Interlude – December

I’m listening to the first actual CD I bought in a while; the latest Incubus, Light Grenades. It’s mellower than their turn of the century essentials, but a good progression. A lot of the songs are about relationships. They don’t come off as pussified, but thoughtful. I’ve been a fan since summer and hope they make it through here if they tour.

So at this point I’m one week out of a 2-month relationship. I initiated the break, but was given a paramount reason to. I’m not going into specifics here, because it’s not in keeping with the purpose of this blog. The upside is that I’ve learned what I want to give and likewise receive in return. It turns out I’m one of those commitment guys that girls are always saying they want. I’ll be 30 in a few years so I guess that’s only appropriate.

Besides the holidays, this month is Super Crazy Jet-Lag Month for me. It began with my normal 10 hour, 2am closing shift, to two weeks currently of daytime training. To follow is one more week of the regular caffeine shift and then it’s VEGAS, BABY! I’m like, shitting excitement here, because this is my family’s first Christmas vacation. And of all places it’s Vegas, sweet deal. I can’t wait to check out the strip and just hang out with my family. After four nights there, it’s back here and I’m not even scheduled to work until January 2nd – double sweet deal.

Hopefully I will come up with something visual to post before I leave. Until then happy shopping, consumers… uh, I mean Happy Holidays.

Rodin at the WAG

original photos © Erik Henne

Today I saw the exhibition, Rodin: A Magnificent Obsession at the Winnipeg Art Gallery. Before I headed out, I stopped by an ATM for some cash. You see, these manner of exhibits aren’t the regular George Kostanza “I pay what I say” gallery fee. Admission to the exhibit and full gallery was $11 and well worth it. It’s very likely that I’ll even go back before the old French codger’s many bronzes are packed up and taken off in January.

All lowbrow contemporary-isms aside, Rodin was an amazing sculptor. In both his frenzied “sketch” and careful forms, you are treated to a meld of Impressionism, neoclassicism and modernism. The large-scale sculptures were something to behold in gallery light. I drained my mind of verbal thought and let my eye do the work, aside from the odd glance at the title. Perhaps I looked a little pretentious with my deliberate 360 and sometimes, crouching scrutiny. If you have any formal art training, you can’t help but do this. It doesn’t have to be an extensive intellectualization. One could just circle around and look at form in 3D space, and see what intended senses may surface. All in all there was enough there to keep me at this for an hour before closing. If you’re in to sculpture and are in Winnipeg before the year’s end, check it out.

ALIVE!

logo © Pearl Jam

Yep I'm still around. I'm going to be reconfiguring the face of this blog in the coming weeks, as well as getting back in to the creative swing of things. I'm hoping to have another Illustration Friday for this week. *End transmission*

Illustration Friday - "Spring"

Flash > Sketchpad > Illustrator. I had an old drawing of the jack-in-the-box's face done in Flash a while back. He was just popping straight up with that funky canvas or whatever around the neck spring. I redrew everything and now here we are. Rather than attempt to throw green & earthy paint at a canvas in a springtime landscape, I went the wire spring route. Somehow I get the feeling at least a few other IF'ers did the same. Check ye later.

D-Pad Dialogue - Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion

image © My Barbarian

I’m not playing it right now, but I’m thinking about playing it, and the things I have to do the next time I play it. From what I’ve seen so far, this is the most sandbox single-player RPG I have ever played. At the outset, you’re given the option of delving into the main plotline quests. As I wandered out of the first sewer dungeon, I got a severe case of A.D.D and went exploring. It’s funny how a lot of that can happen as the staggering scope of the lush, vivid landscape becomes even a bit apparent. With intent to go to the next stop in the story, I chased a deer with my bow to an uncharted environ and found some ruins and went in for a look, see. I took care of the gargoyles and skeletons inside. A group of rogues much stronger than I inhabited the next fortress I came across. I fixed them though and lead them out to an imperial soldier on patrol who disposed of them. After relieving them of their weapons (they won’t be needing them) I started multitasking side-quests in different towns and have joined the Thieves Guild. Really, it’s crazy just how much goes on in this game, and I haven’t really started the main quest yet. There have been some damn fine Xbox 360 games so far and add this one to the mix and I’m a little more on the “buy system” side of the fence now.

Illustration Friday - "Feet"

Sketchpad > Illustrator > Photoshop. Some feet. Yep, simple as that. Also kind of a shoddy, 11th hour homage to Vincent Vega and Mia Wallace's trophy-winning Twist dance. As always, click the image for a larger version. The scrawly lines show up better bigger. Now I is sleep... shoo!

Illustration Friday - "Tattoo"

Sketchpad > Digicam > Adobe Illustrator. Seriously, I couldn't think of a thing for last week's theme. This week's image was one of the first I envisioned. I just thought "simple face tattoo" and not like that lunatic on Ripley's Believe it or Not who thinks he's a tiger. More than anything this was to get a little more acquainted with Illustrator. I'm looking forward to doing more to that end.

Since I missed last week, I had meant to make this a double post. I've had a loose idea for a tribal style eagle feather tattoo that I want to design and have some biker chisel into my arm. If not a biker, I'd settle for a hot inked goth chick that has nearly pierced her face shut. Miami Ink is a good show. So yeah, a personal tattoo design is something I'd like to put a little more time into. Look for that probably around summer some time.

D-Pad Dialogue - Stacked Postponed (Again)

Toronto-born poker pro Daniel Negreanu made a video game deal for MTV game studios a while back. Stacked with Daniel Negreanu was due for an October, 2005 release. I shared enthusiastic anticipation over Xbox Live with a few players of World Championship Poker. The multiplayer poker experience with WCP was a satisfying one, but the gimmick of using a poker star and prospect of multi-table tournaments sold us on Stacked. Then in a foot-dragging manner that would do Nintendo proud, it got pushed back month after month until the recent new announced release date, April 11, 2006. Hype and then a late release in the gaming world means one a few things: It’s a hunk of shit and they’re doing their best to mask the stench, it’s at least as good as can be expected and they’re trying to improve it or lastly, developer/publisher bureaucracy. I hope the case isn’t option A, as a voice-enabled multi-table tourney is what online poker should be. Text chat games are fun and all, but you can glean more information from players with voice. I will post my review when or if this thing ever comes out.

Illustration Friday - "Tea"

Wacom Tablet > Photoshop. This one is pretty quick n dirty... in more ways than one. Also I was a little late in starting on this as I made the mistake of checking I.F.'s early submissions for Tea before sketching. My first instinct was to draw a snooty wealthy type drinking tea but there were a few submissions of that. Luckily, in these uncertain moments there is always juvenile cartoon humour.

Illustration Friday - "Song"

V7 Pen sketches > digicam imports > Photoshop. Three of the rough instrument sketches were in my sketchbook for a little while now, when Illustration Friday's theme was "Jazz". If you look around for jazz-inspired artwork, you'll run across some pretty spiffy stuff. Justin Bua is one good example. Anyway, I've got the blog now so this week's theme was the chance to do something with those rough doodles.

Yes, the singer is based off of an Elvis pose. And yes, I know Elvis didn't sing jazz. But you forget, Song is the theme, not Jazz. I could have based it off of Sam Kinison and you would have been none the wiser.