Epidemic

Good day, all. The hits just keep on comin'. This diatom is unique in two respects. It's the first massive creature to be born, and its flesh is coarser, in that I used half the usual number of shades to cover the bones. Maybe sometime I'll reflesh it with the full range of shades to see how the pattern changes. I can't help but think of this as some sort of alien bloom, with a very sharp, thorny center.

I've included a representation of an imaginary afghan that I would very much like to crochet, if I were into that kind of thing. I was exposed to plenty of that when I was growing up (do people still knit and crochet in this fast-paced, changing world?)

Watching CNBC. Biogen Idec, a stock I own (to quote Jim Cramer) took a huge hit today. Major bummer.

Chat capability seems to be running on empty today. If I think of anything else, I'll post it later. Be kind and gentle to each other. Peace.

 

 

Cruel Mistress

Good morning to my non-existent auditors. Herewith is another Diatom. This is one of the few that feature an asymmetrical heart. Well, actually it is symmetrical, but off-center. I have used the heart twice, deriving quite different effects from each attempt. I can't say that I particularly care for this one - I even considered erasing it, but it refused to expire, and I do find something inexplicably compelling in the design.

I had planned to take a day off from bringing these creatures to life, but when the urge strikes, there seems to be no denying it. I can wander off, lie down and solve a crossword or otherwise entertain myself, but sooner or later I am drawn back, eager to continue, so as to see what the new individual will look like. This is an experience which is new to me, to be so driven by something. There is certainly no profit in it, except for the relief of curiosity, but on it goes, regardless. As I write this, I have produced a new creature, and am already at work on another skeleton. I am continually amazed at the sheer variety that arises from 2 orientations of 1 design component, and the attendant components which spring from the exigencies of the construction.

Well.

I promised a caricature of one of our pets, and it is included above. This little lardball is named Squeak (not very original, I know; some of my friends would have me call her Ekaterina Anastasia or some such, but ....) Picture an aging hippie, with a mouse perched upon his head, sitting at a laptop with eyes squinting and fingers cramping, and you'll have a pretty good representation of my situation.

No one may ever view this journal, but that's okay. This is mainly to affirm that I do, indeed, exist, anyway. If I can believe the musings in some of the chosen journals, the nameless, faceless editors are seeking pop culture aficionados to highlight. If so, surely no one will see this, because I am pop culture-impaired. Pop culture may be an eternal verity, but the components of same (such as Britney and Ashlee) are anything but. Mere flashes in the pan on the stove of the Universe. I do not seek to denigrate them, I just find them irrelevant. What they do, where they go and with whom, feh.

Well, I feel the pull of an unborn Diatom. I wish you well and God bless.

 

Growth

Hello again, Diatom aficionados (if such there be.) Here is another in a series of small creatures that demand to be given life, and won't leave me alone until I do. At this moment another is going through the pangs of birth, but one does need to take a break occasionally. This particular Diatom possesses the most intricate of the skeletons thus far, and has a sibling which shares the skeleton. (I'll post that one soon.)

I'll probably post them less often than once a day, since it requires some time for one to grow, first from the heart to the bones, thence to the flesh. Creation is painstaking and laborious, even if compulsive. I have no idea how many of these little creatures there are; even though there are seemingly a limited number of recurring features, new and different varieties continue to appear.

Since this is a journal, I suppose I can be self-indulgent and reveal a bit about myself. Through disability (PAD) I have been forced into early retirement, although this isn't necessarily bad, since it allows me to explore my creative impulses at long last. I live a quiet and uneventful life, and am content (a state many find difficult to attain.) My pseudonym is Malcolm Mott (derived from the opposite of the French phrase for "good word".) I am happily married  to my wife of 35 years, "Bonnie Mott" (I'm sure you can guess.) We love animals and are confirmed pacifists. We abhor the taking of life and so oppose both capital punishment and abortion. While I do not presume to judge a woman's need to undergo an abortion, I believe it to be the unconscionable taking of a life.

Soon I will post a caricature of one of our pets, and the geneses of the Diatom Project. May you all enjoy peace.

Graphic fascination

 The story died after about 20 chapters. Maybe it will resurrect someday. Until then, I guess I'll indulge myself by posting various graphic designs upon which I have wasted much time. Perhaps someone will enjoy them and be inspired to create.

 This is the first in a series called Diatoms. The title reflects not only the appearance of the designs, but also the curious fact that they are, in a way, organic. Through a combination of accident and study, I discovered a particular component or element which is useful for constructing a skeletal pattern. Using a variety of shading techniques, I put flesh on the bones. It is a dynamic process, since at first the skeleton grows outward in a random fashion. At some point I begin to flesh out the design, and it occasionally becomes necessary to alter the skeleton to accomodate the "flesh". Oddly, the hue chosen for the core affects the completed design, as different aspects of the pattern are highlighted as the shading proceeds from medium to light and dark. This can actually alter the look of the finished product.

This particular design was one of my first, and I was surprised at the way the central portion evolved. It isn't very intricate, but I believe it to be striking nonetheless.

I continue to construct skeletons because the process is one of discovery and surprise. I have found that other elements have evolved out of the design process also, making these patterns truly organic. I hope you like them.