Two Scenic Pictures...Can Anyone Guess the Location?

The location of these pictures is Mount Huang (also known as Huangshan, which literally means "yellow mountain" in Chinese), located in eastern China.  This is one of the most popular tourist destinations in China, known for scenery, sunsets, granite peaks, pine trees and views of the clouds.  My friend who took the pictures tells me Huangshan is the Chinese equivalent of Yosemite.

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Photos From the Islands of Langkawi

A friend of mine who grew up in the Southland has lived in Asia for the last 15 years with his family.  His day job involves finance and accounting but his true passion and calling in my opinion is photography.  His family recently visited Langkawi, a cluster of 99 islands off the coast of Malaysia.  Langkawi means "Eagle Island," as eagles are in abundance there as you will see below.  Enjoy the following or click here for a slideshow view.

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People Pictures From the Early 20th Century

Recently I came across these really interesting World War I era photos of thousand of soldiers in the formation of large patriotic symbols.  The sampling of photos below are courtesy of the Carl Hammer Gallery, Chicago (www.HammerGallery.com).  Click here for a link to "The Art of the Conceptual Photograph 1915-1920" for other pictures and a more complete description.  The pictures below are the work of Arthur S. Mole and John D. Thomas.

The Living Uncle Sam: 19,000 Officers and Men, Camp Lee, VA 1919

The Living Uncle Sam: 19,000 Officers and Men, Camp Lee, VA 1919

The Human Liberty Bell: 25,000 Officers and Men, Camp Dix, NJ 1918

The Human Liberty Bell: 25,000 Officers and Men, Camp Dix, NJ 1918

Woodrow Wilson: 21,000 Officers and Men, Camp Sherman, OH 1918

Woodrow Wilson: 21,000 Officers and Men, Camp Sherman, OH 1918

Human Statue of Liberty: 18,000 Officers and Men, Camp Dodge, IA 1918

Human Statue of Liberty: 18,000 Officers and Men, Camp Dodge, IA 1918

Living Emblem of U.S. Marines: 9,100 Officers and Men, Paris Island, SC 1919

Living Emblem of U.S. Marines: 9,100 Officers and Men, Paris Island, SC 1919

Pursuing Your Passion: The Artwork of Chuck Trunks

Chuck Trunks Touching up Just PeachyWhat is the typical career progression of someone with a bachelor's degree in biochemistry, who does graduate work in molecular biology and spends the next 18 years working at the world's largest biotech company?

My good friend Chuck Trunks had a passion for art going back to his childhood in Philadelphia.  It was probably 10 years ago that I first saw some of his "precision abstract" artwork at his home in Camarillo.  I knew that eventually the rest of the world would join me.

Boy was I right.  Chuck left Amgen last fall to pursue the goal of working on his art full time and sharing it with the world.  This is a challenge to say the least as he gave up a steady salary and great benefits for the uncertain world of art.  But the world is already getting to know Chuck.

Chuck has completed nearly 30 works of art in four collections that share some of his thoughts about the world.  His "USA" and "True Love" collections deal with societal and relationship issues, respectively.  His "Interference" collection covers technology.  The collection he currently works on is called "Hopes and Dreams."  Each collection can take up to a year to complete.

As Chuck's friend I am well aware of his keen eye for detail.  Chuck is the guy you want to travel with because he'll have everything nailed down so you can just relax and have fun.  He'll also quickly notice if a kernel of corn is lodged in your teeth or there's a smudge on your mirror.  This knack for detail is well apparent in his meticulous work.

 

To learn more about Chuck and his work, check out his aptly titled website, www.ChuckTrunks.com (update: website currently

Chuck's latest work, "Pop Star" (Summer 2008):

http://www.chucktrunks.com/