Brain Angles - Invisible Ink

magical ice storm

2012-01-30T17:11:00.000-05:00

reference photo courtesy of William C. Alkerton

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view from the dock

2012-01-30T01:36:00.001-05:00

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lovebirds II

2012-01-28T22:16:00.003-05:00

These lovebirds just made me happy :).

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heritage stamp

2012-01-28T06:03:00.023-05:00

©2012 Michelle V. Alkerton

I incorporated the historic courthouse windows, old Main Street and the lift bridge along with rowing on the canal to speak of the downtown heritage here, but I'm not really pleased with it. Decided to share anyway :).

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distant spring

2012-01-28T05:12:00.002-05:00

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just one trail to

2012-01-27T00:26:00.007-05:00

Painful day. There will be another trail tomorrow :).

[comment from Bill when seeing only the lower half of the image: "From here it looks like a taco".] Made me laugh. He's a good man!

Submission to this week's IA Challenge - "alphabet".

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auroras

2012-01-26T17:49:00.002-05:00

Incredible time lapse auroras from January 22nd & 24th shared by Discover Magazine's blog Bad Astronomy

Auroras 22.01.12 Birtavarre Norway from Ørjan Bertelsen on Vimeo.

Birtavarre, Norway by Ørjan Bertelsen

Lights Over Lapland Photo Expedition video of CME impact on 1-24-2012 from Lights Over Lapland

on Vimeo.

Abisko National Park, Sweden, by Chad Blakley

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Walken does Poe

2012-01-26T15:01:00.001-05:00

For my fellow Poe fans, this is a must listen. The Globe and Mail published a Poetic Poe-down between James Earl Jones and Christopher Walken. I vote for Walken, hands down!

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facing adversity

2012-01-25T21:04:00.000-05:00

Another experiment with layers, textures and patterns.

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crochet poncho - WIP

2012-01-24T16:52:00.006-05:00

This is the progress of my first crochet poncho as well as my first self-portrait of the year :). I modified a knit pattern beyond recognition as I was unable to follow the instructions and convert to crochet. My main idea was to crochet the poncho in the round as I'm horrible at joining, hence the reason I freecycled the over 100 granny squares I'd crocheted when I first got hooked ;). I'm not sure if this will turn out as I don't know when I should stop the increases and make it hang nicely. It's a gift for my niece who isn't expecting it, so no problem if I tear it apart and make a lapghan instead. lol

I've linked this post with Creative Every Day 2012, W.I.P. Wednesday at The Needle & Thread Network and [in the picture] a self-portrait journey 2012. Hope you'll check them out.

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Anglian Lady

2012-01-24T09:32:00.001-05:00

More play with textures and patterns to give this barge an aged painting feel.

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enjoying the moment

2012-01-24T01:53:00.000-05:00

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wild horses

2012-01-23T19:39:00.004-05:00

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family outing

2012-01-23T15:27:00.000-05:00

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storm of the past

2012-01-23T02:17:00.000-05:00

More digital play with trees, textures and brushes.

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impatiens

2012-01-22T20:32:00.000-05:00

Just something soft and nostalgic.

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bubbling soul

2012-01-21T20:19:00.003-05:00

Realized this could be submitted for the Artists in Blogland first monthly challenge - soul.

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strings of MS

2012-01-21T16:41:00.003-05:00

One of those days with increased pain and jumbled sensations when MS controls me like a marionette. Grateful to Picnik for the tools to illustrate my discomfort with creative distraction.

[Note to others who use this online tool. It will be closing on April 19, 2012, but until then the Premium features are free. Go WILD with creativity!!]

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treeline II

2012-01-20T10:21:00.000-05:00

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treeline

2012-01-19T16:34:00.000-05:00

Cold and blowing snow here today.

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oil on water

2012-01-19T00:21:00.000-05:00

This image has always mesmerized me as colourful light beams burst from within a sphere of jumbled letters waiting to form ideas. At least that's what I see. lol What do you see?

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tumble

2012-01-18T14:53:00.000-05:00

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slightly disturbed

2012-01-18T11:56:00.001-05:00

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butterflies

2012-01-17T17:01:00.003-05:00

Submission to this week's IA Challenge - "butterflies".

Update: Seems my butterflies were chosen for the Red Carpet Gallery this week. Thanks Hettienne :).

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sting

2012-01-17T13:57:00.000-05:00

Sharpie sketch with a little digital fun.

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it's all about balance

2012-01-16T09:01:00.000-05:00

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intensity

2012-01-15T13:04:00.000-05:00

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reading - The Last Canadian

2012-01-14T15:38:00.002-05:00

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Niagara Escarpment

2012-01-14T12:40:00.000-05:00

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haiku moment

2012-01-13T18:29:00.000-05:00

Click on the Haiku Moments tab at the top of the page for easy access to my posted haiku. Hope you enjoy my random words :).

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signals

2012-01-13T07:46:00.000-05:00

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barely

2012-01-12T18:18:00.000-05:00

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the dragon within

2012-01-08T00:07:00.001-05:00

Diffusion 7/3 from my Brain Scan Art Series has always resembled a dragon to me. I felt it fitting to share it here again in this Year of the Dragon. For those wondering, yes this is my brain with a little of my computer artistry to reveal the dragon within ;). Here's a link to my entire brain scan exhibit A brain from all angles on Picasa.

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spring blitz

2012-01-07T08:21:00.000-05:00

Experimenting in a loose style of bright colour.

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don't look back

2012-01-07T05:37:00.004-05:00

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shredded

2012-01-06T13:04:00.000-05:00

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murmuration - WOW

2012-01-05T16:33:00.000-05:00

Shared by Leah over at Creative Every Day :).

Murmuration from Sophie Windsor Clive on Vimeo.

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empowering for some

2012-01-05T06:31:00.007-05:00

but I have enough limitations already

One word for the year just won't do for me. I embrace the whole lexicon of the English language as well as other languages for words that fit my needs in my ever shrinking and alternately expanding world. This lack of focus could easily be attributed to my vision issues. lol

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simply

2012-01-04T10:48:00.000-05:00

reference photo courtesy of Jeanette Metler

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haiku moment

2012-01-04T01:25:00.000-05:00

Click on the Haiku Moments tab at the top of the page for easy access to my posted haiku. Hope you enjoy my random words :).

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Lobo

2012-01-03T11:07:00.000-05:00

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notes for change

2012-01-02T01:15:00.002-05:00

Street musician at the Byward Market, Ottawa.

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Like Every New Year

2012-01-01T05:00:00.000-05:00

... I will try to be a better me.
... I will try to be more patient with myself and others.
... I will try to laugh more and cry less.
... I will play the 'Glad Game' like Pollyanna and focus on what I'm still able to do.
... I will survive!

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be well

2011-12-31T13:02:00.000-05:00

Wishing everyone a happy,

healthy & highly creative 2012!!

I hope to get into the groove once my hubby and I are over our rotten colds. Not a good way to end a year or start a new one, but a coworker kindly shared this gift with my hubby. The only celebrating we'll be doing is when we can sleep without coughing or wiping our noses raw.

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bistro memory

2011-12-31T05:21:00.001-05:00

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namesake

2011-12-30T23:19:00.003-05:00

I had a little photopainting fun with a photo of my Uncle Mich at his 60th birthday celebration last summer.

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arrival

2011-12-29T23:31:00.000-05:00

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magical tree

2011-12-28T17:46:00.000-05:00

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self-assured

2011-12-27T08:50:00.000-05:00

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questioning

2011-12-27T08:00:00.001-05:00

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all grown up

2011-12-27T03:38:00.002-05:00

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haiku moment

2011-12-26T03:49:00.000-05:00

Click on the Haiku Moments tab at the top of the page for easy access to my posted haiku. Hope you enjoy my random words :).

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the poet

2011-12-25T18:59:00.005-05:00

Another digital torn paper collage portrait to help with value sketching. This one from a reading I attended given by Canadian poet, rob mclennan (lowercase identity is his preference).

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precious metals

2011-12-24T23:42:00.000-05:00

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Happy Holidays

2011-12-23T19:27:00.000-05:00

Twenty-six years ago I transformed into an elf that jingled with each step while spreading holiday cheer. lol

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twist

2011-12-23T01:44:00.028-05:00

"...twisting is ubiquitous as a metaphor for composition."

Thom Donovan

This may be a stretch, but that's what makes it fun. The digital reference image is old, the abstract that resulted is new. The out of context quote above is borrowed and the colour palette is blue.

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pick-me-up

2011-12-22T13:27:00.001-05:00

The more pain I'm in, the less patience I have, the more sarcastic I get and the more easily deflated I become by the remarks of others. So, before returning to horizontal, I thought I'd share my little pick-me-up in case any of you are feeling out of sorts today as well.

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haiku moment

2011-12-21T18:21:00.001-05:00

Click on the Haiku Moments tab at the top of the page for easy access to my posted haiku. Hope you enjoy my random words :).

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siesta

2011-12-21T14:58:00.000-05:00

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Sister

2011-12-20T22:48:00.001-05:00

A digital torn paper collage portrait to help me visualize the effects of different mediums while my hands fail to co-operate.

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soft hues unfurling

2011-12-19T19:00:00.000-05:00

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Each New Year

2011-12-18T23:59:00.006-05:00

A time

to assess

regress

confess

refresh.

To weigh

accomplishments

failures

rights

and wrongs

to see if

the balance

has shifted.

Some celebrate

some cry

some die.

An ending

a beginning

a middle

a muddle

of lost ideals

renewed expectations

melancholy.

Paradox, 2001 & 2007

©2011 Michelle V. Alkerton

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festival of light

2011-12-17T23:34:00.006-05:00

Submission to this week's IA Challenge - "festive".

I wasn't feeling very festive until the sparkle off the garland captured my eye.

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cliff dwellings

2011-12-16T00:05:00.002-05:00

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witness framed & hung

2011-12-15T22:14:00.001-05:00

I bet you thought the post title was the headline of a horrifying news story! Nope, just that my Day 9 AEDM 2011 creation entitled "witness" is now framed and hung in our home office. Outside frame dimensions 19 ½" x 16 ½" dbl matted to 9" x 7". It is so nice to be able to hang my own creations :).

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forgotten fragments

2011-12-15T02:15:00.004-05:00

disrupted mind

tormented by knowledge

lost to the periphery

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laid back

2011-12-14T02:19:00.000-05:00

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greenspace buffet

2011-12-13T08:43:00.000-05:00

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bronze bloom

2011-12-12T16:30:00.003-05:00

Experimental griddle sculpture with UTEE.

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summer haiga

2011-12-11T15:32:00.001-05:00

craving paper

2011-12-11T09:53:00.002-05:00

Today seems to be a day of half finished thoughts, half finished ideas, half finished projects. I feel on the cusp of something. Maybe it's the drastic change in temperature that's making me crave all kinds of paper.

rough watercolour paper to splash muted colours in a random design of a memory tree
tracing paper to find the outlines of unspoken dreams
bright white paper to make the context of loosely fitted words stand out and take on a new identity
tissue paper to wrap that perfect gift still seeking its true owner
rice paper for majestic stallions reared up with minimal strokes from the Chinese brush paints always held so carefully in a fabric covered box
construction paper in bright colours shaped into aspirations to fill a jar
newspaper cut in strips and pasted over a balloon, soon to become a paper maché globe

Paper to transform my day to something less grey, less cold, something more notable and inspiring.

©2011 Michelle V. Alkerton

[edit: I have a new idea using my old non-stick griddle, parchment paper, wax crayon and UTEE. We'll see if it pans out. lol Well, it didn't work as planned, but I still have awesome material for my digital abstract art :).]

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haiku moment - at the window

2011-12-10T09:21:00.000-05:00

Click on the Haiku Moments tab at the top of the page for easy access to my posted haiku. Hope you enjoy my random words :).

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hidden treasures and spun gold

2011-12-10T08:33:00.002-05:00

hidden treasures

spun gold

Submission to this week's IA Challenge - "Christmas Balls".

Memories from past holidays as we now tie bright red ribbons to our ficus instead of erecting a traditional tree.

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tailspin

2011-12-09T11:16:00.000-05:00

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first snow

2011-12-09T10:36:00.000-05:00

from my front porch

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origins

2011-12-08T14:16:00.006-05:00

art is everywhere

My two previous pieces liquid sight and waves of reason originated from this reptilian photo. Seeing things in a new way, along with cropping, digital artistry and an evocative title, reveal beauty and the endless possibilities in creating art. Less restrictions and more experimenting help me create new pathways in this misfiring brain and keep the process exciting!

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waves of reason

2011-12-08T03:00:00.030-05:00

©2011 Michelle V. Alkerton

Patty over at Nomadic Notebook shared photos of the raw power of waves which inspired this piece.

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liquid sight - digital batik

2011-12-07T12:01:00.005-05:00

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colt

2011-12-06T11:37:00.000-05:00

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haiku moment

2011-12-05T06:31:00.000-05:00

Click on the Haiku Moments tab at the top of the page for easy access to my posted haiku. Hope you enjoy my random words :).

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colourful climb

2011-12-04T15:05:00.001-05:00

the best policy

2011-12-04T10:46:00.000-05:00

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family time

2011-12-03T19:11:00.000-05:00

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snowman collection :)

2011-12-02T15:50:00.003-05:00

I love snowmen decorations. Their whimsy always makes me smile, as does my hubby, shown here with a snowman we built back in January 2005 :).

favourite holiday movies & hats off to Amazon.ca

2011-12-01T14:27:00.003-05:00

My hubby ordered our two favourite holiday movies yesterday afternoon from Amazon.ca and they already arrived today. WOW!! We're attempting to get into the spirit of the season, so while he's out putting sparkly lights up to make our home a beacon for wayward sailors, I'm going to get comfy on the couch and pop in the It's a Wonderful Life DVD because it really is only my favourite, but he did watch it with me once :).

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haiku moment

2011-12-01T10:58:00.000-05:00

Click on the Haiku Moments tab at the top of the page for easy access to my posted haiku. Hope you enjoy my random words :).

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preparing for winter

2011-12-01T09:39:00.001-05:00

My preparation for winter this year included some play with the warm reflection of icicles hanging from the streetlight during a snowstorm. It's always a pleasant surprise how light can change our perception of things.

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the raven - AEDM Day 30

2011-11-30T12:00:00.006-05:00

Submission to this week's IA Challenge - "English literature".

Result upon thinking of Edgar Allan Poe's, "The Raven" and my attempt to find some light in the darkness. I've enjoyed sharing in so much creativity this month and thank Leah over at Creative Every Day for hosting AEDM again this year. Thanks also to all the kind people who have been visiting my brain and commenting on my art.

Check out AEDM info here

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vertigo - AEDM Day 29

2011-11-29T08:00:00.001-05:00

Just a sampling of what I dealt with last night. It's settled enough that I'm no longer bouncing off the walls, but I will probably avoid the stairs today. lol Have I mentioned MS sucks?

Check out AEDM info here

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