Great selection - it's an honour to be in such good company.

Mags

Great selection - as usual.  Thank you for including one of mine!

Thanks everyone - I really enjoyed making the collage and it's nice that people liked it enough to vote.

because technical problems prevented you from uploading your work directly to the contest site, and when you sent your work to me, I didn't properly get it inserted into the contest system. Therefore your submissions were not considered.

Well, at last I've got to the truth about that - I've asked before, of course, but that part of my mail was always ignored.  So I didn't know, until your post above, that my work hadn't been submitted!!

Since you seem to have now raised this issue in three separate discussion forums

Just spreading the word.

one of those asked declined.

At least one person had principles then!

No one else got invited.

Why not? - I know at least one person who recommended a 'great'  to be included but was ignored.

I don't realistically expect you to apologize for your accusations,

Good - I haven't made accusations, I've merely asked questions and ventured my opinion.

OK, here's a reply I got from the UF list.

Every four years the International Congress of Mathematicians (ICM)

meets to discuss mathematics and to present Fields medals. For the 2006
ICM, which is being held in Madrid in August, new events are being
added, including a fractal art exhibit. The purpose of the ICM 2006
Benoit Mandelbrot Fractal Art Contest is to select some of the artwork
for display in this exhibit. Other artwork to be included in the
exhibition will be from invited artists. These rules do not cover the
invitation process, only the contest.

You might want to especially note the final two sentences of that
paragraph since therein lies the answer to your question.

OK but the selection panel 'invited' themselves and, as a matter of principle, I think this is very wrong.  Are there any 'invited' entries from anyone who isn't on the panel?

How is it that the rules state:

1. Participation
   2.1. Eligibility: Anyone may submit their own artwork to the contest, except selection panel members and their immediate families. (See below for a list of selection panel members.)

and 9 of the final 25 entries are by members of the selection panel?  Would anyone care to explain?

Couldn't agree more Trina - I hate it - definitely won't be posting here any more - can't understand how it works at all and would definitely like to get favourite artist emails etc.

Not only do I admire your fractal but also your perseverance and determination.  Good on yer!

Mags

Wonderful mixture - as always!  I saw some I'd missed too !  Thank you for including one of mine.

Mags

Quote from Rick

it's occurred to me that maybe the reason I've thought Apo to be "mindless" might just be because that's the way "I" use it.

Think this is the point I made that you took exception to!! 

That's what I meant when I said people who found Apo easy and boring maybe hadn't found the way to use it properly.  Maybe instead of properly I should have said to it's full potential.

Quote from Vivian

Oh, perhaps she meant presumptuous or impertinent or impudent or insolent.....not that I think Rykk is any of those at all!

No Vivian - I didn't mean any of those or I would have said so - and I rather object to being referred to as 'she'!

Rykk - if you're looking for an argument - forget it.  You're trying to turn my lighthearted comment into a fight and I'm sorry but I'm not interested!  I'm outta here.

Mags

Rykk - I can't be bothered to answer your question - you're just being pedantic. 

Well said Michael - both what you say about Apophysis and what you say to Keith - completely agree. 

As a user of both Apo and UF - with equal enjoyment - my dream would be for Apophysis to support working in layers - now that would be a programme I'd be willing to pay for!

By the way - all you people who think working with Apo is boring and easy - I don't think you've got the hang of using it properly!!

Mags

Since it was me that Maria was very kindly helping I can vouch for this tutorial.  I successfully created a fractal with a masked layer for the first time after going through this tutorial only once!  Maria - you're a star!  I sincerely recommend anyone having masking problems to have a look at this tutorial as I'm sure you would find it most helpful.

Thanks again Maria for all your help.

Mags