unkilted

Did I just cave in?

Alex — Thu, 10 May 2012 03:35:41 +0000

… And ad ads to my site, despite my voicing my dislike for them over on the Twitter channel? Well, yes, but no! Yes, because I was interested to see how much, if at all they’d actually detract from the site overall – the answer I think is not much really. No, because do i make anything from these ads? Nope – not a cent! Each and every link is to a business or cause I chose! They don’t pay me for having their branding on my site, not a cent per click, not a dime per sale -nada!

Just thought i’d get that post in the open before someone calls me on the new ads. Oh, and if you don’t like the slight change in stance and direction… You might want to stop reading the ole blog completely – there’s going to be some major shift in content happening here over the next few weeks as I restructure my little network.

Doing Good Part Deux

Alex — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 01:44:00 +0000

Since my last post, I’ve been back at the Denver Botanic Gardens to help installation artist Tetsunori Kawana, his assistants Fanny and Migumi, and a team of eager, friendly and talented volunteers, just like myself on the “Kizuna” installation. Every visit to help out seems to become more and more special to me.

The process has seen it’s easier days, and its more challenging days, and we’ve all met every challenge of this spectacular scope of project with great patience and willingness to adapt and learn. Kanawa San is nothing short of a true gentleman, always willing to share his wisdom, and always looking out for the well being of his team.

I’m sure i’m not alone in saying that when this project is completed next week i’ll be somewhat sad to break the bonds this project has entwined – some what apt since Kizuna literally means “bonds” What seemed mostly like manual labor on day one has become a short but sweet journey, both in new skills, and also in a lot of how I look at my future, whether as a designer or not.

I’ll be posting a special “Kizuna UNmixed” project with some of the many iphone shots i’ve taken while working, but for now – check out this profile of Kawana San at the New York Botanic Gardens:

We profile Ikebana master and installation artist Tetsunori Kawana on his second year bcak at The New York Botanical Garden, constructing a giant bamboo sculpture as part of Kiku: The art of the Japanese Chrysanthemum.

A little bit of “doing good”

Alex — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 06:02:45 +0000

Last weekend, I had the privilege of joining a team of eager volunteers at the Denver Botanic Gardens to begin work on the two amazing Bamboo installations they’re going to have as part of their Kizuna: East meets west event. Basically, working under the guidance of artist Tesunori Kawana, the plan is to create 1 small installation, and a much larger (30-60ft if I remember right.) wave-like installation made entirely from Bamboo. A few example photos of some of Mr. Kawana’s work can be seen here.

I was assigned to work with the “Splitting crew” – basically our job was to find the longest, most pure looking bamboo poles, “top and tail” the nodes from the ends, then run essentially a large Japanese cast iron Apple corer right through the long poles. The day was supposed to be a training session, but it was decided that hands-on experience was more useful. My personal favorite part was using the “Dozuki” saw – i’m not the worlds most handy person, I admit that, but the subtle change in saw stroke, and cutting technique allowed by this type of saw just felt more natural – i’m sorely tempted to get myself one for home -as soon as I work out just what I’d use it for.

The entire day, and i’m sure every other day i’m scheduled to help out with this project really got me thinking a lot about just what it is i do for “a living” and about changing careers. Is sitting in front of a monitor most of the day really where I want to be at this mid-point in my life? Not really a question -the answer is a resounding NO! I’m tired trying to fight for new clients, compete with lowballers, hacks, offshorers, never mind the people in my field that are way ahead of me in skills. Anyway, this is a whole ‘nother blog post for a whole ‘nother day.

Getting back to the Kizuna installations, in fact, heck, why don’t you just look at some of the images I captured during the day for yourself:

Call For Submissions…

Alex — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 21:55:00 +0000

At some point in the next couple of months, the UNnetwork will be expanding to include some creative writings. Initially I was looking at UNFICTIONAL to be a vehichle for my own mad writing outbursts, but the more I think about it, the more entertaining I think it would be if it became more of a joint effort.

Basically UNFICTIONAL is writing with a Celtic edge. My personal leanings are for the Irvine Welsh’s and Ian Banks type messed up fiction, but you might be more of a Robert Burns, or a James Joyce even! As long as that Celtic ink flows through your words, you are all welcome to my wee shindig!

Initially I intend to publish short stories, and trips down memory lane – whether from 1st generation Celts, ex-pats, or the sons and daughters of immigrants from the proud Celtic nations. If you’ve a story to tell about growing up in Greenock, getting shitfaced in Hell’s Kitchen, or how your grandfather was a Clyde Shipbuilder, and have been, like me, too lazy to this point to write it down, then UNFICTIONAL is your site!

All works will remain entirely your property, even though published on UNFICTIONAL!

Prior to launch, I’d like to release a PDF sampler – that’s where you come in! Want to be published and read on peoples e-readers and I-Pads all over the world? Got a strong Celtic pride and an itch to write? Contact me and i’ll add you to the list for UNFICTIONAL PDF #1 (Working title only til i come up with a catchier title!) In return for your submission you get to show off your work, and you’ll be guaranteed it’s going to look nice on I-Pads, and (hopefully) Kindles and suchlike as well as on computer screens. Heck if there’s demand i’ll even get it ready for publishing through a print on Demand service!

What are you waiting for? Get in touch and get writing! Lets get UNFICTIONAL!

An Invocation for Beginnings

Alex — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 03:54:46 +0000

YES! Ze Frank is back! Not to be confused with ZEFronk(Parents – you know who I mean right? BTW – fun show, me and the kids love ZeFronk!) .But what just grabbed me is this new video. So inspirational actually! Funny in that usual “franky’ way, but also choc full of little motivators!

Welcome back Franky boy!

SCOTLAND UNMIXED!

Alex — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 17:03:29 +0000

So, just to keep my hand in with the old “UNmixing” process, I decided to take some images from my homeland and give them the UNMIXED treatment. As always, photography purists will no doubt puke, but hey, this project isn’t about pleasing everyone -its more about pushing the images a little out of the norm and seeing where they end up. Many of the images come from the great, mostly free stock image site SXC.hu, and in those cases, the images link to their owners, and also I’ve made sure to credit all images at the foot of the post. This time around I even managed to find a few images, shot as always on the trusty “Apple camera” by my good self. As always, feel free to leave comments if you love or hate the images. In the meantime… enjoy SCOTLAND UNMIXED! right after the jump:

And there you have it – Scotland UNMIXED! I hope you get some visual pleasure from the above images, and please feel free to share them on your Facebook profiles or via Pinterest. Personally, I love how the Arbroath Smokies image came out and the Glasgow Necropolis one just looks moody as all hell! As always, a fun little project to work on. Stay tuned for more UNMIXED projects, and indeed if you have any suggestions or images you’d like to see used, please let me know in the comments! I’m thinking next UNMIXED! will be using the various Hipstamatic and Instagram effects available for Photoshop, but you just never know….

Image Credits (Unless otherwise noted – all images from SXC):

Eileen Donnan Castle: Chris Baugh
Arbroath Smokies: Colin Brough
Kelvingrove by UNKILTED!
Weegie Tardis: Jon Stout
Heilan’ Coo: Gareth Weeks
Forth Rail Bridge: Colin Brough
Glasgow Necropolis: Jon Stout
The Highlands: G Schouten de Jel
Kilmacolm Old Kirk by UNKILTED!
A Wee Dram: Armin Hanisch
Urquhuart Castle: Unnamed SXC User
Dundee: Colin Brough

KILTED BIGOTRY REARS ITS UGLY HEAD

Alex — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 18:54:00 +0000

One of my KTKC colleagues forwarded me this article javascript:nicTemp(); and I felt commpelled to blog this – please spread the word about this case of racism against the Scottish (and indeed Irish) national dress and culture. oddly Schools go out of their way to be politically correct and celebrate every possible holiday to please all races and religions, yet they get bigotted on a proud Scottish youth wanting to wear his kilt and demonstrate his national heritage and pride?

Please take 1 minute out of your day to blog this, tweet this, heck even email the school board and say “booooo” to their blatant bigotry!

Oh, and to the School board – this quote is the worst, apparently you “want to teach the men to dress like men.” – well, I wear a kilt – are you brave enough to say i’m not a man? I think i’m more of a man than anyone on your board will ever be! Go on, call me a man in a skirt -I dare you, I double dog dare you! Said in my best Samuel L Jackson voice. Speaking of Sam jackson – heck, Kilts transcend nationality and even Race! How about that!

UNterviewed! – Headphone Commute

Alex — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 17:29:33 +0000

The curator/mixer over at Headphone Commute was generous enough to take a few minutes to answer a couple of questions i had about the mixes, and her thoughts on music to work to, etc. So without further ado:

Headphone Commute – UNTERVIEWED!

UNK: Other than the HC curated mixes, what music motivates you in your personal creative process?

HC: The music that I write about on Headphone Commute or end up selecting for mixes is the music that I would recommend to my friends. I often use music as a mood enhancer, so it really depends on the current setting. For example, to get in the mood for some vigorous activities (like cleaning the house), I prefer some drilling drum’n'bass; when I’m sad, I seem to turn to post-rock and modern-classical; when I’m awake and my brain is tingling, IDM or some glitchy electronica does the trick; heavy dubstep is reserved for powerful sound systems; surprisingly, when I’m agitated, I don’t listen to angry music – instead I turn to ambient to bring me back down. I like to lose myself in music, and then let the music find me. So during my creative moments, I usually select something that most people would consider background music – as is the reflection of the genres I cover on Headphone Commute. Here’s another interesting factoid – I can’t read with music in the background – to me it’s like watching two films at the same time.

UNK: I love running to the “Access to Arasaka mixes” – have you ever considered more tempo specific mixes?

HC: Yes! In fact I “almost” invented a device that would adjust the BPM with whatever rate you select. This information can be easily extracted from the analyzed wave form. Perhaps I should still write an iPhone app that would measure your running speed and then sync with a player, so that your feet would fall with the beat… Sounds pretty doable, don’t you think?

UNK:How important would you rate music to work to, and are instrumentals more productive than lyrics?

HC:I always work with music on. It’s something that is just part of my entire being. Putting on a record (and deciding which one to listen to) is as important as settling down comfortably in the chair with the right drink in hand before diving deep into work. When discussing music with visual artists and designers, many comment that the music they listen to while drawing definitely affects the result. I’m pretty sure it affects mine regardless of what I do.I’m personally very partial to instrumentals. There’s still a story behind each track, but I often feel that the “cinematographer” in my mind is much better than any visual that could be painted with words.

It’s the difference between looking at a painting without extra tools to understand the message, and having to walk up closer to the sign to read its title. Words are so limited, but art and music are not. Adding lyrics creates an unnecessary frame and therefore a constraint.On the other hand of this argument is the art of songwriting – where lyrics and voice are at the center of the piece. Then it becomes all about the song, and the background instrumentation does not matter – in fact, the more minimal it is (like piano or guitar) the better. Then it’s almost musical poetry, while still retaining its lyrical form. If the two of the above arguments sound conflicting, it’s because they are. But as I mentioned already, I prefer purely instrumental music. Especially when I’m concentrating on something else.

UNK: You’re on a 30 second internet connection. you have time for a 10 word message, and are allowed to recommend one of H_C’s mixes before – GO!

HC: Oceanica – meditative insight into the present…

UNK: Anything else you’d like to add?

HC: Before Headphone Commute turned into a full fledged online magazine, it was launched as a solo blog, where I would document and recommend my latest favorite findings to my friends. Over the years I was able to tweak individual aspects of the project, always focusing on keeping two evil things – ego and money – out of the equation. That seemed to work (for me). Adding on mixes and a podcast was almost a non-event, surprisingly attracting a larger audience that is still loyal to this day…

Thank you for our time, and good luck with the site. Try to stay unique and true to yourself!
~HC

And thank you headphone Commute for giving me a lot of food for thought, and a great read for the UNKILTED! readers

UNnote: This was originally posted back in September of 2011, but as part of my work in progress “UNBRAND!” I’ve decided to reformat it and post it as the first in a series of “UNterviews”

Below is a small selection of my personal favorite “HC” mixes. Feel free to download and enjoy, and even leave a comment or two of how you “used’ the mixes.

BIKES! BRANDING! CAMERABAG UNMIXING!

Alex — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 15:58:27 +0000

Just today, Nevercenter announced the official release of Camerabag2, an extremely versatile little powerhouse for desktop photo editing. Oddly enough, today was also the day when I put the finishing touches to a series of images to test Camerabag2. I like to call this little series “UNMIXED” – because it’s not really a remix as such, that would mean using multiple image sources etc – I feel this is more of an UNMIX – merely taking whats there and putting a different spin on it. I plan to post a more in-depth review of Camerabag soon, but in the meantime – go download the trial version of it for yourself, and take a look at the marvelous UNMIXES I produced using it. (All images link to the manufacturers websites for more information on their works…)

If the above image grabs your attention, please to hit the “read more” tag – there’s lots more UNMIXED! motorcycle goodness inside!

There you have it – a might fine series of mighty fine UNMIXES of might fine machinery. Those of you interested in logos, branding, all that malarky might be interested in the sister post to this one over at the UNBRANDED! blog. Stay tuned for more UNMIXED sessions soon – in Camerabag2 and perhaps other applications too.

Gratuitous Self promotion: I put a post up over at UNBRANDED! about some of the companies featured here and their rather stellar branding strategies - RIGHT HERE!

Its Kilt Time Again

Alex — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 20:50:00 +0000

Yes folks, i’m getting an early start on my “work” with Kilted to Kick Cancer this year. Myself, Motorcop, happymedic, Ambodriver, Alt-kilt, Magnum Boots and a cast of well… who knows how many, have allready begun brainstorming and building out some of the ideas for this years Awareness and Fundraising drive. If you read this site, and just happen to wear a kilt, even now and then and feel you’d like to get in on the fun – why not become one of our state “reps” for #teamktkc? More details here, along with a signup form – we’d love to have you on board. Whether its raising $1 and telling one neighbor, or raising $10K and appearing on your local news channel – its all good and every single KTKC action counts for that greater good of getting the word out there about male specific cancers!