Skywatch No. 17

Tulips in the sky.

It's been a very overly warm two days here (which does not make me feel better about being in Taiwan this June), but everything's looking nice now. I have a week left of classes, then I'm out. It's good.

Anyhow, I went out earlier this week and noticed that these bright fuschia tulips had bloomed out front. I'd always wanted to take pictures of flowers from beneath, and I finally found some whose stems were long enough for it to be easily done. The number of good/passable photos from this shoot was surprisingly high. If I upload them somewhere else, I'll post the link.

Skywatch No. 16

We drove through Ontario on our way to New York last month, and stopped at Niagara Falls. This is the second time I've been there at night- their nighttime display is quite exciting, but a little over-dramatic. Personally, I still think it's more impressive by day.

Strobe lights illuminating the mist over the falls: 

The photo is actually from my previous visit a couple of years ago- this year's was a cold, wet, and rather miserable fifteen-minute excursion. But hey.

Spring at Last

Finally, two months late, comes spring in Michigan.

(This is a very rare occurance, as we usually have winter, winter, a period of hot weather, and winter.)

The temperatures are warming up (though we're to be hit with a cold front again tomorrow) and things are blooming. A robin has commenced its ceaseless flying into our rather very filthy and visible windows. Neighbours' cats have been let out and are irritatingly roaming here and there. The sky is at last starting to lighten at 6 am and the sun in the sky by 7. It's about time, I say.

A Sunrise

It's finally been getting to that point where the sunrise starts its subtle glow in the early hours in the morning again. I still wake to a dark sky but by the time I leave it doesn't feel quite so... desolate, for lack of a better word.

Where I live, most plants haven't budded sufficiently to make it look like it's spring, though it officially has been for week or so. However, the improving weather, in conjunction with the onset of spring break (meaning a week off classes starting today) has put everything in a considerably better light, personally. 

Food for Thought

...or maybe more for the eye.

Pomegranate. A classic winter fruit. The hassle involved in preparation pays off- it's not only filled with all manners of vitamins, antioxidants, and other good stuff, but it also tastes fabulous.

Fresh beans, anyone? Sounds unappealing, perhaps, but terminology and connotations can be misleading.

Of Colors and Acrylic Paint

Most of the time, there's nothing wrong with bright colors. They're meant to be light and cheerful, but at other times, bright colors need to avoided or at least used conservatively. So suppose you've already laid down a layer of acrylic paint, hoping that when it dries the color will be not quite as blatantly loud and lacking in subtlety. Suppose, as frequently happens, that this does not occur.

What is this? Barney? The Incredible Hulk? Eww.

Instead of applying another coat (one of the lovely advantages of acrylic), try a light wash. Dilute a dark, neutral color, such as brown or black, and brush it over the offending brightness. This will give the surface a nice, aged, toned-down look. Unfortunately, the effect is not always strong enough. In this case, you will need another coat- but remember to blend first this time.

Second coat over the weak wash. Still wet, but much better.