Two Self-Portraits

Created two new self-portraits digital photos. One is "Eddie and Bayou" and the other is "Polar Bear". 

For "Eddie and Bayou", I took a shot of my cat Bayou with iPhone. I then took a selfie with iPhone. After that, I  used a new free app called Photofox. It is an app that enables to blend in one picture into another picture. Henceforth, I blended my face and Bayou's face together. It was a challenge. It was difficult to make it match with the size, alignment, and color. I erased the right side of my face and erased the left side of my cat's face. Once put together, I transferred the work into PhotoEditor. I then played around the special effects that were available in PhotoEditor. I solved the problem by creating a special color filter, which made the work become yellowish/bluish/orangish. This helped make the work become more interesting. 

Click on this to see it bigger.

For "Polar Bear", I took a selfie, wearing a white animal winter hat and a blue tooth necklace without a shirt. I then used PicsArt app to add the cracks around me, the glowing effects off my face and hat, and used Vintage effect a little in corners of the photo. I then played around the effects and when I used Solarize, it changed the picture into wild color effects, which surprised me. The Solarized picture made it more dramatic. So, I kept it that way without adding more effects. Therefore I ended up keeping two of the work. One with the cracks, glows, and vintage effects, and the other with the solarize effect. 

Click on these two to see them bigger.

Cecelia Play Script Editing and Feedback

Retired English instructor Peter Haggerty from the National Technical Institute for the Deaf took the time to edit and give feedback on my play script titled Cecelia. It's a science fiction play about a genetically-altered deaf woman. I handed the script to Peter and asked him to take a good look at the work. He came over and we sat down together to discuss the work. I learned a great deal. I'm looking forward to polishing it up. The main goal is to have an informal stage reading of this work, then hopefully, get it produced as a full show down the road.


Here is the picture of the script and feedback/editing notes from Peter and myself.

You can click on this to see it bigger.

"Extraterrestrial Communion" Story with Watik, the Alien

I have been writing a short science fiction story titled "Extraterrestrial Communion" for a while. In that story, the main alien named Watiki meets the human race. As the fact, the creature does not look any close like ourselves biologically and physically. It is transparent, glass-like, and inner organs can be seen through its skin similar to jellyfishes. It also glows iridescent blue. I want to show what the creature really looks like out of my mind. I drew the alien with plain pencil on white paper, then took a photo of it, then added the special graphic effects to it on free online PhotoEditor (similar to PhotoShop). Enjoy, Watiki, the alien from far, far away.

You can click on this to see it bigger.

Self-Portrait as an Alien

I took a photo of myself with iPhone. I then put the picture of myself into free online PhotoEditor (similar to PhotoShop). Then I manipulated my face. I used the tools available in PhotoEditor to pinch my nose and make my eyes become bigger. I also enlarged my head. I also made my neck a lot thinner. I made my mouth larger with the same tool.My right ear became pointed similar to the Vulcan race in Star Trek. I then used "Paint" tool to paint all over my face in blue at 10-20 percent transparency, which enabled the skin to look blue very well. I also painted the eyes green. I also painted my hair and facial hair in pink. I then removed the background and filled it black around my face. Then using the "Paint" tool, I used the tool's variety of splashes and spots that were available, which I was able to create the stars, star clusters, and nebulas in variety of colors. Lastly I painted the whole face and stars background in light white at 10 percent transparency that made the whole image look like full of glow. Henceforth, I became an extraterrestrial from far, far away. Enjoy the photo.

                                                     Click on this photo to make it bigger.

Three Self-Portraits for World Photography Organization

I submitted three self-portrait photos to the World Photography Organization, which is over in Britain. I chose the three best ones for the contest. If chosen, my work could be exhibited over there down in London plus it could become part of traveling exhibitions as well. 

If you want to see the contest, here is the site address: https://www.worldphoto.org/

Here are the three self-portraits. Enjoy!

                                          You can click on those photos to see them bigger.

"Rainbow Face" for Embracing Our Differences Contest

I discovered Embracing Our Difference contest online. I chose "Rainbow Face", a color pencil drawing on black paper. The contest wants a horizontal size and the drawing, itself, is in square. To solve the problem, I added several manipulation effects in PhotoEditor (free online similar to PhotoShop) that made the work fit in the whole horizontal size. I used tools such as Blurred, Smudged, Sharpened, Paintbrush, and few more. I also used Adjustments to improve the color, the darkness/lightness, and so forth. I also used Filter for effects that enhance the quality of the work. So, the solution was to add rainbow Paintbrush strokes, add rainbow splashes and dots, and other tricks. I also enlarged the artwork to fit in the horizontal space, which helps the work look more in good use of space and make the composition more interesting. 

If my digital artwork gets selected, it would be blown up into a large horizontal-shaped banner and be displayed in Sarasota, Florida from April 4th to May 31st, 2018. Here is the site for you look up and learn more about the display event:

http://embracingourdifferences.org/mission/

Here is the digital artwork I am submitting.

You can click on this image to see it bigger.

Transformed Selfies

I have been creating photos of self-portrait in different characters or personalities. This is a slide show I created to show you the pictures of myself. Took me two days to create this slide show. You will see me dressed in different characters with make-ups and costumes, and also pictures of myself as Eddie, but in different styles and different personalities. I only used iPhone to take the pictures, but I went beyond just taking selfies. I used PicsArt app, Instagram, and PhotoShop Editor to be able to create photographic effects or manipulations. It has been a lot of fun to do this. I have thought of doing self-portraits for a long time while I was thinking of Cindy Sherman and Robert Mapplethorpe as the most influential photographers. Therefore, I decided to go ahead by taking advantage of those widely available high-tech approaches: Using iPhone with PicsArt, Instagram, and Photoshop Editor. This turned out a good way to show you my photos because printing them out and framing them are expensive for me as of right now. I do want to do the printings and framings, then exhibiting them in a gallery down the road.