Please pray for someone to have a change of heart, because my heart is breaking and I just can't seem to stop crying.

Our one daughter is a drug addict and we had custody of our little 3 yr old grandbaby for over a year.  The father who she didn't know at all stepped in and the state gave him custody.  He is not a believer and lives over a two hour drive away.  That was hard enough to take, but in our state, grandparents don't have many rights.  We resigned ourselves to love and keep teaching our granddaughter the every other weekend we had her.  Her father lives with his parents and his mother is a cold, selfish woman.  I'm so afraid that our little girl will turn out like that. At first the court ordered every other weekend, but it was changed.  Her other family said we would continue the every other weekend anyway.  Now it has turned into every third weekend and we feel it will be even less as time goes on.  Thank God that the judge ordered one weekend a month, but that isn't enough for us.  Even our little one has complained also that she doesn't see us enough.  She gets angry with us, even though it's not our fault.

Her father promised several times that we could have our precious grandchild for part of spring break (we are both educators) and Easter.  Now the date to change hands is past and he is refusing to answer the phone.  All the fun plans I made for her will not happen and our hearts are breaking.  Sorry to lay this on you, but I believe highly that prayer changes things.  If you are a praying person, please pray that God will speak to his heart and he will honor the promise he made to us despite his mother's selfishness.  We don't think we will be able to spend any more holidays with her if this continues.  Also pray for our daughter.  She has her faults but we love her and she loved her daughter above everything else.  She is in deep depression over her loss and can't seem to bear even seeing her little girl because it hurts so much to say goodbye.  

I believe and know God is in the midst of this and I know He has a plan.  Our grandaughter loves her toddler Bible and we have been told she has been singing Sunday School songs around their house.  Hopefully she will be the one to bring the light of Christ to them even thought she's still a toddler.  


Love you all and appreciate all the faves and watches!!

I really sincerely hope you all have a blessed Easter.  Christ is risen!!

Wow...... another DD?

I've been very very busy the last couple months and not as able to be on DA as much as I would like.  

I poked my head in the door and found a whole lot of messages in my inbox and found out I had been given a DD for

I had fun with that piece, and liked the way it came out looking more like an abstract painting than a typical fractal.  I appreciate all the kind words and faves, and all the new watchers.  My sincere thanks to everyone, and especially for suggesting it and for featuring it.  

Does anyone else feel like art sometimes generates from a moment of serendipity?  Sometime you might just set out to make a fun piece and it ends up being more than you thought it would be at first.  I play around a lot with all the layering affects you can get from Ultra Fractal and sometimes the color combinations just strike me as Ah Yes! That's what I want!   I've also been studying art theory lately and what constitutes good artistic composition - like the idea of what some call the golden ratio or the golden rectangle.  I hope some of that knowledge is showing up in my work.

Well, anyway I'm off this weekend to the wilds of the lake section of Florida for winter camp.  I won't have access to the internet for a couple days, but when I come back I am hoping I can get a little more caught up with my thanks and comment.

My thanks again for all the faves, comments and watchers.  Even though I can't be at DA as much as I would like at the moment.  A round of hugs for all my friends here.  Have a blessed weekend!

First, I want to thank all my watchers and friends for the faves, comments and features.  It seems there is never enough time in the day for everything I have to do.  You are all valued even if it doesn't seem that you are.  I greatly appreciate everything.

Life has been very complicated this year.  For over a year our little granddaughter came to live with us.  My daughter has been through a bit, including a bout with drug addiction.  Our little sweetie came to live with use while our daughter sought help and the courts decided what would be done with our granddaughter.  Recently custody was given to her father, who lives about a two hour drive from us.  It was hard to adjust to having a toddler in the house and now it's hard to make the adjustment of NOT seeing her bright little smile every day.  Fortunately, we get to see her every other weekend or so.  We had her here for Thanksgiving, but we will not see her until a few days after Christmas.  I guess I should be happy that I get to see her more often than many grandparents get to see their grandkids, but she was like my own daughter for a year and it's been hard.  

If it seems I don't do much art right now, it's because I have to admit I've been a little depressed and the creative muses have been fairly silent lately.  I'm trying to get out of this funk I'm in.  I love Christmas and that's been very helpful in lifting my spirits.  I hope to be doing a little more art once my Christmas cards are out and my baking is done.

I want to wish everyone a very happy and blessed Christmas filled will all the good things that this time of year brings.  I know some people get stressed out.  On the View recently someone said that Christmas would be better without all that religious stuff.  Huh?  That was my response.  It's all the "other" things that stress me out at Christmas.  Celebrating the gift God sent to us in Bethlehem so many years ago, the Savior of the world - that's what lifts me up and gives me hope.  The Holy Spirit in my heart rejoices as the angels did.  I pray that everyone reading this could understand just a little bit of that joy the Prince of Peace bestows, regardless of the acts of evil men.

Christmas blessings on each and every one of my friends and your families.

I have been wanting to answer all the lovely notes of encouragement that every one wrote to me during my illness.  You are all so sweet, and I am very thankful to have so many friends at DA.   I just want to express how much I appreciate the love, support and prayers you all sent my way.  I have to apologize for not returning many comments.  It has been a long haul for me.  This is the second time I have had pneumonia within the year.  Last time I was in the emergency room but not admitted.  In about three days, I was feeling pretty good again.  This time around, the bacteria was very resistant and to be honest, it's been almost a month and I still don't feel quite myself yet.  This being the beginning of the fall semester hasn't helped matters, as you can imagine.  I can say I spent part of the day at the beach yesterday and I am finally starting to come out of what almost seemed like a fog.      

It just seems there isn't enough time in the day and I have also been having problems with my laptop.  It finally quit working last week and I haven't gotten the chance to take it in yet.  Thankfully we did get a protection plan and hopefully it won't cost us much extra to have it repaired.  I think something happened to the power source.  It didn't want to recharge and now it's not turning on at all.  At least I think nothing is wrong with the hard drive.  In the meantime, I still have my tower computer, which is perfectly fine.  The only problem is that it is upstairs in my office, so I can only use it when I'm not having to watch my toddler granddaughter.  Unfortunately, by the time she goes to bed, I am often too tired to do any fractal work or even go online.  Right now she's napping, so I have a couple free hours.  I hope to be online more regularly as soon as I get my laptop back.

In the meantime, I am working on a new feature that I hope to have up later today (If my little one sleeps long enough LOL)

If any of you noticed that I've disappeared from DA for more than a week, you have the reason.  I worked a lot of hours last Monday and Tuesday thinking I was going home to some down time until Aug 20th.  I started with a soar throat that evening and got really upset because I always seem to get sick when I have time off.  The next day I spiked a really high fever that that left me shaky, but by the evening it broke.  I felt a little better the next day (Thursday) I spiked another fever.  Not as big but very worrisome because once a viral fever is gone, it does not come back.  This had to be something bacterial.  Next morning I had a scheduled appt with my diabetes Dr., who happens to be the wife of my pulmonary dr.  He takes care of my asthma.  She was kind enough to listen to my lungs and gave me a Zpac antibiotics to hold me over the weekend.  Unfortunately, that didn't help things much.  I just got sicker and slept most of the time.  I hate the long waits at the emergency room, plus we had to drive to pick up our grandchild from a visit with her daddy.  

To make a long story shorter, my other doctor couldn't see me Monday and I had to wait for hubby to get home from work and pick up granddaughter from daycare.  By then I could barely breath so we went straight to the emergency room.  They took me right away and eventually admitted me with a particularly nasty strain of bacterial pneumonia.  I'm now well enough to type you all a note.  Once they got the right antibiotics and help with my wheezing, I progressed fairly quickly.  I might be discharged tomorrow.  Those of you that pray, please remember me.  If I don't get discharged tomorrow,  we'll have some real problems with my granddaughter's care.  Hubby is a HS teacher the school has parent open house Thursday night, plus he has to leave for school way earlier that the daycare is open.  I need to be out of here tomorrow early enough that he can get to work.  Well, kind of ran out of steam.  Love you all and appreciate all the faves and comments.

God Bless you all, Cyd  

I want to set up a new poll, but I don't have any idea how.  The help desk says that there is a button at the bottom of the widget that reads "new", but I can't find that anywhere.  Is there some view I am missing or am I suffering from one of DA's many glitches?



  

ETA:

Problem fixed!    A big thank you to my friends who offered their help.

It seems DA needs to make their site more compatible to other browsers.  There was a button missing when I used Google Chrome that came up when I installed another poll widget in Firefox, just in case anyone else is having the same problem.

Well, I'm back full strength after a great week at camp and having my little one home alone while hubby did his turn at camp.  I love doing it, but I come back a bit worn out and in need of a little recuperation lol.  I may post some pictures when I get a chance to post work them.

***

Now to the title news.  Want a chance to win some points and help me win some points?  

I entered a contest at .  I didn't win, but they are giving everyone a chance to win some points.  You do not have to be a member of the group to win points  Here's how it works:

Go to the journal entry here - [link]
Again, you do not have to be a member of the group to vote, and we are allowed, even encouraged, to promote this in our journals.

Vote on three of the deviations listed by commenting, using the numbers.  If you like my work, I would appreciate your vote - I'm  #10

There will be three drawings for 100 pt prizes for all those that vote, so you each have three chances to win.

My thanks to anyone who supports me and good luck to you!

I want to give my thanks again for all the faves and comments, and especially the watches.  I find it hard at times to keep up even with returning comments.  I just wanted to let my friends and watchers know that it isn't because I don't care.  I really DO cherish all the support you give me.  It seems once I'm done looking at all your lovely art I don't have time to write many messages.

I'm going to get even farther behind because I'm preparing for my yearly stint at Camp Cedarbrook.  I leave on Friday and there is so much to do.  Right now I really should be continuing my packing, but I'm a little tired after chasing around the my granddaughter, the Energizer Bunny.  I know I'm going to come back to a huge message box, but that will me there is a lot of lovely art to look at.  You probably won't be seeing much of me until June 24th or so.  I love doing camp, where I'm going to be teaching archery and nature.  I do have to admit though, that I go through Internet withdrawal something fierce.  If any of you a prayers, pray for my hubby.  He's got to take care of a two and a half year old by himself.

I am really not into creating a lot of DA drama, as most of you who know, but I've experienced something the last few months as I've come back to DA that really bothers me.  As my fractal skills increased, I joined a few of the more advanced digital clubs.  I don't believe I will ever make a living out of my art, but would like to build up a reputation as an artist beyond the fractal community, which I believe is the only way I'll increase the sales of my prints enough to pay for my premium membership.  

Until my return, I have offered up some of my best work to these groups and frankly, have rarely had my pieces rejected.  Lately, however, I can't seem to get my work accepted by at least three or four of the more advanced digital clubs.  I did not have this problem before.  It makes me question if the digital community as a whole is rejecting fractals as an art media (or at least the admins of these groups), or is it just my work.  

I have noticed that some galleries of these groups have very few fractals (some of them don't even have a folder for fractals even though they say they welcome fractal work).  Some of them seem to accept pretty much anything certain fractalists produce (I am not naming names or blaming anyone.  I'm just stating what I've observed. I am also not naming particular groups either because I don't want people running off to comment on their pages.)  This journal entry is not about retribution, it's about comparing notes.


I'm not the kind who just walks off an un-joins groups unless I believe that the admins are being very inconsistent about their choices (ei showing favoritism) or if everything I submit is rejected (Unless I want to collect their art, what's the point of belonging to a group that doesn't like anything you do?)   I did, however, recently leave one group because of a note I was sent, which I considered a little rude, about how the quality of my work did not meeting their "standards".  That same group contained recently uploaded fractal works that looked like random flames generated in Apophysis.  I do not consider myself a master by any means, but I am well beyond beginner.  If a group has standards they should stick by them.

People do occasionally make comments like "all you do is press buttons".  So does a photographer, so what?  It takes an artist to design something that has form and composition, something that is pleasing to the eye.  It takes me days to do some of the fractals I post, and it took a few years to become more proficient at UF.   Besides, I do traditional art as well and I was actually working my skills back up to par before my toddler granddaughter came to live with us.  It's difficult for me to work on a watercolor or oil painting while trying to watch a two-year-old, so for the time being, I'm concentrating on fractals.

What I'd like to know is if any of my fellow fractal artists are having the same problems.  Do you personally think the admins of other digital artists are getting a little picky about the fractal media?  These groups often go through admin changes and I'm beginning to wonder if the artistic climate has taken a leap backwards when it comes to the acceptance of fractals as a legitimate art form.     

I'd appreciate your input, but please keep it civil.  Rude comments and inflammatory statements will be hidden.

I am really not into creating a lot of DA drama, as most of you who know, but I've experienced something the last few months as I've come back to DA that really bothers me.  As my fractal skills increased, I joined a few of the more advanced digital clubs.  I don't believe I will ever make a living our of my art, but would like to build up a reputation as an artist beyond the fractal community, which I believe is the only way I'll increase the sales of my prints enough to pay for my premium membership.  

Until my return, I have offered up some of my best work to these groups and frankly, have rarely had my pieces rejected.  Lately, however, I can't seem to get my work accepted by at least three or four of the more advanced digital clubs.  I did not have this problem before.  It makes me question if the digital community as a whole is rejecting fractals as an art media (or at least the admins of these groups), or is it just my work.  

I have noticed that some galleries of these groups have very few fractals (some of them don't even have a folder for fractals even though they say they welcome fractal work).  Some of them seem to accept pretty much anything certain fractalists produce (I am not naming names or blaming anyone.  I'm just stating what I've observed. I am also not naming particular groups because I don't want people running off to comment on their pages.)  This journal entry is not about retribution, it's about comparing notes.


I'm not the kind who just walks off an un-joins groups unless I believe that the admins are being very inconsistent about their choices (ei showing favoritism) or if everything I submit is rejected (Unless I want to collect their art, what's the point of belonging to a group that doesn't like anything you do?)   I did, however, recently leave one group because of a note I was sent, which I considered a little rude, about how the quality of my work did not meeting their "standards".  That same group contained recently uploaded fractal works that looked like random flames generated in Apophysis.  I do not consider myself a a master by any means, but I am well beyond beginner.  If a group has standards they should stick by them.

People do occasionally make comments like "all you do is press buttons".  So does a photographer, so what?  It takes an artist to design something that has form and composition, something that is pleasing to the eye.  It takes me days to do some of the fractals I post, and it took a few years to become more proficient at UF.   Besides, I do traditional art as well and I was actually working my skills back up to par before my toddler granddaughter came to live with us.  It's difficult for me to work on a watercolor or oil painting while trying to watch a two-year-old, so for the time being, I'm concentrating of fractals.

What I'd like to know is if any of my fellow fractal artists are having the same problems.  Do you personally think the admins of other digital artists are getting a little picky about the fractal media?  These groups often go through admin changes and I'm beginning to wonder if the artistic climate has taken a leap backwards when it comes to the acceptance of fractals as a legitimate art form.     

I'd appreciate your input, but please keep it civil.  Rude comments and inflammatory statements will be hidden.

I got home from work today to find that a fractal that I just posted last night now has over 500 faves.


It's too soon for me to have another DD, and I checked at least a dozen pages in on the front page and couldn't find it.  I'm just sort of flabbergasted that a non-DD or non-stock deviation is so popular.  Can anyone tell me where I'm getting all the exposure from?  Maybe I just missed it.  That's not to say I'm complaining or anything.



I'd like to thank everyone that is faving my work and visiting my page.  I'm really honored by all the attention.  I guess sometimes you'll never know what will be really popular,  but right now I'm doing a happy dance.

Names have always had a great significance to me. I'm glad that people who chose their name as teenagers or on a lark are able to now change them without losing everything they have built on their account.  However, rest assured I will be keeping my username, although I would have if I could.  I am known as Shadow Dancer at just about every other forum or blog, in some form or another.  That name was already taken when I signed up years ago.  That includes the hyphenated forms, all those with a single number behind them, 0 instead of o, and encased in x.  What gets me is most of those accounts were hardly, if ever, used - no deviations uploaded and inactive for years  *sighs*.  The account name I have now isn't any worse than any other incarnation I can think of, so I'm keeping it thankyouverymuch.  

Any ID picture I still post will continue to use the name I would have taken. It has very great significance to me.  It was the name I chose as my CB handle back when CB radios were popular in cars.  I even wrote a poem that I might post someday as to what this name means to me (it's very personal and I would be upset if someone stole it and posted it somewhere else) .  I'm not much into using my real name as I have a professional career unrelated to my art, although the name I sign my works with is my maiden name and has always been the name I use to sign my oil paintings.

So unless something more significant makes me want to switch someday in the distant future, I'll keep what I have.

Artistic preference is subjective to say the least, and most of you don't have to be told that.  For me, art has to do one of two things.  It either has to be beautiful, and if it isn't, it must evoke strong emotion or resonate with me in some respect.  The emotion might be anything from sadness to humor.  It might evoke horror or hate, but that kind of response is not one I care to linger on, so I don't choose to seek out maddening, depressing or deranged works of art.  I am a glass-is-half-full type of person most of the time and I don't care to dwell on the negative.

Anyway, I have sometimes been accused of having no real definable style.  I guess that's because, for me, variety is the spice of life when it comes to art.  Plus, I am a scientist and biologist by profession and get bored easily.   I am always experimenting with new techniques and formulas, although I do have my favorites

Some of my greatest inspirations are , , and ,  I would love to be able to make 100 plus layer fractals as some of these people do. However, my time is often very limited and while I want to explore all that UF can do, I have a career and a toddler to care for.  By the end of the day, what I want my art to do is help me relax, along with making a statement.  Maybe someday in the future...

What you will find in my own art is often lots of color.  My greatest inspiration for my art is THE Master Designer, my Father in Heaven.  There is plenty of color in God's handiwork. I know for a fact some fractalists avoid my work because they know where I stand spiritually and they don't share those beliefs.  I make no apologies.  A true artist displays their own soul in their work.  I can no more divide my love of my Lord from my art as I could live without breathing.  It's who I am.  

I mean no offense in this, but it drives me a little nuts how some modern day art looks like nothing but a bunch of splotches or lines.  The "enlightened" look down their noses at those that don't appreciate this kind of art. It seems a bit pretentious to me.  As I said, I appreciate beauty in art, and I see that beauty every time I step from my door and see a growing thing, or a lovely cloud formation.  I live in the land of rainbows and I can't get enough of them.  So if my work is often colorful, you now understand why.

The Bible says that we are created in the image of God.  I choose to reflect my Father in my own creativity.   

For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.
Romans 1:20

The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge.
Psalm 19:1-2

Especially for the fractal community, be alerted to another site that is ripping off fractal art.  Please take heed of the journal posted by here: [link] is a puzzle site where many ripped fractals can be found.  

Along with my own work, I saw a number of pieces I recognized as coming from one of my DA friends but I couldn't remember who's work some of them were.
  
The worst offender can be found here: [link]

I recommend that fractal artists check out this Jigidi.  They seem to take action if complaints are made.  Maybe if enough of us complain, the offenders will be banned.  There are more details at Chris' journal.

The only computer I had access to yesterday was the Pandigital reader I took with me on a trip to my mother-in-law's.  You can imagine my surprise when I took a peak at my DA account and I realized how the number of messages in my inbox had jumped.  First thing I thought was that my watchers had been very busy with new art, until I looked at the faves section.  I haven't had the time to say anything until now.




   

I want to thank Light for featuring my work, and everyone who commented and faved.  I also want to thank all the new watchers I've picked up lately.  I am very honored to have my art appreciated.  Life has not been kind to my family lately, but all my DA friends and watchers help keep me smiling.


The feature below was actually from last year (or maybe even two years ago) but I decided to leave it for now.  I would like to do a spring feature, but this week is very busy and I'm not sure with getting ready for Easter that I'll have time.  In about an hour, I have to go to a practice for the Easter musical I'm in on Friday and Saturday.  I have company coming from out-of-town on Thursday and I am face-painting at an egg hunt next Saturday, not to mention that I just had spring break and I have to work all week.  So for now you can enjoy a blast from a past feature.


P.S.  Dear DA Admins.  I LOVED this year's April Fools joke.  I cats.  I have five of them, all rescues.  Whoever thought of this, you are brilliant!  Sorry dog owners, maybe next year.