Poor focus, shady editing. But hey, let it snow. (how do you spell GAzebo…?)

Decided to enter this month Gnomon competition. Goal was to create a Pandora creature. This is what I sculpted in Zbrush.

You have to be kidding me.  I am being tracked by the SVS.

My brother Sebastien finally arrived from Paris. While he is sleeping, java in hand I remember events that occurred last summer and may be worthy of a post. The story begins when I received a digital emissary from the society for vascular surgery looking for volunteers to provide surgical services to the American armed forces in Ramstein Germany. As you may know, Ramstein is an american base in Germany and the location of the Landsthul Regional Medical Center. This hospital receives all wounded soldiers from Afghanistan and Iraq. While surprised that the almighty did not have an adequate number of vascular surgeons, I did not hesitate to offer my support. JO and the Kids would have to forgo the traditional summer vacash, but shit, it was the right thing to do. I approached our chairman to let him know of the plans at hand. His first statement was, and I quote “yeah you are going there because it is close to France…you can go but make sure it is on you vacations” . WTF, using my vacations was my plan from the start, but to hear this really pissed me off. I will post later my experience in Landsthul, and rather tell you how I became an american corporate whore (maybe some exaggeration here). Prior to leaving, I received an email from the Society for Vascular Surgery containing a press release explaining my role and more importantly the role of the Society in providing support to the American troops, of course they urged me to send it to our marketing department. Why? our hospital and University were very clear that this was on my time and should not infringe on their freaking bottom line.  I knew they would use this as a marketing tool if it got in their hands, so screw them.  Little did I know that the SVS actually send it as a Press release. Upon my return, my secretary had scheduled several interviews with the local media, including TV and  I was the front page of the Medical school newsletter which included the exact SVS press release that glorified the involvement of the SVS and its president.  Later, I  had a meeting with the hospital president for an unrelated issue and while I was shaking his hand, he said ” saw you on TV last night, you really received some nice publicity here”.  What the fuck is their problem, I did this because it was the right thing to do, why don’t they get it.  In any case, I could have refused the interviews, but as I said, I am a whore.

Later I will explain why I did not bring my camera and what I saw.

IPA 2009 Finalists from Lucie Foundation on Vimeo.

Two photo of my son Griffin.  Griffin was unhappy with his long hair and revealed to all of us his creative use of scissors.  THere is nothing like digging through old polas and slides, yes everything is illuminated.

Looking through some slides, I found this impromptu shot. E100G is going down the drain, out of stock everywhere, will try my hand at PRovia next week. If only I had skills.

From concept to 3D model.  Needs a lot of work, but the results are encouraging.

Week end doodle leads to Humanoid Creature.  I think I will model this guy.

rapid Photoshop sketches in orthographic view… attempt to design an insect like creature for a modeling project (did rip off one from Ridley Scott’s Alien)

Venturing into the 3D animation world, I soon realized that detailed sketches needed to be rendered in 2D prior to the modeling process.  I have also learned the importance of matte painting and how to use this art in the film realm.  Of course, precious compositing skills are necessary to bring the vision to life.  These preliminary designs presented below are some of my first attempts. Sincerely, what am I thinking, I should really go back to photography. 

Photoshop Shading

Character design and styling is a difficult task, I don’t know if I will ever finish this. Animation is the most difficult task and I have yet to rig my character.  Sets need to be build, props gathered.  Large format is easy, I tell you.

Neil Paddington’s work is definitely inspiring, but his series entitled the Clinic, left me emotionless.  As Jorg Colberg proposed, this work expose the technology behind the craft of human mending with a touch of Academe.  I have to assume that my detachement relates to the banality of this environment I frequent daily.  Give me blood and drama instead of polished chrome and steel.  Sweat, tears, and torrential bleeding, that is the making of a “real Clinic”.  A look at Max Aguillera’s work will surely shatter anything I could attempt.

Large format polaroid in confined space.

Contrast is really a question of  anomalous delusion. Kissing my hands and dancing in my pocket, these are challenges that I can not attempt. So today, I sliced, poured, and licked. This is the result. A renewal, a revival, a circus of arrogant displays that can only please the blood that bore me. This ignition of wet creative dynamite will surely leave you lifeless. Of course, I am not talking about the pseudo communist drawing presented here.