Colourful Conversations: Jan 30-Feb 5, 2006

[Finally Home]

ACK! I did it again!
Sorry Carol, but Happy Belated Birthday anyway!


Kevin

[vhere]

the portrait is going beautifully Anita

where does everyone find these lovely animations?

[FriendCarol]

LOL! Everyone missed my birthday because... I wanted it that way! Wanted to make everyone feel guilty!!! Actually, I took all personal information off this site awhile ago.

Well, I'm getting very frustrated at not having a properly working online PC, despite having 3 PCs sitting around here with their covers off. Right now I can't even get to the offline PC, either. So I've made a decision: Maybe someday that laptop will show up, but I've decided to call some computer guy and spend whatever it takes to have them take the box I just bought for $40, put Linux on it, and get it working with a CD-ROM drive, its USB ports, and maybe even its DVD drive. It probably will cost less than $100 to do that, and I've been waiting on everything since before Thanksgiving: no posting art, no calling possible employing guy who told Lisa he wants a web site (since I wouldn't be able to make one and upload it), no setting up my new domain for art (might be able to sell paintings online, who knows?), no digital camera, no nothing. Maybe if I call around today, I can get it fixed this weekend. It's not that I don't have the money, I just hated to spend it unnecessarily. But I have to spend it anyway, by May, and right now there's nothing more important than getting some new online PC set up, so I can move forward with some of these projects.

Hi, Midge! Yep, painting makes me happy, and it's practically all I do around here, too! What size bed frame are you using, and what is its height, and the height of your box spring and mattress, combined? Actually, what I really need is the total height from the floor to where you want your forehead to rest. Do you have a tape measure or yardstick?

It seems to me it would be very easy to rig a framework of PVC piping that would form a stable head-frame, so your forehead could rest on a sling of canvas or webbing, something soft like that (if you want a pillow on it, allow for the depth and height of the pillow). The height is critical; also the internal width of the frame should probably be greater than the external dimensions of whatever supports your surface (actually, greater than the surface itself!), but smaller than the space beside your bed into which it has to fit. Iow, the frame should straddle what you work on, and be very stable.

Does that all make sense to you? The 1" or 1 1/4" PVC is very strong in short lengths (less than 5', say!), easy to disassemble and assemble, and fairly lightweight. So I could easily create a frame, disassemble it, and ship it to you. I could probably make the forward-backward location of the webbing on the frame adjustable (and rig something to keep it in place after you slide it where you want it). Could make its height adjustable, too, if you wanted that -- all very easy to do, and very cheap materials as well. (What I still have left over here after building frames for bookshelves and so on is probably more than I need for this project.)

So imagine a frame with 4 legs, and a 3-sided top. The open side is where your head sticks out from the bed. There's webbing (or fabric) over by the far end of the frame (parallel to the unmatched side), stretched between the cross-members at the top. The height of the fabric could be adjustable, let me know, but I have to know its height up to the bed (the legs), its depth, and its width. Are there any other features it would be good to have on this frame, such as pockets, or little shelves to hold whatever you're working with? In fact, the frame itself could have a low shelf (tilted or flat, even adjustable perhaps) that your artwork could sit on, so think about that, too. The shelf could be made of something lightweight (like Coroplast -- I have lots of that!), or be very sturdy, if you wanted it to be able to support your hands pushing on it.

If you can't visualize this, let me know... I'll get Lisa to help me move all the peripherals to the offline PC, and build you a diagram with Visio.

Okay, I'll talk to everyone else later.

[mauricar]

This sounds fantastic. ((((hugs)))). I will see if I can find someone to help me take the measurements. In my mind I can just see me working, even on my worst days. God bless you my dear. You have made my day. When you are feeling up to it, if you paint a small picture of a child blowing bubbles I will treasure it. I will send you an PM of my latest. I think you will enjoy the laugh.

[vhere]

Carol go for it. You need the online access and it makes sense.

Don't forget sitekreator if you get the chance to do small scale jobs - I know you can programme for yourself (actually you can upload your own designs there if you want to, you don't have to use their templates) and will probably do paid hosting normally. The lack of ads makes it look professional ... but free

I signed up for our local freecycle a couple of weeks ago and gave away an old wooden easel that had languished at the back of a cupboard for years. Then someone was giving away 8 films, it turned out it was someone who has several paintings of mine - I was too late though - then she contacted me as the man hadn't turned up as arranged so the films were mine - so I've collected 8 x 36 exposure films

I want to do some more film photography as, though I love my digital camera, it has speed limitations and I do like to choose aperture/speed/have throught the lens focussing etc - so when the weather improves I'm off out to use them with my old SLR. Sadly I can't afford a digital SLR.

I'm tired out and off to bed in a minute - goodnight

[Anita Murphy]

Vivien - I have a digital SLR and it still has speed limitations compared to a normal SLR. I heard a nasty rumour that Kodak were going to stop making film!!!!

[mauricar]

Art - Your idea sounds like a good one. I went and visited the pastel forum, and like the one you chose. It has good preportions. Good example of what a person can do in a couple of hours or less. Are you part of the 100 starts project? That really speeds up the process also.

Got to go for a bit, but I'll be back. Hope you all have a good day.

What is that rumour about Kodak? It has been a while since I have done photography, but that would not be good. I forget the name of the Japanese company that makes film. They are really good, but it would be a loss to lose Kodak from the playing field. I hope it is wrong.

[mauricar]

Carol. There is a girl coming over tonight that will help me measure my bed. If there is a way to make a shelf to hold my art board, and pockets to hold my pencils, brush, etc. that would be great. Do you need to know the distance from my bed to the wall? I'll add that measurement also. It is just big enough to get my wheelchair into that space. My neighbor will be happy to know that she doesn't have to come turn my trashcan anymore. (lol)

Happy thoughts! Good way to start the day. Thank you.

[artc]

Good Morning All....been busy here.....taking short break from painting.

Went to see CPA yesterday about my tax situation....he is working on it..

Anita....I love the picture of your son...He is a handsome lad.....

Midge.....Is it FUJI film???
Now I'm wondering if Kodak is going to continue to make digicams also??
probably the offshore compitation is hurting them badly.

You and Carol sound like you got a good project going there.....
If I can do anything to help with your project...just let me know...


I have a Wendon Blake book on portrait painting in oils....

I choose a picture of a redheaded woman...pretty good close up of her face....using a 9x12 sheet of sanded paper.....I have given myself a one hour challenge......start and finish this painting using pastels in one hour......have worked 12 minutes on it....face,eyes,mouth are drawn....background 50% done.....so far....so good...taking short break now.

Carol....I found that Robert Henri book in Barnes and Noble yesterday..........I wanted to buy it....But NOT for $19 they were asking for it......I gotta find mine soon.....another book on painting you might like is
"Hawthorne on Painting"....very thin,small book from Dover Pubs....its full of painting quotes......

Carol....I agree with Viv....get a computer guy....and GO FOR IT.

POURING>>>HEAVY Rain here again today......

Midge.....How do you like Pastels Girault????????

Talk to you all later......Art

[FriendCarol]

Hi, y'all! The computer guy came, installed the CD-ROM drive into the 1996 online PC, and also reinstalled the video card into the 2000 PC I just bought last month. Both are now working -- as far as the hardware goes. *sigh* Only $35 for half an hour of his time to fix the hardware, but now it's going to take me many, many hours to get these things working properly.

Problem 1: The 2000 PC (a Gateway) has a video card that Windows 98SE doesn't recognize (of course). So it's driving my Viewsonic 550 LCD monitor as if it were some old VGA screen. PC guy didn't recognize the video card, and suggests I download ATI and nVidia (sp?) drivers, see if it's one of those (playing the percentages).

On the positive side, I had no problem putting Windows 98SE onto this PC, and both the CD-ROM and r/w CD-ROM (which also reads DVD, apparently) work. Maybe I'll be able to watch DVDs using this machine eventually, once I get an appropriate driver.

Problem 2: Now that the CD-ROM (and cable -- it was actually the cable that was bad) is replaced in the 1996 online PC, I copied the driver software (and other stuff) to the harddrive. Then, finally, I plugged in the 'scanner' (really a printer/scans/copier/fax). But, something has apparently happened since the last time I used it in September: The status light keeps blinking, and I can't get the cartridges to move to the center to take a look at it. Somewhere around here I have the box and all the materials for this printer, however, so I might be able to figure out what's going on and fix it... once I find that manual.

Anyway.

Last night I went to my second 'life' session. This model wasn't as curvy, so much harder for me to draw. She was Asian, and quite angular in places! Knowing what to expect this time, however, I think my little paintings (2 20-minute poses and a final 15-minute pose) look much more finished than the ones I did the first night. The drawings are not good at all, but the paintings seem better.

Of course, I have no way of judging; I could have the proportions all wrong -- why I wanted to be able to post and get some critiques! Oh, well. Maybe by this weekend I'll be able to scan again. At least I'm back online (on the same old online PC), with hardware problems resolved.

Midge, yes -- distance from bed to wall (assuming you lay with your head over the bed facing wall!) will be the maximum depth of the frame. Make sure when someone measures they take the baseboard into account. Also have them measure your art board! (That will give me minimal internal dimensions.) I'll make a shelf that fits the art board (and perhaps rig some kind of flat/angle adjustable thing). We can easily hang various pockets from the side framing bars that also hold the webbing for your forehead, too. If the upturned trash can is exactly the right height for your art board when you're lying with your head over the bed, also please tell me the height of that trash can. If you'd prefer it higher or lower, tell me how much in which direction, too.

I went to the Post Office today and bought stamps at the new rate, and a couple pre-paid Priority Mail boxes. Not sure the dimensions are big enough to put all the pipes in when they're cut, but if not, I'll just ship it in another box and pay actual postage (possibly slower delivery, depending).

Someone woke me around 3:10am tapping loudly on my front door, for some reason. It took me awhile to get back to sleep, so my 8am alarm woke me. (The alarm is set to remind me to call the clinic -- once again, no appointment. I'll try Monday.) Well, Lisa comes around 8am, so I didn't have a chance to paint this morning. Then the PC guy was supposed to come at 2pm, and called around 1:30 to say he was running late. I'd completely cleared off my painting table this morning, so he could put the machines on it for assembly/disassembly.

In short, I haven't had a minute today to paint, so far. Maybe tonight I can paint from a slide. I'm tired, but I recovered much faster this week from the Thursday evening session -- probably because I took my new foam mat, and lay down during both breaks.

Hope everyone else had a creative day... Have a great weekend!

[mauricar]

Hi All. I have decided that I am not a very good pencil artist. That is, when I do nothing but pencil it takes me forever to make it get to the point where it doesn't look ugly! I am working on a sketch of a man who has his nose wrinkled and his lips puckered. It is a hysterical photo and I am excited to try to get it. I am not going to do it in color pencil, ink, pastel, or acrylic. JUST PENCIL. Oh my! I rerolled in Troy's class over in D&S forum. That way he can help me get it correctly done. Or at least in a way that looks better than I can normally do in graphite.

Well, my girl did not show up and I called her grandmother to find out what is going on. She had a "date" and got sidetracked, so when she gets home she will come over. Phew! I don't know if I want someone over here so late at night. I need my beauty sleep (lol). (I think it is too late for that) Anyway, Carol, I will get those measurements to you, I promise.

Glad your computer is finally functioning, even if it has a few minor problems. My scanner/fax/copier had that same problem for awhile. Make sure the cord is plugged into the right outlet. There should be two, and if it is in the wrong one it will do that. Also, there might be some type of jam in the paper feed that is clogging the mechanical eye. Be sure that area is clear. I hope this helps.

IMHO - Skinny women are interesting to paint. Thier bones are most pertruding, and it puts the shadows in an interesting light. (Know what I mean?) I believe this is why the old masters used such volupteous women to paint.

Art, Girault pastel is not the greatest. IMHO- I have only used it a few times. After a few tries on faces, I tried it on hair and was not pleased, so I put them away for awhile. Plus, I am not all that pleased with the color spread I have. But, you can't use my opinion because I just don't have enough experience with them. I'll get them back out after I finish this graphite portrait and try again, just so I can give a more informed opinion.

To one and all - have a great evening, and happy painting.

[artc]

Hello Midge....Tnx report on Girault pastels...I forget which brand of pastel has pumice mixed with pigment....people dont like them at all.

My one hour practice painting almost finished...I lost interest in it and deceided to take long nap instead...heheheh.

I hope your girl doesn't get back from her date at 1:30AM.........

I badly need a timer for my practice paintings.....so I'm going to build it myself.

I hope you have a nice evening....talk to you tmw....Art

Carol.......Its so nice to hear that you're finally making some progress with your computers and setup.....good luck....

Azure dear....Where are you today??? Did snow arrive safely??...Hope you're doing ok.

[mauricar]

Carol. the measurements are:
wall to bed 45 in. cedar chest to bed 26 in. cedar chest 47.5 l x 17 w x 22.5 h. Bed 27 h (floor to top of bed) 21 h (box spring & matt.) 80 in L x 61 W.
Forehead to floor 27 in.

I decided to use the wall with the cedar chest, so perhaps if I sell the cedar chest I can really have a set up. Right now my magnifier lamp is on that wall. So picture this: wall - cedar chest- space - bed - space - wall
I'll lay with my head towards the cedar chest. Perhaps I could use the cedar chest to put my art board on? I don't know. Oh, my art board is 24.33 x 18.5

I hope all this is helpful. Let me know what I am missing.

[vhere]

that's great about your computer Carol, I hope you manage to resolve the rest of the problems now.

Hope you get your rig set up Midge with Carol's help, she's good

Not making film anymore? that's sad, but not surprising I suppose. A lot of the high street chains here don't sell film cameras at all now - or of course films.

I like Fuji films, but I suppose they could be next to give up if Kodak do

[FriendCarol]

Unless something has changed drastically in the movie biz, film manufacturers will still be making slide film, at least. Last I knew (some years back), either 35mm. or 70mm. was standard for Hollywood. A couple decades ago they (Lukas, Spielberg) started editing by copying the film to CD and digitally editing until they liked what they saw -- but then they just used the final result to decide where to cut the 'master' negative.

So, unless something's changed drastically, film won't be going away entirely for quite some time: the performance of film is entirely superior (in terms of graininess, resolution, etc.) to any commercial alternative, as of some months back, anyway. Of course, it's possible something has changed drastically; I haven't seen any news on tv for about 14 months, and don't track that kind of tech news. The technology used in satellite (military, not commercial) resolution (for digital imaging) could replace film eventually.

On the home front: So far this morning I managed to make the scanner (printer) stop blinking its lights at me, but the PC still won't recognize it. Still, it's a bit of progress. I might have to hack the Registry a bit to figure out what's going on with the USB hub/ports on this PC; they're not listed in the Control Panel/System/Device Manager. I forced this 1996 PC to reinstall USB, but it still came up not recognizing the printer, which should be (used to be!) plug & play.

The good news, though, is that the used 2000 PC I bought is a Gateway -- and Gateway has a fabulous support system! I put in the PC's serial number, and got a COMPLETE LIST of every component sold with it!!! Gateway even lists and links directly to downloads for each component, by OS. So getting that PC working optimally (assuming there's no hardware problem) is going to be a snap.

So far today I downloaded its modem driver (on this 1996 PC), and also the graphic card's driver. But the graphic card driver is larger than a floppy can hold, so I think I'll just get the modem installed (from floppy) on the newer PC, then let it download its own graphic card modem. (That would be faster than finding and installing file-splitting software so I can copy it to the 2000 PC. )

Midge, I have most of the dimensions I need now, and don't see any design issues. It seems very simple. I'll make the maximum height of the frame about 28", and the support for your head will be a pair of padded belts, basically. You will be able to loosen or tighten them to raise or lower your head -- and I'm using 2 so you can use a chin strap as well as forehead strap if you want. I'll probably use webbing, wider for the forehead and thinner for the chin strap. The straps will just slide along the side members to make them closer to you or further away.

On both outside edges of the side members (either side of the padded belts, iow), a foldover hem -- at the top of some fabric -- will support pockets on each side of the frame. The pockets will face inwards, of course. The material will be folded up just a couple inches at the bottom; above that will be sewn an elastic strip or two, tacked down to make little 'pockets' of various widths. (I know some pencils can get rather short, thus only a 2" hem at the bottom. Some brushes can be long, or wide, so I'll allow for that.)

Since your eyes will be at about 27", I'm guessing it would be good to have the art board raised within the frame -- as if it were on your upturned trash can. What is the best height for the board? This is the same as asking where is your best vision -- how many inches from the board, roughly?

Do you want the angle of the board to be adjustable, or do you always work with it flat? (If you do watercolor, you might want a 30 degree angle sometimes, if you use wash techniques?)

Finally, aside from the pockets, we could have a thin shelf (on the frame's far side), just above the maximum height of the top of the board... You might want to put water containers there, or something. So let me know what the width of that shelf should be, and if it should have lips to hold such containers or anything else. Also, I'm going to assume you might want the art board in either landscape or portrait mode, so its support within the frame should allow for both. Let me know if this is not true.

Vivien, I'm sending a PM (today, I hope).

Art, if I need hardware I can't find here for Midge, we'll call on you! (Just found an old-fashioned hardware store in town, though. Doesn't have everything, but does have basic fasteners and such.)

Hi, Anita, Rose, Azure, Dave, Kevin, and others too numerous to mention! Not ignoring you, just kinda busy.
Have a great creative weekend, everyone! (I found a beautiful slide this morning and intend to paint another greeting card today, in representational style... in between tackling installation of scanner/printer, and optimization of Gateway PC... and cooking/eating....)