How to Create Interesting Images 2

Yesterday, I showed you the first part of the exercise we did on “How to Create Interesting Images” – as promised here follows Part 2 – with another variation of my “Noordhoek Symphony” – all based on the exact same two images of Noordhoek Beach and our Photoshop Tools!

How to Create Interesting Images 2

In our quest on How to Create Interesting Images, we worked with two Images, the first of which we went into in PART ONE – HERE for some horizon, noise and toning corrections.

The question now is how to combine Image 1 and Image 2 to obtain the original Artwork that resulted?

The answer is: with some imagination… and some technique… and of course: Photoshop and its brilliant tools!

One could do many things, however, for this exercise, we chose to keep the sky and the Chapman’s Peak mountain range in the back (the top half of the photo) while kicking out its bottom part and replacing it with parts of Image 2.

In other words: the image would show the sea with the seaweed in the lower section and the mountains and seagulls in the sky in the upper section! As we have straight horizons in both images, this is making life very easy.

How to Fade Images into one another

This is a simple Tutorial on “How to Fade Images into one another” – just follow each step and observe what it does… then do the next:

1. Make sure you have both images in your Photoshop Layer stack, put Image 2 on top of Image 1.

2. As we wish to keep the mountains and sky (upper part) of Image 1, we need to fade out the upper part of Image 2 – the image that sits on top of it – meaning: if we get this part transparent then the image from below shows through – logic and simple, right?

This is what you do:

3. Make sure that you see foreground color: black and background color: white on your Tools Menu to the left. Fine!

4. Make sure you are on the Image 2 layer (eye is open, layer is blue).

5. Now click the Vector Mask icon just underneath (3rd icon from left… between the chain and the bin). You will immediately see a white mask appearing to the right of the thumbnail on your layer with Image 2. Bravo!

6. Now click on Gradient Tool (G) on the left tool box. You see some little editing tools open at the top bar. Make sure you are really on the black to white gradient there and that the linear version is selected (the one to the far left of the 4 variations). Almsot there!

7. Now you simply place your cursor on top of the ‘sky’ on Image 2 9outside the image, anywhere!) and pull it down vertically as far as you think the fade of the sky of the top Image 2 should go. It’s like pulling down a curtain of transparency! Just try it and experiment to get the hang of it. You can push the top layer up or down as you feel it… and you can use the eraser (large brush, low opacity to progress gradually) to wipe out everything you don’t want to see. You can even paint with an eraser!

Continue refining both images – 1 and 2 – until you have the desired effect. Duplicate each to be on the ‘safe’ side and merge Image 1 and Image 2 to one image that you can now work on with any Photoshop filters or PhotoTools.

Look at your picture and let your imagination tell you what it could be about – then add some text in fancy fonts, like a headline. “Noordhoek Beach – Gene was here!” could be fun! We would all recognize Chapman’s Peak in Noordhoek, South Africa – but depending on the emphasis you place where, the rest could be astonishing!

There’s nothing than going ahead and trying it all out yourself – with my 2 images or your own. The principle of fading one photo into another by using the Photoshop vector mask remains the same.

Have Fun! I am looking forward to seeing our Team members’ results at tonight’s Ycademy Call!

How to Create Interesting Images

With all our birthday kids out and about last night, we decided to do some Photoshop work on “How to Create Interesting Images” – including some issues some members had asked me about. While I had prepared the exercise as explained further down, I followed it as anyone else. We were all captivated by the creative process – and here is my version of “Noordhoek Symphony”.

How to Create Interesting Images

How to Create Interesting Images – the exercise… started with two simple untouched digital photos I had taken on Noordhoek Beach:

Image 1

Here the exercise was how to correct the horizon and give the images some quick punch with simple Photoshop possibilities, especially using Levels. There’s also a fine noise reduction filter that did its job when correcting some speckles in the blue sky surrounding the top seagull. Worked just brilliantly – and fast!

Try this with the small version of my image above and see the difference.

How to correct a horizon

If you never knew how to correct a horizon, then this exercise was a fast and easy way of doing it.

We normally have an inert sense of balance and immediately perceive if lines are not the way they should be in an image. Well, I sense it instantly – and while it may be a creative element when placed and calculated correctly, the rest is just an excuse for not going the extra mile to get things right in a picture. An educated eye picks it up – always.

Unlike most people, I seem to have a little “eye factor” that makes my horizons slip to one side, always the same side. So I have to correct these errors immediately, when taking the image… or afterwards as I showed yesterday.

To correct a horizon this is what you do:

1. Pull down the ruler over your image in a way that it shows how the straight horizon should be.

2. Then pull a frame (marching ants) around your entire picture with the frame tool.

3. Now go Edit > Transform > Rotate and, with the little markers that appear on the corners and center points of the frame – and your mousetip turned into a little handle, rotate the image until the horizon is ‘straight’. It may now be higher or deeper – that’s OK as – once you’re fine and you go back to “Move Tool”, you can now move the image as you wish.

Just try it.

But we’re not finished yet! Depending ont he size of the correction, we now see that the picture goes sort of ‘overboard’ here and there as we rotated it. This is what we do now to get a fine, clean image:

4. Pull down the top (horizontal) and left (vertical) rulers and enclose the image in a way that all the bad parts are outside the ‘frame’.

5. Go Image > Crop.

Finished! You have a somewhat smaller picture – as we had to cut away some of it – but it should now look absolutely balanced and fine.

The Golden Rule of Thirds

We also mentioned the ‘Golden Rule of Thirds’, that we had worked on on Monday as well. You don’t normally want a horizon to pass straight through the center of an image… although it can work out if there is interesting ‘stuff’ lined up to lead towards it. . . as here we have the curves of the waves, but it’s not ideal.

So, in creating my final Artwork as you see above, I worked with this in a different way.

The question now is: how did I get from Image 1 to what we see as the final version above?

The answer is: by adding Image 2 to it in a spiffy way… which I will explain to you in my next post!

Hang in there if you are interested in creating interesting images from your digital photography material!

Comments are most welcome!

Happy Birthday Yorgo

Happy Birthday Yorgo – and may you enjoy your special “Schnapsjahr” starting with 25 May 2011! 55 makes the world go around!

Happy Birthday Yorgo

Happy Birthday – and a resounding “Hoch soll er leben!” from all around the world… and especially from all those on the Semiomantics Team whose lives you’ve touched with wisdom, generosity and vision on our mutual “Path to Profitability”.

Thank You from the YORGOO Team!

QR Code Art

QR Code Art – what the heck is that now?

Following Yorgo’s creative invitation HERE I could obviously not resist to play with the interesting code, especially as Art, Web Graphics and Web Design are all along my line – and I always wanted to create a bookcover for Semiomantics. So here is one of my quick excursions in form of a direct application – more on it see below:

QR Code Art

Besides creating the QR Code Art itself, what interested me as well was the behaviour of certain fonts I plan to use on my Noordhoek Project at the coming Ycademy Seminar this weekend.

Custom Bookcover for Semiomantics Demystified

The custom bookcover for “Semiomantics Demystified” integrates my QR Code Art Design perfectly as you see below… and yes, it just started with the simple QR Code in black and white… nothing else!

Custom Bookcovers at WP Best eShop

Custom Bookcovers are available at my SHOP HERE – and as I am and always was passionate about books and even created bookcovers by hand in the traditional French way during my years in Paris, France, and later produced Graphic Artwork for large Publishing Houses in Germany – I would be very pleased to work on any bookcover project; just get in touch with me via the Contact Form.

Malachite Sunbird

The Malachite Sunbird – or so-called Green Sugarbird – is endemic to the Cape Peninsula, right at the tip of Africa. It depends on the many nectar-producing plant species and the insects attracted to them on which they feed  – especially the sugarbush Protea, the Pincushion Protea Leucospermum and Pagodas Mimetes, as well as Eucalyptus trees, Agave americana, and the New Zealand Christmas Tree (Metrosideros excelsa) – all of which I grow in my garden here in Noordhoek.

Malachite Sunbird Stamp

The Malachite Sunbird and its joyful voice is such a typical presence down here in South Africa that I decided to dedicate one of my specially designed stamps to it!

Voila the Malachite Sunbird Stamp!

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Wegowell Publishing

Wegowell Publishing was lost and no longer seen… but it will hopefully be completely regained as Neil Dimanond sings… in other words: it was rediscovered, totally cleaned out, upgraded to 2.8.4 on Semiomantics and brought onto a new path to Google Top 10 today!

Wegowell Publishing

While wegowell.com was initially planned for quite another purpose, our plans have changed and the new “Wegowell Publishing” will be focusing on Media, Communication and Design – all topics I have been writing about, with an emphasis on Web Design and Web Graphics as part of Design.

Wegowell Publishing Logo

To relax a bit from the boring clean-out, I started experimenting and designed a picture that could well be the start of a sexy Wegowell Publishing Logo.

What interested me here was firstly the background design with its original color array; I hope it’s not only my new screen that gives me such sparkling colors :) You may have guessed right: I created it from an original picture I took in my garden.
Secondly, I wanted to achieve an interesting tension between two sets of fonts, of which one should be in the initials in big – WP for Wegotop Publishing – and in transparent fonts.

Transparent Fonts

Transparent Fonts are achieved when playing with the many effects in the Layer Style Options of Photoshop.

I am not aware whether transparent fonts are available otherwise, but here practice makes perfect and the more we know our tools and exercise with the diverse options, the better the results achieved.

I never really focused on transparent fonts this consciously before, so I had to find my way through the jungle of fine effects and nuances of light and shadow. . .  and there’s room for improvement.

[singlepic id=61 w=460 h=345 mode=web20 float=]

What is fascinating is always what we find along the way when actually looking for something else… and so Photoshop never stops to surprise and amaze me; it has its price, but it’s simply a magnificent program!

I will come up with some other variations for Wegowell Publishing soon!

Transparent Fonts

My Transparent Fonts are well on their way up on Google Top 10 – thanks to the Semiomantics XO Script performance!

Transparent Fonts

Transparent Fonts integrated in an African Seascape I created from scratch.

In this variation I researched Transparencies in different ways – water, water ways, distant horizons… brief:  space and time.

And the experiments with transparent fonts and transparent backgrounds continue. . .

Transparent Fonts

Transparent Fonts are easily achieved by creating a stroke around the font itself  (Edit > Stroke) and then varying the opacity of the typography layer itself by playing with the percentages – just as I showed in my previous post.

Transparency follows Imagination

All layer-based graphic programs – like Photoshop – allow us endless possiblities to play with varying opacities.

While President Barack Obama was just awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace. . . whoever discovered the ‘layer principle’ and made it available to all of us deserves a Genius Prize… I thank that person daily!

'Circle Experiments' with Nostalgia and Grunge !

This picture here is just another variation of my basic simple  “Circle Experiment” – where I started off with a single circle and just added more and more until I ended up with an interesting Graphic Design – this time a mixture between Nostalgia and Grunge sealed in HOT RED and dripping all over :)

I played with filters, transparencies, colours and light adjustments to create more variations… and then I went into extracts and details.

Transparency follows Imagination… and I love being surprised and astonished by it!

Transparent Fonts on Google Top 10

“Transparent Fonts” as a keyword on Google has a whopping 57,3 million returns – and my article from a few hours ago today is on Google Top 10. . . just after Auctiontalklive and Yorgo Nestoridis!

Amazing. . . but not good enough as I cannot take a good screenshot with everything visible at the top plus my post at the bottom of page one, I’m just too far down! Or I need another screen. . . a vertical one HA!!!

The alternative?

Let’s see if we can move up a little and show, once again, the power of Semiomantics XO!

Let me post quickly and you keep your fingers crossed :)

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Transparent Fonts

Following my experiments with transparent backgrounds, I continued to research more lightness by playing with Transparent Fonts.

Transparent Fonts

In this example I created Transparent Fonts for my Header Graphic.

I was interested to see how the transparency of the font would impact on the Grunge Font I am using here… and whether this would add to the sense of visual flow within the overall ‘liquid theme’ I created in this Blog. I added a gradient as well to achieve that effect.

Transparency Gradients

In the following example, I increased the opacity of the red gradient to 80%.

[singlepic id=55 w=480 h=320 mode=web20 float=]

Stroke Effects

It’s all about details… and experimenting until the desired effect or result is achieved.

[singlepic id=56 w=480 h=320 mode=web20 float=]

Above here,  I took off the stroke around the transparent fonts… however with the red at the bottom, the typography is perhaps a little heavy, like sinking downwards… and I want it to flow harmoniously along.

The only way to see is to try a different version… so here I turned the transparency gradient around:

[singlepic id=57 w=480 h=320 mode=web20 float=]

WOW! Interesting “Design in the Mist” … so to give it a bit more stability without being too harsh, I re-activated the Stroke Effect, however with only around 50%.

[singlepic id=58 w=480 h=320 mode=web20 float=]

I’m quite happy with this version although I could continue endlessly with the “Transparent Fonts” theme, especially as I love everything around Transparency, Luminosity, Transition, Transformation and the rest of that incredible lightness of Being . . .

So I’m never finished… !

. . .

Postal Stamp Art

Postal Stamp Art

Announcing a brand-new Postal Stamp on “Art” based on an original painting by Bianca Gubalke, South Africa:

Stamp ART by Bianca Gubalke

More items in this private Postal Stamp Art collection can be seen HERE. Please scroll down!

Fun with Web Graphics

Creative Portraits

If you’ve followed my series “How to Create Web Graphics”,  studied the examples and applied the paths to get there, then you know that you can influence any landscape, picture or photo in the same way… and the Fun with Web Graphics really starts with Creative Portraits.

Gene Line Variations

Allthough I had the tiniest, lousiest picture from our “Cars Daily Chronicle” partner Gene Line in the US… and I didn’t have tons of time on my hand, here’s a series of quick portraits where I applied what I taught you and some additional filters that I will show you later.

Please note I only used one mode per picture so you can check it out yourselves easily. Of course I could now combine and work with transparencies, add more colours and effects etc etc… the choices are endless!

Click the below picture to get a medium size… I did the original 33% bigger :)

"Gene Line Variations" by Bianca Gubalke

Fun with Web Graphics

All I want is inspire and motivate you to exercise your creative muscles and also have Fun with Web Graphics!

What do you need for this?

Gene Line 118x119 !!!

Ideally, good photo material – which I didn’t have… this is the picture I started out with… yes, this is the original size… 118×119! LOL Gene…

I guess I have to work on my reputation; I’m sure Andy Warhol got the sexiest pictures from Marilyn Monroe to create his famous series of portraits. He was just ahead of time; today YOU can do your own… using the amazing graphic computer tools and programs we have at our fingertips!

Look forward to tonight’s YCADEMY Training Call!

Have Fun with WebGraphics !

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Creating Web Graphics 6

Creating Web Graphics for Nutrinsider

In the “Creating Web Graphics for Nutrinsider 1 – 5″ series I explained the basics of what was needed to kickstart the new dynamic Blog “Nutrinsider” in a visually pleasant way. While I will soon create the Default Pictures for the Main Categories in different sizes as the layout demands, I am currently focusing on writing some good original content in order to get first visibility on Google as well as to test and measure some spiffy strategies.

All this can be followed daily on my Authority Blog… with corresponding results as to positionings on Google Top 10.

Creating Web Graphics on Google

Like it or not, on the Internet it’s all about high visibility and top performance on Google. That’s where people look with an almost automatic reflex to find what they are searching… and that’s where we have to pop up, right there, right then. Nobody looks on page 3 or 10 or 100, never mind 1 million… and there are tremendous search results, just look at the screenshot below! Awe-inspiring!

“Creating Web Graphics” are a ‘Niche’ that is of importance to me personally as it’s here where I want to establish myself over time, offering my Products and Services as concerns the Internet; after all I was very active in the Fine Arts and Graphic Design Industry in Europe for over 20 years.

Therefore, as with all the other Topics I am writing about for specific and often Team-related reasons, I also have to keep an eye on where I want to position myself on Google so that interested people and potential customers can find my work when they look for it… and of course I have to build my Name, Brand, Reputation and Authority.

So where do we find Creating Web Graphics on Google today, 11 August 2009?

Here’s the screenshot. . . Number ONE ahead of 51,8 MILLION Search returns :

Bianca Gubalke Web Graphics on Google

Creating Web Graphics on Semiomantics Scripts

It seems that the combination of Creating Web Graphics on Semiomantics Scripts – be it the Author Blogs, NewsCast, YORGOO Blaster and/or YORGOO Booster – really works well when the Focus is clearly defined in terms of keywords and the Editing is smart and targeted as we teach in our monthly Ycademy Seminars, the next one coming up on 29 and 30 August 2009.

And as we notice with all our publications throughout the YORGOO Business Network: once an article is picked up by the YORGOO Publishing Network it gets additional drive and, as you see above and in our daily proof of Google Top 10 performance, it’s carried to the top by various Semiomantic Blogs, occupying space on keywords of interest to the Team.

Look forward to more Tips on “Creating Web Graphics” soon!

. . .

Global Sports US

There’s nothing better than People who are professionals and know what they are doing… and are passionate about what they do!

There’s Felisa Ryan from London who got her “Business Market Watch London” on the road, powered by Semiomantics Scripts (YORGOO Press)  and first exclusive Kicks (!!!) and Web Graphics by Bianca Gubalke.

There’s Global Sports US in London who get the right Kicks with the right People – never mind the Caps… and by the way, why was Michael Jordan smiling at Huggy?

There’s Yorgo Nestoridis, the Wizzard of Alls, with a fortissimo feeling for what’s getting the cool Kicks on Google … the TOP KICKS … where People look for sneakers, pumps and the hottest stuff on earth PRONTO and money in hand!

Arghh… what’s Money if you can be first to get the latest Kicks?

AuctiontalkLive with Global Sports US  on Top of Google

Kicks me Honey, I can’t believe how fast we conquered 83 Million returns… and we gonna pumps it up even more, powered by YORGOO Publishing. . .

AuctiontalkLive with "Global Sports US" on TOP of Google

Global Sports News

Wow … this very instant I see that there are Global Sports News with some super tips and explanations as to how the brand-new Global Sports web site functions – as to loading pictures and banners… to feed the picture and news stream … called Editing.

That’s a great job for someone who’s Creative and can quickly lay his hands on the latest Brands, News and of course and most importantly: super-sharp pictures of the stars… da Nike Kicks in London, da Nike Sneakers in New York… and don’t forget South Africa with the Soccer World Cup kick-off in 2010!

Global Sports People

I like the Peoples’ Images and having a background in the Fine Arts and attended countless Vernissages and Openings and all that stuff in the “zone”, that’s what People like today: look good, feel good, see and be seen… and you know what?

The Internet is Forever!

Advertising in the printed media is come and go as you pay – that’s it. Today in, tomorrow out…  and forgotten… unless you keep it up of course. Who can do that?

The Internet is Forever!

Yes! Once you got into the hotspot on the net, the limelight… your moment of glory: that’s it… you’re in, you’re there and you’ll stay! Show your grand kids one day you’ve been there, rubbed shoulders with Beauty and the Beast … and they can get their kicks out of it too! Caps & Kicks Events… forever!

Spontaneous Sketches

Of course, with Global Sports in London being a major topic on YORGOO Press right now, I had to do a little spontaneous sketch…  it all starts with a stimulus, a passion, a dream… or simply a kick:

"Global Kicks" - Spontaneous Sketches by Bianca Gubalke (18)

Note the little thumbs-up… and as you know… you never know where these sketches may take us. . . But that will be another post in the race to conquer Google!

Happy Kicks and to be continued. . .

Bianca Gubalke

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Hat for Brenda Baker

Cape Town, 22 April 2009 – by Bianca Gubalke

In yesterday’s “Spontaneous Sketch” we visualized our friend Brenda Baker in New Zealand, who is currently switching her business  ‘hat’  from her summer activity – growing freesia bulbs – to her winter activity of sewing and knitting… and for her online Newspaper “Livingrural” she is switching her Author’s Hat now to a Publisher’s Hat.

So it was all about… hats!

If you thought the quick sketch was mere imagination, you are right. However, there’s always an inner vision or drive behind any form of  ‘materialization’… here’s what I mean :

Hat for Brenda Baker by Bianca Gubalke

Brenda is getting ready for winter, but there will always be a fragrance of cheerful freesias around her.

And it all started with a spontaneous sketch – just 10 seconds in this case.
There will be more in a little while… I am on my way to meeting with Besma Bashier from Jordan who’s on the verge of starting a completely new Life. You’ll soon hear about it!

Bianca Gubalke

Jelly and the Bunnyfish

Cape Town, 20 April 2009 – by Bianca Gubalke

Yesterday’s post on “Jam or Jelly?” was cause for quite some discussion and merriment… and the article went straight to the top of Google capturing 8/10 entries on page 1 – here’s this morning’s screenshot with 1,61 million returns:

Communication per Jelly Post on Google Page 1

To improve the ‘stickiness’ of the article and adding to it the Greek Easter spirit and fragrance that were sent to us via the virtual highway just to make us hungry…, I felt like sketching a Bunny…

A Bunny for Laetitia to be exact – mother of all French Bunnies  :)

Bianca Gubalke Spontaneous Sketches 5 - Jellybunny

The question was: what had a Rabbit to do with a Jelly?

Jellyfish Rabbit Alba

Well, if you are shaking your head right now you better be prepared for this… : remember I mentioned that green fluorescent protein (GFP) plus another bioluminescent protein, called aequorin, that cause the jellyfish’s bioluminescence?

That’s it… here exactly is the link (… sorry Gene, you’re just in all da genes) :

Transgenic bunny by Eduardo Kac

That’s today’s reality: Jellyfish DNA in a rabbit! They called it Science, they called it Art, they called it “Gene(sis)” at the Berkeley Art Museum.

Karen Macklin wrote in September 2003:
“… you’re thinking, “That can’t be natural.” Well, it isn’t. The artist, with the help of a scientist, injected jellyfish DNA into the embryo of an albino rabbit, and voilà — a bunny that fits in better at Burning Man than on a farm. Both a science and art experiment, Kac’s controversially transgenic bunnyfish is the perfect poster child for BAM’s current show, “Gene(sis).” Yet it’s just a drop in the petri dish.

“Gene(sis)” — subtitled “Contemporary Art Explores Human Genomics” – is a multifaceted visual experience that investigates what the mapping of the human genome means to our world — emotionally, aesthetically, and scientifically. The exhibit includes more than 100 works by nationally recognized artists who take on unwieldy issues like…

- the ethics of genetic research,
- the questions of DNA ownership, and
- the implications of cloning.

While this important discussion is normally reserved for researchers toting jargon-riddled textbooks, it’s articulated here through tactile and visual media, making comprehension for the layperson not only possible, but also inviting.”

The Transgenic Bunnyfish!

While I don’t even want to think of the implications of a fluorescent bunny – or any other small animal for that matter being an easy prey already and having no other means of protection than to hide and to run real fast in case of danger – the fact that “this worked” is simply amazing! Whether we haven’t got more urgent matters to deal with on planet Earth is of course a totally different story… but not for today :)

I rather keep it ‘sketchwise’ – and to continue my journey through the Bunnylogy on Photoshop, I added some colour to create a ‘hotbun’ – not transgenic… just lavishly luminous and focused on the good things in life!

Bianca Gubalke Images - Bunnyfish

On a last note: having read Michael Crichton’s book on Genetic Engineering not too long ago, we can say we ‘evolved’ over the past 6 years since luminous Alba came to fame. The following excerpt dealing with the background of this “radiant rabbit” could be a chapter from his well researched, well written and thought-provoking book ‘Next”:

“Alba was created by Louis-Marie Houdebine, research director of the Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique in France, using a process called zygote micro-injection.

In this process, the gene responsible for a fluorescent green glow was cut out of a jellyfish cell and injected into the fertilized rabbit egg cell that would eventually grow into Alba.

As the egg cell divided and replicated, the “green gene” replicated along with it, thereby making its way into every cell in Alba’s furry body.

The radiant rabbit now lives with Kac, his wife Ruth and daughter Miriam in their Chicago home.

Alba is the first specimen of what Kac calls transgenic art — “a new art form based on the use of genetic engineering to transfer natural or synthetic genes to an organism, to create unique living beings.”

Fluorescence genes have been used in scientific research since 1995, when scientists at Stanford University began splicing such genes into the tumour cells of experimental animals.

The gene causes the tumour to emit a glow which increases as the tumour grows and decreases as the tumour shrinks, allowing researchers to study the effectiveness of drug treatments.”
Anyone wants to go first for ‘luminous lashes’? I am sure it’ll work and be a hit . . . !

Let’s Jelly!

Bianca Gubalke

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Jam or Jelly?

Cape Town, 19 April 2009 – by Bianca Gubalke

The Internet is full of surprises… especially when following and researching a certain line of thought…  in this case:

“Why would someone call something a Jelly?”

When collecting the deliciously fragrant ripe quinces with that slightly sticky velvet coating from my tree to make jam or jelly, I didn’t think that “jam and jelly” would become an issue in my online work from home environment!

Firstly, what actually is the difference… I mean between jam and jelly?

The answer is simple and sounds like coming straight from an Ycademy Business Seminar: the contents and the look!

Basically, both jam and jelly are made from fruit mixed with sugar and pectin, however, the main difference lies in what form the fruit takes: in jam we deal with the whole fruit – meaning every edible part of it like seeds and peels (which gives it a significant texture) … In jelly the fruit comes in the form of fruit juice or as a liquid leftover from making jam  (which makes it sort of semi-transparent). Also, unlike jelly, jam does not need added pectin.

These thoughts shot spontaneously through my head when reading yesterday’s article by Yorgo Nestoridis about the “Jelly Idea” … and of course I had my mouse ready for the next “spontaneous sketch”… just wait for it :)

I don’t know about you, however, this whole Jelly story was totally new to me. I’m much more into jams than jellies, see… and as we are on the topic: Jam Sessions make a lot of sense to me… in fact, they were always part of my life to this very day… those magic moments in the garden or in the community when all sorts of musicians – amateurs and professionals – come together and “jam” – often improvising spontaneously without any special preparation, just for the fun of it… or to experiment with new arrangements. And as in the early 1940′s in New York, today’s Charlie Parkers also try to outdo each other with powerfully improvised solos that are absolutely divine!

So now that we’ve gone through the Jams, let’s look at the Jellies… which brings to mind those extraordinarily graceful semi-translucent aquatic fairies that can be found in the oceans and aquariums … and sometimes splashed on the beaches. Personally, I had quite some ‘toxic and extremely painful embraces of these fine and almost invisible tentacles when scuba diving in the magic waters of the Philippines… Believe me, a jellyfish sting burns like fire even 30 feet under water… I remembered it vividly when giving it a spontaneous 20 second shot on the “Life is Lemon Pie” tool:

Bianca Gubalke Spontaneous Sketches 4 - Jellyfish

While I do not look at jellyfish as a culinary speciality, what fascinates me with these mysterious creatures is the green fluorescent protein (GFP) and another bioluminescent protein, called aequorin, which cause the jellyfish’s bioluminescence.

Today, it has become a useful tool in biological science and medicine, eg. as a treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. In genetic engineering it is used as a fluorescent tag to show in which cells or tissues certain genes are expressed (no Gene, I don’t mean you !). Nature has it all. . . and I had to experiment with the sketch above and take it a little further this time to capture that incredible lightness of being… and the fire in the sting…

Bianca Gubalke Images - Jellyfish

So why is a Jelly called “Jelly”?

Frankly, I don’t really know, however, perhaps it has to do with those brilliant electric sparks that illuminate our thoughts and give wings to our creativity during real brainstorming sessions… ?

Maybe that’s what makes “Jellies” - started in 2006 in New York City by Amid and Luke – so popular amongst all those who like to give and take, who are always open for new ideas and who like working together with other professionals in the same online LIVE environment – like for instance our online Conference Center yorGOtalk – be it writers, internet marketers, business owners, teahcers, artists, designers, developers,  photographers, musicians, even tourism freaks, working from home moms and you name it… from all over the world!

Therfore… to  Jelly or not to Jelly is not the question, especially if you are “Working from Home” on the Internet and even writing about it like  Zo Nicholas, there is just the REAL thing: JOIN MY JELLY !

Bianca Gubalke Advertising - Join My Jelly 1

And if you’re not a black & white type but bright-eyed and sparkling with luminosity and ready for the fiery jellyfish bite: JOIN MY JELLY anyway :)

Bianca Gubalke Advertising - Jellyfish 2

OOOPS… this is Fun… so let’s Jelly!

Bianca Gubalke

PS:

Join the YCADEMY Seminar this coming weekend… and learn all about Social Media Marketing… another kind of  Jellies and more!

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Semantic Art… or what is this really?

Cape Town, 18 April 2009 – by Bianca Gubalke

Following my series of “Spontaneous Sketches” that were initially triggered by the simple “Life is Lemon Pie” tool by Yorgo Nestoridis, I promised to present you with an intuitive sketch about the recent “Susan Boyle” phenomenon… meaning a fast 30 seconds max drawing of her first appearance on stage before a large public audience and its thundering success as a result. All this as seen with my inner eye or heart… just remembering the short video, simply feeling into it.

So here it is… and quite a different aura than yesterday’s quick reflection of my own moment of fear at the time…

Bianca Gubalke Spontaneous Sketches 3 - Susan Doyle

What is this really?

Meanwhile, these innocent sketches have initiated quite some discussions… and it appears that “sketches” doesn’t seem appropriate. Admittedly, a “sketch” is something to be followed by the ‘real’ thing, say a painting. In my case, however, the sketch IS the ‘real’ – in other words the complete ‘thing’.

Firstly, I was encouraged to clearly call it “Art” . . . and secondly to work on finding a name or expression  closer to “intuitive”, something that flows directly from where we ‘see-feel-sense’ through the pen – or in my case my mouse – onto the paper – in my case the virtual screen. No interference of the conscious mind. . . pure flow.
Bottomline: ‘spontaneous’ and ‘intuitive’ are fine, ‘sketches’ ain’t.

Voila – this got me back to researching what I was actually doing… and as “semantic matching” plays such an important role in my understanding of how something is being firstly received, then transformed and assimilated or passed on (transmitted)… here I was on my way to check out the expression “Semantic Art”… one never knows without checking and for this I just love the Internet!

And guess what I found?

Semantic Art

The terminology “Semantic Art” has been around for decades. I am fascinated by the official description that goes back to a renowned Italian artist (1925-1999) , the “…maestro dell’arte semantica, Luciano Lattanzi” :

Semantic Art by Luciano Lattanzi

“Form of painting associated primarily with the Italian artist Luciano Lattanzi and the German Werner Schreib.

The term was launched in 1957 in a manifesto written by Lattanzi for his exhibition at the New Vision Centre Gallery in London and was coined to draw a parallel between their art and the forms of language. The manifesto enumerated ‘eight propositions’ and claimed that semantic art marked the decline of individualism in art and abolished the distinction between animate and inanimate objects.

Prompted by ACTION PAINTING and indirectly by Surrealism, it was based on AUTOMATISM.
The artist was required to execute drawings or paintings without conscious intervention, so tapping the unconscious. The resulting work would then comprise largely ‘natural signs’, which could be contemplated and deciphered by the artist. As products of an intelligible, rational universe, these natural signs are comprehensible, although some might be so complex as to defy adequate interpretation.

Unlike action painting, which used spontaneous means to unleash the individual psyche, semantic art was designed to probe the universal structure common to all objects. As in a language, the works are composed of signs, the meanings of which depend on their context and arrangement. These plastic signs are, however, more ‘vital’ than their linguistic counterparts.

The typical style of semantic art in drawing and painting is a densely worked pattern of such abstract shapes as circles, lines, spirals and organic forms, for example Semantic Painting (1963; priv. col., see 1964 exh. cat., pl. 11) and Semantic Drawing (1963; priv. col., see 1964 exh. cat., pl. 4), both by Lattanzi. Schreib obeyed the same aesthetic but often impressed abstract designs on to thick paste using a stamp, producing such works as Arithmetic Organization (1963; priv. col., see 1969 exh. cat.).”

Well… as we see there are parallels – be it the aspect of “Action Painting” and the fact that my drawings too are executed “… without conscious intervention”, but they are distinctly ‘individual’ and ‘animate’.

So is this “Semantic Art” according to the above?
I don’t think so… Accordingly, the search is not over and comments or suggestions are welcome.

On the other hand, this process also showed how important it is to not only adopt a name we personally feel comfortable with, but to look at its semantic meaning and existing history – today more than ever before because of the large knowledge database we have at our fingertips, the Internet.

To round off this topic for today, I will leave you with 3 quick screenshots I took with the fantastic new “Easter Egg” all participants at the YORGOO Easter Webmaster Training received… all while drawing fast and furiously without letting go my mouse… and you will see how the scene developed before my inner eye:

Susan Boyle entering the stage without any glam or sex appeal that today’s audiences expect to be stimulated out of apathy and boredom… (1) … but boy! the moment she started singing… those people became alive instantly and one could feel an electrifying wave running through the audience  (2)… an audience that exploded at her feet with thundering applause and genuine admiration when she ended…  (3)

Bianca Gubalke Images - Susan Boyle

To be continued. . .

Bianca Gubalke

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Spontaneous Sketches by Bianca Gubalke

Cape Town, 17 April 2009 – by Bianca Gubalke

Bianca Gubalke Spontaneous Sketches 2

Stage Fear

When watching the amazing Video about even more amazing Susan Boyle at her first appearance on stage before a large public audience – her dream since she was 12 years old – I remembered my own first experience … and the shock when I had my first dramatic and sweat-raising encounter with a microphone … right there and then when the whole world was watching!

Those were my feelings when doing the above rapid sketch!

Today, microphones are just cold coffee, however, stage fright is still real and even the best and most experienced actors and public speakers are haunted by it.

Tomorrow, I’ll sketch Susan Boyle’s first appearance… for sure a different “line” – let’s see!

Bianca Gubalke

Spontaneous Sketches by Bianca Gubalke

Cape Town, 16 April 2009 – by Bianca Gubalke

Bianca Gubalke - Spontaneous Sketches 1

You are an Artist or you aren’t… and when I see a new tool that grabs my imagination I play and create and I simply fly off…

This is exactly what happened with the brand-new and totally amazing tool  “Life is Lemon Pie” that I reviewed in my last post and that I invited you to discover on Yorgo Nestoridis Blog.

As some know, my background is in the Fine Arts and I always had a faible for sketches… particularly for rapid, spontaneous sketches … sort of 30 second sketches. While I adore the Masters in this field… I loved doing this Artwork myself during my years in Paris, when Art was my Life… in all expressions.

Loving Dance - especially modern dance and never missing any show Maurice Bejart or Pina Bausch produced at the time – I sat with my crayon and my sketchbook letting music and movement flow directly through my hand onto the paper without me looking at it ever… except when I stopped the line – after 30 seconds maximum.

The sketch captured the movement… or my perception of it… No corrections, no thought interfering – just fusion, just connection, just flow.  Sometimes there was just darkness around… yes, the results were sometimes astonishing!

I find the described virtual tool offers us similar possiblities… and while it needs a little exercise – especially as I am not working with a sophisticated pen and Wacom tablet but nothing but a simple mouse – I intend to produce a series of  “spontaneous sketches” … perhaps even prepare a blog … and let’s see where this adventure takes me!

I love it… and above you see today’s magic moment… which brought back memories of one of my favorite places in Africa. I am sure there will be many more.

Bianca Gubalke

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