Tough Mudder - Electric Shock Therapy
Mittry Lake - Duck Battle
Mittry Lake - Duck
Mittry Lake - Egret
Irrigation Pipe
Gila Ridge High School - Night Football Stadium Lights
Archive for the ‘Yuma’ Category
ART-178 Digital Photography II Open Shoot
Sunday, January 29th, 2012Froat Free, Fry Frast!
Monday, November 7th, 2011Visit Yuma, Arizona for Live Streaming Sun and Sand. (pdf)
Froat Free, Fry Frast!
Froat Free, Fry Frast (Float Free, Fry Fast) - Ocean to Ocean Hi - Yuma, Arizona
Yuma, a Tourist Mecca
Monday, September 26th, 201112 Conceptual Sketches to attract Yuma Tourists
Conceptual Design sketches for attracting Yuma Tourists
Conceptual Drawings
9.8 Miles from the Center of the World, Yuma’s heart beats with more attractions than just those nearby. Ride a Territorial Prisoner Chain-gang crawling though our desert dunes. Wear a stylish Sahara Hat on the striped criminal’s back while the Territorial guard treks the safari through soft Mohave sands.
If our earthquakes don’t rock your world, the bargain basement Main Street Antique shopping deals sure will! $Dirt Cheap$ prices reap rewards in this town. Go green in the fields of Yuma where more than lettuce is found.
Jack & Rosie’s Frog Leg Interlude
Friday, August 26th, 2011They came, they saw, they hopped…
Jack & Rosie's Frog Legs on Ice
Croak.
Jack & Rosie’s Frog Leg Interlude Photo Essay
Jack & Rosie’s Steakhouse – Official Website, since 1935
Monty Python - Home Movie between Romantic Interlude
- President Barack Obama eats Frog Legs
Castle Dome & Donkey Dung
Thursday, August 4th, 2011
Castle Dome Smoke Stream
A desert’s streaming smoke silently slithers like a silky scarf rising from Castle Dome mountain toward a scorching morning sun.
Burro Bricks or Donkey Dung?
Furnace fired Burro Bricks bellowed from a bursted bung, bake in a dusty Wash, solar glazed and shining bright, better than the Donkey’s Dung.
Peeping Pipe Peer
Scattered sticks stacked before a mountain view peered through the peeping pipe present a bluish hue.
Scorching Rising Sun
David Hockney – Joiner Emulation Project
Sunday, May 1st, 2011Rob’s Joiners
A.B. Ming House – Porch View
360 Degree Porch View, 468 S. Orange Ave., Yuma, AZ
Bratwurst Haus – VW Beetle Delivery
Bratwurst Haus - VW Bug Delivery Drive
GM DPG-Yuma 360 Parking Panorama
Panoramic Moonscape Parking - GM DPG-Yuma
Pat’s Over 70 Club House
Pat's Over 70 Club House
David Hockney
by Robert Trudell
David Hockney began his life in 1937. Bedford, England became the birthplace of the Artist, Painter, Draftsman, Photographer and Stage Designer.
My initial reaction viewing David’s various pool paintings was wondering what extracurricular activities Romans had in their bath house. The organism David concocts within the Los Angles waters is an art form that captures his passion to chase happiness and dreams of beauty. He freely follows a pleasure created in his mind and documents the journey in available media from paint to pictures.
2 Guys Emerge from Pool
John Kasmin, Polaroid Panorama
(John Kasmin by David Hockney)
Britain’s leading contemporary artist made his way to California via a formal education at the Bradford College of Art and the Royal College of Art in London, England. The 60’s Pop Art craze echoes on this painter’s canvases. Art Dealer, John Kasmin, promoted Hockney’s work from 1963 to the 1990’s.
David capitalizes on his automatic synthesis of music with colors and shapes by designing stage sets for opera and ballet. Continuously exploring and overcoming technical issues, David represents new ways of painting water; he taps a Polaroid to form real-time wide angle supersized combined and constructed images, or – Joiners.
His understanding and exploration of technical processes and issues leads to a book, Secret Knowledge: Rediscovering the lost techniques of the Old Masters.
Hockney transitions from painting huge 50 canvas Grand Canyon $4.6 million combinations to free IPhone & IPad doodles shared immediately amongst friends.
References
http://5magazine.wordpress.com/2010/09/05/david-hockneys-joiners/
http://www.hockneypictures.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synesthesia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Hockney
http://www.hockneypictures.com/illust_chronology/illust_chrono_01.php
Air Mattress
Saturday, February 19th, 2011Double Exposure
Air Mattress
Float on a Bed of Air with this State of the Art Mattress
Cloudy Downtown Day
Lady Light up the Clouds
Hotel del Sew - Fabric of Yuma Factory
Cholla Rock Entry
Castle Dome Shiprock
Top of the Rock
Jerry Uelsmann – Surrealism Artist Mentor Project
Sunday, November 21st, 2010
Tree House - 1982 - Jerry Uelsmann
Artist Mentor Project
Planted - 2010 - Robert Trudell
Home is a Memory - Jerry Uelsmann
Prison Flight - 2010 - Robert Trudell
Remembering Home - Black & White Film - by Robert Trudell
Power Line Dream Flight - 2010 - Robert Trudell
Dreaming in Color - 2010 - Robert Trudell
The Surrealist – Photographing Your Dreams – Joe Medina’s Photography 191 Assignment
Overview
Exploring one’s dreams and fantasies is powerful ground for creating visual art. This is a safe ground for self-exploration and leads to artwork that is more expressive and authentic than artworks that result from a more direct confrontation of “reality”.
Photo Assignment 2 Parts
1st Part
Make two photographs that copy works by 2 different surrealist artists. If possible replicate them as exactly as possible. Do not simply take one photography and try to copy the image. Take several shots, anywhere from 3 to 10 depending on the image you choose. Shoot til you feel like you “captured” it.
2nd Part
Take whatever pictures you want as long as they 1) effectively express a feeling or idea, 2) show some inspiration from your mentor’s.
Note: Influence does NOT mean photos that look exactly like your mentors. The influence could be and idea or technique that you totally transform in some way. Example: idea of tattooing a symbol on your forehead or another body part or the lighting or the pose, etc. ALSO, these photos do NOT have to be even the same subject matter, as long as you can show some influence of style or technique.
Surrealist Printing Techniques
At least 6 of the following darkroom techniques will be required:
1. Sandwich/double negative
2. scratched negative
3. collage (creating a collage from various photos or small pieces of photos: may combine with magazine pics)
4. combination print (photogram & negative enlargement printed together on one piece of photo paper)
5. texture screens (use screens – fishnet stocking, nylons, lace, etx. – under lens or over photo paper)
6. negative print
7. vignetting/ or masking
8. scratched print
9. toned print
Mentors
The following is a list of artists and writers who were part of – or strongly associated with – the Dada and / or Surrealist movements. You may select your “mentors” from any names on this list.
Artists
> Man Ray
Writers
> Louis Aragon *
> Paul Eluard *
> Benjamin Peret *
*founders of the Surrealist movement
later Surrealist Photographers:
Robert Trudell
Photography-191
22 November 2010
Surrealism Artist Mentor Research Paper – Jerry Uelsmann
Jerry Uelsmann inspired me with his surrealistic photographic scenes. I chose to reproduce his 1982 work, Tree House and Home is a Memory. I chose Uelsmann’s work to better understand the process of synthesizing a collection of photographic images to create a new reality. Tree House showcases an aged and crippled house growing out of or overgrown by a massive tree trunk with its articulated root system. A hillside of homes appears in the distant background. Home is a Memory reveals an overpowering eyeball looking over the large tree lined lawn leading up to a far set back home. A single crow sits on the expansive yard. I plan to search out similar pieces on both of these collections and capture them in both digital and film formats. I’ll assemble and edit the digital images in Photoshop and print both a black & white and 8-by-10 inch negatives to create photograms with. With the film, I’ll try to reproduce the multiple enlarger techniques used by Uelsmann.
United States citizen, Jerry Uelsmann was born in 1934 in Detroit, Michigan. Jerry started working in photography as a hobbyist and photographer’s assistant in High School. He attended the Rochester Institute of Technology in a 2-Year program to learn Portrait Photography which later transitioned to a 4-Year Science & Illustration program. He next attended Indiana University’s Audio Visual department and feeling disillusioned, switched to pursue a Master’s of Fine Art at the same institution. For equipment, Uelsmann uses an old Bronica, a Bronica GS1 and Mamiya 7 and says he’ll use the lightest equipment that’ll give him the largest negative using roll film. Jerry began and refined a process of combining multiple photographic negatives using several enlargers to form one image. He blends dream like scenes with picturesque photo realism. Jerry collects images like words in his camera and then assembles them like a language in the darkroom.
Uelsmann’s website gallery displays 4 eras of work, Early, Middle, Recent and Still Wet. The Tree House image I chose to recreate is in his Middle era and labeled Untitled, 1982. His Middle era extends for over a decade to 1996 ending with Stairs curving up to Bears from the sandy soil into a doorway view of the snow topped mountains. Of my favorites is a simple rocklike staircase leading to a large rock with a framed door and ascending manmade stairs in it.
The Recent gallery starts with open palms framing a large lake and high rising clouds and a single boat sitting restfully on the still water. Another image shows two hands cupping a lone broken egg filled nest offered up to a set of unattached floating angel bird wings appearing through a stone castle doorway. Eyes, lips, crows, water, trees and clouds are assembled with women, paths, pools and nests. Several images incorporate pieces or objects used in others. Recent images extend from 1996 to 2007
2008 to 2010 defines the Still Wet images. Items collected from the beginning till now reoccur in these prints as well. Boats, lakes, papers, books and sand resonate as Jerry assembles them with the tone of the language he defines with images. Circled chairs and floating papers echo the education system that revolved around his life. In one image a large aged hand in the clouds prepares to grasp an idol that floats within them. Does the idol represent something that Jerry’s alchemic hands worship?
Today, Jerry still loves the magic in photographic chemistry.
Maggie Taylor & Jerry Uelsmann – Lightroom Podcast Interview
Jerry Uelsmann – Interview by Chris Maher & Larry Berman
Jerry Uelsmann – Interview on PixChannel (hover over his name & click to view)
Renowed photographer speaks at Harn
Put my Lettuce on Top
Saturday, July 10th, 2010Yuma is more than place to leave the baby’s dirty diaper.
Carl's Jr., 1020 East 16th Street, Yuma, Arizona - (928) 329-1711
As I danced around Home Depot dizzy with hunger and harboring that “got to go” urge, I rushed my P-Trap purchase and headed to Carl’s Jr.
Carl’s Jr. Yelp Reviews, Carl’s Jr. Google Reviews
Just around the corner from the Depot on 16th Street, the Restaurant bustled with San Diego Interstate 8 Independence Day traffic. I carefully and quickly opened the outdoor aluminum door handle using my fingernails to avoid burning my hand on the building placed under the scorching summer sun load. I scurried into the restroom to discover the 2 stalls and individual urinal taken. A man was waiting his turn while a father helped his young son wash his hands in the sink.
I did a 180 turn to exit as another father and son entered the facility. I chose to place my Hawaiian Teriyaki Burger order and quell my other urge. Charging the $2.75 sandwich on my Discover Card, I salivated imagining biting into the pineapple, teriyaki sauce and thick beef patty.
Handed a #84 plastic triangle, the Order Girl instructed me to place it on my table and wait for the meal’s delivery. I sat facing the bathrooms anticipating an opening. It seemed as if every 15 to 30 seconds another person would rush in from outside and head into the packed Water Closet. Then, disturbingly, a lady exited the Women’s Room precariously holding her baby. She told her friend there were no changing tables and she’d need to change the baby’s diaper on the “seat” as she headed toward a nearby restaurant seat.
I avoided looking in her direction, not wanting to see the dirty diaper details. I started wondering though; I wondered if she meant her car’s seat or possibly the toilet seat and hopefully wished she didn’t mean my neighboring seat. I fearfully breathed through my nose, not wanting to inhale unfiltered feces though my mouth; I dreadfully imagined the unpleasant whiffs that would waft my way. Thankfully, no unsavory aromas emitted.
My burger appeared before any let up of toilet traffic. I removed the foil colored outer wrapper to find another paper wrapper snugly holding the burger together. While the buns stuck out of each end of the paper I could clearly see 1 of my generous burger bites would land my teeth in paper territory. I removed the wrapper confident I could hold it together with my hands. I have 2 strict rules when eating a burger. 1) Never but the burger down. 2) Eat faster than gravity.
My first bite shifted the sandwich like the recent 7.2 magnitude Sierra El Mayor earthquake shifted our town 2 feet South. Out of the bottom of the bun, 2.5 inches of sprung loaded salad dressing covered lettuce slapped the palm of my hand. Furious to find the crisp lettuce on the bottom bun side, I analyzed the effects of inverting my grip. There is something I love about the texture of crisp watery lettuce hitting the roof of my mouth. Seeing the charbroiled Dole pineapple ring and teriyaki sauce on the top bun side encouraged me to leave the top side on top. I felt I couldn’t mix and enjoy their flavors with the burger while biting them from the bottom.
I opened the bottom of the bun to reposition the lettuce under the bread. The self inflating leaves exploded like a life raft popping open off of a sinking ship. This ship of a sandwich started falling apart faster than the Titanic. Suddenly I had an 8-inch circular lettuce saucer spreading more dressing on my hands, a burger heading one-way and a pineapple ring heading the other. Fed up with the mess, I attacked the outer lettuce perimeter and in a high speed spinning motion rotated and consumed the pineapple & burger at the rate of 9.8 meters/second².
With sticky sauce covered hands I elbowed the restroom door open. I wanted to rinse my hands off before handling my business, but chose to enter the stall before another excreting train of men began. Finally relieved of all urges, I washed up and exited the facility.
A restaurant patron held the inner door open as I left Carl’s Jr and wished, “I hope you enjoyed the visit!”. An employee held the outer outside door open, probably to save the entering patrons from burning their hands.
AM-PM Arco Gas Station
I noticed the line of cars at the Arco gas station were I figured many of the steady stream of restroom customers came.
Carl's Jr Parking Lot Exit toward 16th Street & I-8
The place was busy enough to create a backed up line of cars onto the 16th Street & I-8 bridge.
As I exited on Redondo Drive heading North it looked like I-8 construction backed the freeway up for miles into California and extending to Telegraph Pass.
Driving off, I pondered the reason lettuce needs to be on top of the burger. I figured the 2 thumbs aren’t able to stabilize the slippery saucy leaves as well 8 fingers.
Next time I order my Teriyaki burger with no cheese, I’ll also instruct Carl’s Jr. to “Put my lettuce on top!”
Well, on 10/15/2010 there was a next time. I’m happy to admit I manned-up and ordered my lettuce on top. The cashier lady (Dawn H) seemed a little confused but graciously rang up my “Special Request” at no charge $0.00.
Man Up - Carls Jr. Special Request
I not only did I enjoyed the burger more, I felt fulfilled in setting out to do as promised.
Phone a Friend – The Secret Answer to Ping-Pong’s Popularity
Saturday, June 5th, 2010While we all may know the answer, many realize, but few recognize the power and popularity that phoning friends provides Ping-Pong. What condensed blurb do I share to increase the popularity of Table Tennis? Like a deer in the headlights, I couldn’t for the life of me answer my interviewer’s Question. I sat feeling like Sarah Palin in an interview with Katie Couric and remembering Tina Fey’s parody asking to “Phone a Friend” in help for the answer. I wanted to blurt it out, but instead I searched and searched and provided little more than a shrug, a shake of the head and a toss of my hands in the air.
I finally admitted I couldn’t think of one. I then went on, and on, and on about things I’d heard from others like it’s international following and how it brings cross cultural understandings and blah, blah, blah. Of course while giving this answer I was thinking of The Answer Man’s response on increasing the popularity of Hardbat. His answer to Scott Gordon is “Have Rob Trudell hire strippers as cheerleaders.“ I’ve spent hours imagining, demonstrating and following the attraction that bouncing breasts bring to the game.
Like many answers, the true answer came to me later that night after the interview; the answer touched me throughout my ping pong career. Phoning friends always worked for me. It’s more a pragmatic than a dramatic answer; it’s an answer that truly works.
Table Tennis takes 2 to make it right and building from that number is easy as pie. Whether it’s Luis Houed, and I playing Ping Pong at Phoenix’s Playa Bar or Jay Turberville at Tucson’s Maloney’s Bar, bringing 1 friend to the table attracts others. The Map to Popularity is simple, bring one and attract many. The guarantee is there is always someone to play with.
Luong Nguyen practices his Ping Pong Magic
In the desolate Yuma, Arizona desert Foothills, Luong Nguyen invokes “Phone a Friend” to conjure up another spell. I first met Yuma’s Top Player, “Lou” at a Yuma Army Proving Ground (YPG) Double Elimination Tournament. It’s with the Phone that Steve, the YPG Gym’s Morale, Welfare & Recreation Director, organizes the event. Steve maintains a list of Tournament Players and their Phone Numbers; he calls the players in for specially scheduled matches that progress over weeks until the Final Elimination Match is held and Trophies are presented. Luong contacted me directly to schedule our 1st YPG match and to check if he could get a ride back to the Foothills afterward.
Steve suggested once I met some local players, I’d find other places to practice and play. Steve was right. I surveyed Yuma for table tennis action and found nothing more than lonely tables in empty gyms. There are tables at the Arizona Western College Recreation Center, the National Guard Armory, the Army YPG Gym and Yuma Marine Corp Air Station. I also saw online the Criminals at Yuma Union High School organized some sort of club.
Luong later invited me to play at Chuck Keller’s house with it’s dedicated Table Tennis Room and Sauna. While the room has an air-conditioner, I think Chuck turns it off to prevent the wind from blowing the ball around. I had a chance play Luong’s son, Liem and meet his other son Sam. Luong coached the 2 for 2 years after they discovered the game and expressed an interest in improving.
Tuesday's with Chuck (Keller)
Tuesday’s with Chuck
Chuck called me one morning and asked me to commit to practice with him twice a week. I’ve committed to practice every Tuesday and am open to more sessions when I’m in town.
Minnesota Rick
I’ve met and challenged Rick from Minnesota.
Samuel Nguyen
I played a deuce game with Sam.
Liem Nguyen
I’ve warmed up and loosened up with Liem.
Robert Trudell - Backhand
Now I remember the importance of a Phone Call and the power it wields.
Ping Pong Phone a Friend Numbers - Un tipo suave. - Desert Table Tennis Outpost Listing
Ping Pong is fun and I know it’s popular; if you want to experience the Secret Answer to Ping Pong’s Popularity, just Phone a Friend.
1996 Desert Table Tennis Outpost Double Elimination Tournament
Yuma man inducted into Table Tennis Hall of Fame
The 3 Dimensions of Rob Trudell