In a continuing series of free stock artwork, here is a set of vector images of ballet dancers in different poses.

Download Compressed File Here

DancerSilhouettes.zip (includes .ai, .eps, and hi-res .jpeg files).

You are welcome to use these images royalty-free, so long as you don’t a) pass them off as your own work, b) distribute them without redirecting people back here, or c) sell them for a profit.

Just finished the redesign for Devra Gregory’s “Dev as MJ” website. Includes updated bio and resume material, as well as a more dynamic photo section.

Dev was great to work with, and has had a very impressive career showing off the work of Michael Jackson. She has an upcoming tribute show on the 27th and 28th of August. Tickets can be purchased here.

With the sun out, I wanted to share some photos of Balboa Park and around San Diego in general.

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The word cliché is, itself, a cliché.

Since thinking outside the box has become the norm, where are we to think now?

How can we avoid being cliché while thinking outside the box?

Since this effect can be somewhat tricky to work out from scratch , I thought it would be helpful to publish for others to see. The trick is to employ circular motion (yes, trig functions) to make sure the bubble returns to its original spot and doesn’t slowly float away, yet make the motion appear to not be perfectly circular.

The function to start a movie clip floating, including variables for the range of motion in the X and Y directions, the speed at which the movie clip can move in those ranges, and the decay of that motion. Set the decay from .01 to .09 to determine how fast it the motion will decelerate, or set it to 1 to continue floating indefinitely.

function makeFloat (movieClip, xDist, yDist, xSpeed, ySpeed, decay){
movieClip.xDist = xDist; // Horizontal range in pixels
movieClip.yDist = yDist; // Vertical range in pixels
movieClip.xSpeed = xSpeed;// Horizontal speed in radians
movieClip.ySpeed = ySpeed;// Vertical speed
movieClip.decay = decay; // Decay rate of motion (.01 to .99, or 1 for no decay)
if(movieClip.startX == undefined){
movieClip.startX = movieClip._x;
movieClip.startY = movieClip._y;
movieClip.xRad = 0;
movieClip.yRad = 0;
}
movieClip.onEnterFrame = float;
}


The float function:

function float(){
with(this){
xDist*=decay;
yDist*=decay;
xRad += xSpeed;
yRad += ySpeed;
_x = startX + Math.sin (xRad+=.05)*xDist;
_y = startY + Math.sin (yRad+=.025)*yDist;
if(Math.abs(xDist)<.2 && Math.abs(yDist)<.2){
onEnterFrame = null;
}
}
}


And of course, to begin floating a movie clip, use the following code (_root makes it work from anywhere in the file).

_root.makeFloat (floating_bubble, 35, 25, .005, .005, 1);


If you want to be really slick, there are two potential additions to this algorithm. First, an “acceleration” part to vary the randomness of the floating (beyond what is already there). Second, a similar function can be employed to control the rotation of the bubble, again ensuring that it returns to it's original rotation and doesn't begin spinning out of control. The timing of the rotation can be such that it is out of sync with the floating, and thus appears to be more random.

Recently completed a set of two paintings in the symbol series. Each is oil on gessoed hardboard, with aluminum mounting panels on the back. Together, they form a quasi-diptych, representing the two “elements” fire and ice. Ultimately, they will be part of a complete series with the four classical “elements.”

For mounting of the panels, I chose a non-traditional approach, as I wanted the set to mount near-flush to the wall. I also wanted the mounting hardware to be built-in to the piece, instead of the usual screwed-on afterthought that usually accompanies something framed.

To accomplish this, I used 2.5×18-inch flat aluminum stock (two per panel) and fixed them to the rear of the pieces. I used a special drill bit to make a series of large circular holes on the back, just below the upper metal strip, so that a screw or bolt could fit snugly inside to hold the piece up, without it showing. Both pieces of metal were attached to the panel using an epoxy resin. The lower aluminum strip serves to keep the wooden panel evenly spaced from the wall.

Below is a diagram of the system.

Diagram with different views of the piece and how it was put together.

The sides of the panels are covered with several layers of black acrylic. This is to ensure a deep black, by preventing the white gesso grounding from showing through. Prints will hopefully be available when the series is completed.

Since the Flash side of the site had a weekly quote section, I thought it would be a good idea to install a similar piece into the blog page. To the right, in the sidebar, you will now see a small window displaying this week’s thought/quote.

All of the quotes I’ve put together are stored in an XML file, which Flash then uploads and parses for displaying. For the plugin on this page, I made a scaled-down version, which only displays the current week, rather than letting the viewer browse through them.

Here’s what it looks like embedded in a page:

To embed on your side, use the following code:

<object width="300" height="180">
<param name="movie" value="http://www.dicarloarts.com/sayings/quotes.swf">
<param name="wmode" value="transparent" />
<embed src="http://www.dicarloarts.com/sayings/quotes.swf" wmode="transparent" width="300" height="180">
</embed>
</object>

The Flash plugin will work anywhere, and will automatically update itself every week with a new quotation, saying, thought, or other interesting musing.