Once upon a dolphin

Another Crazy Linking Anim

2010-04-12T09:09:00.000-07:00

Just figured I'd post a little looping tiling anim I messed around with this morning.

Linking Illo Part Two

2010-04-10T18:34:00.001-07:00

This is my second submission this week for Illustration Friday's weekly challenge. I posted a linking snake motif on my other blog. I still could not resist trying out an animated "Linking" motif.

Frolicking Dolphins

2009-12-31T02:33:00.000-08:00

Welcome to "Once Upon a Dolphin" the home of my pixelated digital musings. Most of the content in this blog is inspired by "Illustration Friday's" weekly challenges. There are a few other odds and ends throughout the pages. I hope you enjoy your visit.

Flying Hawk and Infinite Loop

2009-10-10T07:53:00.000-07:00

This weeks Illustration Friday topic is "Flying". I thought I'd do an image from a photo I snapped earlier this year of a Harris Hawk ascending to the top of a tall Saguaro Cactus. A few weeks back, Illustration Friday's topics were "infinite" and "pattern", so I designed this infinitely looping pattern of an infinite symbol below.

As always, thank you for stopping in to visit my blog.

Wrapped up in Summer

2009-08-17T07:34:00.000-07:00

This weeks Illustration Friday topic is “Wrapped”. Seems rather appropriate considering that I ‘ve been all wrapped up in various projects all summer long. Earlier this year I downloaded “Blender” and started experimenting with 3D modeling. I wound up deeply absorbed in many of the tutorials available on line. It been one of the most exciting and challenging new concepts I have ever “wrapped” my head around. One of the terms used to describe adhering an image to a 3D object is “wrapping”. When I discovered that this weeks challenge is “Wrapped”, my little animated spheres came to mind. I used “TV Paint” to design the animated images. Next I wrapped the video on to the spheres in “Blender”. I created a video clip from a handful of experiments with animated spheres. The up side is that I mixed them all together in a HD clip and the movie quality is pretty good. The downside however is the same, so it can take a minute to load (about 30 sec. on my semi sluggish set up). Like last weeks Illustration Friday “Impatience”, I find myself often times a tad too impatient to wait a long time for things to load. If you want to check out the spheres they are right over here. I’ll bet you can’t watch it just once.

Just a short while back, I took a day off to work on a Roadrunner illustration. I’ve wanted to do a Roadrunner for some time now, and I’m glad I finally did, as it turned out to be a great image for the new banner on my pond blog.

The Daylily’s out on the patio provided the inspiration for this design.

That pretty much “wraps” up a few things that I’ve been wrapped up in of late. Oh yeah, a couple of months ago I posted a web page with the songs I wrote up in Alaska. I must issue a stern warning for all the hard core rockers out there that it’s a bit on the country folk side, with a hint of blues. The songs were recorded up in Anchorage at “Wildfire Recording”. I glad to have finally gotten around to putting up a page where they can be listened to. The song “Hey Waitress” gets a lot of folks smiling (especially servers). You can find the songs over here.
As always, thanks for stopping in. I have not been overly punctual in posting for Illustration Friday, yet I do pop in as often as possible to view other artist’s works.
See ya all!

Purple Porpoise Mandala

2009-06-10T20:29:00.001-07:00

Its been a long time coming for me to slap a post up here. I've been working on a new illustration portfolio, and a few websites. While getting my new portfolio together I, took a little break from the left brained efforts, and decided to recolor an old image from my coloring book.
Nothing like a purple Porpoise with a purpose.
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Dolphins and Bubbles

2008-06-04T19:32:00.000-07:00

Dolphin Play Bubble Rings - video powered by Metacafe

I couldn't resist embedding this video on my blog. It pretty much falls under the "Once upon a Dolphin" category.

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Feathered Friends Part Two and Three

2008-05-17T06:16:00.000-07:00

Here is a couple of new clips I put together while trying out Sony Vegas . I've grown so addicted to filming all of the visitors to my pond. This weeks Illustration Friday topic is "baby". Now that's appropriate, as the second video below has a clutch of very adorable quail chicks. Hope you love birds and bunnies! Since completing these videos, I've managed to film even more species. So I guess a new video will be forthcoming soon. I posted a few pics a while back when I started construction on the pond, so if ya want to check those out, they are over here.

My Feathered Friends part 3

My Feathered Friends part 2

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My Feathered Friends

2008-05-02T09:44:00.000-07:00

This is another Artrage project. This weeks illustration friday topic is seed. That is why this post really is for the birds.

This little Video Clip I put together using some footage of the hoopla that goes on in my backyard everyday. I built a little pond and waterfall for the local color to enjoy. My sweet parrot rarely eats all of her food, as she is quite picky. So all of the leftover seeds make their way out to the yard for my feathered friends to enjoy. This weeks Illustration Friday theme is seed. I guess this clip demonstrates what can happen if you offer up a little bit of water and seeds to the Bird Gods. My apologies about the lousy thumbnail on the video. I'm going to look into fixing this issue soon. Also I got off a great shot of a Mother dove and her chick nestled in the beams above my porch. If ya wanna see the little darlings, they are over at this post over here. Again, as always, thank you for visiting my blog!

Baby Dove

2008-04-30T11:29:00.001-07:00

I usually leave home and arrive through my garage. So I was pleasantly surprised when I spotted an inhabited Doves nest in the beams above my front porch this morning.

Primitive meets Modern

2008-04-20T22:16:00.000-07:00

Click To Play

This little video clip is a collection of serene animated kaleidoscopes. This weeks Illo Friday topic is "primitive". This clip is animated to a piece of music I wrote to capture the feel of primitive music. You need to have quicktime installed to view it here. If you do not and you'd like to see the flash version its over here.
Its kind of a big file so it might take a minute to load. None the less I hope you enjoy it!

Save

2008-04-05T18:45:00.001-07:00

This weeks Illustration Friday topic is "Save". I thought of this young Dove I tried a few times to rescue. He fell out of his nest up over my patio, and could not fly well enough to get safely home.
I borrowed a friends ladder to get him back home, yet just a few hours later he was on the ground again. I have a feeling he was tossed out of the nest. Today I painted a picture of him in Art Rage, and since I missed last weeks topic "Homage", I guess you can say I did this illo in homage to the little Dove I tried to save.

Shoot from the Hip!

2008-03-21T11:36:00.001-07:00

This weeks Illustration Friday topic is "Pet Peeve". I figured I'd vent about one of my biggest pet peeve's. I cannot stand it when people play games and speak in vague or abstract innuendo's. They may be upset or wish to get a point across without stepping up to the plate and saying exactly what they mean. I have a huge blind spot when it comes to that language. So if you don't say what you mean, and mean what you say, don't expect me to play along. I've chosen a long time ago to take a persons word at face value. I will not waste any time attempting to decipher the true meaning behind perplexing messages. Ahhh, there, now I feel so much better.

2008-03-11T12:48:00.000-07:00

Greetings to all! Here is a submission for this weeks Illustration Friday topic "Garden". I didn't have much time to spend so I recycled a dragonfly graphic I designed years ago. Thanks for visiting. As with most of the posts, click on the image to get a better view.

Multiple

2008-02-23T04:35:00.001-08:00

For this weeks Illustration Friday theme..."Multiple". A simple Kaleidescope created from multiple lines.

Theory

2008-02-16T05:34:00.000-08:00

Theory has it that there is no such thing as a free lunch. There is however a bunch of free software on line out there, that can make your lunch hour a lot more fun. I do not use ArtRage all that often, yet I love to mess around in it from time to time. Last night I got the urge to rage and fiddled about with this image. The original photo was taken on a little walking tour I took with my mom around Santa Fe. Thank you for looking on in!

Tales and Legends

2008-01-25T18:35:00.000-08:00

Boy oh boy! Its been a while since I've posted anything for Illustration Friday. Life's been hectic lately, (as usual). This weeks topic is "Tales and Legends". I did take a little time out to create these two images. The one above is the face of one of the most powerful Mayan Gods "Quetzalcoatl". I did a little bit of surfing on the net and found this really cool short (around 2 min.) film that tells the story of Quetzalcoatle. If you want to check it out, its over here. I'm so curious about other cultures and their beliefs, and I've always thought these Mayan Gods were quite fascinating.

This is the symbol for the Mayan God "Hunab Ku" who is said to have been the most powerful of all of the Mayan Gods. There are many mysteries surrounding Hunab Ku. There are also several parallels between Hunab Ku's message, and a few of the far eastern philosophies like Taoism. I found a nice article about Hunab Ku over here. Thanks for visiting and peeking at my graphics!

Froggie Mandala

2007-12-02T17:48:00.001-08:00

This design is for this weeks Illustration Friday topic "excess". I chose to use an old frog design, and edited the layout and color. Frogs are one of the most delicate and sensitive creatures on the planet. Their survival depends so much upon mankind curbing its never ending thirst for "excess". Do you really need to commute down the 405 in that Hummer? Their survival also depends on our ability to recycle, reuse, and explore alternative energy resources.
You can click the image for a larger view. Thanks for hoppin in!

Angel

2007-11-20T19:19:00.001-08:00

An Angelic vision.

Superstition

2007-11-16T12:09:00.001-08:00

This weeks Illustration Friday topic is "Superstition". I suppose if you were superstitious and living in the land and time of the Pharos , you might be very tempted to have a Scarab as a keepsake for good luck. My luck is not so hot however today. I've edited and uploaded this image about nine times, but I cannot figure out where the heck the white line running up and down the right side of the image is coming from. I have too much to do today to try and fix it right now. I'll try again later. Has anyone else had this happen to you?

Happy Autumn!

2007-11-13T19:45:00.001-08:00

Just a little animated Kaleidescope to wish all ya all a Happy Autumn.

Goldfish Mandala

2007-11-09T13:47:00.001-08:00

This weeks "Illustration Friday" topic is "scale". So I thought I'd take the morning off and design an illustration with a "scale" or two. I hope you like it. Send me the love! And as always click me I look better bigger. Oh yeah!..... I was wondering if I could get some advice.....I signed up for a flickr account, because I wanted to be able to comment on the flicker posts. The only problem is even though I sign in, I still cannot post comments on flicker posts. Is there a little something I'm missing?

Trick or Treat

2007-10-26T12:38:00.002-07:00

Hi everyone! Sorry I missed you all last week....busy busy! Did you miss me? Haaaa! I figured for the Halloween theme of this weeks "Illustration Friday" challenge, I'd use an image of an old Gothic looking church. I took the shot last summer while visiting Santa Fe New Mexico. Hope everyone has a great Halloween!
EDIT: For some reason the image disappeared from my blog, after posting the link on "IF".
This is my second attempt at posting hopefully this time the graphic won't vanish. Did this page take too long to load? Is my blog getting too big for its britches?

Extreme

2007-10-14T01:36:00.001-07:00

Here's wishing everyone an "extremely" wicked Halloween!

Centipede under Glass

2007-10-05T14:05:00.000-07:00

Not Open! This sly centipede snuck into my room when the door was NOT "open". So I decided to draw him for Illustration Friday. I'm not sure where the neon idea came from. I guess the illo's bright colors.

This critter got busted breaking and entering in my bedroom. Now after all that fuss about the scorpions, I have a new critter to be very wary of.....very, very, wary of indeed.

Hearts Will Roll

2007-10-02T02:33:00.000-07:00

Another post for the blues.

Country Blues

2007-09-30T01:21:00.000-07:00

I've been experimenting lately with different compression codecs. Now that blogger lets you upload video, I'm trying out different graphic styles and compression settings. Since "Illustration Friday's" weekly topic is "the Blues", I figured I'd upload a little 19 second clip. The preview doesn't look all that hot, so I'll be editing this post pretty often. The illo above is a still image from the original file. I started out with a black frame (oops), so ya need to scroll down a scoche to see the clip. Thanks again, for stopping in!

Hey Waitress!!

2007-09-21T15:31:00.001-07:00

Well Well, this weeks topic for Illustration Friday is "Juggle". No, the server in the illustration is not trying to juggle her tray, she's trying to balance her tray. What she is juggling, however, is the overwhelming amount of tasks she must do "RIGHT NOW!". She's got a hot order sitting in the window, with a blood thirsty chef banging on the bell with blood in his eye. Table six is having a meltdown because they want to order "NOW!". Table eight is pissed because they are late for a movie and want her to cash them out "NOW!". The creep on table seven just reached for her cheeks (no not the ones next to her nose) . She's scrambling around the floor trying to dodge table twelves children who are running amok like a pack of Hyena pups. Her restaurant was just bought out by a huge conglomerate, and her new boss is a snot nosed brat who just sent all of the rest of the floor staff home so they could cut costs. The corporation has decided to add a snazzy new dessert to the menu called a "Flaming Spasm", this of course takes about ten minutes of table side preparation (with a blow torch). Table sixteen just happens to be impatiently waiting for their Flaming Spasm. Now she's trying to juggle all this and so so very much more. Her kids are home with the flu, and the babysitter is threatening to run off to become a groupie for the Rolling Stones. Rent is late, and that snot nosed brat boss of hers is about to give one of her best shifts away to the new busty blond. All in a days work. Tip that server, and tip her well. This post goes out to all of you servers out there who have the grits and the guts to make it through one crazy shift after another. I've been there, and done that, got the varicose veins hollering out their testimony. Don't ever let anyone lead you to believe that you are in anyway mentally inferior. Because it is you that can juggle a hundred tasks, and execute them all one by one in an order that is swift and efficient. The song below is dedicated to you. And if your not a server, yet you may know or love one...... send them a link to this page. It just might brighten up their day.

2007-09-14T13:21:00.001-07:00

Here is a shot I snapped yesterday of a Dragonfly high atop my Ocotillo.

Momentum Take two

2007-09-14T12:52:00.000-07:00

Last weeks Illustration Friday topic was "momentum". I uploaded this illustration above, which I designed from a frame take from the video below, and uploaded some cool video clips of thunder and lightning. I posted the clips in the Quicktime format. Unfortunately not everyone has a Qt plugin, and it was causing my page to load slower than Molasess in January. I decided to upload it from an AVI using bloggers video uploading tools. Too bad the quality cannot compare to the high quality and resolution of Quicktime video's. Anyhow here is the re-post.

I do

2007-09-14T11:11:00.000-07:00

This week's Illustration Friday topic is "Wedding". Sorry I just couldn't help myself.

Century Bloom

2007-09-13T22:38:00.000-07:00

I was in the mood to do a digital sketch tonight and decided to do an illustration of an agave blossom. They seem to be one of the most interesting blooms in the desert.

Peekaboo!

2007-09-10T16:58:00.000-07:00

I think this Stick bug is on the lookout for hungry Wolf Spiders.

Autumn Colors

2007-09-06T12:00:00.001-07:00

I'm in a uploading mood I guess. Thought I'd throw up this piece that is almost finished. This one is also a smaller version of the one that I posted, which is even smaller than the poster sized original. You can click on this one too, to see a bigger view.

Cactus Sculpture

2007-09-06T11:22:00.001-07:00

This could mean the birth of a new hobby. I bought some cacti yesterday, because I wanted to create a nice center piece for the patio table. I added a little Buddha sculpture, some rocks, shells, and a piece of petrified wood. After shooting the photo I was pleased with a close up version of the shot, so I figured I'd post it here on my blog. I uploaded larger versions of these photo's. So if you want a closer look you can click on the images. This could become a rather addicting pastime.

Yeee Gads!

2007-09-06T08:46:00.000-07:00

Yikes! What a huge Wolf Spider! There really isn't much in this top shot to give a sense of scale on this guy, but he's probably over four inches in length. I went out on the patio this morning to enjoy the cooler temperatures and rainfall. A little something grabbed my attention from the corner of my eye. At first I thought it was a Tarantula, but at closer inspection I discovered that its A Wolf Spider. The shot above was taken from out on the patio.

This shot was taken from inside the house looking out. I wrestled him down and escorted him to a safer location, as the neighbor birds were all looking lustfully at him like a lobster on display in a four star restaurant's tank.

Bad day to be a Butterfly

2007-09-03T15:58:00.001-07:00

I saw a butterfly sitting still on a flower in my yard. When I got a closer look I discovered why he didn't flutter off. OK, now I really like butterflies, but you have to admit it.... that is one cool looking spider.

Ansuz

2007-08-31T11:56:00.000-07:00

This weeks Illustration Friday topic is "Alphabet". I decided to illustrate the Runic symbol "Ansuz". I've been doing some graphic experiments lately, using photo's I've been shooting of some interesting textures. I took a picture of the rock used in this illustration, while hiking down in Patagonia Az.
I found a nice website that discusses the meaning behind this symbol (here). I chose "Ansuz", as it seems fitting with regards to some of my experiences these days. Thank you again for visiting, and thank you all for the nice comments you left on my last post!

Ghost Rider

2007-08-27T14:55:00.001-07:00

I just discovered today that you can now upload video's to blogger quick and easy. So this is just a test. What I would like to figure out is how to upload video's in the Quicktime format. When these get converted to flash all of the quality gets flushed down the tush. This is a short clip I've been working on. I must admit though it looks way better in Quicktime. If anyone knows how, or if anyone know anyone who knows how to upload Quicktimes, please help me figure it out.

Visitors

2007-08-27T07:59:00.001-07:00

. . . . . . . . . . . . . Click image for better view . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Another good topic for Illustration Friday. I've been playing hostess to many reptile, amphibian, and insect "visitors" lately. Some far more welcome than others. I was out doing some yard work yesterday, and had my Parrot sitting on the patio table. Suddenly she started screaming like a Banshee. I looked over and saw one huge grand daddy Diamondback sauntering up towards my sweet bird. I didn't run in to grab my camera as usual, because this guy was right up by my sliding glass door. I decided to blast the varmint (with the power nozzle on the hose). I managed to shoo him off, but he took his sweet time wandering off. He's probably got the cleanest, shiniest rattle in the whole Southwest right now. I'm so very grateful to have Palapa's (my parrot) keen vision looking out for me while I'm out doing yard work. Had I not noticed him on the porch, things could have gotten ugly when I came back for a water break. So thats what inspired the Rattler in the motif. As for the Scorpions, well I've had more than my fair share of Scorpion party crashers as well. About a month ago, I found three in the house. They are Bark Scorpions which are notorious for having the most toxic sting of any species in North America. The discovery made me edgy and miserable for a couple of weeks. I had just moved in and still had cardboard boxes, and other items on the floor that must have appeared as a delightful condo's to those little nasties. I had laundry baskets and such on the floor of the closet where one was discovered napping under my camera bag. I ran to the store and got some long cooking tongs and goat leather gloves, because I was too chicken sh*t to reach my hands in the laundry after that. I was not as forgiving with a couple of the Scorpions as I was with the snake. One Scorpion got stomped, one got released back into the wild down by the wash, and one wound up in the vacuum bag. Unlike most other folks I managed to allow one Scorpion to live, and I've calmed down since then from the stinger jitters. So any further discoveries will spark a catch and release project. The Diamondback was lucky he showed up in my yard and not someone else's. In another's yard he would have left in a bag without his head. In my yard he just left without his dignity. I just discovered that blogger has now made it possible to upload video. As soon as I finish publishing this post, I'm going to try to post a video I took of a Rattler earlier this Summer. Well I hope you enjoyed your visit to this post. I have a few more shots of some of my other very interesting visitors under this post on my home page here. Thank you for stopping in! Come back soon to check if the video uploaded OK.

Mr. Toads Mud Bath

2007-08-22T16:35:00.001-07:00

Alas! Another post for "Reptile Amphibian Day". When I got home from the grocery store this afternoon, I noticed that the Toad was no longer shading himself beneath the ledge of the house. I assumed that he just wandered off. I pulled some medium sized shrubs out from in front of the house, yet neglected to cap off the water source from the drip system. This Toad does not seem to be complaining one bit about that oversight. Now he has a little puddle to rest in, and cool off a bit on this searing hot day. There is a some new construction going on nearby, so I imagine I will be encountering a whole host of new refugees looking for a new homes. Sad. I think I'll keep a few watering holes fresh for the critters.

R.J.

2007-08-22T11:48:00.001-07:00

Well since today seems like reptile and amphibian day, I figured I'd post a newer shot of RJ the Western Diamondback Rattlesnake. He got his name from Randy Johnson of the Arizona Diamondbacks. Get well soon Randy!

Coachwhip

2007-08-22T11:18:00.001-07:00

My sweet Parrot let out an ear piercing shriek. So I headed over to the sliding glass door to see what all of the clamor was about. It's nice having such a vigilant extra set of eyes. What a good watch dog (er I mean watch "bird"). I've been stumbling across these most unusual looking turds on my patio and front porch. My Parrot hollered just in time to reveal the culprit. I guess he's some sort of King Snake. As he slithered off at a real fast clip, it was easy to determine that he must have been approximately five feet long. I e-mailed a herpetologist out of curiosity, and he said the critter is a Coachwhip. I hope he decides to stick around and keep the mouse population down.

New Toad on the Block

2007-08-22T10:59:00.001-07:00

I was walking towards my front door and saw something in under a corner ledge of my house. At first glance it looked like something a puppy may have left behind. I moved in for a closer look and discovered that it is a Sonoran Toad (also known as a Colorado River Toad). As harmless as this guy looks, he's got what it takes to kill your dog or cat. I guess he has some sort of toxin in his skin that is quite poisonous. I found a little article describing the toxic effects here.

Captain Oblivious

2007-08-18T21:04:00.001-07:00

Some folks said he had an oar out of water, others said he was just a bubble off of level. Nobody really understood how Captain Oblivious survived as long as he managed to (with what little wits he was endowed with). Rumors weaved their way throughout the seven seas that perhaps he'd guzzled a jug or two too many of that Jamaican rum. Or perhaps he had sniffed more snorts of snuff than his feeble mind could handle. Who knows, as a matter of fact, we don't really know for sure whats cooking in that pipe dangling from his chops. He still managed to somehow maintain command of the vessel. Despite all of his deficits, throughout the beginning of the twenty first century, most of the citizens of the new world were stunned by how much he reminded them of their very own commander in chief.

Missing

2007-08-05T15:19:00.001-07:00

I lost them a long time ago. I suppose if I missed them, they would be missing. Lets just assume for now that they are just lost.

Moon Poem

2007-07-30T18:05:00.000-07:00

Well I've been slacking a bit in the Illustration Friday department. So much going on these days. I missed last weeks topic "Poem", and this weeks topic is "Moon". So I figured I'd write and illustrate a little poem about the moon. I have taken some time out once in a while in the afternoons to snap some shots of some beautiful skyscapes. The monsoon season has arrived, and along with her heavy winds, thunder, lightning, and rain, she has blessed us with some beautiful sunsets. If you'd like to see some of the shots, they are over here at my other blog. Thanks for visiting everyone!

Discovery

2007-07-18T07:32:00.001-07:00

This weeks Illustration Friday topic is "Discovery". Again another very appropriate topic to match up with the current events in my life at this point. I've been up to my elbows and eyebrows in the joys and frustrations of trying to get unpacked and settled into my new home. Circumstances had led me to live a rather nomadic lifestyle for several years. Many of my old belongings have not seen the light of day in decades. So now one of the joys of unpacking is the "Discovery" of all of the fun goodies that I'm delighted to have never wound up unloading. I found this old pair of jeans (below), that were pretty much a labor of love in the 70's. Every time they sprung a hole, I created a custom patch to cover it. Embroidery was a lot of fun in those days. So I took a closeup of a few of the patches and did some digital color editing and such, to make an illo (above) in honor of those old jeans.

Captian's Log

2007-07-11T16:07:00.000-07:00

This weeks Illustration Friday topic is "Geeky". I almost gave up, then I came up with this idea.
You have to have a bit of Geek in you to get it. Enjoy!

Twist

2007-07-02T10:53:00.001-07:00

This is a little GIF I created for this weeks Illustration Friday topic "Twist". I was able to design this little animation without getting my panties in a twist! Enjoy!

Rejection

2007-06-16T09:28:00.001-07:00

Last week a friend took her own life. This illustration is dedicated to her daughter.

Vail Preservation Society

2007-06-10T09:11:00.000-07:00

This is a concept design for the Vail Preservation Society T- Shirt. The Indian motif is from A Hohokam Indian pottery design dated somewhere between 1125 and 1450.

Your Paradise

2007-06-01T22:14:00.000-07:00

Well how ironic that this weeks Illustration Friday theme is "Your Paradise"! I just closed on my chunk of Paradise yesterday. The last several weeks have been rather insane, hectic, dramatic, and emotionally exhausting. Which I imagine is pretty much par for the coarse when your closing on a house deal. I had no idea until the very last minute, that the deal would go through. Geeze what a grueling process! Now that the dust is beginning to settle and I finally had a day to relax, I indulged, and dabbled all day in the digital arts. Man that felt good! Kinda like paradise in the middle of paradise. I've always loved the desert, and all of the wild things that inhabit it. I've been taking pictures of all of the critters in and around my backyard. I created this Mandala from a handful of shots I've taken in the last few months. I also recycled a Rattler from a previous Illo Friday post. I used all kinds of filters, smudging, and a bazillion other adjustments while putting it together. I hope you like it. The larger version has a bit more detail, and you can view that by clicking right on the image.

Mr. Toads Wild Side

2007-05-21T22:11:00.001-07:00

Well, it hasn't been all that long since we met the Diamondback snoozing in my backyard. I guess I'll be getting acquainted with all kinds of colorful characters who decide to mosey on in to my back yard and crash my party. The Rattler only stopped by twice so far (that we know of), and this is Mr. Toads second visit as well. I suppose if the Rattler ever catches wind that Mr. Toads been hanging out on my back porch, than the Rattler just might come sniffing around more often in hopes of dining on Frogs Legs. Unlike the Colorado River Toad, this Great Plains toad is quite harmless.

Sure Fire Sign

2007-05-20T22:50:00.001-07:00

One sure fire sign that your addicted to participating in Illustration Friday's weekly challenge...... is when you miss a week while your on vacation, and have visions of Grapefruit, Limes, and Oranges frolicking through your imagination.

New Neighbor

2007-05-06T21:42:00.000-07:00

Ok...so...I was out doing some gardening this morning and I caught my new "neighbor" curled up and napping under a little Yucca. Good thing my friend Bill spotted him before things could have gotten ugly. Come to find out my new neighbor is a "Western Diamondback". One of the deadliest reptiles in this country. I'm too much of a nature lover to have allowed any harm to come to him. Although my other neighbors would not have even flinched before lopping his head off. This is the second time he's been busted napping in my yard. So now, rule number ONE, when you come over for a visit......NO LEAVING THE PATIO!
Click on my new neighbor for a better view, and as always, thanks for visiting!

Remember

2007-04-27T22:05:00.000-07:00

I "remember" that crazy little thing called love.

Wildflowers

2007-04-10T09:15:00.000-07:00

This morning I strolled through my front yard and snapped a shot of this wildflower called Pestomine. Not sure if that's how its spelled. Then I played around with the color correction curves in Mirage. Mirage is the same program I designed the animated kaleidoscope with in my previous post. I got a kick out of the results, so I decided to post it to my blog. Thank you all for your kind comments on my blog!

Think Green

2007-04-06T08:31:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone! This morning upon learning that this weeks Illustration Friday topic is "Green", I decided to dabble in animated GIF's again. I'm in awe of how beautiful my new surroundings are here on the outskirts of Tucson, as Springtime spews forth her "Green" bounty.

Two Illo Friday posts!

2007-04-01T07:37:00.000-07:00

This is the first of my two Illo Friday posts today. I "Snapped" a photo of a Cactus Wren in an Ocotillo last week and decided to do a little illo of the critter singing a "snappy" little tune.

At first I had a tough time coming up with an idea to suit the "Snap" topic. Then I remembered a flyer given to me by a park ranger at the Saguaro National Park a few weeks ago. It had a section describing what to do should you encounter a Mountain Lion. I've decided to post an older digital image I created of a Puma (or Mountain Lion) .So if you'd rather not see these critters "Snap"... Here is a list of a few of the recommendations advised by the Parks Dept.
DO NOT approach the cat.
DO NOT run. Running triggers their chase instinct.
DO NOT bend over or crouch down. If you pick up small children, do so without bending over
or turning away.
MAINTAIN EYE CONTACT with the Lion at all times. Never look away.
MAKE YOURSELF APPEAR LARGER and more aggressive. Open your jacket. raise your
arms, and throw rocks or sticks to discourage predatory behavior. Speak loudly and slowly.
BACK AWAY SLOWLY. Do not run.
REPORT the sighting to Park authorities.

Pixeloosa's Portfolio

2007-03-23T23:32:00.000-07:00

Shortly before I started packing up to move out here to Arizona, I started working on my new illustration portfolio. It has a few of the images posted here on my blog, in addition to a few others that are not. If you'd like to check it out you can find it HERE. Any comments or feedback will be greatly appreciated. Thanks again for moseying on in!

I Spy For Illo Fri

2007-03-23T23:08:00.000-07:00

This is my post for this weeks Illustration Friday topic "I Spy". It is an old illustration digitally remastered in Mirage for your viewing pleasure. Thanks again for visiting my blog!

Total Boredom

2007-03-17T09:55:00.000-07:00

Well its been quite some time since I've added a post to my blog. I've been in and around Tucson house hunting, and sightseeing. I wasn't on-line the first month I was here, but I am now. So I thought I'd get around to posting something for Illustration Friday's topic "total".
I've been so very very busy lately with little time to commit to new projects, so I thought I'd upload an old one. I drew this little mandalaish motif, while "Totally" bored at an orientation meeting after being hired at a large hotel chain. I sketched it out in pencil then a few years later colored it in photoshop.
I'm having a blast here in Tucson, and I've managed to take a handful of shots of some of the critters in my yard, and a few scenes from my other travels throughout southern Az. If you'd like to peek at some of the shots they are over here, at my other blog. Thanks for visiting. I'm glad to be back on line where I can finally visit all of the Illustration Friday's participants blogs.

BUZZed

2007-01-06T19:18:00.000-08:00

This weeks "Illustration Friday" topic is "Buzz". Having learned that, my mind wandered off to Alice in Wonderland, and Jefferson Airplane. Hope everyone's new year is getting off to a great start.
Oooops! I tried editing this illo, and wound up accidentally deleting all your comments. Sorry!

Phoenix Rising

2006-12-30T10:46:00.000-08:00

This is my post for this weeks "Illustration Friday" topic "Phoenix". Things have been so crazy these days, and yesterday I really needed some down time, so I fiddled away at this image for a good chunk of the day. Man that felt good! You can click on the image to enlarge it. Happy new Year everybody!

Peace to All!

2006-12-22T07:07:00.000-08:00

Peace to All, and big fat hugs to everyone who has left encouraging comments on my blog.

Saquasohuh

2006-12-08T17:47:00.000-08:00

Things have been quite hectic for me of late. I'm in the process of packing everything up to move to Arizona. I could not, however, resist the temptation to draw out a quick design for this weeks Illustration Friday topic "mask". The topic reminded me of the ancient Hopi prophecy of Saquasohuh. According to the prophecy the fifth world will emerge and there will be a time of purification upon the arrival of the "Blue Star Kachina" (otherwise known as Saquasohuh). He shall remove his mask during a dance in the plaza before uninitiated children, and this will bring about the emergence of the fifth world.
If you like to read up on the subject, I found an article here that goes into more detail about the fascinating Hopi prophecies.

Might

2006-12-03T22:47:00.000-08:00

I just might take a ride on that mighty iron horse!

Dragonfly and Fractle

2006-11-14T11:32:00.000-08:00

I've been awfully busy lately, and haven't had enough time to participate in Illustration Friday's weekly challenge regularly. I thought I'd squeeze some time in this morning. This is an older vector graphic, that I slapped up over a fractle image. This morning I added some new features, colors and textures. I could really use some feedback on the load time of this blog. Does it load okay, or does it require a heck of a lot of patience? Thanks for popping in.

Ghost Rider

2006-10-23T21:35:00.000-07:00

Illustration Friday's topic of the week..."Ghost", got the song "Ghost Riders in the Sky" stuck in my mind. So I drew this out in Mirage for this weeks challenge.

Cupid thinks he's Rambo

2006-10-17T21:26:00.000-07:00

This is a character I started playing with this Summer. It just so happens to fit in with this weeks "IF" theme.... "smitten". He's the character in a song I wrote and recorded in 1999, up at Widlfire Studios in Anchorage Ak. Someday he will be animated for a music video to accompany the song "Cupids Ammo". If you have Quicktime installed you can give it an ear. I had trouble converting it to an mp3, so it might take half a minute to load. Wanna hear it? ...... then....
click here.....and enjoy!

Leopard

2006-09-19T03:33:00.000-07:00

A Leopard doesn't change it's spots. Will someone remind Liberman? Liberman the Chameleon...hee hee. He would get along great with "Karma Karma". I don't really relish the idea of political commentary on my blogs, yet this little bit pretty much fits the topic.

Another Silly Gif

2006-09-11T21:53:00.001-07:00

I've just been playing with kaleidescopes today. So I figured I'd post a sample.

Two Sorrel's

2006-09-09T16:52:00.000-07:00

This is my weekly post for "Illustration Friday". I grew up drawing and riding horses, so I was happy to see this weeks topic "Farm". Ever sinced I switched to blogger beta, I've been wrangling with comment issues. If you see a coment from "Pixelpalette"...its just me. Have a great week!

Safe?

2006-09-06T10:25:00.000-07:00

In light of recent events, I designed this illustration for "IF's" topic safe. Respect mother nature, for safety's sake

Sketch Test

2006-08-29T13:48:00.000-07:00

This is a pencil Sketch I drew several years ago. I'm posting it as a test. I've been trying to achieve the ability to have more controll over the size of the image as it posts on the main page of my blog. Someone suggested uploading the image url from an image hosting site. I tried this and the first time I was successful, yet after resizing it a scoche on my computer, all of the following attempts failed. The latter experiments left the image woefully distorted. Alas I'll figure out how to accomplish this sooner or later.

Runway

2006-08-25T21:10:00.000-07:00

For Illustration Friday's topic of the week "run". I decided to draw a model strutting her stuff on the "runway". It looses a bit getting squeezed down to fit in the post. Just click on the illustration to view the larger image. I have never done this type of drawing before, so this is a first.

All that jazz!

2006-08-12T20:41:00.000-07:00

This is my
post for
"Illustration
Friday's"
topic of
the week.
If your
going to
"play"....
then, play
Jazz!!!

good clean fun!

2006-07-31T10:02:00.000-07:00

Just messing with gifs again

2006-07-20T12:36:00.000-07:00

A new gif I designed

2006-07-17T12:46:00.000-07:00

Once upon a pink moon

2006-07-09T22:45:00.000-07:00

Hi Everybody! This is my post for the "Illustration Friday" entry this week, for the skyline topic.
I'm not a big "pink freak", but it seems to be a common theme now and then. This design was inspired by one of my favorite Nick Drake songs "Pink Moon".

Moonlight Banana Slug Stampede

2006-07-03T06:46:00.000-07:00

When I lived in Northern California out in the woods, I met these little creatures called banana slugs. They were pretty stickey, so I scribbled out this image for the "stickey" topic in "Illustration Friday"

Turtle moon

2006-06-10T02:57:00.000-07:00

This is a portrait of my son, that I snuck on to a logo design....hi Sharon!

Pink Elephants

2006-06-09T21:43:00.000-07:00

Pat and Regina

2006-06-06T22:51:00.000-07:00

Valeriannah's new blog

2006-06-06T19:06:00.000-07:00

Greetings! This is my "maiden voyage" blog entry. Let's see how this goes. I'm not really sure what type of direction this blog will follow. For now I'll try posting a little bit of this and that. When the little voices in my head start screaming out show tunes like Ethel Mermen on Broadway, this venue may provide the perfect stage for them to tap-dance on. Way to go maestro!