Make Jet

Nominated for 58 Emmys, including one for Outstanding Drama Series, Star Trek: The Next Generation fulfilled all the potential and promise anticipated of a long-awaited successor to the original 1960s series: Star Trek. Created by a former L.A. police officer, Gene Roddenberry, the Star Trek TV series morphed into a franchise famous for the unprecedented fanatical devotion of its audience. Lasting only three seasons during its original network run, Star Trek struck gold with its syndicated reruns, launching a number of motion pictures featuring the original cast as well as novels, comic books, collectibles, and reams of Star Trek-related memorabilia. Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987) became the first TV series to follow on the heels of the original, and its success would spark the creation of three additional series - Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993), Star Trek: Voyager (1995), and Star Trek: Enterprise (2001). But The Next Generation remained the most popular spin-off. Despite new characters and new episodes, the mission remained the same as before - “to boldly go where no man has gone before…” And to continue the rich tradition of the Star Trek name - a mission Star Trek: The Next Generation accomplishes with relative ease…

Star Trek: The Next Generation takes place in the 24th Century, almost one-hundred years after Captain Kirk’s crew set out to explore strange new worlds. Capt. Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart - I Claudius) commands the USS Enterprise-D and its diverse crew of humans, cyborgs, and varying life forms. Accompanying him on his voyage is an entirely new cast of passengers and crew including Commander William T. Riker (Jonathan Frakes - North & South), Lt. Commander Data (Brent Spiner), Lt. Commander Geordi La Forge (LeVar Burton), Lt. Tasha Yar (Denise Crosby), Lt. Worf (Michael Dorn), Dr. Beverly Crusher (Gates McFadden), and her son Ensign Wesley Crusher (Wil Wheaton)… Together, they struggle against numerous obstacles to carry out the mission of the USS Enterprise: “To explore strange new worlds… To seek out new life; new civilizations… To boldly go where no one has gone before!” This pioneering attitude, coupled with imaginative and brilliantly-produced alien worlds, provides Star Trek with its unique allure and special place within American pop culture - especially those episodes from the original series, widely regarded as the most popular of the Star Trek franchise…

The Star Trek: The Next Generation (Season 7) DVD features a number of exciting episodes including the season premiere “Descent” in which, corrupted by the Borg, Data kidnaps Capt. Picard, Troi, and Geordi. Meanwhile, Dr. Crusher must command the USS Enterprise as it faces a potentially fatal attack by a Borg vessel… Other notable episodes from Season 7 include “Force of Nature” in which the theory is put forth that frequent high-warp travel by spacecraft may be causing irreparable damage to the space/time continuum, and “Genesis” in which the crew of the Enterprise stumbles upon a drifting spaceship, the crew of which is found to be slowly devolving into their animal ancestors…

Below is a list of episodes included on the Star Trek: The Next Generation (Season 7) DVD:

Episode 153 (Descent) Air Date: 09-20-1993
Episode 154 (Liaisons) Air Date: 09-27-1993
Episode 155 (Interface) Air Date: 10-04-1993
Episode 156 (Gambit: Part 1) Air Date: 10-11-1993
Episode 157 (Gambit: Part 2) Air Date: 10-18-1993
Episode 158 (Phantasms) Air Date: 10-25-1993
Episode 159 (Dark Page) Air Date: 11-01-1993
Episode 160 (Attached) Air Date: 11-08-1993
Episode 161 (Force of Nature) Air Date: 11-15-1993
Episode 162 (Inheritance) Air Date: 11-22-1993
Episode 163 (Parallels) Air Date: 01-10-1994
Episode 164 (The Pegasus) Air Date: 01-17-1994
Episode 165 (Homeward) Air Date: 01-17-1994
Episode 166 (Sub Rosa) Air Date: 01-31-1994
Episode 167 (Lower Decks) Air Date: 02-07-1994
Episode 168 (Thine Own Self) Air Date: 02-14-1994
Episode 169 (Masks) Air Date: 02-21-1994
Episode 170 (Eye of the Beholder) Air Date: 02-28-1994
Episode 171 (Genesis) Air Date: 03-21-1994
Episode 172 (Journey’s End) Air Date: 03-28-1994
Episode 173 (Firstborn) Air Date: 04-25-1994
Episode 174 (Bloodlines) Air Date: 05-02-1994
Episode 175 (Emergence) Air Date: 05-09-1994
Episode 176 (Pre-emptive Strike) Air Date: 05-16-1994
Episode 177 (All Good Things… Part 1) Air Date: 05-23-1994
Episode 178 (All Good Things… Part 2) Air Date: 05-23-1994

About the Author

Britt Gillette is author of The DVD Report, a blog where you can find more reviews like this one of the Star Trek: The Next Generation (Season 7) DVD.

Once you are ready to start working again you will know it
instinctively. All artists go through periods of ‘creative block’ - it’s normal, but after one such episode there are ways of stimulating ideas and getting the creative juices flowing again.

Visit your local library and take out books that cover materials,
techniques and subjects that are not familiar to you. If you are a watercolour artist, why not try oils for once? If you paint large acrylic abstracts, would it be possible to try soft pastels on a smaller scale? What results could you achieve by doing something completely different to what you’re used to?

What about trying collage or mixed media work? Take photos of
your neighbourhood, family or friends. Local places of interest,
the countryside, the seashore, the city. Manipulate your photos
on your PC and print out as digital art. Use the images, either natural or manipulated as collage pieces. It is so therapeutic cutting pieces and sticking them down. Use a range of materials to finish your work.

Instead of going straight back to paintings or drawings on normal scale, why not create some miniature pieces? How about greetings cards? White card ‘blanks’ are very easy to source. How delighted family, friends or customers would be to own an unique hand painted card.

Try drawing for once instead of painting, if that’s your usual medium, or vice versa. Fill a sketchbook with small quick sketches. You could even time yourself. Three or five minutes maximum for each sketch.

When you’re ready to go full size again, try loosening up your
technique, by again setting a time limit for each piece of work
you create. With a deadline to meet, you will speed up and loosen up. Try not to be precious with your art. Be quick and bold - see what happens.

Paint upside down. Start a new piece, then half way through turn the paper or canvas round 90 degrees. This is a great technique for abstracts. Use new colours - let them flow into each other. Splatter colours onto the wet surface. If you like, you could turn the work once more to finish. What a great way to create ‘happy accidents’.

Paint or draw to music. Use only your emotion to make marks on the surface of your support. Play your favourite rock, pop or classical music, let the melodies and rhythms wash over you, influencing how your artwork evolves. I often paint to ‘Smile’ by Brian Wilson …. and boy do I get inspired!

What about painting left handed if you’re a right-hander and vice versa. Trying to do a representational work with your weakest side will produce art that is still yours, but will have a completely different edge to it. Challenging and great fun to do … if you have the discipline!

Finally, once you get back into full flow, remind yourself of all the artwork you have created successfully. How appreciated you are by your customers. Read their testimonials. Feel that glow again, when you realise that your creativity block was only temporary and that there are fans out there just waiting for you to release some wonderful new artwork into the arena.

Gail Miller is a professional artist whose
artwork is a visual feast of colour and fun.
Her fascination with bold colours and fluid,
expressive shapes and line are evident in
funky abstracts, sinuous nudes, vibrant still
life paintings and lively townscapes.
Visit her website at http://www.gailmiller.com