OH BOY! A New Multi-Part Icon/Clip-Art Series – ‘Hemingway’

Posted on February 22, 2010 by Leslie Sigal Javorek | Leave a comment

Posted by: Leslie Sigal Javorek • Date: Mon. Feb. 22, 2010 5:59 am

~~Tonight~~ This morning! I am introducing the first installment of a multi-part series of images (suitable for either icons or clip art) entitled “Hemingway”. For those of you who’ve viewed my Scrapblogs you are probably familiar with my Hemingway series originally created 3 or 4 years ago. This new series combines several brand new images along with revised versions of the old series. All images from this new series are 512x512px .png images in order to make them accessible for everyone whereas I had only released the old set as 128×128 px .icns.

IconDoIt’s Hemingway Series of images celebrates a tiny slice of the passions & achievements of Ernest Hemingway. More than half a century after his death, the appeal of this enigmatic “Man’s Man” continues to grow and remain relevant due to the eloquence of Hemingway’s prose and universality of his characters thrust into a rapidly changing world where conventional values, relationships and expectations no longer have meaning and tomorrow is the ultimate unknown, all woven together with exotic locations and varied adventures and all with the core theme man as an individual and the compulsion to seek challenges to triumph over himself and his environment. From the point of view of characters dealing with the reality of living in the eye of the storm, life is at once thrilling, horrifying, compelling, alienating, inspiring, depressing, life-affirming, destructive, ancient, modern and seductive.

Free Icons of the Day

The following images are either full or reduced size previews. Simply right-click (or control-click) on the preview to save the image(s) of your choice to your desktop. (Unless otherwise noted, downloads are 512px X 512px in .png format). Create Commons license applies (see sidebar for details)

A Life Without Music is Like…

Posted on December 18, 2009 by Leslie Sigal Javorek | 3 Comments

Posted by: Leslie Sigal Javorek • Date: Fri Dec 18, 2009 6:10 pm

On a beautiful June day in 1981, I was the picture of happiness. My hubby and I were out with friends frolicking around Lake Erie on their new boat, enjoying the sunshine, fresh air, good company and conversation about each of our dreams and plans for the future. For myself, after having endured a very difficult, challenging childhood, I was ecstatic about how things had come together in my life. Married for four years by that time, we still felt and acted like newlyweds and on top of that, I was finally well on my way to reaching my ultimate career dream of being a successful recording engineer/producer in radio and advertising. Within a few short hours though our lives were about to drastically change.

Disembarking from the boat and without any forewarning, I suddenly keeled over landing flat on my face on the dock. Although completely flat on a solid, stable surface, I was sure that I was in the process of falling from an enormous skyscraper. (Think Jimmy Stewart in Vertigo.) I’ll save you from the long, gory details but the upshot was that at the relatively young age of 27, I had suffered Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss that day which left me completely and permanently deaf in my left ear and with a 70% hearing loss in my right ear. My career was over in that instant.

This is not a blog for self-pity, though. If you’ll recall, the underlying message of this blog is about surviving – and more than that, it is about not merely surviving, but thriving. Step-by-step, growing with the journey in ways that I had never dreamed, expected, or planned, I have never spent a moment mourning what I did not have nor what I once had but lost because I’ve always felt blessed for what I do have. So while I may no longer have music in my life in the manner that I once knew it, I have such rich and vivid memories that I can bring them to mind to enjoy again and again to relive the emotional feeling I used to derive from hearing live music. I am still able to feel the music and what’s more, I can now create happy little visual images that remind me of the joy of music. So what’s there to mourn? The truth is, happiness really IS a decision we each have within our control no matter what hurdles may also stand before us.

Free Icons of the Day

The following images are reduced size previews. Simply right-click (or control-click) on the preview to save a zipped file to your desktop that contains all images in each preview group (each image is 512px X 512px in .png format) or, in the case of the individual icons, do your clicking on each one you’d like to download.

Giving Thanks (& Thanksgiving Art)

Posted on November 25, 2009 by Leslie Sigal Javorek | 1 Comment

Posted by: Leslie Sigal Javorek • Date: Wed, Nov 25, 2009 4:55 pm

There is so much I have to be thankful for this year. Things/situations/blessings that are so significant that words expressing my gratefulness seem so inadequate or, worse, sound trite. While it has been an extremely traumatic year for myself and for my little family, we have made it through both individually and together. It is that bond, our love and support for each other through both good times and bad that makes bad things bearable and all else possible. Those relationships, freedom, and good health are the ONLY things that really matter to me and I’ve been blessed with most. In the words of Jim Steinman, sung by Meatloaf, “2 out of 3 ain’t bad”.

Free Icons of the Day

The following images are reduced size previews. Simply right-click (or control-click) on the preview to save a zipped file to your desktop that contains all images in each preview group (each image is 512px X 512px in .png format) or, in the case of the individual icons, do your clicking on each one you’d like to download.