Crafting Ideas for old Magic The Gathering Cards
You can find many wonderful ideas online for using old, unwanted Magic The Gathering cards – here is my take on it, using my favourite up-cycling technique – decoupage. MTG cards were/are always printed with interesting artwork illustrating characters, places, artifacts, magical effects and monsters – in keeping with the fantasy theme of the popular […]
Parawisata City – a Soundscape
A micro-tonal ambient soundscape evoking a dark, futuristic city-scape reminiscent of the original “Blade Runner” movie made in 1982. Data Source The note sequences for this piece arose from my own (probably very flawed!) transcription from a manuscript of a classical Gamelan work called “Ladrang Parawisata, laras slendro pathet sanga”. Method My technique for re-imagining […]
A boy has never wept nor dashed a thousand kim
Microtonal music – a suite of six ambient sonic atmospheres created by connecting a purpose-built generative network (designed using Nodal Sequencer) into a bank of synthesizers tuned via MTS-ESP (Microtonal Tuning System – Extended System Plug-in). For this composition I designed a Nodal network providing output on 9 MIDI channels. The network was designed to […]
Free Printable Lenormand Cards
My “try before you buy” Lenormand Deck is free to print-and-play for personal use. The deck can be used: If you use the print-and-play cards and like them, why not treat yourself ? For just £23 (free UK delivery), you can own the deck professionally printed in full colour on both sides, on casino-grade, linen-finish […]
3D Model Wall-E
Pushing my 3D printer to its limits, in April 2024 I created this figurine to give as a gift for my great-grandson. The STL file for the model kit came from Thingiverse. I printed it using PLA filament using “fine” settings on the printer, after scaling the kit down to 80% of original (only because […]
Sci-Fi Soundscapes
“IN A GLASS DARKLY” Over 60 minutes of ambient sound to use for your Sci-Fi themed roleplaying, board games, card games, or reading. This collection of ‘scapes is an homage to science-fiction of the 20th century. Its origins lie in my personal deep and abiding affection for such inventions – ranging from stories by H.G.Wells […]
Edgar Allan Poe Inspired Soundscape
“Tales of Mystery and Imagination” is a gothic horror soundscape inspired by the works of Edgar Allan Poe. The piece is in four sections, each inspired by, and reflecting one of Poe’s short stories. Track 1 – Ligeia. The protagonist marries the love of his life, Ligeia. He does not remember exactly how or where […]
Dungeon Solitaire Illustrated Deck
A free illustrated card deck for playing Tomb of Four Kings. This is a deck of 54 cards that I created to complement and enhance the player’s experience of the solo card game “Dungeon Solitaire: Tomb of Four Kings” created by Matthew Lowes. ToFK can be played with an ordinary deck of standard playing cards […]
Memento Mori
A Collection of Short Poems A collection of eight short poems presented as a PDF Booklet. The title “Memento Mori” reflects a connecting theme based around the idea that if we intentionally take time to contemplate our own mortality, then we can find reasons to try to be better people while we still live. If […]
Liberty
This image is titled “Liberty”. It is digitally adapted by me from an old French playing card that was designed by Jacques-Louis David during the French Revolution. I have altered the original image and its text to make a personal statement.
Fugue
This short piece is a little musical “whimsy” that I made up. Very unusually (for me) it is composed rather than generated from a network.
Rock Balancing July 2022
The Bay was beautiful today. Saw some nice rocks so decided to balance some of them.
USB MP3 Tracks Play in Wrong Order – Work-around
Work-around for Problem: Car media player plays MP3 music tracks from a USB-stick in the wrong sequence.
A Golden Ratio Music Vocabulary
A vocabulary I have developed to help with may micro-tonal golden ratio generative music compositional techniques.
Middle C = C3 or C4 – a Fix
A preset for the Notemapper VST which converts note messages from tools referring to middle C as “C3” into MIDI notes based on “C4” as middle C.
Lovecraft Ambience III
Lovecraft Ambience III provides an hour of microtonal dark ambient soundscapes designed to complement your H.P. Lovecraft inspired board games, card games or reading.
Gothic – a Solo/Coop Writing Game
Gothic is a print & play “journaling” type solo rolo-playing game with a horror theme. The deck of 70 illustrated cards builds a map of your location, and suggests what you find there. You explore – acquiring information, objects, and assistants to help you overcome dangerous encounters.
Lovecraft Ambience II
Volume 2 of “Lovecraft Ambience” is a further suite of six electronic ambient soundscapes designed to complement H.P. Lovecraft inspired board games, card games, role-playing or reading.
Heroscape – Sentinel Towers
Another small project in my “Colossal Masonry” series for the game Heroscape. Easily made from just 5 mm foam board and glue.
Soundscape – Perseverance
Sound generated using Instacomposer and Nodal Sequencer, rendered using Reaper Digital Audio Workstation.
Relativity Theory with No Equations
An introduction to Einstein’s theories of Relativity – with no equations, and certainly no rubber sheets…
Heroscape – Ragiggmans Ruins
More Heroscape custom scenery. How to use just 5 mm foam-board to make ancient ruins with the look of “colossal masonry”.
Heroscape – Ragiggmans Cheap and Easy Scenery
Detailed instructions on how to make Heroscape compatible scatter scenery from 5 mm foam-board.
Niccolo – Print and Play Board Game
Niccolò is race game, its heritage deriving from games such as Sorry!, Ludo, and Parcheesi.
However, it comes with a wicked twist – there are no dice!
Time and Tides, Topography and Tarot
Only a small number of books enter my special shelf reserved for works that are so significant that I shall never relinquish them. I have recently added Susanna Clarke’s “Piranesi”. (www.blomsbury.com ISBN 978-1-5266-2242-6)
Ersatz Armies for Heroscape
A cheap-and-cheerful custom conversion project for Hasbro’s Heroscape tabletop wargame.
Lovecraft Ambience
“Over 60 minutes of electronic ambient soundscapes designed to complement H.P. Lovecraft inspired board games, card games, role-playing or reading.
The Sorcerer’s Cave
A fan-made print-&-play conversion kit providing alternative artwork cards and tokens for the out of print 1978 game “The Sorcerer’s Cave”.
Folding Dog Steps – Plans
Free downloadable construction plans for a set of sturdy steps that allow a large dog with mobility issues to have easier access to a vehicle. When not in use, the steps fold down to a size that can be carried and stored in the vehicle.
Steeptown in the Gorge
A 15mm scale diorama of an imaginary town made using Dave Graffam’s wonderful print-cut-out-and-glue cardboard scenery, a lot of balsa wood, and various metal alloy miniature figurines.
Sun Visor Hack
Instructions for project to adapt an extension sun-visor – so that it can be fitted to vehicles with very narrow existing visors. (Medium difficulty)
De Alchimia
A project to create digital collages and display them in framed plates inside a faux grimoire.
Carriage Clock Up-Cycling
Showcasing digital art by up-cycling an old clock.
The Nereid Coleoide
Another of my manipulated fractal / rendered figure composite images.
Model Locomotive
I remember steam locomotives from my childhood, and particularly watching them during many (seemingly endless) warm summer holidays spent around Hest Bank near Morecambe.
Fractal Landscape
An image created by compositing a wire-frame model into a generated background.
Poems from the Road
A multimedia work inspired by a famous and celebrated journey which took place many years ago in Japan.
In this project I have used generative music and generative art techniques to create a concept album.
A Cautionary Tale
Hello? What’s this? I did not order anything electrical…
How words have have changed their meaning for the younger generations….
Talisman Board Game DIY Upgrades
A bunch of do-it-yourself upgrades that I created for my copy of the classic board game “Talisman”.
Untangling Entangled States
An essay outlining a thought experiment which explores the application of abstract geometries to the data modelling of musical composition and performance.
Mandelbulb 3D Fractal
I wonder what a living space might look like if the things living in it were very far from human? From our perspective, it might look so strange that we would not even recognize form hinting at function. We might guess that it was some natural accretion of crystalline material – growing, yet devoid of design or intent.
Steampunk Playmat
I play Magic The Gathering most Friday nights. I am not very skilled at the game, but I like the card designs and admire the artwork. I also like the “paraphernalia” – boxes, dice, playmats etc. So I decided to create my own design for a playmat.
Generative Music
I have been developing my “soundscapes” composition technique recenty with the aid of a sequencer called Nodal, which was developed around 2005 at Monash University, Australia.
Artist’s Website
I just completed developing a website for an artist friend. Mavis Nwokobia creates the most amazing paintings using a variety of fine art media.
The Call
Fractal landscape with figures.
Clock Conundrum
I drafted this little puzzle for my pal Eric, and he enjoyed it so much that he said, “Why not blog it?”
Decoupaged Simple Box
Just to demonstrate that you don’t need to spend a lot of money to make a colourful and interesting personalised gift. I found a magazine for stamp collectors in a charity shop for 20p. A plain wooden “chest” style box from “The Works” ready for decorating costs £2.00 Instructions: (1) Use a pencil to mark […]
Print and Play Board Game – Dungeon Race
I designed “Dungeon Race” especially for situations where there are mixed ages of young children playing. If some of the kids are OK with “snakes and ladders”, but not quite ready yet for anything much more complicated, then “Dungeon Race” is a great next step
Simple Fantasy Skirmish
A free set of simple rules for beginners or young kids to play table-top wargames using miniature models & scenery.
Sehnsucht
Soundscapes and images inspired (at least in part) by avant garde composers of the last century, including Karheinz Stockhausen and György Ligeti.
Lion Rider
I like to invent album covers for 1970’s Prog Rock bands that existed only in my own imagination. Wierd huh? Yeah, I know.
Humpback
“Humpback” is a relaxing New Age style musical composition involving psycho-active acoustics.
Prelude, Toccata & Coda
A multimedia creation evolved out of hand-drawn line sketches.
Moon Rise
A fantasy landscape inspired by a visit to a Roger Dean exhibition.
Painterly Effects
This image is the outcome of my attempt to make some progress with advanced techniques. Up until now, many of my 3D rendered images have suffered from the same flaw – they look flat and lifeless, plastic and unreal.
Excursiones In Delirium
A multimedia project exploring some of the places where a mind can go by striving to work unfettered by logic or convention.
Time – A Soundscape
Time. What is it? Is it a fundamental component of an objective reality, or is it an illusion?
Mantel Clock
An up-cycled clock featuring manipulated fractals.
Painting by Numbers
Flame fractals were discovered by Scott Draves in 1992. I am not a mathematician, so I do not fully understand what they are, or how they work, and cannot explain them in any way that would stand up to scrutiny. So without apology, and for all the other non-mathematicians out there, here is my take […]
Steampunk Wunderkammer
I combine upcycling with decoupage, embellishemnt and digital art to create what I term “craftings”.
The House On Wednesday Hill
A multimedia project involving an online ‘book’ with accompanying music/poetry/story.
Steampunk Clock
The idea of printing out my graphic designs and showcasing them on real world objects is like a revelation – it’s a whole new dimension (literally!)
Composite Images
Images created by blending multiple techniques, including rendered wire-frame models, fractal images, textures and photographs.
Manipulated Fractals
Algorithm-generated images manipulated by editing and layering with textures or photos.
Raw Fractals
Images generated from mathematical algorithms.
Mediation One
A New Age style soundscape. An exercise in formulaic music creation.
War of the Worlds
I am fortunate to have as a friend the composer Eric Craven. He encourages my efforts, and doesn’t mind at all that a person with very little musical training is performing his music. Eric’s “non-prescriptive” compositions allow the performer a very significant degree of freedom to interpret the composer’s intentions, so they are ideal for […]
WTFDIDWT3
A “tongue-in-cheek” realisation of one of Eric Craven’s compositions.
Small Dreams
Realising an extract from “Sonata No.8 for One or More Keyboards” by Eric Craven.
Fantasia on “Set for Piano” number 12
A video fantasia set to my realisation of Eric Craven’s “Twelve” from “Set for Piano”.
Ferris
Notions of reality – how we sense it, what it means.
How do you know you are not dreaming?
Poems for Children
Poems for children. My wife has used some of these successfully with schoolchildren, to spark creative sessions.
Prose Poem – “Darling”
A darkly comic glance at the world through very strange eyes.
Poems for Adults
A small selection of poems for adults.
Novel – The Daimon Hespera
A free graphic novel to read online or download as PDF. Hespera is the heroine in an urban gothic fantasy.
‘Three By Three’ – a patience card game
A simple patience-style solo card game.
Peter Vodden 