The Book of Symbols, Day 44: Salt

Day 44: Salt, prismacolor pencil, 7x7 in., Otto

The alchemists were aware of the paradoxical properties of salt:  it is necessary to life and poisonous; it enhances food and can make it bitter, it stings and it heals, it kills microbes and can destroy tissue.

- ARAS

The Book of Symbols, Day 26: Rainbow

Day 26: Rainbow, collage, mixed media, 6x6 in., Otto

Myth has portrayed the rainbow as the highway over which pysche's supernal emissaries bring their messages to consciousness.

- ARAS

The Book of Symbols, Day 21: Wind

Day 21: Wind, collage, mixed media, 6x6 in., Otto

On wind we have projected the unpredictable factor that moves us and carries us, sometimes directing our course or forcing us to change course.

- ARAS

Herzog's Cave Documentary is Unforgettable

...directed by Werner Herzog is an absolutely must-see documentary filmed in 3-D about a 32,000 year old cave recently discovered (1994) in southern France.  The film is currently showing in just 3 cities in the U.S.  You guessed it, NYC, LA, and good ole Chicago.  You will never see anything like this again in your life, guaranteed.  Herzog is the only one who could ever have filmed this, as you will see.  Make sure the theater is offering it in 3-D, no matter what the cost or trouble to get there - it will be well worth it.  

I'd love to hear your response...

The Book of Symbols, Day 13: Pond

Day 13: Pond, collage, mixed media, 6x6 in., Otto

Different from an ocean or a great river, the scale of a pond can be encompassed by the human imagination, and...like us, live and die.

- ARAS

The Book of Symbols, Day 9: Comet

Day 9: Comet, prismacolor pencil, gel pen, 6x6 in., Otto

What we now know about comets is that seemingly random, they actually make cyclical returns; perhaps the changes they portend can all be said to have continuity, to be part of a larger pattern.

- ARAS

The Book of Symbols, Day 6: Moon

Day 6: Moon, prismacolor pencil, 6x6 in., Otto

And still, in the night sky, her "same clear glory extends for ten thousands miles."   - Tu Fu, Full Moon

The Book of Symbols, Day 2: Breath

Day 2: Breath, prismacolor pencil collage,6x6 in.,Otto

The Tao is the breath that never dies.  
It is Mother to all creation. 

- Tao Te Ching

Cultivating A Daily Creative Practice

All Manner of Spirals

Just had my practice practice group last night, and here is the result of my participation in the “20 expressions in 20 minutes” task.

Check out the site at Daily Creative Practice to see more.

Looks Like Flower Power

Dodecahedron Net, graphite pencils, 6x9 in., Otto

...but it's really a dodecahedron net!


And by the way, there are 43,380 distinct nets for this polyhedron.

Dodecahedron Here +

Dodecahedron Form, graphite pencils, 6x9 in., Otto

Hey, what can I say? It is what it is. And it's very meditative to do, after I figure out how to draw the shape, that is.



+Actually...I've spent a lot of time putting together another blog for the people taking my upcoming workshop, Cultivating a Daily Creative Practice.  I'm starting a practice Practice group on Monday to get a feel for it.  Anyway, that way the participants can use the blog to post their daily practice if they want.

Octahedra Are Cool

Octahedron Frame, graphite pencils, 6x9 in., Otto

No doubt about it.








hmmm...wonder where this is all going to lead...like the song says, "I'm on the road to somewhere..."

Proteus: a 19th Century Vision

O!M!G! I saw this film last night...I am speechless.

Nets for Octahedrons

Octahedron Net, graphite pencils, 6x9 in., Otto

There are 11 possibilities, but isn't this one just the coolest?

yea...

But Why an Octahedron?

Octahedron Form, graphite pencils, 6x9 in., Otto

Well, an octahedron seems to merely be 2 tetrahedra smacked together for all I can tell...

What's the point of calling it one of the five platonic solids then?  

Guess I'll just have to educate myself, if I really want to know...


Pretty cool shape anyway...

sort of  "as above, so below," don't ya think?

Another Square, Man

Cube Frame, graphite pencils, 6x9 in., Otto

You know the drill...

3 versions of each platonic solid...

so, here's the last of the cubes - showing off its framework.

Cube Net, As Is - NOT

Cube Net (before), graphite pencils, 6x9 in., Otto

Apparently there are only 3 possible nets for a cube.  

Who knew?  

This is the second type I've drawn...

...and I've done so in a less neat-and-tidy way.

Does it make a difference? ...in any aesthetic sort of way?

I think it might have felt more interesting or freeing to draw...
we'll see....

Cube Net (after), graphite pencils, 6x9 in., Otto

And here we do see...I was just being lazy before.


This looks so much better, and felt so much more satisfying doing it.  

After taking a break and doing some reading, I went back in the studio and went over it all for another hour until it felt right and finished.

ahh

The Sketchbook Project 2012

...is up and atom. Brought to you by The Art House Co-op of Brooklyn, NY.

It's a great way to get your creative juices going.   

Check out the guidelines on their website under Sketchbook Project 2012.


I participated last year and surprised myself with what I came up with...

Polyhedra A-Plenty

Tetrahedron Form, graphite pencils, 6x9 in., Otto

Tetrahedron Net, graphite pencils,6x9 in., Otto

Here's a 3-dimensional rendering of one of the five platonic solids - a tetrahedron.

Tetrahedron Frame, graphite pencils, 6x9 in., Otto

And a drawing of one of two possible "nets" or diagrams for folding a 3-dimensional tetrahedron shape (with the addition of my light scales, of course!)













And finally, a drawing of the frame of a tetrahedron so you can see through it.




I could go on and on...




you know I can...

Next Up: Platonic Solids

Icosahedron, graphite pencils, 9x6 in., Otto

Yes, I've been playing around with the following 5 polyhedra, but as unfolded flat images, rather than solid geometrical shapes...

Why you might ask?  Well, that's just what interests me...the diagram aspect of it.  The step-by-step procedure for creating them...and of course, figuring out how to apply my light scale sequence to it.  

Which is something I've been experimenting with in each polyhedron...

Dodecahedron, graphite pencils, 9x6 in., Otto

Octahedron, graphite pencils,9x6 in.,Otto

Cube, graphite pencils, 9x6 in., Otto

Tetrahedron, graphite pencils, 9x6 in., Otto