The Sleeper

Here is a close-up shot of the sleeper (from the previous posting). As my Blender 3D digital sculpting skills improve, the figures and other elements will get more realistic. I'm not going for photorealism by any means, but it's important to gain control over the tools, to make them do what you wish. It's a process, & I'm in it.

The Sleeper, digital 3D model

The Sleeper in the Sphere

This is a study, if that is the correct term--prototype might be better. It's based on a painting I did a few years ago, and would become a large-scale augmented reality piece, should it come into being. This is at an early stage, so may change significantly before it's done. As usual, the sculptural parts are done in Blender, & it is assembled in Unity.

Sleeper in the Sphere, digital animated image

Below is the original painting, from 2015.

Asleep in the World, 2015, acrylic on gatorboard, 12" x 10"

Resilience Rising Tribute (augmented reality)

The Resilience Rising Tribute AR artwork is now live on the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store. It's a tribute to Arizona State University (where I'm currently affiliated as Visiting Artist) and the graduating class of 2020. The graduation this year has unfortunately been confined to a virtual one this year due to the Coronavirus pandemic, so this is our (myself, Leonardo ISAST at ASU, SFIS, Herberger Institute for the Arts and Meteor Studio at ASU) tribute to the students and university. The app part is a small-scale animated & interactive trophy (tribute is probably a better word) that will be mirrored on campus by a very large-scale AR piece, and also by a surrounding "Covid Quilt", a circular looped montage of stories of resilience from students, faculty & staff. The app is available now, the larger on-site piece will be happening later in the year.

You can find the app on the respective stores by searching for "Resilience Rising Tribute".

Links:
Get it on Google Play.
Get it on the App Store (via iTunes).

Resilience Rising and Covid Quilt, small scale prototype

Android phone screenshot of the Tribute, earlier version

Prison Island

A new color acrylic painting that is part of the Coronavirus series. My paintings of islands were probably inspired by the Isle of the Dead initially, but they have tended to spread out in all kinds of thematic dimensions, this one containing references to the Tower of Babel series also.

Prison Island, 2020, acrylic on panel, 10" x 8"

Colossus

Another Blender 3D sculpture, edited and textured in Photoshop. Could be a study for another augmented reality piece.

Colossus, digital art

Resilience Rising update

Here is a screenshot from an Android phone that I took yesterday of the latest version of the app (currently undergoing evaluation on the App Store) with its enhanced functionality. There is a "refresh" button (top left), scale slider (center), info button & photo shutter button (right). There are some other features in the making also. It's looking good. When it's available, I'll post something on this blog. Thanks to Robert LiKamWa and Meteor Studio for programming & other technical (& aesthetic) input.

Resilience Rising screenshot (Android)

Arnold Böcklin's Isle of the Dead 3D

I've done a number of homages to Böcklin's Isle of the Dead over the years. Here is the latest, done in Blender, which I'm experimenting with right now. Due to some kind of rendering problem, the sky & sea came out much lighter & less blue than intended. I've decided I like that result, though in future versions that might change again. This is my first attempt to do this piece in 3D, & I assume it won't be the last.

Böcklin's Isle of the Dead, 3D digital image

variation

Winged Heads (Hypnos, Morpheus)

Another sculpture in Blender, this time of winged heads -- the Greek gods Hypnos (sleep) & Morpheus (dreams) come to mind. I've displayed them here from multiple angles, as the wonderful thing about scupture is that it should function (& continually surprise) when seen from various viewpoints. I'm hoping to 3D print or otherwise cast these sculptures at some future point when a semblance of normality returns.

Winged Heads (Blender sculptures)

Old Man 3D

This is a test head that I sculpted in Blender (3D program)...I wanted to improve my 3D sculpting skills, so the best way to do that is to actually make something. It's not too bad, I think.

Old Man 3D, digital image

Old Man 3D, different view

Beware the Man in the Mask...

This started as an ink drawing, but after a false start or two became a monochrome acrylic painting with parts of the original drawing showing (at the sides). From the Coronavirus series.

Beware the Man in the Mask, 2020, ink & acrylic on paper, 14" x 11"

Future Human (Resiliency Rising A.R.)

This is a component of the Resiliency Rising A.R. (augmented reality) installation I've been working on in Blender this morning. It's an upgrade to the previous iteration (which I'm not going to highlight here, as it was a rough placeholder), & while it is still not a very polished & sophisticated semi-abstract sculpture, it is much closer to what I want. It's supposed to be gender neutral, ethnically ambiguous etc., and also I highlighted the heart area of the chest, as the future of humanity should have a heart...

Future Human, digital 3D image

Below you can see the updated prototype installation in animated GIF format:

Resiliency Rising AR, animated GIF

Storm Bringer

This little guy arrived today...I think he's part of the Coronavirus series...and I think he's a keeper...

Storm Bringer, 2020, brush & ink on paper, 14" x 11"

Resilience Rising animated GIF

This endlessly looping animated GIF probably gives a better idea of the piece (this is still in prototype form) than the small video previously posted. The overall effect is promising, the actual figures, if studied closely, are not where they need to be. The "new world" sphere (growing out of the old world) is textured with the painting from the front cover of my wife's book, A New Global Agenda, incidentally).

Resilience Rising, animated GIF (converted from movie file)

Resilience Rising in Bronze

I was wondering what Resilience Rising would look like cast in bronze, so here is a rough simulation. This is actually a screen grab from Blender's "sculpting" workspace, so it's not technically accurate, but gives a reasonable idea what it would look like, should that ever happen. Also, since this is a prototype, you can see how rough the figures actually are. I expect they will get better as things progress...also, the figures should be more ambiguous & varied (I've replicated the one figure many times here).

Resilience Rising in Bronze (digital simulation)