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We were enduring a particularly hot and dry summer, with nearly a record number of days over 100°F. Burning up was on my mind. "Firebug" combines the idea of spontaneous combustion with the colors and look of the title letters for that month's newsletter. I used a "special fix" feature in a program called "Ulead Photo Express" to add the fire effect, both to the title and to the animation. The program gives the option of using various amounts of fire added to any font character. By using a dingbat that showed an insect, I could make the bug appear to burn up in a rather explosive way. I think it looks very effective.
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When I'm pressed for time and ideas, simple is better. I can't believe I hadn't used the idea for "Jitterbug" before. I love puns and easy animations. This one only has two different images, one of which is simply a reverse of the other with a slight skew. For anybody who wants to know, this is an illustration of a thrips (yes, that is the singular form), a tiny insect that can be found in gardens.
jitterbug
I was REALLY short on time for the next issue, having several other pending projects that demanded a lot of computer time. I remembered that I had several music illustrations that featured insects, which I'd drawn for recital posters during my college days. I scanned one, cleaned it up, got rid of the text that surrounded it, and plopped it into the newsletter. "Musical Bee" is from my metamorphosis period, in which I was especially fond of Escher's works on a similar theme. I just had my own twist to the idea.
