Oh, the wonder of what happens when you press that button: rich hues await in the unexpected world of inversions. One can never know beforehand what one will see — every one is purely unimaginable! Although kaleidoscope apps are available, the art is knowing where to crop — thin air… and breath.
Do you remember the days of cutting up photographs to the nearest micron and then putting the pieces back together again? Well, I did exactly that — and for my degree show images! In those days, 2004 to be exact, there was Photoshop 7.0. Although I had the software I did not know how to use it properly, saving everything as a psd! How times have changed! Today, I am shaking hands with the (almost) latest image manipulation software.
Some historical church buildings are so photogenic, and Holy Trinity SE20 is no exception. Once I made the capture with my DSLR, the image was transformed into a quadrature* using Photoshop. To finish, a painterly surround was added.
*Definition of quadrature:
NOUN
mass noun
Mathematics
The process of constructing a square with…
Origin
Mid 16th century (as a mathematical term): from Latin quadratura ‘a square, squaring’, from quadrare…
In 2017 I was staying in Ambleside, Cumbria. As the accommodation in the B & B was called the Pennsylvanian Suite, there was also reading information about this American State available. So, naturally one evening I wrote this poem.
“In 2017 I was sojourning in Ambleside. The American style B & B was named Compston House. I happened to be in the Pennsylvanian Suite which was well facilitated and included sufficient reading material — including information about Pennsylvania. From these facts and figures I extracted the following rhyming verse. (The second and third in the trilogy are ‘Wrynose Pass’ and ‘Cumbria’ respectfully.)
Pennsylvania
(The Keystone State)
With a population @ 12, 000,000
And total area over 46k square miles
Pennsylvania is really quite large
With many couples walking down the aisles…”
The first piece of music that came to mind has strong American overtones: Dvorák’s Theme from the ‘New World’.
And here is a sample: Pennsylvania
This is a poem based on my adventures in the world of photography. Although ‘Nikon’ appears in the title, other cameras are available. And, goes without saying, any similarities to my personality are purely coincidental!
“I Have A Nikon Camera
I have a Nikon camera
That captures photons new
The light sensitive sensor
Is sharp, accurate and true…“
The music is the Bourrée from Violin Partita No. 1 by J. S. Bach, played on the piano on this occasion.
For a flavour of what it is all about, click: I Have A Nikon Camera
This poem is about the sky, and is written in the ABBA rhyming form. It also has four verses. Much of its content came from research.
“What Is There In All Creation…?
What is there in all creation that can compare to the sky?
She, at times, can be quite calm as well as electrifying
Also sometimes conveys sadness and happiness — quite confusing
This is because she is pure and 3 times very high…”
Interesting facts about the music:
Before narration — J. S. Bach, Prelude 1 from the 48 Preludes and Fugues (C Major)
After narration — Charles Gounod, Ave Maria, based on the J. S. Bach, Prelude 1 (melody in F Major overlays the prelude in C Major).
Here is the first verse: What Is There In All Creation…?
Penge is my home town in the suburbs of South East London, England, and comes under the London Borough of Bromley. It is where I went to Secondary School, Sea Cadets as a teenager… and fell in love — many times!
After leaving Secondary School, I moved away from the area and lived in different locations. I returned to the area in 1990 and moved into my current Penge address in 2002. It was here that I completed my three-year Photomedia BA (Hons) degree — and this was only the beginning…
Since then: explosions in my artistic output, writing and publishing two paperbacks, narrating and producing two audiobooks, creating and producing a videobook, and the beginning of music composition.
The Penge Video
This video contains photographs of Penge: landmarks, parks, flowers, abstract sequences, skies, perspective photographs, signage, street art, nighttime scenes and music.
The music is my recording of W. A. Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 23, second movement, and recorded at home. To be more precise: I recorded the piano solo on my Broadwood acoustic piano, orchestral instruments on my Yamaha electronic keyboard and edited the recordings on my computer.
It’s late… very late. It’s so late that it is now morning. Too tired to sleep. Too tired to leave the computer alone. Mind active, very active. There is something in the pixels just waiting… “I’ve got to find it,” I feel, “I will not sleep until I find it…”
This fell from my mind. Represented here is the next generation of image manipulation. Can one say that the possibilities ride on an exponential curve? The Philosopher was created during a time when I was reading a book called: The Puzzle of Ethics.
This is a poem with a secret life:
10 verses
4 lines per verse
2 words per line (except last line)
3 syllables per line (except the sixth verse were there are 2 syllables for each of the 4 lines)
I’m sure these figures mean something to someone!
“GOD CREATES
God creates
Heaven, sky
Beasts below
Feathered fly…”
The music is G. F. Handel’s majestic Sarabande: GOD CREATES
There is so much you can see in the sky; have a look and let your imagination run free! This poem is in a mono-rhythmic style with an element of comedy.
“The Sky, The Sky
The sky, the sky in all its many shades of blue
Spectacled scientists tell us it has to be this hue
Much praise, I think, to them is certainly due…”
The music that accompanies this poem is J. S. Bach’s Minuet in G.
And here is the first verse: The Sky, The Sky
(For more details go to the ‘Books’ page.)
Splashes of Ink