A loft of my own - a blog

掰掰, 市集... finale

noreply@blogger.com (Ian Yang) — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 19:54:21 PDT

如果今天天公作美的話，那就是最後一次在高雄市文化中心擺攤了，上回未雨綢繆帶了相機拍了些我攤位的照片:

( 第2張讓我想起賽尚 Paul Cézanne 的作品:D )

回想這近兩年的市集感觸還挺深的，在此要對所有曾給我實質與精神上鼓勵的朋友與顧客們說聲謝謝 :P

我的告別Banner:

如圖所示所有販售的噴圖與貼紙設計都出清，另外滿300與500會加贈紀念小卡與2010年年曆。好啦，我還得把它印出來看看效果如何呢! Bye bye, Fair...

So Long, Fair...

noreply@blogger.com (Ian Yang) — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 23:27:23 PDT

A theme I created for the art fair in Kaohsiung, just to say good-bye. From stickers to prints, everything is gonna be on sale (Good for YOU!). It's kind of sad actually, 'cause I would definitely miss the good time talking to random visitors and feeling thrilled that my customers happily take home a print of mine, even though most of time I just sit on a tiny folding chair reading a novel or doing some sketches. ;) Anyway, if it's time to go, it's time to go, and let's just go with the flow! :P

掰掰, 市集...

noreply@blogger.com (Ian Yang) — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 07:20:04 PDT

原來之前我在擺攤時文化局的小姐發街頭藝人考試的報名表(我承認我連看都沒看)是有道理的 - 從98年第四季起, 具有高雄市文化局街頭藝人標章之「表演藝術」、「視覺藝術」、「創意工藝」者才有申請藝術市集的資格, 有點可笑的是, 今天我才到文化中心的圖書館還 "選擇的自由" (isbn:9789867889676, Milton Friedman 和 Rose Friedman 合著, 就像是讀蒙田的隨筆一樣讓人回味無窮, 通體舒暢), 沒想到我現在就得面臨活生生而專橫的管制了!!! :( 是的, 我沒得選 , 身為一個自學且連一台筆電都沒有的數位影像創作者, 在環繞文化中心的人行道上是沒有立足之地的... 這世界真是越來越小了...

Freebie: Cover Art for Your Cd Art Display

noreply@blogger.com (Ian Yang) — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 02:07:43 PDT

About 2 years ago I have done a similar project, and it Actually looks like this:

Since my music takes more and more space in my hard drive (somehow it seems my taste hasn't shifted that much), I decided to make another set of cd art no matter what, for everyone (good for you!!) and myself! Well, my very first design goes like this:

Awful?! not really, especially when adding few colors and the right font, but I kind of abandoned this design, and came out with something I really Really like and am proud of, so allow me to introduce the whole set with the nice default Cd Art Display skin:

Basically, the concept originated from an old avatar of mine - made of cars and vibrant hues - only this time I limited the colors and played with shape, proportion, and position. Each one was sort of designed based on my intuition when listening to the corresponding genre; take Soft Rock, which I really respond to, it's always a bit too sentimental, too artificial and too sweet, and that's why the design shows just a bit of the front side of the car to minimize the effect of "Too."

Anyway, I really enjoy myself when doing this project, if ever you need something else from the Rock genre (you can visit http://allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=73:20 to see all the classifications), hit me a note. I'm planing to make some more 'cause how can one live without Jazz or Electronica?! All I need is the right color plus the perfect typography, you know. :P

And where is my awesome cover art collection?! Just click here to download the whole set, including:

Lo-fi
Pop Underground
Britpop
Punk Pop
Dream Pop
Ska Punk
Chamber Pop
Ambient Pop
Indie Pop
Shibuya-Kei
pop Rock
Adult Alt. pop.Rock
Power Pop
Acid Jazz
Folk-Rock
Brill Building Pop
House
Singer/Songwriter and
Soft Rock

A clip I made for this project:

Note:
1) font for this project: Oil Crisis A, Regular by Ray Larabie
and Diavlo

2) You can put all the images in C:\Program Files\CD Art Display\Covers or put them one by one in the folder with identical name. If you need some help, just leave me a comment or hit me an email ian[at]aloftofmyown.com. :P

Launching of My Brand New Business Card!

noreply@blogger.com (Ian Yang) — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 19:09:25 PDT

Since I am running out of my business cards, I started working on a new design 2 weeks ago, with a background image based on my latest work "catastrophism". In order to make the design appear catchy and atmospheric, I keep those chandelier-like balls and the flowing lines; as for the colors, it's a long story! Let me just say it's way too colorful in the 3rd and 4th edition, but in the final one, I simply use yellow and greenish blue (I believe there ain't no such word! :P). How about the hateful black things on the either side? Part of the reason is that it helps to make the letters stand out, and most importantly, it not only encloses the background, but increases the vertical movement. In case you haven't noticed, there is something attached to those black stripes.

By the way, the fonts for this design includes Felix Titling (my name) and Eras Medium ITC (my email and number). Comments would be much appreciated as usual. ;)

談談我的新名片設計吧!

我舊版的的名片快用完了，所以兩個禮拜前就開始動手做張新的版本。背景圖源自於最新的作品名為卡特斯特洛菲森 catastrophism (取這怪名當然有典故不過我下次再談)，前前後後共作了5個版本，第5版當然就是你看到的最後定稿(如上圖)。就和我第一張名片一樣，我希望作品裡要有情境的感覺，所以我保留了原作類似吊燈的花案情(那有點是在幫助聯想)和流動的曲線，色調也簡單化，只用了黃與藍綠色；至於兩旁不對稱的黑色塊，不僅是為了使文字更突出，也有加強垂直運動的作用，最後為了增強流動性與立體感，也在深色被景上添加些微圖案，這作品就是如此構思與執行的。

至於字型，我用了Felix Titling (名字) 和 Eras Medium ITC (電子郵件和電話)，有興趣的朋友不妨試用看看! :P

先賭為快: 明信片設計 (i.e. babes on the postcard!)

noreply@blogger.com (Ian Yang) — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 07:38:55 PDT

之前有顧客建議我多設計些不同類型的商品, 首先推出的當然就是那變裝貼紙! 我當然也有其他想法, 不過那通常會先受限於資金的問題 ( 例如印在瓷器上成本就會高很多). 我前兩天逛了逛大創還真的被我尋到寶了!! 因為我的第一眼印象就讓我靈機一動有了一個好點子: 那是一個淡藍色長形畫框, 中間水平分佈了三個有銀色細框的圓形, 造型相當摩登, 我一口氣買了好幾個回家後便迫不及待想試試放上我的圖效果如何, 先量了尺寸後又在GIMP裡瞎搞了一番 ( 重點還是在於挑三張屬性類似並於剪裁時注意視覺平衡的問題), 於是我的明信片設計便簡簡單單地完成了!!

A new postcard design project. The layout was inspired by a very cool frame I just bought 2 days ago. It's modern and sleek, and got this baby blue color (looking awfully good with all my orange babes!) with 3 circles in the middle. I actually bought a couple of them so I can display and sell them the next time you see me at the culture center in the downtown! :P

I'm thinking about having the similar layout for the 2009 calendar, so what you think about that? go ahead and leave a note 'cause people rarely have opinion about anything nowadays except the declining global economics! :(

就先給你們看看頭兩張, 等我再弄好兩張並裱褙好, 會拍個美美的照片好讓你們品頭論足一番的! :P

4th Release of 2008 Calendar: 免費桌曆下載: 第四期

noreply@blogger.com (Ian Yang) — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 19:19:29 PDT

Hey guys, I know I'm running a bit late but here is the final release of the 2008 calendar for my energetic baby series. I didn't get much feedback from my visitors on this design project but still it's a nice experience! :P In case you need some instruction about printing, check out my previous blog entry: Free 2008 Calendar?! No Kidding!

真報歉, 都快過兩周了才發第四期的桌曆, 就看在那精美的設計上, 原諒我吧!! 昨天在文化中心擺攤時我答應顧客們今天可以上部落格免費下載, 還算有良心的我當然說到就要做到! :P 就多印兩三份送給你的親朋好有吧!!

至於印表機的設定我之前有談過, 請用A4的列印用紙, 約170磅左右, 選擇高畫質列印 (200~300dpi), 正常列印(版面), 印出後摺成三角錐或直接捲成筒狀, 固定的方式可用雙面膠或迴紋針ㄡ!

新品上市: 變裝貼紙!!

noreply@blogger.com (Ian Yang) — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 06:07:34 PDT

應該算是我第一次嘗試製作比較具商業性的商品吧?!我把它取名作"變裝貼紙", 你可以把它貼在任何同尺寸的卡片上, 如捷運卡, 借書證, icash, 或星巴克的隨行卡上. 上回我在高雄文化中心的藝術市集賣出了幾套, 有好玩的是有幾位客人詢問過後, 走了, 又再回來買的, 真讓我感動, 感恩ㄚ!! 為了下回的擺攤, 我設計了另一個旗幟宣傳用, 腦袋瓜裡有三四個草圖, 完成了兩個, 下面的則是最終的版本 (點一下可以放大):

你在懷疑為什麼有右上方的空白吧?? 那是為了把一張實際的貼紙放 (黏或縫)在上頭增加點立體感. 用色主要是綠和黃色, 不僅為了稱托橘色, 也有暗示新鮮, 有趣的作用! 至於文字與排版當然都有其用意等下回我再談談吧!

說了那麼多, 你都還沒看到全貌呢!! 點下面的小圖吧! :P

雖然說是限量500套, 但扣除掉瑕疵品和送親朋好友的, 也有剩四百多套. 好康的是裡頭還有兌獎卷ㄡ!! 包括A4的噴墨畫和貼紙, 如果銷售情況不錯的話我應該會偷偷增加兩三張尺寸大於50公分的大圖做為回饋吧! 你心動嗎?? 留個言吧!! :P

Note:

10到12月的月曆再給我兩三天發吧!! 還有我在 Colourlovers.com 發了些新的 palettes 和patterns, 別忘了去逛逛!!

Setin' Up Your Recent Comments Is Never Easier Than This!!

noreply@blogger.com (Ian Yang) — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 05:13:13 PDT

Have seen this recent comments thing on Wordpress but wonder why blogger doesn't have the same nice add-on, so after doing some research, I found an easy way to set it up at the sidebar. In short, go to Layout/Add a Page Element, use this feed format http://YOURSITE.blogspot.com/feeds/comments/default and make sure to replace “YOURSITE” with your actual blog url.

Thanks to the great tip shared by David on eblogtemplates.com
, see How to Setup Your Recent Posts and Recent Comments Blogger Page Elements for more!

Better Late Than Never: Release of 2008 Calendar from July to September

noreply@blogger.com (Ian Yang) — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 20:13:25 PDT

真不敢相信我最後一次的文章是發表於一月, 喔天阿!!

最近花較多時間閱讀些藝術相關的書籍和一些小說, 如 Tristram Shandy (Laurence Sterne 著), The Sea, the Sea (Iris Murdoch 著), 前者幾乎都是在高雄市中正文化中心的圖書館發掘的; 我當記錄那些我認為身為一藝術愛好者與一普通讀者應當永遠避免的書目 -- 儘管唐吉訶德的作者成曾告誡我们再敬差強人意的書也有其可取之處 -- 我還是寧願在下回更新部落格時, 分享我所喜愛的書籍中令我有所感應的片段, 如梵谷的書信。

Can't believe that the last article on my blog was published on January, oh my GOD!!

To be honest, I spent much of my time reading some art-related books and a couple of novels, such as Tristram Shandy (by Laurence Sterne) and The Sea, the Sea (by Iris Murdoch), the former are all discovered in the library of cultural center, which looks rather old and poor even some say it's the largest one in Kaohsiung. I should have listed a couple of books, as an art lover and common reader, I think one should definitely avoid in the rest of his life so he wouldn't feel distressed and disappointed and take a dim view of the art that someone like me who tries so hard to make, nevertheless, I would rather share something that truly touches me next time, like the letters of Vincent van Gogh.

那, 回到正題吧! 下面這張是7月份登場的小寶貝, Energetic Baby No.53。

Okie Dokie, let's cut to the chase! The following image is the Baby for July, Energetic Baby No.53.
至於八月與九月, 就賣個關子, 下載檔案後你就會知道了! 馬上按下右側的下載鈕吧!! =D

不曉得自從我發佈月免費月曆以來究竟有多少人下載並印出來使用了如果你有的話麻煩你拍個美美的照片寄到我的電子信箱 ian[at]aloftofmyown.com, 我一定會幫你發表給我的讀者看看好讓他們羨慕一下

As for August and September, well, you'll see when you download the file! Just click on the big, fat, lovely icon designed by AlperEsin on Deviantart and get your 3rd release of 2008 Calendar in the shape of a triangular prism.;)

Don't know how many people out there have actually downloaded the previous calendar¹ and print it. In case you have, please do me a favor and send some pictures of it to my email, i.e., ian[at]aloftofmyown.com so I can publish them for you and make some of my readers jealous of the fabulous prints you've got!!

趁我還記得, 接下來三個月隔周周六, 我會在文化中心廣州路側藝術市集設攤位, 別忘了來拿一張我精心設計的名片呦! =D

Note:

¹ Previous calendar: Something Awful and Something New (April to June) & Free 2008 Calendar?! No Kidding! (with guide for printing)

Let's Get Down to the Business... Card.

noreply@blogger.com (Ian Yang) — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 20:31:55 PDT

About 2 weeks ago I had a chance to set up a stall at a local culture center and met some REAL people with whom I can share some thought about my works. A common question that kept coming out of their mouths is: DO YOU HAVE A BUSINESS CARD? Well, I had thought about making one but was kind of runnin' out of inspiration then, but now - after browsing my old works - I have made an absolutely gorgeous one which I call The 16th's New Dress (click on the image for larger version):

Care about knowing a bit more about the design? Of course you do!

When we talk about good design, we always think of a key element that catches our attention immediately, in this case of mine, I have TWO, that big white circular thing (resembling moon) and some casual stains of orange (the color all my BABES can't live without). I put that circle on top not only because the original work sort of makes me think about the scene of night but it is a better solution for just putting texts on the colorful background. Applying lighter color makes a soft transition and distinction, and since it has a specific shape, it makes one fall into a certain mood naturally when one looks at it.

Besides, to keep it from being too "Clean", extra strokes was painted with a color that blends with the background harmoniously.

Well, you know, I was trying to imply that when you look at the moon, you do see some blemishes on it, and sometimes, it's the blemishes that give the charms. ;)

By the way, do you see those ripples on the right?? I saved those ripples for this design to suggest that a viewer can look at this card in different angle so he can discover something new (or old, since it originated from my Energetic Baby No.16!).

Finally, there comes good news for you all: I'm gonna offer this as free gift - an A4 print of limited edition^* - for my customers. There are only 5o of them so if you're intrigued already, better not hesitate and go right away to my shop and pick a print of your favorites! ;)

Note:

^* Business card and an A4 print edition is a bit different 'cause you do know that textures are hardly recognizable on a tiny card, right? :)

Something Awful and Something New

noreply@blogger.com (Ian Yang) — Sun, 30 Dec 2007 07:15:14 PST

Bad news for me: my old computer was totally broken a couple of days ago! Good news for all: I bought another one through lots of muss and fuss! Can't believe such a tragedy happened to me, and I still have old stuff on my old hard disc to save, but thanks God! All my babes are safe and sound, who are all wide awake and waiting for the right time to make some noise. The 2nd release of my Free 2008 Calendar: Army of Energetic Babes is available now, including No.14, No.93 and No.90 (from March to May). Just follow the link on the image bellow to download the file.

2nd release of Army of Energetic Babes Calendar

I have a couple of new ideas for the future projects, but I'm preparing for a local art fair and I don't have too much time to execute my plan. Some limited edition of my prints may be sold so you have better hurry up before they are all gone with the wind. My shop is always open, and my babes will be very happy to greet you at the door in case I'm not around! :)

BTW, a new, stable version (2.4) of GIMP is available. Download link for Linux: http://gimp.org/downloads/. As for Windows: http://gimp-win.sourceforge.net/stable.html

A Change Will Do Me Good: Something New for My Website

noreply@blogger.com (Ian Yang) — Sat, 15 Dec 2007 18:35:45 PST

Since I have created a new page on my website (click on the image above to get there :D), just to keep my daily baby sitting job easier, I guess some of you would like to know a bit of tale behind all this. If some of ideas work for you, that's even better!

1. Related Blog Post:
I have thought about creating a single page for individual image, but then I might have to give up my fabulous layout altogether! No good!! Instead, I just wrote a few words for each work, and in case I feel the urge to explain or do some promotion, I will comment on it on my blog, and then add the links on the page of my website.

2. Installment of Lightbox2:
This is my favorite innovation this time, thanks to this fancy, super-convenient javascrip by Lokesh Dhakar. After installing this lovely script, you can add a bunch of images for any links on your sites. The image will fade in with dark background, and if you have related images, you simply group them together by including a group name.

3. Detailed looks:
Like what I have told you above, it is really easy to put additional images for each link, so I thought a detailed look is not only welcome, but satisfies the curiosity of some visitors.

4. AddThis! Widget:
From Digg, Del.icio.us, Furl, to Diigo, Facebook, and StumbleUpon, you name it, this widget got it! Saving a bookmark has never made one feel so good! :P

5. Reader Art Submission:
Some of you might have heard of my lousy event I call O'Range is Hot, it's a dumb idea, but I'm still taking your response very seriously! Everyone can submit his/her the most fantastic orange work, and after a bit of consideration and arrangement, it might have a chance of coming into my kindergarten and have some fun with my "kids" for some time. I promise there won't be any kicking or bruises happening! :P

Energetic Baby No.93: The One and Only, I Mean Daily-Deviationally

noreply@blogger.com (Ian Yang) — Sat, 22 Dec 2007 20:18:12 PST

Buy Now!

It's always a big deal - at least for lots of deviants - of getting a DD, abbr. of Daily Deviation. It almost feels like I was overwhelmed by a storm made up by the wind and the rains of visits, faves and comments, the scale of which is so enormous that it's impossibly for me to visit each deviant's profile just to say "Thanks for the +fave" by endless pasting. To make this event BIGGER, I'm obliged to introduce, officially, right here and right now, the little fellow of my called Energetic Baby No.93 ¹ that caused this sweet surprise!

The following is the remark from the administrator, Sophquest:

Check out...Energetic Baby No.93 by ~mitrm. With it's zany looking gears, this seemingly mechanized fractal, might be something we'd see inside Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory! The Suggestor writes: "I am just blown away by this render. The textures and shading are just fabulous, as is the gradient. It's definitely a full-view piece!"

Never have I watched the movie, but the word "mechanized" is certainly one key element. The outline of this work is very clean and sharp, which has its appeal but I always managed to put something else into my work according to my mood and the flow of my own.. let's just say "artist's instinct." To create the illusion of "dimensions," a lot of darkness naturally were applied with the brighter colors, as usual. The contrast is also quite obvious that directs a viewer's attention and imagination around the image. A observant guy might notice the curved, oddly-looking shades - I need those to imply the tension of the graphic. There are a couple of secrets I hide inside this work, but I would rather you take the trouble of searching for them. After all, art isn't something that should keep a distinctive shape that required not a second look. :P

Note:

¹ In case you're interested in the detailed look of this work, please refer to the 3rd page my official website. Thanks.

Free 2008 Calendar?! No Kidding!

noreply@blogger.com (Ian Yang) — Mon, 24 Dec 2007 04:19:54 PST

Yes, I'm in a giving mood, for Christmas's sake, and thanks to the generosity of my Babes, the first release, i.e., from January to March, showcasing Baby No.44, 9 and 59, is now available solely for your pleasure! Just click on the image to download my 2008 Calendar: Army of Energetic Babes, and please use A4 size of paper, and set your printer as recommended to get the best result:

Print Type: borderless printing (I have set 2% bleed edge!)
Print Quality: high (or 100dpi to 150 dpi)
Media Type: photo paper matte

At first I did want to arrange the images according to the theme of 4 seasons, but then I sort of got lazy! Stay tuned 'cause more are coming real SOON! Before I forget, don't use glue but tape which can prevent your paper from deforming and discoloring. The sharp angle of triangle scare ya?! You can just make a cylinder instead of a triangular prism. ;)

Interview with Graphic Arts

noreply@blogger.com (Ian Yang) — Fri, 23 Nov 2007 16:17:18 PST

I show you the above image for a reason: a couple of weeks ago, the group moderator, mimobase, of Graphics Arts on Redbubble sent me a request for an interview, that's quite an honor, and definitely a first for me! I talked about my work Energetic Baby No.88 (as you see on the top!) in my interview, which goes as follows:

GA | Interview

This weeks GA interview is with a digital artist from Taiwan – Mitrm

Tell us a little bit about yourself and your artistic background?
I’m just another ordinary guy who claims that being a self-trained artist is something admirable and enviable.
Seriously, that’s not true, I’m just another lad who enjoys making digital graphics ‘cause he never had (or rather, gave himself) a chance to do something beyond his imagination and capability. I always love making stuff since I was a little kid. I enjoy the whole process of creativeness, from the first sparkle of an crazy idea to the very end – good or bad – and most of time, it’s the process, challenge and the experience that help me progress and give me the sense of fulfillment. About an year ago I started learning graphic design programs by sheer chance, after a few embarrassing attempts in the beginning (we all have been there!), I know better where my comfort zone is so I can fool some into believing I’m really good.

What is the inspiration behind your works?
You, but it’s not YOU. Without hardly any artist background, I need to see a lot of artwork to get inspired, to know that’s the trend, what others have done and what else could I achieve. So I carefully avoid the most powerful works I have seen, but borrow (if not steal) the strong impression they give me or the key element and blend it into my own work. At times the softwares inspire me as well. You know a slight change of a variable can make a whole lot of difference when it comes to making digital arts. It can be an obstacle but that’s what sharpens my vision as well: only through constant work I can keep focusing on ME, who is actually being creative and “creating” but making graphics that already exist in the setting of the programs.

What is your personal favourite of all your works on redbubble today and why, and if you will explain a little on how it was created?
I would say it’s Energetic Baby No.88 , which obviously wasn’t one of those that I spent the most time and labour on but I love it nevertheless. It’s one of my most catchy and cheerful works though (at least the work fits the title), and you can see plenty of my other babes are the implicit imitators of it. Basically it’s all about circles, which create the funky and pleasing pattern, and the cute, ragged polka dots that bring extra movement along with fresh palette and the shades. The strategy is quite simple, but it proves that through some basic elements one can create a good graphic/visual work, even for an amateur like me.
By the way, the most funny comment I got on this work is “it’s warm and homey, maybe because it reminds me of place settings at a table.”

Which other redbubble artist do you admire?
Mel Brackstone , LostBoy1 , Paul Ruiz and artstruggle .

Tell us what are you doing in your free time?
Reading, writing, baby-sitting, walking my dog, playing tennis and breathing.

Art.In.General: Edward Hopper

noreply@blogger.com (Ian Yang) — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 05:58:12 PST

The image on the left is entitled Nighthawks, which gave me a very strong impression the first time I saw it on a wordpress blog last week and fortunately I saw it again yesterday in a bookstore. Do you see how sharp the light and the building are? and are you just like me, feeling your heart beat faster and faster by the empty but disturbing atmosphere in the painting. If your anwers can't be more positive, it's about time for you to meet another master like Edward Hopper who can teach you some lessons you probably can't learn from anyone else.

For more incredible art, check out my bookmark group - Art.In.General.

Energetic Baby No.9

noreply@blogger.com (Ian Yang) — Sat, 22 Dec 2007 20:18:22 PST

Buy Now!

Do you see the "shadow" of Baby No.59 in this? Yup, I admit that I was a bit carried away, but hey, life might be really boring without the company of shadow, right?! ;)

In this new work (not that new actually, which I finished 3 weeks ago), I tried to emphasize the contrast of colors, and certainly the composition plays a major role one this one: it seems like I sort of offer 2 options for myself (and viewers as well), one is naturally going deep deep down into the abyss, or one can choose to travel along the smooth cures and jump on the petals by will. If you wonder why I have my favorite orange leaning against the right side, well, the truth is, I'm demonstrating for you how I build up my laws by breaking up my laws.

What Do You Do With "AQUA"?

noreply@blogger.com (Ian Yang) — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 07:23:01 PST

Well, you do with what other readers of blanket magazine do: submit a piece of work that reacts to it!! The deadline is November 25th, 2007, so you had better hurry up.

But what the heck is blanket magazine?! According to the staff, their mission is "to create an online magazine that will uncover new, emerging and established designers/artists/photographers, showcase their talent and give them a vehicle for self promotion. We aim to inspire through informative, functional and dynamic design and encourage designers, artists and photographers to contribute on many levels and build a strong network of creative's."

Believe it or not, my Energetic Baby No.76 is one of members of the family in the Good vs. Evil issue, release #4 (sound of clapping and Hooray!!! ^_^). Some great works you can find in this issue include:
Andre Gordon
Zamir Bermeo
Joe Penrod
Grant Barnhartand many many more. If you're one of those who needs others to recognize your genius and prides yourself for being side by side with your favorites artists, get your image ready ASAP. And good luck! ;)

Roman Notes by Cy Twombly

noreply@blogger.com (Ian Yang) — Fri, 02 Nov 2007 17:37:37 PDT

I should have featured some artists selected from my Art.In.General., but after I saw this piece of Twombly in Art in America magazine (it provokes lots of thoughts naturally) I decided to mention it here, without giving you much viewpoints of mine which I take as quite unnecessary and naive since I never do any background research of Twombly, who is in charge of painting the vast white ceiling in the Salle des Bronzes next year, according to the article - The Louvre Now Accepts the Living - on New York Times. And this fancy work from this famous American artist is shown below:

Don't Just Stumble Upon: Intro of My Bookmark Group

noreply@blogger.com (Ian Yang) — Fri, 02 Nov 2007 07:27:23 PDT

Some of you may not yet have the pleasure of knowing that I run a small, insignificant bookmark group exclusively for ARTS called Art.In.General., where I share a bunch of great links, with 7 other members (who barely share anything but their avatars), including references, news, designs, tutorials, art history and portfolio websites of artists. Since tastes differ (how I love this notion), my collections might seem a bit prejudicial and ignorant, so it would be really great to see your contribution of bookmarks for a change.

Besides that lovely comment tag for members, here are a couple of things I love about Diigo groups:

Preview and About Page: certainly everyone grasps a quick idea about a website based on tags, and you don't have to open a new window to take a peek on a Diigo Group. As for the About page, it's for those who are interested in the info of Google, Yahoo, Technorati and Digg links and score.Email Alert and Bookmark feeds: there are only a few clicks away for you to get the updated on whatever frequency that suit you best.
With that said, hopefully I will see some new bookmarks showing up in my group, instead of new, fresh and flashing avatars. God forbid!! :P

The Lady with Good Tips for Gardening

noreply@blogger.com (Ian Yang) — Sun, 21 Oct 2007 10:06:37 PDT

It's not necessary (I'm not saying odd or ridiculous) that an visual artist finds his creativeness on the bookshelf gathering works of Cervantes, William Faulkner and Turgenev, but at times a helping hand and a bit of sympathy from the dead gone but not forgotten is more than welcome. Today, my angel of mercy shows up in the form of Virginia Woolf, who could be one of the most friendliest writers you could ask for if you chance to relax for a while in the Saturday afternoon and hear her talking temperately and eloquently as a life-time companion who is always within reach. I select a couple of paragraphs below from The Patron and The Crocus -- a thought-provoking, short essay teaching you not how to make a fortune but to communicate with your audience and develop yourself as an artist. If you wanna download the original essay ¹ that I modified a bit so the texts would be more readable on an A4 sheet, please click this link.

...for whom should we write? For the present supply of patrons is of unexampled and bewildering variety. There is the daily Press, the weekly Press, the monthly Press; the English public and the American public; the bestseller public and the worst-seller public; the highbrow public and the red-blood public; all now organised self-conscious entities capable through their various mouthpieces of making their needs known and their approval or displeasure felt. Thus the writer who has been moved by the sight of the first crocus in Kensington Gardens has, before he sets pen to paper, to choose from a crowd of competitors the particular patron who suits him best. It is futile to say, “Dismiss them all; think only of your crocus”, because writing is a method of communication; and the crocus is an imperfect crocus until it has been shared. The first man or the last may write for himself alone, but he is an exception and an unenviable one at that, and the gulls are welcome to his works if the gulls can read them.

and

Granted, then, that every writer has some public or other at the end of his pen, the high-minded will say that it should be a submissive public, accepting obediently whatever he likes to give it. Plausible as the theory sounds, great risks are attached to it. For in that case the writer remains conscious of his public, yet is superior to it—an uncomfortable and unfortunate combination, as the works of Samuel Butler, George Meredith, and Henry James may be taken to prove. Each despised the public; each desired a public; each failed to attain a public; and each wreaked his failure upon the public by a succession, gradually increasing in intensity, of angularities, obscurities, and affectations which no writer whose patron was his equal and friend would have thought it necessary to inflict.

Note:

¹ THE PATRON AND THE CROCUS is from The Common Reader, First Series (1925). You can read or download Woolf's works on Ebooks@Adelaide.

Reader Art: Orange & Green by Patrick Morand

noreply@blogger.com (Ian Yang) — Sat, 20 Oct 2007 09:32:58 PDT

I'm really happy to announce that I received the first submission real soon from a fellow blogger, Patrick Morand, who is really good at capturing the variety of lives and themes of nature - a great reminder when global warming becomes the one of the hottest topics after Al Gore's Nobel Peace Prize.

I'm a french photographer living in Provence doing mostly nature and landscapes photographs.
I love natural areas, vivid colors and nice contrast. I share with Ian the Orange passion.

This photograph was taken in a wild provence place : The "Rocher de Roquebrune".
It's a protected area with bush, trees, rocks and canyons.
I took the photo in a springtime morning when the sun rays where just illuminating one of the canyon's wall.
I love the intense orange and the popping greens.

Patrick Morand
Blog∣Etsy Shop :: French Landscapes

Note: Wanna submit your most orange work as Patrick? Check out this post for more details. ;)

The Tale of Baby No.59's Life and Adventure

noreply@blogger.com (Ian Yang) — Sat, 22 Dec 2007 20:18:57 PST

Buy Now!

I rarely analyze my works or deliver lecture on my blog (yup that sounds odd!) for I always imagine that explanation could lessen the strength of a work, kind of like one imagines he has mastered Shakespeare after reading Samuel Johnson's marvelous critiques, but thanks to Josh Spear (name of the blog and the modertor), who kindly showcase Energetic Baby No.59 and says that "it looks like this stone this sweetheart of a guy randomly gave me once (sappy, I know), or maybe it’s the retro 60’s plywood furniture feel it has to it," it draws more attentions than it should have.

This work was done and finished when I was having this nagging depression thing, consequently, even though it still got the basic palette of Energetic Baby series, the hue had been darken a bit and the "strategies" which I refer to as "silent media" were emphasized more directly and intensely. For me, structure (i.e., composition) plays the most important rule of how an abstract stands or falls, whether it tends to diverge or converge, especially when you employ only basic elements to communicate, create or deconstruct: it is either the predominant object or the indicator that directs the motion of eyesight ¹. As you see in the thumbnail, there are 3 lines that separate the image, the main indicator is certainly the black inclined gap splitting the image. On the top and bottom the graphics appear as heavy blocks collapsing towards one anther, but the inclination of divergence is reinforced again through the similarity of these separated twin.

What I break down above is just one strategy for this work. Like Karen Walker in Will & Grace said: a magician, like a prostitute, never reveals her secrets. ;) Well, I'm no magician and I would love to share more personal study and experience if I need to.

Note:

¹ Of course those words are completely my personal viewpoint and theory, which may seem incomprehensible & amateurish for art academics & professional artists.

Followup of O'Range Is Hot!

noreply@blogger.com (Ian Yang) — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 08:19:43 PDT

TBeen a while since I published the news, but unfortunately I still haven't received enough of entries to get things started. I'm like a fish out of water when it comes to PR, so I owe you guys an apology. For those guys who thinks juried contests are cheesy and this whole idea is a marketing gimmick, I'm gonna do things in a different approach: submit your best orange piece of work then I will showcase it for ya! Please submit it in low res jpeg (72 dpi), with 400 pixels wide and height less than 640 pixels, including the title, a brief description about your work or yourself and links to your websites. If this plan B sounds fair enough for you, well, go hit me with an email! BTW, since I can't handle with all the submissions, I might have to choose the works closer based on my personal tastes.