When we study the game of chess, we find many fascinating structures and complex mathematical laws that predominate the various pathways of movement between both sides of pieces. The game of chess is perhaps the closest microcosmic representation of life and the universe in game form. The game begins with two opposing sides of various pieces that mirror each other and have a unique ability to move around the board and attack. As the game begins, each individual pieces unique movement capability allows for numerous changes in the geometric and tactical structure, allowing for an infinite number of different combinations. These complex geometric counterplays and attacks manifest themselves from just one opening move. Like a single molecule that contains the seed of life and eventually forms organisms and the physical state of matter, chess also takes on this infinite exapnsion of growth as the game progresses. The game of chess is such a great metaphor for the structure and shape of life that it opens itself to be dissected and analyzed on many levels and has carried over into the field of art in many ways. Chess allows for a miriad of ideas and approaches that many artists have found suitable to their style of work and to clarify the grand messages of life in visual form.
Artist Justin Michael Jenkins, the artist we feature on this blog and our numerous websites and an avid chess player, was inspired so much by the beauty, complexity, and geometric structures the game provides on countless levels, he decided to begin a journey into extracting the underlying laws and elements of the game into visual form based on his unique style of art. As he continued playing and becoming a better and stronger player, he reveled in the fascinating ideas that could be generated onto paper from this magnificent game. The artist states, "Besides the fact that fact that i play chess religiously , these underlying foundations led me naturally to study and visually represent this game in my own unique style." According to the artist, this collection of work started from a dream interpretation where the artist had a vision of an explosive and repetitive structure of form as it blossomed from the board in a fictitious chess match against Bobby Fischer. This first work of art, "The Birth of a Strategy" , was the beginning of this collection and came to him in his dream. The artist states, "All of a sudden the board took on a liquid like form as the pawn levitated above the baord on many spheres." "The shapes and the culmination of the pawn rising and exploding was the growth of a tree like form from the top of the pawn as a bright yellow sky filled the background."
This collection of pencil drawings by renowned artist Justin Michael Jenkins takes all the elements within the game of chess from the various pieces to the complex geometric structures and represents these in a surreal and abstract way that produces many hidden and visible symbolisms. The works are reminiscent of some of the works by Bosch and Escher but with his own individual twist on things. He uses color like the checkered patterns within the game, allowing them to dance around the works in repetition creating seperate but distinctive structures within the art composition. This fascinating drawing collection has been endorsed by the likes of olympic chess champion Susan Polgar and is a refreshing, intelligent, and cleverly constructed interplay of the game in unison with the artists unique approach. These works are sure to become some of the most prominent chess related drawings over the next century and the artist plans on doing a second collection of twelve works sometime in late 2006 or early 2007. Looking at past art with regard to the game of chess, it's hard to find many pieces that make use of the games structure in such a unique and vibrant way.
ABOUT AUTHOR
Imaginative Pencil is a company founded in 2004 that specializes in the sale, distribution, and exhibition of the visionary and surreal pencil art of Justin Michael Jenkins.
Justin Michael Jenkins was born in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. to George and Carole Jenkins. Besides his professional status as a full time artist, he is also a writer, designer, and webmaster. His hobbies include studying the game of chess and collecting Civil War memorabilia.
To view this chess collection click here:
http://www.imaginativepencil.com/chess.html
Find And Keep Your Fish On Target - Eagle SeaFinder 480
You already know how important owning a fishfinder is for a succcessful fishing trip, but owning an Eagle is even better. The Eagle SeaFinder 480DF is just one of several of the fish finders that you can easily benefit from using. It packs quite a punch in the way of features and will leave you wondering why you ever fished without one of these tools! Here are the features that the SeaFinder has to offer.
First, the display; the display is a five inch diagonal LCD screenand high definition resolution. This provides a great picture. It allows you to see a clear picture of what is below the water's surface. And, with the 16 level grayscale, you will get a good distinction in the various things you'll find below that water. All of this helps you to see the bottom and find your fish. To make that display give you the information you need to locate your fish, the sonar on board also has to be high quality. That is what you will find in this sonar capable of 1500 feet of depth and high performance, fish detection software. It has such features as FishReveal which shows you those fish hiding in the clutter of the sea floor as well as a virtually live and uninterupted picture of the bottom.
These elements allow you to find and keep your fish on target. You can cast your bait where they are and reel them in every time.
You also get other features on the Eagle SeaFinder. You can locate your fish even when your boat is sailing at high speeds. You get GRAYLINE which is simply awesome. It helps you to see where the fish is as compared to the bottom or the structures around. That means, you'll see not just an object down there, but the fish that is laying on it. All in all, the Eagle SeaFinder 480 offers a great combination of the tools that will bring your fish home to you every time.
And, you are sure to impress your friends with a full cooler every time you get off the water.
Niall Pesci is a keen lakes fisherman who is always looking at new tools to help him catch more fish. Visit Fish Finder Review for more information and great deals about the Eagle SeaFinder 480DF and other Eagle GPS and Sonar fish finders and marine navigation systems. http://www.fish-finder-review.com
This article may be reprinted in full so long as the resource box and the live links are included intact. All rights reserved. Copyright Fish-Finder-Review.com
Frankfurt is the first World cup venue for England, how will you be getting there?
Anyone who owned property during the last house price crash in the early 1990s will remember constant headlines about negative equity and home repossession. Between 1990 and 1996 over a million individuals experienced mortgage repossession as they struggled with mortgage payments when interest rates doubled.
A lot has changed since then. The U.K. economy is much more stable, we live in a low-inflation environment and the Chancellor's decision to pass responsibility for setting interest rates to the Bank of England is acclaimed by many as a master stroke. So, not much chance of a repeat of the early 90s misery, then?
"It's different this time" has been the downfall of many a pundit, whether they are referring to stocks and shares, the housing market, or anything else. Because whilst there are certainly many differences between now and the early nineties, dig a bit deeper and there are quite a few signs that everything in the garden might not be as rosy as we would all like it to be.
Take household debt for example, now at over £1 trillion. Or to put it another way, around £17,000 of debt for every man, woman and child in the UK! The Nationwide Building Society recently calculated that debt is now at a record 2.75 times disposable income compared with the previous record of two times income in the early 1990s.
Or interest rates. They may be low – but the five successive interest rate rises last year actually equated to a 35% increase! As rising house prices in recent years have encouraged many people to take out the biggest mortgage they can get, this type of increase will have been very unwelcome!
Or employment. A record 28.3 million people are in jobs. However many of these are part-time or short-term contracts. Many more have benefited through the massive increase in public sector employment. But if the economy wobbles, and particularly if as many predict the government needs to reduce public spending, these jobs are vulnerable.
So maybe it's not so surprising that figures from the Council of Mortgage Lenders show that the number of home repossessions increased by a whopping 70% in 2005 compared to 2004, with the trend looking set to continue this year.
If you are in danger of home repossession, or might be affected in the future, what should you do?
We asked Richard Watters, Managing Director of A Quick Sale Ltd. for his views as his company receives hundreds of calls each week from people worried about losing their home because of eviction as a result of home repossession by a mortgage lender. He suggested sticking to the following 10-point checklist:
1. Don't panic. Lenders normally use home repossession as a last resort. The first thing to do is to talk to them, explain the situation and ask for their support. Many of them will be able to offer repayment holidays or a short term reduction in the monthly payments, instead of repossession. You can request that your repayments be converted to 'Interest Only' which can significantly reduce monthly repayments.
2. If you can't afford to pay what they request, pay them a regular amount that you can afford – this demonstrates that you are trying and haven't lost control of the situation.
3. Know your rights. Your property can only be repossessed after a court hearing and judges are sympathetic to people in these situations, particularly if they have children.
4. Understand the process. The website home repossession information has information on how the home repossession process works.
5. Get legal advice or speak to your local Citizens Advice Bureau. Don't try a DIY job – your home is too important! (CAB)
6. If the case goes to court – always attend the repossession hearing. Explain your situation and suggest a period over which the mortgage arrears can be repaid. Always suggest a plan you know you can stick to – even if this means the mortgage arrears will not be cleared until the last monthly payment is made in 20 years time!
7. In most cases the court will grant a suspended possession order. This means that if you stick to the agreement to repay arrears, you won't be evicted and your home won't be repossessed.
8. If the court grants the Lender a possession order, you will normally have about 4 weeks to move out – otherwise you will be evicted. It is often possible to find a buyer within this period, and avoid repossession of your house. You may have to accept less than you would like – and might end up with little in your pocket - but this is usually preferable to home repossession. Some property-buying companies are able to offer a rent-back option so you can continue to live there.