Dec 26, 2015

The ION Force (a game never made)



         The story line: two orphans who were growing up under rough circumstances on earth are taken away to far reaches of the galaxy to train and become members of the Intergalactic Officer Network (the ION Force).
       Their mission - track down and destroy an escaped and convicted world destroying being called E-Lore. A re-hydrated sea monkey like creature. Their mission will be fraught with many obstacles including those they are sent to save because not only is E-lore is a galactic megalomaniac threat with stolen powers, but he is a charismatic character capable of influencing masses of people to his side.  E-Lore has two goals and that is rule all things or destroy all things.
 
The Genesis of the Game
In the early 2000's I got my hands on a 3d software called Inspire through a college I worked. Inspire allowed an artist or designers to create animation. Fascinated with endless possibilities, and seeing a need and opportunity to bring a diversity to the gaming industry I started developing a story for a game. I bought "Game Development for Dummies" (don't let the title fool you it was some pertinent information in the book smartly done) knowing some programming having spent years engineering I gave it a try.
     Well as far as programming goes one thing that is always said when you write your first one is keep it simple and any attempt to be more involved will lead will lead to so much coding that you won't finish. I didn't heed that advice and never finished, but I did manage to learn how to 3d model create with the software and animate them. Below is my introduction to the never completed game.




Dec 24, 2015

The Nigerian Model

Sometimes I attend a Monday's drawing group that has costumed models. The woman who runs the session very enthusiastic about finding models and creating a staged presentation or themes once the model arrives in our old barn of which is our art league's head quarters.
   I receieved text from her about a young Nigerian woman posing for us this Monday and she would be wearing a traditional African clothing. When I arrived with my portable easle I was asked to help to set up the model, and I did.
      The model was a lovely young women with dark complexion wearing a purple out fit, whether it was authentic or not I don't know, but I liked the color arrangement.  Once settled into her pose we all started to draw, but there was one flaw and that was the model kept nodding off (sleeping) while we drew her. I asked why and she said she was up all night, doing what I didn't ask,  sometimes had I asked her to open here eyes.
   Below is the pastel drawing/painting I did while there.


Dec 23, 2015

Creatures for another World

What?,  that strange and familiar...I once took a ceramics course at a local two year school with an outstanding professor from Sardinia Italy. He was big on teaching his students on  how to fold the clay properly to get the air out and things like trying to get a consistent wall thickness in our pottery. We were tested and took notes in our own notebook of which we were required to keep. He also encouraged us to come up with new designs to explore other possibilities in clay.
That challenge made me think of my high school biology days when we were given the challenge of coming up with imaginary creatures on imaginary planets that had physiology that would help them survive the nature of our pretend planets.
     I tried that mind experiment again in hopes that it help me come up with some new ceramic designs.
Below are the creatures from my ceramics notebook.

Where I Once Worked

I once worked driving a shuttle bus at an airport. It was mostly a game of waiting and being at the right location to to pick up the most passengers (you could tell they were UN-eased or a little panicky about making their flight) for the most tips, funny it seemed that the families out for the revered family trip would always tip the most, and the well dressed frequently traveling business man would always tip the least. Every driver knew about being in the right location so, there was always some tension during flight in and out times. Besides that it was a job that I needed and not wanted, so I found myself imagining other things like when I completed a degree I could start doing my art, or work in place that was more fascinating. I wanted to explore the sciences, but while there between the spouts of rest I would draw myself. Below is a pencil and pen drawing I did while in an airport parking lot.


Nov 22, 2015

Macy Gray at the Infininty

Sat with a few artist friends yesterday at a local restaurant in Windsor CT. two of them had just came from giving a great artist talk at the town's art center. As we sat talked one of them mentioned that he and his wife would be attended the Macy Gray performance at the Infinity Music Hall in Hartford tonight. He caught my attention because I had a complementary ticket for eating there a few times and wanted to see someone I recognized. Got to the Infinity Hall it was a small intimate theater seating about three hundred people that had great views just about any were you sat. I sat and listen to the intro band playing a kind modern soft rock until Macy cam on and lit up the audience. I had my sketch book and drew two small pen and ink sketches quickly as she performed . Below are the sketches.





Nov 17, 2015

Jazz pianist Matt DeChamplain with jazz vocalist wife Alto

 Sat with the Chops, a couple who are jazz fans with their own front room table at Sally's yesterday, and I watched a young band that hearkened back to the golden years of jazz playing songs like "Them There Eyes" with golden tones and notes.
Jazz pianist Matt DeChamplain with jazz vocalist wife Alto and band. Below are my sketches.



Oct 13, 2015

Model & Painting

During a fashion week I photograph a fashion model in a colonial like period dress against an African-American painter Kara walker painting in the Wadsworth Museum.
† Kara Walker explores race, gender, sexuality, violence and identity in her work.
She along with Kara's work made a piercing transcending statement from a turbulent pass to a questionable present.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kara_Walker



Oct 5, 2015

Model in Japanese Ceremonial Geisha clothes



 Model in Japanese Ceremonial Geisha
  clothes
(Monday}
Willow and Pastels
Today our drawing group was treated to a performance along with a pose by  Aio from Japan who now teaches in CT -
below today's drawing and a previously posted drawing of her.







Sep 15, 2015

The Jazz Professor on Sax

The Jazz Professor on Sax

Monday Jazz seen at Sally's was composed of a lead band member on bass and his former professor playing sax as a guest member. I was the first to arrive at a table in front were my usual com padres sit. A couple which wife knits during performances and a photographer who to took pictures during performances. Usually making a total of four with myself included. This time five a guest they knew sat in our group. Being early got a cup of gumbo that was pretty good and Shirley Temple, yes a grown man drinking that what can I say, I wasn't in a mood for beer. The picture below is shows the four band members and a good looking young energetic waitress. 

Sep 11, 2015

Divine figure intervention

Like most artist groups my usual Thursday's  group is run in a structure that had it's heyday and is a reminder of days long past and needs TLC.  Hence our predicament last night our structure, an old barn on the city's historical list,  had been invaded by flee carrying raccoon and could not be used, so arrangements were made to use a room at a cathedral across the street. The model posed clothed due to lack of privacy and religious respect. Below are my drawings from that night.



Jul 21, 2015

Flutist Kim Scott

 Wow had the pleasure of listening to and see the a great Jazz and classical flutist Kim Scott. Kim. Regaled us with jazz with 70's funk infusion. Her performance was crowd pleasing as she walked off stage to the audience and played for the crowd which seemed like a one on one performance. This great musician from Alabama endured a hot Hartford summer day as she cooled us off with her rhythms.

Kim Scott


Kim Scott

Kim Scott

Jul 8, 2015

Monday Night Jazz in Hartford CT 2015

...And so it begins, the welcomed 2015 Hartford Jazz Society Monday Night Jazz Series. Once again on a cool summer night I sat in front of the Bushnell Park stage with sketch book and ink pen in hand. and I sketched the performers, I greeted friends, I enjoyed a cool breeze, and I enjoyed the calming evening as it turn into night. Below are sketches from that night on July 6th 2015.



 The Crowd

Kitty Kathryn (above)



The Push Trombone Player

May 23, 2015

Aio the Geisha

Had the fortune to draw at NewBritain Museum of American Art arrange by  a drawing group. The model was a present day Japanese geisha. She dressed in a Kimono . This a 18"x24" drawing in pastel of that model.


May 9, 2015

The Place of the One Arm Bandits

Just visited Foxwoods, an American Indian reservation run casino in Leyard, CT, with some family who only go there to eat and enjoy the scenery. The drive there is pretty much quiet and scenic compared to our more metropolitan home. I've seen birds with wing spans I guest to be five feet or more souring over the country side as I drove and tree leaves almost fully grown, our spring come late. We also passed huge farming fields setting up for this year's crops with the unpleasant strong smell of cow manure.
       I was the only one who indulged in the "gaming", a preferred term by the gambling industry. I played the dog races probably just because I remember going there with my father and betting on the horses and the dogs.
       The races were telecasts in a massive dark room with small screens for every seat there of which there were hundreds and many many larger wall TV's that gave a gambler any information that they needed along with one massive huge screen for main events. I never was clear on the particulars, just like hanging out with my pops, so I asked the information desk for reference book, but there was none. Fortunately a regular there offered to show me how, so I sat a seat away and he told me the particulars while the bar maid in her short skirt kindly asked if we wanted drinks. Even with his help I still wasn't confident enough to bet so I thanked him and left. On the way out I passed the 'One armed bandits' (the slot machines) and saw massive amounts of people taking their chances. Below is a quick sketch of someone with all her humanity and dreams at the mercy of a bandit.




May 7, 2015

A Reggae band Practicing Part II

At it again, I was at club Vibes in Hartford once again drawing  a reggae band practicing. They make the main performances on Fridays in the greater Hartford area. I sat watched and ate and sketch while this time a powerful and soulful female singer sang the lyrics

tis' the season
for the reason
love is history
Imma gonna play me some music
da da do dae...

Again music that wood make a crowd head bob and dance to the groove.


 A singer adding her vocals to the musical reggae vibes



Above members of the band practice a Bob Marley song






May 6, 2015

May 4, 2015

Steve Allen Quartet

The music continues.
with sketches of the Steve Allen Quartet below. They performed at Black Eye Sally's restaurant and club in Hartford Connecticut.


 Steve Allen - sax
Johnathan Baber - drums 
Zuccara - Bass 
Frank - sax

 Steve Allen - sax
Johnathan Baber - drums 
Zuccara - Bass 
Frank - sax

 Steve Allen Johnathan Baber

May 1, 2015

A couple in the kitchen circa 2000

I was at  relative's house when I picked a pencil one Saturday morning and sketched her and her South Carolina boyfriend before they made their days rounds.



Apr 26, 2015

The Hey Rim Jeon Trio - Last of the 2015 Library Series

The Hey Rim Jeon Trio - Last of the 2015 Library Series

Today is the last of the free Baby Grand Jazz Series performances held at the Hartford Public Library partly sponsored by the Hartford jazz society. The beautiful and talented Hey Rim Jean and her trio performed. Hey Rim Jean is a fantastic Korean pianist composer and educator born in Seoul Korea who performs around the world based in Boston Massachusetts. They played several lively fusion jazz standards. Fusion Jazz is is a mix of jazz R&B and new age music that brings a life and power that energies jazz that all generations can appreciate. On Bass guitar was the great Greg Halt and on the drums was the phenomenal Yoron Israel. It's sad to see the last performance of 2015, but there are always other music venues around the area, and I will be attending. Until then here are my sketches done while the Hey Rim Jeon Trio played.




above
Trio lead  Hey Rim Jeon on piano,  the great Greg Halt on bass guitar, and the phenomenal Yoron Israel on drums.
(Black pen on paper)



above
 A Hey Rim Jeon's composition comes to life with the help of Greg Halt on bass and Yoron Israel on drums.
(Black pen on paper)


The beautiful Hey Rim Jeon's jams while drummer Yoron Israel looks on
(Black pen on paper)