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Christopher Madden Art
Abstract moving image
Art in the Environment
Camera-based Moving Image
Category: Art in the Environment/Environmental Art
Swarm of flying ants
Video. 16sec. 2nd September 2018
A video of a swarm of flying ants at the top of Zenor Hill, Cornwall.
The 16 second video is extended by repeating and reversing several times.
Ants as a superorganism – on an art gallery wall
Art and science – ants as a superorganism
Artist's impression. January 2020 Based on a digital work from 1990
A proposed art installation or mural showing multiple images of ants crawling across an art gallery wall, with the ants grouping together and coalescing into the form of a single gigantic ant.
The work depicts the concept of the superorganism, in which multiple individual organisms of the same species (in this case ants) interact by a process of synergy to give rise to a collective body that can operate in ways that the individuals can't. The individual organisms within the superorganism usually display a degree of division of labour, where the individual organisms can't survive for long on their own. Human civilisation can be seen as a form of superorganism.
Earth Bin – environmental art installation
Earth Bin
Sculpture/installation. November 2018
A sculpture showing how I feel the human race is treating the planet – by putting it into the waste bin.
The sculpture consists of a standard kitchen waste bin, lined internally with black material and with a back-lit image of the earth at its base. The result is the illusion that by looking into the bin you are looking into outer space as though through a porthole in a spacecraft, with the earth appearing to be floating in the distance. The kitchen waste bin was deliberately chosen as the reciprocal that contains the earth because of its banality, to emphasise how we are depleting the earth's resources through mundane consumption.
Environmental art installation: the earth in a rubbish bin
A Leaf Changes Colour in Autumn – Painted Maple Leaf
A Leaf Changes Colour in Autumn
Leaf, acrylic paint. September 2018
A maple leaf painted blue with red polka dots.
The leaf had fallen from the tree in autumn.
The inspiration for this work came partly from the fact that the leaves on the trees were changing colour in the autumn, prompting me to think of changing their colours in other ways.
In previous years I've painted acorns and suchlike in unusual colours.
Like a lot of my work, this work is involved interacting with and responding to the natural environment.
A detail of the painted leaf.
Travelling Glomeris Marginata
Video. Near St Ives, Cornwall. October 2018
The creature in this video isn't a woodlouse, it's a pill millipede, of the species glomeris marginata.
It's climbing up the outside of a door frame.
I was struck by the way that the millipede seemed to be gliding along its course up the door frame as though hovering slightly above it, as its multitude of legs are concealed. I also like the armour plating, which, along with the hovering, makes the creature look like either a high tech machine or an alien. Or a hybrid of both. The feelers help too.
Cluster flies on a window – insects as art
Cluster flies on a window
Video. 17 sec. Near St Ives, Cornwall. October 2018
When I made this video I assumed that the flies that it features were house flies that had been feasting on a rotting animal carcass concealed somewhere within the walls of the building. The sinisterness of the insects was intended to be a feature of the video.
Since then a bit of research has informed me that the insects were in fact harmless cluster flies (pollenia rudis).
Cluster flies enter buildings on autumn evenings in search of shelter from the worsening weather conditions. Then the following day they sometimes want to get out again, as in the video.
They may enter buildings in small numbers or they may enter in thousands. In the case in the video it was many many hundreds.
The flies live in the countryside, where their larvae feeding on earthworms. They aren't a health hazard (as far as I know).
Knowing that the flies were harmless and had entered the building seeking shelter rather than being house flies fresh from a rotting corpse in the attic altered my view of them considerably, and I now rather like them, at least on the video. They are an inconvenience though.
I particularly like the way that the flies in the video are moving in an almost choreographed manner. It's like a little piece of performance art.
The nice calm view out of the window (apart from a bit of wind) is in stark contrast to the dynamic motion of the flies on the window pane.
Art in the environment – an umbrella clinging to a rock, Cornwall
Limpet
Umbrella in landscape September-2018
A work consisting of an umbrella clinging limpet-like to a granite rock on a hilltop in Cornwall.
Environmental art – heads created from discarded milk bottles
Milk bottle, ink. August 2018
Slightly unsettling heads created from empty plastic milk bottles.
Like many artists I have a habit of collecting waste and recycling it into works of art.
The sinister appearance of these heads, drawn as they are on post-consumer waste in the form of discarded plastic milk bottles, can be interpreted as a comment on the fact that we as humans are destroying the environment through (amongst other things) our profligate use of plastic packaging.
The fact that the heads also resemble the type of craft-play objects produced by children can be interpreted as alluding to the western world's current tendency towards a philosophy of consequence-denying pleasure seeking in which the adults in society fail to take responsibility for their actions beyond immediate self-gratification.
Posted on September 2, 2018 October 15, 2018
Environmental art – umbrella clinging to a rock like a limpet, Cornwall
A work consisting of an umbrella clinging to a granite rock on a misty hilltop in Cornwall.
Stranded Object: art and climate change
Stranded Object
Ink, gouache, digital, paper. 28 x 19cm. July 2018
This image, like many images that I've created recently (mid 2018) is a work that is largely generated from my imagination. Having said that, the original inspiration for the crescent-like form was a piece of toast crust.
The work contains definite ominous overtones. These are probably linked to the general atmosphere of foreboding that seems to permiate society at the moment (manifesting itself in such things as the election of Donald Trump in the USA and the swing of many European countries to the right). On top of this the phenomenon of global warming threatens to disrupt the earth's entire ecosystem and to overturn all civilisation as we know it. Things have only just started to get bad.
The prime source of the foreboding in this work is indeed climate change and the fear of a devastated planet. The imaginary object in the image bears some resemblance to an organic form, possibly a part of an animal's anatomy – perhaps a horn or a jawbone. The slender forms that protrude from what may be the teeth of a jawbone could possibly be legs, turning the form into something like an upturned crustacean. Whatever it is, the object has the feel of a decaying life-form. The object also has something of the feel of an unnatural artefact – perhaps a piece of rubble following the destruction of a building (with the slender forms representing metal rods in reinforced concrete).
Whatever it is, the object is abandoned or marooned on a featureless plain that probably represents the devastated earth following the ravages of climate change. The fact that the object looks very large is probably symbolic of the enormity of the threat that climate change represents.
Having said all that, the work was not created with any particular symbolism or meaning consciously in mind. I've worked backwards from the finished image to find its possible meaning. I'm sure that it also has meanings that are purely to do with the workings of my own brain.
Dog Walk: art installation composed of dog poo bags
Dog Walk: dog poo bags
Plastic bags arranged on path. Unspecified contents. Video. Cornwall. June 2018
A video of an art installation in the countryside that comments on the behaviour of some dog walkers.
The work features an avenue of discarded dog pooh bags.
The work was inspired by the experience of going on many walks in the countryside and coming across discarded black plastic dog poo bags: sometimes hidden, sometimes in full view. There's a theory that the dog owners leave them there to be picked up on their return, however, many of them don't do it.
The work was created near St Ives, Cornwall.
Fin – an addition to a rock formation, Cornwall
Photograph with digital drawing, September 2018
A photograph of a natural granite rock formation with a drawing of a fin-like object added to the photograph as though it is attached to the rock.
The rock formation in the photograph is on the Penwith peninsula in west Cornwall, a few miles from St Ives. The large rock on which the fin is drawn is a rocking stone, known locally as a Logan stone. The stone is said to move slightly when pushed correctly.
The image is a finished artwork, despite the fact that it resembles a concept study for a sculpture in the landscape. The drawing of the fin is deliberately inconsistent in terms of photographic realism with the rest of the image.
Having said that, the development of the concept as a sculpture is a possibility.
Hammers – photomontage for sculpture in the landscape, Cornwall
Photomontage, Cornwall. June 2018
A photomontage of a concept for a sculpture in the landscape.
The landscape in the photograph is the Penwith peninsula in west Cornwall.
The hammers are meant to project a sense of overbearing force, the fact that there are several of them possibly implying organised force (such as military force). Hammers, to me, have a certain anthropomorphic quality to them, suggesting a degree of human identity – a long thin body with a head at the top. The blank facelessness of the heads of the hammers in this image suggest a mindless power.
The concept also contains an element of humour directed at the art world, in that the massive scale of the work comments on the often gigantic scale of works of sculpture and other interventions in the landscape. Oversized everyday objects are a common feature in sculpture.
Land art, Cornwall
Wood battens on granite outcrop, Zennor Hill, Cornwall
Wood, acrylic. June 2018
One of my (temporary) sculptural works in the landscape in Cornwall near St Ives.
Posted on June 30, 2018 October 15, 2018
Art in the environment, Cornwall
Wood and acrylic paint. Zennor Hill, near St Ives, Cornwall. 25th June 2018
A transient sculpture composed of lengths of painted wood battens (the type of wood commonly used in building construction).
The sculpture was created by positioning a small number of battens in the landscape, photographing them, repositioning them and rephotographing them. Then merging the photographs.
As a result the work has an interesting relationship with time. The sculpture never existed in its entirety as depicted in the photograph, each batten only being in position for long enough to take a photograph. The sculpture only takes on its final form when the twenty-five minutes that it took to position and photograph the battens are compressed into a single instant.
A work of land art, an intervention in the landscape, or art in the environment. The wood battens are about a metre long.
Buttercup field with hidden object
Buttercup Field
Video. 27sec
A video of a field of buttercups that contains a hard-to-see object.
The object is revealed at the end of the video.
The video is on a recurring theme in my work – an investigation into perception, reality and illusion.
The video was taken near St Ives, Cornwall.
Spoiler alert – the nature of the object in the video is revealed in the next section.
The scene in the video contains, on the ground amongst the grass and buttercups, a square mirror. The mirror is hard to see partly because of the distracting proliferation of buttercups, but mostly because the mirror is positioned so that the light from the sky doesn't create give-away shadows or highlights (buttercups that are reflected in the mirror can look abnormally lit compared with the rest of the buttercups if the angle of the light is incorrect).
The work is filmed in an almost cliched, very peaceful and calming field full of spring flowers, which to me makes a nice setting for a work that at its most pretentious can be interpreted as being a prompt for questioning the nature of reality. At its least pretentious however, it's just a nice visual joke.
Mirrors and reflections are common features of my work, as can be seen in the Mirror Art section of this site.
Study for Square Floating in the Landscape
Study for Floating Square
A gray square floating in a clearing among bushes in the countryside (near St Ives, Cornwall).
The video is of an early study to assess the potential for the concept.
Finished works based on the concept would consist of squares suspended in the environment in positions where members of the public would encounter them, such as along pathways in sculpture parks. The locations of the squares could vary from trackside positions that are below eye level, at eye level and above eye level, where the squares would be seen to move relative to the landscape as the observer walked past. Squares could also be positioned high in the air, sometimes directly above the track, so that they are constantly silhouetted against the sky.
The square in the video, which seems to be floating in the air unaided, is of deliberately uncertain substance or nature. What is certain is that due to its shape, its colour and its position suspended in the air, the square is not a natural part of the environment.
One concept for the work is for the squares to be coloured with a non-reflective black (see image below) so that the floating squares could almost be mistaken for black portals out of the universe and into a featureless void.
A video still showing a floating black square that may be interpreted as a "hole in reality"
Posted on September 19, 2017 May 29, 2020
Coloured cord on granite boulder, Cornwall. 2017
The simplicity of construction of this piece is important. The observer will hopefully notice the almost total lack of endeavour required to create the work, while also noticing the (hopefully) relatively high aesthetic payoff as a result of that endeavour.
A lot of land art and other art in the environment strive to use only natural ingredients in the composition of the art, good examples being the work of Richard Long and Andy Goldsworthy. This work however consciously uses artificial material in the form of nylon paracord.
In the work the placing of brightly coloured plastic into the environment refers partly to humanity's imposition of artificiality onto the natural world. This is partly a message about the despoiling of the environment by our endeavours. The fact that the nylon cord has been simply laid on the boulder (which took the effort of a whole five minutes) helps to reinforce this message, as the cord acquires qualities associated with the detritus of our instant gratification throw-away consumer culture. The fact that the cord is plastic reinforces this further. However, the brightly coloured plastic actually looks quite pleasing on the rock, so the work is also saying that humanity's imposition of artificiality onto the environment may have a positive side to it, at least to us (but also that just because something looks nice doesn't necessarily mean that it is).
In fact, where would we be without the artificiality that we impose on the environment? Hence some of the ambiguity in this piece.
Horizon Line – a cord stretched along the horizon
Horizontal Line: Cord stretched along the horizon: Cornwall
Plastic cord, landscape. September 2017
A photograph of a length of brightly coloured plastic cord stretched horizontally so that it coincides exactly with the horizon.
This is an unmanipulated photograph.
The work is partly about the all pervasive presence of plastic in our lives and the environment, with the piece of plastic cord seemingly stretching all the way along the horizon. The fact that the line of the cord is along the horizon created by the sea links the cord with the plastic pollution that is present in vast quantities in the oceans.
As well being a metaphor for the plastic that is polluting the oceans, the cord also signifies that plastic is in many ways a very useful and pleasing substance (without which our modern world wouldn't be able to function). This is indicated by the fact that the cord creates a very pleasing aesthetic effect. The major problem with plastics is the complex molecular structures that are created during the creation of the plastic – when plastics are developed that don't have those structures, and that thus decompose properly, the plastic problem will be greatly reduced (although of course it will still be a problem, along with all of the other problems that we are inflicting on the planet).
The work also exists at a purely aesthetic level, with an appeal generated solely through the juxtaposition of the horizon and the cord.
A detail of the photograph to show the church.
Environmental art with coloured plastic cord
Coloured cord hanging from a tree, Cornwall. 2017
The simplicity of construction of this piece is important.
A lot of land art and other art in the environment strives to use only natural ingredients in the composition of the art. This work however consciously uses artificial material in the form of a length of brightly coloured plastic nylon cord.
The cord is draped over the branch of a tree and is pulled tight downwards to create two perfectly straight lines.
The work is meant to create slightly confused emotions in the observer. In the relative darkness of the woodland setting the cord stands out as a source of brightness. The two parallel lines are aesthetically pleasing amongst the shapes of the branches and leaves.
However, the cord is bright because it's plastic, and the straight lines of the cord are a reference to humanity's need to impose order on nature.
This work was created at the same time as most of the other paracord works on this site.
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On April 22, KEEN Footwear is donating 10% of all sales from their Portland store to support the Forest Park Conservancy! Head on over to the KEEN Garage at 515 NW 13th Aveto get your gear and support FPC. Store hours are 10 am to 7 pm. See you there!


Turning down an alley in the Towncenter Market, ye stumble across a little known corner of the Market.....The Smuggler's Shoppe. This be a shoppe run by a smuggler by the name of.....never ye mind, the smuggler's name be not important, only what he hast available fer sale is important. . . . . .weapons and other items long thought lost.
Things that were either never given out during various events or donation periods or have sat in some dusty, dark corner; banished from all thoughts and forgotten. . .
Forgotten to all but The Smuggler and his crew.


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Kaiser and Holocaust
QGermany
Answers to Questions by Yair Davidiy
https://www.quora.com/If-former-Kaiser-Wilhelm-II-had-lived-to-see-the-end-of-World-War-2-what-would-have-been-his-reaction-to-the-Holocaust/answer/Yair-Davidiy
The Kaiser and the Holocaust
Kiaser Wilhelm-2 was the Emperor of Germany. He was also a diplomat and politician. From an early age he had surrounded himself with racial theorists who were also anti-Semitic. Even so he used Jewish ministers and appreciated some Jews as individuals. During World War 1 the Germans had been allied with Ottoman Turkey. The Turks ruled over Palestine. In 1914 there were ca. 85,000 Jews in Palestine. This number was reduced to 56,000 due to emigration, deportations, economic stringency, disease, and hunger. At one stage the Turks intended to treat the Jews in Palestine as they had the Armenians in Turkey. German officials intervened. The Kaiser had given instructions to prevent actions against the Jews (1). At this stage (ca. 1917) however the Germans still hoped to receive support from the Zionists in the USA.
After the war the Kaiser was deposed and moved to the Netherlands. When Hitler came to power and invaded France and the Netherlands the Kaiser was proud of their achievements. Nevertheless he was critical of the Nazi style.
He is reported to have expressed dismay as to how 'his' Jewish subjects were being treated. His wife denied such a report saying that nothing positive on behalf of the Jews had been uttered. Nevertheless it seems that some such sentiments may have been expressed. Wilhelm also spoke as if a restoration of his own dynasty was a possibility. His reported sympathetic expressions regarding his Jewish subjects should be seen in this light.
Wilhelm had earlier spoken against the Jews and as if he was in favor of their extermination. There are therefore apparent contradictions in his attitude. However one understands this, both attitudes reflect trends of thought in Germany regardless of the Nazis. Hitler and his cohorts put into practice what many Germans had been thinking before them and independently of them.
On 2, December 1919, the now-deposed Kaiser had written to General August von Mackensen calling for a "regular international all-worlds pogrom", as "the best cure" against Jews.
'The Jews and mosquitoes said Wilhelm were,
"a nuisance that humanity must get rid of in some way or other"...
"I believe the best would be gas" (2) .
In the mid-1920s Wilhelm called for a struggle against Jewry throughout the world. He urged that the Bible be re-written to eliminate most of the Old Testament, so leaving only genuinely Christian elements, which he claimed were Zoroastrian and therefore 'Aryan' in origin and 'not Semitic-Jewish' at all.
Not only the Jews were on target however. Others were also in line:
In 1923, after hearing a lecture by the anthropologist Frobenius, the Kaiser had an almost religious revelation. Suddenly he realized, he said, that the French and the English were not whites at all but blacks. The future mission of the German people was now clear to him:
'We shall be the leaders of the Orient against the Occident! We belong on the other side!'
The Germans were not part of the West, but the 'face of the East against the West'. The main thing was that England, France and America should 'go under!'
1. Dadrian p.255 quotes I. Friedman, 'Germany, Turkey, and Zionism 1897-1918, Oxford,' 1977, p.371.
2. ROHL, John. 'The Nazis Foreshadowed. The Kaiser and his Court: Wilhelm II and the Government of Germany.'
The Kaiser with his second wife.
Younger Monarch

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Star Trek: Mirror War & Gunslinger Spawn on Previews Covers Next Week
The front cover of next week's Diamond Previews catalogue for comic books out in October 2021 and beyond puts IDW's new Star Trek: Mirror War on the cover. "Captain Jean-Luc Picard and the crew of the ISS Enterprise embark on their most dangerous mission in IDW Publishing's Star Trek: The Mirror War".
With Todd McFarlane's launch of Gunslinger Spawn, the third ongoing Image Comics Spawn series, on the back cover, ": Todd McFarlane's Spawnverse launches continue as a Spawn from the Wild West deals out frontier justice in the 21st-century in Image Comics' Gunslinger Spawn."
The Diamond Select Toys' Marvel Legends: Green Goblin Legends in 3-Dimensions 1/2-Scale Mini-Bust runs down the spine of the catalogue while Christopher Priest's run on Vampirella's wedding conclusion in Dynamite Entertainment's Vampirella #25 is on the order form.
Gems of the Month: August's PREVIEWS Gems of the Month include:
BOOM! Studios' House of Slaughter #1
Dark Horse Comics' Critical Role: Tales of Exandria #1 and Hellboy: The Silver Lantern Club #1
Dynamite Entertainment's Vampirella #25
IDW Publishing's Star Trek: The Mirror War #1 and Transformers: Wreckers–Tread & Circuits #1
Image Comics' Friday Book One: The First Day of Christmas TP and Gunslinger Spawn #1
Marvel Comics' Venom #1
Todd McFarlane's newest Spawnverse series spans time with a storyline set in multiple eras in Image Comics' Gunslinger Spawn. Plus, fresh from her appearance in DIE!namite Lives, Jennifer Blood returns in the new series by Fred van Lente and Vincenzo Federici from Dynamite Entertainment; James Tynion IV expands the world of Something Is Killing the Children in the spin-off House of Slaughter from BOOM! Studios; Renegade Game Studios celebrates Bryan Lee O'Malley's Scott Pilgrim graphics novels with four new puzzles; VIZ Media offers a cat's take on the Marvel Universe in Marvel Meow, collecting a series of Instagram comics starring Captain Marvel's cat Chewie; and many more products coming you will look forward to in the months to come
PREVIEWS looks at some upcoming toy projects that will have fans excited in the months to come. Funko's POP! Marvel Heroes: Iron Man 2: Iron Man Mk. IV with Gantry Vinyl Figure is not only available exclusively through PREVIEWS; it also glows in the dark! Plus, MEGO brings fans new figures based on Mel Brooks' beloved comedy Young Frankenstein and the CBS All Access hit Star Trek: Discovery, Diamond Select Toys launches a new line of Cobra Kai Select Action Figures featuring the characters of the Netflix series, McFarlane Toys' Disney Mirrorverse Action Figures take collectors inside the world of the mobile game, and other exciting toys will be coming your way this year.
Each month PREVIEWS offers a selection of products that can only be found at your local comic shop. Among this month's exclusive items, Titan Comics offers two hardcover collections available only through PREVIEWS — a signed edition of V.E. Schwab's Extraordinary (AUG212064) and an edition of Michael Moorcock's Elric: The Dreaming City with a cover by Hellboy's Mike Mignola (AUG212070). Hiya Toys continues their line of Alien figures with the Alien Resurrection: Cloned Queen 1/18-Scale Figure (AUG213021) as well as new figures based on the Robocop films like the sound-equipped Robocop: ED-209 1/18-Scale Figure (AUG213031). Look for the PREVIEWS Exclusive icon throughout the catalog to find these and other exciting products you can find only at your local comic shop in the months ahead.
Posted in: Comics, Comics Publishers, Dynamite, IDW, Image | Tagged: diamondpreviews, dynamite, gunslinger spawn, idw, image comcis, spawn, star trek, vampirella


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The Mysterious Island is a novel by Jules Verne, published in 1874. The original edition, published by Hetzel, contains a number of illustrations by Jules F rat. The novel is a crossover sequel to Verne's famous Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea and In Search of the Castaways, though its themes are vastly different from those books. An early draft of the novel, initially rejected by Verne's publisher and wholly reconceived before publication, was titled Shipwrecked Family: Marooned With Uncle Robinson, seen as indicating the influence on the novel of Robinson Crusoe 1] and The Swiss Family Robinson. Verne developed a similar theme in his later novel, Godfrey Morgan (French: L' cole des Robinsons, 1882).


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Thea Proctor's tea party
Australia, England, France
29 Apr 1875 - 28 May 1963
All Details About Exhibition history Bibliography Other works
In 1921 Thea Proctor returned to Australia after nearly 20 years' living in London and by 1923 was well established in her city studio in the Grosvenor Building at 219 George Street, Sydney. It was a thoroughly modern creation of colour accents set against white walls – 'notes of deep, sheer blue ... at intervals a high note of lemon-yellow, a glimpse of engine green through a white enamelled door, and on shelf and table hints of vivid Chinese lacquer red'. In Harold Cazneaux's photographs of the studio, two yellow lacquer tables stand centre-stage; on them are placed a Lunéville faience tea set on a red lacquer tray and two blue and white striped Portuguese plates 'of unusual shape and design. These objects are the ingredients from which Margaret Preston created the 1924 still life which she titled 'Thea Proctor's tea party'.
'Thea Proctor's tea party' belongs to the genre of still life, but it is also a kind of portrait. It is a symbolic rendering of the things that Thea Proctor stood for. Preston encapsulates her fellow artist's belief in the importance of surrounding one's self with objects of taste and beauty, and alludes to her enthusiasm for arranged flowers in domestic settings, something the two artists shared. And in giving the work its title, Preston drew attention to the way in which Proctor was as much a social figure as an artist, her studio as much a social space as a work place, where the ritual of the tea party had great importance (Proctor's students recall how classes in her studio always involved tea – not ordinary tea; in her later years the exotic Lapsang Souchong was her favourite).
In the 1920s Preston and Proctor were often seen as artists with similar approaches and modern ideals. Yet their outlook was never closer than in 1924–25. In 1925 the artists held two joint exhibitions, in Sydney and Melbourne. The Sydney exhibition was the occasion of a celebrated tiff between the artists. Although the story exists in various versions, it involves Preston throwing a cake at Proctor after discovering that the Art Gallery of New South Wales' Trustees had preferred Proctor's prints to her own. Given Proctor's genuine appreciation of Preston's work – describing her in 1927 as 'an artist with abundant vitality, unerring taste in selection, the intellectual gift of invention and an emotional colour sense which amounts to genius' – the 1925 incident has perhaps been given undue weight. Whatever the nature of the actual event, the anecdote survives because it dramatises the differences between the artists. Preston's frankness and egotism came face-to-face with Proctor's quieter belief in the qualities of her own art and the discernment of people of taste to whom her work was addressed. Bad manners faced off with gracious and long-suffering gentility. As with all such anecdotes, the incident allows for an over-simplification of the complexities of character. Proctor could be as outspoken and forthright as Preston and these qualities led to a significant cooling of her personal relationships with several artists besides Preston by 1929.
It is ironic that the only recorded public expression of personal difference between the two artists should centre upon the rituals of the tea party and that Preston's homage to the world of her contemporary, painted in the previous year, should be a picture of Thea Proctor's china and cutlery set out for just such an occasion.
There were also artistic differences between Preston and Proctor that became more pronounced in the years after 1925, the seeds of which, to some extent, are reflected in 'Thea Proctor's tea party'. Despite Preston's growing enthusiasm for native flora, it is perhaps significant that the flowers arranged for the painting are exotic – zinnias are prominent. Although in Proctor's words, Preston lifted 'the native flowers of the country from the rut of disgrace into which they had fallen', Proctor preferred European flowers and had none of the nationalist idealism that Preston associated with Australian subject matter. Quite the reverse; Proctor believed that locality was irrelevant when it came to making and judging the quality of art.
It was one of the great paradoxes of Thea Proctor's art that although its colour and design were seen as modern, its subject matter was often nostalgic, invoking earlier periods of elegance. In Proctor's world things could be valued for their intrinsic qualities alone – like a 19th-century tea set in the midst of a modern 1920s studio. Such a paradox would probably have worried Preston but was of no concern to Proctor. In 1938 when Proctor came to write a piece for 'Art in Australia' on modern art in Sydney, she chose to focus exclusively on the formal characteristics of the artists she discussed, their colour sense and their taste, and did not discuss subject matter at all. The one artist she did not discuss in the article, she excused with the sentence 'Mrs. Preston's work is already widely known'.
Andrew Sayers in Deborah Edwards and Rose Peel with Denise Mimmocchi, 'Margaret Preston', Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, 2005
oil on canvas on hardboard
55.9 x 45.7 cm board; 63.5 x 56.0 x 4.9 cm frame
Signed and dated l.r. corner, pencil " Margaret Preston/ 24".
© Margaret Rose Preston Estate. Licensed by Copyright Agency
Society of Artists Annual Exhibition (1924), Education Department Gallery [Loftus Street], Sydney, 12 Sep 1924–04 Oct 1924
Margaret Preston and William Dobell loan exhibition (1942), Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, 19 Mar 1942–16 Apr 1942
Margaret Preston in Mosman, Mosman Art Gallery, Mosman, 07 Sep 2002–13 Oct 2002
The world of Thea Proctor (2005), National Portrait Gallery [Old Parliament House], Canberra, 08 Apr 2005–31 Jul 2005
Margaret Preston retrospective:
Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney 29 Jul 2005–23 Oct 2005
Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia, Melbourne 12 Nov 2005–29 Jan 2006
Queensland Art Gallery, South Brisbane 18 Feb 2006–07 May 2006
Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide 26 May 2006–13 Aug 2006
Cuisine and country: a culinary venture in Australian Art:
Orange Regional Gallery, Orange 06 Apr 2007–20 May 2007
Lake Macquarie City Art Gallery, Booragul 08 Jun 2007–22 Jul 2007
Mornington Peninsula Regional Gallery, Mornington 28 Aug 2007–21 Oct 2007
Wagga Wagga Art Gallery, Australia 26 Oct 2007–09 Dec 2007
Riddoch Art Gallery, Mt Gambier 15 Dec 2007–15 Feb 2008
Broken Hill City Art Gallery, Broken Hill 26 Mar 2008–05 May 2008
Manly Art Gallery and Museum, Manly 16 May 2008–15 Jun 2008
Cairns Art Gallery, Cairns 01 Jul 2008–15 Aug 2008
Artspace Mackay, Queensland 31 Aug 2008–30 Sep 2008
Sydney Moderns, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, 06 Jul 2013–07 Oct 2013
Destination Sydney, S.H. Ervin Gallery, The Rocks, 11 Dec 2015–21 Feb 2016
O'Keeffe, Preston, Cossington Smith: Making Modernism:
Heide Museum of Modern Art, Melbourne 12 Oct 2016–19 Feb 2017
Queensland Art Gallery/Gallery of Modern Art, Brisbane 11 Mar 2017–11 Jun 2017
Referenced in 27 publications
Katrina Cashman., Margaret Preston in Mosman , 'Margaret Preston in Mosman', Mosman, 2002, (colour illus.). not paginated; no catalogue numbers
Emma Glyde, Look , 'Tea and the art of good taste', pg. 22-23, Sydney, Sep 2012, 23 (colour illus.).
Sasha Grishin, The Canberra times , 'The Preston question', pg. 8-9, Ainslie, 25 Sep 2005, 9 (illus.). 'Relax' lift out from Sunday edition.
Deborah Hart, Grace Cossington Smith , 'A distinctive vision', pg. 26-55, Canberra, 2005, 36.
Stephanie Holt, Art and Australia (Vol. 33, No. 2) , 'Woman About Town', Sydney, Summer 1995, 242, 243 (colour illus.).
Anne Kirker, Brought to Light: Australian Art 1850–1965 from the Queensland Art Gallery collection , 'In the Cause of Modernism. Thea Proctor and Margaret Preston', pg. 124-127, Brisbane, 1998, 126 (illus.).
Lenny Ann Low, The Sydney Morning Herald , 'Once were palettes, little green droppings and some suspect dudes in suits..', pg. 14, Sydney, 05 Oct 2002, 14.
Hal Missingham, Art and Australia [series 5, vol. 1, no. 2] , 'Margaret Preston', pg. 90-101, Sydney, Aug 1963, 97 (illus.).
Andrew Sayers, Margaret Preston , 'Thea Proctor's Tea Party', pg. 72, Sydney, 2005, 113, 72, 73 (colour illus.).
Andrew Sayers, The world of Thea Proctor , 'Thea Proctor: artist and tastemaker', pg. 4-15, Canberra, 2005, 10-11, 49 (colour illus.), 60, 76, 179.
Gavin Wilson, Cuisine & country: a gastronomic venture in Australian art , 'Cuisine & Country', pg. 9-66, New South Wales, 2008, 19, 21 (colour illus.), 88.
Transformations in Australian art: The twentieth century - Modernism and Aboriginality [Volume Two] , figure 2.3, St Leonards, 2002, 55, 54 (illus.).
The complete book of great Australian women: thirty-six women who changed the course of Australia , 'Margaret Rose Preston', pg. 547-563, Pymble, 2003, 558.
Art In Sight , Sydney, 1996.
Modernism and Feminism Australian Women Artists 1900-1940 , Sydney, 1996, front cover (colour illus.), 160 (colour illus.).
Through artists' eyes: Australian suburbs and their cities 1919-1945 , 'From bread to circuses: people at leisure', pg. 101-124, Melbourne, 2004, 112 (colour illus.). illus.no. 96
Women artists of Australia , Victoria, 1992, 28 (colour illus.).
Australian Modern Painting Between the Wars 1914-1939 , 'Recall to order', pg. 78-91, Sydney, 1989, 81, 82 (colour illus.). plate no. 58
Margaret Preston: the art of constant rearrangement , Ringwood, 1985, 35 (colour illus.), 85. cat.no. O.5
The art of Margaret Preston , South Australia, 1980, 46 (illus.). cat.no. O.13
Margaret Preston: Catalogue raisonné of paintings, monotypes and ceramics , Sydney, 2005, (colour illus.). Artworks: paintings 1924.
Catalogue of a collection of valuable pictures... to be sold by auction at Merioola, 21 Rosemont Avenue, Woollahra...February, 1942... under instructions from and as directed by the Executors of the Will of the late Arthur Wigram Allen , Sydney, Feb 1942. cat.no.627
Margaret Preston and William Dobell loan exhibition , Sydney, 1942, 8. cat.no.19
Art in Australia [series 3, no. 22] , Sydney, Dec 1927, (colour illus.). not paginated
Art in Australia [series 3, no. 9] , Sydney, Oct 1924, (illus.). not paginated
Society of Artists Annual Exhibition , Sydney, 1924. cat.no.110
Art Gallery of New South Wales annual report 2006 , 'Exhibition case study', pg. 16-19, Sydney, 2006, 17 (colour illus.).
Browse other works by Margaret Preston
Margaret Preston(Australian wild flowers) (1923)105.1985
Margaret PrestonAdina (circa 1946)110.1971
Margaret PrestonStill life - jug (1925)140.1976
Margaret PrestonRocks and waves (circa 1929)141.1976
Margaret PrestonNambucca (circa 1928)142.1976
Margaret PrestonNude 2 (circa 1925)148.1984
Margaret PrestonWheel flower (circa 1929)176


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It's been too long since I've posted (life gets busy doesn't it?) Time to share some crafting fun.
I love fun ways to give little treats. Nothing dresses up a small piece of chocolate like a creative use of paper. So this double pocket treat holder is perfect. Our Simply Scored scoring board makes it easy.
It holds a peppermint patty sandwiched between two pretty paper flowers stamped with the Petal Potpourri stamp set and punched out with the coordinating Flower Medallion punch. (Buy them as a bundle and save 15%) TIP: some brands of peppermint patties now come in square packages which are not crafting friendly so I use the Pearson's brand that I found at Walgreen's) Glue dots hold the flowers onto the candy.
I got this idea from a tutorial on Splitcoaststampers -- click here to see those step-by-step treat how-tos.
Instead of two flowers in the tutorial, I used a tag in the back pocket stamped with the great saying from Lovely Amazing You.
The designer paper I used is Something Borrowed and it's from our wedding suite. I love that all the designs are white and Sahara Sand -- and there are fewer designs with more pieces of each so you can make more projects of one design.
Spread some chocolate love this spring!
I've been enjoying some spring break fun with my family - we checked out the Florida Museum of Natural History in Gainesville to feed our daughter's love of archeology. Such fun.
What are you Thankful for? Scrapbook it.
I will have a photo tutorial posted Sunday on how to make that cool file folder photo mat with our new Envelope Punch Board.
Here is some detail from page one -- the stamp set Truly Grateful (item # 131733) provided the images -- along with the Magnificant Maple single stamp (item #131868) embossed in gold. See the beautiful gold foil word? It was die-cut with the Expressions Thinlits dies (item #132171) - love these. The trick to get them out cleanly is to put a sheet of wax paper BETWEEN the paper you are cutting and the metal die. That makes it so easy to get the card stock out.
I love how the metallic letters look on top of the Burlap Ribbon (item #132140) -- there is just something I really like right now about organic elements mixed in with chic metallics.
Same effect with all the buttons -- our Naturals Designer Buttons (item #127554) dipped in some versamark ink and gold embossing powder and the heat tool brings out the shine (I hold then with tweezers).
Here's a look at the detail from the second page -- what I call the splash of "found objects" -- it looks like you've been out on a fall hike and decorated the page with the things you picked up from the ground along the way.
I have a cool new Pinterest button that makes it easy to pin photos on your boards so you can save ideas you love. Pin away!
I've been seeing lots of backgrounds lately made by pressing masking tape or preferably less-sticky painter's tape onto an ink pad, then onto card stock -- and when it's pulled back, a neat, artsy deposit of ink is left behind.
But can you say messy? You get ink on your fingers so I thought of a different way to get the same look.
Let's start with the finished card, which features images from Stampin' Up's! Wetlands and Gorgeous Grunge stamp sets.
That pretty sunset-look background of So Saffron, Pumpkin Pie and Crumb Cake ink "stripes" is made using painter's tape. Here's my secret to make it cleaner -- I taped the strips of tape to a clear block (and read on to see how brush markers take the place of ink pads).
They are easy to tape down -- I just used double-stick "SNAIL" tape from SU on the back, so the sticky side of the painter's tape is facing out. Instead of an ink pad, I used brush markers to add ink color to each strip -- you can spritz on a little water to give it a little more "juice" if you like, press to vanilla card stock and voila! Cool, trendy, torn tape background with no mess.
Here's what it looks like before you overstamp with the Early Espresso bird image and greeting from Wetlands and the Crumb Cake ink splatter and lines from Gorgeous Grunge.
So get out the painter's tape and "get artsy" -- and you won't even need to get inky fingers! Click any photo to view it larger.
The base is two pieces of More Mustard Card Stock cut with the Top Note die and the Big Shot die cutting machine. Line the bottom edge of each Top Note up with the 1 inch line on your Fiskars trimmer and score -- you're lining up the rounded bumps on the bottom edge, just ignore the point.
Here's how you overlap the flaps that are made when you fold on those lines. Be sure to adhere them so the pretty folded part of the front top note is on the front of your treat holder. In my case the one you see on the right would be the front.
That greeting on these is from the Grateful Greetings set -- love this set as it covers Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas and Valentine's Day. Item # 116511.
NOTE: This is the post to check and read to get lots of tips on using the Scallop Trim and Pinking Hearts Border and Corner punches.
I love the new stamps and punches on this card! The I (heart) Hearts set from the Occasions Mini Catalog is so easy to use. I actually have it in our new Clear Mount version and love how easy it is to stamp the black dotted heart first on this card and then add the pretty red heart by looking right through the beautiful Clear Mount acrylic block. Plus see that great DVD sized storage case? I can fit more stamp sets on the shelf! Our cling stamp images are fabulous red rubber with a nice sponge backing and then a vinyl cling image layer that makes the stamp cling to the block. All of the smaller black hearts were stamped with images from the set and then punched out with the Heart to Heart (trio of hearts) punch or the new Small Heart punch (item #117193 in the Occasions). The greeting is the new Well Scripted set from the Occasions mini where you'll also find the hearts. This is the pretty valentine card that guests are making at my home workshops this month.
There is a little learning curve with any new punch so you'll want to practice with these. But it's worth it as these also are a new slimmer design that folds shut and locks so they take up less storage space. There are some sizes of mats that just line up perfectly to make a nice edge. On this card I started with a black card stock piece that was 3 & 13/16" square. That's just a tick mark past 3 & 3/4". Punch the corners first and then they line up perfectly with the picture guides on the straight edge Scallop Trim Border punch so you can fill in.
Other sizes will give you a complete set of scallops but may require you to punch more than once to fill in between corners. Those sizes include: 4 & 3/4" square; 4 & 1/4" square; 3 & 1/4" square; 2 & 7/8" square; 2 & 3/8" square; and 1 & 15/16" square which lets you punch only the corners to make a pretty mat. You can of course combine a shorter length on the top and bottom of a mat and a longer measurement on the sides and make a perfect;y edged rectangle. Just practice. I find that because there is no v-shaped corner stop you want to make your corners using the punch upside down and using the paper edge guides and then also looking to make sure your corner is in at a nice right angle.
Here's a link to a great blog from fellow SU demonstrator Gretchen Barron who has some wonderful photos of the squares above -- and who calculated these sizes. UPDATE: The fabulous Gretchen has also calculated sizes that work easily in the Pinking Hearts border and corner punches and you can click here to see those. As Gretchen explains, we all might use the punches a little differently in practice, so experiment and see what works best for you. I like using the border punches right side up and the guides pictured on the front when I can -- and then I'll punch from the back as needed when filling in empty space.With the corner version of these punches, I find I need to use them upside down so I can make sure my paper is in the corner at a nice right angle. There is no corner V-stop -- and that's for a reason. You can actually use the corner punch in a row along the edge of your card stock to get a neat triangle lace look. I also love just punching the corners of a mat for a pretty look that reminds me of a quilt block.
SU demonstrator Anne Beale also has shared some great photos and tips on using the Scallop Trim and Pinking Hearts punches and since I believe in sharing and not re-creating a good thing, just click here to see her ideas.
Want to make a mat in a size not listed? Here's a video created by the Stampin' Up home office that demonstrates another way of using these. You start with a larger piece and then design the size as you go.


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FTC and DOJ Antitrust Division Seek Comment on Proposed Update to IP Licensing Guidelines
The IP Licensing Guidelines, which state the agencies' antitrust enforcement policy with respect to the licensing of intellectual property protected by patent, copyright, and trade secret law and of know-how, were issued in 1995 and are now being updated. In the agencies' view, the IP Licensing Guidelines remain soundly grounded, as a matter of antitrust law and economics. Nevertheless, the agencies have determined that some revisions are in order because the IP Licensing Guidelines should accurately reflect intervening changes in statutory and case law.
FTC Report on Drug Patent Settlements Shows Substantial Decrease in Pay-for-Delay Deals
The number of these potentially anticompetitive deals has fallen significantly following the Supreme Court's landmark antitrust decision in FTC v. Actavis in 2013. The total number of such deals filed with the FTC has dropped to 21 in FY 2014 from 29 in FY 2013, and 40 in FY 2012 prior to the Actavis ruling. The FTC staff report for FY 2014 represents the first annual snapshot of such deals following the Actavis decision.
FTC Approves Final Order Barring PAE From Using Deceptive Tactics
The order bars the company, MPHJ Technology Investments, LLC, and its law firm from making deceptive representations when asserting patent rights. The settlement with MPHJ, announced in November 2014, is the first time the FTC has taken action using its consumer protection authority against a patent assertion entity.
Sony Settles FTC Charges Over Misleading Ads For PlayStation Vita Gaming Console
The FTC's complaint against Sony charges the company with making false claims about the PS Vita's "cross platform gaming" or "cross-save" feature. Sony claimed, for example, that PS Vita users could pause any PS3 game at any time and continue to play the game on their PS Vita from where they left off. This feature, however, was only available for a few PS3 games, and the pause-and-save capability described in the ads varied significantly from game to game.
FTC Bars Patent Assertion Entity From Using Deceptive Tactics
The settlement with MPHJ is the first time the FTC has taken action using its consumer protection authority against a patent assertion entity (PAE). PAEs are companies that obtain patent rights and try to generate revenue by licensing to or litigating against those who are or may be using patented technology. "Patents can promote innovation, but a patent is not a license to engage in deception," said Jessica Rich, Director of the FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection. "Small businesses and other consumers have the right to expect truthful communications from those who market patent rights."
FTC Says AT&T Has Misled Millions of Consumers with 'Unlimited' Data Promises
The Federal Trade Commission filed a federal court complaint against AT&T Mobility, LLC, charging that the company has misled millions of its smartphone customers by charging them for "unlimited" data plans while reducing their data speeds, in some cases by nearly 90 percent.
FTC Sues to Stop Unlawful Blocking of Generic Androgel
The FTC is seeking a court judgment declaring that the defendants' conduct violates the FTC Act, ordering the companies to disgorge their ill-gotten gains, and permanently barring them from engaging in similar anticompetitive behavior in the future. At issue in the alleged sham patent infringement suit is an ingredient in branded AndroGel, called isopropyl myristate or IPM. IPM is known as a "penetration enhancer" because it speeds the delivery of the drug's active ingredient, testosterone, through the skin and into the bloodstream. The patent on branded AndroGel covers only a formulation using IPM as the penetration enhancer, according to the FTC complaint.
FTC Alleges Amazon Unlawfully Billed Parents for Millions of Dollars in Children's Unauthorized In-App Charges
Amazon.com, Inc. has billed parents and other account holders for millions of dollars in unauthorized in-app charges incurred by children, according to a Federal Trade Commission complaint filed today in federal court… The complaint alleges that in early 2013, Amazon updated its in-app charge process to require password entry for some charges in a way that functioned differently in different contexts. According to the complaint, even when a parent was prompted for a password to authorize a single in-app charge made by a child, that single authorization often opened an undisclosed window of 15 minutes to an hour during which the child could then make unlimited charges without further authorization.


Marleshwar Temple, the Temple of Lord Shiva, is located in the lap of the cascading waters of the Dhareshwar waterfall in Marleshwar, Maharashtra, India. It is an ancient temple dedicated to Lord Shiva in Chiplun and is built in a cave. If you are up for some physical effort, it requires climbing 520 steps to reach the sacred shrine. The climb is accompanied with beautiful scenery around. The lush green River Bav Valley, the massive mountains and the view of the ghats are sure to mesmerize you with its simplicity and beauty.
The breathtaking Dhareshwar Waterfall can be seen from the serene temple courtyard. If you happen to visit the divine temple during seasons other than monsoon, you may get a chance to bathe in the clear waters under the waterfall after offering your prayers to Lord Shiva in the calming atmosphere of the temple. Marleshwar is located in the Konkan region of Maharashtra and lies along a 50-kilometre diversion from NH17, followed by a 20-minute hike. The Marleshwar Cave Temple is located overlooking the mighty Sahyadri mountain ranges and makes up for picturesque scenery.
This sacred shrine is visited by believers from all over India especially during Mahashivratri and Makar Sankranti as these are considered the main festivals of the shrine. It is believed that the foundation of the temple was laid down by Lord Parshuram and the innumerable grooves and cuts within the bounds of the cave are considered to be sacred. The site of Marleshwar Temple is also a great trekking destination and finds many admirers among adventure seekers as well. A visit to this temple is a fulfilling and serene encounter with God and nature.
The most unusual phenomenon related to the Marleshwar Temple, which also makes it extremely popular among pilgrims, is the presence of cobra snakes in the temple complex. It is widely believed that Lord Shiva lived here with these snakes. Legend says that these snakes are harmless and do not bite the visiting pilgrims and one can even touch them if they want to. So far, there have been no reports or incidents involving the snakes, and this occurrence makes the temple extremely renowned among devotees. The sighting of these cobras has, however, reduced drastically over the recent years. This is because tourists tend to annoy or scare away these snakes, and hence, they are rarer to see.
Although Marleshwar Temple is most popular for religious beliefs, the location of this site makes it quite popular among thrill seekers. Surrounded by the lush greenery of the gorgeous Sahyadri range and the stunning Dhareshwar Waterfalls, this temple packs a punch for anyone looking for an adrenaline rush. The treacherous yet exhilarating pathways of Marleshwar coupled with the surrounding natural beauty make it a nature lover's perfect weekend getaway.
A trek through Chiplun to reach Marleshwar Temple is a 3-day trek from Helwak through Chandoli Forest. Since it is not a one day trek, the destinations are broken down. One the first day, the trekkers may cover Ram Ghal, Bhairav Gad and Patharpunj Village. The second day may include reaching Prachit Gad through the dense Chandoli Forest and Chandel Village. And on the third day, one can cover Kundi Village, Mahimar Gad, and Marleshwar. If the time and occasion call for an unplanned stay at one of the villages, it can become a 4 to 5 day-long exciting adventure.
Numerous festivals are celebrated at the Marleshwar Temple with great energy, and devotees especially love to visit the temple at the time of these festivities. The temple is also thronged with a large number of devotees on Makar Sankranti. It is believed that the marriage of Girijadevi and Marleshwar had taken place on this day, and thus this festival holds high importance for the devotees. Locals, as well as tourists, have great enjoyment and fun on this occasion.
Also, an exclusive Yatra also takes place at the Marleshwar Temple on special occasions such as Makar Sankranti. A fair is also organised on Mahashivratri and Tripuri Poornima.
1. Travellers must wear trekking shoes for traversing the mountain road as the temple is reached after climbing around 530 stairs.
2. Wear good trekking gear and carry enough food and water.
3. Carry a first aid kit.
4. Ensure you do not disturb flora and fauna around. If you sight cobras and others snakes, please do not harm them.
5. Do not litter and pollute the site.
6. Be careful when you bathe under the waterfall. Use railings if needed.
7. Carry enough change of clothes.
8. Avoid visiting during the monsoon season as the trek gets dangerous and the temple might be closed if water reaches the cave premises.
The mountain on which the Marleshwar Temple is located is accessible from the NH17 when you travel from Chiplun to Ratnagiri. The right turn to Marleshwar is just before a bridge and is well marked, but it is good to ask the people on the streets for some directions.
Travellers can avail state transport buses from Sangmeshwar or Devrukh which are the major towns nearby that located at a distance of 30 and 18 kilometers respectively. Hired rickshaws or taxis will also drop you off at the temple base.


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Entries in Linkedin (14)
LinkedIn Co-Founder Shares Secrets with US Veteran
Jin Lee/Bloomberg via Getty Images(NEW YORK) -- LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman says entrepreneurship is like throwing "yourself off a cliff."
"One of the things that Silicon Valley tends to be known for is this phrase, 'Fail fast'. And the reason why you fail fast is not because you want failure, but because if you fail and learn, you can get to success in the long term much faster," he said in ABC's Standing Up For Heroes series.
A Stanford engineering grad and alum of various tech companies, Hoffman started LinkedIn in his home living room in 2002. After launching in 2003, it became the largest professional networking service, now with over 175 million members in more than 200 countries.
As an early investor in Facebook and now a partner with venture capital firm Greylock Partners, the 45-year old's estimated net worth is $2.1 billion, according to Forbes.
The venture capitalist recently swapped stories with U.S. veteran Jennifer Vollbrecht.
Vollbrecht, 26, is a former U.S. Marine Corps helicopter crew chief and mechanic. In Iraq, she and her team of Marines risked their lives helping save others. Currently an integration and test engineer, she faces a new challenge of transitioning into civilian life and moving past an entry-level position.
Vollbrecht asked Hoffman, who mentors young entrepreneurs as a venture capitalist, how she can fulfill her dream of being an entrepreneur.
"One of the metaphors that I use for entrepreneurship, you may or may not have heard this already, is, you throw yourself off a cliff and you assemble an airplane on the way down," he told Vollbrecht. "In your case, it may be a helicopter. "
Well before he started LinkedIn, Hoffman was founder of the online dating site Socialnet. That site flopped but was a valuable experience that led him to his investment in social media site Facebook, and the founding of LinkedIn.
While he was CEO, Hoffman eventually led LinkedIn to profitability in 2006, a key achievement for tech startups that are known to bleed money in their first several years.
"The key thing is, to figure out where you see a problem in a way other people don't see, and evaluating whether or not that can be a company," he said.
Monday, October 22, 2012 at 6:58AM by Jeanette Torres Permalink
tagged Linkedin, Veterans in Business General
LinkedIn Co-Founder Mentors Former Marine Helicopter Crew Chief
Jin Lee/Bloomberg via Getty Images(NEW YORK) -- As the war in Afghanistan begins to wind down, hundreds of thousands of troops are transferring quickly from the military world to the civilian world.
Fewer than 1 percent of American citizens have served in Iraq and Afghanistan, so when they get home it takes time for them to restore their relationships with the people of their neighborhoods and the companies who could hire them. It has been years since they deployed overseas so they need to relearn how to find a job and plan their longer term career.
As part of its Standing Up For Heroes Series, ABC News is pairing veterans with mentors who can help them achieve their professional goals, and perhaps at the same time, help ease this transition. As you know, many of them have been physically or mentally wounded. There are also hundreds of thousands who return home healthy and safe but they are also facing a very quick change in direction.
One of these veterans is former U.S. Marine Corps helicopter crew chief and mechanic Jennifer Vollbrecht, who ABC News met through American Corporate Partners, a nonprofit organization dedicated to assisting veterans in their transition from the armed services to the civilian workforce.
Vollbrecht, 26, served in the Marines for five years. She was stationed in Al Anbar Province in Iraq from 2005 to 2006, where her job as part of a helicopter crew was to transport injured military civilians and others to the hospital. Vollbrecht was in charge of the back of the helicopter and of the door gun in the rear.
She is currently working as an integration and test engineer and hopes to move up within the corporate structure.
With this in mind, ABC News was able to reveal to Vollbrecht that her mentor would be renowned businessman and tech entrepreneur Reid Hoffman, the co-founder of LinkedIn.
With Reid as her mentor, she will be able to pick the brain of one of the country's top businessmen about professional development and getting ahead in the business world.
Reid, 45, has also played key roles in the development of a number of now-dominant companies. He was an early investor in Facebook and a founding board member at PayPal. He currently sits on the board of directors of online game company Zynga and at the Mozilla Corporation, among others.
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eHarmony Passwords Stolen by LinkedIn Hackers
iStockphoto/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) -- The same hackers responsible for the theft of over 6.4 million LinkedIn passwords also acquired passwords from the popular dating site eHarmony.
"After investigating reports of compromised passwords, we have found that a small fraction of our user base has been affected," eHarmony's Becky Teroka wrote on the company blog Wednesday evening.
According to the Los Angeles Times, 1.5 million passwords were stolen. That's significantly less than the 6.4 million LinkedIn passwords, but still a considerable amount of eHarmony's 20 million users.
The Russian hacker responsible uploaded the encrypted passwords to a Russian-language website forum. Many of them have been cracked, and while the usernames are not posted, security experts believe the hackers are in possession of that information as well.
Similar to LinkedIn, eHarmony has reset the passwords for those with compromised accounts. If you're such a user, you will be prompted to change your password next time you attempt to log in to the site.
Still, if you're a LinkedIn or eHarmony user you should still change your password. Additionally, if you have used that password on other sites or services, you should change that password on those sites as well.
Thursday, June 7, 2012 at 2:10PM by Jeanette Torres Permalink
tagged Hackers, Linkedin, Passwords, eHarmony in Business General
LinkedIn Hacked: 6.4 Million Passwords Reportedly Stolen
Jin Lee/Bloomberg via Getty ImagesUPDATE: LinkedIn said a number of its users' accounts were compromised in a security breach, posting on the site's blog Wednesday, "We can confirm that some of the passwords that were compromised correspond to LinkedIn accounts."
[ READ LINKEDIN'S TIPS FOR SECURING YOUR ACCOUNT ]
(NEW YORK) -- The social networking website LinkedIn is investigating claims that more than 6 million passwords were stolen and uploaded to a Russian-language web forum Wednesday.
Reports of the hacking first appeared on Russian language websites and were confirmed by security firms, who reported that a user in Russian-language forum posted the passwords Wednesday.
A Twitter account run by LinkedIn announced Wednesday morning that the company "continues to investigate" but was still unable to confirm whether any security breach occurred.
Graham Cluley, a security expert working at the British firm Sophos, said in a blog post that although the passwords are not correlated to user names, "it is reasonable to assume that such information may be in the hands of the criminals." Cluley said that the security firm had confirmed that the file uploaded to the Russian forum did contain the LinkedIn passwords, despite the company's hesitation to confirm it.
Users who fear that their passwords may have been stolen can change their passwords on the website by clicking on their names in the upper right corner of the website's homepage, and then clicking on Settings and choosing the "Change" link next to password.
Cluley also recommended changing passwords at other sites where users may have used the same password.
Wednesday, June 6, 2012 at 12:31PM by jc Permalink
tagged Hacking, Internet Security, Linkedin, Passwords in Business General
Workers Can't Seem to Get It Done at Work
Christopher Robbins/Photodisc(NEW YORK) -- Much to supervisors' dismay the workplace isn't all too conducive to getting things done, a survey by the professional social networking site LinkedIn reveals.
In fact, nearly nine of ten professionals in the worldwide survey say they can't finish everything on their daily to-do list. One of the problems, according to 26 percent of the respondents, is that they're too easily distracted, with those in the arts admitting they find it hardest to concentrate on their tasks at hand. Folks in the agriculture industry claim they have the least difficulty focusing.
In fact, farmers are tops when it comes to completing their daily jobs, with consumer and service workers not far behind. Legal, education and medical employees say they struggle the most to finish their work.
As for making actual to-do lists, it's probably no surprise that women are more organized than men, with 70 percent claiming to set up task sheets as opposed to 60 percent of males.
Saturday, May 26, 2012 at 9:30AM by ABC News Radio Permalink
tagged Linkedin, Poll, Survey, Workplace in Business General, Economy, Jobs
Workers' Biggest Pet Peeves Revealed
iStockphoto/Thinkstock(MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.) -- "People not taking ownership for their actions" tops the list of workplace pet peeves for Americans and the world. A new global survey by social networking site LinkedIn found that in the U.S., rounding out the top three office peeves are "constant complainers" and "dirty common areas," including community microwaves or refrigerators.
"People not taking ownership for their actions" was also the most common pet peeve globally, chosen by 78 percent of total respondents.
But not all pet-peeves are equal when it comes to gender, the survey found. In the U.S., women reported being more annoyed than men by "clothing that's too revealing for the workplace." That bothered only 29 percent of the men surveyed, but 62 percent of women.
LinkedIn conducted the research in 16 countries and collected data from 17,653 professionals. In the U.S., LinkedIn surveyed 1,953 people.
The office pet peeve that bothered hiring managers (65 percent) more than non-hiring managers (55 percent) in the U.S. was "showing up late for meetings."
American professionals are more peeved than professionals in other countries when it comes to taking food from the refrigerator that isn't yours, and the U.S. was the eighth most peeved-out country in this regard.
The country with the most pet peeves is India -- on average, Indian professionals selected about 19 of the 38 pet peeves listed in the survey. Italy had the fewest aggravations. LinkedIn said Italian professionals, on average, selected about 15 of the 38 choices.
Some of the biggest pet-peeves in other countries were:
Brazil: most peeved by excessive gossiping
Germany: dirty common areas (such as a dirty community microwave or refrigerator)
India: loud or irritating mobile phone ringtones
Japan: office pranks
A total of 38 pet peeves were listed in the survey:
Loud typing
Loud talkers / people who take calls on speakerphone
Loud or irritating mobile phone ringtones
Listening to music or videos without headphones
People chatting by your workspace
Humming/whistling/tapping
A pungent-smelling lunch
Taking food from the refrigerator that isn't yours
Dirty common areas (such as a dirty community microwave or refrigerator)
Not putting things in the office kitchen/pantry back where they belong
People throwing things in your garbage
Messy desk
People borrowing and not returning items from your desk
Too much perfume
Grooming (filing/clipping/polishing nails, tweezing, etc.)
Clothing that's too revealing for the workplace
Constant complainers
Eavesdropping and then chiming in
Excessive gossiping
Too much talk about health issues, spouses, children
Colleagues who make too many personal phone calls
Too many meetings
Starting meetings late or going long
Showing up late for meetings
Using phone or laptop during meetings
Hitting "reply all" on mass employee emails
Being CC'd on a long email string that doesn't pertain to you
People that don't respond to emails
People who send too many unimportant e-mails
Not filling an empty printer with paper
Overachievers that pander to the boss
Overuse of workplace/industry jargon
Trivial interruptions
People who are first in and last out "just because"
Coming to the office when sick
People not taking ownership for their actions
Wednesday, September 28, 2011 at 11:05AM by jc Permalink
tagged Linkedin, Office, Pet Peeves, Working, Workplace in Business General, Jobs
Report: Americans Spend More Time on Facebook than Other Websites
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images(NEW YORK) -- Nielsen Media Research, the company that measures TV viewership and provides ratings, recently examined social media in the U.S. and discovered Americans spend more time on Facebook than they do on any other website. Nielsen's "State of the Media: The Social Media Report" reveals that during May 2011, Americans spent more than 53 billion total minutes on Facebook.
Blogger was ranked a distant second with 723.8 million total minutes, followed by Tumblr with 623.5 million minutes. Americans spent 565.2 million total minutes on Twitter in May 2011 and 325.7 million minutes on LinkedIn.
Additional findings from Nielsen's "State of the Media: The Social Media Report":
-- Social networks and blogs dominate Americans' time online and now account for 22.5 percent of total time spent on the Internet, followed by 9.8 percent for online games and 7.6 percent for email.
-- Nearly 40 percent of social media users access social media content from their cellphones.
-- Internet users over the age of 55 are driving the growth of social networking through the Mobile Internet.
-- Seventy percent of active online adult social networkers shop online, 12 percent more likely than the average adult Internet user.
-- In a sample of ten global markets, social networks and blogs are the top online destination in each country, accounting for the majority of time spent online.
Tuesday, September 13, 2011 at 10:14PM by Carmen Cox Permalink
tagged Facebook, Linkedin, Social Media, Tumblr, Twitter in Business General
Groupon IPO: Good Deal for Investors?
Scott Olson/Getty Images(CHICAGO) -- Maybe they can make it up on volume? Ooops! Turns out that volume is to blame for the $413 million operating loss racked up by online coupon-seller Groupon last year.
That's according to the company's filing for its $750 million IPO. It's one of several problems dogging the fastest-growing company in history, whose value has been put by optimists as high as $25 billion. Other problems include shrinking margins, proliferating competitors, restive merchants, and subscribers frustrated by the experience of trying to redeem their coupons.
And how about the deals themselves: Are they as juicy as they used to be?
Bloomberg News quotes Groupon Chairman Eric Lefkofsky as saying he expects the company to be "wildly profitable" some day. But in the meantime, it's got a ways to go.
Co-founder and CEO Andrew Mason writes in the registration document that Groupon has made "significant investments to acquire subscribers" -- significant to the tune of $262.3 million in 2010, up from $4.5 million in 2009.
The company has grown its subscriber base to more than 83 million customers, up from just 115,000 two years ago. Revenue has surged 2,241 percent last year. But growth of spending (5,732 percent) outstrips it. Largely to keep adding new subscribers, Groupon's IPO aims to raise $750 million.
While some analysts expect the offering to be a blockbuster, others aren't so sure.
Pat Becker, Jr., of Becker Capital Management in Portland, Ore., which manages $2.5 billion, doesn't think Groupon is worth anywhere near $25 billion. Reason: Barriers to entry in Groupon's industry are low. As a result, some 482 competitors are nipping at its heels. The largest, LivingSocial, has 28 million members.
Becker especially worries what will happen when "competitors like Yahoo or Google, who already have their own touch-point with consumers, start to utilize this type of service." Facebook already has started its own version of Groupon, called Deals, and Amazon has started AmazonLocal. Though Groupon has the lead, Becker says it's not inevitable it will keep it.
"We just don't think it takes competitors very long to get up to speed," he says Becker. "Somebody could have a competing product in less than a year."
Groupon's participating merchants, meantime, know they can go elsewhere. Some have started demanding deals better than the company's standard 50/50 split of what the consumer pays. That cuts into Groupon's margins.
Retail consultant Bob Phibbs, author of the new book Groupon: You Can't Afford It, runs a blog containing hundreds of reviews and comments from business owners critical of Groupon and of other online coupon providers, who he sees as being bad for retailing.
Merchants who do business with an online coupon seller, he says, are at first delighted to have a sea of new customers show up. But they soon discover it's impossible for them to make money unless those same customers come back again and pay full price. Says Phibbs, "Hard numbers are what's missing here--the dots you'd need to make a connection between the number of coupons sold and the number of coupon-customers who come back later. That data doesn't exist yet. What's being reported is strictly anecdotal."
How about the deals themselves? Are Groupon's as juicy they were a year ago? Yes, says Phibbs, assuming you can fight your way through the door. "They're still as good. You still get $50 of Thai food for $25."
Monday, June 6, 2011 at 11:49AM by jc Permalink
tagged Groupon, IPO, Linkedin in Business General, Technology/Electronics/Software
Tech Bubble? LinkedIn IPO Has Watchers Wondering
Jupiterimages/Polka Dot(NEW YORK) -- Ever since LinkedIn's IPO rocketed skyward, raining money on the company's founders and on early holders of the social networking stock, market watchers have been wondering: are tech stocks poised for another leap to the moon? Are we seeing the re-birth of a '90s-style bubble?
LinkedIn's stock, issued at $45, went as high as $122.70 its first day, closing at $94.25. Day two saw another 14 percent rise before profit let out a little steam, and the stock declined by 1.2 percent. Based on Friday's closing price, the company's market value stands $8.8 billion--about 23 times revenue.
"By any normal valuation, that's awfully high," says Norm Conely, CEO of JA Glynn Investments in St. Louis.
The stock's performance, says Josh Bernoff, senior vice president at Forrester Research, is "not in line with any flavor of reality I know."
The Wall Street Journal on Monday reckoned that based on LinkedIn's 2010 profits and market value, if Exxon Mobil had the same valuation it would have a stock value of $19.8 trillion -- well north of the U.S. annual gross domestic product.
The business prospects for LinkedIn, Bernoff admits, are excellent. "There's a lot of potential for growth, both in terms of revenue and membership. When you need to connect with other professionals, LinkedIn is perfect. They dominate that space." But that space is limited. "It's not your whole life."
Kathy Smith, principal with Renaissance Capital, an IPO advisory firm, says the IPO's spectacular success was fueled by more than fundamentals.
"Some people are saying," Smith says, "that the underwriters mis-priced it. But I don't agree. They thought they were pricing it with the fundamentals in mind. The social networking community priced it differently." The people in that community, she calls enthusiasts -- "not your typical investors." Some of them are too young to remember the tech bubble of the '90s or how badly buyers ultimately got singed.
In that spectacular run-up, Internet-based companies by the dozens went public with no profits, little revenue, and lots of dreams about getting in the space first and attracting site visitors. The dotcom bubble of 1995-2000 saw the tech-heavy Nasdaq soar to 5,000 points then crash to less than 1,500 -- losing trillions of dollars for investors.
What we're witnessing now, Bernoff says, is not the birth of another bubble. "If Facebook went public tomorrow, you'd see the same frenzy. Its potential is much greater than LinkedIn's. But I'm concerned than in the next few quarters LinkedIn's true potential will become clearer and cause some people to become disillusioned. They'll see it doesn't actually have a patent on fairy dust."
Monday, May 23, 2011 at 11:57AM by jc Permalink
tagged Facebook, IPO, Linkedin, Stock Market, Stocks, Wall Street in Business General, Technology/Electronics/Software, Wall Street/Stock Market
Big First Day for LinkedIn; 7.84 Million Shares Sold
LinkedIn(NEW YORK) -- On Thursday, the social networking company LinkedIn went public to much fanfare.
Insiders got shares for $45 a piece last night. By the end of their first trading day those shares were selling for more than $94 (after touching more than $120 at mid-day). The closing price for shares was $94.25 (+$49.25 or 109.44%).
The company sold 7.84 million shares in the IPO Thursday; every one of those shares traded hands almost four times as investors scrambled to get in on the action (trading volume of 30.1 million shares).
With the IPO offering a flashback to the go-go days of the dot-com boom, people are now talking about what could be much bigger IPOs for other companies that play in the Internet's social sphere -- like Facebook and Groupon.
LinkedIn currently claims more than 100 million members who use the site for career networking and recruitment. Facebook has a much more engaged community of 600 million people who share billions of photos and status updates on the site.
While there is a lot of excitement around these social networking companies, many investors are harkening back to the bust which followed the previous boom.
Should LinkedIn, a company which made just $15 million in profits last year and says it will lose money in 2011 as it invests in future growth, command a market value of more than $8 billion? That's for the market to decide.
But don't be surprised to see Friday's headlines to be pointing to both the dot-com era's successes as well as the massive failures.
TheGlobe.com had the biggest IPO pop in history (and still does), its shares jumping more than 600 percent on the first day of trading. But folks who weren't surfing back in 1998 (and even some who were) probably couldn't tell you what TheGlobe.com was.
Thursday, May 19, 2011 at 7:02PM by Carmen Cox Permalink
tagged IPO, Linkedin, Public Trading, Stocks in Business General
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