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We congratulate locomouse for an outstanding collection of works in the Fractal Gallery! Who is 'locomouse' and how did you come by this member name? My name is Helen Grainge and I live in rural Niagara-on-the-Lake, Canada, with my husband and three rescued feral cats. This is wine country and our property is quite literally surrounded on three sides with endless acres of vineyards. Although the "neighbors" don't share the spoils of their bounty. ;) As to the member name... many years ago I joined a Paint Shop Pro users group, and at that time I was using "mouse" as my nickname (not very inspired, but there you have it). One of the challenges the group proposed was that we would all create an image and post it for the members to guess what it was we were attempting to depict. No hints, clues or titles were allowed from the artist. It should be noted that I have a rather indefatigable, off-the-wall sense of humor and should probably not be included in that type of a challenge. But, I got in under the radar... ;) Anyway, one of the images was posted by a gal from London, England. She had created a man wearing a tall black hat and holding a very large set of tongs in one hand and a long-handled brush in the other. Clearly, he was a chimney sweep... but I could not resist. I guessed that he was a gynecologist. I distinctly remember the artist's response to my post. She wrote, "ROTFL!! You are insane! You're absolutely LOCO!" Well, as I say, she was British. And as they say, "If the name fits"...:)
How long have you been working with computer graphics? In the summer of 1999 I bought a copy of PC Advisor Magazine at the local variety store. Glued to the back cover was a disc containing Paint Shop Pro 4. I loaded that into my DOS-based PC running Windows 3.11 For Workgroups and haven't done a lick of housework since. Do you have any traditional art experience? None whatsoever. Unless the fact that I was pretty darn clever with an Etch-a-Sketch counts at all. What are you currently working on? I don't have any particular project in the works at this time. I've been going through files which contain unfinished works, attempting to whip them into something that appeals to me. It is time consuming and a bit frustrating as my file naming conventions leave a lot to be desired. Without a lie, there are at least 50 Ultra Fractal parameter files on my hard drive entitled, "a good start," "a good start2," "another good start," etc. Considering that I received 99/100 on an accredited online course in Computer File Management, this is a sad state of affairs, indeed. ;)
What software/equipment do you use and why? My foray into the fractal genre began with Apophysis, which is an amazingly addictive bit of software. Every time I launched that program, I felt as though I was wandering around Disney World and finding the coolest attractions. I also had a lot of fun with Sterlingware, but quickly found that its footprint was elephant-sized and creativity was rather limited. Ultra Fractal (both version 4 and 5) is the software I use exclusively these days. The power and flexibility of UF is nothing short of awesome, even if the learning curve is a little steep. What is it that you like best about Fractal Art? There is something universally appealing about fractals, I think. Because fractals abound in nature (examine a compound leaf and you will see a pattern that is repeated at every scale; gaze upon that head of cauliflower slowly wilting in your fridge and admire the self-similarity of the florets; notice how the frost on your window pane looks exactly like the boundary of a Mandelbrot set), they seem somehow familiar, and yet alien and exotic. The infinity of spiral shapes is intriguing, and I believe most people are drawn to the elegance and fluid motion that spirals can convey. From there, the journey to discovering fractal shapes is endless and absolutely fascinating. Personally, I've never met a fractal I didn't like. What do you think your best piece of work is and why? In all honesty, I don't think I have achieved my best piece of work yet. I am partial to several images in my gallery here at Renderosity, but I can also find fault with each of them. Having said that, "Paradise Called ..." is one of my favorites because it is delicate and very feminine without being overly saccharine. Plus, my Mom really likes it... :) I also have a soft spot for "Julia Switching Station" because it is a little different (off-the-wall) and I had a blast while creating it. Also, it took forever to achieve... but I think one has to be a glutton for punishment - a least a little bit - in order to take on that sort of image using a fractal program. And I'd be remiss if I didn't include "A Curious Sight on a Magical Night." That image rather concluded my love affair with Apophysis because I felt that I would never be able create anything that... well... magical again. But I'll never forget the "thrill" of discovering that little bird in a flame generating program... :)
Who, or what, inspires you, and how do you get your ideas? Everything and everybody inspires me. That is the honest truth. Each time I meander through the Fractal Gallery here at Rendo, there is an image (or 10 or 20) that lights my creative fire and I'm anxious to roll up my sleeves and dig into Ultra Fractal. The other day, I received one of those annoying credit offers in the mail. You know the one where they stick a fake credit card onto the letter? Well, that card had the most wonderful shade of blue paired up with a soft, delicate bronze ... and I immediately thought, "These colors would be awesome for a Phoenix Julia!" Even the clouds inspire me. Yesterday they were Soft Gnarly with fBm textures, but sometimes they are distinctly Perlin Noise. How has this online community (Renderosity) enhanced your work, relationships, and learning? Renderosity has been my second home for many years and I'm extremely fond of this place and its people. It takes courage to move into a forum that is already settled and may or may not welcome newcomers. There is always that feeling of angst when you toss an image out there and welcome critique, but the denizens of Renderosity have always been kind and very gracious. I have learned so much from my fellow fractalists (is that a word?), both from constructive critiques and file sharing. (A shout-out to joeydude who got me started with Ultra Fractal.) I've always found the fractal folks to be a very caring, creative and supportive bunch and they continue to inspire and motivate me. I'm truly blessed to be a part of this community.
Do you have any parting comments, or advice for other artists? Back in the day, I used to work the midnight shift at our border crossing in Niagara Falls. One of my supervisors loved to play Euchre, so he and I would pass the half-hour lunch break with a game or two. I was fairly new to the game, but he was a real pro... and a sore loser. On the rare occasion when I won a hand, he would throw his cards down and yell, "Cripes sake, Grainge, it would be different if you knew what the **** you were doing!" So, I have no advice, because whether it's Euchre or fractal art ... I still don't know what I'm doing. ;) I do, however, want to thank everyone who voted for me with all my heart. I've said it before and I'll say it again... you girls and guys are the BEST!! Thank you!!! :) Hugs! Helen We invite you to have a further look at locomouse's Renderosity Gallery! Be sure to also visit: **Have a tutorial, animation, demo reel, or MarketPlace product to demo and share with the community? Consider posting your clips to Renderosity's newly revamped Video Center!** All supporting images are
copyright, and cannot be
copied, printed, or reproduced in any manner without written permission from the artist. Artist of the Month is highlighting a talented Renderosity artist that has been nominated by mods and admins, and voted by the community. Recognition is given to this member for their collection of works for that year. Since we only select one AOM per month, it is not about their works for that particular month. Instead, it is about highlighting a talented artist's works for that year, and they are recognized during that month. To learn more about Renderosity's Artist Of The Month [AOM] award, and to view our past AOM's, please visit the AOM page, which can also be found on the sidebar under Highlights. |
Each month the Renderosity community votes on The
Renderosity Artist Of The
Month [AOM] ... May's AOM is 
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