This is a star chart that I drew with aid of my pocket compass and my monocular hand telescope.
This is a screen shot of the Night Sky (digital version of star chart on an app I use) for the same time early on April 7th of 2021. I have improved a good bit since then, yet I thought I would post this one as I have not blogged about astronomy or making star charts with a hand telescope plus a compass.
These are from my animated project I have been working on for the last two years is finally coming together; here is a sneak peek! It is the story of a Dutch girl in the Anglo-Dutch wars (the 1650s-1670s). Astrid joins as a midship mage in Dutch Navy. I created both for more extensive sequences, yet I thought making them as separate gifs would be an exciting way to introduce some of Astrid’s abilities on social media. You can check out @theflyingdutchessoffical on IG or the Dutchess FB page or our website www.theflyingdutchess.com
I recently added some portraits to my ink wash and watercolor section, this watercolor portrait is of one of my best friends from when I lived in New Orleans. Anthony Graziano is also an incredible musician. I am very happy with how this portrait turned out.
I found some old images of some paintings I was commissioned to do for a band from Dallas area named, “The Pajammas” way back in 2011. The album is actually still for sale on bandcamp. Check out the inside cover and back after the cover below.
Oil on Bristol, 2014 – This was painted from observation from a tarnished silver tea set that I inherited when my grandma Dot passed away more than a decade ago.
This is an old color study that I found while reorganizing some of my old portfolios. I will post some more old gems and rarities like this in the enminent future, especially ones that have never been posted or never have left the studio/sketchbook. This teapot was from an old knock-off silver set my grandmother gave me when she passed away. She raised my brother and I almost by herself, so she was very much like a mother to me. So, even though it is not worth much in a monetary sense, it is worth more than the Sun and the Moon for me personally.
She wasn’t big on Art, but she always believed I could be a great artist if I put my all into the brush she would say. We lost her almost ten years ago when I was only in high school. Grandma Dot is what I used to call her, short for Dorothy. She also turned me on on of my favorite painters even nowadays, John Signer Sargent. Can you see the influence of Sargent in the wet on wet oil style and color filled highlights?
I am also considering making a series of short videos that discuss my studio process and my major influnces from the Old Masters of Art History. I think combining some old works from sketchbooks and portfolios that have not seen daylight in quite some time with historical influnces would be a good way to showcase some of my old work while also informing my artistic peers and the public at large about important works of art/artists that they may have unintentionally neglected or could further their apperication.
Open valley Dolomites
“The Daughters of Edward Darley Boit” by John Singer Sargent, American, 1882 (Museum of Fine Arts Boston)
Mr. and Mrs. I. N. Phelps Stokes by John Singer Sargent, oil painting, 1897
Lord Ribblesdale
Bedouins 1905
Karer See 1914
Corfu Lights 7 Shadows
Genoa – The University
Ships Venice 1904
Simplon Pass Reading, 1911
VeniceUndertheRialtoBridge 1909
VillaDiMarilaLuccaFountain 1910
Gallery of paintings by one of my favorite Painters by John Singer Sargent – I have studied his work immensely since I started painting 15 years ago esp. with regard to technique and process
I recently got some new hats. The first has the Super Mario ghost character, Boo, on it. The second features Majora’s Mask from the N64 Zelda classic. My love for this classic Zelda game inspired me to create an N64 emulator with one of our raspberry pi boards and the RetroPie.
I was impressed with the over 50 game systems that RetroPie offers. I had ordered a set of Super Nintendo controllers and a set of N64 controllers that have usb ends instead of the original plugs.
We formatted an SD card with Etcher to put on RetroPie. Then we plugged everything into the raspberry pi and started to configure things. I am actually still having some problems with programming the joy stick 100%, yet everything else is working great with the original style controllers. After programming the controllers, we had to run some code to add a controller hot key for entering and exiting the emulator.
After everything was working, it was apparent that games still needed to be put onto the system. I was able to download several games for free online. When you download an old game file to put on an emulator, its called a ROM. I obtained the ROMs for Super Smash, Mario Party, both Zelda games and Banjo Kazooie just to get started.
The ROMs go onto a usb that is plugged into the raspberry pi. I am very glad I was able to finish this project and share all my old games I loved as kid with my son, Roman.
You must be logged in to post a comment.