Abstract Art for Animals

This post contains photographs of the creative process behind my painting donated to First Coast No More Homeless Pet's a local organization in Jacksonville Florida that offers free or low cost spay and neuter for dogs and cats. They have an annual "Art Unleashed" art show and silent auction to fund their efforts to keep euthanasia rates down. Art Unleashed is a night of beautiful animal inspired art work by local artists, live music, and fabulous food.




This year I submitted a painting that was inspired by the work of Jackson Pollock. He was a well known American painter who was a key player in the abstract expressionist movement. In this particular piece I am using a drip splatter technique to convey feeling and emotion through action painting. Here are some photographs of the steps taken to achieve the finished result. Enjoy! :3

 www.jaxartunleashed.com 

Animation is hard work!

I don't think a lot of people realize all the hard work that goes into
animation. From the concept designs...to the hours that are put into
bringing it all to life. It is a lot of work! There are 24/frames per 1
second of animation. Can you imagine how long hand drawn featured films
must take? It is extremely time consuming but the finished product is
very rewarding. I am taking a flash animation class currently....and
it's been a lot of fun. Very challenging! Ill post some of my finished
assignments soon. I'm new to flash so don't make fun of me =P here are a
few preliminary shots of the character I created for my 'tarzan swing'
project. We had to create a character that would approach edge of a
cliff...then swing across to the other side....the background is not
finished...but you can get a feel for the progress I've made. Ill try
and post my finished product.

It's ALIVE!

Today I was at the Stop Motion Fabrication Workshop with Dan Field. It
was part of the Citrus Cel Animation Festival that takes place here in
Jacksonville. It was a super informative workshop for those interested
in creating puppets for stop motion animation. Dan Field is an industry
professional who has worked on various Adult Swim animations such as
Moral Oral, Celebrity Death Match, and Robot Chicken.

I'm looking forward to creating my first stop motion animated short
soon, so speaking someone who works in the industry was very helpful. I
hope AI teaches a stop motion class at some point because it is very
inspiring to me as an animator.

How: nGen Works

nGen Works is a local web development business here in Jacksonville, Florida. They not only take on local projects, but also projects for clients all over the world. From it's small exterior store front nGen Works does not look like much, but one can gain a great appreciation for the grand work this small team of people can accomplish as a whole.

Inside, a small office setting with dim lights, a group of computers arranged against the left side of the room. Only eight employees including owner Carl Smith make up the nGen Works team. Two of which work out of state, and the other who all have flexible work schedules of their own. This relaxing work environment and cheery crew definitely leaves a lasting impression for what one would hope to experience when working for a web development company.

The owner Carl Smith is laid back and approachable, and overall seems like a cool guy to work for. Instead of picking the skills he wanted his employees to possess, he chose the people he liked, and assembled an optimal work crew. This is a far less traditional approach versus one a lot of companies would have taken. I think this approach has clearly been advantageous to the success of nGen Works and will continue to serve it well in the future.

Visit their website: http://www.ngenworks.com

Hashrocket: to infinity and beyond....

My class recently took a trip to visit Hashrocket, a local web
development company located in Jacksonville Beach, Florida. The seventh
floor view was spectacular, glass walled offices with an up scale
kitchen area, dimly lit with scattered computers and couches, it was
more than just a bit inviting. It would be any aspiring web developers
dream to have such a posh working environment.

During our visit, we were able to meet the founder and CEO Obie
Fernandez. He spoke with us briefly about what makes Hashrocket truly
unique amongst web development companies. One of the most interesting
topics of conversation was the company's use of Ruby on Rails. Which is
an essential part of the development process at Hashrocket. Since many
developers in the field are not familiar with this process, developers
with this knowledge are currently in high demand.

Later we were able to listen to a presentation by Dennis Eusebio
(Creative Director) and Shane Riley (Front End Developer). During the
presentation we were able to see the process Hashrocket utilizes to
achieve its success among it's cliental. From the beginning consultation
with the client, to the finalization of the web application, Hashrocket
has it's professionalism and knowledge up to par with today's growing
market. Overall with their open door policy, live streaming videos, and
contributions to open source, they have been highly informative. Thanks
Hashrocket! :)

Visit the site: www.hashrocket.com

The Robin Shepherd Group has got it goin' on

Recently I visited The Robin Shepherd Group of Jacksonville, Florida.
This is a local advertising firm that offers a variety of options for
companies wishing to attract new business. Established in 1984, this
company has definitely survived many trends in the world of advertising,
and stays up to date on the cutting edge. Now with 50 employees, it
offers jobs to designers, web designers, programmers, graphic designers,
and copy writers alike.

After listening to the opening speech about the company, we were taken
on a short tour of the office area. Upon viewing the work environment, I
could definitely see myself working at a place like The Robin Shepherd
Group. Instead of the sleezy corporate feel you could imagine at an
advertising firm, The Robin Shepherd Group feels inspiring. The employee
desks are decorated with objects that fuel their creative energies, and
the office environment looks like a hip cafe you'd visit to unwind. Not
to mention the employees looked happy! Nothing more inviting about a
company, than one who has employees that love their jobs.

I think their mission statement says it all : "To save the world from
the bland and boring, pedestrian and ineffective marketing that
threatens to numb consumers to death on a daily basis." Not only is this
a basis they use for their advertising projects, The Robin Shepherd
Group also believes in taking a different approach to it's corporate
structure, allowing a more approachable and creative feel to it's
company.

Visit their official site: http://www.trsg.net

Marked for life

As tattoos have become more widely accepted among the masses, everyone
has jumped on the tattoo band wagon. Not only are they wanting to get
tattooed, they are starting to get them at younger ages. While in the
state of Florida, you need parental consent, and a form notarized that
doesn't necessarily mean that getting your minor tattooed is a good
idea.

In the state of Georgia, even with parental consent...it is illegal for
a minor to get tattooed or pierced. I know when I was 16 and wanted to
get my tongue pierced, all I needed was my mom to give verbal
permission. Now there are all sorts of hoops to jump through. I think
this is a good thing, but many parents disagree, and are often highly
pissed that they have to go get a form notarized. They also have to
bring their ID and their child's ID...which never gets a favorable
response.

While I agree, if the parents don't let their kid get something
done..they will probably do it behind their back....maybe by a
friend...or in some stranger's garage. Either scenario sounds like an
extremely bad idea. I do feel parent's should compromise to a degree, as
tattoos have become a very permanent part of American culture. They
should also discuss design element and design placement, and make sure
that their child is making an educated decision. While it is their body,
they also are a minor and do not have the final say.

Visible tattoos may not be the best choice for a teenager who does not
have a job yet. While most employers have become more lenient with
employees having visible tattoos, it still has a stigma surrounding it.
While their summer job in the fast food industry helps pay for the
tattoo, it may not be a career worthy decision. I feel the best tattoo
ideas need tons of research and must be extremely thought out. While in
the state of Florida it is legal to let your minor get tattooed, it is
still your job as their parent to make sure it's a decision they can
live with for the rest of their life.