Saturday, February 6, 2010 "Set Slaying the Apep - Colored Version" 12:16pm I opted for digital coloring... Sunday, February 7, 2010 "A Couple Small Discoveries" 12:16pm I've learned a few small things recently. I didn't know about "international standard (ISO) paper sizes". I thought everyone used 8.5 x 11 inch letter size paper and had 8 x 10 in and 11 x 14 inch photo/art frame sizes. But no, only America and Canada goes by this sizing. I did a check. A frame shop in the UK offers frames in A3, A4, etc. sizes. It's a cleverly logical system: "The underlying principle is that when folded in half length-wise the paper retains its original aspect ratio: ." The ratio is the same for each size: Image from Wikipedia I wish our country would adopt this 'one ratio fits all' plan. However, this ratio results in a size that is a bit longer on the width than North American sizing: I had to redesign for this longer width, as you can see from the image on the left, which is A4 sized. The original artwork is 14x17 inches. I sized down a bit to make a version for 11x14 inch print at 200 dpi. I took that version and plopped it into the A4 (210x297mm {aka 11.69 x 8.26 inches}), which at 267 dpi keeps roughly the same pixel height as the 200 dpi 11x14 inch version. Confused? It's the 'dpi', or "DOTS PER INCH" which renders the print size. 'Dots' equals 'pixels'.) Anyway, this piece is now available in the print gallery, sizes to fit the standard American sizes, along with a 5x7 inch version, rather similar in proportion to the 'international' sizing. (I added Happy to See You, too.) On last week's library, I made another pleasant discovery. I picked up February's issue of Rock and Gem, and came to a familiar image:

"The Dragon" Gold on Quartz, approx. 8 in. high (20cm), mined 1998 from the Colorado Quartz Mine, Mariposa County, California (from "The Collector's Edge Minerals, Inc.", Golden, Colorado)

I saw this lovely gold dragon when we visited Tucson's Gem and Mineral show at the TCC back in 1999 This little guy is making a return trip to Tucson, and those visiting next Friday, Saturday or Sunday at the Tucson Convention Center will see him. I took a print of this article which gives further info. The "Collector's Edge" man, Bryan Lees, located the dragon "with the help of a metal detector". "It has no matrix, but consists entirely of interlocking, curving, crystallized gold clusters in an undulating form. Many who have seen the specimen on display at Denver and in Tucson agree it resembles a dragon rearing its vicious head! The specimen now resides in the Houston Museum of Science." (page 79) We don't have plans of going to Tucson to see it again this year. For one thing, we would have had to have made plans much earlier to secure a motel room, as they get booked very quickly. Laura would do this, get up at 4am, drive four hours to Tucson, visit the convention center, and then turn right around back home. But neither Julia nor I have the stamina for that! I'm just glad I saw this piece back in 1999, when we lived close enough to Tucson for a drive in and drive out adventure. Wednesday, February 10, 2010 A "Perserving Old Travel Journal from 2005" 6:25am I'm going to make an index for travel journal pages. Meanwhile, I've perserved the 2005 trip to NYC here. I'll add the 2004 trip to San Francisco and the July 2005 trip to Los Angeles later. The later trips are already online, so the travel index will just point to those.

Wednesday, February 10, 2010 B
"Line Drawing - Queen of Tarts"
8:49pm

Reference image here
Oh, yes, I hope to color this soon!

Thursday, February 11, 2010
"Colorful Queen of Tarts"
10:38pm

Hand colored, with digital adjustments afterwards...