Lower Tropospheric Visions?

While it has been a while since I have had time to devote to shooting much, I have picked up my camera once in a while. Mostly I've been engulfed in the sometimes overwhelming project of remodeling my new townhome. After a hectic three weeks of work, I finally have the place remodeled and ready to move in, and am starting to move my furniture, studio and office this weekend.

I believe that homes have certain energies - partially caused by their location and surrounding environment, partially by architectural features and design, and partially due to unexplainable conditions that cause certain living spaces to feel warm and inviting, while others convey a sense of cold discomfort and uneasiness, and even hostility. Fortunately my new home is the former; warm, comfortable, and inviting. Situated in Southeast Denver, it is one of the rare places in the city that is surrounded by a somewhat natural environment.

My first day in the new home, I noticed these wonderful trees along the trail behind the townhome. Also, the magnificent red-tailed hawks circling overhead, and overall lack of city-noise gave me a great feeling. At around sunset, I looked out of my bedroom window, and saw the first signs of iridescence in the clouds, and grabbed my camera.





While this vibrant and iridescent display of color only lasted for about 15 minutes, and then faded into darkness of night, I took it as a wonderful blessing upon my new home.

To learn more about iridescent clouds and other atmospheric phenomena, Les Cowley's "Atmospheric Optics" website is the definitive source of information.

Wide Angle Abstractions

Orphan Works Bill Legalizes Theft of Artistic Works

I have held my tongue long enough. I have tried to keep my blog free of politics, but I cannot remain silent any longer. The Shawn Bentley Orphan Works Act was passed through senate in a sneaky maneuver of "hotlining" the bill through at the end of session last Friday (09/26/08), amidst the panic of the US banking system collapse.

This bill compromises every artists' works and right to self-copyright, and practically invites opportunistic thieves to steal it. If an artist was to catch a hypothetical thief who stole creative works, wording in the bill states that if the artist sues the thief, that the thief and artist would have to come to a "mutual agreement" about the value of the stolen creative work. Preposterous.

Rather than try to summarize many other problems with this bill, and try to say what others can express so well, please just read Ted Rall's recent article on the topic. Ted Rall is president of the Association of American Editorial Cartoonists.

This bill's next stop is in the House Judiciary Committee, and there is still time to stop this bill from going into law. If you are an artist working in any medium, please educate yourself on this issue. It effects all of us in some pretty frightening ways.

TAKE ACTION: EMAIL CONGRESS TONIGHT
Tell the House Judiciary Committee not to adopt the Senate version.

The Illustrator's Partnership of America has supplied a special letter for this purpose: http://capwiz.com/illustratorspartnership/issues/alert/?alertid=11980321

You can learn more at the Orphan Works blog here:
http://orphanworks.blogspot.com/

Saturday Morning Portrait

Life can be overwhelming sometimes.

So many new things to take in all at once. Adventures and interactions. New places, smells, creatures and people. Nature trails and creeks that demand to be explored. Squirrels that taunt, and snakes that slither. Mice that dart to the safety of their burrows upon my arrival. These are the things that must not be ignored.

After the adventure is over, sometimes a nap is in order.