Category: Technology

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I’ve Always had a Keen Interest in Astronomy

I also re-process public domain astronomy images to ready them for wall art display.

Here is an example: SOLD at Pictorem as a 36×16 Canvas. Thank you, dear buyer, for your support. The image below is linked to the sales page…

side-by-side comparison shows observations of the Southern Ring Nebula
Side-by-side comparison shows observations of the Southern Ring Nebula in near-infrared light at left and mid-infrared light at right from NASA’s Webb Telescope.

In recent years, astronomy has become increasingly accessible to the public and stargazing has become a popular activity. With modern technology, anyone can explore the night sky from their own home and admire its beauty. If you want to bring that beauty indoors, using public domain astronomy images for wall display is a great way to do so. These images allow you to bring the stars and planets into your living room.

What Are Public Domain Astronomy Images?

Public domain images are photos that are not protected by copyright. This means anyone can use them for any purpose without having to pay royalties or seek permission from the owner.

Cosmic Cliffs in the Carina Nebula
Cosmic Cliffs in the Carina Nebula

Where to get the Outer Space imagery.

Sources such as NASA and the Space Telescope Science Institute offer government-paid-for images in the public domain. Astronomy has long been a fascination of humans, inspiring writers, musicians, and artists alike. From the Greek gods to modern day space exploration, the stars have captivated us for centuries. For those looking to bring the beauty of astronomy into their home or office, using public domain astronomy images is an excellent way to do just that. With plenty of options available online, anyone can easily find beautiful images that are free for personal and commercial use.

NASA image of earthrise over the moon
NASA image of earthrise over the surface of the moon

However, making them suitable for prominent wall display takes a bit more than simply downloading something you like. These public domain images and resized and enhance in clarity, color and contrast so they look great as a wall display. The Print on Demand (POD) companies with whom we work offer high quality wall art and a 30-day satisfaction guarantee.

To learn more, click each image above or one of the links below.

Link to: the Outer Space Collection at Fine Art America

Link to: the Outer Space Collection at Pictorem

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Dangerous Passage

Exploring a bit of artificial intelligence text-to-image creation…

The title may be a bit of double entendre considering that is also the title of the image used in this brief, introductory (teaser) article about the use of “AI” in the creation of art.

difficult passage - ships on a stormy sea
Dangerous Passage by ships on a stormy sea.

A possible “caption” for this image might be…

Sailing ships have always been a symbol of a bygone era. Ancient mariners faced the unpredictability of the sea each time they set sail, and this is particularly true off the coast of Cape Hatteras. With its strong winds and unpredictable currents, being caught in a storm off this notorious cape could spell disaster for even the most experienced sailor. The treacherous waters of Cape Hatteras have long been a challenge to sailors – especially in the age of old sailing ships.

Exploring Artificial Intelligence

I’ve been exploring a bit with AI image creation – but in the above piece, “Difficult Passage,” there was a good bit of post-processing involved. The original concept was text-to-image generation, for sure, but the final look and feel took extra work in Photoshop and Topaz Studio2 and the addition of the “torn apart” border framing the image.

dangerous passage framed sample
Here is how “Dangerous Passage” may look in a frame with a colored mat presentation.

Is it fair to use AI in the creation of art?

Some people claim that this is not art. At all! However, is this any different than a creative person wandering through an art museum and then going home and creating a piece from the inspiration acquired during his museum visit? Or how about a photographer visiting a popular scenic overlook and capturing a landscape or seascape similar to what he saw on a calendar? There are all sorts of “arguments” on both sides of the Artificial Intelligence issue but I believe it is up to the individual to decide…

  • Is it Art?
  • Is it not art?
  • Is it blasphemy?

Yes, it is up to the creator of the piece and each individual buyer/customer to decide.

Yes, “Dangerous Passage” is offered for sale as wall art and on a variety of home decor and apparel items. Click the image above or one of the links below to learn more and to begin shopping.

Link to: Dangerous Passage

Link to: Bill’s Gallery at Fine Art America/Pixels

What do you think about the “torn” edges? They would make it work better on a shirt design – but what about as wall art?

artificial intelligence art
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Why Do I Spell Bill Swartwout Incorrectly?

I purposely typosquat my own “billswartwout.com” and “billswartwoutphotography.com” domain names to retain more website visitors.

First, let’s get this out of the way: I have a love/hate relationship with typosquatting. I love it because it’s a great way to get additional traffic to my website. I hate it because it’s often used by nefarious individuals to scam people. I do not do the “scam stuff” that gives domain squatting a bad name. OK, lets move on…

Our family has been here a very long time. The original Swartwout to come to the “new world” sailed with Henry Hudson and helped establish the trading post at New Amsterdam, today known as Manhattan. Brigadier General Jacobus Swartwout was the highest ranking officer in the Revolutionary Army in the state of New York.

jacobus swartwout homestead in swartwoutville, NY
The original homestead of Jacobus Swartwout in Swartwoutville, NY

My surname, Swartwout, is a difficult name – to pronounce and to spell. The second “w” is silent but no one knows. Couple that with the full website name(s) and it can easily be confusing.

I want to make sure that when people type in my domain name they are taken to my website. By “typosquatting” my own domain name I can do this. The name SWARTWOUT is often, very often, misspelled SWARTOUT – without the second “w” in place. There is, in fact, a variation of my surname that is correctly spelled that way. There are two more spellings, SWARTHOUT and SWARTWOOD, that are also variations of the “original” SWARTWOUT. But the most common error, by far, is to leave out the second “w” in the name.

swartwout coats of arms
The Swartwout Family Coat of Arms with spelling variations of the name.

Of course there is a town (actually a Hamlet, a VERY small town) of Swartwoutville in the state of New York.

Sign at Swartwoutville, ny
Welcome to the Hamlet of Swartwoutville, a Hudson Valley Greenway Community

Examples:

Link: BillSwartout.com –> BillSwartwout.com

Link: BillSwartoutPhotography.com –> BillSwartwoutPhotography.com