That was then, this is now -

"Imagining the Next Step"
digital collage by Mick Mather

As we ring out the end of another year and look out over the worthless paper scattered at our feet, what's next? I, for one, intend to celebrate with a fine meal, some good wine and an old song this New Year's Eve. Cheers to one and all.

Notes to myself -

"Dear Diary"
digital collage by Mick Mather

I continue down memory lane with recent posts and I may not be done, yet. Whether we look back by the written word, through our visual art or with our mind, the time always seems well spent in my estimation. Such thinking also seems to take the edge off the uncertainty of days ahead. Within the context of economic collapse, shifting fortunes and making do with less, my friend and extremely talented artist, Karen D'Amico, has this to say. I do believe her words are, as Ivan Pope says, "Brilliant, thanks!"

Drawing water from the well -

"The Farmer's Wife"
digital collage by Mick Mather

Lately I've been reminiscing about summer days when I was a boy and taking great delight in walking through the pastures, meadows and woods of my grandparents small farm. Walking, especially at a young age, is just about the only manner of transport convenient to hand, and foot if we press the point. Seeking the right walking stick, the best path, flushing pheasant from the tall grass, listening to bird and bee. All of this while accompanied by a faithful dog, a barn cat or two and the scolding voices of squirrels, jays and the red winged blackbird. How then to document walks that only exist as memories? Around the next bend, perchance, we'll have an opportunity to ask the farmer's wife.

Let your fingers do the walking -

"Base Camp"
digital collage by Mick Mather

I was just fooling around with a few of the really old files the other day and decided to give this piece another run through the super secret array. It hails from 2006 as an incomplete part of The Maps Series. Currently, some of my reading and research has uncovered a virtual trail or two, hence the digital introduction to the post. With that in mind, the further work accomplished here seems right, finally, and rife with double entendre.

Drawing With Leighlund Series -

"Leighlund's Christmas Goose"
manipulated digital drawing by Mick Mather
- original drawing by Leighlund Ruth Vincett -

Earlier this week, Tuesday to be exact, I posted a beautiful piece of land art created by my middle granddaughter, Paige. Well, you know how it is, you can't post one without representing the other so, here's another piece from the Drawing With Leighlund Series. To catch you up, and for newcomers, this series begins with one of Leighlund's delightful, scribbly drawings and then comes to Poppa for a run through the super secret array at the Secret Visual laboratory. This one reminds me of a fat, Christmas goose taking flight.

Illustration Friday: Clandestine -

"Clandestine"
digital collage by Mick Mather

..."ornamental glass
abandons the tree,
crown laid sideways
upon the white fleece,
unadorned lass
clandestine and free,
reflective displays
lay bare her release"...

Thursday Challenge: Path -

"Path, South of Boonville"
manipulated digital photograph by Mick Mather

MERRY CHRISTMAS

Yesterday's gone -

"The Tree"
manipulated digital photograph by Mick Mather

I suppose there's something about sepia tones that trigger nostalgic memories and I hope that another post of that sort isn't verging on an overuse of a cheap trick. For those who hold to the ritual of going out on Christmas Eve to cut their own tree and then to decorate it as a family tradition, this piece may speak to remembrances such as this. Merry Christmas, everyone.

Time flies -

"Red Arrow"
land art by Paige Elizabeth Herzog

It barely seems possible that so much time has slipped away. Back in early October my two youngest granddaughters helped Poppa do a bit of land art, a lovely rock bridge that you can read about here, in the stream next to Leighlund's house. After said bridge work was completed, Paige did a fabulous job announcing it's presence with this beautifully composed red arrow. When I mentioned that you should all stay tuned, I had no idea that almost two and a half months would pass. Considering the heavy snowfall we've had for five days I suppose this bit of green may be a welcome sight, even if only for a moment.

Oops! I lost track of the time -

"A Stutter in the Conversation"
digital collage by Mick Mather

I completely forgot to upload a post for today, until now. It's been storming off and on (mostly on for well into 36 hours now) since last week and we're closing in on two feet of snow in that short time. Discussing the weather, of course, is another sort of stutter in everyone's conversation and I do believe I prefer this one! Must dash, the white stuff covering the car isn't going to blow away. Or is it? :)

While I was out walking -

"Faded Memory of A Once Happy Place"
digital collage by Mick Mather

Today's post is loosely based on an old classic, "Silhouettes", popularized by The Rays or Herman's Hermits, depending upon which decade you prefer. Anyway, it's the opening line of the song, "Took a walk and passed your house late last night", that informs the image here, not the larger theme of mistaking an address as is made clear by the end of the song. Any way I look at it, I seem to encounter walks and walking at almost every turn.

Walking then, as now -

"Coyote Walking the Fences"
digital collage by Mick Mather

Today's post is based on a real event experienced well over a decade ago on a series of walks at Beaver Lake Nature Center in Central New York. While making the 3-mile Lake Loop one late, spring morning I spotted a coyote standing in the middle of the trail, staring at me while holding his ground. Not flinching from my end of the quarter-mile gap that separated us I ran straight for him. Soon enough he turned and hightailed it into the deep woods without so much as a by your leave. As I continue to go back through old files, virtual - hard copy - my memory, I realize just how long the act of walking has informed my artistic life as an unrecognized presence for much of the time. Well, more on this later I bet, I'm still collating data.

Illustration Friday: Voices -

"Voices"
manipulated digital photograph by Mick Mather

- accepted at Espresso Stories -

..."The makers mark, scrawled across a boxcar, voices social discontent to an audience of weeds. Neither benefits notice more than that assigned to an annoyance."...

Thursday Challenge: Light -

"Light"
digital photograph by Mick Mather

This week's theme at Thursday Challenge is light. I could swear that I've used this image or a variation of it before but I can't seem to locate where or when. Anyway, it fits rather well here, don't you think?

Gandy Dancers Walk -

"Study for Gandy Dancers Walk"
digital collage by Mick Mather

I should begin by saying that I like the way this piece came out. That said, I'm quite likely to revisit this piece and rework it by adding a different background element that will better suit this Walking Art Project. Hopefully, it won't be too different, nor too much alike. Either way, this piece goes all the back to my childhood when walking for miles along railroad tracks with an old Kodak pop-up camera in hand was a favorite pastime. To this day I will often stop the car, grab my camera and walk stretches of track whenever possible. Well, it's time for me to get truckin' ... yes, the original of this slang term comes from that peculiar method of walking, trackin' tie to tie, especially in the dark where one had to lean back and feel for the next secure footing. Class dismissed.

Almost back to normal -

"Following Patrick Caulfield"
digital collage by Mick Mather

For me, one of the very bright lights among the British Pop Artists was Patrick Caulfield. I spent quite a lot of time studying his work and when I stumbled across this old piece of my own some of those memories came back to me. I'd say more but a quick search will give you a wealth of the real work as opposed to my struggling descriptions; and, since I'm on the mend here at the Secret Visual Laboratory, I have one more day of bed rest before heading back to the real world.

Fever, headache, body ache and sinus -

"Study for an Unnamed Monument"
manipulated fractal flame by Mick Mather

Okay, okay! I'm still in fever mode and Susupetal just explained that I am NOT to be working at all while sick. So, from the overheated banks of synapse and gap, here's today's post. Back to bed!

Crawling from my bed to the studio -

"Night Wings and Moon Shadow"
manipulated digital drawing by Mick Mather

As the introduction to this post suggests, I'm still extremely ill. It was that I could do to get into the studio for a few short minutes to upload this post. Enjoy, I'm on my way back to bed.

Somewhere between a purr and a growl -

"The Interpreter from Kashyyyk"
digital collage by Mick Mather

I had a particularly good run of transformations of old files that had been left behind for one reason and another. In today's post, coming up with an alternative point of view was the turning point since no more actual work was needed. I found that other path in the Star Wars novels where a certain wookiee had a speech impediment that allowed this rare individual of the species to speak understandable "Galactic Basic". I say po-tay-toe, you say po-tah-toe.

Illustration Friday: Rambunctious -

"Rambunctious"
manipulated digital drawing by Mick Mather

As the title of tonight's post suggests, rambunctious is the weekly theme at Illustration Friday. I'm sad to say that I'm feeling under the weather and wasn't able to give this the usual time for thought and development. Too, as I write this, I'm missing the end of "Frosty the Snowman" and I think he just got locked up in the poinsettia greenhouse! Gotta run ... where's that mop and bucket? :)

Thursday Challenge: Three of Anything -

"Three Windows"
digital photograph by Mick Mather

The theme is three of anything at Thursday Challenge this week. While looking through my photo files for something else entirely, this popped up. Only a slight bit of cropping and corner manipulation was done before adding it here for your review ... and, I'm off!

Another late meeting and some jazz -

"The Cabaret Table"
manipulated digital drawing by Mick Mather

Here's another digital drawing, hidden away in the same file mentioned yesterday, that I've hauled out and given a breath of new life. Do forgive the hit and run post, I'm in even more of a rush today and probably late for tonight's meeting! Let this be the last until after the holidays! On the bright side, I'll be able to stop for a glass of wine and some jazz while the night is still young.

One more crazy week -

"In A Hong Kong Umbrella Factory"
manipulated digital drawing by Mick Mather

Even though it appears that I'm facing another grueling week at the office I'm finally able to step back a little bit and have some fun. Today's post came out of an old digital drawing that's been hidden away in a file with no plans to go further. I hauled it out for fun and started running it through the super secret array here at the Secret Digital Laboratory. Well, must dash, I have meeting after meeting today and another this evening.

NEW from the Reinventing the Wheel Series

"Reinventing the Wheel X"
digital painting by Mick Mather

After so many weeks of focus on the Everson Unwrapped sculpture it's good to get back to an old grouping of digital paintings for a change. I'm not even positive that I've posted a single one of the The Reinventing the Wheel Series yet this year. Since a piece titled "Jumble Box" was a preliminary study that came before the official series, I suppose I should be happy to be able to count at least one post from 2008.

Another view "Through the Looking Glass" -

"Through the Looking Glass, Installation View II"
stacked found glass sculpture by Mick Mather

As promised, another view of the stacked found glass tree along with the exhibition statement:

"This tree is constructed of stacked sheets of found glass installed against a mirror so the whole is only visible as a reflection of itself. The round, hollow feature midway between the bottom and top is the conceptual ornament composed of empty space. Look into the ornament and see your own reflection. The viewer is now the ornament."

Everson Unwrapped - December 5-14, 2008

"Through the Looking Glass, Installation View I"
stacked found glass sculpture by Mick Mather

As promised, here's an installation view of the glass tree I have on exhibit at the Everson Museum of Art in Syracuse, New York. The piece is for sale at $500 with all of the money donated to the Everson Museum for this annual holiday fundraiser. This is a bargain price, I can assure you, and if the piece should come back to me there will definitely be a mark-up somewhere between 50% and 100%. More details after this event closes on December 14th. I'll add another view tomorrow along with the exhibition statement ... please stand by! :)

Illustration Friday: Similar -

"Similar"
digital collage by Mick Mather

Similar is the theme offered by Illustration Friday this week. I apologize for the lateness of the post but family matters required my presence elsewhere and it was time well spent. Without further ado, here 'tis.

Thursday Challenge: Health -

"Liquid Sunshine"
digital photograph by Mick Mather

Health is the theme at Thursday Challenge this week and I suppose the benefits of drinking good old fashioned orange juice ought to fill the bill. Well, forgive the fact that I've had to run right in, run right out. This is a big night for me at the Everson Museum and there's lots to do before I go.

Order out of chaos -

"Repetition of Form"
digital collage by Mick Mather

There's not a lot behind this post beyond simple variation and repetition of form. Sometimes, it's good to reengage with basic shapes, repeated patterns and simple compositional exercises. Here I've deconstructed the image and put it back together using heavily manipulated layers. Go forth and do likewise.

Still surfing the files -

"Suspicious Mind"
digital collage by Mick Mather

As I was saying, I've been reviewing old work for the last week or so, something that I recommend for any number of reasons. One important benefit of this exercise is to track the slight changes in style that seem to take a left turn out of nowhere at the time that they occur. Another is finding work that, almost there, can be moved further along with fresh eyes. Yet another plus is the ability to see relationships between works that might serve together as a series, perhaps opening the door for an exhibition proposal. Finally, there's a comfort in looking back over a steady stream of work that ebbs and flows, grows and matures.

Installation day -

"Everson Unwrapped Tree, Under Construction"
stacked glass sculpture by Mick Mather

Today's post is one of the documentation photographs taken while I was creating this piece for the Everson Unwrapped event that opens on Thursday, December 4th. The piece is just about 25" tall - go here for complete information - and I'll be installing this very, very soon. When I have the final documentation photographs of the finished installation I'll be sharing it right here.