PC maintenance
A flat piece of clay is drying in preparation for the next noun, but tonight, I’m in the process of backing up my PC to an external hard drive.
I have been dealing with two major malware infections on my desktop computer. The major components have been cleaned, but some malware has been creeping back in. For example, a search redirect: clicking on a Google search result sends me to a pharmacy web site. If I back up and click again, I get to the page I wanted.
Then this evening after a reboot, opening Firefox caused major lag and unresponsiveness. Moments later, McAfee suddenly said that I wasn’t protected. I opened it to check and found that real-time scanning was turned off. McAfee starts whenever I boot up, and I didn’t change any settings, which means something turned off McAfee’s tools right before my eyes.
That’s when I decided to drop everything and take care of this reinstallation.
Did you know that malware can actually leave “bread crumbs,” little commands that check to see if a particular malware is installed, and if not, connect to its home server to reinstall it?
For this reason, the only way to really clean everything is to repair the Windows installation.
Sun
Sun
Medium: Adobe Illustrator
I ran out of time to add some additional details in the center (behind the sun), including stylized grain, leaves, and clouds, which would have expanded the color palette. I think it feels too flat, but I wasn’t about to run to that old standby, Drop Shadow. It still was a good Illustrator exercise, though.
I sketched this out (very roughly) on paper first. I soon realized that I was at least somewhat influenced by a piece of art hanging in my living room. If I had the gear, I would’ve embossed the sun pattern onto copper, just like this piece.
I discovered this at a Salvation Army store and couldn’t resist. It reminded me of the sort of thing my grandparents would have had in their home. There, you could’ve been fairly certain that it was a gift from a missionary they supported or was something they themselves brought home from a mission trip.
In reality, I have no idea where it’s from. The embossed and enameled metal is attached to the wooden back by four big tacks. One corner has some damage like the tack was moved or replaced from its original hole. There is no label or signature anywhere.
However, the back is almost entirely unstained wood with a couple of marks that look like something had been attached with Scotch tape — maybe a description or newspaper clipping about it?
If you’ve seen anything like it, please add a comment! It’d be fun to track down the region, at least.
Oops
So I was painting the Vixen this evening… and it broke. Turns out air-drying clay is not at all strong.
I guess I can tell you now that the other noun was “hook.” My grand idea to combine “vixen” and “hook” involved making a sitting fox with the tail protruding as a coat hook. Not a functional one, being of clay, but I thought it would look nice on a wall anyway. It would have been about 3″ tall.
But the tail came off where I had attached it to the fox’s body. Obviously, I need to learn more about this clay before using it again, or at least how to connect two pieces of clay. I did enjoy carving it after it was dry, defining the vixen’s body in relief.
Just to add insult to injury, I don’t even have a photo of the unpainted piece other than the cropped photo I posted yesterday. I took three photos but only saved one on my PC, and, of course, I deleted the two which would have shown the whole piece.
This really has not been a good noun week. *sigh*
Well, onward and upward, as they say.
To make up for the lack of interesting stuff these last couple of days, check out these artists which I discovered this week:
Jason Tennant
I came across Jason’s work when I searched the ‘net for a good photo reference of foxes. There isn’t much information about him. The most I could find is this description from his “From Waters And Woods” collection homepage.
I draw inspiration from time spent being “off the grid” on a secluded parcel in the Finger Lakes, participating in natural cycles and changes; life, death, and rebirth.
The sculptures are carved out of a variety of native woods.
I found this shop from an interview featured in the latest Etsy newsletter. To quote from their bio:
Our family designs, crafts and tests quality wood toys from our new home in Boise, Idaho. The wood used for our toys is either reclaimed or FSC Certified hardwood and is sanded satin-smooth. We use a local beeswax and organic jojoba oil finish to bring out the natural beauty of the woods. Our teethers are left bare.
I like the elegant simplicity of their teethers especially.
Vixen and . . .
Vixen (WIP)
Medium: Air-drying clay
Yesterday, I was out of town for a job interview, so I didn’t have time to work on any art. (Sorry, I’ll try to announce that ahead of time from now on.) So I thought I’d double up yesterday’s noun with today!
And then I decided to use air-drying clay. Which still has to dry. That means it will be tomorrow when I paint it.
So the noun for today is actually a work in progress. I usually loathe showing artwork before I feel that it’s done. But then I realized that I could show you only one noun by cropping the photo, which also obscured the exact nature of the thing. I feel so devious. Heehee! :D
Part two (and the completed art) will be posted tomorrow.
(Gee, I hope it’s good…)
