and wait."

Thursday Challenge: Yellow -

"Yellow"
digitally manipulated photograph by Mick Mather
- original photograph by HPY -

Yes, I'm quite aware that yesterday's post would also have worked well for this week's theme, yellow, at Thursday Challenge. I also have to admit that I'm cheating a little bit. My good friend, Hélène Pyy-Letellier, from France, took this most marvelous photograph and the moment I laid eyes on it knew that it would be perfect for Dale Hudjik's marvelous photoblog. So I asked permission to work my own magic, cropped the original photograph, manipulated it and, well, here you have it. I'm not so sure that I've improved on the original, though. Hélène's photograph, as all of her work happens to be, is superb! Please do pop over to her place for a good look around when you can. I'll be at one of those darned night meetings and then to a favorite pub for a tumbler of Redbreast Irish Whiskey.

Back to the grind -

"Yellow Blouse"
digital collage by Mick Mather

Everything went fine with the teeth and now it's back to work with two very long days and more meetings than I've had in a while plus a festival event to site manage all day Saturday. That said, and as I've mentioned already, I'm winding down to my vacation. So, posts may be short and sweet for the foreseeable future. Ta!

To the dentist -

"At the Pool"
digital collage by Mick Mather

Yes, I'm away at the dentist getting a root canal so today's image is a bit of a hint at where I'd rather be! I suspect that once I get home I'll want to sleep off the Novocaine and any aftereffects. Too, I have a bit of reading to do and some basic studio maintenance to accomplish so, who knows what the rest of the day will bring?

Memory Lane -

"Sleeveless Red Blouse"
digital collage by Mick Mather

I went a long way back in the files this morning, finding this image that I never quite finished. It's done in a hazy, impressionistic, painterly style that I was somewhat enamored with back then - some said of this body of work: "It's blurry". While I still do the odd piece that uses the particular filters to supply this look, I do so sparingly these days. It's the haunting look here that always intrigued me.

Plannin' out a route -

"Toast #9"
monotype by Mick Mather

I've begun to hint about my upcoming vacation. From August 11th thru August 22nd I'm going to be doing other things than this blog. Maybe. I'm sure to check in here from time to time, to visit my daily reads and to mess around with an experiment or two without pressure, without expectation and no need to come up with anything spectacular. During that 2-weeks off, there may well be little by way of the usual writing to accompany the work and I'm on a search for short quotes that will serve there instead. We'll see and, for now, here's another monotype from The Toast Series. I have 12 pieces in the series and by the end of my vacation, the other 8 will be posted ... does anyone have a good quote about toast?

Not what you think -

"Until the Wheels Fall Off"
manipulated digital drawing by Mick Mather

As I worked on this image The Toys Series came immediately to mind. However, that body of work is based upon tempera-on-paper paintings that always precede the digital manipulation. Even though the look and the style of this fits well within the confines of that series, it must, as defined by the criteria, stand alone. I'm thinking that more of these will appear as I begin to accumulate a few weeks worth of images for posting while I'm vacation in mid-August. I'm also thinking that this may very well mean another, new series. What to do?

Illustration Friday: Enough -

"Enough"
digital collage by Mick Mather

While the first idea that came to mind for this week's Illustration Friday theme, enough, wasn't about the "Sweet Science", it surely was the most persistent. Sometimes a professional boxer who is difficult to knock out cold will attempt to rise from the mat time and again on instinct alone. Eventually, a good referee will stop a fight when it's apparent that this is the case. As often as not you can read his lips as he proclaims, "enough"!

Thursday Challenge: Noisy -

"Noisy"
photograph by Mick Mather

This brightly painted metal plate marks a stairway inside The Gear Factory in Syracuse, New York and seemed to be just right for the week's Thursday Challenge theme of noisy! Except for minimal cropping, this photo is untouched. Now, it's another gorgeous day and I'm going outside for a walk.

The weather has been perfect -

"One Happy Summer Day"

digital collage by Mick Mather

As I mention in the introductory title of this post, the weather has been stunning! Perfect days, perfect green, perfect riot of color in all of the flowers, just the right amount of rain ... like I say, perfect. This image is somewhat idyllic in my mind and reminiscent of being at a lake, taking a small rowboat out on the water with someone you care for. This exchange of glances on a summer day is the icing on the cake (sigh)!

Skin deep -

"Beauty With A Scarred Face"
digital collage by Mick Mather

This piece is not so much what it seems to be as much as it is an allegory for the way my world has been turning lately. Changes and transitions at the workplace have left me a bit scarred, on the inside, and yet there's plenty of beauty within all of that. In the real world, I've met and known a few women who've had physical scars and were some of the most beautiful individuals I've ever met. So, there you have it, in the end, even the emotional angst? It's all just skin deep.

NEW from The Birdhouse Series -

"Birdhouse XI"

manipulated digital drawing by Mick Mather

Since hanging this series at The Weiskotten Gallery at the beginning of July, the impetus to add new work has ebbed a little bit. I haven't painted anything new for The Toys Series in about 3 weeks either so I'm happy to get back to these whimsical pieces. I think about them quite often, in particular regarding some way to market these for sale while figuring out how to give some of them away. Ideas are whirling about in my head and something is likely to come of all this sometime in the not too distant future.

A funny thing happened on the way to ...

"Reverse Engineering Department"
digital collage by Mick Mather

This image was already created when I stumbled into some YouTube™ broadcasts of the supposed Mars Photographs Cover-Up. The way I see it, anyone can say just about anything and believably back it up with statistical data, alternative theory, vague and indistinct imagery, ad infinitum. While that sort of thing is fun to watch and think about, I have a BIG problem with cover-up theories such as UFO's and said life on Mars documentation. When is the last time you tried to keep a secret? The minute you say, "you can't tell anyone this, but...", the lid is off the cookie jar and soon everyone will know it was you who spilled the beans! If information like this has really been covered up for all this time then the real story here is in how to keep mum about something a lot more important than whose house the postman, the milkman or the cable repairman is spending way too much time in. I don't know, it just doesn't seem possible given the blabbermouth factor of human nature. As for today's image and the object that's being reverse engineered? So sorry, that's a secret.

Too nice to stay inside -

"The Middle Men"
digital collage by Mick Mather

Just as the opening introduction says, "It's too nice to stay inside". So, here's something I've been toying with over the last few days. I'm looking for my bathing suit and then I'm going up to the pool. Later!

Illustration Friday: Foggy -

"Foggy"
digital collage by Mick Mather

There are two old doo wop songs that I was humming while working on this piece. The more popular, "Silhouettes", recorded by a huge number of recording artists, such as The Rays and Herman's Hermits, takes the perspective of one on the outside looking in at lost love, as shown here. The lesser known but equally popular hit, "Silhouette", takes the opposite position of someone looking out as his lost love passes by. In both cases, the memories are ever present, even if a bit foggy, and thus suited to this theme at Illustration Friday.

Thursday Challenge: Hot -

"Burning Hand"
digitally manipulated photograph by Mick Mather

This week's theme at Thursday Challenge is hot. As I was strolling through my photography files looking for something that fit, I found this image of a pair of crossing signals located about a block away from my office. After cropping this from a much larger photo it went into the super secret array of plug-in filters at the Secret Visual Laboratory. The brightly lit DON'T WALK sign seemed to be on fire but there's a triple meaning here for me. In addition to the theme this is also a play on words of "Burning Man", the increasingly popular, contemporary, counter-culture festival held every year in the Black Rock Desert of Nevada. The third is that in a few weeks a tectonic sculpture of a 15' tall hand (designed by the very creative and talented Syracuse University architecture student, Brendan Rose) will be constructed as part of Syracuse Arts Week on the 26th of July. I don't think it's going to be red though.

Two steps back -

"The Classics"
digital collage by Mick Mather

I continue reviewing old work, pressing a few into service again. I've also been throwing together a piece here and there using an old working method with new filters. I suppose this is akin to taking a tried and true idea, turning it slightly one way, then another and finding a new twist. Tonight's post was particularly satisfying in light of the half dozen pieces that failed. Onward!

Something graphic -

"The Checkered Jacket"
digital collage by Mick Mather

Many years ago, when I was doing block-relief prints 95% of the time I worked only in black and white. This digital collage is just the sort of image that I'd transfer to a block, cut and edition without batting an eye. The checked pattern of the jacket is the attraction for me in this piece and the rest of the image is almost incidental. As I look at this and reflect, it occurs to me that there's a lot of my old print work that might benefit from a revisit here. I think like this from time to time and with so much work to do, it's hard to justify the time spent again on old work. We'll see.

NEW from The Birdhouse Series -

"Birdhouse X"
digitally manipulated drawing & collage by Mick Mather

I'm still playing catch-up from the long weekend. To sooth my just-about-shattered nerves, I thought I'd fiddle around with a new piece for The Birdhouse Series. Here you have it and do excuse another hit 'n run post this evening ... it couldn't be helped.

When the party's over -

"The Orange Sweater"

digital collage by Mick Mather

Yeah, the long celebratory weekend is winding to a close and what better way to assist than with a nap! Before I do, the image posted tonight is clearly rooted in my love for 1950's advertising and illustration. Now, where's my pillow!

Stretching out -

"A Bivouac of Tents After A Windstorm"
digitally manipulated drawing & collage by Mick Mather

It's a holiday weekend and I'm off to a birthday celebration, pool party and backyard bar-b-que. So, forgive the post and run but, in case all of those things weren't sufficient, my 4-year old granddaughter offered a further enticement and made Poppa a vanilla cake! Oh boy!

Illustration Friday: Sour -

"Contemplating Her Famous Crab Apple Butter"
digital collage by Mick Mather

The weekly theme, sour, at Illustration Friday stopped me at this old "found image" from the files. I've always been attracted to the pose, the hazy light effects and the colors of this piece. Once it went into The Secret Visual Laboratory and all of those things were exaggerated and enhanced, well, what more to say? Oh, yes, of course: HAPPY 4th of JULY!!!

Thursday Challenge: Photography -

"Watching the Detectives"
digital collage by Mick Mather

This week, Thursday Challenge offers us the theme of photography. Not long ago I was working with a terrific group of teenagers on a public art project who managed to design, assemble and site a sculpture in less than 3 weeks time. Part of that effort required documenting as much activity as possible and there were multiple cameras in operation during each creative session. Coleen, a professional photographer with a studio at The Gear Factory where all of this was taking place, appeared one day and offered to shoot a few rolls of film with her big, honkin' rig. Tonight's post is based on two of the photo's I managed to take of her at work after collaging, manipulating and layering as I am wont to do. You can see the sculpture here at No Matter What Shape - The Archive.

Spinning out of control -

"Her Red Dress Reflected in the Lid of a Can"
digitally manipulated drawing by Mick Mather

I'll just say that I'm firmly in my seat, buckled up and ready for whatever crazy turns are coming my way. Life is a bit unsettling lately with a funded sculpture to produce, a handful of public art proposals on the table and more than that to get to. I haven't settled into any regular rhythm of accomplishing the new tasks and fully expect that a few more successes, along with a more discerning eye toward what I should be doing, will help in that regard. So, spinning out of control? Kinda, sorta, maybe.

NEW from The Toys Series -

"Dump Truck"
digitally manipulated tempera-on-paper painting by Mick Mather

Once again I pay homage to my exhibition at The Weiskotten Gallery with another piece from The Toys Series. While I'm at it, how about a nod to Bob the Builder? I actually had a dump truck similar to this when I was about 4 or 5 ... it was made of good, solid metal instead of the plastic toys you get today. They were perfect for clunking the kid next door over the head with and was sure to raise a welt that would be remembered a fair while. :)