Monday, May 31, 2010

Good Morning, Gentle Readers!

Today's image is titled scarves. As you can see, it looks like a few scarves just twirling in the breeze. I used to have a nice dark blue one that I liked a lot, but I never had anywhere to wear it. One day I'm going to change that!

Boy do I have a busy day ahead! I finally made up my mind last night that excuses needed to get thrown out the window and this place is going to get the deep cleaning it needs; I've gotten very tired of sneezing my head off every time I turned around. Then there is the assignment that I've found is due tomorrow. There are two things in my favor there; One thing is that the chapters are shorter than in the other class, and the other is that some of the material is familiar, so it will be more of a refresher than anything else. I do wish that the attachment I need for my week nine project was posted, though.

That has become a huge problem with the college. That leads me to wonder what's going on with their software, since the last four instructors I've had have turned out with the same issue.

Another thing I need to do is check into a little on-line newspaper that my mother told me about during the weekend. The lady who runs the paper might have some use for someone with my experience, given what I have had to do for school.

Until we meet, Gentle Readers...

Saturday, May 29, 2010

Just a quick note...

Good Morning, Gentle Readers!

Today's image is titled Green Crescent Light. There isn't much green in here- as you can see- but what there is is vivid. I'm not sure if I could reproduce this effect or not, but it would be worth trying I think.

This morning, I am more or less sneaking in before we hit the road. A couple of gentlemen came by to help with junk removal; The shed we inherited from the previous tenant finally gave up the ghost and had to be taken away. Boy am I glad to see them!

I suppose I should stop by the college site and see if by some wild chance the syllabuses for the next courses have been posted. If so, I'll download them. If not, I'll just go back and reread the texts and finish filling in that one assignment. It's a good thing I took a look ahead; Otherwise I don't see how I could have gotten this and my other course's work done in the same week!

Until we meet, Gentle Readers...

Friday, May 28, 2010

A Plan...

Good Morning, Gentle Readers!

Today's image is Second Celebration. It's a remake of Celebration, which I created a couple of years ago. I must say that I like this version far better; It's not as completely messy as the original was. It does have a couple of features the original doesn't, like the circle of light around the central area.

We aren't headed out of town today; A rather loud storm last night kept both my husband and myself up until about 2:30 or so- especially him, since he has more inclination toward insomnia than I do. I've had mild bouts of insomnia too, and inconvenient they are- But I have the choice of sleeping when I need to, while he tends to worry himself way too much.

No matter; At least we have a plan now.

Until we meet, Gentle Readers...

Thursday, May 27, 2010

Can you imagine?

Good Morning, Gentle Readers!

Today's image is titled Red, White, and Blue. I made it in honor of the up-coming holiday- Memorial Day. I don't know that I will be able to post tomorrow morning, so I am sharing it now.

Just this morning, I heard from a friend who lives up in Canada. Here it is almost June, and she got frost! Can you believe it? Almost summer, but here she is seeing frost! She so wants it to warm up! I imagine she will change her mind after getting too much heat, but right now I'm sure she would like to warm up at least.

In other news, I got my project turned in, so I have a couple of days to relax if I want to. I had better not get used to it, though; I'm going to be out of town for the weekend, so that means that the beginning of next week will be a real crunch. There are a couple of items I can do ahead that will lighten the load, though- Including reading the texts, and writing a couple of essays that I'm pretty certain my new teachers will want to see.

Until we meet, Gentle Readers...

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

365!

Good morning, Gentle Readers!

Today's image is titled Fantasy Hourglass, and I think you can see why. I made it last night while I was having some trouble concentrating on my assignments. Believe it or not, the same color is used in both the top and the bottom of the hourglass figure- but the background color has a quirk of making it look different.

Look at that number of posts: 365! Three-hundred sixty-five posts of rambling from philosophy to practical matters to feline friends to school- especially the latter during the last few months. Today I'm trying to tie up a few loose ends, since I'm going to be without internet access during the weekend. Hopefully by Monday I'll be able to start fresh, between the course load that is promising to be a challenge just for one of them.

Until we meet, Gentle Readers...

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

The Trials of Research...

Good Morning, Gentle Readers!

Today's image is titled A Pane and a Wave. It had been a while since I tried using the pentagon deformation, and I never had tried combining it with curves and partial colors before. So I thought it would be an interesting experiment.

Last night, I checked out a number of sites that I thought might be useful for my research. I confess that I was very disappointed in one of them; On the surface, it looked like a semi-cultish web page with very little hard information. I may check again just to make sure I had not made any mistakes- but I don't think there was an error. A second site proved to be more of a travel guide than anything else. I may be able to glean something from there, but again I can't see a lot of hard information on it. Now, I did find one page with an interesting document. That document is now safely printed off and stored with my other materials. I still need more, though. That should be easy, now that I've weeded out stuff that I don't want.

Wish me luck, Gentle Readers!

Until we meet...

Monday, May 24, 2010

This Is The End!

Good Afternoon, Gentle Readers!

Today's image is titled More Light. I made it while I was experimenting with changing background and foreground colors in the same picture. I may show this one again for the Memorial Day weekend, if I don't make something else for the holiday.

This week is promising to be a busy one: I have in effect four more days to finish that last project. Fortunately, I have most of my basic information right where I want it, and it is just a matter of putting it together. Last night after I turned in another end-of-term project, I hit the sack and stayed there! I just wonder how many toothpicks I broke trying to prop my eyelids open long enough...

Wish me luck, Gentle Readers!

Until we meet....

Sunday, May 23, 2010

And do it again...

Good Morning, Gentle Readers!

Today's image is titled Green Illusions. One might say that I chose that title because of the way the green is laying over the other lights- and indeed, I did run with that because I didn't know what else to call it! But I thought it would be pleasant to view today.

Wow, Sunday and my husband doesn't have to go back to work tomorrow! His assistant is filling in for him. I don't know that the lady can handle the position, given what else my husband is usually expected to do- But it was good of her to order him to not come in.

I got about halfway done with my presentation last night and looked at the pictures- and decided I didn't like the lay-out at all! So I will have to go back and fix them. It's a good thing that I still have all of my raw material- but once I'm done, I'm getting rid of a lot of it because I doubt seriously I will need it again. Here I just finished making my picture folder all nice and neat too! Cest La Vie...

Until we meet, Gentle Readers...

Saturday, May 22, 2010

Vacation!

Good Morning, Gentle Readers!

Today's image is titled Sigil In A Ball. It has been a while since I didn't use any special filters with the layers, so with this especial image I went back to the basics- though I did use a dusky rose for the backdrop. I was very surprised at how bright the image came out! It's just the thing I want to look at on a cloudy morning.

Vacation! What a wonderful word! My husband finally is taking his, and I confess both of us were just a bit hyper over it yesterday! He even looks better, almost like someone pulled the plug that was holding the stress in him. I noticed that he is not even coughing as much as he has been for a while. Talk about things that make one go Hmm...

There is no vacation as such for me: I still have a project to do. Yesterday I collected a few pictures for it, but when I went back to look at them I found that they weren't usable. It was fortunate that I checked in time to correct the mistake! Now all I have to do is put things together.

Until We Meet, Gentle Readers...

Friday, May 21, 2010

Assignment- Done!

Good Morning, Gentle Readers!

Today's image is titled Quiet Reflection. I thought that the gradiating shades of blue and violet with just a little green at the outside were quite soothing- Thus the name.

I certainly needed it after last night! I got the assignment done- which is a huge relief- and started on the next, a power-point presentation. That will be a challenge! Fortunately, I do have some material on hand that I can use for it. But I will need far more. To use a word coined by a friend, time to exercise my Google-Fu!

Wish me luck, Gentle Readers!

Until we meet...

Thursday, May 20, 2010

Brain Exercise!

Good Morning, Gentle Readers!

Today's image is titled Flowers. It's not quite as vivid as most of my flowery work, but I thought it to be nice and relaxing.

I woke up way too early this morning; For one thing, I couldn't quite get comfortable, and for another there were a number of things I had to think about, including my school projects. I spent much of last night taking notes for part of them. Wow, I thought my eyes were going to pop out of my head! That one article I read was nearly long enough to be a book in itself, and I'm very sure that was just part of the one report! The person that wrote that must have sore fingers! Still, I should be able to finish up the item I took the notes for now, though it will be a huge exercise for my brain.

Wish me luck, Gentle Readers!

Until we meet...

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

All Hail The Yellow Pad!

Good Morning, Gentle Readers!

Today's image is titled Random, and that is pretty much exactly what it is. I was going to try to get a few pink flames over the red-orange, but the latter overpowered the lighter color. Still, the effect is enjoyable.

I'll say it again: All hail the power of the yellow pad! Last night I was quietly panicking over an assignment that is nearly as big as the end-of-term project when my big yellow hero caught my eye again and loyally held onto notes for me. I think I can do this now! Wish me luck in my battle with the beast!

Until we meet, Gentle Readers...

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Does anybody really know what time it is?

Good Afternoon, Gentle Readers!

Today's image is titled clarity. Now, when I made this, I was not planning for some of the colors at all. But the quirks of my program tripped me up again! One day I may be able to figure them all out, but in the meanwhile I will enjoy these little accidents.

Does anyone really know what time of year it is? Just last week, we were seeing temperatures in the 90's, but right now it's stubbornly hovering at not far above 60! I'm glad I made that crock of soup; That means that I won't have to turn the stove on to generate excess heat if it gets hot again, but there will be hot food available if it remains chill. I definitely am not putting away my seasonal clothes for the year!

Until we meet, Gentle Readers...

Monday, May 17, 2010

Mad Scientists and Mad Studies

Good Afternoon, Gentle Readers!

Today's image is titled Chocolate Bar. I haven't tried working with brown for a while, and some of the effects were quite unexpected and indeed not even wanted at first- But they grew on me. A few friends and I were trading jokes about gathering all of the mad scientists in the world, feeding them chocolate and coffee, then turning them loose. That had us giggling for quite a while!

For all practical purposes, this is the last week of this block of courses- though I will have to do a bit of mop-up still just to make sure I haven't missed anything. That is well; While I haven't seen the syllabuses yet for the next block- and the school really did make a mistake in not making the syllabuses available until the day before the courses start- the next block of work is going to start out heavy and get heavier. Wish me luck!

Until we meet, Gentle Readers...

Sunday, May 16, 2010

Time flies when you're having fun!

Good Afternoon, Gentle Readers!

Today's image is titled Bright Hug. I thought that was appropriate because it does look like light being poured over a rounded shape- which is really how people tend to envision hugs. No one really wants to be hugged by sharp pointy things, after all!

Yay, no more cold! In fact, I've not even done my normal sneezing- which is a welcome change! It has gotten warm here too, which may account for the cold cooking out more quickly than usual. Whatever happened, I thankfully take it!

Wasn't it just yesterday that I was commenting on the time crunch for my last block of courses and the end projects? I suppose I could look over the notes I took for one of my private projects too: I might be able to use them in the next block of classes, or the one after that. Time has flown!

Until we meet, Gentle Readers...

Saturday, May 15, 2010

Sneezes and Studies

Good Afternoon, Gentle Readers!

Today's image is titled Rose Tree Dreaming. It's something of a remake of Pond And Rose Tree, but not quite the same. I'll probably be trying this again, this time to see if I can get a sort of mirror image of the tree in the pond: I've been wanting to do something like that for a while, and it would be a good addition to my fantasy pictures.

Wow, I was wrong yesterday about the pollen! What I had was a full-blown cold, and when I hit the sack I stayed down until WAY later than I usually do! Bless my husband, he brought me chicken noodle soup. I do feel better now, even if I could compete with Kermit The Frog. In a way, I'm glad I got sick now instead of later; I want my husband to enjoy his vacation, and he wouldn't if I was miserable and sneezing my head off.

Well, that one paper is more of the way done. I've been doing a lot of re-reading, as well as downloading the texts for my new courses. Did I say that some of the reading was down-right scary? Methinks I had better hurry up and finish with this block of stuff and get a head start on the next, if I can!

Wish me luck, Gentle Readers!

Until we meet...

Friday, May 14, 2010

Images

Good Morning, Gentle Readers!

Today's image is titled Winter Star. It is the last of the series, and harks back to when I used a lot of blue and white in my work. Admittedly, I still do- but I make very sure to use other colors as well.

It has been very hard to get things done this morning! The official pollen count might say low to moderate, but my nose has been telling a very different story! I'll probably use more steam later on: That seems to be the only thing that can stop the dripping.

I do have a plan for another image that I promised to make today- But it will require me to use at least two painting programs, and I've not done that in months. On top of that, one of the programs I will probably have to use is one that I've not finished figuring out by a long shot. Oy, my poor aching brain! Still, it will be a challenge to keep me busy for a while!

Until we meet, Gentle Readers...

Thursday, May 13, 2010

Time is flying...

Good Morning, Gentle Readers!

This morning's image is Autumn Star. By autumn, the greens of spring and the riotous colors of summer are played out, and it is time for the reds and golds to appear before winter's dreaming begins. Earlier, I had tried to use some of the golds and browns, but was not really pleased with the results. This is much better!

I didn't get all of my papers turned in before yesterday's storm, but I did get one that was bothering me just a little, thanks to a number of notes I had taken a few weeks before. I now have one last paper for the week, then I can start some more work on my end-of-term projects. Time has been flying fast enough to almost be scary- but time waits for no one, after all. So I had better hop to!

Until We Meet, Gentle Readers...

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Hurry hurry...

Good Morning, Gentle Readers!

Today's image is the second of the Star Series, and is titled Summer Star. Summer doesn't really have characteristic colors as such, but one does tend to associate colors like these with swim suits and summer activities. Thus, the choice for the creation.

Boy do I have a busy afternoon ahead of me! I have a couple of assignments to get finished and turned in; According to the forecast, I have thunder storms headed my way. I even believe it; These are the same storms friends of mine saw out in the mid west a few days ago. That being said, I should be ready to power down at a moment's notice. Wish me luck!

Until We Meet, Gentle Readers...

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Classroom Countdown

Good Morning, Gentle Readers!

Today's image is the first of a series I made. It is titled Spring Star. Since it is starting to get a little gloomy outside, I thought it was a good idea to have something to brighten things up.

Wow, only two weeks to go in this block of classes! I don't think I have any additional reading to do- though it would be smart to check. But boy do I have some writing to do! I have at least two huge essays as well as my end-of-term projects. Fortunately, one of the essays at least shouldn't be a huge problem; I took a number of notes for one of my projects that can easily comprise a large part of it.

Wish me luck, Gentle Readers!

Until we meet....

Monday, May 10, 2010

Philosophy!

Good Evening, Gentle Readers!

Tonight's image is titled Blue Fielder. I thought that the image in the middle looked something like a baseball. I was a little surprised by some of the background: The blue was actually supposed to be a bright yellow. However, the layer filter altered that. As usual, I figuratively ran with what I got.

I got a taste of what a philosophy class might offer earlier today. My friend presented what appears to be a conundrum to me, and we got to debate that back and forth some until it was sufficiently resolved. I won't give you any further spoilers about this especial puzzle. But I will warn you that if you take Philosophy, you should be prepared for your brain to be twisted inside out and upside down!

Until we meet, Gentle Readers...

Sunday, May 9, 2010

Moving...

Good Afternoon, Gentle Readers!

Today's image is Tumbling Pentagon. It has been featured before, but I thought that right now was a good time to show it again.

There does seem to be a whole lot of moving going on in my life; I've been moving on through my courses and really should be thinking about the next block, my parents are having to move since my father has a new job, and miracle of miracles, my husband has decided to take a much needed vacation!

The vacation will be starting soon. While at it, there are a number of projects we can concentrate on that hopefully will enable him to find employment that he is happy with. If- no, WHEN- he does that, I think he will find he is a great deal healthier as well as happier.

Wish us luck, Gentle Readers!

Until we meet...

Saturday, May 8, 2010

Dogs love flowers!

Good Morning, Gentle Readers!

Today's image is titled Will o' Wisp. I created it just a little while ago. I confess, I was a little nervous about using red-orange over green and blue- But the effect came out much better than I thought it would!

My apologies for not writing in yesterday; I had a number of projects to finish, including one that I promised a friend. I'm not sure that that one is really finished, even; I had made a collection of images that are plainly a set, and I'm considering making them into a collage. My friend suggested that they be turned into stained glass, and that would indeed be stunning. But I think I will hold off on that project until I have somewhere to display it.

Now for a bit of whimsy...

Have any of you ever heard of dogs that kiss flowers good-night? Well, apparently my friend's little dog does just that. It was pretty hilarious hearing about him doing that. I can only imagine how hard it was for my friend to keep a straight face so she wouldn't hurt his feelings!

Until we meet, Gentle Readers...

Thursday, May 6, 2010

Light In The Distance

Good Morning, Gentle Readers!

Today's image is titled The Light In The Distance. There is a little bit of a story behind it, so I shall attempt to explain.

Last night, my friend whom I've mentioned before got some troubling news. Her sister in law, who had been very ill for a long time, was fading fast. She didn't remember her brother, and had lost track of many years between her first marriage and the present.

Perhaps her mind was preparing her to go. I'm under the impression that she had not been really happy for a while. So love and prayers for her, and for those that love her- and light to guide her home.

Until we meet, Gentle Readers...

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

Art Isn't Just For Old Fogies...

Good Morning, Gentle Readers!

Today's image is a bit of whimsy I named Pink Dancing Dandelions. This wasn't exactly what I intended, of course; It seldom is. There was a step I missed during the creation. However, as it doesn't seem to have harmed anything, I'm not going to sweat it.

A few days ago, my husband and I went shopping for a new mattress when the old one started growing some rather strange lumps. It's all set up now, and the cats are wondering where the lumps are: They were just the right size to pillow feline heads.

I spent most of last night reading a text- and later on, I found out that part of what I read wasn't really required. Still, it was fascinating reading about the cultures of Middle and South America, as well as the Middle Ages! It's too bad that the grade school and high school texts take such a dry approach to the subject, and no wonder kids end up deciding they don't want to deal with it. But they're missing out on a lot. Perhaps I can suggest a hands-on approach to some of the techniques. Now that I think of it, I wonder if perhaps I can't set up some kind of fund; Confucius was a pretty smart cookie, and one of the principles he believed to be important centered around arts and the humanities.

Modern science confirms what Confucius knew; They have found that people exposed to music, arts, and sports tend to have more developed brains. It's a shame that those are the very programs getting the ax, most of the time.

Until We Meet, Gentle Readers...

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

So That's Why...

Good Morning, Gentle Readers!

Today's image is titled When You're In Love. I made it last night upon learning that a couple of my friends were getting married. So let's hear a huge congratulations for Toni Anne and The Old Wolf!

I spent the last few nights learning that putting together a decent ad that isn't a pure insult to the intelligence isn't easy- But I finally managed it! It didn't help matters much that I was still in semi-scholarly paper mode, so to speak. It was for a theoretical art show, and a lot of the notes I took were more suited for a report than a commercial. It wasn't half bad when I finished, though. I think now I can understand why commercial makers get a little lazy.

Until We Meet, Gentle Readers...

Monday, May 3, 2010

Hot Hot Hot!

Good Morning, Gentle Readers!

Today's image is titled Floating Panels. I formed it some time ago when I started looking at the possibilities in one of my filters; You may remember how I talked of stained glass a few times.

Boy has it been hot during the past few days! One would think it was the middle of July instead of the start of May! There is a storm rolling in, though- or so it appears. Hopefully that will cool things off just a little. There is the chance that the rain will just turn everything into a sauna, though. No matter what, I've got a lot to do before it becomes advisable to shut down. If it's still warm tomorrow, I will post a list of heat survival tips then.

Until we meet, Gentle Readers...

Sunday, May 2, 2010

A Small Note...

Good Morning, Gentle Readers!

This morning's image is titled Green Illusions. I created it just a few minutes ago. I had some difficulty with getting the colors to be as intense as I really wanted- but oddly enough, the overlays made combinations that were far brighter than I would have expected.

I just looked at the number of posts I have made since the inception of the Tigger's Lair. I was very surprised to see that I have been babbling for nearly a year! That's not bad, considering how I got talked into it around 11:00 PM one evening when I really should have been hitting the sack. But then, how many people really do what they should without some convincing? In any case, except for a few times when I had no internet access, I have done my best to keep you somewhat amused and informed. While I was not wholy successful- at least, by my standards- it has been excellent practice.

Until We Meet, Gentle Readers...

Saturday, May 1, 2010

Silly Dog!

Good Morning, Gentle Readers!

This image, as you might guess, is titled Pufflie. I made it for one of my former writing partners who had created this imaginary critter and described it as being a purple fur ball with pink feet. That was just too cute to resist, so voila!

Yesterday, my friend with the little dog went shopping for potted plants and flowers. She set them out when she got home, then went into another room for something. When she got back, the dog had stuck his face in among the flowers and was happily smelling them and wagging his tail! She berated herself for not having a camera to hand. That was hilarious! I'm guessing she will take the doglet out to see more flowers in some local park now.

Until we meet, Gentle Readers...