Ian's Batman action figures

Here is a PhotoPeach slideshow of my 8" Batman '66 TV series action figures from Figures Toy Co. (and a few customised characters by me).

Ian's Batman action figures

Requires Flash, so it won't work on iPads or iPhones.

52-Week Illustration Challenge, bonus round

Bonus: Advent (Days #1-24 compile)

Flickr Slideshow:

Click HERE!

52-Week Illustration Challenge, Week 1

Week 1: Eggs

Facebook Friend Tania McCartney has declared 2014 to be a 52-Week Illustration Challenge. This will keep me on the ball! Here's my first effort (above). A two-ended waterproof Sharpie - and no pencil lines or erasing! Of course, after I moved the egg to pose it with the drawing and photograph it, all the shadows changed!

I shall be adding the artworks to this Flickr slideshow each week. Enjoy!

I did the 365 Photos Challenge a few years ago and it definitely improved my photography. I would highly recommend it; start any time and add your pics to a daily blog or Flickr. Not long after I started that Challenge, Aussie TV celebrity Andrew G (aka Osher Günsberg) started a 365 Self-Portrait Challenge. He did some amazing work! I visited his exhibition that he held when it was all over, bought my favourite pics - and it was fun chatting to him photographer-to-photographer. It made me feel legitimate. I never felt like I understood photography, although I had a Polaroid as a teen, then a 3D Nimslo camera as a young adult. More recently, I did an online 30-Day Photo Challenge with a group of teacher colleagues. Similarly to this art challenge, a daily theme was suggested, but hardly any of the participants made to to the end of the month! So I'm looking forward to seeing who's still here, and how artistic we all feel, in a year's time!

New Year's Eve at the Field Museum, Chicago

Today, it was off to the Field Museum, via Union Station, Chicago, with Cousin Lynn!

Click HERE for a slideshow of the exhibits.

The Andorian sock monkey checks out his simian competition.!

The Gruffalo goes to The Joan

My school's latest adventure, captured as a Photo Peach slideshow!

The Gruffalo goes to the Joan

Dux

31 March 2011: "To Penrith Public School students and teachers, especially teacher-librarian Ian McLean, hearing support teacher Kerrie Mead and kindergarten teacher and Student Representative Council organiser Lacey Ingle, for the wonderful slideshow in support of the Christchurch earthquake appeal. Creative, clever and deeply moving."

Note that article says "sideshow" (sic).

Don't spook till you're spooken to

GodzillaGirl challenged me to dig out some more Fimo modeling compound and try making Shirley Shriek, an early Patti Peticolas "Kooky Spooky" design, who was morphed into the more commercial Mama Kaskit. (My housemate reckons Shirley looks a little too Ku Klux Klan.)



Bulbous-nosed General Gilghouly - note the newly-added bluebird perched on the more-suitable gun, as featured on Patti's sketches - and Shirley Shriek, with her skull necklace, using a length of silver neckchain I accidentally broke a few years ago. Waste not, want not.


Early Shirley Shriek sketch by Patti Peticolas, 1968.


Custom Kooky Spookys by Ian McLean.

Greeting Geisha Ghost

I finally found a tiny sketch of the Kooky Spooky design known as Geisha Ghost, who eventually evolved into Grandma Macreak. Since I still had an unbaked batch of the lemon/nightglow Fimo modelling compound, I figured I still had one more custom left in me.


Early "Kooky Spooky" designs (Geisha Ghost: middle of top row).

Created by Patti Peticolas (1968) for Hasbro. Baby Boo (became Baby Spook'em), Shirley Shriek with pendant (evolved into Mama Kaskit), Geisha Ghost with fans (evolved into Grandma Macreak), General Booregard with gun (eventually dropped), Gaston Ghost with foil and shield (became Daddy Cadava, then dropped), Teena Terror. Note: the banjo went to Vincent Van Ghost (who became Rigor Mortimer, and finally Brother Mortimer). Cousin Gilghouly evolved into Daddy Booregard.


Geisha Ghost from the back, and from the top.


A trio of customs: General Gilghouly, Geisha Ghost and Cousin Cadava


The whole gang!

1.1.11

Today, I am told, is the first day of the second decade of the third millennium.

Last night, Sydney celebrated with the traditional anticipated/expected fireworks spectacular over the harbour - and I actually ventured in for the first time since December 31, 1985 (the year the movie "Explorers" premiered, because we filled in our afternoon by going to the cinema to see it.)


Ice cream van in Martin Place.

I had been invited by a friend to attend her rooftop gathering in The Rocks and this sounded like the perfect way to enjoy the event without having to tolerate the crowds!


The view upon arrival, above The Rocks.


Sydney Harbour Bridge.


Sydney Opera House (recently nicknamed the "Oprah House").


Fireworks by Foti Brothers, wavy glow stick by Karen, glowing rings by Chie-Hoon.














Happy New Year!

(By the way, the first photo is a closeup of the battery-operated pendant I wore for the event.)

Secret Spock 2010

Every year, the members of Playtrek, the listserv for collectors of Star Trek action figures, can participate in "Secret Spock", in which Star Trek related gifts are sourced and sent to each other, without the identity of the givers becoming known (at least at first).



Although I don't usually participate, one Playtrekker had difficulty sourcing a new, carded, Romulan action figure - and I volunteered to forward one to the intended recipient, sending it back to the USA. I'd ended up with at least one duplicate, in my attempt to ensure I didn't miss out on a Romulan, which was seemingly going to be tricky for many to locate. At the last minute, I realised I had a rare opportunity to make the gift even more exciting.



Using my own opened Romulan as the stand-in, I surrounded him with Aussie souvenirs ( which I later "carded" with Gladwrap onto the mint figure), created holiday snapshots in my backyard and even designed a Photo Peach slideshow. The slideshow requires that your volume is up.

Enjoy! I hope Secret Spock was kind to you all.

There's no business like snow business

Here's a Photo Peach slideshow from today's freak summer hailstorm over Penrith.

Penrith PS in December: a white Christmas

Entering the literary garden of delights!

Student comment: "I saw the Frog Prince and his golden ball in a bowl,
but I think that is the same bowl Chook used last year when
he was being an astronaut!"

Today, the students at my school had their first experiences in our newly built school library. I've spent three weeks unpacking the book stock (from long-term storage) and decorating with new and nostalgic elements. The students were full of questions, but I used Circle Time to maximise and equalise all the the talking and listening. It was a great day. The looks on their faces, as they explored (hands free) all the new nooks and crannies made all the planning and hard work worth while.


Our historic school milk bottles are now enshrined in a shadow box.

The quote from a framing store, to have the bottles placed into a customised shadow box was $200 but I did it for about $40, thanks to parts bought from Spotlight. The inside text reads: Penrith Public School’s library stands on the site of a portable library building, and before that a previous portable building. In 2010, workmen excavating the foundations found these "school milk" bottles buried deep in the rubble. One is embossed "1/3 PINT PASTEURISED MILK". See the original blog entry of our archeological find HERE.

48 more photos of display elements ready for today's opening are HERE!

#365 of 365

I contemplated what to photograph all day today, it being the final day of my 365 Photos project. With the natural light of the day rapidly failing, I posted about my desperation on Facebook. Suddenly, while crossing the overpass at Penrith railway station, I realised the last pic could be a self-portrait. (Channeling TV celebrity Andrew G, I guess, who is finishing up the same project, only 365 self portraits. And, I guess, if I was as good looking maaaaybe I could understand attempting that.) As I went to snap the pic, a message came through on the iPhone, from a Facebook Friend who'd read my panicked FB message, and suggesting... why not a self-portrait?

If you'd like to live through a year of my life in 365 rapid fire images, try this Flickr slideshow.

Or here's a "twelve (no, thirteen) of the best":


Day 18, MAY 2009


Day 36, JUNE 2009


Day 64, JULY 2009


Day 90, AUGUST 2009


Day 136, SEPTEMBER 2009


Day 153, OCTOBER 2009


Day 184, NOVEMBER 2009


Day 234, DECEMBER 2009


Day 248, JANUARY 2010


Day 282, FEBRUARY 2010


Day 300, MARCH 2010


Day 331, APRIL 2010


Day 356, MAY 2010

Clicking on each photo will take you to its Flickr page and a caption.