Assuaging Grief

Today we have learned that the Valley Fire is 35% contained and that in spite of a much needed rain shower, the weekend is stacking up to be a hot one again.The evacuees are still camping out at the fairgrounds and the community has grown more organized by the hour.One must go on... without paying too much mind to what has occurred. The stages of grief are arrived at quickly or slowly depending on how much you have taken in. These volunteers who have given of themselves, are learning important lessons about community and organization.We are all in this together, and we'll ultimately see how this whole tragedy plays out.

The Rock of the Week

The rock I have to show this week is of a "Luna Moth". When I first saw this, it resembled some of the most beautiful Lepidoptera one would come across. My friend Ron said that I should look it up on Google and to see if it would be possible to recreate this image on a rock.(the top pic is the result).

When I was a young man at Art school, it seemed that their were many ways to depict an object. One was through form, the other through structure, or even through color. We would know how to paint an apple it was assumed, by painting it either red or green.It would also in all likelihood, have a stem and be approximately three to four inches high. These considerations were not untrue, but only revealed part of a general idea of an apple.Apples can be a deep color of red with yellow highlights and specks of green. Apples can be short and squat, or large and round at the top.

Well, as you might guess, Moths and butterflies have far reaching descriptions regarding their extensive variety of shapes, sizes and colors.This large moth for instance, showed up at the door to my apartment.This is not a luna moth, but another grandiose creature whose identity took me a while to locate.

This creature was fascinating, and if my research is correct, it is a male polythemus (apparently the male have the plumed antennae).It is certainly not a Luna Moth, because the color is wrong, and although this one has a feathery 'plumose' it does not have the long tail or teal green color of a Luna.

The Rock of the Week

This weeks rock is known as "The Spinner".It is a rock that has a clear, plastic half-sphere bobble on the bottom that acts as an axis on which the rock spins. I painted yellow,glowing dots on top which display a cool hypnotic effect when the rock is spun on a level table top. More of these type of rocks are on display at the Farmer's Market in Calistoga.

This Week's Rock

Okay, I admit that this image has been spruced up a bit.The original rock and background were brought into Photoshop. The scan of the rock is in front of an abstract picture that was drawn using colored pencil some time ago. The rock is actually blue,but has been changed to purple to compliment the blue background. I also added a halo around the rock to give it some sort of mystical appeal.The textured frame is also a modification that keeps the whole image prominent.

This week some new rocks have have been painted with a different feel to them. They are not so concentric as rocks from the past. Finding a new direction for these creative pursuits has been challenging both in time and inspiration. Meditation is probably the best solution for this.To take a mini vacations or do something entirely different helps to break up the monotony that sets in at times. This is a strategy that can bring about balance in my life. Excuse me while I breathe.

The Rock of the Week

This week's rock is what would be called a signature piece. It's been named "The Ribbon Rock" because the interference acrylic that is used on the rock looks like an interwoven, silky ribbon. The image was brought into Photoshop and given a silver background using commercial tin foil that was scanned, pinched and modified using a standard filter.I also scanned some bubble wrap and created an oval frame to add to this piece.The whole picture will eventually be enlarged and sent to a local printer to create an 18" X 24" Poster.

The Farmer's Market has been busy as usual, and it has been great seeing some of the regulars who come by to visit.It is guaranteed that their will be a fresh batch of Spirit Rocks there for your enjoyment. As of this writing (July 29th), as many as twenty new rocks have been added to the collection. Come check it our!

The Rock of the week

This rock is what I would call a mandala rock;In a way it somewhat represents a sort of Buddhist interpretation of the Wheel of life and what I understand to be the eight-fold path.The middle of the rock has sixteen circles which rotate around an inner circle that definitely looks like a wheel. This was not drawn by myself, it is a sticker which was printed. I covered the whole rock with a thick,clear coat of acrylic to protect the image. the only painting that was done was the rock itself and that which surrounds the medallion.

Moving to 3-D

Painting on Rocks with variations of the color orange will bring images forward, especially if they are on a green or blue background. The fish I am displaying here are really fun to look at with a pair of 3-D glasses. It will be as if the fish is floating on top of the rock. I intentionally added seaweed both in front of; and behind the fish. This enhances the illusion of depth.Goldfish are one of my favorite motifs. They are so graceful and beautiful to watch,particularly when looking at them from above in a coy pond. I may have future images from that perspective.The Russian Orthodox Church here in Calistoga has a wonderful coy pond inside their courtyard.This is where I get my inspiration.

Natural light

Under a blacklight

This week's Rock of the Week

This week's rock is one I did awhile ago, which features a Chinese symbol which represents Longevity. I like the colors and general size of the rock.Chinese symbols intrique me, as do their calligraphy.I used a sushi roller for the background to the rock because it is made of bamboo, which is used a lot in Asian culture. I also like the midrange colors which are easy on the eyes.I am presently working on another of what I call "Spinner" rocks which I will feature next week.

The Answers to the Puzzle

Okay, so you think you've figured out which rocks are the same, eh? Well check the grid below with your picks to see if you got them right.Click on the poster itself to get a better view. The rocks that were lined out were the ones that did not have a match.

I have printed out a large 18"X24" poster of this image, that I will sell as a limited edition print for fifty dollars. If you are interested in purchasing one, contact me through the form also on this page.