9.29.2010

I'm Obsessed....

Another shot of the ring....

In non-related news, it needs to quit raining in Guatemala. I haven't seen the sun since I've been back, and another mega landslide just wiped out half the main road coming up from the gym to the city. I had to navigate an alternate route, lost about 30 minutes of free time, and traffic is so clogged that I didn't have time to go home before coming to the gym, so I'm sitting here crusted with sweat from my morning workout and without my computer/ book/ sketch pad. I guess things could be worse, but this rainy season just needs to end....

I'm gonna start drawing on paper soon....

But here's a critter done with patterns in Illustartor:

9.27.2010

Bling.

I'm going to have to make an exception/ clarification to this "one post of art per-day" rule. If I am travelling/ touring/ visiting the US to get my national championship ring:
Then I am excused from posting a piece of art. But now that I am back in Guate (after a great trip to Ann Arbor, and after my return flight had to land in Honduras to wait for the visibility to clear before landing in the city), here is yet another Illustrator castle doodle:

9.20.2010

Don't Hate


...These are fun, relaxing, new, and satisfy that mathematical/ pattern side of my brain somewhat.

9.19.2010

It feels good to be productive


...I might keep whipping up these things in Illustrator and see where I can get....

Illustrator-


I'm not used to making art entirely within illustrator, but here's the result of some mindless tinkering....

9.18.2010

Congressman Dingell


From a photo taken by Thomas Kelley of our local Michigan Congressman....

9.17.2010

A Doodle Per Day....


...keeps laziness away? After my birthday I resolved several things to myself, one of which is to draw 1 sketch/ doodle/ whatever per day.

That means hopefully, one post here per day, because this blog is going to hold me accountable.

I'm glad I didn't give up on this photoshop mess like I almost did 5 minutes into it. Somehow I managed to "break through" and just keep messing up/ covering/ manipulating/ tearing/ smearing/ flattening layers/ adjusting until I got somewhere I liked. Then I flattened that and tried to push and pull parts of the image to get somewhere better. Regardless of the finished product, it felt good to just push through that creative barrier and get to a place where I would make marks without looking back or being hesitant. Sweet.

Antigua/ Agua


Forgot to post this photo I was lucky enough to take last week in Antigua. The sun rises very early (this is before 7AM I think), making for a nice view of the street with the volcano Agua in the background.


9.12.2010

Atitlan part 1

The weather finally cleared up for a few days, and my friend Phil and I seized the opportunity to spend a day at Atitlan. This is a lake formed by the collapsed caldera of a volcano (I think that's right), can be crossed by a motor boat in about 30 minutes, is over 1000 feet deep in places, surrounded by volcanoes, you get the idea.... We arrived in Panajachel and then took a boat to Santiago to do some exploring, and had a very good time to say the least. Some pictures:


The water looked awesome about midday:

View of a volcano from the Eastern shore:

...street food can't be beat. 50 cents for this snow-cone, which was topped with pinapple, apple, coconut, and plantains, all soaked in a sweet syrup:


9.06.2010

Jade/ Macadamia nuts/ Rain

It's been tough traveling on the weekends because it has been raining so much year. It's rained everyday since I've been here, and far more than a normal "rainy season" in Guatemala. Every time it rains it seems like another mudslide/ bridge collapse/ some other obstacle clogs traffic and makes adventuring more of a chore than fun.

So this past weekend was yet another trip to Antigua, which isn't really that interesting to me, to be honest. However, I went with Bob, and we visited a guy he knew through his old job who was a Jade carver. This guy, Francisco, was very warm and friendly, inviting me and Bob into his home, telling me about how he gets Jade (he goes up the nearby volcano and finds it himself), and how he works with Jade using various diamond-based dental instruments, drill presses, sanders, etc. We had some hot chocolate and cookies while there and some good conversation (his Spanish was easier for me to understand, as he was polite enough to speak slowly). Hopefully it won't be the last time I run into this guy (who reminded me distinctly of Gandalf):



The next day, we travelled to a Macadamia nut farm, had a small breakfast, met the owner (a guy who really liked to tell jokes, and expected you to laugh at them. A bit awkward, but still a very friendly guy) and then visited the old town (San Miguel Escobar) where Bob use to work when he first came to Guate several years ago. There was a goodbye party for a friend of his with steak/ beans/ cake/ rum all served in a tiny, humble home. Really cool, a lot of fun, met some interesting, self-admitted hippies and whatnot.

I'm hoping to get to Atitlan this upcoming weekend, before leaving for DC with my teammates....