deviantART: by:PatGoltz

deviantART: by:PatGoltz http://search.deviantart.com/?q=by:PatGoltz&section=today deviantART RSS for by:PatGoltz en-us Copyright 2009, deviantART.com Sat, 26 Dec 2009 15:54:43 PST deviantART.com http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss http://s.deviantart.com/minish/widgets/apple-touch-icon-precomposed.png Quick Note, Failure http://PatGoltz.deviantart.com/journal/28189845/ http://PatGoltz.deviantart.com/journal/28189845/ Sat, 07 Nov 2009 00:50:30 PST Thanks, guys! For all the

and

! I am hopelessly behind. I don't like not thanking people individually, but I get a lot, and I have been trying to visit everyone's gallery instead.

Hey, I really, really appreciate each and every one of you!

Because of deviantART's new arrangement, I'm a little lost at the moment, so I will have to rely on my past lists to thank people for fav's. Please know I am VERY thankful, and I will do my best to thank each and every one of you, but please also know, I will visit your gallery when I can!

Update on watched deviations: I have around 34,000 and have been whittling away on them. It's still way too many, but I'm plugging away at it. When I get caught up, I will come thank everyone for fav's and watches, because I will look at your gallery if you're new to me. So hopefully, I'll be able to visit before too long. Thanks for your patience, and just know I appreciate you all to pieces! I will have more time for awhile, to look at things, it looks like.

Just so you know, I am more likely to fav your work if 1. the image is small enough so I can see it without doing a "view image" which means I leave the page, you do NOT upload a png file (too large), and you don't put a watermark on it. Instead, put a copyright notice on the edge, or a URL to your site (free advertising if someone steals your image). The watermark often destroys the design. The jpg format is perfectly adequate for screen viewing in almost all cases. If you have detail you want to keep crisp, save at a lower compression. Don't give me your print file! I don't want it.

Don't forget about

This is for people who like to tweak fractal images, and digital landscapes. It's been deader'n a doornail, so let's see some activity!

Thank you.

Calendars:

________________________________________ ________________________________

AND NOW FOR THE NEW STUFF!

I'm wandering back.

In February, I mentioned that I was trying to do something with WebRings. Well, that was a complete failures, as far as I can tell. The situation over there is totally untenable. At one point, I was managing hundreds of rings. I have only a few rings left, and I'm turning those back, and then I will be leaving. They have at least one person over there who is a real bully, and he decided to pick on me. The less said about that situation, the better. But I'm not going to promote them here anymore, either, and I am considering deleting my other entry. But just so you know...

Nobody likes to fail, but I have to say I learned a lot.

Now that I'm back, I hope to be able to pay attention to deviations and comments again. I'm still uncomfortable with the new changes; they just don't work as well for me as the older versions did.

I have a bunch of photos from the Renaissance Festival, and I promised to post those a long time ago. So I will do that in the next few days. The other thing I need to do right away is design calendars. It's probably too late to make many sales, but I always buy a few myself anyway, so I will go ahead and do that. I give some away, and keep one of each. One person I have known for a long time, and he fixes my cars, likes to hang his in the office where people can see them.

I have made a small sum on another site, but sales are still very slow. Perhaps what I have made here collectively is about the same as what I made there. But I want to get back into art again; I needed a break, and it has been good for me.

I have ordered a new camera: Pentax K10d, no, not the most recent model, but all I can afford. I'm still waiting for it to arrive.

For the moment, I'm not traveling to do photography. The political situation is too untenable, and for the moment, we have reduced income, and... ]]> *PatGoltz More projects, Webshots http://PatGoltz.deviantart.com/journal/24249047/ http://PatGoltz.deviantart.com/journal/24249047/ Tue, 14 Apr 2009 23:45:38 PDT Thanks, guys! For all the

and

! I am hopelessly behind. I don't like not thanking people individually, but I get a lot, and I have been trying to visit everyone's gallery instead.

This is for people who like to tweak fractal images, and digital landscapes. It's been deader'n a doornail, so let's see some activity!

Thank you.

Calendars:

________________________________________________________________________

AND NOW FOR THE NEW STUFF!

Folks,

This is another quick visit, though I hope to come more often. I'm still working on my big project, and I have also been working on several other things.

Most notably, I'm off taking pictures again. I spent a day at the Renaissance Festival. Got lots of really nice pictures of people, a few of the buildings. The highlight of the day was the carillon. I had no idea; it came as a total surprise. The guy was GOOD. And very entertaining. He is quite the showman. He travels around to Renaissance faires and has a couple of associates who do the same thing. His instrument weights four tons, and consists entirely of bells, of course. I am now preparing a page for my web site on carillons, and he will be featured. One very unusual thing about his work is that he often combines the carillon with other instruments. And one of the pieces he played is a special favorite of mine: a segment from Tubular Bells by Mike Oldfield. After the performance, I showed him that I use that piece as the ring tone on my cell phone! Right then, my sister called to tell me she is finally a grandmother! He also played O Fortuna from Carmina Burana by Carl Orff. The music was so loud I got away with singing along.

I had performed that some years back. It's a hoot!

At the end of the day, when I went to find my car, I couldn't find it anywhere! I was getting tired, so I probably did less walking and looking than I would have otherwise. That said, I did walk for about 20 minutes, and by that time, I needed NOT to be doing more walking. Finally, I went back and got security to help me. They found it right away!

A few days later (and I think no relation to this event, because I think it was actually a reaction to an ointment I used on it, almost like a chemical burn) I got... ]]> *PatGoltz Huge Project http://PatGoltz.deviantart.com/journal/23132187/ http://PatGoltz.deviantart.com/journal/23132187/ Wed, 11 Feb 2009 02:07:44 PST Thanks, guys! For all the

and

! I am hopelessly behind. I don't like not thanking people individually, but I get a lot, and I have been trying to visit everyone's gallery instead.

This is for people who like to tweak fractal images, and digital landscapes. It's been deader'n a doornail, so let's see some activity!

Thank you.

Calendars:

________________________________________________________________________

AND NOW FOR THE NEW STUFF!

Well, I've been pretty absent for awhile. I needed to take a break. So I am working on webrings at WebRing. I have somewhere around 350 of them now. A few of them are for art. If you are interested in any of these, please note me. I am also working on a way to enable people who belong to deviantART to join webrings specifically for people to visit their galleries here. The best way to do that, so far, is to set up a webring page on another site, and provide a link to deviantART. I plan to do this myself when I have time. Then put a link back to your webrings page as a permanent part of your journal. You can also put a link in your deviations descriptions, or just tell people the webring link is in your journal.

I have also been doing a few smaller art projects, almost totally photography. I am still taking pictures of sunsets. I have a few worth posting, and I will when I can. I have taken to photographing flowers in the grocery store, and I'm concentrating on orchids at the moment, though I also like the bromeliads and the calla lilies. I plan to photograph calla lilies next. I have gotten quite a few really nice pictures of orchids, and I will post some.

I was taking pictures of orchids at Trader Joes one day, and one of the employees told me I wasn't supposed to. I just told him all the pictures I was taking were of the flowers, and nothing else, and I planned to shop. The next time I came, the same thing happened. After that, he left me alone.

I figured God made the flowers, and He gave me permission to photograph them.

One day, I was out in the car listening to the radio, and driving toward the sun, when the an... ]]> *PatGoltz Seminar, Canyonlands http://PatGoltz.deviantart.com/journal/20678028/ http://PatGoltz.deviantart.com/journal/20678028/ Thu, 25 Sep 2008 21:52:53 PDT Thanks, guys! For all the

and

! I am hopelessly behind. I don't like not thanking people individually, but I get a lot, and I have been trying to visit everyone's gallery instead.

This is for people who like to tweak fractal images, and digital landscapes. It's been deader'n a doornail, so let's see some activity!

Thank you.

Calendars:

________________________________________________________________________

AND NOW FOR THE NEW STUFF!

Well, folks, I was off gallivanting around again!

First, I went to a seminar put on by Joanne West. I first met her while we were both taking pictures in the Superstition Mountains. The first day, she showed us a number of her pictures, and explained tricks behind them. After it was over, I went down 88 toward Tortilla Flat (where I ended up getting a very interesting bowl of chili). I also ordered a Giro, and explicitly told them NOT to put onions on it, and the waitress assured me they wouldn't. Well, they did. Since it was To Go, I didn't discover it until I went to eat it. I bit down in a piece of onion. Since I am allergic to onions, I was lucky I got off as easily as I did, but I took some detox herbs, and they seemed to help. But I had to throw away the pita and the vegetables, and after that, the refrigerator in the motel room reeked.

The next morning, before the photo shoot, I went into Peralta Canyon. It is so beautiful there that I did NOT want to come out!

Here's Joanne's web site. It is well worth visiting:

[link]

Then in the afternoon, we were turned loose at the museum to take pictures. I was able to put to use the tips I had learned, and Joanne liked my work. At one point, we found a piano, and she suggested we do ghost hands. The camera was set to stay open a long time, and then someone played the piano so their hands were moving. I did for a couple of people. Joanne was surprised I play the piano.

I'll be putting up some of the shots I got on the trip.

After I finished the workshop and slept for the night, next I drove up to Utah. That was a loooo... ]]> *PatGoltz Daily Deviations and other matters http://PatGoltz.deviantart.com/journal/20497912/ http://PatGoltz.deviantart.com/journal/20497912/ Sun, 14 Sep 2008 22:25:54 PDT Thanks, guys! For all the

and

! I am hopelessly behind. I don't like not thanking people individually, but I get a lot, and I have been trying to visit everyone's gallery instead.

Anyway, some of the activity was due to my recent daily deviation, and thank you to all of you for all the rewards you gave me. They are deeply appreciated.

So don't be surprised if I come back a year later and tell you thank you! It will probably happen.

All of you take care, and once again, thank you!

________________________________________________________________________

********************WARNING*******************

Folks, I got a note from !marydunner , who has been banned. (And by the way, there are more like her out there, so this warning is for ANY note you get that tells you to submit your photos, poetry, whatever. deviantART is staying on top of them, but in the few hours before they catch one of them, you... ]]> *PatGoltz Mount Lemmon and Needlepoint http://PatGoltz.deviantart.com/journal/20362627/ http://PatGoltz.deviantart.com/journal/20362627/ Sat, 06 Sep 2008 18:15:15 PDT Thanks, guys! For all the

and

! I am hopelessly behind. I don't like not thanking people individually, but I get a lot, and I have been trying to visit everyone's gallery instead.

This is for people who like to tweak fractal images, and digital landscapes. It's been deader'n a doornail, so let's see some activity!

Thank you.

________________________________________________________________________

AND NOW FOR THE NEW STUFF!

Folks, guess what! I found my needlepoint! I photographed most of what I have done, and straightened them out a bit digitally. I will post them soon. When I do needlepoint, I often use unusual yarns and stitches. Deciding how much to mess with the original design is part of the art. Since I have already uploaded my dragon, if you want to see it, you'll need to search.

The other day (Tuesday, I think), I went up Mount Lemmon. Mount Lemmon is located in the Santa Catalina Mountains north and east of Tucson, Arizona. I was dreading going up there because of the amount of fire damage there has been. But I needn't have worried. It was a lot better than I was afraid of. Obviously Summerhaven has changed a LOT. The old lodge where I used to like to eat is gone. It has been sort of replaced by a community center (not directly on top of the old site, but slightly to the right). There are many new cabins, and quite a few less trees. I am sure it's not altogether rebuilt, and I don't know how many people WILL rebuild. The hill behind is covered with tree skeletons. More's the shame.

Please keep in mind that the damage was done by the Aspen fire, several summers ago, and this was caused in part by environmentalists! It burned something like 60-70,000 acres. Together with the fire a year or two earlier, most of the mountain has now been burned. The parts near the road seem to have survived best. Why do I say it was caused by environmentalists? Because they wouldn't let anybody manage the forest. Dead trees were not removed. Many trees were then infested with beetles and thus highly flammable. It will take decades to repair the damage, if it is repaired at all, simply because a lot of the topsoil washed away, and did things like polluting Sabino Canyon, where it killed a lot of fish and other aquatic life. Most environmentalists live in cities and do not truly understand the various little biospheres. They're not willing to listen to people who ARE familiar. They just have an idealistic view, and they enforce it by law. Well, enough of that for today.

It was truly a beautiful day. The clouds were fabulous. I chose to go on that particular day especially for the clouds, and I went at a time of the year when I was likely to find wildflowers. Except for the top couple of miles, the road has been completely rebuilt, and some additional pullouts were designed. That didn't stop me from pausing momentarily to t... ]]> *PatGoltz Hummingbirds http://PatGoltz.deviantart.com/journal/19852707/ http://PatGoltz.deviantart.com/journal/19852707/ Fri, 08 Aug 2008 20:56:33 PDT Thanks, guys! For all the

and

! I am hopelessly behind. I don't like not thanking people individually, but I get a lot, and I have been trying to visit everyone's gallery instead.

Hey, I really, really appreciate each and every one of you!

Because of deviantART's new arrangement, I'm a little lost at the moment, so I will have to rely on my past lists to thank people for fav's. Please know I am VERY thankful, and I will do my best to thank each and every one of you, but please also know, I will visit your gallery when I can!

Update on watched deviations: I have around 22000 and have been whittling away on them. It's still way too many, but I'm plugging away at it. When I get caught up, I will come thank everyone for fav's and watches, because I will look at your gallery if you're new to me. So hopefully, I'll be able to visit before too long. Thanks for your patience, and just know I appreciate you all to pieces! I will have more time for awhile, to look at things, it looks like.

Just so you know, I am more likely to fav your work if 1. the image is small enough so I can see it without doing a "view image" which means I leave the page, you do NOT upload a png file (too large), and you don't put a watermark on it. Instead, put a copyright notice on the edge, or a URL to your site (free advertising if someone steals your image). The watermark often destroys the design. The jpg format is perfectly adequate for screen viewing in almost all cases. If you have detail you want to keep crisp, save at a lower compression. Don't give me your print file! I don't want it.

Don't forget about

This is for people who like to tweak fractal images, and digital landscapes. It's been deader'n a doornail, so let's see some activity!

IMPORTANT! Please boycott the Chinese Olympics.

Please watch the following videos: [link]

courtesy

This one is a little longer, but covers more information:

[link]

I love the Chinese people, but the Chinese government needs to stop oppressing their own people and others.

Thank you.

________________________________________________________________________

AND NOW FOR THE NEW STUFF!

The past few days, I did a little traveling. First I went to Sonoita, with the intention of going both to Parker Canyon Lake and Patagonia Lake. First, I headed for Patagonia, but on the way I saw that the area was receiving heavy rainfall, and that wasn't what I was after this particular trip. I was looking for wildflowers, and I found plenty, though no fields of solid flowers. So I turned back, and headed for Parker Canyon Lake. I saw fewer wildflowers, but I did see some. I was mostly taking pictures of scenery. At one point, I was at a place where the road was really narrow, and I didn't want to stop on the road, so I tried to pull over to the side as far as I could. Next thing I knew, BAM! my front right tire was suspended in space, and I ain't goin' nowhere! So I flagged down the first car I saw, and the driver said she'd help, and before the situation was over, I had several neighbors with three trucks, but no means to pull me out, really, plus two border patrol agents, who were, as always, very nice. One of them called a tow truck for me. It didn't take too long for them to get there, and one fellow put down rocks for the tire so that they would minimize damage. Believe it or not, I sustained NO damage whatsoever! Volvos are darn good, sturdy cars, at least they used to be. Turns out the place where I was, was that beautiful paradise valley I saw before. I got to visit with the neighbors just briefly, and I was on my way. I drove until I got to the end of the pavement, and then I turned back, because there had been rain, and water running across a dirt road means semi quicksand, and I wasn't interested in getting stuck again.

After I went back partway to Sonoita, I saw a road to Elgin, and I was curious, so off I went. I didn't know it, but that is wine country. I pa... ]]> *PatGoltz Quick Report http://PatGoltz.deviantart.com/journal/19350241/ http://PatGoltz.deviantart.com/journal/19350241/ Sat, 12 Jul 2008 07:48:14 PDT Thanks, guys! For all the

and

! I am hopelessly behind. I don't like not thanking people individually, but I get a lot, and I have been trying to visit everyone's gallery instead.

Hey, I really, really appreciate each and every one of you!

Update on watched deviations: I have around 22000 and have been whittling away on them. It's still way too many, but I'm plugging away at it. When I get caught up, I will come thank everyone for fav's and watches, because I will look at your gallery if you're new to me. So hopefully, I'll be able to visit before too long. Thanks for your patience, and just know I appreciate you all to pieces! I will have more time for awhile, to look at things, it looks like.

Just so you know, I am more likely to fav your work if 1. the image is small enough so I can see it without doing a "view image" which means I leave the page, you do NOT upload a png file (too large), and you don't put a watermark on it. Instead, put a copyright notice on the edge, or a URL to your site (free advertising if someone steals your image). The watermark often destroys the design. The jpg format is perfectly adequate for screen viewing in almost all cases. If you have detail you want to keep crisp, save at a lower compression. Don't give me your print file! I don't want it.

Don't forget about

This one is a little longer, but covers more information:

[link]

I love the Chinese people, but the Chinese government needs to stop oppressing their own people and others.

Thank you.

________________________________________________________________________

AND NOW FOR THE NEW STUFF!

This report will be quick, but I want to tell you what I'm up to. I have more Tennessee pictures to post, and I have some fabulous ones in the collection, including the sunset that greeted me when I got home.

I have made about 30 Terragen images in TG 9.43, and a dozen or two Apo images made in 3D Hack. Unfortunately, I haven't figured out how to make them 3D yet. But I'm working on it, and I'll be scouring tuts.

I have been redoing a web site. That has been time-consuming, and it's top priority. Also, I have spent a lot of time talking to the owner of the web site.

And there have been sunsets and sunrises galore.

Finally, I spent some time at the Silverbell Wetlands. This is a birder's paradise, and I got a bunch of really good bird pictures (but most not large enough for a print.)

So you'll be seeing these things soon.

________________________________________________________________________

********************WARNING*******************

Folks, I got a note from !marydunner , who has been banned. (And by the way, there are more like her out there, so this warning is for ANY note you get that tells you to submit your photos, poetry, whatever. deviantART is staying on top of them, but in the few hours before they catch one of them, you could get hit with a sweet note telling you how much they love you, etc.) The effusive note said I was a genius and invited me to enter a free art contest at picture.com. For some reason, people are signing up under different names and then passing around this canned message. So don't just look for this one. There are others. Just so people know, that's a HUGE SCAM. They have these contests that are supposedly free, but you can't win anything big unless you go to a conference to "present your art". The conference costs nearly $1000, and you have to pay your transportation, food, and lodging to get and stay there. Also, if you get an honorable mention or greater, you can PURCHASE a silver cup or some other m... ]]> *PatGoltz Tennessee Trip http://PatGoltz.deviantart.com/journal/18941963/ http://PatGoltz.deviantart.com/journal/18941963/ Fri, 20 Jun 2008 03:04:14 PDT Thanks, guys! For all the

and

! I am hopelessly behind. I don't like not thanking people individually, but I get a lot, and I have been trying to visit everyone's gallery instead.

This one is a little longer, but covers more information:

[link]

I love the Chinese people, but the Chinese government needs to stop oppressing their own people and others.

Thank you.

________________________________________________________________________

AND NOW FOR THE NEW STUFF!

Well, I was off gallivanting around again, this time in Tennessee. My mother has a fantastic flower garden, and I went out nearly every day to photograph the flowers. I also got a few squirrels, and some other interesting critters. We went twice to Horseplay and watched my nephew ride horses. I won't be posting any of those pictures. But I will post flower pictures and other stuff. One day we went to Rutledge Falls. It is on private land, and it surprised me that we were welcome to go there. People were swimming in the pond, which was quite deep, and the falls were actually running quite nicely, especially considering they think they need rain. Hah! They don't know nuttin'! Just before I left, they got some rain, and I told them they should send it to Arizona, but nothing doing! They wanted to keep it. How stingy is that? LOL Anyway, after we visited the falls, we drove up and down some of the country streets and took pictures of wildflowers, and I got a few of some other horses. I'm just resting right now, but I'll hopefully be posting some of my pictures soon.

Other things I enjoyed doing there was wowing my family with my cooking. My mother told me last time I visited she didn't know I knew how to cook! LOL But I can sense that I probably would put on weight if I stayed there any length of time, because they're ice cream fanatics. I'm having a hard time forgetting ice cream exists now that I'm back. For the first time, also, I had a laptop with me, so I could store my pictures (I took several thousand, I think) and get on the internet a little, but because I was visiting, I didn't want to spend any extra time, so all I did was answer email and clean up spam. I get around 800 spam a day, so that's a bit of a pain. I would cheerfully put together a posse and go after spammers, for stealing my time!

I wanted to do a couple of other trips, but I don't know how soon I'll get around to it. I'll certainly keep you posted. Perhaps I'll do these in August. Perhaps not.

________________________________________________________________________

***... ]]> *PatGoltz The Room http://PatGoltz.deviantart.com/journal/18487957/ http://PatGoltz.deviantart.com/journal/18487957/ Sun, 25 May 2008 01:34:01 PDT Thanks, guys! For all the

and

! I am hopelessly behind. I don't like not thanking people individually, but I get a lot, and I have been trying to visit everyone's gallery instead.

. Thank you!

In that place between wakefulness and dreams, I found myself in the room. There were no distinguishing features except for the one wall covered with small index card files. They were like the ones in libraries that list titles by author or subject in alphabetical order. But these files, which stretched from floor to ceiling and seemingly endless in either direction, had very different headings. As I drew near the wall of files, the first to catch my attention was one that read 'Girls I have liked.' I opened it and began flipping through the cards. I quickly shut it, shocked to realize that I recognized the names written on each one. And then without being told, I knew exactly where I was.

This lifeless room with its small files was a crude catalog system for my life. Here were written the actions of my every moment, big and small, in a detail my memory couldn't match. A sense of wonder and curiosity, coupled with horror, stirred within me as I began randomly opening files and exploring their content. Some brought joy and sweet memories; others a sense of shame and regret so intense that I would look over my shoulder to see if anyone was watching.

A file named 'Friends' was next to one marked 'Friends I have betrayed.' The titles ranged from the mundane to the outright weird 'Books I Have Read,' 'Lies I Have Told,' 'Comfort I have Given,' 'Jokes I Have Laughed at .' Some were almost hilarious in their exactness: 'Things I've yelled at my brothers.' Others I couldn't laugh at: 'Things I Have Done in My Anger', 'Things I Have Muttered Under My Breath at My Parents.' I never ceased to be surprised by the contents.

Often there were many more cards than I expected. Sometimes fewer than I hoped. I was overwhelmed by the sheer volume of the life I had lived. Could it be possible that I had the time in m... ]]> *PatGoltz The Ice Broke on the Santa Cruz http://PatGoltz.deviantart.com/journal/18472784/ http://PatGoltz.deviantart.com/journal/18472784/ Sat, 24 May 2008 01:48:22 PDT Thanks, guys! For all the

and

! I am hopelessly behind. I don't like not thanking people individually, but I get a lot, and I have been trying to visit everyone's gallery instead.

This one is a little longer, but covers more information:

[link]

I love the Chinese people, but the Chinese government needs to stop oppressing their own people and others.

Thank you.

________________________________________________________________________

AND NOW FOR THE NEW STUFF!

The other day, I went over to Harrison Yocum's house. I have permission to go there and take pictures anytime I want, and he says I take nice pictures. He couldn't be there when I first arrived, so I spent about an hour and a half in his yard taking pictures. It was HOT! I learned later the ice broke on the Santa Cruz. The Santa Cruz is a river that runs through southern Arizona. It is said here locally that the ice breaks when the temperature first hits 100 degrees Fahrenheit, for the season of dry summer. They even have a contest to see who can predict when the ice will crack.

I should explain that, contrary to popular belief, we actually have five seasons here. We have fall, winter, spring, dry summer, and wet summer. Wet summer is when the summer monsoons are going on. If you like thinks like fall leaves, you can catch these in the mountains. Snow happens in the mountains most winters, and in the valleys occasionally, every few years, for basically one snowfall. Spring is my favorite season. During dry summer, it gets up into the hundreds. The highest I have experienced has been 118 degrees, and I have experienced that several times. The monsoon season starts around the beginning of July; at least, it is supposed to. Then the temperatures drop into the 90's. It will be pretty humid in the morning. In the afternoon, it cools down, and the rains begin. The rains come from northern Mexico, where they hit in the morning. We have sectional rains (just like Malaysia, we learned) where it will be raining on one side of the street but not on the other. I figure if there is a 20% chance of rain, that means that 20% of the area will get rain. The summer rains produce wildflowers again, especially in the mountains, and in Flagstaff (they don't really have flowers in the sprint; too cold).

Anyway, I think if I had known it was going to be that hot, I'm not sure I would have chosen that day to go. Since then, it has been unseasonably cold some days, and cloudy and rainy. I don't mind. We have had continuous wind for weeks, and I hate it. I wanted to catch some other wi... ]]> *PatGoltz Wildflower Season 2008 http://PatGoltz.deviantart.com/journal/17340894/ http://PatGoltz.deviantart.com/journal/17340894/ Fri, 25 Apr 2008 01:53:51 PDT Thanks, guys! For all the

and

! I am hopelessly behind. I don't like not thanking people individually, but I get a lot, and I have been trying to visit everyone's gallery instead.

This one is a little longer, but covers more information:

[link]

I love the Chinese people, but the Chinese government needs to stop oppressing their own people and others.

Thank you.

________________________________________________________________________

AND NOW FOR THE NEW STUFF!

It's a good one this year! We had enough rains to produce abundant wildflowers. I don't think it was quite as much rain as in 2005, but still, the displays are impressive.

So far, I have been in my neighborhood, and at Picacho Peak (I missed the best flowers; by the time I got there, it wasn't a solid field of poppies anymore), and South Mountain, south of Phoenix, and then I went up to Lake Pleasant, north of Phoenix, and the wildflowers there TOTALLY blew me away with their beauty! Solid fields of color on the sides of the hills. And at the very last, I went to the White Tank Mountains. The traffic to the mountains was UNBELIEVABLE! In 2005, there were very few houses in the area, although to be fair, I took a northern route this time. It was continuous shopping and crowded multi-lane streets all the way. Phoenix is growing like a cancer! I got to the White Tank Mountains around 5. There wasn't much opportunity to take pictures, but it was rather disappointing anyway. Although there were lots of different species of wildflowers, there were only two kinds of flowers that formed vast carpets or anything resembling this. There were some hillsides, facing south, that were covered with brittlebush in bloom. Along the roadsides, there were also good stands of lupine. Other than that, lots of this and that, but nothing really showy. I hope to go out again several times. I was going to go today, but didn't feel that great, so I stayed home instead. I'll update this journal when I have more to tell. I will be posting the pictures rather sporadically because I got dust on my camera sensor, and lots of them have spots that need editing out. *sigh!* But I got some really interesting shots. I also have a backlog of sunsets and sunrises. It never quit! It should have, but it didn't. It's been sunset and sunrise season ever since mid summer last year! I have photographs from over 110 separate days.

I got some really good eatin' while I was there, too. The first night, I ate at a restaurant near South Mountain that had the most medicinal salsa I have ever eaten, and it was... ]]> *PatGoltz Hiatus http://PatGoltz.deviantart.com/journal/16867196/ http://PatGoltz.deviantart.com/journal/16867196/ Wed, 13 Feb 2008 16:26:11 PST Thanks, guys! For all the

and

! I am hopelessly behind. I don't like not thanking people individually, but I get a lot, and I have been trying to visit everyone's gallery instead.

This one is a little longer, but covers more information:

[link]

I love the Chinese people, but the Chinese government needs to stop oppressing their own people and others.

Thank you.

________________________________________________________________________

AND NOW FOR THE NEW STUFF!

Just a quickie. I've been very busy, and I needed to take a break. I'm trying to get back into the swing of things.

I just want to take a moment and thank all of you who fav'd my "Let There Be Light". I am DEEPLY appreciative. It will take a long time to think you individually, but so help me, I will!

So what have I been doing? Taking pictures of lots of sunsets. I have a TON of them. The sky has never let up. Also, I have been making Hubisms, and I have a bunch of new ones, which please me very much. And I finished Janet Parke's Ultrafractal artistry course. As soon as I have a little time, I'll post a bunch of new images.

Other than that, I have been watching the elections closely and praying a lot. Whatever happens, there is a STARK CONTRAST between the two sides.

And I have been making more rapid progress with my health problems, but along with that, I have had to deal with some pain, and that slows me down, but I'm managing. When I have pain, I take a nap. Lying down alleviates it. I'm still getting roughly 8 hours of sleep a day, occasionally a little more.

And I'm so far behind it's not funny. I have 26,642 deviations to look at. I am expecting a new hard drive, half a terabyte. When that comes, I'm going to really dig in, because I was starting to run out of disk space. And also, I will be installing a new DVD drive, which means I can archive a bunch of stuff! Probably I'll get this Friday or Monday.

I'm also behind with messages. I have 90 fav messages, and 75 comments, and I'll be doing that next.

And I keep getting invited to new and wonderful art sites, so life just got more complicated, and I am trying to juggle all those as well.

Oh, and I have been cleaning my house. I've made a lot of progress, but I have a LOT left to do. Fortunately, what I am doing now will largely STAY done once I have done it.

So nothing profound this time around. Just letting you all know what I've been up to.

________________________________________________________________________

********************WARNING*******************

Folks, I got a note from !marydunner , who has been banned. (And by the way, there are more like her out there, so this warning is for ANY note you get that tells you to submit your photos, poetry, whatever. deviantART is staying on top of them, but in the few hours before they catch one of them, you could get hit with a sweet note telling you how much they love you, etc.) The effusive note said I was a genius and invited me to enter a free art contest at picture.com. For some rea... ]]> *PatGoltz Sonoita, Calendars http://PatGoltz.deviantart.com/journal/15554129/ http://PatGoltz.deviantart.com/journal/15554129/ Sat, 17 Nov 2007 20:53:12 PST Thanks, guys! For all the

and

! I am hopelessly behind. I don't like not thanking people individually, but I get a lot, and I have been trying to visit everyone's gallery instead.

This one is a little longer, but covers more information:

[link]

I love the Chinese people, but the Chinese government needs to stop oppressing their own people and others.

Thank you.

________________________________________ ________________________________

AND NOW FOR THE NEW STUFF!

I am fixing to do a CSS for this journal, but I haven't done it yet. So for now, it's still the same format. But I have some things to tell you, so I will write.

The last couple of days, I went to Sonoita and past, to Parker Canyon Lake. I had the idea that Parker Canyon Lake was a huge vacation area, so I deliberately avoided it on the weekend. I couldn't have been more wrong! It's an intimate little lake, and when I did go, I saw two RV's and maybe 5-6 fishermen. That was it. I saw several kinds of birds there: grackles, ducks, moorhens. Someone told me that someone had thrown in a bunch of bass, I think he told me. They're cold water fish, but apparently the lake is deep enough so that it gets cold in the lower depths, so they're doing fine. I will have to see if I can come up with a fishing pole of some kind, because I love to fish. The altitude of the lake is high enough for evergreens and grasslands, so it will be at least ten degrees colder than where I live, if not more. I'll have to check it out and see if it snows there. Sonoita is little more than a wide spot in the road. It used to be on the way to Fort Huachuca, which is an Army base, but there is a new road (which goes past Kartchner Caverns, which I'm still trying to figure out how to get permission to photograph, because it's awesome! It beats Carlsbad all to heck!) Anyway, you can get gas in Sonoita, but it was more than 25c a gallon higher than back home. I paid $3.09. Maybe that sounds cheap to some of you, but it's the first time EVER I have paid more than $3.00. I actually went on two different days. The first day, I went all the way to the lake. My friend, who told me about the valley along the way, said look for large animals to photograph, and sure enough, there were two mule deer at the side of the road. They were not even particularly wary of me. I first took a picture as soon as I could, just in case, and then moved closer, in my car. One of them walked off, but the other one stayed there and watched me for a long time. I took lots of pictures of her. I finally felt satisfied, and I left, and she was still there! I also saw a small quail but couldn't get a decent picture. There were several, but they didn't hang around. On my way back, I finally saw the lone tree! I have been looking for a lone tree to photograph for a very long time. It was already after sunset, and when I got home, I discovered ALL my shots were blurry. So I went back the next day and got some good pictures. I also retook some of the others, because most of mine came out too dark the first day. So I have wanderlust again, and will probably take off for some other venue next week.

I kept... ]]> *PatGoltz Family Reunion, COOKIE problem http://PatGoltz.deviantart.com/journal/14568105/ http://PatGoltz.deviantart.com/journal/14568105/ Sun, 09 Sep 2007 21:08:18 PDT Thanks, guys! For all the

and

! I am hopelessly behind. I don't like not thanking people individually, but I get a lot, and I have been trying to visit everyone's gallery instead.

Hey, I really, really appreciate each and every one of you!

Update on watched deviations: I have around 18000 and have been whittling away on them. It's still way too many, but I'm plugging away at it. When I get caught up, I will come thank everyone for fav's and watches, because I will look at your gallery if you're new to me. So hopefully, I'll be able to visit before too long. Thanks for your patience, and just know I appreciate you all to pieces!

Don't forget about

This is for people who like to tweak fractal images, and digital landscapes. It's been deader'n a doornail, so let's see some activity!

________________________________________ ________________________________

AND NOW FOR THE NEW STUFF!

Folks,

I am working on a major journal entry on Apophysis artists, which I was HOPING to be able to offer as a news item, but unfortunately, the site here is giving me fits at the moment. For one thing, I can't log into the news area at all! If I try it, it throws me to the main page, and when I go back and reload the page, I'm not logged in, again. But I'm logged in everywhere else on the site. But the bigger problem is COOKIES! The cookies on this site are driving me NUTZ. I am not the only one having the problem. I have complained, but so far, they have done NOTHING but ask me questions. I hope this leads to something else, but we'll see. In the meantime, if you are observing the following behavior, PLEASE let me know! Every time I go to look at a deviation by someone I don't already have a cookie for, the site asks me if I want to set a cookie. If I say anything at all, I have another entry on my otherwise huge cookie list. If I deny the cookie, it logs me out! If I click on the corner X instead, I have to click three or more times EVERY TIME I look at something from that deviant. I have TRIED to fix this problem, to no avail. I had it fixed once, and then it got worse, and I hadn't done a doggone thing to bring it on! Anyway, I am running Firefox 2.0.0.3, and Firefox is dA's preferred browser. If you are letting Firefox ask you before setting cookies, it will ask you incessantly. Trust me. I have TRIED setting a sitewide cookie several times, again to no avail. Again, PLEASE let me know if you are having this problem. dA thinks it's MY problem. It most certainly is not, since I changed absolutely nothing when it started doing this.

Edit: Thanks to

, I have solved the cookie problem. Two steps. 1. put in .deviantart.com into your cookie list. Notice the period before deviantart. 2. Type ctrl-F5. No more problems! Thank you so much! You have been a life-saver!

On to the news. We had a HUGE family reunion that lasted for over a week. The people who attended included all of our children, all of their spouses but one, two girlfriends, all of our grandchildren, my mother, sister, and one of her sons. We have seven grandchildren, two of them unborn. We also have seven children. The total number at the reunion was 25, including the unborn children.

The occasion was that our youngest son is about to be deployed to Iraq. It will be his second trip. He will be there 15 months. His time will be spent working in hospitals there as a chaplain's assistant. He leaves behind a wife and a son who is only 3 months old. Yes, we do support his mission. We will have another reunion when he returns.

It took a lot of planning to put things together. For starters, some of the people couldn't really afford to come, so we had to arrange subsidies for some people. We had to get plane tickets, lodging, and rental cars for people. Then our son's commanding officer gave a strong hint that the leave promised would not be granted. Ouch! But he talked to his commanding officer, and the leave was approved. Probably a good thing, because our son was sick the whole time he was here, so it's not clear how much good he would have been at work! And what he had made the rounds of the rest... ]]> *PatGoltz Reduced Thanking, trip http://PatGoltz.deviantart.com/journal/13440759/ http://PatGoltz.deviantart.com/journal/13440759/ Fri, 31 Aug 2007 21:35:02 PDT Thanks, guys! For all the

and

! I am hopelessly behind. I don't like not thanking people individually, but I get a lot, and I have been trying to visit everyone's gallery instead.

Hey, I really, really appreciate each and every one of you!

Update on watched deviations: I have around 17000 and have been whittling away on them. It's still way too many, but I'm plugging away at it. When I get caught up, I will come thank everyone for fav's and watches, because I will look at your gallery if you're new to me. So hopefully, I'll be able to visit before too long. Thanks for your patience, and just know I appreciate you all to pieces!

Don't forget about

This is for people who like to tweak fractal images, and digital landscapes. It's been deader'n a doornail, so let's see some activity!

________________________________________ ________________________________

AND NOW FOR THE NEW STUFF!

********************WARNING*******************

Folks, I got a note from !marydunner , who has been banned. The effusive note said I was a genius and invited me to enter a free art contest at picture.com. Just so people know, that's a HUGE SCAM. They have these contests that are supposedly free, but you can't win anything big unless you go to a conference to "present your art". The conference costs nearly $1000, and you have to pay your transportation, food, and lodging to get and stay there. Also, if you get an honorable mention or greater, you can PURCHASE a silver cup or some other meaningless trophy. YOU have to pay for it. A legitimate contest gives you the award for free. Out of a few thousand contestants, they award one grand prize of $10,000, and a few other prizes for $1000. Other than that, you're out of luck. The ONLY way you come out ahead is to win the grand prize. They publish coffee table books with pictures in them, and they like it if you buy the one that has your picture in it. I also had two pictures on their site, and they started SELLING things like cups with one of them on it, for which they get ALL the profit, WITHOUT MY PERMISSION. I will never have anything to do with them again! PLEASE pass on this warning! deviantART was right to ban her, but deviants may fall for it, so we need to spread the word. Sure, they might sue me for it, but if they do, I'll OWN them!

Now on to the "old" news. I'll be writing a new journal the first chance I get, but it won't be for a few days.

Folks, I am up over 17,000 deviations to look at. I keep whittling away at them, but realistically, they build as fast as I get them viewed. Given that, it is unrealistic to think I will be able to thank people for faving my work. However, I keep a record of people who have faved, and when I get a chance, I do visit. The more you fav, the more likely I am to do this.

Furthermore, people who come and thank me on my home page are always appreciated, and I have a record of you as well. It is always my hope that if you stop by, you'll look at something else.

However, it looks like there is a new idea that needs to spread. There are too many "thank you" and "you're welcome" type messages at deviations themselves. And this cuts into our time to view your art and to make more art of our own. I know that people appreciate my comments, and I do try to make good ones, and this in no way means I won't be willing to have interesting conversations with people at their deviations (and mine). So feel free not to have to thank me for my comments and fav's (unless you visit my home page, of course.

) So I am supporting a modified version of Reduced Thanking.

I originally ran across this idea on

*PatGoltz The Issue of Censorship http://PatGoltz.deviantart.com/journal/13109445/ http://PatGoltz.deviantart.com/journal/13109445/ Sun, 27 May 2007 05:42:48 PDT Thanks, guys! For all the

and

! I am hopelessly behind. I don't like not thanking people individually, but I get a lot, and I have been trying to visit everyone's gallery instead.

Hey, I really, really appreciate each and every one of you!

Update on watched deviations: I have around 14000 and have been whittling away on them. It's still way too many, but I'm on a roll! When I get caught up, I will come thank everyone for fav's and watches, because I will look at your gallery if you're new to me. So hopefully, I'll be able to visit before too long. Thanks for your patience, and just know I appreciate you all to pieces!

Don't forget about

This is for people who like to tweak fractal images, and digital landscapes. It's been deader'n a doornail, so let's see some activity!

________________________________________ ________________________________

AND NOW FOR THE NEW STUFF!

Folks,

My hard drive needs organizing, bigtime. So I'm gonna be scarce for a few days. More pictures when I get back.

As some of you know, it has come to my attention that there are people on deviantART who are promoting Naziism. At least so it seems.

Perhaps a general discussion of censorship is in order, so that I can tell you why I would like to persuade deviantART to abide by their terms of service, and not allow these expressions of hate and racism.

Most people seem to misunderstand what censorship is. Censorship can only be committed by the government. deviantART operates under the law of the United States. The Supreme Court ruled that freedom of speech encompasses the right to REFUSE to give a forum to those whose speech you disagree with. In fact, one of our Founders, Thomas Jefferson, said that it was despicable to force anybody to support views he disagrees with. deviantART is a private company, and has established certain standards for what it will permit to be displayed on its site, which it has the perfect right to do. Thus, for deviantART to say that racism is not allowed, is perfectly acceptable and legal. In fact, if private companies and individuals use social condemnation and refusal of their privately owned forums to individuals who preach a message contrary to their own opinions, this alleviates the necessity for censorship on the part of the government. Social condemnation can be used to persuade people not to promote certain philosophies.

Another thing we need to understand is the nature of tolerance. These days, tolerance is considered a virtue. I personally would argue that it depends on what you tolerate. If you tolerate hate, then tolerance is not a virtue. We have both a right and a duty to refuse to tolerate hate and violence. And it is not hateful to exercise that right and duty. We also have the duty to judge ideas. Some ideas are more worthy than others. Compassion is far more worthy an expression than hate. If someone says to me, you should tolerate the Nazis, they are expressing intolerance of my opinion. Tolerance seems always to be selective. Don't think you are tolerant if you are not willing to tolerate my opinion which disagrees with yours. Nor do you have either the right or the authority to order me to be tolerant of what I consider intolerable.

So how should we react when people do the intolerable? We should attempt to persuade people not to tolerate it, either.

Now down to specifics.

I was once involved in a lawsuit for slander. Slander is a form of defamation, obviously, one which is done verbally. The law says that there are certain things that are considered slander per se. In slander per se, the plaintiff doesn't have to prove malice, and can collect punitive damages. The phrase which was the subject of the lawsuit was "these are members of the Posse Comitatus." A little background is in order. Originally, the Posse Comitatus (power of the county) consisted of the able-bodied men in a community who could be deputized to go after criminals. But eventually, a group of people called themselves the Posse Comitatus. It was reference to THIS group that was at issue. I went to a linguist at the university, and gave him a couple of articles about this group. Among other things, the members are racist and believe in using violence against government agents and blacks.... ]]> *PatGoltz New Toy http://PatGoltz.deviantart.com/journal/13007406/ http://PatGoltz.deviantart.com/journal/13007406/ Fri, 18 May 2007 23:30:03 PDT Thanks, guys! For all the

and

! I am hopelessly behind. I don't like not thanking people individually, but I get a lot, and I have been trying to visit everyone's gallery instead.

This is for people who like to tweak fractal images, and digital landscapes. It's been deader'n a doornail, so let's see some activity!

________________________________________ ________________________________

AND NOW FOR THE NEW STUFF!

Folks, I have a new toy! A Pentax K100D digital camera. So I am going to be really scarce for awhile, taking pictures. I'll put up a few tonight, but no promises on when I'll get more up.

I didn't want to spend the money, and I resisted because I really do like film. But this camera is turning out to be really nice. Unfortunately, I won't be able to use most of my lenses with it.

This is because they're too old, and the camera can't talk to them, so it won't let me take pictures.

Anyway, I did get a lens today, and I have ONE that will work as-is, and another that might, if I can figure out how to change the mode of it. If not, I'll be buying a new interface (if that's what you call it).

Today, I wanted to get some architecture pictures I have wanted to take for quite awhile, so I'll put a few of those up, and then I will also put up another sunset.

So don't be surprised if I'm not around much for a little bit. I have a lot of plans, and since I don't have to pay for film and developing, I'm gonna go wild!

One more thing before moving on. I highly recommend the book I am currently reading. We ARE winning, and we need to lay to rest all of the lies of the media once and for all. No, it's not a paean of praise of President Bush. But it does put things into perspective. At least, that's my impression so far.

________________________________________ ____________________________

I am repeating the stuff below because I still think it is important.

One of the awesome deviants around here,

, aka

is in need of our help. His fractals are out of this world! Very creative and original, very artistic. His wife is very sick, and last I talked to him, he didn't have a job. So let's start him on a new career as an artist! Please buy his prints! Let's show him some dA love! If any of you know a band who could use some CD covers designed, please let us know! He designs covers for a group named Sparrow, which I THINK is his own invention, but I'm not sure. You can learn more about the situation from his journals.

Here is a sampler of his work:

http://PatGoltz.deviantart.com/journal/12464676/ Sat, 07 Apr 2007 21:04:08 PDT Thanks, guys! For all the

and

! I am hopelessly behind. I don't like not thanking people individually, but I get a lot, and I have been trying to visit everyone's gallery instead.

sent me the following message:

Hola!, me gustaría que participaras en el movimiento hispano aqui en Da. Te explico:

El día 30 de abril todos los hispanos subiremos a Da, alguna fotografía, dibujo, escrito, lo que sea, pero que tenga como sujeto la Ñ. El título será AQUI SE HABLA ESPANIOL.
Este movimiento tiene por finalidad conseguir que el staff de Deviantart, nos tomen en cuenta, queremos lograr al menos 3 puntos importantes:
1) Poder poner titulos con Ñ
2) Traducción del contrato en Da, en español.
3) Que tengamos una sección de noticias en español

Sería excelente que nos facilitaran a un director de galería que hable español. Nos tienen relegados. Como si no fuéramos parte del planeta Tierra.
En fin. El día 30 queremos lograr que al menos muchos hispanos suban sus deviations con ese objetivo. Sería un logro que fueran al menos mil deviations que logremos subir entre todos para al menos ser vistos y tomandos en cuenta.

Para participar, además sería bueno que pusieras un journal, que hable al respecto, como un llamado. Si quieres copias lo que dice el mio o el de los demás organizadores.
Si te unes a esto Coloca la Ñ que tengo en mi journal.
Todos juntos, todas nuestras voces serán escuchadas!

Por la Ñ

de español!

Besos!

The gist of this is that the Spanish-speaking deviants want deviantART to allow people to use ñ in the titles of their deviations, want the contract translated into Spanish, and want a section of notices in Spanish.

To accomplish this, she asks that on the 30th of April, Spanish-speaking deviants submit pictures to emphasize this request, by titling deviations, "Here we speak Spanish".

Even though I support the United States as a nation where all must learn to speak English, deviantART attempts to reach out to the world. So I think the request is reasonable. Spanish IS the second most frequently spoken language in the world.

Edit: we got into a discussion of which languages have the most speakers. I checked Wikipedia and Ethnologue. Unfortunately, Ethnologue was published in something like 1983, so the figures aren't current. But Wikipedia says Mandarin (which may be a dialect or a separate language, depending on who you ask) has 867,000,000 speakers (rounding), Hindi has 790,000,000, English has 528,000,000, Spanish has 480,000,000, and Russian has 260,000,000. My suspicion is that these figures aren't terribly accurate. But that's the best I can do. That makes English the third most frequently spoken (even though it is the modern-day lingua franca), and Spanish fourth.

22222222222

Although I have been absent from dA for about a week, part of that was due to feeling too lousy to visit. I have a nasty respiratory thing going on. However, during that time, I did visit Grand Staircase - Escalante, which is a National Park in Utah. I drove back to see Grosvenor A... ]]> *PatGoltz Harrison Yocum http://PatGoltz.deviantart.com/journal/11548557/ http://PatGoltz.deviantart.com/journal/11548557/ Sat, 17 Mar 2007 21:18:07 PDT Thanks, guys! For all the

and

! I am hopelessly behind. I don't like not thanking people individually, but I get a lot, and I have been trying to visit everyone's gallery instead.

Hey, I really, really appreciate each and every one of you!

Update on watched deviations: I have around 13000 and have been whittling away on them. It's still way too many, but I'm on a roll! When I get caught up, I will come thank everyone for fav's and watches, because I will look at your gallery if you're new to me. So hopefully, I'll be able to visit before too long. Thanks for your patience, and just know I appreciate you all to pieces!

Don't forget about

This is for people who like to tweak fractal images, and digital landscapes. It's been deader'n a doornail, so let's see some activity!

________________________________________ ________________________________

AND NOW FOR THE NEW STUFF!

Folks, I have a dead computer, so I won't be responsive for a few days. I'll catch up when I get back.

This is the first in a series on Renaissance people I have known. Harrison is a dear friend whom I have known for a couple of decades, I'd guess. Here is his picture:

In this picture, he is wearing his Ranger uniform. Being a Ranger is one of his many talents. He always wears the uniform to all special events, and even wore it to my children's weddings! He also always wears wonderful Native American silver and turquoise jewelry. In this picture, he is wearing two bracelets, a bolo tie, a belt buckle, and at least one ring. The special occasion here was an international convention of cactus and succulent societies, at which I believe he was a speaker.

Harrison's talents are numerous. He is a botanist, knowledgeable on cactus and succulents, and palms. At one time, he had a collection of 125 species of palms. He has landscaped his yard with the plants he has collected, many different species of cactus and succulents. On one side of the yard he has built three mountains out of the rocks he has collected throughout Arizona and into New Mexico. These are approximately 10-12 feet in height. In little niches in the rocks, he has small plants. On another side of the yard, he has an area full of totem poles he made by piling up river rocks. He also has a room on the front of his house that he and his father built, with an outside wall of the mineral rocks he gathered. Among other things, he is also a knowledgeable rockhound. He likes to take groups of people to hunt rocks. One of the locations where he goes is the Day Ranch, just over the border into New Mexico. This is the ranch where retired Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor grew up.

In the back, he has a small building which contains his collection of books on plants. He already speaks and reads German and English, and there are also books in French and Spanish, which I believe he also reads. Next to the building is a cactus garden. You can see a picture of that garden here:

Sometime, I will put up more pictures of his yard.

Harrison has graciously given me permission to come and photograph his plants and rocks unannounced any time. One day, I was over there photographing and noticed that his night-blooming cereus was about to open some flowers, so I rushed home and got the flash and tripod. I got this picture in his yard:

For some of the pictures, he held a flashlight for me. He was delighted to help me in that way!

For a living, he takes care of the plants at the Tucson International A... ]]> *PatGoltz Why I Celebrate http://PatGoltz.deviantart.com/journal/11169314/ http://PatGoltz.deviantart.com/journal/11169314/ Sun, 24 Dec 2006 02:05:26 PST Thanks, guys! For all the

and

! I am hopelessly behind. I don't like not thanking people individually, but I get a lot, and I have been trying to visit everyone's gallery instead.

Hey, I really, really appreciate each and every one of you!

Update on watched deviations: I'm under 9000 and have been whittling away on them. It's still way too many, but I'm on a roll! When I get caught up, I will come thank everyone for fav's and watches, because I will look at your gallery if you're new to me. So hopefully, I'll be able to visit before too long. Thanks for your patience, and just know I appreciate you all to pieces!

Don't forget about

This is for people who like to tweak fractal images, and digital landscapes. It's been deader'n a doornail, so let's see some activity!

________________________________________ ________________________________

AND NOW FOR THE NEW STUFF!

I have spent the last few days listening to Christmas carols on the radio. Each time I hear one, I feel such an inexpressible joy. Because God became a man and came to earth and lived in the middle of the horrors here (even more so from His perspective, because He knows what it could be), I will be able to spend eternity with God, experiencing eternal joy and beauty. It will be an unbelievable paradise from an artistic standpoint.

I am aware of my need. I have made so many little mistakes in my life, little things I regret and wish I had done differently. It creates in me an ineffable sadness, but one that makes me appreciate all the more this wonderful gift.

And I think of all the people who sincerely miss the opportunity to embrace so wonderful a salvation. Perhaps even people who never had the opportunity to know any differently. And that makes me feel even more sad. I know that perfect justice and perfect mercy will prevail. But if you have ever heard that God came and died for your sins, you know all you need to know to embrace this wonderful salvation.

I have a friend who grew up in the Ukraine. She is one of the warmest, most wonderful people you could ever meet. Her love for everyone is just incredible. Yet, she grew up as an atheist, and spent time in one of Hitler's camps, and survived, and came here and embraced Jesus, and because she knows what it's like to be without Him, she tells as many people as she can.

Seeing the transforming power in her life is enough to make anyone think.

If you believe this is the only life there is, you have nothing to look forward to. This life will inevitably hand us bitter disappointments and sorrow. Many of us will lose family members who are dear to us, and it will seem so senseless, and it really is. So in this life, there will be no such thing as justice or fairness. And I think of all the people who are enslaved by false ideas, such as women who are prisoners in their own homes and clothing, and children who grow up in the streets and who survive barely by eating out of garbage and begging or stealing, who have never known a warm blanket. And people, innocent people, who are tortured for no other reason than that their torturer lives with a heart full of hate. And those ravaged by disease and broken bodies. And a young and promising life cut short in an instant. We are so fragile! And the injustice and cruelty of our fellow man just strikes me. It's enough to make someone cynical, and often does.

But in the end, perfect justice and mercy will be done.

I sometimes sit outside at night and look at the stars and think about the fact that I am a tiny ant living on an insignificant planet circling a minor star in a single galaxy among countless galaxies and marvel that God even cares about me. But I would never, ever give up the wonderful hope and anticipation for any cynical theory of science that I am an accident, or that you are an accident. You are deeply loved, so much so that Someone paid the ultimate sacrifice to buy you back from realms of evil and suffering.

For God so loved you that He gave His only begotten Son that if you believe in Him, you will not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:16. Life in joy and peace, and the absence of suffering, but with a reminder of what was, and what could have been, so that we appreciate it all the more.

I want you to spen... ]]> *PatGoltz BT and Thomas Dolby http://PatGoltz.deviantart.com/journal/10908923/ http://PatGoltz.deviantart.com/journal/10908923/ Fri, 01 Dec 2006 03:37:31 PST Thanks, guys! For all the

and

! I am hopelessly behind. I don't like not thanking people individually, but I get a lot, and I have been trying to visit everyone's gallery instead.

This is for people who like to tweak fractal images, and digital landscapes. It's been deader'n a doornail, so let's see some activity!

AND NOW FOR THE NEW STUFF!

Folks,

I was honored to be chosen as a Tucson artist at the BT and Thomas Dolby show on November 30. It was a VERY interesting experience!

Here are some links about it:

[link]
[link]
[link]

Thank you to all the dA people involved in making this possible.

I will talk a bit about what the experience was like. It was the second day of REALLY cold weather this season (for Tucson, anyway), so I bundled up and went. I was sick the day before and wasn't sure I was going to make it. Got to the Rialto, and waited in the car until 7 so I wouldn't freeze outside, and then went and the box office was open but they didn't have the guest list yet so we had to wait awhile. And then they were testing out the sound equipment or something, so there was another delay. Finally got in there, and dA had a table set up next to the table where they were selling CDs. I hadn't eaten anything in awhile, so I went to get a snack, only to learn all they had were chips.

Chips are too salty. So I got some Fritos and rubbed the salt off as best I could. Fortunately, I had some powder I use to make a sports drink, so after awhile I drank that. Went inside and they were flashing all the art work on the screen in front. It was a wonderful collection! I think they cycled through all the art three or four times during the preshow and intermission.

Things started late, and the first musician was Thomas Dolby. Mind you, I had never heard of either of these fellows before going. I'm a classical musician, so I'm not used to hearing really LOUD music. In fact, it hurts my ears! I have to say that Dolby's music was very interesting in spite of this problem; I like the way he set up so many really unique rhythms, and I liked his stories. I certainly like the explorations of synthetic sound. Wish I could have understood the lyrics. What little I caught seemed very reasonable. Anyway, I sat through two songs, and by that time my ribs were hurting. Ever felt like someone beat up your ribs and made them black and blue with SOUND? Well, that's what happened. They're STILL sore. And my ears just about caved in. So I stuck my fingers in my ears to try to damp out some of the sound. That worked pretty well, but it didn't help the pain in my ribs. Right about then, someone from the Rialto staff came and handed me a pair of ear plugs. Bless his heart! I used them, but since that didn't solve the problem of my ribs, I ended up sitting on the stairs right next to the door to the theater, and I could hear and see just fine from there, and then I really started to enjoy it.

This all reminded me of my all-too-brief experience as an electronic composer. I took a course from a for-real electronic composer, and she let us use her synthesizers. It was great fun, and I was able to set up rhythms just like Dolby did. I have a synthesizer we borrowed from a friend, and so help me, one of these days I am going to dig it out and play with it! Maybe this will be the motivation I need.

BT came next, obviously. He had two or three other musicians. I thought the collection of instruments was very interesting. His visual show was fascinating, and has given me inspiration for some new a... ]]> *PatGoltz Tucson Meet Yourself http://PatGoltz.deviantart.com/journal/10394553/ http://PatGoltz.deviantart.com/journal/10394553/ Mon, 16 Oct 2006 00:19:15 PDT Thanks, guys! For all the

and

! I am hopelessly behind. I don't like not thanking people individually, but I get a lot, and I have been trying to visit everyone's gallery instead.

This is for people who like to tweak fractal images, and digital landscapes. It's been deader'n a doornail, so let's see some activity!

AND NOW FOR THE NEW STUFF!

Today I went to the Tucson Meet Yourself annual festival. They have been doing this for about 39 years. Tucson has an incredible diversity of cultures, which is one of the wonderful things about it. I thought I will tell you a little about each group I photographed and the food I ate.

I arrived about 12:30, and the first group I photographed was the Tucson Chinese School. They had a traditional Chinese dance, and after that, a lion dance. The lion is seen as the protector of the village. Lion dances have always fascinated me. There are actually two groups in town that do lion dances. The other one is part of Augustine Fong's Wing Chun school. Mr. Fong also is a Chinese herbalist. I don't really know anything about the group that performed today. The Chinese people just opened a cultural center in Tucson, so there is a place where they can study various aspects of their culture, and the Chinese languages.

I would love to have been in two places at once. At the second stage, there were some Mariachi performers. But I didn't get a chance to see them.

After the Chinese were the Danza Mexica Cuauhtemoc, Aztec dancers. This was one of the groups I found more interesting, because of their costumes.

After that, was another Chinese group, the Sion Grace Dance Troup. They performed quite a number of different dances. I believe this is the group who had the dancer who was only 20 months old. She was performing some of the moves and absolutely delighted the crowd.

I didn't stay for every dance, wanting to go see the Capoiera group. I saw just a little bit of it. Capoiera is a Brazilian martial art, and was apparently practiced by the fishermen. The dance I saw involved the unfurling of a fishing net. They wore woven reed hats which have a wide brim, which is kept down to keep the sun out of the fisherman's face.

After these performances were the Mari Kaneta Suzoyuki-Kai traditional Japanese dancers. They also did several dances.

The Arabian Dance Art dancers were women who performed various kinds of what I would regard as belly dances. I have always enjoyed belly dancing. I wish I had the time and money to go learn it. The dancers are renowned, but I was not familiar with them.

Then came the Tir Conaill Academy of Irish Dance. They had a lot of short dances, mostly performed by children. Some of the footwork was absolutely incredible, and here I thought Irish dancing was fairly simple!

This was followed by the Lajkonik Polish Dance Group. I don't remember too much about them, and I took off in the middle of their performance to try to catch the Vietnamese Student Association Dancers. Unfortunately, I got there at the very end of their performance. The costumes and fans were exquisite. Just about that time, I ran out of film, and by the time I reloaded, they were doing their bows. I got only one shot of them. We'll see if it came out.

Following that was Loop Rawlins, who does rope and whip tricks. These are folk arts which originated in the southwestern United States. Mr. Rawlins started out with the Tucson Boys Chorus, which always has a number involving ropes. The ropes are twirled so that they form a loop. This skill was useful because the loop could be swung over the head of a cow or calf, and then the rope was tightened, and this was used to constrain the animal. Mr. Rawlins did a number of very neat tricks, including twirling three ropes at once, one in his mouth and one in each hand, and he did... ]]> *PatGoltz For Abortion-Experienced People http://PatGoltz.deviantart.com/journal/10354240/ http://PatGoltz.deviantart.com/journal/10354240/ Wed, 11 Oct 2006 02:11:40 PDT Thanks, guys! For all the

and

! I am hopelessly behind. I don't like not thanking people individually, but I get a lot, and I have been trying to visit everyone's gallery instead.

This is for people who like to tweak fractal images, and digital landscapes. It's been deader'n a doornail, so let's see some activity!

AND NOW FOR THE NEW STUFF!

Today I am writing to speak to you from my heart. People who have experienced abortion often do not escape without harm. In this journal, I will concentrate on emotional and spiritual harm. I am not as versed in how men react, but I am certainly thinking of you as I write. Men need to say more so that we can understand better how you react when your child is aborted, especially against your will.

I want to speak from my heart to women who have personally experienced abortion.

Women react to abortion in unbelievably diverse ways. Probably the majority of women don't even deal with having had an abortion to begin with. One of two things happens. Either a woman is comfortable with it, or she goes into denial. Most women probably feel a sense of relief right after the abortion. The problems they were facing seem to have disappeared, and life will go back to the way it was. Please understand that most women get abortions, not because they want them, but because they see their pregnancies as a threat to life as they know it. We don't deal well with uncertainty. The other problem is that people don't make good decisions when they are experiencing panic. It is rare for a woman to be really settled about what she wants. Most women go into abortion with many misgivings.

A woman who isn't thinking about her abortion will do one of two things. Either she will remain at peace with herself throughout her life, or eventually she will confront the fact of her abortion, and try to deal with it. Once a woman starts to try to deal with her abortion, if she is not at peace with herself, we say that she has been in denial, and she has come out of denial. Some women enter into this emotional state on their own terms, when they are ready to deal with it. Others are blindsided by something, and abruptly confront the fact of their abortions. A wide variety of things can result in blindsiding a woman. The thing that happens can be seeing a movie, seeing a picture of an unborn child, perhaps in a biology book, or something someone says, or other things. It can be a subsequent pregnancy or a family member who is pregnant or has a baby. Once a woman has been blindsided, she may go into an emotional tailspin. Even if she deals with it on her own terms, she may experience some very difficult emotions.

Only if a woman really and truly knows about her baby's development, and what abortion does, and then FREELY chooses it, will she stand a chance at being at peace with herself. In my personal experience working with hundreds of women, I have found only a couple that I feel freely made this decision and are at peace with it. If a woman doesn't tell you that she is not at peace with herself, do not assume she is. She may not be, and she may feel she cannot share her feelings with anybody else. One of the foremost things about having an abortion is that it leads to a very private grief. This is in part because many of the rest of us act like we don't understand what the big deal is. We force a woman to grieve privately. The truth is, you have every right to grieve. You have lost something precious, and if you feel that you contributed to that loss, the emotional aftermath can be overwhelming.

Some women who never express their feelings are not really at peace, but they may never deal with it in their lifetime. That doesn't mean they are OK. And some women will turn to drinking, drugs, or even suicide, to try to cope. This is very serious, and we all need to be aware of this and willing to... ]]> *PatGoltz Displaying your art on dA http://PatGoltz.deviantart.com/journal/10209998/ http://PatGoltz.deviantart.com/journal/10209998/ Thu, 28 Sep 2006 00:07:07 PDT Thanks, guys! For all the

and

! I am hopelessly behind. I don't like not thanking people individually, but I get a lot, and I have been trying to visit everyone's gallery instead.

This is for people who like to tweak fractal images, and digital landscapes. It's been deader'n a doornail, so let's see some activity!

AND NOW FOR THE NEW STUFF!

This is going to be a short one. I am working on a discussion for abortion-experienced people, but I need to do some other things today, so I will write about something that's been on my mind, and I hope this will help.

________________________________________ ________________________________

There are several issues I have with the way people display their art here, and I'd just like to point out a few things. For purposes of this discussion, consider that most people these days have monitors that are around 1000-1300 pixels wide. A few people have 1600, but they're still in the minority. Some people have broadband (like I finally do) and some people still have to limp along with a 28kb modem (what I used to have) or a 56kb modem.

Out of consideration for other people, and to make sure that your art is widely viewed and has wide appeal, PLEASE

1. keep the width of your image below 1300, and height below 1000. Why? Well, for several reasons. First of all, if you make it larger, a person can't see the whole thing at once. This means that it loses its impact, and your composition is shot to pieces. Another reason is that you might decide to sell prints. DON'T GIVE AWAY YOUR PRINT FILES! You're inviting theft as well. Another reason is that if your picture isn't sharply focused (applies to photography), it will look atrocious. If you make it smaller, it will look more sharply in focus. When you upload something, ALWAYS look at it to see how it looks. This applies on your own web site, too, and includes your pages. If you wouldn't dream of slicing up your photographs into pieces and handing them a piece at a time to a guest, don't do it here!

2. save your work as .jpg, not .png. Again, you may be giving away your print files. You don't need .png for detail in fractal images. Just save as a .jpg with low compression, and the details will almost totally be preserved. I always save mine even at higher compression. Yes, some detail is lost (but not that much, by the way), but people who want to see it can buy a print.

3. Another reason for not using .png is because it takes waaaay too long to download. If your file is 1 meg in size, it will take a person with a 28kb modem TEN MINUTES to download it, and someone with a 56kb modem five minutes. Is your art good enough to try people's patience that much? I take pride in my own art, but I wouldn't DREAM of subjecting anybody to that. As a rule of thumb, you should be able to keep your image under 300kb and it will work just fine. If you really require a larger size for people to see important detail, consider uploading the large image as a zip file, or give a link to scraps, and put the large version there. That way, people can get the big image if they want it. Another thing to keep in mind is that dA doesn't have size limits, but they are cutting out features in order to free up space for more deviations. Do you really want that? I don't. And they may even limit file size in the future. Another reason for keeping file sizes down is because during the day, dA can be VERY unresponsive. If all the files were smaller, this would help considerably.

4. Some people use .png to keep people who use Internet Explorer from saving the image. It works but! If you aren't using IE, you can save it anyway, and a person who IS using IE can just fetch it out of the cache, or do a screen capt... ]]> *PatGoltz Another Travel Report http://PatGoltz.deviantart.com/journal/9687322/ http://PatGoltz.deviantart.com/journal/9687322/ Fri, 11 Aug 2006 06:34:29 PDT Thanks, guys! For all the

and

! I am hopelessly behind. I don't like not thanking people individually, but I get a lot, and I have been trying to visit everyone's gallery instead.

Hey, I really, really appreciate each and every one of you!

Well, after having some good intentions, I have let the number of deviations from watched people spiral out of control. I currently have nearly 8000. I did whittle it down a couple of hundred day before yesterday, but I still have a slew of things going on, and no time really to buckle down and look at a bunch of them. So I will be making quick stops, and I will have to stop watching some of the groups that put up too many deviations. For that I apologize. I still will thank everyone for fav's and watches, and I will visit your galleries. Now that the site has changed, it does load faster. Thank you, dA! And the problem of unacceptable thumbnails on my pages is gone! Another huge thank you!

Don't forget about

This is for people who like to tweak fractal images, and digital landscapes. Y'all come!

AND NOW FOR THE NEW STUFF!

Mood:

Yellow Alien!
Listening to: Clarinet Concerto by Aaron Copland
Reading: Excitotoxins by Russell Blaylock, MD

On to the new stuff, and this will have to be quick. After traveling up to northern Arizona because I needed a treatment, I was still having the problem, so I had to go back. I tend to dislocate my joints easily. I know how to put some of them back, but not all. For the moment, I am having to take it easy. No taekwondo.

Other than that, I had a very successful trip. The first day, I went to Sedona to go to galleries to see if any would represent me. No luck yet, but I'm plugging away at it. I do have a gallery in Page, now, so I'm happy for the moment.

The clouds were so beautiful that I just had to stop the gallery-shopping and go take pictures. I decided to go up Schnebly Hill Road a ways, but the rains have really washed it out, and it's pretty much nothing but boulders now. The car I'm driving has a very harsh ride, so it was even more noticeable. Anyway, I drove partway up, probably should have gone a little further, and got some pretty spectacular shots. Next day I went to Flagstaff, and only took a handful of pictures there, but the following day, I set out for Monument Valley. I have wanted to go there for years! When I first left, it was almost completely socked in, and I thought, I know the clouds will clear up some about midafternoon, but I did a lot of praying and drove over there anyway. And when I first got there, the clouds were spectacular! I think I took something like 18 rolls of film. Later on, the clouds got thick again, but I think I got some good shots then, too, and I can do a little touchup on them, and they'll be good.

Some of the restaurants where I ate were interesting. In Flagstaff, I ate at Salsa Brava. They have a salsa bar which is very interesting, but all but one of the salsas has onions, so I couldn't have them. I ended up with a pineapple and habanero salsa which was delicious. It was supposed to be hot, but it was only lukewarm. Habeneros usually will fry your tongue. But I don't make a very good gringa. I like hot stuff too much. After Monument Canyon, I ate at Goulding's Lodge. That was an interesting experience because the people on the left were speaking Japanese, and the ones on the right were speaking French! I had a wonderful hamburger with gravy on fry bread. Oh, how I love fry bread! And I had iced tea with prickly pear, but I really couldn't taste the prickly pear.

And I ate at my favorite Thai restaurant in Cottonwood, and also at my favorite Mexican restaurant in Camp Verde. I really get to load up on ethnic food when I travel! Yum!

Got all the pictures back today, and I have been sorting, culling, etc. I have to cull about 4 or 5 times to get down to the ones I want. I have not even finished the first cull yet. Tried out m... ]]> *PatGoltz Travel Report http://PatGoltz.deviantart.com/journal/9259774/ http://PatGoltz.deviantart.com/journal/9259774/ Mon, 03 Jul 2006 10:52:22 PDT Thanks, guys! For all the

and

! I am hopelessly behind. I don't like not thanking people individually, but I get a lot, and I have been trying to visit everyone's gallery instead.

Hey, I really, really appreciate each and every one of you!

After hitting a high of over 5000 images to look at, I had been down to around 3000. Then I had a bunch of deadlines all in a row, and then I got a Daily Deviation. Because of all of this, I am back up nearly to 5000 images to view, and in addition, I have nearly 1600 favorites and watches for which I want to thank people. Some of these are really old. I apologize for this. But when I thank someone new, I always visit their gallery, too. That's part of my way of saying "thank you". Now that my deadlines are past, for now, I will see how many of you I can visit. I am looking forward to it. But please be patient, and please remember the longer ago you fav'ed one of my images, the longer it will take me to get to it in the list, because it only shows me the most recent 25, unfortunately. I'd go from earliest to latest if I could. But I WILL visit you. I promise!

Don't forget about

This is for people who like to tweak fractal images, and digital landscapes. Y'all come!

AND NOW FOR THE NEW STUFF!

Mood:

Yellow Alien!
Listening to: Tchaikovsky: Dance of Sugar Plum Fairy, mandolins
Reading: Seeds of Deception by Jeffrey M. Smith

Folks,

This will be brief, and I will do one more article on abortion in a day or two. Right now, I am over 6000 behind on watched deviations to look at. My own fault, but I need to fix it.

I spent a successful handful of days in northern Arizona. Unfortunately, the forest fires prevented me from going some places I want to visit. There was so much haze in the air that it washed out the skies and the colors. It was frustrating! I could see that there were gorgeous clouds, but they were so faint they would have no impact. The Warm Fire was a problem in particular. It was burning in the Kaibab region north of Grand Canyon. It has consumed around 60,000 acres by this time. The smoke didn't do my lungs any good, either. I did visit nine or so galleries, and I think some of them were excellent contacts. One will carry my work for sure. One of the owners of another was a real nutcase; my husband said he's a control freak. I agree. He told me to do only one kind of art. That takes a LOT of nerve. There's more, but I'll leave it unsaid. Supposedly he is an artist himself. Funny he doesn't understand artists! Well, I won't do business with him.

The one place I did get to was lower Antelope Canyon. I felt that I probably could deal with the haze. It wasn't too bad. But I will have to post-process a little to get the results I would get without the haze. Unfortunately. I talked to my close friend in Page, and his take on this is that these colors do appear, so they are natural. I don't feel quite right about it, but I am making sure that what I do is something that would happen naturally under perfect conditions. These colors are NOT exaggerated. They do happen. On this occasion, I started at the bottom of the canyon at about 9 am (that's a miracle all by itself!) and worked my way up. It wasn't easy because there are places where you can slide down if you have to, going down, but they're too high for easy climbing. The walls are often not very helpful. The fact that I injured my left arm didn't help a bit, either. I actually got someone to help me up one place so I wouldn't hold him up; he was going down. I think I need to strengthen my leg muscles when my leg is extremely flexed. To find the time and money to do that will be tricky. I would like to hike The Wave someday, but I'm in no shape to do that at the moment. I have had to put taekwondo on the back burner because of injuries, too. *sigh!* The sad part is that these injuries happen when I am doing ordinary living. I just dislocate something, or whatever. In this case, I had stopped moving my shoulder blades, and that would eventually lead to freezing up of my shoulders. It is a good thing I caught it when I did, and I hope to recover completely, but it probably will... ]]> *PatGoltz To Dads - when fatherhood wasn't in your plans http://PatGoltz.deviantart.com/journal/9165954/ http://PatGoltz.deviantart.com/journal/9165954/ Sat, 24 Jun 2006 04:35:18 PDT Thanks, guys! For all the

and

! I am hopelessly behind. I don't like not thanking people individually, but I get a lot, and I have been trying to visit everyone's gallery instead.

This is for people who like to tweak fractal images, and digital landscapes. Y'all come!

AND NOW FOR THE NEW STUFF!

Mood:

Yellow Alien!
Listening to: Wilhelm Kienzl : String Quartet #1
Reading: Seeds of Deception by Jeffrey M. Smith

Folks, I am going to be off the internet for a few days, making art and catching up on a few things. For one thing, I need to tear my room apart and figure out what happened to the film I took of butterflies, and I have to do a bunch of scanning. I'm even further behind on watched deviations (I keep getting distracted by other things) but I'll catch up in earnest in a few. In the meantime, however, I wanted to write some more.

This is a continuation of my series on abortion.

You and your girlfriend have enjoyed each other's company immensely, and then suddenly, without warning, she's pregnant. What do you do? This seems like a serious complication in your life; you're not ready to be a father, and it scares the heck out of you! You don't want the responsibility for 18 years, at least not yet. You're not financially comfortable; you may be still getting an education, and so forth. But you know what? Abortion is dangerous: physically, emotionally, and spiritually. No man has a right to ask a woman to undergo an abortion to make his life less complicated.

To make matters more difficult, in many ways, the pregnancy isn't real to you. For most men, the pregnancy isn't real until the father can see changes in the mother's body, hear the heartbeat, feel movement, or see the ultrasound. All of these things happen after the time when most abortions are done. It's hard to make a decision when the situation doesn't even seem real! It should be so easy for her to just take care of it, and you will be right back where you started.

It doesn't seem like a big deal. You aren't connecting with it like she is, but she probably doesn't feel like she can really discuss it with you, especially since it is likely you will say something that does a lot of harm, maybe even without meaning to.

Pregnancy for a woman is the most intimate relationship she will ever have with another human being. That includes her relationship with you or with any other significant person in her life. Neither of you can remember what it was like when your mother was pregnant with you. But the relationship with a woman starts almost immediately. The tiny, tiny human being moves down the Fallopian tube to the uterus. Every time the little being touches the wall of the Fallopian tube, hormonal messages are exchanged. This goes on on a subliminal level for both of them, which means the mother doesn't even fully understand how the relationship is forming. But many women sense they are pregnant immediately, and this is one of the reasons. If a woman doesn't want to be pregnant, she may deny it until some symptom cannot be ignored, but that doesn't mean she isn't aware on some level. And she may well ignore the evidence she is getting because she is hopin... ]]> *PatGoltz A New Line of Apparel http://PatGoltz.deviantart.com/journal/9083811/ http://PatGoltz.deviantart.com/journal/9083811/ Fri, 16 Jun 2006 05:23:36 PDT Thanks, guys! For all the

and

! I am hopelessly behind. I don't like not thanking people individually, but I get a lot, and I have been trying to visit everyone's gallery instead.

This is for people who like to tweak fractal images, and digital landscapes. Y'all come!

AND NOW FOR THE NEW STUFF!

Mood:

Yellow Alien!
Listening to: In Nomine 1 - Orlando Gibbons
Reading: Seeds of Deception by Jeffrey M. Smith

Folks, I have opened up a shop where you can buy my designs on clothing, tote bags, and other items. To see my shop, go here: [link] I have about 1/3 of the total number of planned products for the moment. There will definitely be more fractals, for instance. Enjoy!

In other news...

Well, I have been so busy setting up on new sites that I'm waaaaaaaaay behind on deviations viewing again. My apologies to all the people who have been so patient with me! And of course, I still have lots of favorites to thank people for. When you get to be my age, you get real patient with yourself!

I'm peddling as fast as I can, but the bicycle is old and creaky, too! Anyway, I'll be in and out of here. So don't be surprised at anything.

I hope to have some new photographs for my gallery soon. I have a LITTLE BIT of money, so I am going to get some film developed. Then I will do some serious scanning. I do have quite a backlog of photos that are already developed. Stay tuned!

And I'm working on opening a gallery in Australia!

Oh, and I'm updating my own web site, Extraplicity. I now have links to deviantART for several pages of my photographs, to my store, and I am also doing digital art. It's time-consuming, so it will take awhile. But once I do that, people who visit my site can come here and buy products. And my site gets a lot of hits, so I am very hopeful that it will generate some traffic to my store. Two different new lists also asked me to put a link on their site: one photography, and one for businesses. So lots of exciting things are happening in my life.

And I'm getting my house cleaned out! Yippee!

And just for fun:

If I were a month, I would be: April
If I were a day of the week, I would be: Sunday
If I were a time of day, I would be: sunset
If I were a sea animal, I would be: dolphin
If I were a direction, I would be: East
If I were a sin, I would be: gluttony
If I were a historical figure I would be: Anna Sullivan, who took care of the King of Siam's children.
If I were a planet, I would be: Earth
If I were a liquid, I would be: juice
If I were a stone, I would be: opal
If I were a tree, I would be: cypress
If I were a bird, I would be: hummingbird
If I were a flower/plant, I would be: hibiscus or tulip
If I were a kind of weather, I would be: spring
If I were a mythical creature, I would be: A d... ]]> *PatGoltz Avoiding The Decision http://PatGoltz.deviantart.com/journal/9004929/ http://PatGoltz.deviantart.com/journal/9004929/ Thu, 08 Jun 2006 01:29:07 PDT Thanks, guys! For all the

and

! I am hopelessly behind. I don't like not thanking people individually, but I get a lot, and I have been trying to visit everyone's gallery instead.

This is for people who like to tweak fractal images, and digital landscapes. Y'all come!

AND NOW FOR THE NEW STUFF!

Mood:

Yellow Alien!
Listening to: String Quartet #1 by Claude Debussy
Reading: If Animals Could Talk by Werner Gett

My first article on abortion, "Abortion - A Better Answer," can be found here: [link] It talks about what to do if you are facing the decision of whether or not to have an abortion.

This is the second article in my series on abortion. If you are a woman of childbearing age, then hopefully, this article will help you avoid ever having to make the decision whether to have an abortion or not. A woman of childbearing age can be any girl from about 11 years on up to 45 or 50 years.

First and foremost, it is critically important that you control your own body. We hear a lot of rhetoric about how important it is to be able to control your body. So you are now in a position where you CAN control your body, if you only will.

Most of us know what causes pregnancy. The problem is, we are in the habit of thinking, "It can't happen to me." Oh, yes, it can. And all it takes is once. And it can happen even if he just gets near you! People often think they can avoid pregnancy by using birth control or condoms. The problem with this is that these methods are not reliable, and in fact, they are LESS reliable in women who aren't married to their partner. One thing that also sometimes happens is that people don't plan; they think they aren't going to Do It. And then they end up doing it anyway.

And then there is date rape.

The first thing you need to know is that male sexuality is very different from ours. If you have some idea of in what way it is different, this will help a lot. Men are turned on visually very, very easily. They see a pretty woman, and they become interested. Many men are also rather aggressive, but they also know how to talk to a woman to get her to go to bed with them. All they have to do is say wonderful things, and a lot of women, especially women who don't get adequate love at home, will think that they really care, and will give in. And in a few instances, a woman will seduce a man.

It is very common for a man to say he loves you when he really doesn't have any idea what love really involves. To help make this a little clearer, I'll tell you about the Greek words for love. Too bad we have only one word in English. The Greek words are "phileo", "eros", and "agape." "Phileo" means brotherly love. "Eros" means sexual attraction. "Agape" means self-sacrificing love. It's not uncommon for a man to be thinking "eros" when the woman is thinking "agape". Self-sacrificing love means being willing to put the one you love ahead of your own interests, actually to decide to sacrifice your own interests for the person you love. Ideally, all children should be born into a situation with two parents of opposite gender who have agape for eac... ]]> *PatGoltz Abortion - A Better Answer http://PatGoltz.deviantart.com/journal/8699348/ http://PatGoltz.deviantart.com/journal/8699348/ Sun, 07 May 2006 10:15:40 PDT Thanks, guys! For all the

and

! I am hopelessly behind. I don't like not thanking people individually, but I get a lot, and I have been trying to visit everyone's gallery instead.

Hey, I really, really appreciate each and every one of you!

After hitting a high of over 5000 images to look at, I am now down around 3000. That's progress, folks! But I still have a long ways to go. Getting broadband has made a tremendous difference. I am now able to go around and thank everyone personally for their support. But please continue to be patient with me.

Don't forget about

This is for people who like to tweak fractal images, and digital landscapes. Y'all come!

AND NOW FOR THE NEW STUFF!

Mood:

Yellow Alien!
Listening to: Schobert Harpsichord Sonata in D with Violin
Reading: Raven Dance - deviant Robert A. Sloan

He has wined and dined you. He has whispered sweet nothings of love. He makes you feel wonderful. Something clicks. And then, suddenly, you are pregnant. The shock can be overwhelming. The panic can be total. What do you do?

Suddenly, he's not there for you. He never counted on this. If you don't "get rid of it", you'll ruin his life. Or maybe suddenly, you just don't hear from him anymore. Or he may actually put pressure on you.

You may be terrified to tell your parents. Your parents will kick you out of the house! You will have noplace to go.

You hope it will go away. It doesn't. After awhile, you start to get used to the idea, but what will you do about it? Life as you know it is over. Things will never be the same. You won't be able to complete your education, and your career plans have gone out of the window. If you have "THIS BABY", you both will grow up in poverty, and you will be unable to provide for him or her. Most importantly, the one person you need the most isn't there for you.

You know someone who will take care of it safely and discreetly, or do you?

On his part, the pregnancy isn't real to him. He doesn't see anything different about you. He won't be able to grasp it until he sees changes in your body, or hears a heartbeat, or feels movement, or sees an ultrasound. Even if ultimately he will accept it, and maybe even be a good father, he doesn't come around to a place of peace with it nearly as quickly as you would. It's part of being male. And maybe it's all over between you.

You think that if you don't have an abortion, you will lose him. Sometimes you will. But he may come around. He needs more time than you do. Maybe he was using you, but maybe he really will be there for you in the long run. Give him time. If he makes life more difficult, separate yourself from him as much as you need to. But even though it seems to be all over, maybe it really isn't. And maybe if you have an abortion, it really WILL be all over between you. You won't know the answer to that right away. Unfortunately, you are going to have to make a decision with insufficient information. But that doesn't mean you can't know enough to make the right decision for you.

You think that if you don't have an abortion, your parents will find out you are pregnant. But consider this: what if the way your parents find out because you get hurt or killed from an abortion? Some parents HAVE found out this way. And as they say, if one person knows a secret, there is always a chance it will become common knowledge. Is there anyone who will know about a decision to have an abortion? Yes! You! It's not as easy to keep this secret as you might think.

This is one of a series of articles I am going to write on this topic. My background is extensive. I have been involved with this question since 1970, and I have helped hundreds of women in one way, and perhaps tens of thousands in another. Today, I will tell you what you might do if you find yourself in this position.

First of all, you need to get past the panic. People don't make good decisions when they are in a panic. That's easier said than done, however. You aren't aware of any resources that might help you. This information is systematically kept from you by your no... ]]> *PatGoltz I've Been Tagged http://PatGoltz.deviantart.com/journal/8615264/ http://PatGoltz.deviantart.com/journal/8615264/ Fri, 28 Apr 2006 19:53:20 PDT Thanks, guys! For all the

and

! I am hopelessly behind. I don't like not thanking people individually, but I get a lot, and I have been trying to visit everyone's gallery instead.

This is for people who like to tweak fractal images, and digital landscapes. Y'all come!

AND NOW FOR THE NEW STUFF!

Mood:

Yellow Alien!
Listening to: Mendelssohn: String Quartet No. 2 in A, Op. 13
Reading: Raven Dance - deviant Robert A. Sloan

I should be able to start thanking people for favorites real soon. I got several deadlines met, though I tore my hair out for a bit doing them. I have one more to do before I am free to concentrate on thank you's, but I don't think it will take a long time.

tagged me. She wants me to tell six strange things about myself. I'll try!

Anyway, if you are reading this, and you want to do it, you're tagged. I'm not up to figuring out who to sucker punch with this one.

1. When we got married, my husband and I decided we would spend our "cigarette" money on books instead. We decided to assume for this purpose that each of us had a two pack a day habit, and we would spend that amount. We have been married 40 years, and we have somewhere in the neighborhood of 30,000 books. Except when money got really tight the past couple of years, we pretty much spent the same amount as a two pack a day habit for each of us. People don't realize how expensive smoking is!

2. We haven't had city water for a quarter of a century. That's what you get for living in the middle of nowhere. At first, we had a well, but it started to go dry pretty quickly. The water was extremely alkaline and ate right through the heating element in the water heater. After buying a new one a couple of times, we gave up, and just heated water on the stove when we wanted some hot water. When the major earthquake happened in Mexico City, it pretty much wiped our well out. After that, for many years, we hauled water from a remote meter in a water tank that holds 175 gallons. For the past couple of years, we finally have a water tank that holds 2800 gallons, and we have it filled every three months. We don't live in the middle of nowhere anymore (because lots of people have built houses here) but we still don't have city water, and neither do our neighbors.

3. Already I'm running out of ideas. Let me think...I hate licorice. Well, that's not so strange, in my opinion. I found out why. I'm allergic to it. If I eat licorice (or chocolate), I get formication. That feels like ants crawling on my skin. It's worst when I'm trying to go to sleep. I also hate anise and cloves for the same reason: they're too similar to licorice. In my opinion, anyway.

4. I think sleeping is a bad habit and a waste of time, but I can't seem to break it.

Got any ideas? By the same token, I'd like to be bored just once so I can see what it's like.

5. At one time I wanted to become a nuclear physicist, but when I took the physics lab for the first college course, my results were so bad even the Finagle Factor didn't help. Besides, I hate vectors! I got elected secretary for the physics club because I was the only female in the club (some reason!) but I didn't carry out the duties because I hated it. I should have... ]]> *PatGoltz Daily Deviation http://PatGoltz.deviantart.com/journal/8506186/ http://PatGoltz.deviantart.com/journal/8506186/ Tue, 18 Apr 2006 01:29:50 PDT Thanks, guys! For all the

and

:!: I am hopelessly behind. I don't like not thanking people individually, but I get a lot, and I have been trying to visit everyone's gallery instead.

This is for people who like to tweak fractal images, and digital landscapes. Y'all come!

Here are some artists I'd like to tell you about. Some of them are not unknown artists, but in my opinion, they are still well worth watching.

Exquisite bird photos, many in flight:

Profound and beautiful photography:

Gorgeous Ultrafractal images:

Incomparable Apophysis images:

Here is an unknown Apophysis artist who deserves to be watched:

Innovative fractal work:

Awesome Terragen:

Spectacular Mountain Photography:

Their collages and fractals are amazing!

<... ]]> *PatGoltz Broadband!!!!!! http://PatGoltz.deviantart.com/journal/8424533/ http://PatGoltz.deviantart.com/journal/8424533/ Mon, 10 Apr 2006 05:49:19 PDT Thanks, guys! For all the

and

:!: I am hopelessly behind. I don't like not thanking people individually, but I get a lot, and I am trying to visit everyone's gallery instead.

Hey, I really, really appreciate each and every one of you!

After hitting a high of over 5000 images to look at, I am now down around 4000. That's progress, folks! But I still have a long ways to go. Being able to get access to broadband a couple hours a week has made a tremendous difference. But please continue to be patient with me.

Don't forget about

Profound and beautiful photography:

Gorgeous Ultrafractal images:

Incomparable Apophysis images:

Here is an unknown Apophysis artist who deserves to be watched:

Innovative fractal work:

Awesome Terragen:

Spectacular Mountain Photography:

Their collages and fractals are amazing!

http://PatGoltz.deviantart.com/journal/8176630/ Thu, 16 Mar 2006 09:26:31 PST Thanks, guys! For all the

and

:!: I am hopelessly behind. I don't like not thanking people individually, but I get a lot, and I am trying to visit everyone's gallery instead.

Profound and beautiful photography:

Gorgeous Ultrafractal images:

Incomparable Apophysis images:

Here is an unknown Apophysis artist who deserves to be watched:

Innovative fractal work:

Awesome Terragen:

Spectacular Mountain Photography:

Their collages and fractals are amazing!

http://PatGoltz.deviantart.com/journal/8134448/ Sat, 11 Mar 2006 20:40:33 PST Thanks, guys! For all the

and

:!: I am hopelessly behind. I don't like not thanking people individually, but I get a lot, and I am trying to visit everyone's gallery instead.

Profound and beautiful photography:

Gorgeous Ultrafractal images:

Incomparable Apophysis images:

Here is an unknown Apophysis artist who deserves to be watched:

Innovative fractal work:

Awesome Terragen:

Spectacular Mountain Photography:

Their collages and fractals are amazing!

http://PatGoltz.deviantart.com/journal/8014726/ Mon, 27 Feb 2006 04:23:52 PST Thanks, guys! For all the

and

:!: I am hopelessly behind. I don't like not thanking people individually, but I get a lot, and I am trying to visit everyone's gallery instead.

Y'all come!

It's time to feature other artists. Here are some I'd like to tell you about. Some of them are not unknown artists, but in my opinion, they are still well worth watching.

Exquisite bird photos, many in flight:

Profound and beautiful photography:

Gorgeous Ultrafractal images:

Incomparable Apophysis images:

Here is an unknown Apophysis artist who deserves to be watched:

Innovative fractal work:

Awesome Terragen:

Spectacular Mountain Photography:

Their collages and fractals are amazing!

http://PatGoltz.deviantart.com/journal/7936527/ Sat, 18 Feb 2006 17:42:04 PST Thanks, guys! For all the

and

:!: I am hopelessly behind. I don't like not thanking people individually, but I get a lot, and I am trying to visit everyone's gallery instead.

Profound and beautiful photography:

Gorgeous Ultrafractal images:

Incomparable Apophysis images:

Here is an unknown Apophysis artist who deserves to be watched:

Innovative fractal work:

Awesome Terragen:

Spectacular Mountain Photography:

Their collages and fractals are amazing!

http://PatGoltz.deviantart.com/journal/7523288/ Fri, 06 Jan 2006 03:34:54 PST Thanks, guys! For all the

and

:!: I am hopelessly behind. I don't like not thanking people individually, but I get a lot, and I am trying to visit everyone's gallery instead.

Hey, I really, really appreciate each and every one of you!

Just so you know, I currently have more than 4500 deviations from my watched people, to look at. I plan to do some catchup on a broadband after I get the current project well under way.

Don't forget about

Profound and beautiful photography:

Gorgeous Ultrafractal images:

Incomparable Apophysis images:

Here is an unknown Apophysis artist who deserves to be watched:

Innovative fractal work:

Awesome Terragen:

Spectacular Mountain Photography:

Their collages and fractals are amazing!

http://PatGoltz.deviantart.com/journal/7226628/ Mon, 05 Dec 2005 06:51:48 PST Thanks, guys! For all the

and

:!: I am hopelessly behind. I don't like not thanking people individually, but I get a lot, and I am trying to visit everyone's gallery instead.

Profound and beautiful photography:

Gorgeous Ultrafractal images:

Incomparable Apophysis images:

Here is an unknown Apophysis artist who deserves to be watched:

Innovative fractal work:

Awesome Terragen:

Spectacular Mountain Photography:

Their collages and fractals are amazing!

http://PatGoltz.deviantart.com/journal/6772019/ Sat, 15 Oct 2005 04:48:07 PDT Thanks, guys! For all the

and

:!: I am hopelessly behind. I don't like not thanking people individually, but I get a lot, and I am trying to visit everyone's gallery instead.

Y'all come!

It's time to feature other artists. Here are some I'd like to tell you about. Some of them are not unknown artists, but in my opinion, they are well worth watching.

Exquisite bird photos, many in flight:

Profound and beautiful photography:

Gorgeous Ultrafractal images:

Incomparable Apophysis images:

Awesome Terragen:

Spectacular Mountain Photography:

Mood:

Yellow Alien!
Reading: Striking the Balance - Harry Turtledove

Well, I'm so busy I can't see straight! I got a huge web development job, and I'm working on it as much as I can. I am also posting art elsewhere. I'm still very much upset about the situation with Jark. And they have TOTALLY IGNORED my request to get the thumbnails of erotic and fetish art off my pages. Folks, when I joined, that was NOT a problem. I feel betrayed!

The job I have won't solve my financial problems, but it will certainly help.

I have a backlog of almost 4000 watched deviations to view. As soon as I have the web site live (hopefully in a couple of weeks), I will get to use a broadband connection to start catching up. But until then, I will just have to wait. No time. I look at as much as I can while I'm doing other stuff.

Not much else going on. I'm enjoying life. I'm being as creative as I can with the time I have. I don't make a new piece of art every day like I used to. I used to make several some days. But the hiatus will help my art become fresh, because right now my brain is processing for a leap in abilities and accomplishments. So I'm not worried.

Thanks so much to all of you for the tremendous support you have given me. I deeply appreciate each and every one of you, even if I don't have time to tell you individually. I'm not happy about that at all, but I h... ]]> *PatGoltz Freedom of Speech http://PatGoltz.deviantart.com/journal/6366151/ http://PatGoltz.deviantart.com/journal/6366151/ Tue, 30 Aug 2005 05:06:18 PDT Thanks, guys! For all the

and

:!: I am hopelessly behind. I don't like not thanking people individually, but I get a lot, and I am trying to visit everyone's gallery instead.

Hey, I really, really appreciate each and every one of you!

Just so you know, I currently have nearly 1300 deviations from my watched people, to look at.

Don't forget about

Profound and beautiful photography:

Gorgeous Ultrafractal images:

Incomparable Apophysis images:

Awesome Terragen:

Mood:

Yellow Alien!
Reading: Upsetting the Balance - Harry Turtledove

Folks,

I am making a proposal to deviantART that I hope with all my heart they will accept. If they do not, I will be leaving deviantART. I am not suggesting that they do this immediately, but I would like a commitment from them to do it.

First, some background. I first became active on deviantART a year ago. At that time, the site was very compatible with my outlook, and I put thousands of hours into putting up art and print files, and looking at other people's work and commenting. I have made a lot of friends here. It tugs at my heart that I am even considering this move. A few months ago, however, I noticed a change. Suddenly, deviantART was featuring erotic and fetish art in daily deviations on a daily basis. Some of the erotic art was very good, but most of it was not; it was merely erotic. Some of the images were downright disgusting. Along with this, there was a sudden upsurge in the number of VIOLENT images that were being featured as well. One of the big gripes a lot of people had was lack of balance in choosing the daily deviations. Fortunately, to some extent that has been corrected.

I wouldn't have minded all of this so much if it had not been for two things. The first was the amount of time I had spent participating on this site, using up valuable resources of time. Unfortunately, I have sold virtually no prints. But I was determined to keep trying. The other problem was the fact that the thumbnails for these erotic and fetish images are being put on the sidebar of my deviations pages. The deviations page is where the small image is located, that the viewer clicks on to get the full sized image. I was also unhappy about some related issues, but after careful considerat... ]]> *PatGoltz What Now? http://PatGoltz.deviantart.com/journal/6221711/ http://PatGoltz.deviantart.com/journal/6221711/ Sun, 14 Aug 2005 02:59:31 PDT Thanks, guys! For all the

and

:!: I am hopelessly behind. I don't like not thanking people individually, but I get a lot, and I am trying to visit everyone's gallery instead.

Hey, I really, really appreciate each and every one of you!

Just so you know, I currently have nearly 1300 deviations from my watched people, to look at.

Don't forget about

Profound and beautiful photography:

Gorgeous Ultrafractal images:

Incomparable Apophysis images:

Awesome Terragen:

Mood:

Yellow Alien!
Listening to: Piano Concerto no 1 by Franz Liszt
Reading: Tilting the Balance - Harry Turtledove

NEW STUFF

Just can't seem to get around it! I now have nearly 2100 deviations from my watched people. I'll catch up sometime; I'm not too worried about it, but it won't be soon.

Now that Yellow Day is past, what now? We keep on plugging away at it, perhaps schedule more protests, look for alternative sites, try to gather momentum. No, I'm not giving up! But it really looks like administration is oblivious to our concerns, and I haven't heard a thing. I will continue to upload yellow deviations from time to time. Needless to say, I have lost a lot of enthusiasm for this site, because I realize that I might not be able to stay here forever, because if things don't change, I will pull out at some point. I appreciate all my friends here very much, and I may leave my gallery, but I may not add to it. I'll let people know where my most recent work will be if it comes to that.

For more information:

[link]
[link]
[link]

I have a part-time job, so time will be even shorter now. But the money will be very welcome. The job will probably last only a few weeks, which is perfect for me. I continue to explore more ways to earn money.

I have sold a number of copies of my Xenodream lightings, and I thank the people who bought them! I actually got a check for the first time in a very long time! It also gives me some direction on where to go with my products.

I am considering putting out a... ]]> *PatGoltz Yellow Day August 7 http://PatGoltz.deviantart.com/journal/6082831/ http://PatGoltz.deviantart.com/journal/6082831/ Sat, 30 Jul 2005 22:31:46 PDT Thanks, guys! For all the

and

I am hopelessly behind. I don't like not thanking people individually, but I get a lot, and I am trying to visit everyone's gallery instead.

Hey, I really, really appreciate each and every one of you!

Just so you know, I currently have nearly 1300 deviations from my watched people, to look at.

Mood:

Yellow Alien!

Something has happened to

I don't know the details, but he is no longer a staff member, and I don't like it.

So in honor of Jark, and for getting the administration to tell us what happened and straighten things out, August 7, the 5th anniversary of deviantART, has been declared Yellow Day, in honor of the Yellow Alien.

For more information:

[link]
[link]
[link]

There's lots more, but this will get you started.

Let's support Jark!!!!!!

P.S. I have one principle that I absolutely won't break. When someone forces me to choose between them and someone else, I choose the other person. Always. I feel that forcing me to choose is so highly unethical that I will even suffer personal harm to keep my rule. It has been costly at times, but I still keep that rule. Since the current administration forced me to choose between it (him) and Jark, even if I had no other reasons, I would support Jark. As things stand, Jark has also been personally kind to me and responsive to me (unlike spyed), and I felt this was someone who cared about me and was willing to look out after my personal interests. And not only was he responsive, but he was very supportive. That's a major reason why I am on Jark's side. In the aggregate, getting rid of Jark was a foolish move, and I hope administration will correct that error, if possible, though the working relationship might be irretrievably broken. I can think of only one thing administration can do, and that is to tell Jark they are deeply sorry and are seeking forgiveness and want to put things back together. So after reflection for several days, this is where I have to come down.

]]> *PatGoltz I'll never do THAT again, part 2 http://PatGoltz.deviantart.com/journal/6072807/ http://PatGoltz.deviantart.com/journal/6072807/ Fri, 29 Jul 2005 22:58:48 PDT and

I am hopelessly behind. I don't like not thanking people individually, but I get a lot, and I am trying to visit everyone's gallery instead.

Hey, I really, really appreciate each and every one of you!

Don't forget about

Profound and beautiful photography:

Gorgeous Ultrafractal images:

Incomparable Apophysis images:

Awesome Terragen:

Mood:

wrapped up in art
Listening to: art songs, don't know which ones
Reading: Tilting the Balance - Harry Turtledove

Well, and then there was what happened next.

MAJOR FRUSTRATION!

I was sitting here minding my own business, and alluvasudden out of the blue, my internet connection was gone. Totally. So I tried reconnecting. Nothing. Tried connecting to the other service. Nothing. Listened to the phone line. Deader than a doornail! Listened to the other one. Just as dead.

I had to go do something, so I told John about the problem and left. As soon as I got where my cell phone would work (remember, I live in the boonies), I called phone repair. Oh, by the way, we have a major outage in your area, they told me. Someone cut a major phone cable in my neighborhood. It would take 24-48 hours to fix. Ooooooo-kay! Now what do I do with myself? I was planning on spending all day playing Ketchup on my deviations (right now, I have 2231 waiting for me, a record). So I twiddled my thumbs awhile, read awhile, played a stupid solitaire game awhile, and then I made two Terragens and two Bryce abstracts, and a couple of Apo flames. And read some more, and twiddled my thumbs some more, and played a stupid solitaire game some more. And waited. Got the phone line back more than 24 hours later and I'm back in business, but I feel like I have been away for a year!

I am SOOOOOOOO far behind that I don't know when I will catch up. Folks, so many of you have added me to your watch list, and I deeply appreciate it. I currently have over 300 messages from people who have done that or fav'ed my art. I appreciate this more than I can possibly express. I will try my darndest to thank everyone, but I don't think that is going to happen. So just know that I... ]]> *PatGoltz I'll Never Do THAT Again! http://PatGoltz.deviantart.com/journal/6017742/ http://PatGoltz.deviantart.com/journal/6017742/ Sun, 24 Jul 2005 02:27:20 PDT and

I am hopelessly behind. I don't like not thanking people individually, but I get a lot, and I am trying to visit everyone's gallery instead.

Hey, I really, really appreciate each and every one of you!

Don't forget about

Profound and beautiful photography:

Gorgeous Ultrafractal images:

Incomparable Apophysis images:

Awesome Terragen:

Mood:

wrapped up in art
Listening to: Symphony No. 2 - Johannes Brahms
Reading: Tilting the Balance - Harry Turtledove

I'll never do THAT again. Well, maybe never...

I just finished rendering a Terragen landscape. It took somewhere around 125 hours as near as I can figure. The program said it took 5 hours and 9 minutes, but I seem to recall sleeping five times in there someplace. Talk about being nervous toward the end! We were having a lot of thunderstorms, on a daily basis, and any one of them could have zapped power and wiped out all that work. So that just made it a lot worse. And even worse than that, Terragen was slowing everything down, and I couldn't get anything else done, and I was in a blue funk for the most part. I'm glad THAT'S over. Now all I have to do is figure out what I could have done differently that might have shortened the render time considerably.

Anyway, here it is:

Don't say perseverence has no value. But it can be hard on the soul! The reward just may be worth it. Let me know what you think.

I support the

Unknown Artist Project.

Everything below this line is old news, so you may have seen it.

Sampler of my work:

http://PatGoltz.deviantart.com/journal/5955657/ Sun, 17 Jul 2005 01:37:37 PDT and

I am hopelessly behind. I don't like not thanking people individually, but I get a lot, and I am trying to visit everyone's gallery instead.

Hey, I really, really appreciate each and every one of you!

Don't forget about

Profound and beautiful photography:

Gorgeous Ultrafractal images:

Incomparable Apophysis images:

Awesome Terragen:

Mood:

wrapped up in art
Listening to: Peer Gynt Suite - Edvard Grieg
Reading: Skeleton Man - Tony Hillerman

Folks,

I have been trying to develop some useful products for various programs. My latest is a collection of lightings for Xenodream. As those of you who are Xenodreamers know, when you design a Xenodream fractal object, you first apply a coloring, and then after the object renders, you apply a lighting. The lighting is like shining lights on the object. Think of a three dimensional object with lights arranged around it shining on it. They can be different colors and come from different angles, and the object will even cast shadows on itself. But these are no ordinary lights, because they also control things like texture, metallicity, and lots of other qualities.

At any rate, I have a package of 76 lightings that I am selling at Renderosity. You can buy it here:

[link]

You can see a sample of six different lightings here:

Bluesman and Gateman have used one of my lightings in Xenodream fractals here:

*PatGoltz Finally, at Last! http://PatGoltz.deviantart.com/journal/5817922/ http://PatGoltz.deviantart.com/journal/5817922/ Sat, 02 Jul 2005 04:52:38 PDT and

I am hopelessly behind. I don't like not thanking people individually, but I get a lot, and I am trying to visit everyone's gallery instead.

Hey, I really, really appreciate each and every one of you!

Don't forget about

Profound and beautiful photography:

Gorgeous Ultrafractal images:

Incomparable Apophysis images:

Awesome Terragen:

Mood:

wrapped up in art
Listening to: Simple Symphony - Benjamin Britten
Reading: In the Balance - Harry Turtledove

Well, folks! I got some of my pictures back from my recent trip (the better ones). I scanned over a hundred earlier, and I will do more than a hundred tomorrow, if my scanner holds out! LOL.

I have also scanned pictures from previous trips.

I will present some information about my trip. I started out on Monday from southern Arizona, and stayed the night in Camp Verde (it's kinda spooky that a brushfire is presently threatening the town). The next day I went to Flagstaff, and visited some galleries to see if any would show and sell my work. A couple of them expressed an interest. That evening, I went to my therapist (he puts my body back together so I can do all this gallivanting around at my age). After that, I went on to Page, because there were no wildflowers in Flagstaff. In fact, there was still a lot of snow on the San Francisco Peaks. I will have to go back in August or September to catch the wildflowers there. I have done that before.

That day, I had talked to a friend of mine in Page, and he said there were no wildflowers yet. I didn't know what to expect when I arrived, but it was late at night, so I couldn't see anything. The next day, I got up and went out, and the field next to the motel was carpeted with yellow flowers! So I took a few pictures and headed for the Vermilion Cliffs to see if there were any wildflowers there. But I didn't make it. I got stuck in the sand just next to the deep cleft in the rock where the highway goes through. It was ridiculous. The sand is normally quite compacted and doesn't cause a problem. But rather than stay on the pavement, which is really an escape ramp for trucks, I drove off on... ]]> *PatGoltz If you can't handle the critters, you don't belong http://PatGoltz.deviantart.com/journal/5646846/ http://PatGoltz.deviantart.com/journal/5646846/ Tue, 14 Jun 2005 13:33:21 PDT and

I am hopelessly behind. I don't like not thanking people individually, but I get a lot, and I am trying to visit everyone's gallery instead.

Hey, I really, really appreciate each and every one of you!

Don't forget about

Profound and beautiful photography:

Gorgeous Ultrafractal images:

Incomparable Apophysis images:

Awesome Terragen:

Mood:

wrapped up in art
Listening to: Double Concerto, Violin, Cello - Brahms
Reading: In the Balance - Harry Turtledove

Folks,

I get my prints back from my latest trip today! So I should have some picture uploaded in the next few days. I have a project to complete, but I am hoping to be done with that today or tomorrow.

I knew I better talk about this sooner or later. Now it's sooner. That's because I went to wash my hair in the bathtub, and guess who crawled out of the drain! That's right, a baby tarantula! Not counting legs, his body was about 1 1/2 inches long. That's, ummmm, about 4 cm, for the rest of the folks. Anyway, I got out my digital camera that can do macro shots, and took his picture. That was an interesting exercise in itself. It's not the greatest camera in the world, but at least it has macro capabilities. I took several pictures. Without flash, it was too dark. With flash, well, I'm close to him so the flash misses him. So I got my flashlight. My flashlight is one of those new ones with an array of LED's. It makes a very directional light, so I had to try a couple of times before I got him in it. For those of you who are particularly intrepid, I'll upload the picture in a bit to my scraps. He's somewhat wet (he did crawl out of the drain because I turned the water on.). I think if I were to try to sell him a portrait, I'd have to wait until he was all dolled up!

That's not the only thing I have found in the drain. One time I saw what looked like a wad of hair in the drain, and I pulled out out, only to discover it was a dead mouse! Yeccch! But that's been awhile ago, and I survived!

First time I ever told anyone that, "If you can't handle the critters, you don't belong in the desert," was the time I had... ]]> *PatGoltz Art and Meaning http://PatGoltz.deviantart.com/journal/5326443/ http://PatGoltz.deviantart.com/journal/5326443/ Wed, 11 May 2005 03:46:08 PDT and

I am hopelessly behind. I don't like not thanking people individually, but I get a lot, and I am trying to visit everyone's gallery instead.

Hey, I really, really appreciate each and every one of you!

Don't forget about

Profound and beautiful photography:

Gorgeous Ultrafractal images:

Incomparable Apophysis images:

Awesome Terragen:

Mood:

wrapped up in art
Listening to: silence; the lightning zapped the radio
Reading: The Design Revolution by William A. Dembski

Some of the short descriptions of the daily deviations kinda nudged me into writing this. I want to touch on the issue of the meaning of art.

I think it was Ansel Adams that said something to the effect that if you have to explain a photograph, it's not art. I think there are basically three kinds of art: those that are self-evident, those that do well when presented with an explanation or interpretation, and those that are purely abstract. Sometimes it is better if an art work is ambiguous so different people will see different things in it.

I once decided to take a semester of psychology by correspondence. About three weeks into the course, I encountered the idea that people need language to think. (I'll show you why that is not so a little later, but bear with me.) I then wrote on my paper that babies do not require language to think. The teaching assistant (a student himself, but whose identity was unknown to me) wrote in the margin in red, "Babies don't think." That was the last time I turned in an assignment. That was such utter nonsense that I saw no point in going on with the course.

Artists often do not think in language at all times. When you make an abstract piece of art, do you always sit there and analyze it and say, well, I am going to put the blue here, and if I don't put it there, it means I am hungry and need to eat some lunch...? I don't. When I am working on a piece of visual art, I think in visual images, not words. If I am listening to a piece of music that has no lyrics, I think in terms of musical sounds, not language. Sure, I can sit there and say to myself, that's a run of thirds, or that'... ]]> *PatGoltz Successful Week http://PatGoltz.deviantart.com/journal/5241673/ http://PatGoltz.deviantart.com/journal/5241673/ Sun, 01 May 2005 19:58:46 PDT Oops! I just missed who got my 5000th page view. It is at 5006, so I'm two people short. Thanks guys!

And thanks, guys! For all the

and

I am hopelessly behind. I don't like not thanking people individually, but I get a lot, and I am trying to visit everyone's gallery instead.

Don't forget about

Profound and beautiful photography:

Gorgeous Ultrafractal images:

Incomparable Apophysis images:

Mood:

adventurous
Listening to: silence; the lightning zapped the radio
Reading: The Design Revolution by William A. Dembski

Well, I was out of circulation for a few days. But I had a very profitable time. Soon, you will be able to see the results (when I have some money for film development; have I got some pictures to show you!)

First I went to lower Antelope Canyon. The pictures I have presented so far are from upper Antelope Canyon. Lower Antelope Canyon is four times as long. It was a remarkable place. Unfortunately, the day was dull, and so were the colors. I don't know how nice what I got will be. More unfortunately, when the sun finally started shining brightly was about the time my camera didn't load the film properly, and I "took" 99 pictures before I noticed it. By that time, it was getting late, and I knew the weather wasn't promising, so I needed to scat out of there. By the time I got out the top, it was raining and there was a bitter cold wind. It was no fun walking back to my car. But I will go back again, and do it right, on a sunny day. I had hoped to get to Canyon X, but there wasn't the time and money.

In the meantime, however, I got some nice flower pictures. But not nearly as nice as what I got later on.

I went next to Zion National Park. It was a rainy day, and the heavy storm clouds made for some very interesting and more unusual pictures. It was incredibly green, and there were waterfalls everywhere. I think I got some really fine shots, and it remains to be seen how they turn out, but I am most anxious to show you.

Next day, I went to Bryce Canyon. It was another cold day with bitter wind, and the altitude is nearly 9000 feet, and I'm not used to that altitude, so I was huffing and puffing up a few inclines. But I think I got some great shots. There was snow on the ground, which is why I went that day. I didn't find Thor's Hammer. It was too cold to keep pulling out and going and looking. But I have something to tantalize you with, until I get the film pictures back.

In the meantime, I was also going to various galleries to see if they will sell my work. Interestingly, the thing th... ]]> *PatGoltz More Outrageous Injustice http://PatGoltz.deviantart.com/journal/5048170/ http://PatGoltz.deviantart.com/journal/5048170/ Sun, 10 Apr 2005 03:20:43 PDT Hey, thanks, guys! For all the

and

I am hopelessly behind. I don't like not thanking people individually, but I get a lot, and I am trying to visit everyone's gallery instead.

Don't forget about

Profound and beautiful photography:

Gorgeous Ultrafractal images:

Incomparable Apophysis images:

Mood:

adventurous
Listening to: Organ Symphony by Camille Saint-Saens
Reading: The Design Revolution by William A. Dembski

@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ Main News @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@

Folks,

I would like to call your attention to this journal entry:

[link]

Update on the case of Terri Schindler-Schiavo...

As everyone probably knows, Terri was tortured to death for nearly two weeks. Those who supported her are now regrouping, organizing, and planning to make sure that this never happens to anyone again. We welcome your help. If you would like to be involved, please note me.

There were so many problems with this case that I scarcely know where to start. One of the most egregious problems was the media coverage of this situation. The media reported that Terri was in a persistive vegetative state, as if that somehow made her less than human and someone to be disposed of like so much trash. Based on this, the American people thought that the hospice should "pull the plug". Also, the idea that all they had to do was "pull the plug" was a terrible piece of disinformation. Michael's lawyer also kept representing that she was peaceful and comfortable, when she was showing clear signs of being in agony. When questions were framed properly by Zogby, however, the American people overwhelmingly supported Terri's right to receive food and water. The people in support were 80%, while those who thought she should be starved were only 9%. Unfortunately, this poll, which was a voice crying in the wilderness, came too late to save her. Another huge problem was the fact that the chief executives in both the United States and Florida did not exercise the authority they had to protect her. Both had the right to take her into protective custody. They enforced an unjust court order by doing nothing. At the last minute, when Terri probably could no longer be saved, Governor Jeb Bush tried to send state police to take her into custody, but they were rebuffed by local deputies, who basically engaged in insurrection. By the time Bush found out there was a problem, the judge knew about it, and acted, though he lacked jurisdiction to do so (because the case was on appeal).

We need to educate our e... ]]> *PatGoltz Averting an Outrageous Injustice http://PatGoltz.deviantart.com/journal/4858832/ http://PatGoltz.deviantart.com/journal/4858832/ Sat, 19 Mar 2005 23:21:06 PST Hey, thanks, guys! For all the

and

I am hopelessly behind. I don't like not thanking people individually, but I get a lot, and I am trying to visit everyone's gallery instead.

Don't forget about

Profound and beautiful photography:

Gorgeous Ultrafractal images:

Incomparable Apophysis images:

Mood:

adventurous
Listening to: Asturias/Leyenda by Albeniz (which I play in part)
Reading: The Design Revolution by William A. Dembski

Folks,

A terrible outrageous injustice is happening in the United States. A young woman named Terri Schindler-Schiavo is being deliberately starved to death for the crime of being disabled. Her "husband" may have caused her condition in the first place. There is medical evidence of broken bones and strangulation. She was unconscious for several minutes. Now, she can only say a few words, and she is partly paralyzed. Her "husband" sued some doctors and won a judgment for her rehabilitation which was in excess of a million dollars. As soon as he got the money, he started using it to hire a lawyer to try to get a court to agree to let him make her die.

Michael, scum that he is, and yes, I mean every word of that, is shacked up with another woman, and has two children by her. He allegedly said to nurses where Terri is staying, "When will that bitch die?" Nobody who would break his marriage vows that way deserves to be regarded with respect.

Heap on top of that a misogynist judge (who refused to issue a protective order a woman requested just before she was murdered by the person) who thinks that Terri shouldn't be allowed to live no matter what. He even went so far as to ignore a subpoena from Congress, and now will be held in contempt of Congress. Given the behavior of her "husband," and the rules of court, the judge should never have paid any attention to the hearsay evidence of her "husband" that she had made an offhand comment fifteen years ago that she wouldn't have wanted to live like that (when what she probably said, if she said anything at all, is that she hoped she would never be disabled, not that she wanted to be starved and dehydrated to death). Give me a break!

To find out what Terri's real capabilities are, go to her web site and watch her interacting with her family, and see other documentation:

[link]
[link]
[link]

Join us in supporting this woman's rights! Please!

In other... ]]> *PatGoltz Wildflower Report 2 http://PatGoltz.deviantart.com/journal/4756199/ http://PatGoltz.deviantart.com/journal/4756199/ Thu, 10 Mar 2005 01:07:24 PST Hey, thanks, guys! For all the

and

I am hopelessly behind. I don't like not thanking people individually, but I get a lot, and I am trying to visit everyone's gallery instead.

Don't forget about

Y'all come!

Mood: Bouncy

adventurous
Listening to: Preludes for piano by Sergei Rachmaninoff
Reading: Scientists Who Believe edited by Barrett & Fisher

Well, I had another VERY successful trip! I went to the Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument. On the road, I also went by the road that goes to Kitt Peak. That's the home of the famous solar telescope. The wildflowers were spectacular! I saw many different kinds but the ones that stood out the most were Mexican poppies, brittlebush, and lupine. The mountains in the Monument are also extremely photogenic. There is even a natural arch (which I didn't know about, and it came as a very pleasant surprise). I'll probably turn in these films "tomorrow". I got back one set from my earlier trip; now all I have to do is find the time to scan and post. Given that I am going to be making a couple more trips this week, I will be very busy, and may not make it.

I want to write about the meaning of art, but I'm too tired right now. Next time, hopefully.

Addendum: Yesterday I went to Catalina Mountain Park. Everyone assured me there were showy flowers there, such as poppies, lupine, and penstemon. But I only saw a few poppies. Instead, I ended up doing a lot of macro photography of tiny flowers. I won't be getting those pictures developed right away: can't spend all that money right now. But I did find about thirty species, and I got to sample miner's lettuce, which I had always wanted to do. It was very magical near the creek. I had to wade through it four times; I kept my shoes on, and naturally they got completely soaked, but they're all right. Hope you appreciate all the sacrifices I'm making!

In addition to those activities, I continue to render Apophysis flames I have already designed. Each is taking several hours to render. I have so many irons in the fire, it's not funny! I get more pictures back Friday. But I won't get around to scanning until the week is over, looks like.

I support the

Unknown Artist Project.

Everything below this line is old news, so you may have seen it.

Sampler of my work:

http://PatGoltz.deviantart.com/journal/4709432/ Wed, 02 Mar 2005 08:43:12 PST Hey, thanks, guys! For all the

and

I am hopelessly behind. I don't like not thanking people individually, but I get a lot, and I am trying to visit everyone's gallery instead.

Don't forget about

Y'all come!

Mood: Bouncy

adventurous
Listening to: Preludes for piano by Sergei Rachmaninoff
Reading: The Stolen Gods by Jake Page

Went on my first wildflower photo trip, and got some spectacular photographs. I turn in some of them for developing today if I get a chance. The trip was fraught with misadventures. I arrived in Yuma without incident. I then visited the Imperial Dunes in California. I was sorely disappointed! They have turned the entire area into a playground for ATV's, and it is covered with tire tracks! I got a few good pictures of individual flowers. Next day I went up into the Castle Rock area. There is a mine museum there, a lot of old buildings from frontier days. I didn't stop. I was warned that the backcountry was strictly 4 wheel drive, but not having met such a road I couldn't handle before, I proceeded. The road was difficult but passable for awhile, but eventually I reached a point where I could not go forward, so I tried to turn around and got stuck! I tried various things, and just about the time I had given up and was calling AAA, some of the ATV buffs showed up, and talked me out, giving me a small push. I required one more push of an area I had negotiated before, and after that I was fine, but I lost my muffler! I have to say that the ordeal was well worth it! I got some absolutely spectacular photos back in there, the best of the trip. While I was in the area, two of my cameras quit on me. Good thing I had two more with me!

I then went up to Lake Havasu City and got pictures of the London Bridge, and on the way back Parker Dam. Then I went into the Kofa National Wildlife Refuge, and got a few pictures in there, on the Crystal Hill road. On the way from Quartzsite to Buckeye, I saw some rather spectacular displays of brittlebush and lupine along the highway, but you're not supposed to stop, so I didn't take any pictures. I spent the evening with

and it was most enjoyable, and got home late last night.

For now, I upload a few teasers from my point and shoot digital until I get the REAL pictures back. Then the teasers will go into scraps.

And I don't feel like sounding like a hotrod, so I will get the muffler fixed today.

I have over 500 photographs of watched folks to see, so it will take awhile at 28 kb, but I'll be there.

I support the

Unknown Artist Project.

Everything below this line is old news, so you may have seen it.

Sampler of my work:

http://PatGoltz.deviantart.com/journal/4542719/ Wed, 09 Feb 2005 23:55:55 PST Hey, thanks, guys! For all the

and

I am hopelessly behind. I don't like not thanking people individually, but I get a lot, and I am trying to visit everyone's gallery instead.

Don't forget about

Y'all come!

Mood: Bouncy

adventurous
Listening to: Five Melodies for Violin & Piano by Prokofiev
Reading: The Case for Creation by Lee Strobel

Thought I'd tell you the story behind my favorite saying.

Seems one time I was out doing some errands. Oddity number one: I took the pickup truck instead of my car. I was planning on doing something that needed the pickup. Second oddity: I called home from the store. That was before cell phones, and it was something I rarely did.

My oldest son answered the phone. He said that he had seen a computer printer for free, first come first serve, and he wondered if I would go pick it up for him. Sure, I said. He said he had been praying he'd get it. So I called my husband and met him at the place, and lo and behold, we were first. We had just gotten it loaded when someone else came who wanted it. So I took it home and as soon as I got there, our son came out of the house to look at it. Remember those old printers that stand as high as your head, about the size of an upright piano or some such, and used 17" wide light green and white striped paper? You got it! Our son took one look into the camper and just about fainted! So I said, "Be careful what you pray for; you just might get it!" And that's been a favorite saying in the family ever since!

Not long after that, our son was able to trade that printer to a company that wanted it for parts, in exchange for some stuff he'd rather have.

I'm going to be "out of the office" a lot the next few days. We're having a spectacular wildflower year (scads of rain) so I'm going to be out shooting the dickens out of my camera. Seeya!

Apologies for wiping my last journal entry. I decided to revise the old one, and I goofed! I should have just written a new one.

It's time to feature other artists. Here are some I'd like to tell you about. Neither of them is an unknown artist, but in my opinion, they are well worth watching.

Exquisite bird photos, many in flight:

Profound and beautiful photography:

It is becoming increasingly difficult for me to keep up with everyone who is making comments to me, and I regret this from the bottom of my heart. But know that I profoundly appreciate all of the support you give me.

I support the

Unknown Artist Project.

Everything below this line is old news, so you may have seen it.

Sampler of my work:

*PatGoltz The Artistic Process http://PatGoltz.deviantart.com/journal/4349478/ http://PatGoltz.deviantart.com/journal/4349478/ Mon, 07 Feb 2005 17:46:15 PST Hey, thanks, guys! For all the

and

I am hopelessly behind. I don't like not thanking people individually, but I get a lot, and I am trying to visit everyone's gallery instead.

Don't forget about

Y'all come!

Mood: Benevolent

generous
Listening to: String Sextet in Bb by Johannes Brahms
Reading: The Case for Creation by Lee Strobel

This has come up several times, so I decided to write about it here for everyone. Many people hit what they regard as an artistic plateau. It is often so discouraging that a lot of people think they have lost their touch, and may even give up. That's a shame! Because this is the time when we are developing the most artistically. Our current ideas and styles have played themselves out. But while nothing is consciously happening within us, the brain is subconsciously reorganizing itself, and growing to new heights of artistic achievement. When the time is right, all of this will come out in a burst of artistic creativity, and people won't know where all that came from! So if you experience this, and I think all serious artists do, be patient with yourself. You are actually growing more than you are when you think you are being at your best.

I run into these plateaus. I ran into a huge one with Ultrafractal. I was off my feed for well over a year, and thought I would never get back into the swing of things. It was set off by my trying the new version, which seemed radically different to me. I just couldn't come up with anything that looked even halfway decent. I was completely disgusted. So I set the program aside and let the situation alone for that time. Then when I went back to it, it was rather tentative, and I wasn't producing things I liked much better. Then suddenly, the sudden leap in artistry was there! I began to produce images that greatly resemble those of many of the pros, which I had wanted all along!

My personal solution to the creativity block is to switch programs. As you are aware, I use a number of them. This works beautifully, because while I am working primarily in one, I am developing in the ones I am neglecting.

I think this carries over into music and such things as well. I play several instruments, and right now, I haven't been practicing any of them. When I go back to them for a short time, I seem to have lost ground. But not much. In fact, all the typing I do keeps me in physical practice to some extent. But when I get the chance, I'll go back to practicing one of them in earnest, and I will make progress. Just not right now, because I am too busy. So I refuse to worry about it. Same with taekwondo. I have been sick a lot, so I haven't trained much. But I am ready to go back.

So don't let those apparent lackluster periods get you down. You are actually growing artistically, you just don't know it. Just be patient with yourself. You will see the results in due time. And you will be very pleased.

A few hours ago, with the help of a friend

I found and utilized another category of deviation, and uploaded screen captures of five web sites I have worked on. You can see these in my gallery. This is my most recent web site, and I just got started:

Antelope Art

The good news is that with a little tweaking help from my husband, the page now displays correctly in Opera.

I support the

Unknown Artist Project.

Everything below this line is old news, so you may have seen it.

Sampler of my work:

http://PatGoltz.deviantart.com/journal/4282851/ Mon, 10 Jan 2005 02:29:00 PST Mood: Buggered

flustered
Listening to: Elegiac Piano Trio by Rachmaninoff
Reading: The Fraternity by John Fitzgerald Molloy

For awhile now, I have been saying that if you can't handle the critters, you don't belong in the desert. Seems like the longer we stay here, the more strange creatures we encounter, strange in the sense that I don't expect to see them, and then I do. Here's the story of the fish who got away, so to speak. But before I get to that, a bit of history.

We first moved out into the desert in about 1980. We have seen all the usual critters here: roadrunners, Gambel's quail, coyotes, deer, lots of different kinds of insects and spiders, including black widows, scorpions, wasps, bees (we now have killer bees, I'm told), hornets, etc. I have been stung by a scorpion about five times. Twice was when I was in bed, sound asleep. One particularly nasty pest is a blood-sucking insect called a cone-nosed beetle (Kissing Bug) which injects an anticoagulant I happen to be very sensitive to, and they LOVE the way I taste. Normally, they were only supposed to be a problem in June or so, but lately, I have been bitten year around. Nothing I have tried has made me immune. The other nasty critter we have encountered a few times is the rattlesnake. Our kids have unknowingly stepped over rattlesnakes. Our youngest son was once bitten. Needless to say, he now hates rattlesnakes, but it was his own fault, because he was running in strange territory at dusk. We use an herbal poultice, and it healed nicely. He also says that when they were instructing the troops about snakes in Iraq, they advised all the wrong things, but of course, since he has such low rank, he couldn't say anything.

Then there are the less threatening critters, at least as far as I an concerned. Coyotes will look at you and lope off. At night, sometimes we hear the Howl-a-luiya Chorus. We have also seen various kinds of large cats. They are pretty shy, but the neighbors say if they leave water out, they see them often, along with the deer. The deer are always out at dusk or after dark, so getting a picture of them is a lost cause. And then there are the javelinas. The javelina is a peccary, and supposedly they are fierce when cornered. They have small tusks and can rip you apart pretty well. Well, one summer, it was exceptionally dry, and they began to show up around the house, a family of five. In particular, they would go nose around the peacock's aviary, which didn't make me too happy, so I would get into the car, drive down there, and honk at them, and they would run off. Eventually, I figured out that they were eating the grain and seeds I was leaving out for the birds. After a couple of weeks, I decided I wanted a picture, so I got an old banana peel and a half rotten avocado, and set them on the ground. I had my camera with a telephoto lens. And I waited. And sure enough, they showed up. You can see some of the pictures I got here:

[link]
[link]

One day, I decided to clean out the refrigerator. I have a place where I can dump stuff, and it disappears. On this occasion, I got out there with my old food, and there they were, all five of them. So I put the stuff in my place, and they all lay around in a circle being very patient. As soon as I left, they helped themselves! I think they'll eat just about anything. Not very long afterward, I was feeding the birds, and I turned around, and there was one of them standing right next to me! I had a little bucket that holds about a pint, so I swiped him across the nose with it. He trotted off, in no particular hurry. I went into the house and came back out, and there he was coming again, so I started to walk toward him, and he trotted off again, and that was the last time I saw any indication they were stealing the birds' grain. This past summer, the family had grown to about nine individuals. If you go out at night and hear snuffling or scritching around, or see some beady eyes, you know they're back.

And then there's the squirrels. They get into EVERYTHING. I had to really watch it because if I didn't put out enough food, the birds wouldn't get anything. They really proliferated, and I didn't really appreciate having to buy all that feed just so the birds could eat. For awhile, I kept a small bird feeder on top of the aviary, thinking that the squirrels wouldn't be able to mess with it. Wrong! Here's the evidence:

[link] *PatGoltz Tsunami http://PatGoltz.deviantart.com/journal/4192421/ http://PatGoltz.deviantart.com/journal/4192421/ Thu, 30 Dec 2004 10:27:14 PST Mood: Benevolent

sympathetic
Listening to: Symphony no 3 "Sorrowful Songs" by Gorecki
Reading: The Fraternity by John Fitzgerald Molloy

I think I speak for everyone when I say that the tragedy of the tsunami is almost beyond comprehension. I am reminded of just how privileged we are, that we live in relative safety. I feel so bad for all those people who were struck by this tragedy.

I'd like to ask you to say a little prayer for the survivors, and if it is within your means, to contribute a little to the relief of these people. I think it will take all of the people of good will in the whole earth to give a little to help heal this tragedy. I don't know of any other way to let them know that I care.

It just seems incomprehensible to me that we could ever be so destitute that all we had was the clothes on our backs, that everything we have worked a lifetime for is gone. All the mementos included. Many of these people also lived in their ancestral homes, and there was the tradition and meaning of all of their families in their homes. And that many of my closest relatives might not even have survived. And what makes it much worse is that some of these people had no eternal hope.

Let us count our blessings, and pull together in peace and harmony in order to counteract this horrible tragedy.

Everything below this line is old news, so you may have seen it.

Sampler of my work:

http://PatGoltz.deviantart.com/journal/4138248/ Thu, 23 Dec 2004 16:52:53 PST Mood: Happy

rejoicing
Listening to: five Etudes by Chopin
Reading: The Fraternity by John Fitzgerald Molloy

There seems to be a lot of controversy about Christmas this year, so I would just like to tell everyone my take on it.

Christmas was started by Christians in the 4th century AD. It was intended from the start that it would be a celebration of Jesus' birth. It was one of the first observances of the church year. The church year was intended to allow the examination and celebration of Jesus' life within the span of one year. The church year and the liturgy did not originate with the Roman church, but with the Old Testament Hebrews, under God's direction. If you look at a modern Hebrew Old Testament, you will notice that there are marks below and above the letters. The marks below are vowels. The marks above are cantillation. This is the musical notation of the Hebrews. By looking at these marks, the cantor knows what melody to sing. The Jewish worship service also covered the topics in the Torah that are important, in a year. One selection from the Torah and one from the Haftorah may be read.

I grew up under the influence of the German Lutheran culture. We went to the Christmas Eve service, and then came home and opened our presents. On Christmas Day, we went to the Christmas Day service. My parents told me about Santa Claus, but they said he's just a myth. I am very glad they told me the truth. I don't think I missed anything, because I could rely on the words of my parents. I would rather get a present from a relative or a friend, than from a total stranger. Even people here at deviantART are better than Santa even though we haven't met face to face. I would much rather be thankful to the person who gave me the gift, than an imaginary being. Some people think that belief in Santa teaches children some valuable lessons. I'm not so sure. It teaches kids that they should seek to get things they want. It teaches them that you have to behave to get good things (I prefer unconditional love). And it teaches children that their parents will tell them fibs for fun. Children are sometimes traumatized by the shopping mall Santa. So, just so you know, I'm not a fan of Santa Claus. What other people do doesn't concern me. But this is what I do.

I like giving and receiving gifts. Gifts are actually a symbol of the most incredible gift the world was ever given: a Saviour Who restored the relationship between God and human beings. Eternal life is forever, and I expect to spend forever in the presence of God, learning all the incredible things there are to know about Him, which involves the heavenly equivalent of science. I will also spend my time making music and art. I will spend my time with the people I love. And there will never be any more tears or pain.

Not everyone wants to spend eternity with God. Some hate God so much that it would be hell to be forced to spend eternity with Him. So I think they choose hell. Nobody makes them go there. Even though it is my heart's desire that everyone I know and love will be with God, I respect a person's right to make that decision. I respect a person's right to celebrate the days of December or January in any manner they want (within reason). And I expect people to show me the same respect. If people don't know how I feel, I don't mind explaining.

So I concentrate on thinking of Jesus during this season. Jesus is the most incredible Man Who ever lived. He is also God, the Creator of the Universe. Here is a very interesting explanation of Jesus' life that I would like to share with you. It is something to think about.

"Let us turn now to the story. A child is born in an obscure village. He is brought up in another obscure village. He works in a carpenter shop until he is thirty, and then for three brief years is an itinerant preacher, proclaiming a message and living a life. He never writes a book. He never holds an office. He never raises an army. He never has a family of his own. He never owns a home. He never goes to college. He never travels two hundred miles from the place where he was born. He gathers a little group of friends about him and teaches them his way of life. While still a young man, the tide of popular feeling turns against him. One denies him; another betrays him. He is turned over to his enemies. He goes through the mockery of a trial; he is nailed to a cross between two thieves, and when dead is laid in a borrowed grave by the kindness of a friend.

"Those are the facts of his human life. He rises from the dead. Today we look back across nineteen hundred years and ask,... ]]> *PatGoltz