Psychedelic Thoughts

Edwin Allan Riguer Photography

2010-04-07T20:28:00.001-05:00

So one of my good friends back in high school contacted me on Facebook. You can check his site to see a genuine professional photographer at work.

Edwin Allan Riguer Photography

Art items on eBay.com

2010-03-18T22:46:00.001-05:00

I just listed some items on eBay. Some ACEOs (Artist Trading Card) and two of my paintings including the Cotton Candy Tree.

You can also search using my sign name: JRQ

eBay Seller: josephquerijero: Art items on eBay.com

What users hate most about Web sites

2010-03-12T21:10:00.001-06:00

OK, I know that there is server side contents involved in the following article, but I think the author should at least be mindful on where his or her article will be displayed. Click on the link to see the article.

What users hate most about Web sites | Applications - InfoWorld

This is one of those WTF moments. I mean, this is an article that talks about what users hate about some web pages, yet the article appears on a page which violates almost all the points the author is trying to making. The site itself will try to open 2 pop-ups. And if this site has a music or sound that automatically loads and repeats, it would have demonstrated almost all the annoyance you can find in some Web sites today.

ACEO - Art Cards, Editions and Originals

2010-03-07T18:44:00.001-06:00

For a part time artist, it is still quite amazing that I miss some new cool things about what is happening in the art world. So when I stumbled upon ACEO (also known as Artist’s Trading Card), it peaked my curiosity. Artist trading card, and yes in literal sense, is a subset of miniature art pieces that ranges from reproduction of original works including photographs to original collage and oil paintings. It is believed to have started in Europe when a group of artists decided to create their own trading cards that can be traded just like your kids’ Pokemon cards and the not-so-kids’ anymore Dungeons and Dragon cards. ACEO comes in 2.5x3.5 (inches) size which is a little over the size of a credit card. With some googling and searching on eBay, you will start to appreciate this small art movement. However, will these miniature art pieces really be traded or swapped, or hoarded by avid collectors still remains a question.

Recomposing Dull a Photo

2010-02-21T21:51:00.004-06:00

Sometimes we take pictures that don’t turn out quite right or just rather boring. It is possible to rescue such images specially if they have a nice pattern.

Look at the photo on the left. We will use this as the starting picture. At first glance the image has no character; however, zooming in the dried flowers are actually quite expressive (just click on the image to see it higher resolution). Using free image editor like Paint.NET or Gimp, you can

section this image into several overlapping pieces. I will explain the overlap later.Edit each section and change its hue to the color you like. Set the saturation to get a more vivid color.

Now, going back to the overlap. Microsoft Windows Live Photo Gallery has a very smart feature that allows you to merge images with overlapping contents. It is basically a tool to create panoramic pictures out of several photos that you have taken.

I also suggest that you don’t retouch the section individually other that changing it’s color. You want to apply your finishing touches after all the sections are merged.

Here is the result after the merge and some cropping. Notice the three colors are now nicely blended, and the flower petals are now more noticeable. Click on the image to see the photo in higher resolution.

Morbid Art

2010-02-06T13:56:00.001-06:00

What is art? A single most important question that one has to answer when presented with material that goes beyond ones perception of art. In fact, the question is truly not what is art but what is acceptable as art. Acceptability denotes conformity to social mores, traditions, and prevailing consciousness. Mores and traditions are for the most part non-transient even if they do change over time but nevertheless not easily malleable as prevailing consciousness that can change over night. Individual tries to provoke and even circumvent these norms of acceptability. Through ones incessant desire to make a statement or sometimes just as mundane as wanting to be noticed, we are presented with visual that, for the most us, will leave us very much confused and sometimes repulsed. This thought is embodied by morbid art. It is something that deals with death in graphic way not as symbolism. For those who have strong stomach you can follow this link Morbid Art Gallery for reference. The previous sample is just one aspect of morbid art which is a great departure from Salvador Dali’s subtle approach to the subject of death even if it is still way too graphic for casual viewers . This art movement now has expanded to subjects that deal with pain, gore, dark mystic visual, and gruesome fantasy imagery. We can debate all we want on the actual significant of this movement, but one thing is sure; it forced us to face suffering and death to its very core.

Winter's Last Cry

2010-02-04T19:25:00.003-06:00

Winter is a bother, but if you just try to look around . . .

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Art items on eBay.com

2010-02-04T12:43:00.001-06:00

I finally decided to jump into the eBay frenzy. Some of my works are now up for bids on eBay. I’m still new to this eBay thingy, so wish me luck. For the list of available pieces on sale click here.

Canvas Prints And Printing | Canvas Photos On And To Canvas | Canvas Photo Printing

2010-01-31T18:58:00.001-06:00

Digital photography has been a while which brought the art film photography to the masses. Many of us probably has a stack of photographs that are sitting in on our hard drive occupying storage space and often forgotten. So what to do with those pictures? Are you redecorating your place or can’t find the suitable art piece to hang on your wall? Yes, there are cheap pictures out there, but the thing is that those pictures are taken by someone else. You get his or her perspective but not yours. See, those images that are just sitting on you computer are taken through your own eyes. They are things that you inherently wanted to see. There are tons of treasures in those images. Look through them again. You can reuse them to decorate your room. One way is to go and get a good size prints of those photographs. 8x10 or 8x12 is a good size. Take them to an art store for framing like Micheal’s. This a good start, but there is a better option out there that won’t cost you an arm and leg. Photo on canvas comes to the rescue. You want your wedding photograph blown up to a 36x24 size for everyone to see right in the middle of your living room, go ahead.

Canvas Prints And Printing | Canvas Photos On And To Canvas | Canvas Photo Printing

This adds a new dimension to your digital camera. I believe its usability goes beyond just capturing a snapshot of a moment. It is a tool that is in fact under utilize in my opinion.

So the Economy Goes Down the Drain . . .

2009-03-29T21:13:00.001-05:00

Considering that you are still alive, just be happy . . .

Starbucks

2008-06-23T12:32:00.002-05:00

If you happened to see my painting at Starbucks, feel free to leave a comment. I'll appreciate any comments. If you have any business inquiry, please send it to my e-mail address, jquerijero@cox.net.

I will be rotating my display at Startbucks every 2 weeks or so.

Nancy' Angels

2007-11-27T12:33:00.001-06:00

TITLE: Nancy's Angels

SIZE: 14x16

MEDIUM: Oil on Canvas

This painting is based on a photograph of my co-worker's grandchildren. She commisioned the work.

Abstract

2007-07-15T18:55:00.001-05:00

TITLE: Bright Lights
MEDIUM: Oil on Canvas
SIZE: 24x36

TITLE: Over Murky Water
MEDIUM: Oil on Canvas
SIZE: 24x36

TITLE: Tree (Cotton Candy Tree)
MEDIUM: Oil on Canvas
SIZE: 24x36

Monotones

2007-05-27T13:48:00.001-05:00

MEDIUM: Oil on Canvas
SIZE: 22X28

MEDIUM: Oil on Canvas
SIZE: 18X24

Cotton Candy Tree

2007-05-26T21:22:00.000-05:00

TITLE: Tree
MEDIUM: Oil on Canvas
SIZE: 24X36

Return to Heaven

2007-05-15T20:48:00.000-05:00

TITLE: Return to Heaven

MEDIUM: Oil on Canvas
SIZE: 24x36

DETAIL

Microsoft Redesigns iPod

2007-05-08T21:44:00.000-05:00

Monotone Paintings

2007-05-05T01:30:00.000-05:00

TITLE:No. 1, Monotone
MEDIUM: Oil on Canvas18X24

Red Sky

2007-05-04T21:43:00.000-05:00

TITLE: Red Sky
MEDIUM: Oil on Canvas
SIZE:24X36

Detail

Child Art from a Grown Man 2

2007-04-26T19:18:00.000-05:00

TITLE: Under the Sea
MEDIUM: Oil and Acrylic on Paper

Earlier it was colored paper art. This time it's finger-painting. Crayola crayon next.

Child Art from a Grown Man

2007-04-25T20:17:00.000-05:00

TITLE: Rebith of a Pheonix

MEDIUM: Tissue Paper, Arcrylic on Paper

Oil Paintings Sneak Preview

2007-04-25T19:34:00.000-05:00

Cherry Blossoms

SIZE: 24 X 36

Smaller Versions

SIZE: 18 X 24

Disposable Society

2007-04-17T18:45:00.000-05:00

Guess what this basket is made of?

SIZE : Base to Bream: 5in, 8.5 in including handle
MATERIAL: Ethernet Cable

Cherry Blossoms on Blue

2007-04-12T20:16:00.000-05:00

TITLE: Cherry Blossoms
MEDIUM: Oil on Canvas
SIZE: 24 by 36

Detail View

The Madness that is American Idol

2007-03-29T18:44:00.000-05:00

I'm one of those people that watch the show when I happen to stumble upon it. It's is both entertaining and aggravating. Entertaining in the sense that you see contestants trying to reach for their dreams. They are willing to put themselves out there to be judged and sometimes ridiculed. Very aggravating to those people who take the result to seriously and, most specially, when their favorite gets eliminated. The most interesting part of the show is contestant like Sanjaya Malakar who for some reason defies fate. Relegated as the weakest contestant in the show, Sanjaya outlasts most of the other better singers and probably will be in the show for a bit longer than most of us expected. However, this aberration is what keeping the show’s high popularity. The unpredictability of the result is half of the show. In a perfect world, the singers will be voted out from the least talented until only the two most gifted remain. There is nothing wrong with that, but will that make the show more compelling. I think not. The more predictable the show becomes; the more it becomes uninteresting. There is really no reason why you should tune in and vote every week for your favorite when your favorite is not best.

Should the three at least have some choice on who gets booted among the bottom three? It’s a valid proposition, but remember the show is about the television viewers’ power to choose their "Idol." Just imagine an eventual winner who is saved from elimination because the judges think he or she should win. The possibilities are just as aggravating.

So the next time Sanjaya survives another week, don’t fuss too much about it because in the end that what makes you come back for more.

Enviromentalism is Not a Liberal Idea

2007-02-23T12:41:00.001-06:00

I'm getting tired of the media giving ideological affinity to enviromentalism. It doesn't have any. It's our responsibility that future generation can enjoy the same natural heritage that we are enjoying now.

Environmentalism is an often forgotten Judeo-Christian tradition. It is the first covenant between man and God in the book of Genesis.

The fact that most liberal groups embrace the idea only means that enviromentalism doesn't belong to any ideological spectrum. Don't blame those "tree-huggers" for insisting on environmental protection. It is the Christian-Conservative who has forgotten the covenant.

Creativity Bottle-neck

2007-02-14T12:41:00.000-06:00

Not much going on. I live in a small apartment, so I do all my paintings outside. I won't have anything new 'til winter passes by.

Keep checking, I'll be working on bigger canvas for my next series of paintings.

Inventory Reduction

2006-12-22T16:58:00.000-06:00

One of my friends just got married. She happens to like after stormy scene, so I gave this painting as my wedding gift.

Ebay Invasion

2006-06-18T17:24:00.000-05:00

These will be my initial offering thru Ebay. I'll update this entry once I put them for auction.

TV

2006-06-17T19:12:00.000-05:00

TITLE: TV

MEDIUM: Digital Photography

This is a slow exposure of a TV screen.

Surf!!!

2006-06-16T18:17:00.001-05:00

If you are visiting Philippines, and wanna see where I draw my inspiration when I paint.

City Lights

2006-06-11T02:08:00.000-05:00

TITLE: Highway
MEDIUM: Digital Photography

More Photos...

I'm still looking for a place that offers a cheap serigraph or photo on canvas reproduction. Later on I'll be selling copies of my favorite digital photographs.

Visually Los Angeles

2006-06-09T18:55:00.000-05:00

TITLE: I Stand Alone
MEDIUM: Acrylic on Canvas
SIZE: 24x30

This piece is inspired by my trip from LA to San Francisco. The barren fields and almost treeless landscape.

Detail View

Hope

2006-06-08T01:37:00.000-05:00

TITLE: Hope
MEDIUM: Acrylic on Canvas
SIZE: 16x20

I have an affinity to black. I just find it unpretentious. It overrides most color that you mix with it. That is how one should live his life. Not dictated by someone else opinion.

Black represents life. Red represents trials, and yellow the "ups" of our life. Blue is our ultimate goal. It's just a small streak of color, but it stands out from the rest. No matter where we try to approach it, we will encounter the reds and yellows. However, if we persevere we will get to it no matter what.

Insanity Plea

2006-06-02T04:12:00.000-05:00

Can you truly be insane if you know you are?
Is insanity a behavioral problem or just a failure to control one's self?

City of Angels

2006-05-31T16:17:00.000-05:00

No new stuff. I'm on vacation in L.A. visiting relatives. It's been fun. Hollywood blvd however is quite a disappointment. It's a little dirty, but it's still a fun place to go and see things. No celebrity sighting yet, just an onsite shoot of some movie called "Knock..." or something like that. The security guard doesn't even care much about the movie. No big stars maybe. It's a movie from the peeps that created "40 Year Old Virgin," so it's gonna be a riot regardless.

Laguna Beach is nice and clean, and places are very accessible.

This is what I have for now.

I have some more ideas now in my mind for my Asian flavored abtract paintings. Hopefully when I get home, I'll get to work immediately.

Spirit in the Sky Series

2006-05-24T18:19:00.000-05:00

TITLE: Raging Spirit
MEDIUM: Acrylic on Canvas
SIZE: 24x30
Sorry, the lower left side came out too dark. I'll try to post a better picture later.

TITLE: Calm
MEDIUM: Acrylic on Canvas
SIZE: 16x20

This piece is both sad and hopeful. This is more aptly called "stitching the universe." That's what it represents. The painting has torn pieces. and a lace trying to hold the piece back into place. This is how we live. We make the best of what we have. Yes, the tree is bent in many ways, yet it rises up.

Materpieces??? another ?

2006-05-22T18:49:00.000-05:00

When I hear someone on TV saying masterpieces by so and so artist, it still makes me roll my eyes. For some reason, I can not let myself believe that an artist can really have multiple masterpieces. I think having it in plural form defeats the basic nature of someone's artistic journey. Masterpiece is the culmination of the artist's work. The single piece that puts him to a new level of artistic expression. It is the piece when style and emotion finally become one. The piece that defines the artist, and the standard for the succeeding pieces.

Maybe I'm searching for a different word.

On personal note, I think Monalisa is the only true masterpiece of Leonardo. All the rest are just extremely great works of art.

Dance For Me, Salome

2006-05-21T19:36:00.000-05:00

TITLE: Dancer
MEDIUM: Enamel and Oil on Canvas Board
SIZE: 16x20

For some reason oil paint doesn't photograph well, the actual painting is more vibrant.

Oh well, 'til I'm rich enough to afford a professional photographer, I just have to make do with my trusty digital cam.

Detail view of the craquelet effect of the outer outline.

Nice Kitty...

2006-05-21T19:28:00.000-05:00

TITLE: Cheetah
MEDIUM: Oil Pastel on Canvas Board
SIZE: 16x20

Dry medium is a nice way of re-examnining color technique. My color palette is usually small. I rely mostly on blending and mixing. I think, this is a simple way of giving your work its own characteristics.

The Last Leaf Ver. 2

2006-05-20T20:44:00.000-05:00

TITLE: Last Autumn Leaf
MEDIUM: Acrylic on Canvas
SIZE: 11x14

A different take on the subject. This is a more literal interpretation, a dried leaf clinging on the branch. You can easily visualize it falling to the ground.

The Last Leaf

2006-05-18T02:54:00.000-05:00

TITLE: Last Leaf
MEDIUM: Acrylic on Canvas
SIZE: 11x14

This is a homage to the short story "The Last Leaf." It's a story about an aging artist who's been contemplating about his masterpiece and a dying young lady. Just like how the popular song goes with the same title, she stakes her life on every leaf that clings on the branch by her window. When the last leaf fell to the ground, the good artist carefully painted the leaf on the window.

Binary Pigments

2006-05-16T18:14:00.000-05:00

This is what happened when I get a new toy to play with.

Poser images imported and composed using Photoshop.

Scanned drawings colored using Photoshop.

Finally!!!

2006-05-16T12:34:00.000-05:00

My blog is now on full swing. Just like many of us who procrastinate even on things that we really want to do, it took me a while to finally start my own blog with actual contents. Wheew!!! Thanks for joining me.

Who am I? I'm a native of the islands of the Philippines. Just like many of us, life circumstances take us to many directions that we don't even plan or think about until we are smucked in the middle of it, so I'm transplanted to the other side of the world. I'm CURRENTLY(yes, in emphasis) living in Omaha, NE and working as a computer programmer. It seems that the road is starting to own me, but the only thing constant about my life is my love of pigment. I abandon it many times, and many times, I always have the urge to revisit it but never have the time or money. Hopefully, this time it will stay with me before it slips away from me.

Again, thanks for coming.

Traditional

2006-05-16T12:12:00.000-05:00

Illustration style painting.

TITLE: Tree
MEDIUM: Acrylic on Canvas
SIZE: 24x30

Bob Rose inspired seascape.

TITLE: Wave
MEDIUM: Acrylic on Canvas
SIZE: 22x28

Color Study

2006-05-15T22:57:00.000-05:00

Some older stuff. These are color and texture study not to be meant as commercial. However, they did turn out pretty decent.

TITLE: Maps (Color Study)
MEDIUM: Acrylic on Board
SIZE: 15x24, 24x36

Greenfields Series

2006-05-15T18:44:00.000-05:00

This series is part of the my "realistic abstraction" paintings. The goal is to use realistic elements to compose an abtract visual characterized by strong contrast and bold colors.

Sunset (Green on Red)

Noon (Green on Blue)

Morning (Green on White)

MEDIUM: Arcrylic on Canvas
SIZE: 24x36

Whitestone Bridge

2006-05-15T18:30:00.000-05:00

Whitestone Bridge, NY

MEDIUM: Digital Photography

This photo was taken on my last visit to NY using a Sony Cybershot in night setting for a slow exposure effect.

More pictures ...