Free Software – What is it?

Free software is freely available for download, it is written, maintained and updated by ethusiasts.

Open Office: An alternative to MS Word, wordprocessing and spreadsheets.

GNU a linux based operating system, more crashproof than MS systems.

WordPress, a blogging tool, am using right now!

Inkscape, a graphics package.

Wikipedia, online reference tool. Entrys are sometimes suspect for varacity and neutrality, but an excellent starting pointfor further research. Look out for Telecom and Air New Zealand trying to make themselves look better.

Five digital things I couldn’t live without

Laptop

Cellphone

MP3

Flashdrive

Digital camera

Image of me scanned and photoshopped

My philosophy of art

As an artist you need to be true to yourself. If you are a landscape painter, if that is what you want to be, paint landscapes, the same if you want to do abstract sculpture or make conceptual sound art. if that is were your creative soul lies, do it. I my slef do not like art that is unnecassarily complex, that it confuses people, it should convey a message from the artist. it doesn’t need to be political it could simply say here is a beautiful lake. But one should be open minded about art, just because I want to paint doesn’t mean i don’t admire glass art, or electronic art or photography. If it is clever or well presented I will like it. I think that sometimes art gets a little caught up in itself, with artists trying to out do each other in terms of shock value or newness.

My you tube movie, not be confused with the republican congressman from Ohio.

Susan does it again

Ansel Adams 2

The Tetons and Snake River

Ansel Adams

Manzanar War Relocation Center

“Oh So Criminal” by Keir Smith

“Oh so Criminal” is a politically based video  that Smith has used to draw attention to the many loop holes in current copyright laws. It samples clips from many different movies and music vids. These clips are used in order to make a political statement and are therefore not in violation of copyright.  But one can see how many people may be offended by this clip especially if it is your work that has had it’s copyright circumvented due to such legal loop holes. There is however a certain wit to this video in that it draws attention to this problem in a way that is amusing and pointed.