GIMP Version: 2.8.14
Operating System: Windows
GIMP Experience: New User

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Can anyone help me create the background effect in the above please, I've tried playing with noise and lots of things, I'm really stuck, thanx - in Peace, RJKD.

Actually looks like zoom motion blur.

Redo; added whirl/pinch to squeeze the center down.

Brill, thanx a lot.

Just not getting any spikes? I'm filling a small selection on white ,then blurring, how are you starting off?

I did leave out the wind step, but here's what I did. I first created an oval selection a filled it with black. I then ran G'MIC (has to be G'MIC and not GIMP's plugin) Polar to Rectangular preset. I then ran GIMP's Distort>Wind (played with sliders). I then ran G'MICs Polar to Rectangular (inverse) to get it back to the spiked oval shape. I then ran threshold (adjusted slider to taste) and finally ran Motion Blur (zoom).

Lylejk, I really appreciate your help, however when I looked at the stand-alone G'MIC, I may as well have been reading Martian! I've only just lately got my head round Ms Office! Yep, greenhorn to say the least, however, I'm inspired by you guys and I'll keep learning -in Peace RJKD

Don't use the stand-alone G'MIC; I use the GIMP plugin of G'MIC. Supposedly, the stand-alone is much more powerful, but I like the integration of the GIMP plugin for my needs.