The Mists of Time

 A new variation on the "winged head" theme...going back to classical mythology (Hypnos, Morpheus) & Symbolists like Fernand Khnopff...post-processed with noise & reducing of contrast.

The Mists of Time, 2021, digital image

Monochrome Melancholy

The good thing about sculpting in Blender (& sculpting in general), is that with a 3D object you should ideally have a multitude of angles from which to view the piece & appreciate the interplay of forms.

With Blender's texturing, lighting, coloring etc., options, the possibilities are multiplied. Add to that the ability to insert a background image or objects, & then post-process (I set the image levels to "auto" & added noise), & you can almost endlessly recycle the images and find something new to present.

I also like the way the exposed mesh structure of the piece in places can resemble chisel marks, giving the work a handmade quality of sorts, whilst still maintaining its digital origins.

Monochrome Melancholy, digital Blender image

The Pact

This is a 3D rendered image created in Blender of 2 angels (of the somewhat terrifying, Rilkean variety) coming to an agreement of how to share the mundane world, perhaps. That's what seems to be happening here, but I never really know. I prefer to allude to narratives and let the viewer fill in the rest, which makes the piece more interactive, I think.

The Pact, digital Blender image

The Chaos Series

 I've been working on a series of around 20 (currently 18 done as of this writing) drawings that I've entitled The Chaos Series, as the intention was to do something more intense, improvised & chaotic than my usual work (which can often also be described in the foregoing terms to some extent). So, these are taken to some kind of an extreme & with little forethought, which might be a good recipe for disaster, but so far I'm liking the results. Here is one example, the rest are in an album on my Flickr.

A Head for Figures (Chaos Series), 2021, brush & soluble carbon on paper, 17" x 14".

Head for a Pietà

 This is a 3D digital sculpture done in Blender. It seems to have a quite strong emotional resonance.

Head for a Pietà, Blender digital image

Amber Angel

 Another rendering of the Angel Manipulating Spheres piece:

Amber Angel

The Angel's Hand

 Close-up rendering of the Angel's hand (from Angel Manipulating Spheres). Hands are difficult & time-consuming to sculpt, and this one came out quite well.

Angel's hand, digital rendering from Blender

Here is another view of the piece:

Angel Manipulating Spheres, another view

Sun Angel I & II

 This was done in Blender using a winged head I sculpted a short while ago. I added a partial body & gave it a metallic gold texture, then lit it with an HDRI (high dynamic range image) as well as a sun light. By experimenting with the lighting, HDRI placement, composition, etc., I came up with the following images. The only difference between I & II is the rendering engine used (Eevee in the first, Cycles in the second). The results were suitably ethereal & heavenly, I think.

Sun Angel II, Blender digital image (Cycles renderer)

Sun Angel I, Blender digital image (Eevee renderer)

Resilience Rising Revisited

 A new version of Resilience Rising, done in Blender to be used in A-Frame web format. This is a work-in-progress, more soon.

Resilience Rising (new web version), digital, 2021

Three Golden Heads

 I recently did a sculpture workshop for students at ASU (where I teach Blender & XR artwork). I started this head in the Zoom workshop to demonstrate Blender's 3D sculpting capabilities, & finished it afterwards. It usually takes me several hours to sculpt a head, & the workshop was around 45 minutes.

Below are 3 versions: top; fully textured: middle; another variation against a cloudy sky: bottom; the sculpted heads in raw, untextured state.

Occimore by Paul Rizk

 Here is the cover of "Occimore" by Paul Rizk, a young French author. This book was published a few months ago & I should be receiving a copy soon, more details when I get it...

Occimore by Paul Rizk, cover painting is "Judgment Day", 2019

Sette Occhi / Seven Eyes by Enzo Ciruolo

 Thanks to Enzo Ciruolo in Italy for sending me a copy of his book "Sette Occhi" with my painting of "The Creature with Seven Eyes" on the cover. This is his first published novel, I believe, so congratulations to him. Also it was a prizewinning entry in a competition. As far as I can make out, via my lack of Italian, it's a noir mystery/thriller. From Google translate:

"Esdras is a young scholar of the Sacred University of San Policarpo. Because of the marks on his face, he has lived in solitude for as long as he can remember. Only Father Ure, a Consistorial considered by many a heretic, took pity on him and took him as a disciple. After years of intense study of the Masagida and sacred contemplation, the boy manages to be admitted to the prestigious university; however, the joy of reaching the goal is soon dissipated by a terrible event. Father Ure is brutally murdered and Esdras, realizing the similarities present in the dynamics of the murder with some events contained in the Sacred Texts, decides to investigate the identity of the executioner."

I'm wishing him much success with his book, and future career. He is also a very accomplished pianist.

New World City A.R. (web version) for Leonardo ISAST

 Just published (embedded via QR code and marker) in Leonardo Journal 54:3. More info at: https://leonardo.info/new-world-city-about

To view, scan the QR code & click "allow" & point the phone camera at the lower icon. For better results, click to make the image full screen.

New World City AR web-based version

 Here's the augmented reality project I've been working on recently. This is a new, "portable" version of New World City, originally conceived as a large-scale outdoor AR installation. This uses many of the elements of that piece in a small-scale marker-based piece using the A-Frame software framework. This means that you will go to a web page, be prompted to allow use of your camera (phone or computing device) & the 3D imagery will pop up when the marker is recognized. This is currently nearing completion & I'll put information here about the final piece when it's ready.

New World City AR (portable web version)

The double helix building left of center was created by my daughter, Lizzie