Nedda -

"Pagliaccio's Wife"
digital collage by Mick Mather

I can't explain where this piece came from. As best as I can recall it's the result of a little bit of cross-pollination and accidental research during the creative process. The image wasn't working the way I wanted at first and it took a while to complete. Somewhere, somehow, I stumbled into poster art for the classic opera, Pagliacci, and began to see a direction. Anyway, it's finished, time to move along.

I'm ba-a-a-ck! -

"The Milliner"
digital collage by Mick Mather

Back to the world, back to the grindstone and back to the future! An old profession this, millinery work, that is part of the dark and moody trend that is becoming my future. Not a lot to say on this first day back due to meetings and a lot of work ...(sigh!)... that needs tending to.

VACATION: Day Nine -

"Maple Leaf I"
digitally manipulated drawing by Mick Mather
- original drawing by Leighlund Ruth Vincett -

My vacation, for all practical purposes, is now over. Soon, I'll be back at my usual routine, visiting all of you again at your blogs and struggling to catch up on the week's worth of work that didn't go away, but became a deeper pile on my not-so-empty desk at the office. Before I do, I have an entire series of digital manipulations created from one of my granddaughter's recent drawings. I call it "The Maple Leaf Series" and it documents a slow, digital decay of this stylistic drawing. More to come!

VACATION: Day Eight -

"The Old Tower"
digitally manipulated photograph by Mick Mather

I'm on V-A-C-A-T-I-O-N ... I'll be unplugged much of the time but may pop in when you least expect it.

VACATION: Day Seven -

"Poise"
digital collage by Mick Mather

I'm on V-A-C-A-T-I-O-N ... I'll be unplugged much of the time but may pop in when you least expect it. Today's post, for example, is for the irresistible Illustration Friday where the theme is poise. What self-respecting young lady wouldn't find some of that in a new, black handbag?

VACATION: Day Six -

"Working Past the Age of Retirement"
digitally manipulated photograph by Mick Mather
- click image to view full size -

I'm on V-A-C-A-T-I-O-N ... I'll be unplugged much of the time but may pop in when you least expect it. For instance, this Thursday Challenge piece for the weekly theme of building.

V-A-C-A-T-I-O-N: Day FIVE -

"The Decision Maker"
digital collage by Mick Mather

I'm on V-A-C-A-T-I-O-N ... I'll be unplugged much of the time but may pop in when you least expect it.

V-A-C-A-T-I-O-N: Day Four -

"Kings Court Walk II"
digital collage by Mick Mather

I'm on V-A-C-A-T-I-O-N ... I'll be unplugged much of the time but may pop in when you least expect it.

V-A-C-A-T-I-O-N: Day Three -

"Long Cool Woman"
digital collage by Mick Mather

I'm on V-A-C-A-T-I-O-N ... I'll be unplugged much of the time but may pop in when you least expect it.

V-A-C-A-T-I-O-N: Day Two -

"Oldest Known Monument to Futurism"
manipulated digital drawing by Mick Mather

H A P P Y B I R T H D A Y to M E ! ! !

VACATION: Day One -

"Figure 5 (Reprise)"
digitally manipulated fractal flame collage by Mick Mather

I'm on V-A-C-A-T-I-O-N ... I'll be unplugged much of the time but may pop in when you least expect it.

Illustration Friday: Subtract -

"The Appraiser (Subtracting the Deductible)"
digital collage by Mick Mather

Subtract is the weekly theme at Illustration Friday and who hasn't had this issue with their car insurance company? Anyway, it did seem to fit and here you have it.

I should mention that, since Sunday is my birthday, I'll only be around and about from time to time for the next ten days or so. Too, I'm on vacation all of next week and expect that I'll quite likely go unplugged. Posts will be seen every day, as usual, but will be timer-loaded over the weekend. I'll not be visiting other blogs much of the time next week either so don't take it personal ... I should be back to my regular schedule by March 30th if not sooner.

Thursday Challenge: Time -

"Measured in Rings"
digitally manipulated photograph by Mick Mather

At Thursday Challenge, time is the word of the week. As I was going back through my photo files I came upon an image of a tree that had been cut down, leaving a waist-high stump. I suddenly realized that the visible rings of the unmanipulated photograph were, indeed, a measure of time ... I wonder if that stump is still there? If it is, I might stop back to get a proper photo of the rings themselves and see how many years I can count. Always, there's something else to do!

Talk is cheap -

"The Dish"
digital collage by Mick Mather

Something fun and playful here, from a few weeks back. If anyone out there can let me in on the secret of this bit of girl talk, by all means let me know. :)

NEW from Greymoor Walk -

"Balcony at Greymoor"
digitally manipulated photograph by Mick Mather

- click on image to see full size -

This is a view from the balcony of the Highland Green condominium where I used to live a decade ago. I miss the area and I've walked it from end to end, over and over again, gaining one of the largest bodies of walking art documentation in my files. I'm sure there'll be more to come from this series as time goes by ... and:

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Something old, again -

"In Need of Some Repair"
digitally manipulated photograph by Mick Mather

I've been looking at quite a bit of pinhole photography, toy camera photography and manipulated images meant to resemble that sort of work. I've grown to appreciate the dreamy, dark and dramatic tones of this less-than-perfect focus presentation. Quite by accident it's paralleled my own work lately and now it seems to be informing the current product and that yet to come.

A TOURism Project -

"Checkered House"
digital collage by Mick Mather

I've had a "TOURism Project" on the drawing board for as long as I can remember. It all began with a little known intersection in Oswego County, New York, known as Checkered House. Here, a building painted in a checkerboard pattern, likely an old Coach Road Inn at one time, marks the beginning of New York Route 104 that travels west all the way to the City of Niagara Falls. The idea for the project is to travel the length of this road as a tourist might, seeking attractions, historical markers, heritage and arts & culture sites, hot dog stands, farmers markets, bed & breakfasts and, well, you get the idea. It's doubtful that I'll be able to get to this project without a grant and a small research staff but it's been on my mind.

NEW from Greymoor Walk -

"At Twilight You Can See Them"
digitally manipulated photograph by Mick Mather

Faeries, come take me out of this dull world,
For I would ride with you upon the wind,
Run on the top of the dishevelled tide,
And dance upon the mountains like a flame.
- William Butler Yeats, "The Land of Heart's Desire"

Illustration Friday: Legendary -

"Canary Yellow Blouse"
digital collage by Mick Mather

"... Nadine (honey, is that you?) never left the house without her legendary blouse ..."

Thursday Challenge: Broken -

"Broken"
manipulated digital photograph by Mick Mather

As today's title suggests, broken is the week's theme at Thursday Challenge. The subject is an old railroad bridge, minus the tracks, that once lead from a downtown rail yard to an industrial section of Syracuse, New York as recently as the late 1970's. It's also one of my favorite photographs taken on that part of The Creek Walk that has yet to be realized as an urban walking trail through the heart of the city. I have a series of documentation photographs that will, one day, be exhibited under the same title - "The Creek Walk".

Disintegration Admiration Project -

"Stimulus Package I (Studio Documentation)"
manipulated digital photograph by Mick Mather

I've done my first 3-dimensional study for the Disintegration Admiration project that Seth is doing over at his blog, The Altered Page ... it's an interesting idea and you should go have a look. I may or may not create another, improved design since this one is sure to disintegrate totally in the first heavy rain. On the one hand, that's exactly the point; on the other hand I might like to get more than a few days of documentation. Whatever I decide, this seems to be kick-starting my outdoor activity for the coming year and I feel great about that!

Post Script: I installed the piece this afternoon. You can see the video at No Matter What Shape-The Archive.

Analog locative technology -

"Ritual Patterns of Spring"
digital collage by Mick Mather

Today's post sat around for a while as I considered how I might finish it. As regulars have already realized, I'm afflicted with "Spring Fever" and my thoughts revolve around expressions of renewal and hope for my favorite season. While doing research on locative media projects that involve more new technology than I have a budget for, I regressed to an old analog solution. Laying a dress pattern over a mapped grid seemed to work nicely here ... evidently the ladies agree, they're already walking the route!

Itching for a walk -

"Late Winter Hedgerow"
digitally manipulated photograph by Mick Mather

Just popping in to put up a post before popping back out to participate in a powwow!

Taking a break -

"On the Rocks"
digital collage by Mick Mather

It's become fairly certain that my first walking art project for this year is likely to happen in the next few weeks. A few good days of sun and wind with temperatures above 50º ought to make the ground over at the Milton Slough passable. Located in almost perfectly level terrain, there won't be any rocks like those evident in today's post. Too, being a rather short walk, there will likely be no need to take a break as seen here either.

Oh Yeah!!!

"A Hint of Spring"
digital collage by Mick Mather

It got above 60 degrees today! I know we have a bit more spit 'n flurry coming but it won't be long now! Oh yeah!

Illustration Friday: Intricate -

"Intricate"
manipulated digital drawing by Mick Mather

"... the tin whisker issue is not solved and continued emphasis on this topic remains ..."

Thursday Challenge: Windows and Doors -

"Red Shift"
digitally manipulated photograph by Mick Mather
- click image to see full size -

It's that time of the week to participate in Thursday Challenge and the theme windows and doors. I fell in love with this version (I have two more) even though, perhaps especially because, the windows and doors kind of disappeared. I've posted a b&w version at No Matter What Shape - The Archive so you can see that I actually did follow the suggested possibilities. A bit of a double entendre also exists ... as the old agrarian way of life slips steadily into the past and as the fading red paint of the barn grows fainter with each passing season, there's a thread that connects physics to this piece in more ways than one. Yes. Really. Look it up!

Outside looking in -

"Look Through Any Window"

digital collage by Mick Mather

I have meetings all week, again, and must beg forgiveness for the hit 'n run posting. Already the week after this is shaping up to be more of the same. Even so, birthday month celebrations begin at the same time and there may be a bit of respite between brain storming and working group sessions. If you're coming along bring the Jameson's please - 12 years old!

Beyond the normal parameters -

"Unexpected Resonance Property"
digital collage by Mick Mather

"...flow velocities in micro-flowcells using the DESIRE effect..."

Submission now -

"Slave to the Machine"
digital collage by Mick Mather

..."personnel will refer all questions of significant nature"...

flickr tag -

"Five of Five"
digitally manipulated image by Mick Mather

As most of you know, I don't participate in tag games, 25 things lists, have whiter teeth in 21 days with our toothpaste and such like. That said, I really couldn't refuse my good friend, Lesley Boyce-Kiss, when she flickr tagged me to post the fifth photo in the fifth file on my computer no matter what that is. Well, the fifth folder happens to be for my scanner. The fifth thing in that file happens to be, not a photograph, but a file icon. With a sigh, I decided to have some fun in spite of myself and came up with some digital manipulations of it - see the first four here - the last of which is today's post. Sorry that I couldn't add this to my flickr set, Lesley, but it really wouldn't fit into any of the three I have over there ... in the end, I'll admit that this was a bit of fun.