"Like Weather" - more images and text

This is the back cover of "Like Weather", my flag book. It is the image I was originally thinking of using for the flags, but I have chosen one which I think works better. Throughout the book there are photos of clouds together with digital alterations. I hope this implies something of a tension between the real and the virtual, the reality of a situation and our emotional response to it.

I have also used completely different text from the first version I posted here. I decided to take a more conceptual approach, with which I feel more comfortable. I am not at all experienced at writing narrative and I know it is not something you can just "whip up".

Below is the new text:

Between 11pm May 14th and 11pm May 15th, 2007, for every hour that I was awake, I recorded my predominant emotion.

11pm optimistic

12am peaceful

9am confused

10am anxious

11am tense but sleepy

12pm rushed

1pm tired

2pm relaxed

3pm down

4pm peaceful

5pm excited

6pm doubtful

7pm rushed

8pm thoughtful

9pm emotional

10pm thoughtful

11pm satisfied

Flag book - Like Weather

Cover image for the flag book I am working on

I have been making progress VERY SLOWLY on the flag book I started some months ago. The first rough of the inside can be seen here and some work on images along the way in this earlier post. I am getting close to finishing the final draft, which I REALLY want to post off to my supervisor by the end of this week (only 3 weeks late for my (luckily) self-imposed deadline....)


Anyway this (above) is the cover I have come up with - developed from this photo:
It was taken while flying home from Melbourne for Christmas the first year that we moved down there (2003). Back then the camera I had was only 2 megapixels! And it cost an exorbitant A$500, which was all I could manage to scape together. Who would think that in such a short time mobile (cell) phones would have more powerful cameras!

This is the image for the back of the concertina spine to which the flags are attached. It is also developed from the same photo. There is also an image for the back cover, but I am still refining it, so I won't post it yet.

I am really hopeful that I will finish printing all the pages today and then I can work on putting the book together.

I'm back....with a new toy!

My "new" Epson Stylus Photo 2100

Here you can see my new printer - an exciting studio acquisition which arrived this week. It uses the fabulous Ultrachrome inks (not the K3 though) which are considered the best for fine art applications and prints up to A3. New it costs about A$1300-1400, but I was able to pick this almost new one up on Ebay for less than half that! Boy! am I happy! I am currently working on installing the ICC profiles and getting things sorted so that what I see on my monitor is what is printed - a ridiculously complicated process! After all, it is what we all want, so why can't they make it a bit more automatic???

I must apologize profusely for the lengthy gap in posts without some sort of explanation. As those kind cyber-pals who emailed me guessed, I have been pretty sick and fell into quite a funk as I contemplated the seemingly endless cycles of disappointment that relentlessly pursue me, like the wolf in my childhood dreams. On another day, I might well contemplate the cycles of successful achievement that punctuate my illness....it all depends on...well goodness knows, but I suspect various hormones have a lot to answer for.

During my break I have finally placed the ashes of my beloved father. He died nearly 2 years ago, but we only recently received his ashes as he donated his body to the University of Queensland for research and learning purposes. This was his final act of generosity in a life punctuated by many such acts. I have to confess that it also demanded similar generosity from those of us who loved him, as it interrupted the rituals that are such an important part of grieving. At last we have a place to visit in his memory, and this is more comfort to me than I would ever have believed.

A little progress on my masters work has been made, not as much as I would have hoped, but I will post some images and information about this soon. I just wanted to reach out and make contact again - only eleven weeks till my next trip to Melbourne, so I really have to be hope than I can be productive in this time, or face reality...