|
|
| 10:09
AM |
June
8, 2007 |
| New
Pagan Zoetrope strip up... |
| Well
if wonders never cease! :D You can go here
to see the newest strip added to the story. |
| I've
also started up some ideas for having PZ, Violet and some of the others
relegated to their own areas of the site. Mostly because I would like to
have them in a bit more of an organizationed layout, but (insert sarcasm)
I do have all this free time on my hands... |
| As some
of you may know, I also have other hobbies that don't necessarily fall into
the art world. I love medival history, movies, miniature gaming and collect
anything having to do with the video game company Sega. At some point before
the end of the year my goal is to launch some of these as miniature websites
offshooting from this one. But the focus on these will still remain very
art driven with some emphasis given unto the hobby mechanics themselves
as well. |
| 10:31
PM |
June
7, 2007 |
| Current
Happenings |
| One
site that finally went up but then as of sometime this week seems to have
been taken offline, was my design and build for the Strictly Business networking
group of Missouri. I just ended up putting the site on my own server, so
you can take a look at it here: View
Site. |
| Total
time spent on it was really somewhere around 4 to 5 hours from start to
finish. It came about fairly easy since I had been actually toying around
with that layout as a one time layout for this site in fact some time ago.
But with some polishing of the graphics and re-arranging of some of the
elements, it worked out just fine. It was a lot of fun and is a perfect
example (in my humble opinion... :D ) of what can still be done with basic
and simple html. |
| In
some side news, I was rather pleased to find out about this future film
on the horizon! |
 |
| I
really rather enjoyed the first one, and have always been a fan of Brian
Froud's artwork. If interested in seeing more on this project, check out
the official blog at "Power
of the Dark Crystal E-Blog". And speaking of blogs,
another one you can check out would be Pixar's
Blog. Both of them are a virtual treasure trove of insight
into the entertainment industry that doesn't involve having to watch any
E! True Hollywood Stories... |
Back
onto the subject of web design, I have still been toiling away on the
mammoth sites that are Independence School District and Memory Showcase.
Nothing online that I can showcase as of yet with Memory Showcase since
we are still working to refine the interface. I look forward to seeing
this sucker up and running since it stands poised to enter the Online
Scrapbook Creation market on fairly stable ground, if we can pull it off
and get it going. :) |
| And
it's pretty much the same thing with ISD as well. We are about 1 week from
the Beta launch and there is still a LOT to get done. This weekend is pretty
much going to be getting back on schedule with the work output. I don't
mind it though, with every project that goes by, I grasp the understanding
of web design better and better. |
| On a final
note with web design, I started up what I think is a nice design for Tess
McKinney's website. Below is a small sample preview of how the pages are
going so far... |
 |
| Another
creative bend that went a little haywire recently was my latest logo design
for a local start-up company called "Pure Tater Entertainment".
The logo that I created wasn't what the client was looking for. It was a
little too American Bandstand for them. Click on the logo below to see it
larger, and for a comparison to the current one that they use. |
 |
| Well boys
and girls, that's about it for now. Will more content hit this site soon
aside from just monthly updates? Yes. Will it be anytime soon? I honestly
have no clue. |
| The good
thing is as far as work, it's great to have it, but it does get a little
hard to put my own stuff on the back burner consistently. And on a good
note, traffic to this site has been pretty decent even with the lack of
portfolio updates. |
| Pagan
Zoetrope and Violet both have new
stuff I have yet to put up on here, and as if that wasn't enough, I have
a third comic strip that I have been trying to nail down as well. Lack of
stories and ideas isn't the problem here... :) it's time. There's only so
many hours in a day, but MY problem with that is, well, there's only so
many days in a lifetime. |
| So until
next time, stay safe and enjoy life! |
| 12:50
AM |
May
1, 2007 |
| Current
Happenings | Movie Review - "Hot Fuzz" |
| So,
with some time having passed, has anything changed on here? No, not as of
yet. For you all not so good, since I need to keep this site updated, but
for me, pretty good, since I do have freelance and my job keeping my hopping. |
| One
of the things I am planning on having up by the end of the week is pricing
for my freelance time and how you can apply it to any art or projects that
you may have need of my services for. My contact info is on the site, but
I do ask that if you need to get ahold of me, please do so by e-mail first,
but if you contact me by phone, keep in mind that I do work all day at a
studio and may not be able to get to my phone, but I will return your phone
calls. |
 |
| I
recently picked up some tools and clay to get back into sculpting. I don't
know when or if I will ever get around to working with it very much, but
I have been itching to work on sculpture again. |
| I
recently completed some brochure work for a client of mine,
Pappas Processing,
who deal in honest and legitimate credit repair. These guys are the real
deal, so if you are in a bind with your credit, visit their site and see
what they have to offer. |
 |
| I
am a sucker for melodrama and over the top acting. That being said, I was
TOTALLY in my dream element watching "Hot Fuzz". I don't want
to ruin it for anyone that may go see it, but the acting was top notch.
Simon Pegg really ups the ante, and plays the uptight hardcore pro cop to
the hilt, and Nick Frost plays his character so well (the bumbling yet trustworthy
sidekick), you don't see some of the twists coming in the plot. Honestly,
it does seem like two movies in one. The first half is classic dry humour
and is almost has an arthouse feel to it, and then the second half is full
octane action movie to the hilt. This part of the movie is announced by
a full on boot to the face of an elderly lady. Don't worry. It's deserved,
and oh, so funny. |
| 9:20
PM |
March
13, 2007 |
| Movie
Review - "300" |
 |
| I
pride myself on liking movies for multiple reasons. Artistic merits based
off of story, design, innovation, originality, musical score, even accuracy
if the movie is based off of a story or concept that was realized in another
format prior (i.e. Harry Potter). |
| I
am so glad to say that this movie, 300, the second cinematic effort to protray
the Battle of Thermopylae, succeeded in all kinds of ways for me on all
of those levels. |
| Is
it visceral and over the top at times? Yes,... just as often as it is beautiful
and hauntingly magnetic. Is it acted out by virtual unkowns? Yes, and all
the richer for it! Probably the most important thing about this, beyond
any historical accuracy, beyond the fictionalized elements, is that it,
like Lord of the Rings, managed to bring a tinge of modern sight to an old
fable. |
| And
in today's world, that is a beautiful, beautiful thing. :) |
| 8:52
AM |
Feb
26, 2007 |
| Another
entertaining and informative weekend... |
| I
spent the better part of the week off to recoup and relax. I actually started
up a new series influenced by my appreciation of Mucha. A series done all
in graphite with the subject matter being all about different goddesses
from assorted pantheons. |
 |
| I
have left behind any and all inking, and focused on graphite alone. Let
me tell you it has been a WONDERFUL time revisting it and utilizing it beyond
just unfinished sketches. |
 |
| I
also got the chance to see and experience the incredible show "Delirium"
that was put on by the Cirque du Soleil. There aren't enough words in the
modern or any archaic dictionary to put forth the imagination, visuals,
and just all and all out resplendency of the whole affair! I left feeling
as if I had departed this world and resided if only for a little while,
in a realm of unimaginable colour and rythym. Anytime I see live shows like
this, it gets me thinking, wanting to create, to sing, quite literally to
want to start shouting out! :D I felt this way as well last year during
the Tony Award winning theatre event called "BLAST!". Let me tell
you... if you are ever in the doldrums of non-creativity, GO, just GO to
a show like one of there to become invigorated. You will not regret it.
:D |
 |
| Thanks
for reading and for visiting, I will have more stuff up soon. Thank you
again for all of you who do come by and visit and comment. It is appreciated
like you would not believe! :) |
| 11:17
AM |
Feb
19, 2007 |
| An
entertaining and informative weekend... |
| Actually
got a decent influx of creative energy this weekend and some needed clearing
of my mind. I got the chance to see the Dead Sea Scrolls here at Union Station.
It was actually pretty cool to see them, although they are underwhelming
small and very fragmented artifacts. |
|
|
Many of the other archeological finds that they had on display (like pottery
that was from the same age, and some illuminated medieval books) were nice
additions to the show. All in all, it takes about 90 minutes to actually
get through the whole display, but that's more from the fact that you are
sent in as a huge group, and people tend to view stuff slowly, which makes
the whole process a little dredging at times. I had hoped that there would
be some oppurtunity to sketch a little in the display, but there wasn't
that luxury, nor had I even brought a pocket note book to doodle in. |
 |
| After
that, it was off to the World of Wheels 2007 car show, where much to my
delight, I got to see a recreation of the famous DeLorean from "Back
to the Future" which was fairly accurate, but was missing
details that only an uber geek like myself would realize (the Mr. Fusion,
flux capacitor, and most of the dashboard details were not even close). |
 |
| Oh!
I almost forgot that prior to leaving the Dead Sea Scrolls, the Kansas City
miniature railroad club had a display up for the public to see there in
Union Station. I never get tired of looking at miniatures of any kind. Just
the work and love that goes into setting them up and whatnot is just so
infecting. |
 |
 |
| And
the night ended with going to see a movie I had been just dying to see...
"Night at the Museum". I mean, HOW can you beat it? It's a comedy,
it's got Ben Stiller, Robin WIlliams and Owen Wilson, it happens in a MUSEUM,
and history coming to life like that?! Oh MAN! That was always a childhood
dream of mine!!! All around, it was a great movie, with nice effects, pretty
damn funny acting, and a nice bit of supporting actor work by some hollywood
legends (including Dick Van Dyke), but by far the show was stolen by the
T-Rex. |
 |
| Every once
in a while, people need to unwind and recharge the battery with influxes
of new entertainment both visceral and mental. I had been going nuts trying
to finish up a Beatrix Potter Calendar for Andrew McMeel, which although
I finished up bleary eyed at about 6am today, I got it done and finished
up just fine. Which is good, because I planned on taking some time off to
finish up this site, and I have the next four days off. My first real self
imposed holiday. Hopefully it will be fruitful.
|
| 5:22
PM |
Feb
12, 2007 |
| First
update of the new year... |
| Wow, sure
as heck took me a while to get back to this didn't it? On the news front,
my job at SWS/SMG is still keeping me busy as ever, to the point where it
becomes difficult to try to remember to get back on here and keep updating
this site. |
| You will
notice now at the top there is a link to the archives of the news for the
site year of 2006. Mainly for the benefit of those who want to see what
was going on in my head as of last year. |
| I recently
did a redesign of the Stirred Water Studios website, which included a new
look that was influenced to some degree by me having watched the movie "Robots"
over and over again for some weeks. You can click on the mini image below
to go to the site and the logo in a much larger format. The whole site was
redone to have a watery feel and is still very much a work in progress,
but I am very pleased with the result. The gaphic below was created with
Photoshop CS2, Illustrator CS2 and ParticleIllustion 3.0. |
 |
| Another
bit of news is my involvement with pushing the forthcoming movie "Reclaiming
the Blade" [a Galatia
Films Production] (Which is why there is a flash banner now located
below the illustrations in the sidebar navigation area.) It's a wonderful
subject for a documentary and I look forward to hopefully catching this
in theatres. |
| Another
project of for SMG I worked on this past weekend was for a SuperBowl Party
in Miami. Simple site with sparse information, but fun to work with and
design. You can take a look at it here: Millionaire
Superbowl Party.com". |
| On the
freelance side, I did another flyer for DJ
Pure which you can see a preview of below. I will post up a larger version
soon in the gallery area. There was also a logo that came out of it that
I was rather proud of for Dark Lotus Tattoos (image coming soon). |
 |
| So for
the time being, this is all of the current goings on and whatnot aside from
the fact that it is dreary and opulently grey outside. :) Makes me want
to pull out my Poe and read for a spell... |
