The Spongy Apple - Art, Music, and Writing

3 notes

A painting I’m doing for the Wings of Hope cancer foundation’s art exhibit. The first painting ive done with artists watercolors - the higher intensity is very apparent in the colors. It might take a while to get used to not layering tons of paint though. Subject is mt fuji in a sunset with masked butterflies (incomplete). The theme of the exhibit is “a butterfly release.” 11x15” 140lb paper. Watercolor. ~5 hours so far…

A painting I’m doing for the Wings of Hope cancer foundation’s art exhibit. The first painting ive done with artists watercolors - the higher intensity is very apparent in the colors. It might take a while to get used to not layering tons of paint though. Subject is mt fuji in a sunset with masked butterflies (incomplete). The theme of the exhibit is “a butterfly release.” 11x15” 140lb paper. Watercolor. ~5 hours so far…

Filed under art watercolor painting butterfly butterflies water mountains sky person silhouette sunset sunrise fuji

0 notes

Anonymous asked: Hello Edward. Your blog is really cool and your handwriting is awesome. If you don't mind me asking, what fountain pens do you have?

Hello mystery person - My current collection:

TWSBI 540 Smoke F / 1.1mm italic nibs

Pelikan 215 blue/black M nib (gift)

Pelikan 150 tradition series F nib

Noodler’s Flex Nib FP (1st version)

Lamy Vista 1.1mm Italic 

Waterman Kultur F nib 

Parker IM M nib

Quite a few chinese pens

18,188 notes

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27,270 Plays
He was their FRIEND! (Dance Remix)

Harry Potter - He was their friend (Dance Remix).

(via roryflannelgan)

Filed under harry potter dance remix music

2 notes

“Because Giraffes” - Watercolor on 300gsm paper 11”x7.5” ~4-6 hours Product of not painting directly from references anymore - the sky on this one took a lot of reworking because of the contrasting shadows and clouds (it looked terrible up to around the 30 minutes before I finished it). I suppose that might say something about having faith in your brush… not sure. The giraffes are mostly because my gf likes giraffes.  Question for painters - These are scans, but do you find it better to take pictures of your paintings with a good-quality camera?

“Because Giraffes” - Watercolor on 300gsm paper 11”x7.5” ~4-6 hours

Product of not painting directly from references anymore - the sky on this one took a lot of reworking because of the contrasting shadows and clouds (it looked terrible up to around the 30 minutes before I finished it). I suppose that might say something about having faith in your brush… not sure. The giraffes are mostly because my gf likes giraffes. 

Question for painters - These are scans, but do you find it better to take pictures of your paintings with a good-quality camera?

Filed under Giraffe watercolor tree painting sunset savanna africa art sky

65,097 notes

Hilaaarious

Socialism:
You have 2 cows and you give one to your neighbour.
Communism:
You have 2 cows; the Government takes both and gives you some milk.
Fascism:
You have 2 cows; the Government takes both and sells you some milk.
Nazism:
You have 2 cows; the Government takes both and shoots you.
Bureaucratism:
You have 2 cows; the Government takes both, shoots one, milks the other and throws the milk away..
Traditional Capitalism:
You have 2 cows. You sell one and buy a bull. You herd multiplies, and the economy grows. You sell them and retire on the income.
An American Corporation:
You have 2 cows. You sell one, and force the other to produce the milk of four cows. Later, you hire a consultant to analyse why the cow dropped dead.
A French Corporation:
You have 2 cows. You go on strike because you want three cows.
Japanese Corporation:
You have 2 cows. You redesign them so they are one-tenth the size of an ordinary cow and produce twenty times the milk. You then create a clever cow cartoon image called Cowkimon and market them Worldwide.
An Italian Corporation:
You have 2 cows, but you don't know where they are. You break for lunch.
A Swiss Corporation:
You have 5000 cows. None of which belong to you. You charge others for storing them.
Chinese Corporation:
You have 2 cows. You have 300 people milking them. You claim full employment, high bovine productivity, and arrest the newsman who reported the numbers.
An Iraqi Corporation:
Everyone thinks you have lots of cows. You tell them that you have none. No one believes you and they bomb your arse. You still have no cows, but at least now you are part of a Democracy.......
Counter Culture:
'Wow, dig it, like there's these 2 cows, man, grazing in the hemp field. You gotta have some of this milk!'
Surrealism:
You have two giraffes. The government requires you to take harmonica lessons.
Fatalist:
You have 2 doomed cows...
A West-Country Corporation:
You have 2 cows. That one on the left is kinda cute.
A Brazilian Corporation:
You have 2 cows. You pay taxes for 6 cows. You have to sell one cow in order to pay the taxes. Your remaining cow gets sick and dies while waiting for availability in the public vet hospital.
Moffat:
You have two cows. Both of them are your daughters time travelling from the past where they had a brief love affair with Da Vinci making you the rightful Queen of England.

30 notes

colonialgoods: “For two years following the German annexation, Chinese Consul in Vienna Feng Shan Ho (何鳳山) issued visas to any Jew who requested one. He knew that Chinese visas to Shanghai were actually used as means for people to get to the US, England and other destinations. Under Japanese occupation, Shanghai did not require a visa for entry, but a visa - as proof of destination - was necessary for Jews to leave Austria. China’s position was not consistent in the issuing of visas to Jews. Consul General Ho’s immediate supervisor, Chen Jia, The Chinese ambassador in Berlin, was adamantly opposed to giving visas to Jews. He wanted good diplomatic relations with Germany and did not want to undermine Hitler’s anti-Semitic policy. Having learned that the Chinese Consul in Vienna was issuing a large numbers of visas to Jews, Chen Jia called Ho by telephone and ordered him to discontinue this practice. But Ho countered by saying that the Chinese foreign ministry’s orders were to maintain a liberal policy in this regard. This so angered the Ambassador that he sent his subordinate to Vienna on the pretext of investigating rumors that the Consul was selling visas. The investigator arrived unannounced from Berlin and finding no evidence of wrongdoing, returned to Berlin. He was never heard from again. In December 1938, 7000 Jews crossed the border into Switzerland and Italy. Many of them were carrying Chinese visas.” (via)

colonialgoods:

“For two years following the German annexation, Chinese Consul in Vienna Feng Shan Ho (何鳳山) issued visas to any Jew who requested one. He knew that Chinese visas to Shanghai were actually used as means for people to get to the US, England and other destinations. Under Japanese occupation, Shanghai did not require a visa for entry, but a visa - as proof of destination - was necessary for Jews to leave Austria.

China’s position was not consistent in the issuing of visas to Jews. Consul General Ho’s immediate supervisor, Chen Jia, The Chinese ambassador in Berlin, was adamantly opposed to giving visas to Jews. He wanted good diplomatic relations with Germany and did not want to undermine Hitler’s anti-Semitic policy. Having learned that the Chinese Consul in Vienna was issuing a large numbers of visas to Jews, Chen Jia called Ho by telephone and ordered him to discontinue this practice. But Ho countered by saying that the Chinese foreign ministry’s orders were to maintain a liberal policy in this regard. This so angered the Ambassador that he sent his subordinate to Vienna on the pretext of investigating rumors that the Consul was selling visas.

The investigator arrived unannounced from Berlin and finding no evidence of wrongdoing, returned to Berlin. He was never heard from again. In December 1938, 7000 Jews crossed the border into Switzerland and Italy. Many of them were carrying Chinese visas.”

(via)

(via orangegentleman)

3 notes

“Buoys at night” - Watercolor and fountain pen on 140lb paper - 11”x7.5” - 4.06.12 Liked how this one turned out with the lighting. Painted to music. Minor lines drawn with fountain pen (diluted black ink). Used a sewing needle to scratch away paint to create highlights in the buoys. No masking fluid (yet) so had to be careful to avoid painting in the white light areas…

“Buoys at night” - Watercolor and fountain pen on 140lb paper - 11”x7.5” - 4.06.12

Liked how this one turned out with the lighting. Painted to music. Minor lines drawn with fountain pen (diluted black ink). Used a sewing needle to scratch away paint to create highlights in the buoys. No masking fluid (yet) so had to be careful to avoid painting in the white light areas…

Filed under art watercolor painting buoy night water reflection orange yellow