Another "Trinity Series Sculpture" sneaks in -

"One Stop on a Walking Tour"
digital collage by Mick Mather
- from an original photo by Bill Ives -

I know that things come and go in streaks more often for me than for some, I think. Case in point is this second post based upon another Bill Ives photograph. I think it was the rope standards around the perimeter of the ancient Temple at Arigento that kicked things off in my mind as regards layering the digital study of "Trinity #2" into the tightly cropped section of that wonderful image. More than the usual manipulation, altering placement and repainting went into this before running it through the usual array of filters here at the secret visual laboratory. My many thanks again to Bill for permission and for writing about the earlier piece that was also based on one of his photos and posted on Saturday.

Memory Lane, again! -

"After A Fashion"
digital collage by Mick Mather

While reading one of my favorite non-art blogs, Varifrank, this post discussed the ramifications of his 1,000th blog entry along with a bit of a stroll down memory lane. Too, I found a link to another instant fave, neo-neocon that I'll get to in a moment. I talk a lot about memory too - just yesterday in fact! - and how it's a welcome partner and collaborator in my art, about how the synapses seem to catch fire in the most unexpected recesses and of our personal histories that are nudged back out into the open as a cause and effect of the process we call remembering. There's a terrific post about memory at neo-neocon along with this one that relates in the most serendipitous way to an older post of my own while bouncing up against what you see here and now. Phew! That was a mouthful - all puns intended! Then, last week I was watching an old, old movie from my Top 10 list, To Sir With Love, and began entertaining a slough of memories while reliving some of the emotions of my late teenage years. A fabulous slice-of-life documentation of perceived advantage in rebellion among the disenfranchised poor of East London during the mid-60's. One of my favorite lines is when Sir, beginning to make headway with his disrespectful charges, says, "all fashion is a form of rebellion." Pan in on young faces taking a pause for thought as the fantasy of their supposed individualism was neatly sliced and diced via historical and cultural memory. Anyway, from time to time it comes down to being all about fashion I suppose...dunnit?

Moody Monday: Lazy -

"Lazy Day"
$50 Unframed - LUCAS GALLERY
digitally manipulated photograph by Mick Mather

Except for the solitary nature of this photograph, it was an old 1960's era pop song by Spanky and Our Gang that was looping in my head as I worked on this weeks theme at Moody Monday. Spanky had a few hits and a delightfully robust singing voice that made songs like "Lazy Day" and "Sunday Will Never Be the Same" come alive just by closing your eyes. A gentler treatment lent itself to a cover of the Mama's and the Papa's hit, "Suzanne", that was a sweet group effort leading to a spotlight hit for the guys, "I Want to get to Know You". It's amazing how a single image can lead one back in time to songs and sounds that open the flood gates of memory in such a way as to make me almost weepy for those innocent moments during a time of mighty social turmoil and turbulence ... (sigh!)

The fires continue to burn -

"Talking About the Fires"
digital collage by Mick Mather

From time to time current events come to the top of my work pile. In this instance, the forest fires in the western United States, and one particular report on a particular effort to stem the encroachment. Without getting overly specific or too political, be wary of falling into the global warming trap that is the not-so-secret-agenda of some reporters, some media and some analysts. For example, last week's 60 Minutes feature took less than 10 minutes to brand the disaster as the result of global warming; and, right on the heels of the Federal Guy-in-Charge telling of decades long practices of removing brush and some second growth as a misguided method of prevention. Since most folks seem to have a short memory, how about reconsidering another decades long, incremental series of limits and outright bans on forest industry practices. This country has always had a healthy forest management plan that includes logical, linear thinking as regards a sustainable future while being good stewards of the environment that, quite likely, would have been a helpful stopgap in the current outbreaks that are now well out of our control. Enough said? I think not, but that's enough from me for the time being.

Something abstract?

"Scratch Off"
digitally manipulated photograph by Mick Mather
- from an original photo by Bill Ives -

Here's an example of things getting completely out of control and going haywire! I've had this in a file for about a week and keep coming back to it. To better understand my dilemma, it was Bill Ives' photograph of this stone building that attracted my attention. As I looked at the old and weathered wall to the right side of the door I was seeing an abstract painting. Hmm, a bit of cropping, filtering, manipulating and layering and this is what I got. The cool thing is that, not only do I like it, but it may be the first piece in another series of paintings. Next week, I begin the grueling task of creating three paintings from my "Reinventing the Wheel Series" as Vincent Fitches and I begin to create what will become our first collaborative exhibition. More on that as things progress - perhaps to include a new blog to document the work, the process and the collaboration.

Illustration Friday: Trick or Treat -

"Trick or Treat"
digital collage by Mick Mather

It's definitely getting to be that time of year and Hallowe'en seems to be a common theme at some of my favorite meme blogs. Illustration Friday, for instance, has trick or treat for it's weekly theme. I started at least three images for tonight's post and ended up with this one. If this hadn't been such a long, hard week I might actually have pressed on for yet another crack it it ... but, I'm just too tired and the wine I had at dinner seems to have gone straight to my head!

Thursday Challenge: Scary -

"Paraphyletic Sawfly Emerging"
$50 Unframed - LUCAS GALLERY
digital collage by Mick Mather

Yes, I'm still messing about with fractals. The original flames that comprise tonight's post sure remind me of some kind of creepy crawly thing. My initial thoughts on this were of the movie Alien and all of the wonderful frights the first, and best, of the series of flicks gave all of us. It also seems to fit right in with my sci-fi Outer Dust Rings blog - but I'm using this for Thursday Challenge instead. The theme for this week is scary and these little buggers make my skin curl just thinking about them!

Quick and easy -

"The Slack of His Pants"
digital collage by Mick Mather
- original layer by typoGenerator -

I've begun a little side project using one of my favorite widgets, typoGenerator. During my nightly hour of reading, I make notes of short phrases that read differently when taken out of context. The next step is to run them through that very cool little thingy that create what they call typoPosters. I've mentioned before that I'll be taking advantage of this fun little tool on occasion - in a particularly hectic week or at the end of a long day at the office. I've shown a few of these over the past month or two and tonight's post is another example of what randomly pops out. With minimal additions of my own, I can usually produce an interesting piece rather quickly...enjoy.

Stretching again -

"The Waiter Brought A Tray"
$50 Unframed - LUCAS GALLERY
digital collage by Mick Mather

As some of you may have noticed, I've taken a sharp right turn into fractals recently. While I've been generating quite a number of lovely flames, the real fun for me is to find ways to incorporate them into the usual work. Sometimes it works, most of the time not, but I'm making progress. In this post I've used a photograph, a digital drawing and two very different flames to create an image that I can't explain other than the fact that it "appeals to me". The usual array of filters and manipulators were also pressed into service here at the Secret Visual Laboratory. In the end, as I sat contemplating a title for quite some time, one of Keith Reid's lyrics from "A Whiter Shade of Pale" is what finally came to me.

Moody Monday: Wild -

"Wild"
digitally manipulated photograph by Mick Mather
- original photo by Terry Walter -

The annual visit from Aunt Terry also brought a bundle of terrific photographs taken on one of those Alaskan Cruises that have become so popular in the Era of Green. As I began looking through my files to address the theme of wild at Moody Monday this week I discovered this beautiful image of a decidedly wild hillside in Alaska. I could almost feel the spray from the mad, rushing riverlet charging down that steep slope. After running it through one of my old school filters the treatment itself began to take on that wild aspect as well. To get a better idea of what I mean, I've posted the original photograph at No Matter What Shape - The Archive. Gee, it seems like I've been doing that a lot lately ... but, I s'pose it is fitting that I offer another look. If interested, you can see it here.

From the sketchbook -

"The Waiting Room"
colored pencil drawing by Mick Mather

Another example from the time when I spent years at a weekly drawing class attempting to capture what my eye was seeing and to quickly get it on paper. In those days, I carried my sketchbook with me everywhere and would draw almost anything that came into view. Once, in a doctor's office waiting room, I sat behind an older gentleman, hunched forward in his chair, obviously in some distress as he waited his turn. I had about 15 minutes before he was called by the nurse and I've always enjoyed this one in spite of the fast and loose quality of it. Anyway, something short and sweet before I take my nap! :)

A tribute to the Finnish Sisters -

"Finnish Cottage in the Circle of Darkness"
$50 Unframed - LUCAS GALLERY
digital collage by Mick Mather

Tonight's post, as the introduction implies, is a tribute to all of the Finnish Sisters who often leave comments here at my blog and I at theirs. This really came about over recent conversations about the approach of autumn and, more at, the season to follow! The winters are long and dark in Finland. I know this for the Sisters have told me so. Since I'm not such a big fan of the long dark during these months either, this image is created for all of us. I've gone a step further for those who might be interested - at No Matther What Shape - The Archive I've put up four (4) of the working images that make up the layers in this piece. A short, basic tutorial is also there ... I tell you what I did as the piece was developed if not exactly how I did it. That sort of step-by-step would've taken another whole blog! So, to all of my good friends close to the Arctic Circle who will soon see too many months of darkness, I salute you!

Illustration Friday: Grow -

"Blueprint for a Modern Rapunzel"
$50 Unframed - LUCAS GALLERY
digitally manipulated photograph & digital collage by Mick Mather

My favorite definition for the word grow, the Illustration Friday theme for the week, is a ship at anchor that stretches, or grows, its anchor line. Once I finished exploring that idea with no good result, I began flipping through the photo files and came up with a pair of good ideas. The first was a heavily manipulated corn field that simply didn't pan out. The other is tonight's post that, for me, is the better of the two. As I worked on the digital drawing for the tower blueprint, I wondered if the classic fairy tales are as well known today as when I was boy. As I started to bemoan the fact that the answer is "probably not", it suddenly occurred to me that wikipedia is only a click and a search away. Could it be that the ancient Library at Alexandria is neither myth nor legend but a reality seen in a vision of a future time ... namely, ours?

Thursday Challenge: Thankful -

"Thankful"
$50 Unframed - LUCAS GALLERY
digitally manipulated photograph by Mick Mather

Another Thursday Challenge is upon me with the theme of thankful as the word of the week. As I often say, Dale Hudjik always gives a handful of ideas to work with and related to each theme . One of the alternate or additional words is home and today's post is a photograph taken of the large mass of water lilies at my parents place earlier this summer at a picnic held for a large gathering of friends and family. Thankful? Oh yeah!

A study of my own -

"Christina II"
colored pencil drawing by Mick Mather

Rob D'Agostino popped into my office on Monday for a blog tutorial. Afterward we took a tour of the 10 Totem Project sculptures scattered around downtown Syracuse, New York before getting lunch and heading to my other office at The Warehouse. While we were walking it came up that I promised to post a few studies of my own - accomplished at the class that Rob and I attended for many, many years. As I was checking back through the files of scanned images from one of my sketchbooks I found a piece that makes perfect sense when considering his blog and our connected, shared past ... here then, is one of my drawings, Rob's daughter, Christina.

Traditions -

"The Burqa"
$50 Unframed - LUCAS GALLERY
digital drawing & collage by Mick Mather

It was a long, strange trip getting to this point with tonight's post. Beginning with a rendered fractal, I added layers using a digital drawing program where multiple designs were stretched, merged and layered again - here, transparency tools also came into play. Then, the whole thing was finished off with one of my favorite manipulation filters here at the Secret Visual Laboratory. I see two women, each wearing a burqa, walking side by side. Hmm, I wonder what some of you see in this?

Moody Monday: Lucky -

"Pennies From Heaven"
$50 Unframed - LUCAS GALLERY
digitally manipulated photograph by Mick Mather

There are a few references one could make about the theme - lucky - at Moody Monday this week. Depending on what kind of luck you have, there's "lucky penny" or "bad penny". Also, as the title of this image implies, remaining hopeful in less than perfect circumstances is the theme of the old song popularized by Bing Crosby - or, put another way, "make your own luck". For me, there's the old poem about "angel pennies" that says when you find a penny on the street, an angel has tossed it down to cheer you up, to turn a frown upside down. I always stop to pick up these heaven cents and save them in a glass on an old, wicker desk. It looks like I have enough of them to finally buy a lottery ticket. So, a dollar and a dream and an angel's blessing? I might just win my dollar back! :D

Images of a forgotten girl -

"Winds of October"
digital collage by Mick Mather

I've posted a few other images from a body of work that is soon to become a series, I think. The working title for these works is called, as the introductory title suggests, Images of a Forgotten Girl and you can see the others here and here. An offshoot of the She's Not There Series, these pieces deal with one person in relation to the old saying "out of sight, out of mind". While never really forgotten completely, it's more of a comment on my own bent for misidentification or the doppelganger effect ... anyway, another half dozen pieces and I believe I can make the series official.

Moving right along -

"Hundreds Turn Out"

digital collage by Mick Mather
- original layer by typoGenerator -

It's been quite a ride these last two or three weeks at my office. I'm tired, fried, burnt out, in need of some r 'n r, a vacation, time out, time off ... well, you get the idea. Today's post comes from a newspaper headline as regards community support for the last exhibition curated by the ex-director of The Warehouse Gallery. Recently fired by the 800-pound gorilla known as Syracuse University with no definitive answers to the question, "why" ... and the world keeps goin' 'round.

Illustration Friday: Extremes -

"The Extremes of Fashion"
cut paper collage by Mick Mather

"Sally, ever the epitome of style, understood the sensuality of proper dressing, beginning with the foundation. One day she reached the extremes of fashion when she simply stopped right there." - a flicktion by Mick Mather

Thursday Challenge: Light -

"A Torch Illuminating Secret Papers"
$50 Unframed - LUCAS GALLERY
photograph by Mick Mather

Darned long day again at the office - well, mostly out of the office, but you probably know what I mean. I'm tired and hungry and way behind in more than a few of the things that need to be done around the house so, here's tonight's post. As you can see, Thursday Challenge offered up the theme of light for this week. I set this up late last night in the studio and took a series of photographs with and without flash. This somewhat fuzzy image presented itself and I like it as is - meaning that this isn't manipulated at all aside from being smallered to fit the working frame. Enjoy, must dash!

NEW from The Selfportrait Series -

"Selfportrait of the Artist as a Newspaper Feature"
digital collage by Mick Mather

Not a lot to say about today's image other than it seems to fit in with recent posts dealing with a number of public art projects and future development. Here we have Rick Destito (on the left) who fabricated my design for The Dart that I've spoken about here and at No Matter What Shape - early and often. It's another long day with a Community Development meeting at the end of it ... I need a cocktail already!

Again and again in dreams -

"You, Again"
digital collage by Mick Mather

It's been a long day for my feet! While 3 or 4 miles doesn't seem like much - and truthfully it's nothing I'm not used to - in the wrong clothes and footwear, well, the dogs are barking! I explain it better here, so do pop over to No Matter What Shape - The Archive for the bigger picture. In some haste - to get my poor feet up, remember? - I offer this image, reminiscent of an old and dear friend that I rarely see anymore. Here come those dreams again ... (sigh).

Moody Monday: Solitary -

"Solitary Man"
$50 Unframed - LUCAS GALLERY
digitally manipulated photograph by Mick Mather

Something short and sweet today, suggested by the Moody Monday theme of the week, solitary. I suppose it should be noted that I was thinking about the old Neil Diamond hit and how love gone wrong can cause some of us to cut off our nose to spite our face.

Please take a seat -

"Waiting Room for an Acid Head"
$50 Unframed - LUCAS GALLERY
digitally manipulated photograph by Mick Mather

I often wonder where these wild goose chases of the mind get their legs. Okay, okay, it's my mind that I'm talking about and the easy explanation is the manipulated treatment of today's post. From there? How in the world does one get to neurophilosophy, a research paper published in Social History of Medicine, the use of LSD as a cure for alcoholism and Professor Erika Dyck? I suppose the easy button answer is that I placed a particular query in a search engine and began following some threads. As the Wicked Witch of the West bemoaned in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, "I'm melting, I'm melting!" Oh well ... dude, pass the kool aid.

Wonders of Creation -

"Working Drawing for the Intelligent Design of the Mantis"
$50 Unframed - LUCAS GALLERY
digital collage by Mick Mather

I'm still in a playful mood and as I was cutting and pasting a new piece this morning the rough, sketch-like image of a praying mantis appeared hand in hand with a question. Specifically, where did the insects come from? There aren't a lot of definitive theories on either side of the issue, "how did we get here?" - hence, the rather long winded title which, by the way, I like very much and as far as that goes I think I'll leave it right here. :)

Illustration Friday: Open -

"An Open Door to Temptation"
$50 Unframed - LUCAS GALLERY
digital drawing by Mick Mather

As I continue to play with my drawing program and filters that I seldom use in my usual work, out pops this one for the weekly theme of open at Illustration Friday. As a conceptual piece this works fine for me right now. It also addresses that other sticky issue of being seduced by what at first appears to be the low hanging fruit sometimes known as instant success. I've been working long and hard at these pieces that are wholly in a new and different direction. I know the new style is jarring and not so popular with a few of you ... please bear with me. :)

Thursday Challenge: Autumn -

"One Early Autumn Day"
$50 Unframed - LUCAS GALLERY
digitally manipulated photograph by Mick Mather

A relatively simple theme at Thursday Challenge this week, autumn, with hundreds of ideas and directions to take. Oddly enough, I happened to be out with the camera during the very first few days of Autumn this year. I eat lunch, as often as I'm able, in this little park Downtown in the Armory Square District where this photograph was taken. Gosh! Look at the time! Lunch! :D

Stepping back -

"The Profile Model"
digital collage by Mick Mather

Tonight's post is a nod to my good friend Rob D'Agostino whom many of you have already been visiting since his Save My Studies project began to appear. For those of you who haven't yet taken a look at his quick study of yours truly, you'll find it here. As I've already mentioned briefly, Rob and I attended the same drawing class for many, many years and I don't believe there was one among us that didn't come away the better for that experience. One of the more difficult portraits to accomplish was the full profile and Rob and I have done our fair share of them. I may need to haul out some of my own studies one day, get them into digital format and post them. But I digress. This piece takes me right back to that class and all of the good times all of us shared during those wonderful, developmental years.

NEW from The Reinventing the Wheel Series -

"Reinventing the Wheel V"
$50 Unframed - LUCAS GALLERY
digital collage by Mick Mather

I have a particular pair of software programs in the Secret Visual Laboratory, one an editor and the other a generator, that I've been neglecting lately. I started fiddling around with both of them again and while enjoying hour upon hour of cheap fun, look what happened! I wasn't expecting much of anything as I sat contemplating complex formulas, adjusting "X" and tweaking "Y" while layering inverse RGB backgrounds mottled with an array of throttling tools! Anyway, here's another study for The Reinventing the Wheel Series. I've been invited to join Vincent Fitches in his studio this Autumn and Winter to finally get some of these into the large-scale format of paintings that I've been rumored to produce for months now. To get a peek at the other three studies posted over the summer go here, here and here. :)

Moody Monday: Simple -

"Simple"
$50 Unframed - LUCAS GALLERY
digitally manipulated photograph by Mick Mather

As I took my first look at simple, the theme for this week's Moody Monday, my thinking went directly to minimalism in relation to this photograph. As I began running it through the filters and manipulators here at the Secret Visual Laboratory, early efforts seemed too minimal. After backing up a bit and taking a little bit from the original and a little bit from the overly simple, I came upon this version. It may not be minimal, but it sure strikes me as simple. So be it.