Dan
@pleinairinplainair.bsky.social
Geek of all trades, master of a few. Plein air painting. Model making. Sci-Fi. Amateur Radio. Video games. Books. Astronomy. If there’s hobby I haven’t enjoyed, it’s because I haven’t tried it. https://danielholmes.art
Reposted by Dan
A bunch of government accounts joined Bluesky today, and it seems very likely they intend to trawl the timeline for statements they can spin as inflammatory or insidious. I’m denying them access to my posts, and I suggest you do the same. Here’s how to do it in one click.
Blockety block block BLOCK!!!
October 18, 2025 at 1:27 AM
A bunch of government accounts joined Bluesky today, and it seems very likely they intend to trawl the timeline for statements they can spin as inflammatory or insidious. I’m denying them access to my posts, and I suggest you do the same. Here’s how to do it in one click.
Saw @scalzi.com today. As we were driving to the book signing, I told my son about his “Wil Wheaton, Croc Hunter” short story from a year or so ago. My son wondered if his Croc could be signed. @scalzi.com delivered.
September 22, 2025 at 3:17 AM
Saw @scalzi.com today. As we were driving to the book signing, I told my son about his “Wil Wheaton, Croc Hunter” short story from a year or so ago. My son wondered if his Croc could be signed. @scalzi.com delivered.
Reposted by Dan
One for your diary as an IAAA member!
This Saturday's member's Zoom will feature Dr Pamela Gay of Cosmoquest!
CosmoQuest.org
This Saturday's member's Zoom will feature Dr Pamela Gay of Cosmoquest!
CosmoQuest.org
- CosmoQuest
CosmoQuest.org
March 6, 2025 at 7:06 AM
One for your diary as an IAAA member!
This Saturday's member's Zoom will feature Dr Pamela Gay of Cosmoquest!
CosmoQuest.org
This Saturday's member's Zoom will feature Dr Pamela Gay of Cosmoquest!
CosmoQuest.org
Reposted by Dan
It's a scary time to be in education
www.ed.gov/about/news/p...
www.ed.gov/about/news/p...
U.S. Department of Education Launches “End DEI” Portal
The U.S. Department of Education launched EndDEI.Ed.Gov, a public portal for parents, students, teachers, and the broader community to submit reports of discrimination based on race or sex in publicly...
www.ed.gov
March 4, 2025 at 8:38 PM
It's a scary time to be in education
www.ed.gov/about/news/p...
www.ed.gov/about/news/p...
If anyone wants to join a nascent #pleinair Discord, here’s an invite: discord.gg/9df7dvHCEW let’s get the numbers up.
Join the Plein Air Painters Discord Server!
Check out the Plein Air Painters community on Discord – hang out with 28 other members and enjoy free voice and text chat.
discord.gg
March 4, 2025 at 7:42 PM
If anyone wants to join a nascent #pleinair Discord, here’s an invite: discord.gg/9df7dvHCEW let’s get the numbers up.
Anyone going to attempt #pleinairpril ? A Plein air painting every day in April. I won’t be able to do every day but I think I can do 3-4 a week. More information: pleinairpril.com
PleinAirpril
pleinairpril.com
March 3, 2025 at 6:48 PM
Anyone going to attempt #pleinairpril ? A Plein air painting every day in April. I won’t be able to do every day but I think I can do 3-4 a week. More information: pleinairpril.com
Went to a taping of “Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me” in Chicago last Thursday. It was fun to see how the show was made—I had no idea the commercials are recorded live.
January 20, 2025 at 6:42 PM
Went to a taping of “Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me” in Chicago last Thursday. It was fun to see how the show was made—I had no idea the commercials are recorded live.
Thanks again to @jayispainting.earthskyart.ca for doing the #ArtAdventCalendar. I’ve never really posted much publicly, and this got me out of my comfort zone.
December 24, 2024 at 6:00 PM
Thanks again to @jayispainting.earthskyart.ca for doing the #ArtAdventCalendar. I’ve never really posted much publicly, and this got me out of my comfort zone.
And for the last #ArtAdventCalendar, I give you Immortan Drumpf (Trump as Immortan Joe from Furiosa). Painted during the last reign, and not looking forward to the next one.
I particularly liked the troll doll at his waist on this one.
I particularly liked the troll doll at his waist on this one.
December 24, 2024 at 6:00 PM
And for the last #ArtAdventCalendar, I give you Immortan Drumpf (Trump as Immortan Joe from Furiosa). Painted during the last reign, and not looking forward to the next one.
I particularly liked the troll doll at his waist on this one.
I particularly liked the troll doll at his waist on this one.
#ArtadventCalendar day 23. Another onsite drawing of an overlook in Death Valley. I have a photo as well, but I wanted to just capture the values and shapes of the area in graphite. It’s a study for a later Martian landscape. #pleinair #landscape
December 23, 2024 at 2:33 PM
#ArtadventCalendar day 23. Another onsite drawing of an overlook in Death Valley. I have a photo as well, but I wanted to just capture the values and shapes of the area in graphite. It’s a study for a later Martian landscape. #pleinair #landscape
#ArtAdventCalendar day 22. Driving through Cherry Creek Stare Park, I watched two deer eat. When the geese flew overhead, they looked up to watch them land on the next meadow over. I think it’s the first time I’ve seen two animals watch each other that wasn’t a predator/prey situation.
December 22, 2024 at 2:53 PM
#ArtAdventCalendar day 22. Driving through Cherry Creek Stare Park, I watched two deer eat. When the geese flew overhead, they looked up to watch them land on the next meadow over. I think it’s the first time I’ve seen two animals watch each other that wasn’t a predator/prey situation.
So do starter packs and lists dynamically update? Like anyone added to them after I subscribed automatically get added to my feed?
December 21, 2024 at 3:17 PM
So do starter packs and lists dynamically update? Like anyone added to them after I subscribed automatically get added to my feed?
#ArtAdventCalendar day 21. Another scale model. A 1/35 Jeep from the Gundam universe. Acrylics through an airbrush, oils for weathering. #scalemodels
December 21, 2024 at 2:15 PM
#ArtAdventCalendar day 21. Another scale model. A 1/35 Jeep from the Gundam universe. Acrylics through an airbrush, oils for weathering. #scalemodels
#ArtAdventCalendar day 20. Study of a pitcher for an early #oilpainting class. There was no way I had the brush control to do the Grecian style image on the front, so I abstracted it. I liked the effect so much, it led me to want to study Impressionism. Don’t like the handle lighting. #stilllife
December 20, 2024 at 2:14 PM
#ArtAdventCalendar day 20. Study of a pitcher for an early #oilpainting class. There was no way I had the brush control to do the Grecian style image on the front, so I abstracted it. I liked the effect so much, it led me to want to study Impressionism. Don’t like the handle lighting. #stilllife
#ArtAdventCalendar Day 19. The horrors persist, and so must I. I have a flask in my “Big box ‘o still life stuff” and wanted to try and paint a reflection in it—I had never painted glass before. #oilpainting #stilllife it really helped the “paint what you see, not what you think you see” skill.
December 19, 2024 at 2:46 PM
#ArtAdventCalendar Day 19. The horrors persist, and so must I. I have a flask in my “Big box ‘o still life stuff” and wanted to try and paint a reflection in it—I had never painted glass before. #oilpainting #stilllife it really helped the “paint what you see, not what you think you see” skill.
#ArtAdventCalendar day 18. Another scale model vignette. Bandai 1:144 scale Star Wars Snow Speeder and AT-ST. I hate decals, so everything is hand painted—nothing airbrushed on this one, and it was a test to use thinned artists oils. Lots of layers, but the weathering turned out well. #scalemodels
December 18, 2024 at 2:18 PM
#ArtAdventCalendar day 18. Another scale model vignette. Bandai 1:144 scale Star Wars Snow Speeder and AT-ST. I hate decals, so everything is hand painted—nothing airbrushed on this one, and it was a test to use thinned artists oils. Lots of layers, but the weathering turned out well. #scalemodels
Talking to an old friend a few days ago. Was discussing lifelong hobbies. In learning a skill/hobby/trade, at what time do you consider yourself out of the realm of “beginner”, and what’s the next label? “Intermediate”? “Advanced”? I never see anyone label themselves “advanced artist” for example.
December 17, 2024 at 6:49 PM
Talking to an old friend a few days ago. Was discussing lifelong hobbies. In learning a skill/hobby/trade, at what time do you consider yourself out of the realm of “beginner”, and what’s the next label? “Intermediate”? “Advanced”? I never see anyone label themselves “advanced artist” for example.
#ArtAdventCalendar day 17. One of my earliest attempts at #astrophotgraphy. I broke apart a webcam, and made a focus adapter for my telescope. It was good for bright objects. Shortly after the image was made, I had to move and this generation of equipment was broken. This image of Saturn remains.
December 17, 2024 at 3:12 PM
#ArtAdventCalendar day 17. One of my earliest attempts at #astrophotgraphy. I broke apart a webcam, and made a focus adapter for my telescope. It was good for bright objects. Shortly after the image was made, I had to move and this generation of equipment was broken. This image of Saturn remains.
#ArtAdventCalendar day 16. A copper bowl I liked the reflections on—because of the ridges, it almost looked 8-bit. I, used it in a class. I don’t really paint many still life objects, I enjoy being outside too much. But I really should try this a little more.
December 16, 2024 at 6:56 PM
#ArtAdventCalendar day 16. A copper bowl I liked the reflections on—because of the ridges, it almost looked 8-bit. I, used it in a class. I don’t really paint many still life objects, I enjoy being outside too much. But I really should try this a little more.
#ArtAdventCalendar day 15. Two winters ago I went to a favorite painting spot near a river hoping to see fast rapids from the runoff. Nope. Hiked a ways, found this naked tree with light scattered around it. Quick sketch with the changing light. I’ve redone this a few times in other media. #pleinair
December 15, 2024 at 1:58 PM
#ArtAdventCalendar day 15. Two winters ago I went to a favorite painting spot near a river hoping to see fast rapids from the runoff. Nope. Hiked a ways, found this naked tree with light scattered around it. Quick sketch with the changing light. I’ve redone this a few times in other media. #pleinair
Reposted by Dan
December 14, 2024 at 6:12 PM
#ArtAdventCalendar day 14. My son was fishing on the Big Thompson river, so I busted out the paints. It was completely overcast, and like being in a softbox. This is a small sketch, low dynamic range, just to play with shapes. I need to figure out if there is something here. #pleinair #landscape
December 14, 2024 at 2:07 PM
#ArtAdventCalendar day 14. My son was fishing on the Big Thompson river, so I busted out the paints. It was completely overcast, and like being in a softbox. This is a small sketch, low dynamic range, just to play with shapes. I need to figure out if there is something here. #pleinair #landscape
#ArtAdventCalendar day 13! Transit of Venus across the Sun, seen from Utah June 5th, 2012. My favorite #Astrophoto I’ve taken. It was cloudy all day. Had to leave, quite deflated. About a mile from home, the clouds parted. Was able to park in a school and setup my equipment quickly, got this shot.
December 13, 2024 at 2:54 PM
#ArtAdventCalendar day 13! Transit of Venus across the Sun, seen from Utah June 5th, 2012. My favorite #Astrophoto I’ve taken. It was cloudy all day. Had to leave, quite deflated. About a mile from home, the clouds parted. Was able to park in a school and setup my equipment quickly, got this shot.
For #ArtAdventCalendar day 12(Halfway over!) here’s another drawing from a figure group I attend semi-irregularly. I think this was a 5 minute sketch. Charcoal and graphite on newsprint. 36”x24”. The lighting is very flat, but I think I was able to get some shadows. #charcoal #drawing #lifedrawing
December 12, 2024 at 3:06 PM
For #ArtAdventCalendar day 12(Halfway over!) here’s another drawing from a figure group I attend semi-irregularly. I think this was a 5 minute sketch. Charcoal and graphite on newsprint. 36”x24”. The lighting is very flat, but I think I was able to get some shadows. #charcoal #drawing #lifedrawing