Yesterdays papers -

"Darkly Down A Wooded Path"
digital collage by Mick Mather

It's an old Rolling Stones song, "Yesterday's Papers", that came to mind as I began manipulating this image. The mysterious figure seems to be carrying a newspaper, tucked under an arm and casting a furtive glance back over the shoulder. The background is something of a visually abstract path set about by a thicket, dense second growth or perhaps a close stand of well leafed trees. All of it, in the end, a bit mysterious and foreboding. I suppose this should be dedicated to The Finnish Sisters. I'm certain each will have something more to say about this one. :)

Illustration Friday: Electricity -

"The Electricity Manual"
digital drawing by Mick Mather

Something simple and abstract in spite of the objective title. Once more, I had a lot of ideas for this week's Illustration Friday challenge for electricity. I have much to do today and likely won't be back anytime before late evening. So, please forgive the post 'n run again today.

NEW from The Toast Series -

"Toast #5"
monotype by Mick Mather

Vacation is a wonderful thing except for the fact that a weeks worth of work is still waiting to be done when you get back. I'm struggling a little getting caught up and tonight I'm going to post something from the files that's been waiting for a day like this when I'm, once again, done in! As you can see, this is Number 5 from The Toast Series and it happens to be the most abstract of the lot. My thanks to Judy Hand and Lisa Sarsfield for assisting me with my thinking about the question-of-the-month. Well, boys and girls, enjoy - or: go do likewise!

If it's objective, can it be abstract? -

"A Square Peg and a Round Hole #22"
digital drawing & collage by Mick Mather

I suppose we can ignore the question since I believe that a titled piece is no longer abstract. Sure, the visually expressed image may very well be, but once you've named it, you've objectified it in a way. Since taking this series from the monotype form to digital, I've been able to explore a whole new visual range that I like very much. Still, work that goes "untitled" has always been a botheration for me - indicative of an artist that won't, or more likely can't, take responsibility for their own work. Hmm, seems like I always raise more questions than answers, eh? :)

NEW from The Chairs Series -

"Abstract Girl and Her Contemporary Chair"
montage by Mick Mather

While playing around with a throw away image a few weeks ago, things began to click. It was one of those times when I was just playing and surprise, surprise! Progress with one of the new photo editors that was employed here has gone backwards more than a few steps recently. I consider myself fortunate to have this image. So, perhaps I should be playing more? Actually I am, but I might be well advised to play harder this week. Anyway, here it is with some alternate versions and at least one spin-off to show for the effort. All properly hidden away here at the Secret Visual Laboratory! :)

Something about her -

"Driven To Abstraction"
digital collage by Mick Mather

It's always a blast to work on something ordinary, an unremarkable, candid snapshot for instance. You know the sort, taken at a dinner, an office party or some function that only merits a casual documentation. Even the most boring of these contains something, or someone, with a sparkle and shine worth elevating, like the subject in tonight's post, obviously. After running this one through the usual array of super secret filters, as well as some of the new ones, an abstract quality began to assert itself. So, a bit of minimalism wrestling its way out of an almost ambient color field toward the realism of the figure. Do pardon the professorial hoo-haw explanation that translates, in my own mind, to: I like her smile!