Geller

What can I say besides... more Gelli prints!

Gelli-fied

Last weekend while browsing around online, I read a mention of the "Gelli Plate" - a mineral oil based "gelatin" plate for monopriting. My first reaction was "Monoprint? Why would I want a monoprint?" After a bit more research, I started realizing the potential of such a device, especially for a collage-y person as myself. While technically yes, it does produce a single print, there's also the possibility of getting multiple prints from a single plate-inking, which means there's even more possibilities since each print is a little different. Anyway, after getting out of work a bit early on Wednesday, I walked over to Dick Blick in Pasadena to pick one up (and as a bonus, at a bit of a discount from what you can get directly from Gelli!) With the exception of an interruption due to a biking accident, I've been printing up a storm this weekend, only using materials I've had on hand. I really like the potential for using leaves and other nature bits, but that will have to wait for another time.

To get started I read the paper that came with the plate (no need for me to repeat such things here) & put some youtube videos on in the background. I don't own any stencils, but I set out digging through my recycle bin and other random materials I had on hand to play and make some awesome effects and unique prints. Because of all the layers and the metallic paint I used in some of the prints, there's no way the scans will be as interesting as the originals, but they will have to do. All are printed on 8.5" x 11" cardstock. These are a few of my favorites so far.

Sunrise Orange

Yesterday morning, after getting over being a little shocked about the forecasted  high temperature of 90+(!) for the next couple of days, I poked my head outside to get a feel for the real conditions as I often do. I immediately exclaimed "Oh my GOD!!", grabbed my camera and keys and ran outside without shoes. Why?

click for larger versions......

...because minutes later, it was all gone.

10 on 10, November 2013

A 10 on 10! I actually skipped some months and shot some others and just forgot to post them for a while. As life goes... And as is often said, the best camera is the one you have with you. In this instance, the camera closest at hand with batteries and space was  my kodak Easyshare sport C123. Not the best camera, but I originally purchased it for Burning Man. It had 2 attractive features: it ran on some easy to purchase AA batteries and it was waterproof. I still find it useful from time to time since it is one of my smallest cameras as well. It fails at close up photos, and this set fully displays such shortcomings! Oh well!

Hour intervals are approximate.....and I threw in an extra bonus photo to make up for posting this on the 11th.

...not the only "Thor" billboard that's been modified in the area....

Los Angeles has seasons!

a rat and a bat! Sadly only one rat :(

managing to capture most of my afternoon's activities in one photo: summer in a jar, tortilla soup and oatmeal

steelcut oats, carrot cake style with: carrots, apples, raisins, pineapple, spices, a touch of blackstrap mollasses and eventually, coconut and coconut oil = delicious

tortilla soup! Using my favorite soup technique of starting out with a base of veggies and seasonings, blending it in the Vitamix until it's nice and smooth and then adding in other stuff.

Spookiness, Past

This week has been pretty decent - spending time with friends I haven't seen in years, getting a little time off of work and Halloween! Joy! Living in an area where the U.S. entertainment industry is based and some pockets are stuffed to the brim, there's some interesting decorations and other displays to be seen in the general Los Angeles area. (Then again, if the documentary "The American Scream" is at all indicative of other places, I suspect many other areas have their own little pockets of Halloween-y delight.) Although I'm not necessarily the biggest fan of dressing up on Halloween, I do love all the creativity and fun decorations and other things that people come up with. These are a few photos from some of the Halloween fun the last 2 years.

burning bicycles

One of the currently ongoing debates in places like Los Angeles, where the main mode of transportation is the car, is how to fit bicyclists into the landscapes. Many believe that bicyclists do not deserve to bike in Los Angeles because they are rule breakers, not stopping completely (sorry Idaho) and for full period of time at stop signs and they don't have licenses. Who will think of the licenses?!? These rule breakers also slow all the traffic down. Because obviously, if you remove the bicyclists all the traffic disappears and the cars never get into accidents or break any of the rules and all the vehicles on the road magically have licenses. And likewise, if there were only bikes, they would still require the same rules as when cars are around and the traffic would be even WORSE. Or not.

I have been to a place, a city, in the United States that has 60k residents. And most of them move around by bike or foot. The cars moving around, that range in size from golf cart to no-joke a whole freaking ship, have very low speed limits. The "rules of the road" (according to cars on most U.S. streets) for bicyclists, don't necessarily apply. Ride on whichever side. Drunk or otherwise intoxicated? Whatever as long as you're not driving a car. Just make yourself visible with some lights. And because of these rules, deaths to bicyclists and pedestrians have been nearly stopped as the result of cars. What?? This is part of the fantasy land in recent years that Burning Man has been to me.

In a city made for people instead of cars, the tradeoffs become extremely apparent. Suddenly the streets aren't constant death traps. I often envision the streets in Los Angeles to be rivers full of piranhas or some other angry carnivorous/rabid animal. I spend time getting to know little side streets/streams, residential areas, alleys and other alternatives to the main piranha path ways, to try to find some less stressful locations with fewer cars passing me by and more nature when possible.

In contrast to the fantasy land at Burning Man - outside of the city, but less than the distance it takes me to get to a Trader Joe's or the Farmers Market at home, there's giant expanses of openness to bike, bike, bike as hard or as crazy as you'd like. Bike hard until your legs feel like they're giving out, you can't breathe and keep going going going and feel the wind and intensity in the open landscape. It sends shivers throughout my body and feels so free. That's one of the things I miss most. I don't want to be biking in the middle of car traffic any more than car drivers want me biking in "their" streets. I'd much prefer if the streets are treated and acknowledged as being "our" streets.

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peaceful playa, Burning Man 2013, Holga

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Photo Chapel, Burning Man 2013, Holga

Photo Chapel by Michael Garlington


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Burning Man 2013 - technology, Holga

an art piece like this takes on a slightly different meaning once you're away from the daily computers and technology for a week.....



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Diana Randomness, April-May 2013 ish

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Burning Man 2013 Church Trap via Holga