Now hear this...

 

Yesterday was a really really long long day. So Charlie and I headed out to the Rock Fort to sit a spell and listen to the woods. I was dressed in Blaze Orange but most of the weekend hunters had left the area to go back to where ever they came from. The bottom photo is of my crochet project. I am making a new rag rug and crocheting it. I don't have a loom but I do have balls and balls of material my Grandmother painstakingly put together from old shirts and sheets. Thus...a new rag rug!

~~~~

The morning hours were spent in a long 'intake' interview. 'Intake' is what the VA calls it. Rich and I were interviewed by a gal named Jennifer via secure video connection. It was not painful or difficult, she asked questions of Rich and then asked questions of me without Rich. He was happy to go watch TV in the other room. The program is called VA Family Caregiver Assistance. 

The VA feels it may be cheaper to pay a family caregiver to care for a veteran who needs assistance in all aspects of his daily life....or Activities of Daily Living.... than find a place in a nursing home for him/her. 

I just need to say this. I care for him because I do care. I quit a very well paying job so I could be with him and take care of him. Leaving him home alone every day for hours on end was not an option. There are about 5 more steps with an exam with a nurse, and exam with an Occupational Therapist, more social workers, and even a virtual home visit I think. It takes time and I am not terribly worried. 

One of the benefits that a caregiver can get is access to ChampVA insurance along with respite care and in home assistance. Mental Health access to deal with stress is also available. 

I told Jennifer that it would be amazing to be able to talk to someone from MH just to blow off steam. Okay, I know I have friends, but truly, who wants me to ring them up and complain about how frustrating it is when the person I care for is doing things that drive me crazy? I know he can't help it because of 'brain injury' but yet... somedays having an adult toddler is insane. 

Add a Pandemic to the mix and what have you got? Rhetorical question there. 

Anyway, it was really NICE to talk with another human, even it was a social worker doing an 'intake' interview.

The latest townie news is this. Our 25 bed hospital is nearly full, there is NO more room. The ER is full most of the time. They are treating some patients that need higher quality of care but have no place to transfer them to. That is unless beds open up with deaths or discharge to a lesser unit.

The Doctors made a plea via our local paper and radio stations to PLEASE please wear masks, wash hands, and socially distance...and please do not bring people outside of your household in for Thanksgiving. 
Many of our folk really are trying hard. Others think it is still a hoax or they just don't need to follow the guidelines.

And I know in my heart that if my husband suffers a Medical Emergency, it could be the very last time I see him. 

This really got to me yesterday and that is why Charlie and I went to The Rock Fort and sat while I crocheted. Fresh air, sunlight, birds, and a kind dog helps a lot.

So this morning I decided NOT to read the news. 

I went into distraction mode and created art with Mandebulb 3D, Incendia, and Corel PaintShopPro [a program cheaper but similar to Photoshop which I cannot afford!].

Viking Terminator!

Sleeping Dragon

Have a good day. Stay safe. I'm going out to enjoy the  new snowfall.

Gone Fractaling...

 Fractals, ...

I haven't done Fractal Art for a while now. It used to keep me occupied on those dark winter nights when I'd explore 3 dimensional art and fractal flames along with constructing scenes with wicked sounding formulas.

I have pretty much forgotten some of what I learned while using Mandebulb 3D, JWildfire, and Incendia. JWildfire's creator now has a new program out for creating incredibly beautiful abstracts. I am still using one of the very old programs that was free.

The fractals here today are variations on ones generated by Matthew Hagett. I stopped by Deviant Art and picked up his fractal and modified it.

Deviant Art Links:

Object Permanence by MatthewHagett

In Archeus by MatthewHagett

These are all variaties of his 'In Archeus' formula. In the fractal art world, it is an unwritten rule that a person always credits the original artwork and that they do not just copy it, but change formulas along with colors.

I wish I'd kept up my learning on this program. I used to love trying new things like actually putting objects into the formula and making them appear.

One of my favorites created long ago:

A JWildfire flame fractal:

And let's not forget, an Incendia Fractal!

I've actually sold more Abstract work than any individual photos. 

I think I'll boot up the programs and get back to letting the programs render more art while I am cleaning house or doing chores. Large items for print require a long render time on even powerful computers.

A last ... very frustrating programs that require a huge learning curve. Hint...for those who cannot sleep at night and need to be challenged.

Daz 3D Studio and Bryce. One of my favorites.

Despair:

I never did get the 'how' to work in these two programs, but it sure was fun creating when I did.

I think I'll go Fractal a bit while waiting for the VA CareGiver person to call for a phone interview with Rich and I.

Have a day. 

Shhhh, I've been playing

Just messing a bit with different fractal programs.

Incendia and JWildfire.

Building in Fractal Programs

With wicked winds and cold temperatures, I sometimes get the urge just to mess around in different graphic programs.

The above piece was done in Incendia.  I layered in in PSP [Paint Shop Pro] and then added my own touches.

This piece was done in JWildfire.  I've been doing more symmetrical pieces lately and read that symmetry was more pleasing to the eye.  I however like things that are not symmetrical. 

This piece was made in Mandelbulb 3D and done for a daily challenge in the FB group I am a member of called Mandelbulb Maniacs.

A word about the programs.  Incendia, JWildfire, and Mandelbulb 3D, have groups on Facebook that engage in tips and challenges which are extremely helpful in learning how to use these great free programs.
As always, you can make a donation to the creators which I'm sure they would appreciate.

As I've stated before in previous posts, I love combining and mixing programs.

It is pretty easy to do.  For this I first created a backround in JWildfire, then created an image in Mandelulb 3D and then used it as a backround in Incendia and let it render.

Basically I used each program to build on each other.

All you need is some imagination and some experimenting.
Other fractal artists like to remain pure and true to the program.

However I am one that lets anything and everything go.
Mixing programs is a challenge that is rather fun.

JWildfire has a new release!

These two images were created with JWildfire new release.  I used Layerz to combine 2 fractals and then put them together and render them.
The other choice is to do separate flames and then layer them in photoshop.  But I did enjoy this newer feature.

One of the things I like to do when it is frigid...frigid outside is mess around with colors and fractal programs.

JWildfire is continously changing and improving, thanks to Andreas Maschke's hard work.
I don't pretend to understand how it works at all.  But I know I can get lost just messing around in the program.  You can download it at his site and it doesn't cost a thing.
I suggest looking at the tutorials on his site also.
The best information can be found at the Facebook site called JWildfire Open Group.
On that site a person has access to all sorts of tutorials and wonderful flames to work with that can be downloaded in the files section.


Unlike Mandelbulb 3D which also has a site on FB called Mandelbulb Maniacs, it is a 'flame' based fractal imaging program.



I sometimes create an image in JWildfire and use it for a color map for a Mandelbulb or a backround for an image created in Incendia.

The flames in the backround of the above image was created in another interesting program called
Flame Painter by Escape Motions.

So when it is -12 out with a 15mph wind...[this means really really cold], and I cannot get out to do any nature photography, this is what I like to do to offset the winter doldrums.

Long Live Fractals

Well in between doing farm chores and some summer photography, I've been dabbling in Fractal programs again.

I like to mix my programs up and I think that some beautiful creations can be made.

One of the things I am not sure of is the perfect symmetrical flames that I've been seeing with certain programs.
Sure they are pretty but they are just that.  They don't make you go ... hmmm, or don't produce anything for the imagination.

Here is a sample of one of those fractal flames I've done.

Pretty colors but for me it is just that.  It doesn't draw the 'eye' or attention to anything but the middle of the piece.

I'd rather have something that makes you 'look' at it.  To try and figure out what is going on, if anything.

Like this:

This was created with JWildfire and Incendia.

Or this, created with Incendia, Mandelbulb 3D and photoshop...

I much prefer abstracts that 'do' something for the person looking at them.

I wonder if I am just alone in this thought or should I stick to just plain symmetrical prettiness?

My mind and heart say go the other way.  Create for fun, create for myself.

Just my thought for this evening while I render a project that I plan to mix up with some other items and make a composite image.

Mandelbulb Fractal 3D something different.

I will not pretend to understand the IFS flames in Mandelbulb 3D at all, but I do know that using a IFS flame in the first formula presents with interesting results.

I went to some artists sights on devianArt and studied their parameters.  I then spent some extensive time making some 'maps' for colors for both Incendia and Mandelbulb. 
I was particularily excited with this one.

The day I made it, I felt a bit out of sorts and therefore off kilter, that is what I wanted to portray anyway.

Oddly enough I found this checkerboard .jpg hanging out in a file and decided to use it on this creation since I was exploring black and white anyway.

The .jpg used:

Not interesting in itself, but when used on the above fractal, it had some great possibilities.

Next I used MengerIFS with Amazing Box and got this:

For this texture or...color I used the following:

Not something you'd expect right?

So I've been experimenting in IFS flames in MDB 3D along with adding colors of my own with very interesting results.

Not a great or stunning Mandelbulb, but I was studying how to color it more than anything else.

Then for some fun in the Wave IFS and the Amazing Box thanks to parameters by ~Len1 on deviantArt I did this.

So I've decided to do some exploring in some more smooth and less complicated fractals.  And make sure of the color maps provided and add to them.
The color maps become useful in Incendia also by the way.

Mixing Mandelbulbs, Apophysis, and Incendia

Some days it just falls together.  I have found myself working in Incendia and creating 'something' but file it.  

As I am not sure what to do with it.

Then I create something in Mandelbulb 3D.  The same thing occurs.  It is neat, it is cool.  But alone, it is nothing.

Then it hits me.

Why not combine them?

The following has the main object as an isolated part of a Mandelulb.

The backround comes from Apophysis 7x.

Other portions of the scene are provided by two different renders of Incendia simple objects.

I put them in Photoshop 7.0 and moved things around on different layers.  This is what I came up with.

While experimenting with Incendia EX IV.  I found that I could actually add textures to my fractals by using an Apophysis 7X fractal.  It turned out pretty unique.  The newer features of Incendia EX IV allow you to pick from your own works as .png, .jpeg, or .bmp files.

This feature [perhaps it has been around forever and I haven't seen it?] has made Incendia much more interesting to explore with colors and textures.

Don't just think inside of one fractal program.  Expand to others.  I am generally using free programs and have not tried some of the other programs that are available.

And lastly...somehow, I managed to get something almost perfectly centered in Mandelbulb 3D.

Rings upon rings.