The Testing of Instruments

The picture above is a page from the book, Mechanical Laboratory Methods (Smallwood and Keator, 1931), that I discovered in my very favorite used book store, MacKay’s in Chattanooga, TN.  The book, written for Engineering students, begins with the statement, “The science of experimental engineering rests primarily upon the art of measurement.  Conclusions relating to general laws or specific operating conditions, formed from test results, stand or fall according to the accuracy of measurements” and they conclude, “there is no such thing as absolute accuracy of measurement except by accident.”

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"Wanting to Fly" on Display

Photograph by Lyman Zobell, August 1, 2014

I'm very happy and proud to support my local arts center, which provides many opportunities for education, awareness and encouragement of the Arts in my hometown .  As a member of the Downtown New Port Richey Gallery, I often participate in the many opportunities the gallery provides to display and sell local art.  The theme for this month's show is "motion" and I chose to enter my work entitled, Wanting to Fly  (click here for a better view of this work).  Part of the sales from this work, as well as any prints purchased during this month of August, will go to support this fine gallery.  If you would like to make a purchase, please contact me at info@nathanmarkphillips.com 

The Passing of Time

The Passing of Time

The Passing of Time

My work above is the last of my "Passing" series which includes, "The Passing of the Hippopotami" and "The Passing of Secrets."

When we are children, we have the gift of full life: of promise and future; of dreams of what will be.  We are unaware of limitation or the concept of death; the child does not know that their time has an end; that the clock is indeed, “ticking.”  The child is surrounded by dogs; two puppies that are full of life and are playful and inquisitive; they are observant of the light of life and of things “ticking” but not their significance.  The older dog, close to his end and more aware, looks into the face of the death angel.  The image of Mary, symbolic in this work of the creation of life, looks sadly at the child, as a mother is filled both with joy of life and sorrow for its end.

For me the central image is the light in the child’s hand: it is life itself. it parallels the big bang above which marks the beginning of all life and time.

A few elements from the Passing of the Hippopotami and the Passing of Secrets are included in this work:  the balloons symbolize the dream of escape; the owl again symbolizes wisdom, of knowing and seeing all; the elephants represent memory and those that chronicle the truths of life.  The death angel has the welcoming face of a grandmother yet her body is final, unforgiving, rigid, like a statue as death is final and even at times, welcomed and approachable.   The entire scene takes place at the deep blue of night when our dreams speak to us.