Saturday, October 15, 2005 A

"I Ain't No Betsy Ross"
2:10pm

Julia prepared a nice lunch, using my leftover catfish from last nights meal at The Crossing, which I've eaten and enjoyed. After spending my morning at work repairing huge (11 feet long on short side) U.S. flags, I thought I ought to check the regulations on flags. The three remaining are in such a shredded state that I questioned the appropriateness of trying to salvage them. A little research and I learned that all U.S. Flags flown on official government property must keep to the exact proportions. When those get torn, they are replaced. It's not so stringent for private citizens, and repairing is allowed, so long as the overall proportions "are not noticeably altered". I ain't no Betsy Ross, but it's safe to safe that when the width of the union square is equal to or more then the length of stripes beside it, this proportional difference is VERY noticeable.

When dimension X is equal to or less than dimension D, then that flag should be retired!

You just never know what I'm going to be in a mood to speak of, do you? Perhaps later this weekend, I will have newsier bits.

Saturday, October 15, 2005 B

"Evening Celebration"
11:59pm

I'm enjoying a peachy and cinnamony herbal tea as I remember the evening. The tea was part of Julia's giftage. Tonight was Mensa games night, and they surprised us with gifts and cake. Julia was nicely gifted with lots of tea, fancy chopsticks, a nice candle, tasty chocolate cake, (Of which we have so much left over), and good meal of chicken wraps, fancy marbled eggs, too many crackers, and grapes. There was a cheese ball, too, but I dared not touch it, (sinuses are doing nicely, don't want to disturb that...).

We played a simple game called Bunco, which involved throwing dice, trying to get a certain number. We all agreed, not enough challenge, though I could envision greatly soused people being amused by it, wildly throwing dice. Julia was given next game pick, and she chose Trivial Pursuit. We made two teams and we were pretty even. Sports questions are hard for all of us, but the other catagories are a fair match. Julia said it was the nicest birthday celebration she's had in a long while.

When we got home, I felt still pretty perky, after having a good nap this afternoon, and scoured the entire archive of my pictures at aztriad, looking for one that would qualify for the Photo Friday theme of 'Conspicuous'. Using the definition provided by Merriam-Webster, I could find only one.

Etymology: Latin conspicuus, from conspicere to get sight of, from com- + specere to look -- more at SPY
1 : obvious to the eye or mind
2 : attracting attention : STRIKING
3 : marked by a noticeable violation of good taste
synonym see NOTICEABLE

The only photo that qualifies is of a huge billboard in Superior, Arizona, of a Blue Eyed Jesus. So I didn't waste much time in getting that up and linked. Later, I looked at a ton of photos, from Prague and all over. I also enjoyed various horizons of October 15, 2005 as captured by several photographers at Flicker.

I hope to have some fresh photos, soon. Tomorrow awaits, and I aim to enjoy it.

Sunday, October 16, 2005 A

"Fresh Art"
6:25am

Fresh photos, I don't have. But I do have fresh art:

Click on the small version to see the larger...

I was looking at the image of Mary DeLave, an artist and her statement of purpose, when I felt that quiet inner urging to grab a pen and paper. But as I sketched the photo of the artist in front of her paintings, my own inner vision took over and the picture evolved into something quite unique. Yet I kept the importance of dreams, common to both this artist and myself. In my image, the pink bed represents where many dreams take place, as a road to creativity.

This picture represents an advance for me. After I scanned the image, feeling very much the desire to color it, I let the 'automatic' process take over while coloring it. It seemed strange, little breaks in the 'channeling' state to think how to pick and click to get the color I wanted, but mostly it felt smooth.

Now that I see the results, so many of my simple black and white drawings look barren, pleading for COLOR.

But I'll let that wait for another day. Outside of that nap Saturday afternoon, I haven't been to bed yet. Talk to you later...

Sunday, October 16, 2005 B

"Gathering the Thoughts of the Day"
12:57

The wash is in. There are low rumbles of thunder, Set murmering, then growing louder. Sounds of raindrops on metal car park roofs, a metallic sound mixed with natural sound.

All of that just for a few moments, then the staccato slows into silence, except for a few bird calls. Then staccato again. I grow sleepy, wanting sleep. I shall return to bed, and let the rain do what it will.

a puddle with fallen leaves and olives...

7:04pm

We watched a DVD about Richard Avedon, "Darkness and Light", and again I see the similarities between the artist's path and the LHP magician's path. Quoting him, "To be an artist, to be a photographer, you have to nurture the things that most people discard. You have to keep them alive in order to tap them."

He seeks to explore what he is afraid of. There is a vision of the artist 'being in control', in the manner of a black magician. Others speaking of Avedon mentioned his "aristocracy of mind" and "addiction to perfection"

He liked to put the people in his portraits without things, isolated, alone. There is a sense of the portrait not just being of the person, but of the artist as well. They spoke of the subtle focus of fashion photography, to make the viewer want that 'sense of being' the model is portryaying, as he conveys the openness, a vitality, a free sexuality.

He endeavored with his more personal art to make the viewer think, to disturb, in a positive way, to make the viewer feel.

And of course, they feature Nastassia Kinski and her snake, describing how they got that photo of the entwining snake kissing her with his tongue, (oooh, sexy!)

And, the pictures of his dying father powerfully capture all the fraility of the human in his last stages. Those that didn't understand, thought it was cruel, a reaction of the photographer to his father from which he'd felt estranged as a youth. Avedon himself wondered if it was true. Nevertheless, the images are powerful, true art.

We topped the evening's entertainment off with another Cirque du Soleil DVD, 'Quidam'. A girl sits, alone, while her parents are so very preoccupied. Then strange things happen, she dons a magical hat, and her imagination comes alive. Strange, weird, even disturbing things pop forth, as well as the miraculous.

Absolutely lovely, a wonderful afternoon and evening's entertainment.