Welcome to my blog. I am a young, self-taught artist from the Gulf Coast, who wants to provide pyrographic artwork that sends a clear strong message. Please take time to look through my pages and posts. I appreciate comments, love making new friends, and covet faithful followers. Shout hello if you know me, or are just passing through.

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Rise of the Apes 2011

       A while back I did a lot of reading on Charlton Heston and was not only enlightened to his carachter off-screen but to a lot of epic films he'd starred in that I hadn't seen.  He voiced that when he first read the script to the first Planet of the Apes he was all for it but he couldn't see more than one sequel coming out of it.  In fact, he was drug through the third and fourth sequels.  
       It turned out the film has fared so well with the public that Hollywood continues to make sequals.  We're all familiar with how there are very few sequels that meet or even beat their ancestor film.  Toy Story is about the only one I can name at the moment.  Give me another five minutes and I might be able to tell you another or two. 

        I've never seen a Planet of the Apes film, believe it or not.  I've had glimpses of it on hotel TV's and trailers, but never watched it.  Not that I wouldn't watch it, but for me, science fiction raises alot of moral questions, many of which a traditional person like myself doesn't agree with.  Again, I'd watch a science fiction movie just for fun, but I'll never come out of it believing and I will come out of it with a lecture's worth of questions, debates, and philosophies.  I'm a critic by nature.  I can't dine out at a resturaunt without rating the food.  I wont always voice my opinion but my mind is working as I tonque every morsel.  I do the same thing with movies.  If I don't agree with something a person is saying, or something I'm seeing, I'll usually continue to watch it through and give it a fair and unbaised review. 

        So how is a gal who's NEVER seen a Planet of the Apes film going to do that about a 2011 feature she hasn't yet seen?  Simple.  Hollywood from Chartlon Heston's point of view, will 90% of the time ONLY make films that they know will be a success.  To do this, they throw in things that will capture the hearts of viewers of all ages.  They throw in leather jackets and outdated sunglasses to capture dad's attention.  They put teen moments in for teens, adult humor for adults, and the cutsy little fluffy Pixar animals for kids.  Throw it all into one movie, never mind what it's about:  say, we don't even know what to call it, so let's call it HOP!  Yeah, that's a good one HOP!  About a little bunny rabbit with thug clothes on!  And success! 
      
       Okay, so I'm not even sure Hop was a success, but guess what.  Everywhere I go I see Hop in a child's DVD case.  People buy DVD films like candy.  If you can get 80% of the US population to buy the $21.00 DVD when it first comes out wether they went to the community Cinnema or no, that's succes I'd say. 

        So about POA, or ROA (Rise of the Apes 2011), even though I haven't seen more than the trailer I give it good ratings.  Yes, it's running off the reputation of the others and so will every other Apes movie.  But let's let it stand alone for a moment.  The digital graphics are getting better and better in each film.  I hope the graphic artists are getting paid more too!  The plot stuck a chord with me, even though I am not an evolutionist.  The cure for Alzheimers.  The fact the virus could cause an animal brain to rise to the same or a similar level of intelligence of a human.  Both believable.  Human nature - cutting corners, bending rules, greed and personal gain...the end result - havoc on innocent humans, and innocent test animals, and the animals get quite out of hand. 
It is amazing to note that the Apes show more compassion on their enemy, the human, than the humans are willing to show toward them.  In my general observation- I haven't seen the movie- it would seem that there are alot of strong healthy messages conveyed.  The best one above compassion, responsibility, ethics, and such, being - should human's in their scientific research, play God?   Simply NO! 

       In my opinion this should apply to cloning as life is instigated without a living sperm resulting in a mutation- and I say mutation because the resulting creature is weaker and has problems reproducing.  If it can, its genetics are weakened and show up in the offspring.  Mans way will never surpass God's way.  

       I feel that the Rise of the Planet of the Apes is a better film than any of the first.  Not because Charlton Heston isn't in it- in fact, I commend the producer for putting all the tributes to the first films in this one.  - And Heston is one of my favorite actors, by far the most favorite.  But I feel it is better because it doesn't take place on some far away planet- or even in a time warp on earth, but it is terribly more plausible.  Human's playing around with a cure, being irresponsible with their test subjects, and the result.  Chaos. 

       This is one Ape movie I might actually go out of my way to watch.  If I may say so, Heston would be proud.

The Innespace Seabreacher vs the Bionic Dolphin

         I recently ran across Innespace's Seachreacher and was thoroughly impressed with their watercraft.  Impatient to show my support and fanship for such an amazing invention and team of artists, I liked them on Facebook.  Perhaps by stroke of luck of maybe divine intervention, I somehow ran across someone named Tom Rowe.  I had complimented Innespace on their page but a slight discrepancy provoked me to do a little reasearch.  
          At just thirteen years of age, I had designed craft very similar to the Seebreacher or Bionic Dolphin and had also run across a man by the name of Tom Rowe or Doc who had made for himself a Bionic Dolphin.  This man had begun his dream in 1992, the year I was born!!!  Tossing away my plans, I went on with life.  It was impossible for me anyway.  I'm no mechanic for one, just a girl with imagination.  
          When Yahoo featured Rob Innes and Dan Piaza's Seabreacher I did some googling and came across the Bionic Dolphin by a man named Tom Rowe.  Rob and Dan had been working on their SeaBreacher since 2006.  Tom Rowe had started in 1992.  I contacted Tom who has apparently taken his lot in stride but I couldn't help but detect a hint of bitterness in his words...subtle...but it was there.  Who couldn't have been hurt though?  What artist could not feel bad when his patented idea was stolen by his own students!!!   
           You might call me a muck-racker or anything else you want to, but you can't just shrug your shoulders and breathe that "Life just isn't always fair...tough luck."  As a youth I get so tired and fed up with copyrighted pictures and junk...  It's a pain when all you want to do is post a picture.  So what if someone else did it up.  But on the other hand, as a writer, musician, and pyrographer I know exactly how I would feel if one of my works was stolen.  
           Mr. Rowe probably wouldn't approve of me writing this, but I'm not one young person who will shrug at the problems of the world.  I'm going to not only preach against wrongs, I'm here to do something about it.  Yeah, I'm all talk, cause there's nothing a peon like me can do about Mr. Rowe's stolen invention and dream, but if anyone in this crumbling economy ever purchases a SeaBreacher, acknowledge Mr. Rowe as the Einstien behind it.  The injustice is as bad as if some student of Galileo's had taken all the credit for his findings, or one of Michelangelo's students took the sole credit for the Sistene Chapel ceiling, and the statue of David and Moses.  
          As far as the money is concerned- it will in my opinion be the downfall of the shiesters.  Any person shady enough, dishonest enough, and even slick enough to steal someone else's dream, someone else's patented dream, will slip up somewhere.  If they did it out of greed, greed will ruin their sucess.  Simply put, they'll get theirs.  
          If plagarism can ruin your reputation, and copyright laws can put you in jail, how is this not considered a crime?!  It would appear to me that Rob and Dan have improved the watercraft in most amazing ways, and I wouldn't try to stop anyone from purchasing a SeaBreacher... but if any of you ever do, know that Mr. Rowe has perfected his machines in ways that his students never can.  A true genius, Mr. Rowe is still one step ahead of his students.  Their only advantage is the publicity they've received.   
                                                                 

Just giving credit where credit is due.  - An Artist and An Activist

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Desperate Hands


 It's been quite some time since I've posted to this blog and I don't want my faithful followers to feel I've forgotten them.  I must admitt however that Facebook has proved much more profitable.  However, for those searching the web, I must keep pyrography alive. 

I still have not figured out what I will title this piece.  Frankly, I've been so busy it's been hard to wait for the ispiration to strike.  I greatly enjoyed working on this piece and hopet he message is strong enough. 

I also hope in the near future to do more "athletic" pieces and include horses.  Horseflesh and Human flesh in action. 

Please comment if you have an idea on what to call this piece.  I hope to move on to more inspiring projects soon.  Thanks for following and showing your support. 

Saturday, August 6, 2011

Interesting...Almost Scary. Failure to Pay Child Support Could Result in YOU Winning Free Alabama/Auburn Tickets!! WOW!



I happened across this Video on Yahoo's front page and my jaw dropped.  I know that the FBI uses white hackers to hack black hackers...and sometimes detectives pose as druggies to buy drugs from the dealers...but the fact that News was there to receive these "winners" was a bit...eesh.  Creepy.  I mean, crook or no, to see the joy on some person's face at winning free tickets...and then being presented with a warrant for their arrest.  I don't know...  I suppose they did things like this in the old times but it's definately no fun watching the joy turn to shock and then horror.  Take a look. 

Wednesday, August 3, 2011

Haven't Posted in a While

I haven't posted in a while but I have been burning.  Not as much as I had been able to before but steadily.  I have noticed during this period as I review my blog statistics that alot of people hit on pages mentioning pan flutes, and pyrography ship and map. 

I would like to state to these people that I love burning pyrography ships and maps and am always open to commissioned work.  My Etsy widget is currently down but I can be found on Etsy under Licksoffire and also found on Facebook under Phoenix Pyrocreations Pyrography. 

I will give quotes freely, no charge, no obligation.  You can ask me about anything you want burned and there is no obligation to go through with the request. 

Unfortunately, I haven't been able to put as much time into my blog as Facebook has proved more fruitful than Blogger but I will continue to post on here as much as I can.  I encourage everyone to contact me with any questions they have and comment!  Thanks for following,

The Artist- Phoenix Pyrocreations