DPrice Fine Art

Baby Rose

2006-08-14T07:26:00.000-07:00

Introducing "Baby Rose". She's the latest in my "Flower Children" series - isn't she sweet? This design will be featured on new products in my Cafepress shop, Tickled Pink Designs, later today or tomorrow when I can get the chance. I have added quite a few new designs to my shop (for those of you who haven't looked lately). Don't forget to check out my prints, posters and greeting cards! By the way, I have a discount coupon in my store that I believe is expiring today - I'm not allowed to put it in my blog, evidently, so you must look in Tickled Pink Designs.I hope you all enjoy the display of Mount Etna and Tungurahua that was just posted this morning (due to me not realizing that my last post was not published). I found it totally fascinating and thought the volcano music sounded very classical!

Mother Earth Sings

2006-08-11T06:48:00.000-07:00

Volcanoes may reveal secrets through 'song'

Active volcanoes are being made to "sing" by researchers who convert seismic data into frequencies audible to human ears. Although the volcanoes are unlikely to sell many records, the technique could make it easier to detect patterns that warn of an eruption.

High-powered computers are being used to convert seismic readings from Mount Etna in Sicily and Tungurahua in Ecuador into audible rumbles, roars, beeps, and even piano music.

The technique, known as "sonification", is used to help people detect patterns in complex data. Research has shown that people find it easier to detect patterns audibly rather than visually. While the eye can quickly become confused by visual representations of very complex data, the ear is very good at sorting patterns from random noise.

"The human ear is a logorithmic device. It's much more sensitive than the human eye," says Roberto Barbera, a physicist at the University of Catania in Italy. "We can figure things out that we couldn't otherwise." Barbera and colleagues at the University of Salerno, Italy, have been working at sonifying the data from Mount Etna, one of the most active volcanoes in the world. Recently they added information from the Ecuadorian volcano.

Avant-garde piano
Sonification is very computer intensive, so the researchers used the European GEANT2 and Latin American ALICE-RedCLARA research computer networks to process the information.

The researchers have made the volcanoes sound like heavy wind outside the window in one case, like a powerful engine idling in another. They also mapped the sounds onto MIDI piano, resulting in some avant-garde-sounding pieces. Listen to the piano versions of Mount Etna and Tungurahua in action.

Bruce Walker, a psychologist at the Georgia Institute of Technology, US, says that a number of researchers are experimenting with sonification to help them analyse complex information. "The auditory system is the best pattern recognition device we have. If you're trying to find patterns in complex, time-varying data, then listening to it is much more effective than looking at it," he says.

Mount Etna and Tungurahua in action.

12:40 10 August 2006
NewScientist.com, newsservice
Kurt Kleiner

Tree-huggers"

School Daze

2006-08-08T08:58:00.000-07:00

Are you all ready to send the kiddies off to school? Hard to believe summer is almost over, isn't it. Long, sun-filled lazy days in the sun, trips to the pool or beach with the incumbant sopping wet, sand-encrusted towels and feet, red slurpy splots on tee-shirts, and wet-doggy smells are put away with other joyful summer memories. Its time now to readjust to the new standard:the "school daze". Some children adapt readily, while thinking excitedly of new teachers, new friends, wonderful new subjects to test their scholarly abilities and brand new "so cool" outfits to show off. Others resignate themselves to another school year as just another part of life to endure. Hopefully you don't have the rebellious type of child who will fight as if his or her life is now in danger of extinction! Its a time of adjustment for everyone, and you may find yourself going around in a daze for a few days. This is much harder than daylight-savings-time! Worse than jet-lag! Maybe not quite as bad as the flu! Regardless of how we handle the change, most of us DO adapt - after all, aren't humans known for their adaptability? Soon we'll all be going with the flow again, and summer will remain in our memories as "one of the best ever"!

Buttercup Baby Kids Baseball Jersey

Wired Kids T-Shirt

Going Polar

2006-08-05T09:09:00.000-07:00

Its still summer and it is hot...hot...hot! This may be the hottest its been all over the nation since 1933! This made me decide to bring out my polar bear print. I'll be putting it on t-shirts today on Cafepress while sitting at my computer under the ceiling fan. I imagine the poor polar bears are thinking about how warm they are, too. They would have to be with the ice melting out from under them! And they can't even take off their winter coats....

Animals

In a Hurry and Don't Know Why

2006-07-31T08:09:00.000-07:00

This is one of those times when I have too many things to do and not enough time. Of course a song will jump into my head that reminds me of the situation, just as it always does. In this case the song fragment is "I'm in a hurry to get things done....I rush and rush until life's no fun...I'm in a hurry and don't know why...all you gotta' do is live and die...". I'm sure you've all had days like this, too, but life is like that. After a day or two, this streak will hopefully be over and things will calm down a bit (until the next rush anyway).

Here are some funny t-shirts I found on Cafepress. They're sure to make a person laugh things off and realize the relative unimportance of many instances in our lives!

Displaced Homemaker

2006-07-27T06:45:00.000-07:00

I have a few minutes to blog this morning while waiting for the people to come and steam-clean our carpet. Its funny how DISPLACED this makes a person feel. We had to move furniture out from the wall, stack things all over on our shelves and tables that somehow have no other place to go, vacuum behind heavy furniture that doesn't get moved very often - etc., etc. I've decided to flee the mess for part of the time and go do some errands, leaving my hubby to deal with the noise, the mess and the smell of the cleaners. I guess I've turned into a real computer geek, hating to leave when I've got so much work I want to do on the computer, yet seeing no need to see my possessions moved around and disordered. It feels like we're about to move, although we are not moving. It makes me think about the victims of disasters - hurricanes, floods, fires, and war - and how traumatic everything becomes when one's life is turned upside down. My heart goes out to these people. My home will be put back into order in a few hours, but theirs may not be for years, or maybe ever.

Insects: Invasion of Thought

2006-07-23T16:58:00.000-07:00

With the advent of summer come hordes of marching ants and swarms of flies, mosquitoes and gnats. Insects can be extremely annoying as they whine, buzz, bite and dive-bomb their way into our world with no consideration of anyone's feelings. Our first instinct is usually to run for a fly swatter or a can of "Off". I've been just as guilty as the next person in proudly knocking as many bugs as I could into the next world. They can be really hard to take when they're sucking your life's blood, but killing insects is akin to trying to pick up tons of sand...one grain at a time. Insects can multiply much faster than they can be killed off, no matter what new technology we use against them.

We rarely take the time to reflect on the singular beauty and grace of the insect kingdom and its importance in the scheme of life. We rarely consider insect qualities and what, if anything, we can learn from them. Is it possible that, with a change of viewpoint, insects can become our teachers? As an artist, I've become fascinated by their clean lines and often alien personnas. Some insects have light, feathery wings that glow in the sun with all the colors of the rainbow. They are actually light-weight aerodynamically-sound flying machines! Others have smooth, polished, chitonous exteriors and resemble armored tanks. Many are architectual wonders that are both challenging and fun to draw. As I continue to study insects, their resemblance to helicopters, airplanes, missiles, bombers and even spacecraft begins to increase. Their alien personnas begin to seem more familiar.

Do they also have military qualities? Why, of course! Insects definetely have persistence. They have purpose. They know the meaning of teamwork. They are extremely adaptable on any terrain. They push on relentlessly once they have identified their target. Obviously army worms got their namesake from somewhere: they can strip the whole countryside of greenery in a matter of weeks. Locusts can swoop down out of the sky in a black cloud of fury, destroying a whole grain crop before your eyes. Flies and ants can strip a carcass to the bone in a matter of minutes.

Insects are not only a destructive force; they are also a creative force. Spiders can spin huge, magnificent webs using nothing but that which comes from inside themselves. Bees, hornets and wasps build hives to rival any ancient palace. Termites build structures as tall as any pyramid if you take into account their diminutive size.

Insects may be food for the birds, but they can also become food for thought. Perhaps what we hate most about them is that they embody the very qualities we don't want to acknowledge within ourselves: they are greedy, they are persistent, they are fruitful and multiply unchecked....they are threatening to overun the earth.

These ideas can be empowering ones if we pay attention to our little teachers. I recall a fragment of an old song which children are taught in school: "just remember that an ant - can't - move a rubber tree plant".... Well, perhaps ONE can not, but the many CAN - if they have but the will and the persistence of insects. Which world dream would YOU like to help create?

Insects at Cafepress.com

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Knock My Socks Off!

2006-07-22T07:16:00.000-07:00

If I Throw Water On You... Jr. Raglan

Wanna PING Me? Black T-Shirt

Who's Afraid of the Big Blue Room? White T-Shirt

These are some of the t-shirt designs I came across on Cafepress shops last night. They are so funny that they had me giggling all night! If you have a funnybone, you'll have to check these out: Telepathic Frog Designs and Question t-shirts by foxvox. Cafepress shops have some of the most creative and hilarious designs I've seen anywhere!
If This Were A Dream

Forest Friends

2006-07-20T13:11:00.000-07:00

I now have lines of products available here in my Cafepress shop for "Forest Friends", "Girl in Blue Hat", "Ramblin Rose", "Cosmic Spiral", and "Dragonfly". This includes an array of products, including t-shirts, apparel, housewares, cards & prints! If you haven't already, visit Tickled Pink Designs.

The Cosmic Spiral

2006-07-17T07:39:00.000-07:00

You can now purchase cards, prints and posters in my Cafepress shop, as well as apparel and housewares. The cosmic spiral design was inspired by a native premise, "The spiral has tipped....we need a new dreamer". I'm finally beginning to catch up on stocking my designs in my store, then will be able to start adding more.

Hot and Lazy

2006-07-16T10:26:00.000-07:00

Its summer time, and as we say in Texas, its "hotter than a pistol"! We haven't had rain for many days and we have to keep moving our containers of flowers to wherever there is a spot of shade. Poor things! Otherwise the sun cooks them till they look like canned spinach. (and no, I don't want to serve them up with cornbread)

I've been busy trying to restock my Cafepress shop since I made the (foolish?) decision to redo my storefront design and add more products to each category. I think it will be really nice when I get it finished, but it is an unbelievable lot of work! I just stocked my shop with dragonfly products this morning, so have a look. More products will be forthcoming. Right now, I think I may take a little nap.

I've Been Framed!

2006-07-13T07:31:00.000-07:00

This is how my dogwood print could look framed. This item, as well as "Girl in a Blue Hat", is now available here in my Cafepress store. These items are also available as greeting card sets. Right now I am in the process of updating my store and more new items will be available soon.

Cats, Cats, Cats

2006-07-10T05:35:00.000-07:00

Some people are cat lovers, some people are dog lovers, and some people love them both. I am one who loves both, for different reasons. Cats are more independent and could care less what humans think of them. One day they'll feel warm and lovy - the next day they may turn their back on you in disdain. They love to dream and sometimes seem almost unworldly as their eyes gaze into alternate realities. Dogs are more loyal and addicted to attention. They get bored easily and will bark at anything that moves just to have something to do, or perhaps they just have an urge to protect "their" territory. They always seem ready for a petting or a kiss or something to eat. Occasionally they may howl out their lonesomeness at the moon. I guess today is a cat day, mainly because I don't have a dog design done to show you. This orange tabby is going to go on someone's t-shirt as soon as I have a chance to get to it. I'm still working on getting my new website together, which is proving to be a challenge to my poor little techno-challenged brain.

The Juggler

2006-07-08T07:21:00.000-07:00

I've been so busy lately trying to juggle numerous tasks: promotion of my artwork ; (which means completely redoing my website, working on my stores , blogging , linking, learning more, and putting in a lot of time on the computer); the usual housework (which is floundering); trying to find some time to do more designs ....seems the list goes on and on! I am not good at multi-tasking....I'm not even doing well at typing this morning! I feel like my archetype is "The Juggler". "Let's see, folks, will she manage to keep all the balls in the air at the same time? Will she end up fumbling and dropping the ball?" How about "will she decide to just go take a nap"? (she can always give herself the excuse that she's "simplifying her life"). All work and no play is not a good thing, though. I HAVE taken the time to watch a couple of movies from Netflix. The last one was "Rust Never Sleeps", a Neil Young concert which I thoroughly enjoyed! Well, I must get serious and back to work or I'll have no new designs to show...

Girl in a Blue Hat

2006-07-06T08:01:00.000-07:00

Good morning, all. "Dogwood Blossoms" is now available here in my etsy shop as a 8x10" print. "Girl in a Blue Hat' will soon be available on etsy as a 6x8" print, just the right size for a gift or to hang on your own wall in that "empty" spot.

Fantasy

Dogwood Blossoms

2006-07-05T13:38:00.000-07:00

I hope every had a good rest over the 4th....you DID rest, didn't you? "Leaf Mites" can now be seen here in my Cafepress shop on t-shirts. This dogwood blossoms print is one of my newer designs , not yet to be seen anywhere but here. I haven't yet decided where to put it - or what to put it ON. I'll let you all know asap. There ARE benefits to subscribing to my blog !

Art

Leaf Mites!

2006-07-01T08:45:00.000-07:00

Wishing everyone a safe and happy 4th of July ! We will be on vacation for a few days, so I'll be back on the 5th. This is my fantasy version of "leaf mites". It will be available in my Cafepress shop soon.

Huge Store-Wide Sale!!

2006-06-29T10:44:00.000-07:00

Have you been looking for that perfect painting for your home or office? All original paintings - abstract & surreal- in my eBay store have been marked down for summer sale! If you haven't had a change to look at these works in abstract and acrylic on canvas before, now is the time!!! Give your quarters a new look - there's nothing like an original painting to perk up your walls .

My Favorite Little Dog

2006-06-27T18:53:00.000-07:00

This is a photo of my favorite little dog , Spot (she gets a lot of media attention). She's standing in a shadow, but is usually in the "spot" light! This was taken a few years back out in our yard. Spot loves frolicking in the bluebonnets....also eating, which is her favorite pastime. She is now a lot fatter, since my husband insists on giving her gingersnaps . Now she can't even go to sleep at night until she's received her cookies. She can't start her day until she's received her morning weinie. Well, she is sweet, and is a lot of inspiration for my art. I have painted a lot of dogs! Dogs are so happy and freedom-loving that I hate to see them tied to a tree, or worse yet, their doghouse. The dogs in my paintings are very free-spirited, and are often blue, red, or green.

My Cafe Press Shop is Open!

2006-06-26T19:41:00.000-07:00

After a couple of days of hard work and hair pulling, I finally have my Cafepress shop open! You're just in time to visit Cafepress while their summer sale is still going on, if you didn't already know about it. I have added quite a few new things to my store, Tickled Pink Designs, (yes, including the grasshopper thong & boxer shorts!) and I will be adding more items as the summer progresses. I'm so excited! Cafepress has soooo many items to use as a new medium for my art. You can find all kinds of unique items to suit every taste, so go on & have a peek. You ARE curious, aren't you.... It's been a long day and my coach has come in, so enough for now.

See My Grasshopper Underwear

2006-06-25T07:21:00.000-07:00

Hi, all. I've been busy with opening a new Cafepress shop,Tickled Pink Designs, which I'm filling with new goodies. It's impossible to see the text on this thong in the pic, but it says "Patience... Grasshopper ". This design is also available on men's boxer shorts. My shop is still under construction, so I'll let you know when it is ready to view! Cafepress has many great items, including clothing, accessories, gift items, totes, prints and more. Check them out!

The Day the Music Died

2006-06-21T07:02:00.000-07:00

Okay, so music isn't really dead, but the internet certainly is. So I'm just sitting here at my computer with an uncontrollable urge to send my thoughts and images out into the blogsphere like radio signals. Hallo....Halloooooo....is there anyone out there??? Houston, can you read me? The song going through my head is "The Day the Music Died". Remember it? "Bye, Bye, Miss American Pie...drove my Chevy to the levy but the levy was dry...our good old boys are drinking whiskey and rye...thinkin' this will be the day that I die....

This is the first day of summer, and I imagine that many of you are taking your summer vacations or sitting around at the beaches or pools - maybe cracking open a Bud or two. If any of you are picking up my signals, be sure to send me a "hallo" - and remember to "buy, buy, Miss American Pie." In the meantime, I'll be enjoying the 30 or so young mourning doves that are flitting around in my backyard and thinking of you, my friends.

The Picasso Trigger

2006-06-20T07:37:00.000-07:00

This is one of my abstract paintings done in acrylic on stretched canvas. I call it the Picasso Trigger because it is a rendition of the Picasso Trigger Fish. Who knows if Picasso actually got his style from studying nature, but I'd say it is highly likely! I have prints available of this painting here if you'd like to look.

Sweet Cat Face

2006-06-19T07:12:00.000-07:00

Who can resist a sleeping kitty? They are so sweet. Available as a 8x6" print here.

Old Fashioned Girl - Happy Father's Day

2006-06-18T08:03:00.000-07:00

Father/'s Day

Here is an old fashioned girl, wishing everyone a happy Father's Day. It's hotter than a pistol here in Texas. We got a thunderstorm about 1:30 am to start the day, and evidently more on the way. Come to think of it, it stormed ferociously all day long when it was Mother's Day - think Mother Nature may be trying to tell us something?