Ugly Christmas Sweaters

I created this website because it is Christmas time and I can't help but stick to the spirit of the holiday season! And, just a little FYI, Ugly Christmas Sweaters actually became a thing in the 1980's. Who would of thunk!

See all the beautiful Ugly Christmas Sweaters right here!

And in case I don't see ya, Merry Christmas to all!

If I Were Poop!

Here is a short video I created. It is an an idea I came up with a long time ago and now with our stop motion project, I was able to bring my inner child out in a big way. lol.

If I Were Poop!

Breaking the Boundaries

When reading chapter twelve, on page 266, the book talks about the concept of boundaries. This is the first time I have ever heard of boundaries. I found it extremely interesting. The book states that "Because the art/life connection is so important, sculptors must be especially
attentive to the physical and psychological boundaries in each piece."

There are three aspects of boundaries you should be aware of: First, boundaries can connect you to the piece not only by suggesting idea but also by giving the viewer the ability to connect dots and expand on the piece with the use of imagination. Second, boundaries can separate us from different parts of a piece of art. And last but not lease boundaries can enclose us in the piece by way of boarder or a path that keeps our attention in the art piece.

"Without boarders we're just surfing on sand."

I Will Live Forever!

Not many people can say they will live forever. Ok, so no one can say that they will live forever. Well, that is except me. I can say that I will live forever thanks to my friend Marlin Shoop. Allow me to explain.

Marlin Shoop

Marlin Shoop is a friend of mine who also happens to draw for Dark Horse Comics, Marvel Comics, DC Comics, and a slew of other entertainment companies. He was approached by Dan Jolley and Shawn DeLoache, who wrote LARP!, to be the artistic mind behind the new series.

So now, why will I live forever? Because Marlin approached me a while back and asked me if I would let him draw me as a character in the comic. Um, YES PLEASE!!! So Marlin drew me into the comic where my image with live forever, even after I am long gone, I will forever live inside the pages of the up in coming comic, LARP!

This is the character that I was drawn as: Stormpocalyps:
Pre-publication                                         Post-publication

To see some more of Marlin Shoop's amazing work click here.

This propaganda poster is a push for mentorship. The amount of fatherless children or even parentless children I feel, is a huge factor in "the troubled teen" problem that seems to be a growing conversation topic. But to be completely honest, I feel like this is an issue with anyone who doesn't have someone to encourage them or care for them or mentor them. So I create this poster as a way to get people to think of this "issue". I couldn't decide whether to go with the spot light or not. I wanted to spotlight the importance of being a mentor but on the other hand I didn't want to include to many different colors.

           

My Friend

Hey guys, I thought it would be fun to do a little promotion for my fiend Josh Nizzi. I met Josh 5 years ago when I moved to North Carolina. Given the extreme talent that Josh exuberates on a daily basis, it is easy to see how I became extremely interested in the field of graphic design. Josh Nizzi is "Hollywoods best kept secret" according to techtimes.com. Here is a link for that article.

http://www.techtimes.com/articles/59828/20150611/meet-man-designed-hulkbuster.htm

Josh is skilled and specializes in Robotics designs. He has been able to design for multiple Marvel movies, 3 Transformer movies and a handful of other blockbusters.

Josh Nizzi
http://www.joshnizzi.com/

Critiques

In chapter seven, one of the things that is brought to our attention is the idea of critiques. Critiques can be an artists worst nightmare, but for an experienced artist it can be the beginnings of something better. Artist can be reluctant or even afraid to express who they are through their art work. But for the brave who do open up their inner most passions to the world they could find easier, better, or even faster ways to perfect their art. If we can open up and be willing to accept some constructive criticism, we can find that we can become better then we are now. Like the book says on page 141, "Whether you are giving or receiving advice, come with your mind open, rather than with your fists closed". And that is good advise no matter what your endeavors
may be.

What is the medium?

Given a little conversation we had today. I just thought it would have been nice and fun to post this little video about the different kinds of mediums that are out there. It doesn't have all the answers but it is fun to watch.

http://study.com/academy/lesson/what-is-a-medium-in-art-definition-terms-quiz.html

Independent America

This piece is called "Independence America". This image started with the idea of Captain America. I used the word CAP and transformed it to look different. I included the colors red and white to bring that patriotic idea out without making it too evident. I also transformed the "A" to look like one of the space ships from Independence Day.

The Right Angle Give The Right Emotion

I have always been a huge fan of movies and the way that they can affect us on an emotional level. Even though we are not actually present in the movie or even in the same time era. We can still get drawn in by the way that the actors portray the character, by the dialog, or by the camera work. On page 100 - 101 in the book Launching the Imagination, it give an example of Disney's Mulan and the dynamic way they present the battle against the Mongols on the mountains with the use of different camera angles.

 

In this scene the director gives the viewer a feel for how perilous Mulan's current situation really is by giving an aerial perspective. 

 

In this scene we see a wide shot of emptiness. Giving the sense of being alone or lost, with the focal point Mulan. 

One-Point Perspective

I tend to be more on the side of obsessive compulsive and really enjoy clean and even aesthetics. So it should be no surprise to anyone that one-point perspective is one of my favorite concepts in the art world. The idea that all horizontal lines point to a single point in space is simply satisfying to me. In chapter 4 of launching the Imagination it talks about how "In this type of perspective, the top and bottom lines of a cube are horizontal... These lines represent depth and are angled to converge on a single point at eye level..." There are also other types of perspective line two point and three point perspective as well.

The Color of Emotion

I find it extremely interesting how we relate and react to color. When you look at the design of a painting is says one thing but when you look at the color of the same painting it can tell a whole other story based on the color used to represent that story. Color can change the entire feel and emotion of any kind of art work. Reds produce a sense of anger or hate or even fear, while blues can represent a sense of peace, calmness or loneliness.

Building Anew

This is an image of my kitchen/dinning room compiled of different images of the building process. I used my iPhone to take the pictures to represent a new form of mediums and the leaps and bound we have made towards new ways of taking and using art.

Photography Of The Whale

This is a video of Bryant Austin, he is an accomplished photographer who quit his job to take photos of whales from a different perspective then other photographers have before. The images he capture are magnificent and inspiring. His motivation for these beautiful picture is to raise awareness of how close whale are to extinction and that we need to respect them and enjoy them why we can. http://youtu.be/gVNzIRizEU0

Colors

It's so crazy when you look around, outside at the trees and river or inside at the colors of the blanket on your couch or the paint on the wall that this whole world is really only made up of a handful of colors. RGB runs our entire existence. With just a few colors and the right amounts of Value (tint, tone, and shade) Hue and Intensity (intensity, saturation, and chroma)
we can make up our entire world.

My Me for you to See

In this portrait you will notice a few things that really show big parts of who I am. First, I absolutely love playing the guitar. I have played guitar for 16 years. It is my passion. I am also a huge football fan. From September through January all I do and talk about is football. Do you know how hard it is to be a Patriots fan in Seahawks country? It's horrible. But I digress. Along the lines of the red, white, and blue I am a big comic nerd. I have collected and read comics my whole life. My absolute favorite super hero is by far, the one and only Captain America. I have been a huge Cap fan since before Christ Evens made him on the big screen. And then last but not least, I put my face in the back ground. I did this because I am very involved in all these aspects of my life but I don't like to be the center of attention so this is why I am in the background.

Stop Reading Between the Lines

Lines are such a integral part of every piece of art that we never really take notice to them or even consider them an existing part of the art. Lines are what make up everything from orientation to direction and continuity. With out lines the art world would be a very different place. Lines give us the ability to not only see an object but to see the motion of the object as well.

The Introduction

In the introduction to the book "Launching the Imagination" it talks about the way that the internet and graphic design has changed the way we view and interact with art. I am thoroughly excited to participate in the way art is advancing into the future and to take part in the evolution of art.