The Dragon has flown the coop . . .

While I appreciate Blogger's efforts to let people post images to their weblogs, I am finding working with Hello.com too cumbersome.

For that reason, and that reason alone, I am moving my images to Merry Dragon, where I hope you will come see me.

Mandala 7 -- variation 3

Mandala 7 -- here they are overlapped.

I am pleased with this one. 

Mandala 7 -- another vantage point

Working in the 3D world that I do, this is simply a .jpg from another vantage point 

A new look for Mandala 7

Here is Mandala 7 projected onto the face of a cylinder 

Mandala 7 with color

Mandala 7 with conte crayon filter 

Mandala 7

Mandala 7 is a symmetric, four-axis design. It has a slightly Native American, perhaps Navajo(?) feel to me.
 

Mandala 6 with some color

Mandala 6 after a little Photoshop play. 

Mandala 6 -- Dry Brush

Here is a variation on Mandala 6 again experimenting with the wonders of Photoshop. I believe I applied a water paper filter, first and then a dry brush filter. I like the batik-like look of the result. 

Mandala 6

I believe this is the first five-armed mandala that I have posted on this blog.

I struggled with this one, initially using only arcs, trying to achieve a design that had some "flow" to it. I finally resorted to some splines to get the shapes that I wanted. The "bell-shaped" curves on the perimeter of the mandala are splines. Also, if you look at the "rose" shapes in the center, they aren't perfectly circular. I purposefully put some "flats" in them for interest. The flats are achieved by having two arcs come in non-tangent to one another; that is, not at 0 or 180 degrees, but something close to that.

Overall, I struggled with this one and I think the result reflects that. Ah well, better luck next time. 

Mandala 5

Here's another design based on the number seven. I particularly like the flower-like petal design in the middle. As I worked, it evolved and emerged. What a nice surprise! 

Mandala 4

This is a seven-spoked mandala. When I first started this, I found myself wanting to create symmetry, even with an odd number of axes. While each spoke may look identical, they are not. Look carefully. 

Boots

Here is an image I found via Google Images and then modified in Photoshop.

I love how worn and gritty they look, after applying these particular filters.

 

Mandala 3 -- The Circular Centipede

Have you ever seen a seventeen-footed circular centipede?

Well, if not, here's my approximation of one. 

Hiroplum

This is "Hiroplum" from John Hudock's collection of Japanese prints (seen at Common Sense & Wonder).

I was immediately drawn to this print because of the gorgeous juxtaposition of green and red. While many of us may associate those colors with Christmas, this Japanese artist probably felt and saw something quite different.

I also appreciated the little quarter-circle cutouts at the corners of this print. I tried to reinforce that small design motif in my horizontal background.

Brown is the color of my true love's hair . . .

Not to kill a dead horse, but here is another derivation of the original mandala 2. As I am such a Photoshop neophyte, you viewers of my images will see many such variations and combinations.

Here I've used the old bas relief filter again, along with creating an elliptical fill and stroke on a separate layer for a background. Recently, I was exposed to Gaussian blur as a means of removing jagged edges. On this image, though, I used it to soften the edges of the elliptical fill. 

Pretty enough for Nana's cameo brooch . . .

Taken into Photoshop, I believe I used the gradient tool and then applied the bas relief filter.  

Circles can become ellipses . . .

And here is that same mandala, tilted back (or forward) into the screen, hence creating an ellipse. 

Mandala 2 -- Bas Relief

Here is that same mandala, now modified in Photoshop with a bas relief filter. I liked the outcome. 

Mandala 2

This is a nine-spoke mandala created again in Unigraphics NX2. I recall reading something about nine being a sacred number, especially with regard to enneagrams. 

. . . and the cow jumped over the moon!

Doesn't this make you smile? It does me.

This was a line drawing that I copied off the internet somewhere. Unfortunately, I do not have the URL for its source. I would happily give credit to its owner if they contact me.

I have modified it a bit. I think I have added one large star and enlarged many of the smaller stars. I have colored it, including the pink cow. I wonder if she gives strawberry-flavored milk? 

Hasu Beppo

I copied this image from the blog, Common Sense & Wonder. This is a group blog, a delightful, smart and satiric blog. One of the bloggers is John Hudock, self-described as "The older, wiser and grumpier one." John evidently collects these beautiful Japanese prints, which he generously shares with the world at this site.

What you see here is my "practicing" with layers and gradient colors in Photoshop, around John's lovely print.

Mandala 1

This is a first attempt at creating a mandala. I created it in Unigraphics NX2. While I am used to working in the 3D world, this is a purely two-dimensional exercise.

I like working with odd numbers as opposed to even. While a viewer's eye can quickly absorb and "pass over" the symmetry of even-numbered designs, I don't believe that is the case with odd-numbered designs. 

Just a little color block

This is a color block that I created in Photoshop 6. I am not really satisfied with it, so I may revisit this little jpeg at a later time. I am so used to the accuracy of other software apps that I use, that in an instance like this, Photoshop feels a bit loosey-goosey. Probably just my lack of experience with PS.  

Initial posting

okay . . . I didn't even choose a template.

How bare will this thing look?