Having an abstract day

This is called a Mandelbulb Fractal. Fun, creative, frustrating and bizarre way to come up with something purely abstract.

Some of these folks that have mastered this program have had their work featured in Guardians of the Galaxy and funky album covers.

I've sold two abstract pieces in all of my time doing these. Not that I advertised, but that folks just thought it strange and weird enough that they wanted one piece on their wall.

I could get lost for hours in Mandelbulb 3D or JWildfire just creating fractals and enjoying what appears.
I tried Bryce 7 but never got along with it much. I sure don't have the skills to work through Blender and some of the other creative programs out there.

Ruins

Below is purely a random flame I played with the colors and then just it render. It's not meant to be anything other than just doodling with the program. 

The Clone Nursery

Then there is a composite of fractal Flames which I edited in PaintshopPro. 

No names just pretty colors and patterns.

Some days are meant for just messing around and exploring anything not related to the weather or the news.

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.

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. 

So I tried painting....

This is where things started...

This is where things got messy. Too much 'stuff' to try and do and not enough time to just relax.  Husband kept interrupting and telling me I had a mess.

So I splattered paint on it .. dripped paint on it, then took some black and took a few swipes.

And then decided that my Picasso days were never going to happen....

I turned to digital.

I took this....

And did this.....

Then tried this...ewwwww....

And ...

Then went to a digital program that allowed me to pick some effects and combined that with Painter Essentials that auto painted. I blended the effects and got this.

Yup. I can live with this.

I have no talent with abstract painting or real painting, but sure can have fun with DeepDream, Digital Paint Essentials, and Topaz Impressions!

I like this. I'd even put it on my wall. So cheery and much nicer than the mess I created.

But I am willing to try it again.

I also doodled in fractals and made a Christmas Fractal:

Okay, I made two versions. Mandebulb 3D mixed with Incendia.

I think I'll stick to painting fun and funky chairs instead of canvases!

Happy almost Winter Solstice!

Just some art today

And some Mandelbulb 3d.

What I do sometimes when I am having my morning coffee and waking up.

Sometimes I need a break from all of the other busy things going on right now.

Looks like the digging for the basement will begin as soon as next week.
I best get busy and get the rest of my preparations done.

Playing with Fractals

It is cold outside!  And I mean cold!  We are having our first deep freeze of the year and it will probably get to -12 F here tonight.

The above and below fractal are something I've been playing with.  Since I don't fully grasp the idea of the IFS formulas yet, I like to take a few formulas and just keep changing them in ways.
 
These are in panorama view.  I sort of like them in their simplicity, but they are nothing to write home about.

I had intended on talking about photography and my last trip down the valley before the latest rain/sleet/snow event occurred but then I was looking at the things I was doing tonight and decided to talk about them.

These are different quick renders from the program Mandelbulb 3D.  It is a rather delightful program that I've been exploring for years.

Some of the artists have been pushing this program beyond what I could even imagine.  They are coming up with astonishing images that look like they were drawn for a movie set.

I come up with...
simple stuff.

I don't have the time nor do I have the rendering power to come up with those stunning masterpieces.
However I can come up with beautiful work of my own.

I prefer fun but sometimes our group is given a challenge and I ... find that I can create strange... or a bit 'dark'.

Or I find something colorful and whimsical.

Last night I revisited Incendia which is another fractal program.  Since I went to Windows 10 it seems to want to flicker like mad.  But I got through that issue last night and used the program and some editing to create a 'sculpture' of sorts.

I haven't mastered this program very well, but I do enjoy using it to combine with Mandelbulb 3D and JWildfire.  Sometimes the results are incredible and sometimes I just flat fall on my creative face.

This one was done with JWildfire and more than one fractal 'flame'.

My final edit of the first two Mandelbulbs in this post is as follows.