Thanksgiving 2024

I usually begin a Thanksgiving work in late October as I think I work best with autumn and fall colors. By the time I finish it is about Thanksgiving time and this year is just a little early.

My art is in mandala form and created on a Cartesian matrix, that is I utilize a canvas of, in this case, 3600 x3600 pixils. The mandalas that I create are built around a pattern of intertwining mazes and labyrinths. In the case of this piece, the width of each ''wall'' of the maze/labyrinth is ten pixils.

Once I have the matrix established I begin to create the maze/labyrinth. With this piece I formed the central cross with descending color steps around which I form the maze/labyrinth system. I work, in this case on one eighth of the canvas. Once that eighth is finished I copy it, paste it rotate it 90 degrees and flip it over and match the copy to the original eighth. Taking this quarter I repeat the process matching the four quarters together for the whole piece.

At this point, I begin to add my colors. Until this point, I have only used different shades of grey that can later be filled in with the colors I choose

For some odd reason depending upon what focus I use to view that grey page, be it in close so that each pixil is visible or far out so that the entire piece is visible, different patterns emerge that I can chose from to begin the choices of accenting and colors I will use.

Each piece is done with a resolution of 300 pps that will print up to a forty eight by forty eight square print. In order to get the entire piece downloaded for this format the piece needs to be diminished by half.



Here is a closer look at the maze/labyrinth system

a reply to: BingoMcGoof

It’s beautiful! How many hours does it take to make something like that?

So, is this an actual "maze", like a starting point and an ending point with a continuous line from beginning to end...OR is this just a graphic piece?

If maze...then where is the beginning / starting point, and where is the end / exit?

I love mazes, especially difficult ones. I'd love to understand this one...if it's truly a "maze".

Note - I don't see any entry or exit points from the different boxes, but maybe I'm missing them.

Thanks.

a reply to: BingoMcGoof

That's really nice.

a reply to: Myhandle

Days. Weeks sometimes, depending. In a manner I see my art as architectural, in that it is made up of thousands of smaller pieces that all must fit together perfectly. Sometimes being off one little pixil, if not caught in time can cause the entire project to be off kilter when I put the pieces into a final mandala. Sometimes I have worked for long periods of time only in the end to find that I made a major miscalculation and I need to dump it.

Thanks for the question My.

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk


It's not so much a maze or just a labyrinth. A maze is a long path with a lot of dead ends. A labyrinth is one long continuous path with no ending eventually coming back to it's origin like a mobius strip..


So, if you look at that blow up I posted, you can see any number of ''dead ends'' that end up as a point at the center of a ''horseshoe'' curve or a one hundred and eighty degree turn in the labyrinth. So that labyrinth has no beginning and no end
The maze aspect is not a traditional maze as such. There is no specific beginning that one can start at unless one wishes to find any of those points I mentioned above, and no end or goal really unless one wished to find they way out of the entire maze/labyrinth system.

I stared making mazes for my kids almost fifty years ago but as mazes with all their odd twists and turns did not lend themselves to symmetrical work that I enjoy I quit doing those and now work only with what can be done symmetrically.

Than you fly.

a reply to: BingoMcGoof

Beautiful.

a reply to: BingoMcGoof

Gorgeous art!

I can tell it is a labor of love for you.

More people need to find that in themselves.

a reply to: CarlLaFong

Thanks Carl.....

a reply to: Lumenari

I have been fortunate in this Lum. I had begun making elaborate mazes for my children by hand in the early eighties but my work load kept me from developing it. My second wife an I retired and she urged me to to it again and I have been developing it since. Lot's of memory work and still lots of room to develop so it's a win win at my age.

originally posted by: BingoMcGoof
a reply to: Lumenari

I have been fortunate in this Lum. I had begun making elaborate mazes for my children by hand in the early eighties but my work load kept me from developing it. My second wife an I retired and she urged me to to it again and I have been developing it since. Lot's of memory work and still lots of room to develop so it's a win win at my age.

It will probably keep you mentally acute for years as well, you are right.

So a win-win!

Because to me it is beautiful as well.

a reply to: Lumenari

Sometimes, after working for a week or so, I finish up and wonder what was I thinking and yet at times I will go back to my library from months or a year ago and marvel that that came out of me. One such is this from last Christmas.




and when view by standing a few feet from a printed poster this is the center of that cross.

Very interesting artwork, looks pretty cool, but I don't see any turkeys or anything else thanksgiving in those pictures. How does it relate to Thanksgiving? Not even a sweet potato.

I know, you created an aMAZEing picture it appears.

a reply to: rickymouse

Right you are Ricky. This year I just went for colors, fall mostly. But here is my Thanksgiving 2023 that I posted last year.''




This one has no maze or labyrinth work like those above. However this one was drawn on a radial matrix that I use for work like the center of the purple piece above. It's just that rather than making a more complex labyrinth in this one I just tried for the colors of a fanned out turkey.

a reply to: BingoMcGoof

You know I've admired your Art for many years, T, so I hope I don't sound like a broken record when I say... You did it again! Beautiful and mesmerising.

I'm sure we've discussed this before, but Instagram would be an excellent platform to showcase your talent and creativity... I'm sure every comment would be "Beautiful"... loads of emoji... "Where can I buy?"



Happy Thanksgiving to all.

a reply to: BingoMcGoof

Well, very, very, cool no matter what!

Thanks for posting, and for the reply. You are very talented.

a reply to: BingoMcGoof


Ummm...I like the illusion of dimensionality...how there is an optic illusive quality that causes the eye to perceive both protrusive...and...regressive elements from the same planes...due to your use of steps that appear to regress while the central cruciform at first appears to project outward...toward the viewpoint...yet then appears to have a quasi vanishing perspective...

I was wondering if this is the...maze...that you were speaking to...where the I...(eye)...of the viewer is caught up in attempting to define the ingressive and protrusive...illusive elements you've caused...further...I wonder if this was your intent...or rather...a more subjective...subconscious...delineation of expression...?

It almost brings to mind the portrayal of..."Relativity"...by M.C. Escher...

Thank you Terry...I'm honored to have had the opportunity to critique your work...and to define what it's viewing was causal in my own thoughts...






YouSir

a reply to: YouSir

...how there is an optic illusive quality that causes the eye to perceive both protrusive...and...regressive elements from the same planes...due to your use of steps that appear to regress while the central cruciform at first appears to project outward...toward the viewpoint...yet then appears to have a quasi vanishing perspective...

WOW!! That's a mouthful!!



Had to read that one twice!

a reply to: YouSir

And thank you Sir as you have grasped much of my intent in my work, my own tribute to Escher. Well, Escher and Erte.

For the ''intrusive and regressive aspects yes yes yes. Some times when I work I sadly have to choose which I want to accent as the work goes on. Hopefully i can capture both and then leave any distinctions up to a viewer. You have Sir and I thank you for that as it tells me I have succeeded.

originally posted by: BingoMcGoof
a reply to: rickymouse

Right you are Ricky. This year I just went for colors, fall mostly. But here is my Thanksgiving 2023 that I posted last year.''

This one has no maze or labyrinth work like those above. However this one was drawn on a radial matrix that I use for work like the center of the purple piece above. It's just that rather than making a more complex labyrinth in this one I just tried for the colors of a fanned out turkey.

The coloring and texture does hint to me turkey in the 23 one. The one you did this year is interesting and good but I just couldn't equate it to thanksgiving at all.