Bit of the ordinary

Prop 8 legal opposition beginning

Saw this via the Internet:

the lawsuits to overturn Proposition 8 have forced the true powers behind the Proposition 8 battle to step into the uncomfortable limelight, which is something Steve Smith, the “No on 8” campaign’s hired hand, never effectively made happen. This time bishops, ministers, and their lawyers can’t hide behind a slick political campaign and quietly slip fat checks to hired pros to do the dirty work. They’ll be front and center in the chambers of the highest court of California, with millions of people watching via a live TV feed.

The full post ishere.

Family biz, Geekiness

making pixel art with the kids.

1 Comment

The girls were given a craft kit from Ikea as a christmas present. It is made from the PYSSLA beads kit. You set all the beads on a little frame, put some wax paper on top a little pass with a iron, Viola!

Raw material

I immediately saw the ability to make little pictures pixel by pixel.

Laying out the beautiful masterpiece (McKelvey drew a flower on the grid paper for me)

And a flower for Arden & McKelvey

You can get even fancier by using something to help you layout your pixel art, like Photoshop. I used Pixelego.(link using the Archive.org ‘wayback machine’)

Up for the future:

Bit of the ordinary

Need an outlet?

2 Comments

The answer is yes.

With my office time on the rise, my shop/theatre time has fallen as downward as the economy. My new job as Head of the Theater Department has monopolized my time in many ways. I am only designing one show this year so my next one will be this summer.

So my photoshop and VectorWorks(drafting program) time has gone way down. And my email and word processing time has skyrocketed. I am slightly cursing my college english teacher, he was right, I do need to put together coherent sentences. Who knew? Well I guess he did.

To keep me moving in the office I have been listening to Mashups. Since they are free to download, it really fits my budget. One that I am really digging is this (link to mp3 file). A lot of fun.

To fill up my desire to create, make something I did my first woodcut(linocut?):

It is the logo of the Theater training program I run during the summers. Well I also do the set design and posters. I’m really looking forward designing the posters, that is always fun. It was more fun when it was silkscreened, although that was hard to do during summer when the program was running.

I have an 8×10 linoleum board. I’m pondering what to make with it. Any suggestions?

Bit of the ordinary, Education & Miseducation

Notes, posts and seats to be filled

I am up to my neck in a bunch of stuff. I never realized why the department chair spent much time in his office. Now I know why. I spend a lot of my day in my office in word processing and email programs. Working on things for the department. Things crop up all of a sudden, like when I had to call the editor of the local newspaper to tell him that his reporters should not be trying to give note to the director and actors. Yes you heard that right. We invited her to a technical rehearsal for her to learn about the show. Afterwards, she said she wanted to interview the actors, and when Christopher, the director and playwright of the piece, walks in, she is giving notes to the actors! He did everything he could not to kick her out the door right then and there. So I call the editor of the newspaper and he is oddly not surprised. In fact he sounded a little resigned.

Another thing is getting more butts in the seats for our show this weekend. It has a tough title to sell, The Apotheosis of Vaclav Drda. It is about an actress that puts her all into getting a play produced, and is questioning why she does it. Through the course the play she discovers why she is an artist and questions the need for material success. The director/playwright has been blogging the process of it’s creation,you have to read it. It is inspiring and articulate.

The show is going to be great, now I just have to get them there.

the Blog of Owen Collins