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Please visit my online stores, Big Shadows for noir art and attire,
and Lazy River Design Works for everything else.

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WHYTHEALGARVE

WHYTHEALGARVE

Justus Hayes - Digital Creator

Everybody needs a niche, and I've carved one out with the launch of my new store, Big Shadows. I love film noir, and that's what the products at Big Shadows pay homage to in creative and innovative ways. Check it out for designs inspired by the traditional genre as well as neo noir and all manner of mid-century madness!

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Lazy River Design Works

My store is online and open for business. I create striking and vivid visual imagery and then place those designs onto a bunch of different products, t-shirts, Hawaiian shirts, hats, cards, stickers, and prints. Brought to you with the technological magic of print-on-demand and dropshipping. Check it out!

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Big Shadows

BEST OF BLOG

The Bathroom in Room 237

Interpretations of the Overlook's Gold Room

Parisian Street Photography from the 30s to the 80s: Robert Doisneau

The Secret Life of Shopping Carts

Human Shadow Residue Soils the Feet of the Sagrada Familia

Gelatinous Masses of Humanity Wait to See the Crown Jewels

Something About MAS*H: Hawaiian Shirts, Booze, Cross-Dressing and Subversive Liberalism

The Wedding Ring

Bleeding Speedo, Haunted Wedding Ring, Abandoned Lullabye, and Other Remarkable Events

My Last Visit to Woodlands Hospital

Return to Riverview's West Lawn Pavilion

There It Is

The Ghost Tree at Vancouver's Abandoned Insane Asylum, Riverview Hospital

Hostel Owner Drinks Himself into the Hospital, Gives Me the Keys, and I Visit Verano Cemetery: Prt 1

Hostel Owner Drinks Himself into the Hospital, Gives Me the Keys, and I Visit Verano Cemetery: Prt 2

Zones of Exclusion - Pixelated Rendering Blast Areas in Paris

Render Unto Caesar the Things that Map Poorly / Where We're At

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THE FEED

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No Rest for the Wicked: Big Changes at the 'Lazy River Design Works' Store

Jan 42 min read

No Rest for the Wicked: Big Changes at the 'Lazy River Design Works' Store

An update about the Lazy River Design Works store; its new West Coast BC theme, but also some Abstract and Low Humour

10 views

WhyTheAlgarve Improvements are Underway.

Dec 23, 20242 min read

WhyTheAlgarve Improvements are Underway.

It's been over four years since this website got a facelift, and it's overdue. I'm long past the light obsession with homesteading in...

14 views

Some Might Call It an Image Dump, but I Call It an Image Uplift

Dec 8, 20241 min read

Some Might Call It an Image Dump, but I Call It an Image Uplift

I get off my ass and actually post some examples of my recent work using Midjourney.

38 views

Some Notes About the Electronic Music I've Been Using as Soundtracks in My Videos and Reels

Nov 11, 20245 min read

Some Notes About the Electronic Music I've Been Using as Soundtracks in My Videos and Reels

An article written so that I can point to it when explaining about where I found some of the electronic music I use as soundtracks for my...

52 views

Tiny Hearts Can Be Broken, Too

Oct 26, 20241 min read

Tiny Hearts Can Be Broken, Too

I derive some perverse satisfaction from having a very modern generative AI platform like Midjourney render clunky and primitive...

19 views

Last Night at the LRT - Neo-Noir Music Video

Sep 7, 20242 min read

Last Night at the LRT - Neo-Noir Music Video

Part of my ongoing efforts to promote my store, Big Shadows , is to create videos and promo reels that capture the...

75 views

What do you mean by "noir?"

Aug 3, 20243 min read

What do you mean by "noir?"

If your boat floats tied up to a pier next to a warehouse wreathed in mist while unpleasant characters plot within, then you've found home.

61 views

The Concrete Frog

Jul 15, 20246 min read

The Concrete Frog

Concrete frog and raspberries on our little back patio. I've been lugging that frog around for almost 30 years. He belonged to my uncle,...

24 views

So Random: Tuned Styles from Midjourney

Jun 4, 20242 min read

So Random: Tuned Styles from Midjourney

This post is simply a showcase of some of the tuned styles that I have discovered using the AI image engine Midjourney. It's an attempt...

38 views

Tiny Noir - Miniature Hearts Bleed Just as Red

Apr 30, 20242 min read

Tiny Noir - Miniature Hearts Bleed Just as Red

For about a month I've been lightly obsessed with using Midjourney to create virtual dioramas and sculptures, with most of that energy...

51 views

Underground Circuses Blowing Up Real Good

Apr 3, 20242 min read

Underground Circuses Blowing Up Real Good

An underground circus and fairground lurks in caverns below, dark carnivals where the warm glow evokes the sinister fires of hell. Pennywise

39 views

Noir Cats

Feb 13, 20241 min read

Noir Cats

A selection of noir cats I've made in Midjourney using a variety of style tools.

32 views

I love it when a plan comes together

Jan 27, 20246 min read

I love it when a plan comes together

Some successful steps along the path towards being a working stay-at-home Dad for our son, Rowan. Back in March of 2022, I hatched a...

34 views

Introducing Big Shadows, Fulfilling Your Need for Noir

Dec 15, 20232 min read

Introducing Big Shadows, Fulfilling Your Need for Noir

Introducing "Big Shadows" **Edit: Dec 15, 2023 - I actually posted this on my Lazy River Design Works blog about a month ago, and have...

23 views

PSA: Look Out for New Scams on Social Media Using AI Images

Oct 30, 20236 min read

PSA: Look Out for New Scams on Social Media Using AI Images

It's unfortunately true that there is and always will be a segment of our population dedicated to turning the latest developments in...

72 views

Ethical Use of AI Image Engines

Oct 20, 20235 min read

Ethical Use of AI Image Engines

Some thoughts and examples of how to use AI image engines like Midjourney in a way that doesn't trample on the rights of artists. While...

155 views

Death, Cake, Balloons and the Birth of Spooky Stuff

Oct 7, 20233 min read

Death, Cake, Balloons and the Birth of Spooky Stuff

As we lurch into actual October, my creative output's spooky quotient has risen correspondingly. Truth be told, the increase in ghosts...

31 views

/Describe Greebles, Please

Aug 13, 20234 min read

/Describe Greebles, Please

There are two things I have recently discovered using the AI image engine, Midjourney, that made me pause when I recognized their power....

30 views

Salvador Dali Photo Unlocks the Feline Storm

Jul 24, 20231 min read

Salvador Dali Photo Unlocks the Feline Storm

The photo below, Dali Atomicus (1948) by Philippe Halsman, is one I have been aware of since my teens. I've always loved the energy...

21 views

Abstract Thought

Jul 17, 20231 min read

Abstract Thought

Here some abstracts and semi-abstracts that I've been playing around with over the past couple of days with Midjourney. Just a sampling...

18 views

Please Stand By - the Spring and Summer of '23 Prove to Be Very Crowded Indeed

Jul 8, 20233 min read

Please Stand By - the Spring and Summer of '23 Prove to Be Very Crowded Indeed

It's been quite some time since I've posted here on the blog, and I have a few minutes this morning to get caught up. The biggest online...

35 views

YouTube Channels that Offer Property WalkThrough Videos and Buying Advice in Rural Central Portugal

May 15, 20236 min read

YouTube Channels that Offer Property WalkThrough Videos and Buying Advice in Rural Central Portugal

I started paying attention to cheap rural land for sale in Central Portugal at the beginning of 2020, right around the start of the...

231 views

3 Hectare Hilltop Olive Farm in Fundão for € 65,000

Apr 23, 20237 min read

3 Hectare Hilltop Olive Farm in Fundão for € 65,000

One of my longest YouTube subscriptions has been Joseph Marsh's farmer for fun channel (he also has a website here and is prolific on...

457 views

Something About M*A*S*H: Hawaiian Shirts, Booze, Cross-Dressing and Subversive Liberalism

Mar 31, 20235 min read

Something About MAS*H: Hawaiian Shirts, Booze, Cross-Dressing and Subversive Liberalism

A couple of months ago, I listened to a podcast (I thought it was CBC's "Ideas" but apparently not) that discussed the influence of...

66 views

Club Noir de Mer

Feb 16, 20231 min read

Club Noir de Mer

"Another Set at Club Noir de Mer" My fascination with variations on the film noir aesthetic continues, mostly placing the tropes in an...

21 views

A Pocket Terraced Grape Farm in Central Portugal for under 50K USD

Jan 29, 20236 min read

A Pocket Terraced Grape Farm in Central Portugal for under 50K USD

It's been quite a while since I wrote up a piece of rural Portuguese property, but this little gem jumped out at me a couple of days ago...

405 views

What's Going On in 2023

Jan 9, 20233 min read

What's Going On in 2023

Here we are in a new year and big things are afoot at the Lazy River Design Works store. The last time I posted was mid-December, and...

55 views

What is Art? Part 2: How AI-Generated Art is Like a Camera

Dec 12, 20226 min read

What is Art? Part 2: How AI-Generated Art is Like a Camera

Yesterday, I wrote a post on social media and here that outlined as many of the arguments against AI-generated imagery as I could think...

166 views

Film Noir de Mer - A Midjourney Image Dump

Dec 11, 20221 min read

Film Noir de Mer - A Midjourney Image Dump

Squid Town. The Big Murk. That bottom-dwelling metropolis where the dregs drift in and settle down in the mud and debris. A place where...

27 views

What is Art: Criticisms of AI-Generated Imagery

Dec 11, 20223 min read

What is Art: Criticisms of AI-Generated Imagery

I've been doing a lot of thinking lately about the growing controversy over AI-generated imagery. It's a complicated issue that can be...

95 views

Midjourney Image Dump

Nov 28, 20221 min read

Midjourney Image Dump

I just started using the AI art engine, Midjourney. I have many thoughts, but as always I am short on time. While I'm processing and...

66 views

T-Shirts Found Drifting Down the Lazy River

Nov 14, 20221 min read

T-Shirts Found Drifting Down the Lazy River

Now that classic format t-shirts are a part of the official Lazy River Design Works inventory, I thought it would be a good idea to post...

11 views

The Wedding Ring

Oct 31, 20224 min read

The Wedding Ring

Back in August, I related a couple of remarkable events from my life and mentioned a few more (see this post). Today being Halloween, I...

47 views

Not Quite Azulejos

Oct 24, 20222 min read

Not Quite Azulejos

The original source photos of the plates used to make these designs were posted on Pixabay by tunaolger. One of the few drawbacks of...

33 views

My Characteristic Style

Oct 1, 20223 min read

My Characteristic Style

Keen-eyed observers will have noticed by now that much of my creative output has a certain finish, a look or style that is present to...

77 views

Specs and Size Charts for HugePOD T-Shirts in cms and Inches are no longer applicable

Sep 12, 20221 min read

Specs and Size Charts for HugePOD T-Shirts in cms and Inches are no longer applicable

HugePOD is no longer one of my suppliers. A good product, but they became a little too unreliable.

35 views

Bleeding Speedo, Haunted Wedding Ring, Abandoned Lullabye, and Other Remarkable Events

Aug 14, 20226 min read

Bleeding Speedo, Haunted Wedding Ring, Abandoned Lullabye, and Other Remarkable Events

As I slide into the latter half of my fifties I find myself being more than a little retrospective. A part of this is Recovery work but...

35 views

In the Backyard with Rowan and Merch

Aug 6, 20221 min read

In the Backyard with Rowan and Merch

Taking photos with Rowan of Hawaiian shirts and bucket hats from the Lazy River. Merchandise IRL via print-on-demand and dropshipping.

14 views

The Lazy River Just Got Deeper: The Latest Developments

Jul 23, 20223 min read

The Lazy River Just Got Deeper: The Latest Developments

Some big changes just came down the pipe and I am scrambling to catch up. Where to begin? I'll summarize with some bullet points and then...

27 views

A Look at the Umbrellas from HugePOD

Jul 16, 20222 min read

A Look at the Umbrellas from HugePOD

I have a feeling that umbrellas are going to become a lot more relevant in the near future as global warming continues to deliver extreme...

52 views

Hawaiian Shirt Size Charts (HugePOD and InterestPrint)

Jul 12, 20222 min read

Hawaiian Shirt Size Charts (HugePOD and InterestPrint)

Wondering what size Hawaiian-style shirt you should order? Wonder no more. Here are size charts for both the square-cut shirts from...

144 views

A Look at the Hawaiian Shirts from HugePOD

Jul 9, 20223 min read

A Look at the Hawaiian Shirts from HugePOD

Now that I've ordered and received a few of these shirts from HugePOD, I can write up a description of what they are like. Spoiler - I...

256 views

What Are and How Does Print-On-Demand and Dropshipping Work?

Jun 21, 20224 min read

What Are and How Does Print-On-Demand and Dropshipping Work?

This article answers the questions in its title, and in doing so answers the MFAQ (most frequently asked question): How long is the...

67 views

Much Progress on the Store Front

May 31, 20222 min read

Much Progress on the Store Front

This morning saw two very large boxes and a slightly smaller one being ticked: - Thanks to a generous cash injection from my father, I...

17 views

Ever-So-Softly Introducing "Lazy River Design Works"

May 22, 20222 min read

Ever-So-Softly Introducing "Lazy River Design Works"

My last post asked you to "Please stand by" because of working on the new online store. And, it turns out, with good reason. I'm very...

20 views

Please Stand By - I'm Building an Online Store!

May 9, 20223 min read

Please Stand By - I'm Building an Online Store!

Yep. I've decided to take the plunge and open a stand-alone, print-on-demand, dropshipping online store, a site with its own name and url...

27 views

So You Want to Design a Bucket Hat

Apr 27, 20227 min read

So You Want to Design a Bucket Hat

I spent some time in my last post, What Do Magnum PI, Ricky from the Trailer Park Boys, and Hunter S. Thompson Have in Common? talking...

317 views

What Do Magnum PI, Ricky from the Trailer Park Boys, and Hunter S. Thompson Have in Common?

Apr 18, 20225 min read

What Do Magnum PI, Ricky from the Trailer Park Boys, and Hunter S. Thompson Have in Common?

A big part of my overall plan to create a sustainable income stream from my creative work is figuring out what products I want to sell....

150 views

The Captain of Industry at Real Algarve Living: Andrew (or Andy, if you like)

Apr 9, 20228 min read

The Captain of Industry at Real Algarve Living: Andrew (or Andy, if you like)

It's been almost a year since I last wrote about the YouTube vloggers pursuing a simpler life, renovating land in rural Central Portugal....

2,289 views

The Source of Distress

Apr 1, 20223 min read

The Source of Distress

My Great Big Europe Trip of 2005, referenced many times throughout this blog, had the explicit goal of collecting as many photographs of...

26 views

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