Category: Media

Parent category for video, audio, etc

Digital paintings with lil’ bug 2020 Jun-Jul

Alex / / Art, Lil' Bug

These are digital paintings done by Lil’ Bug with my help.

I couldn’t get the concept across to a toddler of a computer tablet corresponding to anything on the screen (for a PC). Instead she just used the digital pen on the screen as if it were an ordinary paintbrush painting immediately (or as if the screen were a touch screen). So I do this:

– give her a chopstick or something else long and pointy like a brush
– ask her what color she wants and take any color dictation she makes (which she does)
– pick that color and follow her “painting” motion on the screen with my own approximation

These were done in ArtRage.

ArtRage is available on iPad via touch or tablet digital pen, and this works much better on iPad if you disable controls a toddler would accidentally mess with via the Guided Access feature. (Dunno if ArtRage is on Android devices and if Android can disable controls that way too.) But even then she expects multiple touch gestures to make multiple paint strokes, and instead it zooms or shrinks or moves the screen beyond usability, and I spend half the time correcting zoom or pan, ha.

Christmas e-card/video unabridged too lengthy rehearsal thing, with Nem and myself

Alex / / Alex, Audio, Nem Nem Niamh, Religion, Songs, Video

Enjoy the following linked to video, in which I sang something I may have invented and/or imitated after hearing a wonderful rendition of Amazing Grace (not to the usual tune) which I heard on the radio.* The melody is a portmanteau of two or three melodies.

I have not bothered editing out the parts and time you may not have time for. In fact, I added some. Essential captions follow this link to the video file:

http://home.ussins.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/2016-12-18__02-00-42_AM_christmas_ecard_video_thing.mp4

–and embedded video player which may not show up in syndication–the captioned verses are what I sing in the video. Words of final verse by yours truly.

But then people will think you’re taller than you are. It’s okay, I’ll just tell them you’re standing on a stool.

Amazing grace, how sweet the sound
That saves a wanton mess like me
I once was lost, and still am lost
Am blind and yet I see

Through many dangers, snares and toils
I have already come
‘Twas grace that brought me safe thus far
And grace will lead me home

‘Twas grace that taught my heart to fear
And grace my fears relieved
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed

I mixed up some verses. But that’s okay.

‘Twas grace that taught my heart to grieve
And grace my heart to sing
For him whose death is my rebirth
The ever-living spring.

*what I heard on the radio was performed by a BYU choir on December 16th 2016 at 8:30 PM; it was magnificent and moving. I’m going to look it up and get a recording of it–and thereby also learn whether I made this song up or not. If I made this up, it validates my theory that composing can consist of remembering songs incorrectly.

Notes on the door from Ussins

Alex / / Mago Elf Liam, Media, Nem Nem Niamh, Pictures

Transcribed; Note 1: Please, let us know your’e leaving before exiting your dwelling. [I don’t know who wrote that note; I suspect “Mago” did. I’ll ask my kids, and leave it a mystery to you.] Note 2: Dear Moma, I love you as much as a baby bunny, but please don’t forget the hats. Love, [“Nem-nem”].

One more note to follow in another post, later.

Note 1: Please, let us know your'e leaving before exiting your dwelling. [I don't know who wrote that note. I'll ask my kids, and leave it a mystery to you.] Note 2: Dear Moma, I love you as much as a baby bunny, but please don't forget the hats. Love, [Nem-nem].
Notes on the door from Ussins (front door notes 1 and 2)
Transcribed: Please, let us know your'e leaving before exiting your dwelling.
Notes on the door from Ussins, front door note 1
Transcribed: Dear Moma, I love you as much as a baby bunny, but please don't forget the hats. Love, [Nem-nem].
Notes on the door from Ussins, front door note 2

Springtime Splendor–art by Nem

Alex / / Art, Nem Nem Niamh, Pictures

Nem painted this. Click the thumbnail to open a giant-resolution original, free for personal use.

Abstract acrylic painting by a 9-year-old girl. Winner, Juror's Award, Provo City Library Amateur Art competition, Children's category. ~ Syndicated from, original, print and usage options at http://home.ussins.org
Abstract acrylic painting by a 9-year-old girl. Winner, Juror’s Award, Provo City Library Amateur Art competition, Children’s category. ~ Syndicated from, original, print and usage options at http://home.ussins.org

It was accepted for entry and won a few Juror’s Awards in the Children’s category at the Provo City Library’s annual homegrown art show in 2016.

It’s really, really hard to get a faithful film representation of art that has a highly textured surface–faithful color, intensity, brightness, and a good balance between shadow to show texture and light in the shadow so that the former three aren’t obscured. (I wonder how well Google does this with their friggapixel scans of hallowed art works.) Maybe it would have been easier if I started with studio light instead of sunlight 🙂 This composite from many photos (from two different cameras) is my attempt.

SAD BANANAS ON THE FRENCH TOAST LINES (looped 3x) | Weird Song #1 (video, with original art)

Alex / / Art, Audio, Mago Elf Liam, Songs, Video

By “Mago,” age WHAT?! As I write this. 11 years old. YouTube URL to video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rgCEiO0XryQ&feature=youtu.be

Original scratch project at: https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/117727728/

Screen captured / ffmpeg encoded/looped by yours truly. You may download the video using this link.

Nem’s 9th birthday party

Alex / / Media, Nem Nem Niamh, Pictures

This is an unlisted post, meaning that there are no public links to it, and only those who have the URL can view it. Do not publicly post the link to this post.

Click any image to open the full 17 megapixel version, and save whichever images you want to keep. For example, right-click and “save as..” on a PC or Mac, and maybe tap and hold on a smart phone, but I don’t know whether it will save the full resolution on a smart phone.

LUK SMARTUR, Bea dumbor: silly artwork by Mago

Alex / / Art, Mago Elf Liam

I hope that syndicated copies of this blog post show the image inline. If not, click the link to the original post (at home.ussins.org/~) to see the image. To show the larger, original image, you may then click the image in the blog post.

Mago’s misspellings in the caption are deliberate.

Silly artwork by "Mago," with deliberately misspelled caption: "LUK SMARTUR bea dumbor - Brain injection; swell your brian"
Silly artwork by “Mago,” with deliberately misspelled caption: “LUK SMARTUR bea dumbor – Brain injection; swell your brian”

Bold Jumping Spider

Alex / / Alex, Critters, Media, Nem Nem Niamh, Pictures

This cute fella captured our hearts–after he was bound to die by spraying 🙁

IMG_0010

Nem cooed at this image. I captured it by moving the spider to the driveway. With the last of his strength he turned toward the sunset, which gave me better light, and since he wasn’t moving, I could set the camera to the nearest manual focus and nudge it as near as possible (angled via tripod mount) to get his eyes in focus.