Virtual Brush Box

Do I make changes in old posts?

No.

But also, it depends.

The underlying premise is that the post was what it was at the time. I may think I went overboard on the subtitles. Well, perhaps. But that was my theory at the time.

State of the Blog [Archives]

Things I Don’t Change

Labels. The reason for the subtitles was to warn readers that this is not a horse post, and you may wish to come back tomorrow. But then I thought people might want to know before clicking on the post. These are the things I cogitate about. So I dropped subtitles and changed to expanded main titles. Do I like how the post headings look in the past? No, but that was my premise at the time. [State of the Subtitles, State of the Blog]

Word Usage. When I started, I wrote saddle seat as one word, as with Saddlebred. In year two, an instructor pointed out that it should be parallel construction to hunt seat. “I shall use it thus moving forward. Correcting retrospectively would involve too much living in the past. That way lies madness” [RS: Posts: Saddle Seat]

Body copy. Nope. It is what it was. However, I will make additions, see below.

Things I Change

Obvious typos. I do proofread, I promise. Still, I’m amazed at how many misteaks I find when I read old posts.

Misspelled names. Took me a while to get Heathermoor correct.

Links that go the wrong place or have incorrect body copy.

Compromise Changes

Added “Art” to the end of the title of the first Mixed Media class post. On the theory that a) it was recent, b) I was still doing the rest of the classes, & c) this brought the post in line with current practice. [Painting, Mixed Media Class #1, Art]

I will make small changes on the day, if I just can’t even. For example, yesterday. I decided the store label did not belong with spooky photo. But I needed a spacer between the two photos. So I dropped the store info below the second photo and added Happy Halloween. [Spooky Season]

Updates

Updates are my solution to going back. This allows me to add to the post but preserves the original data. I’m up to three on my Nationals list. [Nationals I Have Known, List of Links]

Coda
Bloggers, what do you do about past posts?

Onwards!
Katherine

Awareness of the outside world. “Research shows hyperactivity isn’t caused by sugar itself … in a meta-analysis in the 1990s, there was no impact … Sugary treats often appear at exciting social events … Expectancy bias is powerful, as it shapes what we see. YLE: Halloween candy: A smart guide for parents, Jetelina & Maisano, Oct 29, 2025.

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Happy Halloween!

Elizabeth Moore Chocolates
Pelham AL USA

Process Notes

I never got the image I was aiming for. Turns out a dark subject on black paper in shadow is tricky. Not to mention one hand to hold the camera, one hand to hold the flashlight, and one hand to tap the focus.

The dramatic lighting comes from the light shining thru the red underside of the paper. Total accident while trying to get the light to go where I wanted. Not sure where the third set of teeth came from. That does make it kinda creepy.

Lesson. The eye can see things that the camera doesn’t. I posed exactly what I wanted. Dark shadows highlighting the skull. My phone camera did not cooperate. What you see is not what you get. It is not automatic. I tend to forget this, as it is automatic in bright daylight for subjects not moving too fast, i.e. snapshots. Edge cases – lighting, speed, size, and so on – require skills. And set up. And special equipment.

Upside. I got eat the subjects.

Previous eye vs camera post [Accidental Astronomy]

Food Photography [archives]

Onwards!
Katherine

Horses of the outside world. Nationals starts today. Feeling wistful. Not that I want to be there necessarily, but I’d like to be doing something. [Where I Am Not]

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I feel the need to keep track of my lessons. File this for reference rather than for gripping narrative.

Recent Lessons

Saddle seat. Driving with Boogie. No media. Brought cones.

Hunt seat. Rained out.

Note to self. These are side quests. Entertaining certainly but side quests none the less. Must stay focused on main adventure.

Recap of October Lessons

Week of Wed the 1st. Preshow lesson. [Lovely Lesson & Small Whine],

Week of Monday the 6th. Show. [Trip to Tennessee, Show Report, Southeast Academy Championship 2025]

Week of Monday the 13th. Goldy. [New Ears For October]

Week of Monday the 20th. As above.

Week of Monday the 27th. Saddle seat at show, see top, no lessons. Hunt seat, TBD.

Onwards!
Katherine

Awareness of the outside world. Continue to be a human baseline for the Johns Hopkins COVID Long Study. Continue to be happy about that fact. [Rock On, Razzy]

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Minor progress on Standardbred acquisition plan. [Activity Comes Before Progress, Horse Shopping]

Cleared first hurdle at one rescue.

Need to fill out required paperwork for two other rescues.

Media sent from members of an online group. The horses are up in Canada, but at least we are seeing photos and videos of actual horses.

I’m using the barn “we” here. All work has been done by other barn minion. We hope Standardbred will also be a riding horse, but his/her main job will be driving. So, our driver is on it.

Riding horse? I remain completely stymied. How to proceed. How to find sound sales horses. How to activate the horse distribution system. How to get on the good side of the horse distribution system. What is my quest. What is the airspeed of a coconut-laden swallow. But I digress.

Onwards!
Katherine

Eats of the outside world. Goldfish Crisps. Crossbreed of Goldfish crackers and potato chips. Dangerous levels of yum. Introduce yourself at your own risk.

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Lake George NY, USA
September 2025

Garelick Farms®

“Garelick Farms, a subsidiary of Dairy Farmers of America, is a manufacturer of dairy products in the Northeastern United States.” Wiki: Garelick Farms.

First – unlabeled – multi-media menagerie post [Curious Cat Contemplates Carrots]

Onwards!
Katherine

Awareness of the outside world. Saturday’s adventure. Magic City Classic: Parade Information. Cannot remember the last time I watched a parade IRL. “The country’s biggest HBCU rivalry game.” Magic City Classic.

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With apologies to Didactylos, The Trailer Moves!

Dug trailer out of bushes.

Checked that it ran.

Put air in tires as needed.

Last time it went anywhere was Milton’s hotel stay in January. [Milton Arranges A Spa Stay]

Yes, should check more often. It is on my list of monthly tasks. Yet here we are.

We are good to go.

Onwards!
Katherine

Art of the outside world. artnet: Her Intricate Paper Cuttings Outsold Rembrandts. Who Was the Dutch Master Known as ‘Scissors Minerva’? White 2025. Hat tip to G.

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Part Three. Putting it all together.

Start

Finish

For the warp strips on the woven piece, I sliced up a painting from final of the previous art classes. Didn’t like the painting. Seemed like as good a use as any. [Acrylic Class #4]

All of the rest of the paper is chopped up elements from the two previous mixed media classes. [Class #1, Class #2]

Onwards!
Katherine