I Feel a Tickle

by Tim Rickett

 

I love to use pen, and though this is not the best example of my pen work, it is one I enjoy. Pen is very unforgiving, and once the mark is made it is left there forever. I believe that is why I prefer this medium. This was the first image of a series of five .

Yes, that is a Girl Standing on an Alligator

by Tim Rickett

 

This is the same technique I used in the first transfer except instead of using matt medium I used red acrylic paint. It acts the same but held a lot more of the paper fibers. As long as you use contrasting colors the image will show up.

This image was used in a later project that won an award at last year’s Nebraska Land Days art show.

Train Transfer

by Tim Rickett

This is known as an image transfer. Basically you take an image and print it off on a laser jet printer, coat a surface (preferably wood) in matte medium, lay the picture face down in the medium, press evenly smoothing out the image starting in the center, wait for the medium to dry (about 30 minutes) then poor water on the back of the paper and the ink should be left on the surface except in mirrored format. (Personally I wait a full 12-24 hours for the medium to dry I believe the image shows up smoother and better if it is left on the medium longer.

20 Minutes of Life Drawing

by Tim Rickett

 

Charcoal on paper

This piece has no name but is one of my favorites.  This image was created in the Life Drawing class offered here at the college in the spring. The model is the teacher Dik Haneline. This image was approximately a 20 minute drawing. I believe it captures a strong since of sorrow and conveys this emotion to the viewers.

For sale - $75, trickett3010@students.mpcc.edu

Ribbon in Space

by Tim Rickett

This piece was made a few years ago for the Nebraska Land Days art show.

I had recently tried playing with ribbon and how its bends in space creating interesting lines every time it is moved. I wanted to incorporate these lines in with a checkered background as well as the floating spheres. This piece was meant to be more of a modern take on surrealism while also being very abstract. Unfortunately this work did not win but was gifted to my brother.

Stages

by Jennifer Belgum

Does your job require you to wear a panic button? Mine does. Working in healthcare in a locked dementia unit, I deal with the stages of Alzheimer/dementia patients daily. We just have to constantly adapt to whatever reality each individual is currently in and try not to become jaded by it. There seems to be four common stages of Alzheimer/dementia that I encounter most frequently: the “lost souls,” the “perpetually sad,” the “fighters,” and the “inevitably aware.”

I punch in the code to enter the unit where I work, just as I have so many times before. It doesn’t work so I try again thinking I hit a wrong button. No good. Then I realize the code probably has had to have been changed due to a resident figuring the sequence out. This happens every couple of months and has apparently happened again in the last twelve hours since I was last here. Residents may hover around the entrance doors and try to watch you put the code in. They think that’s what they’re supposed to do, come and go just like everyone else they see doing it. Sometimes a family may come in and inadvertently say the code out loud when leaving. People often do not realize the importance of a secured unit and they think that the people who live there do not understand anything. These folks are still people. They are someone’s mother, sister, father, wife, etc. and they are here for our guidance because they have lost their way and can never gain it back. It’s not their fault. It’s just the hand they were dealt.

Upon my entrance, I’m immediately greeted by an anorexic looking little old lady who walks up and down the hallway over and over. Probably the culprit for the code change this time I deduce. She does lap after lap exclaiming, “I’m exercising. I’m gonna be going home soon you know. I came up here yesterday for the dance and they tied me to a chair and kept me here. That doctor tried to have his way with me last night and as soon as I get home, I’m gonna get a lawyer.” There is no reality orientation with her. She’s oblivious to the fact that she has been here for several years and is not a candidate for discharge. She is a “lost soul” who can physically function, but mentally she is at a loss. Lots of confusion surrounds this stage. To them, what they are saying is very real and you cannot tell them otherwise. However, what they say is also way off in left field and can make for a very interesting conversation. She is very high functioning and can dress herself and brush her teeth and remember how to do all the basics but her mind is so deluded that her dreams and stories that pop into her head at any given time are her reality.

I reach our little office at the end of the hall just as I hear “somebody help me!” I know exactly who is hollering. The same routine occurs every morning. I go straight to the room with the sobbing. “Oh kid, please help me, I can’t get out of bed and I have to use the bathroom. My baby’s crying and needs fed and I don’t know what to do or what’s going on” she cries. The cutest little lady you would ever see with enormous green eyes, always filled with tears. She is one of the “perpetually sad.” No matter what you say or do, they will be crying. A rare glimpse of a smile is truly cherished. You cannot pinpoint the trigger. That is just their response to every situation. They can’t process their feelings any other way.

Two minutes later I hear the familiar beep, beep, beep of my pager calling me to yet another situation. This time it’s a gentleman. I enter his room to find a staff member backed up in the corner and he is blocking her way with his arm drawn back and hand in a fist ready to strike. I get to them just as he’s connecting with the side of the staff members head. All the while screaming “God Damn It! You don’t tell me what to do!” I step in and try to deescalate the problem. Not without him landing a blow or two to my right shoulder/chest area, knocking me back into the wall and taking my breath away. Something catches his eye. It’s the cat playing in the corner of the room, and just like that, he has forgotten everything and isn’t angry anymore. “Here kitty, kitty” he dotes. Well, an animal lover and the cat saves us, this time. This fellow is a “fighter.” He was a professional boxer back in his day. To me, that explains everything about his combative behavior. What else would you expect? He definitely knows how to throw a punch. You have to be very aware of this stage. Some are too frail to have their aggression cause you any harm, but some could do some damage.

Not long after, I enter a warm, sunny room. A short, gray haired woman stands rocking side to side in front of the window. She turns and greets me with a smile and says “You know, I see you girls bouncing up and down the halls, so busy, so full of life and then I look out the window to where the courtyard should be and I see a train zooming by. So close I could reach out and touch it and I know that isn’t right. There’s no train there, yet, I see it just as I see you right in front of me now. You know, I have the Alzheimer’s disease. It’s a terrible thing to catch. Soon I’ll be off somewhere in my mind permanently I fear. This woman is the “inevitably aware.”Aware of her surroundings and the day, the year, the President, etc. Aware that she has a disease of the mind. Aware that it distorts her vision and sense at times. And painfully aware that there is nothing she can do about it and it will get worse. This stage, to me, is possibly the worst of them all. Complete loss of control of their life and they have to watch it happen. They can’t fix it or cure it. It’s just a slow torture until they cross that invisible line into complete absence.

Everyone in the unit falls into these categories or are free falling in between while morphing into the next stage of the disease. You never know what’s coming next. Maybe the “perpetually sad” will become the “fighter” or the “fighter” could become the “lost soul.” It happens relatively slowly. We can see the change over several weeks, usually, as their disease progresses. For us, as staff, it can be intriguing, sad and shocking all at once. This disease shows you just how precious our minds are and to not take for granted the memories we  have made because we see how quickly some souls slates have been wiped clean.

 

Even the bathroom?

By Tim Ricketts

 This week all I wish to show you is a sketch I did in my biology class. Inspiration can truly come from every little thing. Even a sketch is a powerful image and can lead to greater images in the future. I encourage every person to sketch their ideas no matter where they are. Personally I have a sketch book by my bed, in the living room, in the bathroom and a few in my studio, simply because ideas can come out of nowhere and it’s the best idea to capture them while they are fresh in your head.

Art! Art! Art! And More Art!

by Tim Rickett

This image is one of the latest I have produced. Though I do not have a title for these images yet, the series is entitled “Humanly formalistic” “The bodies’ characteristics and the composition it provides”. For this particular series I combined collage and painting: all of the images are different but contain similar elements that unite the series together, such as showing my brush strokes in the background, as well as the cracking technique used the black and white collage piece, and an anomaly to make the viewer think about the piece. 

Dimensions 5”X7”

Price – I have not yet set a price on the images because the series is not complete

Please keep stay tuned for my future images from this series as well as more work I have completed

Fragile Fall

by Tim Rickett

This is another piece I created last year. This is a ceramic piece modeled after a leaf I found outside. Total production time was only about 3 hours. This piece was featured in the student show at Peru State College and is entitled “Fragile Fall”.

There is another artist I have had the pleasure working with named Trent Grooms of Auburn Nebraska. During my carrier at PSC Trent and I became very good friends. Trent has a very unique style where he uses line to its full advantage as well as a wonderful use of color. His paintings are meant to be somewhat “graffiti” like. Many of Trents works have a common theme of aliens and symbolism.

Below is a link to Trents Facebook art and music page. Feel free to check him out and “Like” his page.

http://www.facebook.com/trentgroomsart?fref=ts 

Art! Art! Art! And More Art!

by Timothy Ricketts

 

My contribution to the Yard Rake will include various works of art that I have produced as well as a few other freelance artists and students work. My goal is to get artist’s names out to the public, and show case our talents. This week’s submission is a piece I made while studying at Peru State College last year. This particular piece is made out of basal wood and spray painted cadmium red.

I submitted this piece to the student show where I was awarded with a scholarship and the piece sold for $50 dollars.

Title – The Hot Seat

National Basketball Association (NBA) 2012: The Playoffs are here!

By: Evan Troxel

I had a hard time of picking out what I was going to type about for this week’s article.  I finally decided on the 2012 NBA Playoffs.  In both the Eastern and Western Conferences of the 2012 NBA playoffs, the winner of the #1 or #8 seed will play the winner of the #4 or #5 seed in the second round of the playoffs.  The #2 or #7 seed will play the winner of the #3 or #6 seed in the second round of the playoffs.

In the Eastern Conference in the first round of the NBA playoffs, the #1 seeded Chicago Bulls will play the #8 seeded Philadelphia 76ers.  This series will be interesting to watch.  For starters, I dislike the uniforms and the logos the 76ers have been displaying since the start of the 2009-2010 season.  I really like their uniforms, uniform colors, and logos from the 1997 & 1998 season through the 2008 & 2009 season.

To be serious though, the Bulls have some good players on their team in Carlos Boozer, Richard Hamilton, Kyle Korver, Joakim Noah, and Derrick Rose.  Derrick Rose has been the face of the franchise so far this season.  Unfortunately for Derrick Rose, he tore his ACL in Game 1 of their first round 7 game playoff series and will not be back for the remainder of the playoffs. 

The good (star) players for the 76ers in my opinion are Tony Battie, Elton Brand, and Evan Turner.  I think 76ers head coach Doug Collins will make this 7 game playoff series between these two teams “a lot more interesting” than it is projected to be.  Even with Derrick Rose’s season ending injury, I still see the Bulls winning this series but the 76ers I think will surely give the Bulls a fight and something they have to earn.

The #2 seeded Miami Heat will square off against the New York Knicks in the first round.  The Heat will probably win the series but I’d love to see the Knicks end the Heat’s season.  My opinion about the Heat is that I think they have the worst defense in the NBA (and that includes non-playoff NBA teams).  I think that because their star players in Shane Battier, Lebron James, Mario Chalmers, and Dwayne Ward are more of the stereotypical “offensive” player instead of the “defensive” player and they are more concerned about entertaining the fans by scoring in creative ways offensively other than just playing good basketball all-around offensively and defensively.

The Knicks on the other hand have star players in Jeremy Lin, Carmelo Anthony, Mike Bibby, Tyson Chandler, Baron Davis, and Amar'e Stoudemire.  Honestly, I don’t think any team should overlook the Knicks and any of the star players they have.  The Knicks actually have some pretty good star players (that I have listed here) who all have played for a different team at some point in their careers.  The current Jeremy Lin comeback-from-injury watch is that it sounds like (at the earliest) he could be back playing for the Knicks in their Game 4 best of seven games playoff series with the Heat.  Realistically, I think Lin will (for sure) be able to play in the Knicks next playoff series if they can eliminate the Miami Heat and/or two weeks from April 30^th, 2012.

The #3 seeded Indiana Pacers will play the #6 Orlando Magic in the first round.  The star players in my opinion for the Pacers are Darren Collison and Tyler Hansbrough.  The star players for the Magic are Glen Davis, Dwight Howard, J.J. Redick, Jason Richardson, and Hedo Turkoglu.  I think the Magic will win this series because they have better star players in my opinion.  If the Pacers win the series, then they need more media attention because I hardly even know about the Pacers nowadays.

The #4 seeded Boston Celtics will play the #5 seeded Atlanta Hawks in the first round.  The star players for the Celtics are Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, Rajon Rondo, and Kevin Garnett.  Allen is the Celtics 3-point shooter, Pierce has been the face of the Celtics franchise, Rondo gives the basketball to his teammates and as a result gets assists, and Garnett likes to dunk the basketball.  The star players for the Hawks are former Kansas Jayhawk Kirk Hinrich, Tracy McGrady, and Jerry Stackhouse.  As for the Hawks star players, I haven’t even watched any of these guys play in a long time.

I really think the Celtics will win this series and they haven’t received very much media/press attention this season (which I find to be odd since they are from Boston) and I think they are one of the best teams in the NBA right now.  On the bright side (if you are a Hawks fan), they have won the first round of the playoffs the past three seasons and have only lost the first round series three times since after the 1992-1993 season.  Also, the Hawks beat the Celtics in Game 1 83-74 so don’t count the Hawks out just yet.

In the Western Conference in the first round of the NBA playoffs, the #1 seeded San Antonio Spurs will face the #8 seeded Utah Jazz.  The Spurs compiled a regular season record of 50 wins and just 16 losses!  The Jazz on the other hand, won 36 and lost 30.  My favorite NBA team is the Jazz and I’d say my second favorite NBA team in the Western Conference is the Spurs. 

Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, and Tony Parker are the star players for the Spurs.  I just don’t understand how the Spurs are that good!  Tim Duncan to me looks like he has slowed down his pace and has been less aggressive in his efforts in playing the game of basketball in recent years.  Maybe that’s a good thing for Duncan considering that he is 6 foot 11 inches.

The star players for the Jazz I’d say are forward/center Derrick Favors, forward Gordon Hayward, center Al Jefferson, forward Paul Millsap, and guard Jamaal Tinsley.  Some things to look for in the Jazz is that in recent games they have been very good in rebounding both offensively and defensively.  If the Jazz can keep their opponents from scoring they have shown that they can get on a roll and make several baskets offensively.  I don’t want to be biased, but from what I have seen this season the Jazz are the only NBA team (in my opinion) who actually have a good defense.

Both the Spurs and the Jazz I think have been waiting a long-time for a lockout shortened season so that they can capitalize on other team’s lack of preparedness.  I think the Jazz will upset the Spurs and win this playoff series.  I just don’t see how the Spurs will win the NBA Finals (if they make it that far) unless they end up playing the Heat (because Lebron James plays for them).  

The Jazz have lost three straight playoff series (in 2008, 2009, and 2010) to the Los Angeles Lakers and they are tired of losing playoff series.  Want proof?  The Jazz have been to the Western Conference semifinals four times and the Conference Finals one time since after the 1997-1998 season.  In the Conference Finals in 2007 the Jazz lost in a best of seven series to guess who?  That’s right.  The San Antonio Spurs.  The Spurs ended up winning four of five necessary playoff games to the Jazz in 2007.

The #2 seeded Oklahoma City Thunder will vs. last year’s NBA Champions the #7 seeded Dallas Mavericks in the first round of the NBA playoffs.  The star players for the Thunder are Kevin Durant and Derek Fisher.  The star players for the Mavericks are Dirk Nowitzki, Jason Kidd, Vince Carter, Shawn Marion, and Lamar Odom.  The Thunder posted a regular season record of 47-19 and the Mavericks posted a regular season record of 36-30.  The Mavericks definitely have the star players to beat the Thunder but I just don’t think the Mavericks will win this playoff series.

The #3 seeded Los Angeles Lakers will vs. the #6 seeded Denver Nuggets in the first round of the NBA playoffs.  The star players for the Lakers are Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, and Andrew Bynum.  The star players for the Nuggets are forward Al Harrington, and guards Ty Lawson and Andre Miller.  The Lakers finished with a regular season record of 41-25 and the Nuggets finished with a regular season record of 38-28.

Honestly, I think the Lakers will win this playoff series.  If the Lakers don’t, then Kobe Bryant will probably have been a ball-hog too much.  I really haven’t watched the Nuggets play much to seriously state any thoughts about them.

The #4 seeded Memphis Grizzlies will vs. the #5 seeded Los Angeles Clippers in the first round of the NBA playoffs.  In the regular season, the Grizzles finished with a record of 41-25 and the Clippers finished with a record of 40-26.  The star players for the Grizzlies are Gilbert Arenas and Marc Gasol.  The star players for the Clippers are Chris Paul, Blake Griffin, Chauncey Billups, and Kenyon Martin.  Both the Clippers and the Grizzlies haven’t had very much success in the playoffs and haven’t been playoff teams very often in the past.

I think the Grizzlies will win this series because they spoiled (and ended) the San Antonio Spurs’ season last year by eliminating them from the playoffs.  Realistically though, the Clippers have got more attention than normal from the media/the press/whatever this season, they are from L.A., and they have better star players (in my opinion) on their team so they will probably win this playoff series.  Plus, they competed with the Lakers the entire regular season to see which L.A. team (out of the two) would end up finishing with a better regular season record (and the Lakers ended up winning that).  

In Game 1 of the series the Clippers overcame a 27-point deficit to stun the Grizzlies 99-98.  That would be cool to see this series go to a seventh game.