Worthy Diversions

I'm tired of the news. And since I we are in the big Q [quarantine] until next year, I'm going to bury my head and go into the world of diversions.

Mandelbulb 3D art:

Titled:

My computer got buggy

Fight in the Hard Drive

Christmas Bulbs

The Ornament Mother

Just That

Time Space Continuum

Fractal Artists like to wander in another time and place. They can avoid strife and stress by delving into the 'maybe' and 'whatifs' of time and space.

It is an escape from current life.

And sometimes we need that.

Today I gave myself a haircut. Laugh if you'd like. Rich decided not to risk his shaky hands and declined taking the scissors to the back of my hair.

I'll call it the Covidcut. I stuck the wet hair in a pony tail and cut it. Now it lays nicely just above my collar.

I'm good with it.

Why not?

In this year 2020, anything goes.

I've actually been asked to do some album covers for some artists. Yep, I may do so.

One of the things I'd have to do is get a much more powerful computer.

Old fart...doing graphic art for young musicians. That could be fun. Yeah?

Some inspiring out of this world...music.

From Nyrus.

Spotify:

Fern Dale

Hey, it is not for everyone. But I like it.

Drink water

 

I took the 'boys' on a walk to the creek. Sven was happy not to be in his pen, he took the opportunity to stop and nibble at things as we hiked. Charlie tried to get him to run and play but I guess Sven was more interested in munching and looking around. 

I really hadn't had him out on as many walks/hikes as I should have been doing.
He seems to be very happy most of the time with Li'l Richard's company. 

When I did chores early Tuesday, Sven was shivering. I spent time after chores cleaning out his stall and putting in fresh dry bedding. When I tried to shut him in tonight he threw a temper tantrum. He couldn't see his buddy in the next pen. Pony Goat Love. Or something like that. When they are in the larger lot together Li'l Richard likes to chase Sven around. 

They really have become attached to each other.

I spent most of the afternoon working on brush piles and burning the last of the mess I'd made out by the rock outcropping. That is, until I get more Buckthorn cut down.

Working with a small fire nearby was nice and toasty. I forgot how cold it really was. 10 degrees.

I used the larger hand saw on a couple of the old hard dry Buckthorn trees. My little saw wouldn't do well on that hard wood. I'll have to go back and cover up the stumps a bit later.

The girded trees should die within in a year. Meanwhile I will use them to attach a blind to so I can have myself a Woman Cave.

I actually thought of putting up a bird feeder this winter and using the blind to stay out of sight and out of the frigid breezes. 

I don't know. I could be kidding myself. But it is a good project and will keep me busy. I am encouraged as it is looking pretty nice compared to what it had been.
When the snow falls I can still cut Buckthorn and cover the stumps to smother them.

It does wear a bit on me though. My hands kept cramping up tonight while making supper. Ever have a cramp in your hand that makes your fingers curl up tight? Wow!

I know I hadn't had water out with me. Bad me. Cold weather, working hard, and dehydration are more than likely the culprits. I'll take a thermos out with me next time. 

Last but not least. I created a Christmas colored Fractal for fun tonight.

I had forgotten how fun and frustrating this program can be. I did like this one though.

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.

Using Graphic programs to creat art.

Over the past year I've met some incredible Fractal Artists that do some incredible work.

There is a group at Facebook called Mandelbulb Maniacs which was founded by Ricky Jarnigan.  
The group has people of all levels and skills with the program.

I've been working with Mandelbulb 3D for a few years now and it seems that I learn something every time I create 'something'.

I often mix up my media.

I like to use other programs such as JWildfire created by Adreas Maschke.  If you like flames and colors, this is mind blowing stuff.  Andreas is always working on ways to improve JWildfire and make it even more easy to create beautiful works.

This took a bit, but it really wasn't that hard.  I started with Daniel Eaton's parameters he posted on Flickr, March 18th.  I then created this piece with symmetry settings, and something called Layerz.

Lú Bendett is another artist I enjoy  following and interacting with.  He has Fractart on FB and his images area both JWildfire and Mandlebulb 3d.

Here is a fantastic fractal he created for today!

*Spring has Sprung in a Vase* 

One other thing I'd like to mention, these two programs are free.
Yes .... free.  Free to download and experiment with.

The FB groups are worth joining FB for just to get tips and ideas, as well as fantastic parameters that are shared.

I will mention one other program.
Incendia.

It is also free but the programmer has left a message that they are not developing it any more due to lack of funds.
There isn't a lot of extra help out there for the program and it is very resource intensive, however...beautiful things can occur when you mix your medias.

I used JWildfire as a backround IN Incendia and rendered the fractal flower into the image.

Here is a Mandelbulb used as a backround and Incendia used to create the final image...mixing the media is very cool.

So when the outside world is cold, damp, snowy, yucky, and you are looking for something to do, start playing with graphic art.

It brings color into your life.

My entry today for a 'spring like' fractal for Mandelbulb Maniacs was this:

 

Burning it up...

There it is, fractal - mania.

JWildfire and Mandelbulb 3d.

Oh let's not forget a bit of Incendia also.

Incendia uses all of my CPU power when rendering something.  But the program delivers some great stuff.  I usually use a fractal created by Mandelbulb 3D or JWildfire as a backround to it.

When the weather gets crappy and I get stuck indoors, I try and open these programs and play around.

I used to play with Bryce but after many tries, I have failed pretty miserably at it.

Today I've been all about wild and color.

Seems the gloom has gotten to me!
I look out the window and see snow coming down in droves.

So I wonder how my 'assignment' for this week of Long Exposure will work in the creek with a hard snow fall.

3" is our new surprise for today.

I'm ready to put on the snowshoes and take a quick trip down the valley and to 'the little' falls.  I'm hoping with the cold to find an abundance of ice on the grasses and rocks.

One can hope.

Anyway there is no wind and the temperature is nearly 8 degrees F!

So I leave you with some colors I've created today.
And go off to see what I can in the woodland.

A bit of Fractal Fun

Mandelbulb Maniacs posted a fun little exercise for us to do with the program.  We were to begin with one formula and then create 'something'.
Next step was add another formula and create the next step.

And so on until we had gone through 6 formulas.

The top shot is the 6th and last step.

This was 5 formulas:

 

This was 4 formulas:

 

This next is the second step.

Things really change up when you add formulas and sometimes your choices end up quite ugly and you have to work hard at finding a proper edit worth posting.
These two 'creations' have mainly the same color themes.  Just a tweak here and there to keep them interesting.

So know you know what I do when it is bitterly cold outside. I play with graphic 3d programs and fractals.
It does help the time go by.

And it doesn't involve dropping anything on my feet!

Have a great Thanksgiving!

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.

Fractal Fun and Art?

Are Fractals really Art?

I'm pretty sure it is.  I've been looking around and finding some incredibly beautiful images by 'Fractal Artists'.  
devianArt.com has some incredible artists that work in 3d.  While beautiful does it please you?
Does it make you want to hang it on your wall?
Or do you believe that anything generated via computer is not Art?

One of my favorite deviants is Len1, go ahead and check his gallery out.  He not only creates beautiful Mandelbulb 3d art, but works in other forms of fractals also.
He post edits some of his work which I think sometimes is essential to get the wow effect.

I recently read a review of an artists work.  The reviewer said something like this.  
"The colors are pretty.  But what does it mean?  What emotion is it meant to cause for me?"

I thought about that comment a lot.  The reviewer has a good point.  The above fractal is interesting.  But seriously I doubt it will be found any time soon on someone's living room wall, or in a waiting room.

I sometimes try to 'create' a scene or just let my imagination run wild.

 

I made this 'piece' out of the above fractal and then added some figures, layers of clouds, it is a composite of sorts.

Mandelbulb 3d for backround image.
Dragon lower right side: [link]
Dragon upper left side:[link]
Fire:[link]
Overlay of my own cloud texture.

So is this considered my own art?  Or just a pretty creation.  Of course, I'll let you the reader decide that.

What is the allure of fractal art?
To me, it is about creation of beauty.  Sometimes it only has to please me and no one else.
I find myself working on this as much as my photography lately.

Partly because Spring has forgotten to arrive, I think.
However I can see some of my art [Zenfolio link] plastering my living room walls with colors, it may not please my husband, but it sure would please me.

Does fractal art have a place in the Art World?  I think it does right along side digital painting and other photographic wild manipulations.

 



 

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.