I get more active in Facebook

I am now quite active in Facebook. Initially I joined to network with artists. Some are with the online art forum which I have been active, and the others are their friends.

I spend time trying to get familiar with FB, especially with their privacy settings. The trouble is that FB has special terminology. It looks simple but is actually quite complex. They have to be complex as they have to cater for more than 300 million users each with their own interests when they network.

FB keep encouraging us to link up with more friends. This is their successful business model. They provide a free site and rely on income from adverts in their pages. The more users they get, the more businesses are willing to pay to put adverts there.

Gradually I notice other friends also using FB and I link up with them. Some are old classmates, and some are relatives. This is where the situation gets more complex. This I like to show or talk about to do with art are not of interest to others.

Fortunately a few artist friends are helpful and guide me on how to separate the conversations into groups of friends. But sometimes I forget.

In general, for networking with artists, FB has its pros and cons compared with online art forums. I notice so far in FB I cannot get in-depth discussions with artist friends. It is not designed for longer comments. After a while, the line of discussions gets buried and does not rise to thet top with new comments.

FB has fan page for more in-depth comments. But the comments are limited to friends who link to the fan page.

On the other hand, the amount of interest in online art forums seem to be reducing and artists are drifting to FB.

Camcorder & Facebook

I have not been using this pocket size camcorder to record videos to put into YouTube. For this purpose I'm still using the borrowed camcorder. But as one day my friend may want it back for his own use, I may have to buy a proper one for myself.

I have been pursuing another activity related to art. I have joined Facebook to connect to my art friends. It is a complex e-platform and takes time to get familiar. By now I am a bit better using it and adding as 'friends' more artists I knew, and others that I previously didn't know. I also managed to search for and connect with some local art friends.

But Facebook is for networking with any friends. Gradually I have made connections with say some relatives, old friends that are not artists, old colleagues, classmates, etc.

One problem is that when I post something to artists, this also appears at the FB page of other friends. Many of these art postings are not really of interest to others. I'll have to see how to be selective in sending out my postings.

Trying Out my new pocket size HD Cammcorder Samsung U10

The new pocket size HD camcorder I bought is remarkable. It is the Samsung U10, packed full with options. I got it at S$319.

Unfortunately it is so complex that at first I can't get the touch pad switches to work, and had to take it back the next day to the shop (store) that I bought it from. It works when the sales assistant tried it. Then I notice it was my 'butter fingers'. I am used to pressing clickable buttons while these touch pad switches work with a gentle tap of the finger.

Then when I went home to try it out, I notice Samsung do not supply a printed user's manual. They only supply a CD. This is most user-unfriendly. I cannot flip through the 90 pages of it on my computer screen. Nor is it worth my while printing the full 90 pages on my computer printer.

This problem took me sometime to sort out. I had to check through to see what pages are worth printing, then printing them in a 2 to one page format. Then I notice some printed letter size after printing is too small to read.

I next managed to record and playback videos. These are simple steps. But when I want to load the video on to YouTube, I keyed in the wrong ID or password. Somehow I cannot go in to key them in again.

I finally had to manually transfer the video to my computer and then load into YouTube. This is what I have been doing all along with my borrowed camcorder.

See below for the YouTube of this Samsung U10 trial test. The lighting of the recording is not as good as that of my borrowed camcorder. Also while recording I tried to zoon out and it was not responding.

Test Video Samsung U10


[To be continued ...]

I've loaded more YouTube Videos

I have been working hard. I've now recorded and uploaded the 3rd YouTube video, duration 1:30 min, and subsequently a group of five more.

In terms of video technique, for the first two videos, the camcorder was kept still while recording. For the 3rd one, the camcorder was slowly panned around on a tripod.

Do take a look by clicking below. Your comments and ratings there are most welcome.

Sculptures in my Garden [This has now been removed, and replaced by on of them below.]

These below are the group of 5 videos, shot inside my house with the camcorder held in the hand.

My Oil Paintings up on my Staircase - # 1 ... time: 0:22 min
My Oil Paintings up on my Staircase - # 2 ... time 0:55 min.
My Oil Paintings up on my Staircase - # 3 ... time 0:45 min.
My Oil Paintings up on my Staircase - # 4 ... time 0:40 min.
My Oil Paintings up on my Staircase - # 5 ... time 0:34 min

Then I took and loaded two more. They are a re-take of earlier videos.

Rotating Model Yacht with Reflective Sails ... time 1:21 min.
Statues in my front garden ... time 2:38 min.

The camcorder I am using is borrowed. It is a HD camcorder normally used for large blow up showing on HD TV screens. When my videos are loaded on to YouTube, the sharpness and light contrast are good. But just for a 1.5 minute recording, it takes up a large 75 MB file, and a long time to upload on to YouTube. This large HD size is however a problem for me only. It is not a problem on YouTube, as they allow even larger sizes.

I have now bought myself a camcorder, a Samsung U10. It is pocket size, but it is HD. Technology changes very fast with these digital devices. I've now finished charging the battery, and I'd be testing it tomorrow.

I then recorded and loaded a new YouTube, see below, still using my borrowed camcorder. The new one is not working well. More details in my comments below and in a new posting.

One Sun Painting Studio & Sculpture Workshop ... time 3:35 min.

My First YouTube Videos - Rotating Model Yacht

I'm excited. I got my first YouTube videos published.

I did video recordings of the rotating sculpture model mentioned two posts below, and loaded it into my computer. I then subscribed to YouTube and published my video clips it there. This is my very first time.

The first video is a trial test YouTube video with no music. But it is successful, visually nice, with my name up there. Click into the link below to see it.

Rotating Model Yacht with Stainless Steel Sails

The second video is done in the evening. Visually it is not as attractive. But I made some improvements to the techniques by making the video shorter, putting in some background music, and making better commentary.

Rotating Model Yacht with Stainless Steel Sails - Evening View

Old Bronze Vases

These two days I am doing a bit of 'spring cleaning'.

One task is to check on my informal collection of paintings, prints, reproductions and other artworks. I have to give many of them away. I have been displaying my own artworks around my house and there are now not much space left to display artworks not done by me.

While clearing up, I got interested two identical old bronze vases passed on to my by my mother, see below. Around the sides they each has well done bas reliefs of Chinese style dragons, phoenix biirds, and dogs.

On careful checking, I notice they were not from China. The bottom has engraved letters saying they were cast in Kyoto, Japan. It is a pity the year they were made was not indicated.

Our family was in Hong Kong which was occupied by Japan from 1941 to 1945. Our father was a doctor and was asked to continue practising during this period. Were these vases given to him by a Japanese in appreciation of a job well done?

These vases are 10 in. tall.

Displaying my Old Rotating Sculpture Maquette

While touching up my old painting, I felt like doing some physical work and I took out for display at home a very old rotating sculpture maquette that has been tucked away gathering dust.

This was already five years ago that I made it to get ready for an outdoor sculpture competition. Finally I didn't even get through the first judging round which required only paper submission. Thus I had no chance to submit for the second round the maquette (small conceptual model).

This maquette was already disassembled and stored away. Recently I took them out, put them together again, made some improvements, and switch on the motor. It still worked.

I thought it a good idea to take a video of it and got a friend to help me take it, later on in the week. In the meantime, this below is the still carmera shot of the maquette on display at home in the shade outside my house.

It is a model racing yacht with the beautiful sails made of stainless steel sheets. When the maquette rotates, interesting reflections from the curved sails can be seen slowly moving. Even the water waves from the bow can be seen as reflective foil.



Incidentally on the right, the large globe which I designed and painted, rests on a flat rotating bearing. It can be rotated, manually.