Evolving Art Series: "Capture Ephemeral Nature through Painting"

 Evolving Art Series 

"Capture Ephemeral Nature through Painting"

Dr Abe V Rotor

 

Remnants of termites mounted on apocalyptic background painted 

in acrylic by the author.  On display at Living with Nature Center,

San Vicente, Ilocos Sur

High rise in ruins cower

to time, pest and weather,

their grandeur gone forever.

Will man ever remember?

Cave entrance reminiscent of Tabon Cave in Palawan, 

relief painting in acrylic by AV Rotor. 

Stalactite on the guard, 

stained by a fiery past;

home of man long before

he became an outcast.

Profile of a human face on our Milky Way galaxy, 

acrylic painting by AV Rotor.  

Images of human abound,

in living colors and sound;

 serendipity or providence,

captured as evidence.  

Treetop convergence in acrylic by AV Rotor

 Living with Nature Center

Trees make a community of their own,

they talk, sing, embrace each another;

designed by nature after they're sown,

living in unity and harmony together.

Microalgal colony in a pond in acrylic by AV Rotor

  Living with Nature Center

It's a world of the minutiae,

thru the microscope we see,

 but a shade of its entirety, 

much less its diversity.

Tree skeleton clinging on a rock cliff, by AV Rotor

 Living with Nature Center

It's counterpart of the sacred Cross;

let's save Mother Nature at all cost.

 

The Last Deer, wood carving against a dying waterfall 

mural by AV Rotor, Living with Nature Center

"Two symbols on the wall,

neither the fairest of all."

Edge of land and sea, detail of a wall mural by AV Rotor.

Living with Nature Center, San Vicente, Ilocos Sur

"It's a reflection of a scenery,

      opposite of a sweet memory." ~

Reference 

Philippine Literature Today
Copyright 2015 by C & E Publishing, Inc 237 pp
Abercio V Rotor and Kristine Molina-Doria

2024: Mackie's Pictorial Calendar: A Young Artist's Masterpiece

Mackie's Pictorial Calendar:

A Young Artist's Masterpiece

Dr Abe V Rotor 

Oh, Calendar, how precious you are!

Link of days, seasons of the year,

the sun and the moon and every star,

work and leisure, trials and cheer. - avr

Dates in Calendar are closer than they appear! Time is what keeps everything from happening at once. Keep a diary, and someday it’ll keep you.- Mae West

There is nothing so intractable as a calendar. – Margery Sharp

January

“New month, new intentions, new goals, new love, new light, and new beginnings.” — April Mae Monterrosa

“Stay away from what might have been, and look at what can be.”— Marsha Petrie Sue

February

“Though February is short, it is filled with lots of love and sweet surprises.” - ― Charmaine J. Forde

March 

“It was one of those March days when the sun shines hot and the wind blows cold: when it is summer in the light, and winter in the shade.”

― Charles Dickens

April

"The sun was warm but the wind was chill. 

 You know how it is with an April day. 

 When the sun is out and the wind is still,

 You're one month on in the middle of May."

      - Robert Frost, "Two Tramps in Mud Time"

“Some people can’t be fooled on April Fool’s Day

because they were fooled too many times

during their entire lifetime.” – Akash B Chandran

                               

May 

"Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving." - Albert Einstein

"It isn't where you came from. It's where you're going that counts."

 - Ella Fitzgerald

June

The longer days of June (Northern hemisphere) mean 

there's more sunshine in your life. 

- Popular saying 

July 

“I have come to believe that caring for myself is not self-indulgent. Caring for myself is an act of survival.”— Audre Lorde, July 24International Self-Care Day

“When you take care of yourself, you’re a better person for others. When you feel good about yourself, you treat others better.”— Solange Knowles
 

August

“Happy people are the best, and August is the month of the happiest people.” - Popular saying

 September

Make it a September to remember.  Remember the song?

October

October is commonly associated with the season of spring in parts of the Southern Hemisphere, and autumn in parts of the Northern Hemisphere, where it is the seasonal equivalent to April in the Southern Hemisphere and vice versa. - Science

November

“November: The last month of autumn, but the beginning of a new adventure; time to take a risk and do the unexpected.” - Common sayings

                                                     December

More than any month, December is full of festivities,  December 21 is the Winter Solstice—the astronomical first day of winter in the Northern Hemisphere and first day of summer in the Southern Hemisphere. December 25 is Christmas Day. 

Mackie, 10 years old, is grand daughter of the author.  She and her family live in Brisbane, Australia. 

The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam - an unparalleled masterpiece

 The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam 

- an unparalleled masterpiece

Dr Abe V Rotor

Living with Nature - School on Blog

I have a friend, Dr Anselmo S Cabigan, who is an ardent disciple of the great Persian astrologer-poet – Omar Khayyam, and on lighter occasions in school where we taught, he would run several lines from Rubaiyat, keeping faithful to the rhyme-rhythm of a quatrain, and emoting the imagined feeling of the master. It is a rare experience today to hear one reciting from memory an ancient masterpiece, which, had it not been for providence, history may have missed conserving such great work.

Omar Khayyam (1048 - ca. 1132) Astrologer-Poet of Persia (Iran)

How distinct Khayyam’s style is, compared with modern poets, who like in painting, hide behind the curtain of abstractionism – vague and hollow, and often wanting of refinement and naturalness. Rubaiyat, of course has some abstract forms, but intellectual and cultural.

Omar Khayyam enjoyed popularity, but his works showed more of the inner man - his life must have been truly well-spent, not only in the sciences and the arts, but in the fulfillment of life itself in his country though tumultuous in his time, was nonetheless obstacle to leading a romantic and scholarly life, as gleamed from the writings of one of his pupils. (The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam, rendered into English Verse by Edward Fitzgerald.) To wit:

“I often used to hold conversations with my teacher, Omar Khayyam, in a garden; and one day he said to me, “My tomb shall be in a spot where the north wind may scatter roses over it.’ I wondered at the words he spake, but I knew that his were not idle words. Years after, when I chanced to revisit Naishapur, I went to his final resting-place, and lo! It was just outside a garden, and trees laden with fruits stretched their boughs over the garden wall, and dropped their flowers upon his tomb, so that the stone was hidden under them.”

Here are the first 15 stanzas or quatrains of Omar Khayyam’s masterpiece, Rubaiyat, a priceless contribution to the richness of world literature, and to think that Rubaiyat was written prior to the golden era of the Renaissance. The quatrain used has four equal lines, though varied, sometimes all rhyming, but more often as shown here, the third line does not. It is somewhat like the Greek Alcaic, where the penultimate line seems to lift and suspend the Wave that falls over the last. The Rubaiyat has an Oriental flair, and distinctly  musical so that it is important to read it aloud, preferably with an audience.

I. Awake for Morning is the bowl of Night
Has flung the Stone that puts the Stars to Flight:
And Lo! the Hunter of the East has caught
The sultan's Turret in a Noose of Light.

II. Dreaming when Dawn's Left Hand was in the sky
I heard a Voice within the Tavern cry,
"Awake, my Little ones, and fill the Cup
Before Life's Liquor in its Cup be dry."

III And, as the Cock crew, those who stood before
The tavern shouted - "Open then the Door.
You know how little while we have to stay,
And, once departed, may return no more."

IV. Now the New Year reviving old Desires,
The Thoughtful Soul to Solitude retires,
Where the White Hand of Moses on the Bough
Puts out, and Jesus from the Ground auspires.

V. Iram indeed is gone with all its Rose,
And Jamshyd's Sev'n-ring'd Cup where no one knows;
But still the vine her ancient Ruby yields,
And still a Garden by the Water blows.

VI. And David's Lips are lock't, but in divine
High piping Pelevi, with"Wine! Wine! Wine!
Red Wine!" - the Nightingale cries to the Rose
That yellow Cheek of hers to'incarnadine.

VII. Come. fill the Cup, and in the Fire of Spring
The Winter Garment of Repentance fling;
The Bird of Time has but a little way
To fly - and Lo! the Bird is on the Wing.

VIII. And look - a thousand Blossoms with the Day
Woke - and a thousand scatter'd intop Cl;ay:
And this first Summer Month that brings the Rose
Shall take Jamshtd and Kaikobad away.

IX. But come with old Khayya, and leave the Lot
Of Kaikobad and Kaikhosru forgot:
Let Rustum lay about him as he will,
or Hatim Tai cry supper - heed them not.

X. With me along some strip of Herbage strown
That just divides the desert from the sown,
Where name of Slave and Sultan scare is known,
And pity Sultan Mahmud on his Throne.

XI. Here with a Loaf of Bread beneath the Bough,
A flask of Wine, a Book of Verse - and Thou
Beside me singing in the Wilderness -
And Wilderness is Paradise enow.

XII. "How sweet is mortal Sovranty!" - think some:
Others - "How blest the Paradise to come!"
Ah, take the Cash in hand and waive the Rest;
Oh, the brave Music of a distant Drum.

XIII. Look to the Rose about us - "Lo,
Laughing," she says, unto the World I blow:
At once the silken Tassel of my Purse
Tear, and its Treasure on the Garden throw."

XIV. The Worldly Hope men set their Hearts upon
Turns Ashes - or it prospers; and anon,
Like Snow upon the Desert's dusty Face
Lighting a little Hour or two - is gone.

XV. And those who husbanded the Golden Grain,
And those who flung it to the Winds like Rain,
Alike to no such aureate Earth are turn'd
As, buried once, Men want dug up again.

NOTE: Quatrain XI has a universal theme. This is the key to knowing Omar Khayyam's personality and life's philosophy - doubtless, Dr Cabigan and I agree.

"... and Thou beside me singing in the Wilderness - 
and Wilderness is Paradise enow."

About Omar Khayyam: The Persian astronomer, mathematician, and poet Omar Khayyam (1048-ca. 1132) made important contributions to mathematics, but his chief claim to fame, at least in the last 100 years, has been as the author of a collection of quatrains, the "Rubaiyat."

Omar Khayyam was born in Nishapur in May 1048. His father, Ibrahim, may have been a tentmaker (Khayyam means tentmaker). Omar obtained a thorough education in philosophy and mathematics, and at an early age he attained great fame in the latter field. The Seljuk sultan Jalal-al-Din Malik Shah invited him to collaborate in devising a new calendar, the Jalali or Maliki. Omar spent much of his life teaching philosophy and mathematics, and legends ascribe to him some proficiency in medicine. He died in Nishapur. (Acknowledgment: Thanks to Encyclopedia of World Biography; and to Internet for the photos)

Lesson on former Paaralang Bayan sa Himpapawid (People's School-on-Air) with Ms Melly C Tenorio, 738 DZRB AM Band, 8 to 9 evening class, Monday to Friday [www.pbs.gov.ph]

Have you tasted Sea Urchin?

Have you tasted Sea Urchin?

(Echinus esculentus L

Esculentus means "edible" and sea urchin roe is used as food around the world. It is not actually the eggs that are eaten but the gonads or reproductive organs - which gives the popular belief that it is an aphrodisiac food.

Dr Abe V Rotor

Living with Nature - School on Blog 

avrotor.blogspot.com

 

A harvest of sea urchin off the coast of Dumaguete, Oriental Negros. It is served in a floating restaurant while cruising to watch for whales and dolphins, a tourist attraction.

We call it in Ilocano maritangtang, referring to any species distinctly ball shaped with radiating spines, short or long, variegated of pitch black, some almost bald, while others covered with spikes that almost hide the real body.

And what an extreme impression we have about this enigmatic marine creature which occupies the highest rung of the evolutionary ladder of invertebrates. (Poriferans - the sponges, occupy the lowest rung). This means that the members of Phylum Echinodermata have well developed senses and organs, except for brain!

Luckily Nature has endowed the members highly sensitive senses to adapt to their environment - gregarious, wide range feeders, and armored with thick exoskeleton with radiating spikes and poisonous sting that few predators would dare to attack them. No wonder they live up to 5 years, and in the case of the pink sea urchin 200 years! It is one of the longest living creatures on earth!

Beware! Don't walk the sea floor barefooted. And where sea urchins abound in colonies, the sea floor appears like a beautiful tapestry with iridescent glow, so inviting you are seeing another world. In most places though, sea urchins live in small groups, often camouflaged by silt, seaweeds, sea grasses or simply by the coral reef on which they live.

As a professor in marine biology at the UST Graduate School I always emphasize never to underestimate the sea urchin. Getting a stab requires quick remedy, and if one steps of the black one (photo), medical attention becomes necessary, not only for the wound but possible allergic reaction.

So how do you treat the sea urchin other than not to touch it? Just observe, photograph, or ask a local guide to pick it up for you as specimen. Keep it in a jar of formalin or alcohol solution for your school laboratory.

And if you touch one and a spine is embedded in your hand, don't panic. Don't pry it with needle, it will only get deeper. Soak the wound with vinegar or calamansi juice. The spike is a calcium compound so that it readily dissolves in acid. Local folks have a more practical remedy - urine. Who could resist to answer the call of nature in severe pain and fear?

All these make the sea urchin a delicious treat, if you may. But there's one curious effect many people crave - increased sexual desire. Eating the gonads - testes and ovary - of the sea urchin (sea urchins have separate sexes - dioecious) delivers the Freudian drive for sexual expression and gratification. Whatever we eat as long its healthy food, the effect is possibly the same. And it is excellent health that keeps us on our toes always.

Study the anatomy of the sea urchin.

"The mouth of the sea urchin (known as the Aristotle's lantern), is found in the middle on the underside of the sea urchin's body and has five tooth-like plates for feeding. The anus of the sea urchin is located on the top of the body. As with other echinoderms, sea urchins do not have a brain and instead rely on their water-vascular system which is like a circulatory system and comprises of water-filled channels that run through the body of the sea urchin." Wikipedia.

What you are seeing in water is the adult sea urchin. Take a look at this illustration. The immature stages are almost invisible to the naked eye.

Sea urchins spawn during the spring (monsoon), and the female sea urchin releases millions of tiny, jelly-coated eggs into the water that are then fertilized by the sperm of the male sea urchin. The tiny sea urchin eggs become part of the plankton and the sea urchin babies (larvae) do not hatch for several months. The sea urchin young will not become large enough to retreat from the plankton and down to the ocean floor until they are between 2 and 5 years old.

Due to dredging on the ocean floor and pollution in the water, and the effects of Global Warming, not to mention the increasing appetite of people all over the world, sea urchin populations are declining.

Today, the edible sea urchin, Echinus esculentus, is a threatened species. Next time you order the delicacy, don't take too seriously the Greek goddess of love, beauty, pleasure, and procreation (Aphrodite, equivalent is the Roman goddess Venus). ~

Lesson on former Paaralang Bayan sa Himpapawid (People's School-on-Air) with Ms Melly C Tenorio 738 DZRB AM, [www.pbs.gov.ph] 8-9 evening class Monday to Friday

Make your own transforms for teaching and decoration

Make your own transforms for teaching and decoration

Museum of Natural History, UPLB 

Mt Makiling, Laguna 

Dr Abe V Rotor

 Replica of whale attracts teachers on field trip.  On the left is a painting of the blue whale

 Giant outline of a damsel fly and a butterfly

 Scorpion on the wall; wooden exoskeleton of insect.

 Modern sculptural representation of an insect's exoskeleton 

 

Fairy tale mushroom; anatomy of a tree

 Sowbug, a relative of the insect - a terrestrial crustacean

A representation of a "new" species of  lizard.

Signature of time passing.

Signature of time passing

Mark the Passage of Time with our Growing Children  

Dr Abe V Rotor

How time flies, we hear people say;

     maybe, but it leaves something:

like first smile, first word, first step, ,

     each a signature of time passing.

                              Weaning leaves the infant behind.

                          First birthday is full of love and affection.

             From the confines of home to the open arms of Nature.

                               Bridging three generations in a row.

                        Youngest visitor suspends work momentarily.

Family reunion strengthens bonding up to the third generation (and beyond), keeps distance (even overseas) within reach, and gives a sense of comfort and security. ~

Malunggay is the most popular tree vegetable in the tropic.

Malunggay is the most popular tree

vegetable in the tropic.

                                                 Dr Abe V Rotor

Compound leaves of malunggay (Moringa oleifera); botanical description of malunggay; mature pods hanging on the tree. (Useful Plants of the Philippines by WH Brown; Wikipedia

In the province no home is without this small tree at the backyard or in a vacant lot. The leaves, flowers, juvenile pods and young fruits of Moringa oleifera (Family Moringaceae) go well with fish, meat, shrimp, mushroom, and the like. It is one plant that does not need agronomic attention, not even weeding and fertilization, much less chemical spraying. You simply plant an arms length cutting or two, in some corner or along the fence and there it grows into a tree that can give you a ready supply of vegetables yearound. What nutrients do we get from malunggay?

Here is a comparison of the food value of the fresh leaves and young fruits, respectively, in percent. (Marañon and Hermano, Useful Plants of the Philippines)

· Proteins 7.30 7.29
· Carbohydrates 11.04 2.61
· Fats 1.10 0.16
· Crude Fiber 1.75 0.76
· Phosphorus (P2 O 5) 0.24 0.19
· Calcium (CaO) 0.72 0.01
· Iron (Fe2O3) 0.108 0.0005

Owing to these properties and other uses, rural folks regard malunggay a “miracle tree.” Take for example the following uses.

· The root has a taste somewhat like that of horse-radish,

  and in India it is eaten as a substitute to it.

· Ben oil extracted from the seed is used for salad and culinary

  purposes, and also as illuminant.

· Mature seeds have antibacterial and flocculants properties

  that render drinking water safe and clear.

From these data, it is no wonder malunggay is highly recommended by doctors and nutritionists for both children and adults, particularly to nursing mothers and convalescents. ~

Moths: Masters of Camouflage and Mimicry

Moths: Masters of Camouflage and Mimicry

Dr Abe V Rotor

Sphinx Moths:

Polymorphism or Diversity?
These three Sphinx moths have strong basic morphological characteristics, including size and color that at first glance one would not suspect their differences. The shape and position of their antennae are different, so with their "hoods". Another difference lies in the markings on their bodies and wings. In some cases a pair of eyes (lowermost photo) appears real to a would-be predator.

Markings and Transparency

Two ways to mimic and not be seen,
opaque and part of canvas;
or translucent as if you're not there,
and let the enemy pass.


The Art of Taking Off

Either it flaps or glides on the wind that a moth flies. It can be both, Left photo shows a gypsy moth preparing for takeoff with wings drawn up. At this stage, the predator is puzzled of the sudden transformation into a bright and large abdomen, while the moth flies and escape. A hawk moth (right) spreads its wings side wise and prepares to glide. Without a favorable wind current it is a clumsy flyer. Because moths are nocturnal, navigation relies mainly on the sensitive antennae and two compound eyes.

From Dropping to Monster

This Geometrid moth lies prostrate like a dropping of a bird or rodent in order to escape its enemies. Then it begins to stir as it senses danger, its antennae now beginning to rise, and its wings start to split open ready for takeoff. There is a close relative of the moth (not in the photo) which has a unique defense mechanism. It twists its outer wings upward and inward, exposing a monstrous look to scare the intruder.