'Go Figure' March/April 2012

[macrobertson]

Time to move on to a New 'Go Figure' thread the last one can be found in the Library and it finished with Nathan posting a cool link and Kate just about to head off for a trip to Venice!

And for Newbies: Hi!!... if you're trying to figure out what 'Go Figure' is all about, this is a place where you may discuss anything in addition to your art. This is more like a lounge area, where artists gather to have coffee or drink from the fountain, and discuss life in general before heading off towards the many individualized 'studios' aka threads where the actual creation is taking place.

NSW is having its wettest period of rain for 125years, and at the moment an area the size of France has flooding. The bridges across the Hawkesbury River where I am are about to be closed, the railings have already been lowered in anticipation of the waters going above them in the next couple of hours... so I don't expect to be able to get to my studio for a few days!



Mac

[trevors]

Mac
Shouldn't it be march/april not february/march?

Lowering railings sounds like it happens often then!

[Journeyman]

Yikes Mac hope you live on high ground?
Dave

[macrobertson]

Yep very astute Trevor, I just changed it... must be disoriented since slipping and hitting my head this morning

Dave yes I'm near the lookout overlooking the river... it'll take another Noah's flood to reach that the river here hasn't flooded for about 20 years, and the railings are lowered to stop them being smashed by the debris that accompanies the floodwater.

Mac

[lovin art]

Hey Hia Mac , glad your alright ... happy march to you all.....

heres my Lexie , shes loves her Arnotts biscuits.... good Aussie staple

[Descartes]

Lovely photo Sandra.

[Lauren F-M]

Happy March, everyone!

Mac, I guess that March came in like a lion in NSW... or like a duck, with all that water! It seems you get such extremes in extreme weather there! Weren't there fires there and dryness a year or so ago? I hope you don't get flooded! Good thing that your studio space is up in the rafters...

So, Kates in Venice... lots of water there, too, but they're used to it. I expect she's getting very inspired, and enjoying the food and wine.

Sandra -- that's a sweet shot of Lexie! How are you doing?

Thanks for the good wishes for my poor sick computer. My husband figured he knew what the problem was, and also figured the software we needed to fix the files and defrag, so I went to the Apple store downtown (what a bizarre place -- I felt like I was a dinosaur!) and purchased it; now he's at work on the computer, and hopefully I'll be back online on it this weekend. Meanwhile, I'm on my son's laptop... so will check out that neat link that Nathan posted, at a later date, on the iMac.

I've been busy all week attending and sketching at a rather important murder trial here in town. Did a few requested ones, but am mostly freelancing and just learning and challenging myself to cover the trial; the accused, justice, crown attorneys, defense attorneys, jury and witnesses. It's been on all week, and this trial could go on for a month. Not sure I'll keep on for all of it, but for now, I'll keep with it.

[Nonno]

We are having bad weather too. The whole North Island is in storm mode and there are trees uprooted and houses with rooves blown away.
I had to get up into mine about 2 o'clock this morning and put a container under a dripping tile. The rain has come right through the tile roof, and the ceiling and was dripping onto the carpet in the hallway. Fortunately the tiles are all still in place.

So far in Wellington it's not too bad, but totally the wrong time of the year for these sort of storms. Tomorrow I may go down to the south coast with my camera. It should be dramatic!

Jonathan.

[lovin art]

Thankyou Nathan and Laurie she is the ethereal Light in my life thats for sure ,

Laurie Im sorry about the probs , it seems stuff like that always seem to happen in big swifts well to me when it does .... touch wood ( my head My next blood test will tell if my blood is working for now

[bethanyt]

Went to a Sculpture Symposium yesterday- focusing on women sculptors. Our small town hosts a sculpture prize. So interesting to hear how these artists think so differently to painters. http://www.sculpturebermagui.org.au/
I will post some photos soon.

[Journeyman]

OK I’m looking for some feedback on lighting.

The venues where I organise life drawing and portrait groups all suffer from bad or indifferent lighting so I have decided to bite the bullet and buy a spot light for lighting the model with some Rembrandt type light.

Having done some research a theatre spotlight with a fresnel lens is out of my price range.

However PAR Cans are much cheaper as they have no focussing function, you change the bulb to change the focus from spotlight to flood light.

They also come in short and long versions and different sizes. The PAR 56 has a 300w bulb and a PAR 64 is 500w or 1000w.

I would think that 300w is sufficient and anything bigger would be overkill?

Also do I need a long or a short can what is the difference in the light produced?

And do I need a spotlight or a floodlight bulb? Bulbs are expensive so I’d like to avoid buying more bulbs than necessary.

Here is a Short PAR 56 so you know what I’m referring to.


And a Long PAR 56.


If you have any experience of this sort of light, or any other lighting system I’d be glad to hear your opinion.

Dave

[macrobertson]

Bethany your community seems to have a healthy focus on art, I'll look forward to hearing more about this symposium.

Don't know much about good lighting systems Dave, but I think you are on the right track there. I know the Blacktown Art Centre, where I sometimes go for life drawing, has lights something like that, but with flaps on the sides that prevents the light from affecting the drawers while shining on the model

Mac

[Journeyman]

Originally Posted by Mac

I think you are on the right track there

Thanks for the feed back Mac, I’ve ordered the Short PAR 56, and a couple of 300w bulbs, a spot and a medium flood. the flaps by the way are called Barn Doors and are usually found on Fresnel floods, if the light spill is a problem I’ll clip some card or something on to the gel frame. Now I have to make a light stand to get the light up high. By the time I’m finished I’ll have so much gear to bring to the sessions, heaters, lights, cables, stand, paper work, my easel and drawing stuff. I’m going to need a camel to carry it all

Dave

[trevors]

I’m going to need a camel to carry it all

Now that might be a problem in Wales !!!!

[Journeyman]

Originally Posted by Trevor

Now that might be a problem in Wales !!!!

Yes the wild camels here in Wales are notoriously bad tempered Trevor
Dave