Close Meditations of a Visual Kind

I posted a couple pieces to the Deviant Art site; will probably, but later, work on posting them here as well. Note: they'll be filtered to Da Artsy Farts. Back in '03 Herself's uncle Visualdata introduced me to a site known as Community Zoe. I've been active there, then dropped back to lurker for a while, and recently posted some work there again. It is a Fine-Art Nude site, requires membership, is free (i.e. donations are entirely voluntary) as the primary purpose behind Zoe creating the site is for artists and models to be able to post work, critique, network a bit but not primarily that.

Also, one of the gifts I received this year is one of the Dover stencil books. If you're not familiar with these, Dover publishes quite a few. They're handy for artists looking for general ideas, and people looking for designs for silk-screening or other applications. All the work is usable, they're royalty-free designs. Dover in fact is one of the publishing companies which early on started working the digital publishing side of the industry. Most of these stencil type books include a CD these days with the designs in various formats.

This particular one is on Japanese designs. Likewise, I'd say these designs are definitely for textiles, based on thumbing through the book. Quite the happy camper with this, am I. Plus, I suspect someone is encouraging me to spend a bit more time playing in various historical venues.

I forgot to mention, as part of my post on reading and the Box of Books from Elder Sister's house, that Hunters of Dune by Brian Herbert (son of Frank Herbert) & Kevin J. Anderson was in the box as well. Against my better judgement, I read it. Alas, I was not disappointed.

I loved Dune. I experienced mild disappointment with Dune Messiah, then felt that perhaps it provided an acceptable bridge to Children of Dune. Acceptable. After Children of Dune I think the story arc should of stopped.

That, however, is merely my humble opinion. YMMV.

R is off to Deltona again on family business. I've been to the feed mill and purchased supplies; all the ranch critters are fed. It's been threatening rain, with distant thunder, enough to send Mamma Munch to her safe place. I've a load of laundry in, must go switch over soon.

Read the new HP, and must say: trio of things I'm not surprised at all about, rather expected them, and one thing I'm not surprised about per se, didn't see clearly that it was coming (specific to this piece in the series), but am interested at the way it was worked into the arc.

Thus there are no spoilers. Anyone interested in discussion, feel free to drop me an e or mention it here and I'll drop you one. I expect there's few about who've not read it by now, it being a week from release, but that's not the biggest reason for offering outside discussion.