Scarecrows and Creatures

RAW show tonight

2011-10-20T06:01:00.000-07:00

RAW: Natural artists show, tonight, 8pm at La Pomme, in Chelsea, get there! There will be drinks, music, dancing (if you must) and some excellent art, with prints and work available for sale. I will have old and new work up so this will be exciting. To be put on the list, just email me your name, to betts.rebecca@gmail.com, and you will be let in!

Photos of my bro

2011-10-14T23:42:00.000-07:00

Here are photos of my bro, lying amongst my paintings, (his idea):

New paintings, be friends with em

2011-10-14T20:58:00.000-07:00

New paintings my dear comrades. Oh jesus, the blow out from the flash is fuckin terrible. Give me a break! Jeez! Better uploads will come at some point. Anyhow, below is Friends, 12"x36" oil on canvas.

Here's a small detail of my little star struck man.

Here is Drips, 20"x20" oil on canvas.

Detail:

And lastly, Neil Farmer, 20"x10" oil on canvas board.

RAW artist show rescheduled to October 20th

2011-09-28T09:07:00.000-07:00

Hey ya'll! That show I was in, RAW Natural Born Artists that was supposed to have been last Thursday had to be rescheduled, so it shall be taking place October 20th, same place, same time. Here are the details:

The show is being put on by a great organization called RAW: Natural artists, and I will be showing work on October 20th, from 8 to 12 at La Pomme, in Chelsea. Here are the details, along with a link to my profile. To be put on the list, just email me your name, to betts.rebecca@gmail.com, and you will be let in! Looking forward to it!

Show at Limner Gallery

2011-09-23T12:56:00.000-07:00

Here are some photos from the current show, "Surreal Visions" I am in at Limner Gallery. In the first photo you can see my tiny piece 'Runner' on the back wall on the left. The second photo has a close up of it. Super great work in this show, very exciting!

Sold Stake.

2011-09-14T12:09:00.000-07:00

One of my first beloved scarecrow paintings was sold today, Stake, 7.5"x7.5" oil on wood. Farewell little guy, you will be missed!

Dedleg Jones, new prints

2011-09-13T19:59:00.000-07:00

My partner in crime has new prints up in his online store, very dope, check em out here sucka! A few below to intrigue...

Creature feature

2011-09-07T21:21:00.000-07:00

Some friends I doodled around town, click to enlarge.

Around Town, 7"x7" ink on paper

Bid on some artwork

2011-09-07T05:26:00.000-07:00

There were some pieces up for sale at this online gallery show at S.P.A.C.E. Gallery that I bid on, and I won one. This great piece, by Justin Atherton, for $35, what a steal. I also bid on this piece, by a artist friend named Peter Isles, but got outbid (which is good news for Peter.) Remember to support the arts! Buy some art, now!

Selected RAW artist

2011-08-30T08:08:00.000-07:00

I was invited to be a featured artist with this great organization called RAW: Natural artists, and will be showing work on September 22nd, from 8 to 11 at Pomme, in Chelsea. Here are the details, where you can buy tickets to the event for $10 each (a steal I know), along with a link to my profile. There will be a variety of different art there; visual art, fashion, music, video, photography, so something for everyone. I will be posting photos and interviews from the show so check back!

The Greepoint Gallery salon show tonight!

2011-08-19T08:00:00.000-07:00

I'll be showing some pieces at The Greenpoint Gallery's summer salon show tonight only, opening at 8. Woop, should be exciting. Click here for the details and location, and here for more general info on the gallery.

Jay Howell

2011-08-18T07:34:00.000-07:00

"I have a couple of basic dance moves and a bunch of good jokes. I can drink a ton of beer and stay up really late. I have a tremendous appetite and love to sleep in. I'm easily entertained and I laugh a lot. I love surprises and warm days. I like to swim underwater and skate down hills, peaceful moments, finishing tasks, and drawing."

See his work/blog here.

New page

2011-08-17T17:49:00.001-07:00

Hi. Above you can see I added an "Artwork" page where you can find many of my finished pieces, all in one place. Go blogger.

Surreal Visions

2011-08-14T14:37:00.000-07:00

Here is the promo cards Surreal Visions sent me for the show my piece Runner will be in. Here is a link to the gallery home page. (Click to enlarge)

Runner, 5"x5" wood on board

Sneak peeks

2011-08-13T18:49:00.000-07:00

Here are a few snippets of some pieces I am working on at the moment. I like to jump around from piece to piece so as not to get bored, and to allow the paint to dry between sessions. The first shot is from a piece I am calling Friends, which is 12"x36" so these guys are only a few characters in the piece.

The next is a piece called Caterpillar, the artist formerly known as Neil Farmer, 10"x20".

The next is a peek of Drips, 20"x20" which also has a few characters floating around, this is one.

Hopefully done soon! Check back suckas.

Astoria Market tomorrow, 2-7pm

2011-08-06T16:19:00.000-07:00

Hey ya'll. I will be selling at a booth tomorrow at Astoria Market, a local art/craft/food fair. I will be selling prints of my Scarecrows and Creatures. Should be exciting!

N is for...

2011-08-04T20:17:00.000-07:00

Neil Farmer, N in my Sketchbook Project of Encyclopedia of Scarecrows and Creatures! Figured I would jump around to different letters so as to keep it interesting, so I made sure Neil Farmer is on the right page of my sketchbook to correspond to N's page within the alphabet. What do you think of Neil?

First thing my brother said when he saw Neil was, "Rebecca, that is a penis. It is even flesh-colored." What can I say, I am a medical illustrator. In case you can't read the description, here it is: "A medium-sized semi-aquatic rodent native to North America and recognized by its extremely phallic appearance. It is a solitary animal, known to interact only with other females during the mating season, which occurs in late fall."

Excellent article

2011-08-04T09:13:00.000-07:00

This artist describes his approach to creating art and the obstacles artists face in an incredibly inspirational way. Especially now, as I get older and things get harder and harder, and you feel like a loser, this was excellent to read. Be amazed here!

A is for Alpha Freemo

2011-08-01T21:35:00.000-07:00

My first page in the Sketchbook Project, Encyclopedia of...Scarecrows and Creatures. Not the best scan, but oh well.

A is for...

Dedleg Jones - Illustrations

2011-07-29T08:32:00.001-07:00

Just need to send a shout out to my partner in crime's flickr page, because, mainly, his stuff is too good to ignore. Here are a few of his excellent illustrations.

Hail Dedleg Jones. See more here and his website here.

Painting done (maybe)

2011-07-21T19:45:00.000-07:00

So here is a piece I think is complete. I might add a few more details here and there, but pretty much there. Whale is his name, creeping is his game. Apparently I just love this orangish background, since I've replicated it in many of my paintings. (6"x6", oil on canvas)

Featured on blog

2011-07-19T05:48:00.000-07:00

A blogger I recently met on Etsy has selected me as her Favorite Etsy seller of the week. How nice, check it out here. Sue makes some pretty stellar crochet items, such as this banana, so be sure to check out her store as well.

Featured on Etsy blog

2011-07-18T10:21:00.000-07:00

A blog featuring Etsy items has chosen Friendly Cenobites for their Marvelous Mondays post. It's nice to get some exposure, click here to see!

Showing at Limner Gallery, Slow Art Productions

2011-07-15T13:58:00.000-07:00

Slow Art Productions had an open call for "the group thematic exhibition, Surreal Visions. The exhibition will be held at the Limner Gallery from September 3 - October 1, 2011. This exhibition is open to all interpretations of the concept, Surreal Visions." A total of 25 artists were chosen to participate, and Runner was chosen to be a part of the show. The Limner Gallery originated in the East Village, but now has moved up north to Hudson, NY, about a two hour drive from Manhattan (must...steal...car...). What's very cool is, "One artist will be awarded a two page display in Direct Art Volume #19, Fall 2012 issue. Two artists will be awarded a single page display. Direct Art is distributed to bookstores across the USA including Borders and Barnes and Noble." Hubbada hubbada.

Here is a link to the work that was chosen for the show, Runner is second from the top.

Runner, 5"x5" oil on board, 2011

Artwork showing at Lambs Underground Gallery

2011-07-15T10:46:00.000-07:00

So Lambs Underground Gallery had a open call for artist to show their work, sponsored by the organization Gifted Hands, based in NYC. Per their website, "Gifted Hands is a nonprofit organization that provides outreach to New York City’s underserved communities through art programs. These programs give participants the opportunity to create something beautiful with their own “gifted hands” through a variety of mediums including stained glass, woodworking, jewelry design, scrapbooking, and more." The programs listed focus on Outreach to Women and Children, HIV/AIDS Communities, Seniors and Youth at Risk.

The show I will be participating in (with my piece Crying, as seen below) will be giving a percentage of any artwork sales towards supporting the various art programs run by Gifted Hands.

The show is exhibiting Saturday, July 30, 2011 - Sunday July 31, 2011 at The Lambs Underground Gallery, 63 Rivington St, New York, NY 10002. Come if you can!

New friends part 2

2011-07-07T20:51:00.000-07:00

New additions, Squishy Black and Neil Farmer. They will add nicely to the team! Although you can't tell via scanner, Squishy Black's eyes are gold beads (mixed media, something I never enjoyed within the art world, but alas, here I am! Strings and beads...what's next?! I don't even know who I am anymore.)

Enjoy! (click to enlarge, as always suckas!)

My Sketchbook Project friends!

2011-07-05T21:22:00.000-07:00

Here are a slew of characters for my Sketchbook project, entitled, "Encyclopedia of..." I am obviously running with, "Encyclopedia of Scarecrows and Creatures" (big surprise), all whom have distinct, elusive names, and bright colorful bodies. Do mind the terrible scanning job, but alas, this is just a preview.

Click to enlarge foo!

New print on Etsy

2011-07-01T08:12:00.000-07:00

I have a new print for sale on Etsy, Friendly Cenobites, 9"x13" oil on board. Check it out here!

"It's like a concert tour, but with sketchbooks. "

2011-06-30T06:32:00.000-07:00

Hey ya'll, starting a new side project called The Sketchbook Project, organized by the group Art House Co-Op. The project is a traveling exhibition of sketchbooks created by artists from all over the world. You pay Art House a small fee of $20, pick a theme, and they ship you a blank sketchbook for you to fill in based on the theme you chose. There really are no restrictions, as the theme is just a guide. Then, in January of 2012, you ship them back the filled sketchbook and it goes traveling around the country starting in April 2012, on a magical artistic tour of wonder! Every completed sketchbook will be included on the 2012 tour and cataloged and displayed in their permanent collection, physically at the Brooklyn Art Library, as well as in the digital library (if you paid the extra $25 for your book to be scanned in online, which I did).

My theme is..."Encyclopedia of" My first sketch will show where I'm going to go with this...

Squishy the Second

2011-06-27T18:08:00.000-07:00

Here is a current version of Squishy the Second. Similar black strings, similar fat eyes, but slight variations to keep things interesting. What do you think?

Here is the original Squishy:

Selling prints!

2011-06-17T09:48:00.001-07:00

I opened an Etsy store, like everyone in the world, prints are $20 bucks, hand signed. Get them while they are hot here!

Show!

2011-06-13T08:22:00.000-07:00

So Bushwick Open Studios' sister event, Northside Open Studios, is launching this weekend! A local print company, Skink Ink, is having an opening event for it this Friday night, from 7 to 9pm. They accepted Squishy, from my Squids painting, to show!

Then on Satruday, from 2 to 6, and Sunday, 1 to 3, I will be opening my apartment to the public to show my work for Northside Open Studios, at 151 Berry St, #1R Williamsburg, NY. Drinks, food and music will accompany you, me, and my work.

New paintings

2011-06-08T20:24:00.000-07:00

New works in progress.

some little friends sketching here and there.

Sold some sh*t!

2011-06-06T11:38:00.000-07:00

Hey y'all, sold two paintings at Bushwick Open Studios. The following I no longer own, so now I will diminish, and go into the West, and remain Rebecca.

Squids, 36''x12'' Oil on canvas, 2011

Crying, 10"x10" Oil on canvas, 2011

Bushwick Open Studios starts tomorrow!

2011-06-02T13:19:00.000-07:00

I will be showing work in this year's Bushwick Open Studios, at Little Skips, a coffeehouse in Bushwick. Here is my profile, and here is the link to the info about Little Skips' opening party starting at 8pm tomorrow night. My art will be showing during the whole weekend of Bushwick Open Studios (Fri night, Sat 12 to 7, Sun 12 to 7). Come!

And the new tattoo (done by Joy Rumore, @ 1228Tattoo, Brooklyn, NY)

2011-06-02T10:55:00.000-07:00

As always, you can click to enlarge. (All photos credit: Joy Rumore)

The chicks accompany a slightly older tattoo, which their little feet are "standing on," seen here:

my new tattoo

2011-05-30T19:18:00.000-07:00

Here is my new tattoo design, dotted line might not be in the final tattoo, we'll see.

Final additions

2011-05-29T20:28:00.000-07:00

Here are my finalized images (minus the large Squids image, which hasn't changed). I have now passed them on to Little Skips for the show.

Here is the info for the Bushwick Open Studios I will be a part of this weekend: http://artsinbushwick.org/bos2011/directory/?listing=3684

"Dedleg Jones" 5"x5" oil on board. 2011

2011-05-19T19:32:00.000-07:00

work in progress.

"Fish" 10''x10'' oil on canvas. 2011

2011-05-19T19:31:00.000-07:00

updated!

"Stake" 7.75''x7.75'' oil on wood. 2011

2011-05-19T19:25:00.000-07:00

A work in progress.

"Friendly Cenobites" 9"x6" oil on board. 2011

2011-05-19T19:22:00.000-07:00

A work in progress.

"Hurdle" 4"x4" oil on board. 2011

2011-05-19T19:21:00.000-07:00

A work in progress.

"TWINS, or, Thanks, We're Into Nothing, Sir." 6"x9" oil on board. 2011

2011-05-19T19:19:00.000-07:00

updated!

"TWINS, or, Thanks, We're Into Nothing, Sir." 6"x9" oil on board. 2011

2011-05-11T19:46:00.000-07:00

Work in progress.

"Fatty" 5"x5" oil on board. 2011

2011-05-11T19:41:00.000-07:00

Work in progress.

"Horny" 6"x9" oil on board. 2011

2011-05-05T19:20:00.000-07:00

A work in progress. I mean look at those balloons! For realz.

"Rocket" 5"x5" oil on board. 2011

2011-05-05T19:08:00.000-07:00

A work in progress. I mean look at those poofs!

"I See Clearly How Interesting" 5"x5'' oil on board. 2011

2011-05-04T05:55:00.000-07:00

Here is another creature of mine. Still a work in progress...

New artwork

2011-04-29T10:01:00.000-07:00

So I am painting in my spare time now, thank the gods. I am completely rebelling against my grad school education of medically accurate and real. If you want to hear some really annoying, artistic babble about what I'm doing with these pieces, please, read on. If you want to maintain some sense of respect for me, don't. That being said, I will be creating prints at some point, so you can support my silly habit, if you like.

"My approach to art is now very organic as opposed to the calculated approach I was taught in graduate school, in that I don't sketch or have a real idea of my subject until the brush touches the canvas. I let the creation of my subject naturally evolve, letting my past experiences, emotions and medical illustration education inform the elements and characters I ultimately will create. I focus on feelings of isolation and awkwardness I felt while growing up to inform the subjects of my paintings."

Also, these were quick uploads, and photos of paintings always suck, so take these images with a grain of salt.

"Cah" 10''x10'' oil on canvas. 2011

2011-04-28T17:15:00.001-07:00

A work in progress.

"Fish" 10''x10'' oil on canvas. 2011

2011-04-28T17:12:00.000-07:00

A work in progress.

"Stake" 7.75''x7.75'' oil on wood. 2011

2011-04-28T17:07:00.000-07:00

Very much a work in progress, I mean look at those balloons!

"Crying" 10''x10 oil on canvas. 2011

2011-04-28T17:02:00.000-07:00

A work in progress.

"Runner" 5''x5'' oil on wood. 2011

2011-04-28T16:49:00.000-07:00

A work in progress, again, those balloons!

"Squids" 36''x12'' oil on canvas. 2011

2011-04-28T16:43:00.000-07:00

You can click to enlarge.

Details:

Skin piece

2010-09-05T15:44:00.000-07:00

Here is my final graphic chunk of skin I did. I think it is so great that as a medical illustrator, I can just create images of the human body just for fun. Piece of skin, ear anatomy, liver...really the world is my oyster.

Piece of skin

2010-08-10T23:29:00.000-07:00

I just watched Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation the other day (Netflix I curse you!) and...I wonder if this illustration was subconsciously influenced by that. I hope not, because it was literally, literally, one of the worst films I have ever seen in my life. Starring Renee Zellweger and Matthew McConaughey strangely enough, but it was still so terrible. However, it could be put in the 'it's so bad it's good' category, along the lines of Honey starring Jessica Alba, and Glitter starring Mariah Carey. While wikipedia-ing Mariah Carey for the name of the film Glitter, there was a note that, "She made her film debut as an opera singer in the romantic comedy The Bachelor (1999), starring Chris O'Donnell and Renée Zellweger." Renee Zellweger again! Weird. Actually, maybe not that weird.

Off topic. I started this illustration as a base for my new portfolio website design. I want to finish this before I start the actual creation of the website, so here is a shot of it so far. It was suppose to be a quick job but in reality all "small illustrations" take a good amount of time. I do want it to be very graphic looking, drop-shadows and all, light and fun. You can click the image for a slight enlargement.

Current Events

2010-08-10T13:00:00.000-07:00

So what's up? What's up with you?

As always, I am redesigning my website. Trying to create the whole thing in Flash because of my increasing familiarity with the program, or maybe just incorporate some aspects of Flash within the overall design. I don't know yet, I have to investigate and see how it works out.

In the meantime, I am reading a VONDERFUL book, Between a rock and a hard place, by Aron Ralston. He is the guy that had to free himself from a boulder he got pinned under by amputating his lower right arm using a dull swiss army-type tool. Very insane I know.

Film soon. I happen to have low expectations of this book to film adaptation, only because I was deeply offended by Sean Penn's adaptation of Into the Wild, an amazing book by Jon Krakauer which I loved. However, it seems to be common knowledge that once you read a book, the film typically never stands up to your personal interpretation of it. However, I will probably see 127 Hours when it comes out. Just to see.

Via wikipedia:

British film director Danny Boyle is currently working on the film 127 Hours about the true story of Ralston.^[12] Filming is expected to take place in March of 2010, with a release date scheduled for late 2010. Fox Searchlight will be funding the film.^[13] Actor James Franco will play Ralston.^[14]

Vector Illustrations

2010-06-06T14:14:00.000-07:00

Here are a couple medical vector objects I did for my research project on Sex Reassignment Surgery - a foley catheter and a dilator (you can click to enlarge).

U-Needa Italian Ices

2010-05-16T19:45:00.000-07:00

So...I was asked by my crazy cousin Laura if I would be create a logo for her Italian Ice business she was opening up this summer. I said sure thing, and although I created it under the spell of the flu, it came out alright. She sent me a very very undeveloped sketch of an idea of what she wanted, which ended up helping me out tremendously.

My newly designed portfolio!

2010-05-14T09:07:00.001-07:00

I am going to see a band tonight that I love, plus I finished my new portfolio design and creation (simple simple simple) so I am a happy fool!

http://www2.uic.edu/~rbetts2/index.html

My final pieces

2010-05-09T20:24:00.000-07:00

Hey ya'll here are my finished pieces for my independent study, yah! They are done, and I am happy. Click to enlarge, if you're into that.

Half good.

2010-04-20T20:42:00.000-07:00

Here is YET another project I am working on for my independent study. My independent study needs to be 4-5 complex projects - this satisfies a 'half' credit so it didn't need to be too intense of a final project. I still have work to do on it - the eyebrow leaves much to be desired, but overall it's going smoothly. I will be showing John it on Thursday for the first time, so we'll see what he suggests then - eek. The main focus was the textured iris so the when I post the final, I will have to zoom in on that portion. Woop!

'It's like people only do things because they get paid, and that's just really sad.'

2010-04-14T21:21:00.000-07:00

Here is a detail of yet another piece for my independent study with John, my professor. The final whole piece has 3 vertebrae, not just one and a half, but I figured here I could zoom in on the part I like, the spinal cord and nerve roots. Will post final when complete!

::GASP::

2010-04-13T22:02:00.000-07:00

Here is another :not quite: finished piece for my independent study. Midsagittal section of the male reproductive anatomy. I did a sketch for my research project, and decided to Photoshop it as one of my independent study final pieces. A tad more work to do on it, but overall doing this was a very educational experience due to all the textures I had to create in Photoshop. I love Photoshop, yah!

Nip it in the bud

2010-04-13T20:49:00.000-07:00

I want you all to know that that is the first and last time I will ever be using a saying such as the title of this post, 'nip it in the bud.' I don't know why I did this time, I guess it just felt right...anyways, this is the start to one of my pieces for my independent study I am doing this semester with my excellent professor John Daugherty. He wanted to push my use of color, especially with bones, since I tend to go a little 'muddy' with my darks...I will be layering muscles and tendons on this bone base of the foot, so we will see how it goes.

UIC AHS Inaugural Vivette R. Rifkin Memorial Seminar

2010-03-22T14:00:00.000-07:00

Hey so, I was offered an opportunity to paint a portrait of Vivette R. Rifkin, a woman who recorded books and textbooks for her blind daughter so as to not allow her disability to hinder her education, for a memorial seminar event coming up at UIC. Close to completion, here she is. Below is the information for the event:

You’re invited to the UIC College of Applied Health Sciences’
Inaugural Vivette R. Rifkin Memorial Seminar

**** COGNITIVE DISABILITY AND TECHNOLOGY
IN AN ERA OF ECONOMIC UNCERTAINTY ****

Presented by David Braddock, PhD
Executive Director, Coleman Institute for Cognitive Disability
University of Colorado

DATE: Wednesday, March 31
TIME: 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
LOCATION: Student Center West, Chicago Rooms, 828 S. Wolcott Ave.

Lunch will be served.

Admission is FREE and open to all, but please make a reservation by Fri., March 26, by visitingwww.ahs.uic.edu .

Female reproductive anatomy

2010-02-18T09:41:00.001-08:00

Here is another vector image I did, le female, duh! You should probably click to enlarge.

Inner male reproductive anatomy

2010-02-17T21:25:00.000-08:00

Self explanatory! ::click to enlarge::

This must be fiction.

2010-02-16T14:56:00.000-08:00

"This must be fiction." The first thing I thought when I read the synopsis for the book being featured for a UIC book club. I couldn't believe the story, but really, who am I kidding?

I have yet to begin reading 'The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks', by Rebecca Skloot, for the UIC Urban Allied Health Academy Spring 2010 Book Group that I just joined, but I cannot wait to start. Here is a brief summary:

"HeLa cells (named for Henrietta Lacks), which were removed from Mrs. Lacks during a biopsy and cultured without her permission, have helped build thousands of careers, not to mention more than 60,000 scientific studies, revealing the secrets of everything from aging and cancer to mosquito mating and the cellular effects of working in sewers. Yet her family remained unaware of Mrs. Lack's contribution to science for over 20 years.

In “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks,” Rebecca Skloot introduces us to the “real live woman,” the children who survived her, and the interplay of race, poverty, science and one of the most important medical discoveries of the last 100 years."

A quote from the book's jacket that I think is perfect, "Deborah (Henrietta's daughter) ... was devastated to learn about her mother's cells. Deborah was consumed with questions: Had scientists cloned her mother? Had they killed her to harvest her cells? And if her mother was so important to medicine, why couldn't her children afford health insurance?" Here is a link to the more detailed New York Times review.

Basically, right up my alley.

Digital design.

2010-02-14T18:01:00.000-08:00

This is an icon I did for a professor who wanted to update 'the look' of a course focusing on Digital Design. This is actually the alternate version of the icon; the original is a more painterly, Photoshopped image which was the one they actually used for the course. I did this vector graphic style as another option, but ended up liking it more than the one used. Oh well.

Old Illustrator work

2010-02-14T17:52:00.000-08:00

Old Illustrator work. When I was first introduced to the program, I chose to do some friends and family, vector style. Highly underdeveloped, but they hold a special place in my heart. I remember doing them and yelling, 'This is so much fun!!' which, it was.

What is it? I don't know.

2010-02-13T16:32:00.000-08:00

Here is a doodle creature of some sort I created and colored, that I obviously found charming enough to share on the internet with my name attached to it. Go figure. Why post it? Why not I guess...

Ima kick you.

2010-02-08T22:29:00.000-08:00

As some of you will know, I judge people by their footwear. I do. I know it's bad, but so far it is my most fail-safe mode of judging. Instead of looking at clothes, hair, overall style, I go straight for the kicks. It is a flaw that was deeply embedded in me by my Long Island, slightly ghetto, urban-mixed-with-suburbia upbringing. What can I say, home is where the heart is. On this note, I decided to share some of my most recent spray-painted 'projects.' I have been spray-painting my Nikes for about...7 years now, and only recently was seriously hindered by my move to Chicago, where buying spray-paint is illegal. Yeah I know. Apparently you can purchase paint in real suburbia Chicago, but I don't got a car. So. I went to the internets and bought a beautiful shade of baby-blue paint, which I only recently got to use with a freshly bought pair of all-black Nikes I received as a Christmas present. Upon asking friends and family, "Do you think I should paint them?" with the collective voice screaming, "NO!" I was hesitant to deflower an already beautifully simple pair of kicks. However, I found myself not embracing the new sneakers, largely in part because they weren't painted. I felt odd wearing a pair I haven't 'made my own.' Therefore, the images you will see are of my new masterpieces (maybe not masterpieces but I definitely dig them). Along with the all-black pair, you will see I was somewhat racist and only went for the all-white uptowns, which of course, I highly regret now. I did wear the hell out of those things, until they were literally unsafe and unhealthy to wear anymore, so couldn't have been too shabby. But with the all-black ones, the contrast you can get is hard to resist. The thing I love about the whole spray-paint effect is the level of control of paint I can get, along with the inherent chaos that is produced by the nature of spray paint. I tend to repaint them as they age and lose color, but the layers of color and chipping that is achieved by this only enhances the crazy colorful, organic look of them, which I love. They constantly evolve by wear and tear. A natural degradation that can't be mimicked any other way. Anyways, after spilling my life journey in regards to my sneakers, have a peak at some of my new, and very old, painted sneaks.

My partners in crime.

Erin Stevens. She alright.

2010-02-03T21:52:00.000-08:00

Here is a link to my friend's portfolio that I coded and designed. There are a few sections missing (Bio and Anaplastology) but this not on my end. ::Ehem:: Erin needs to send me the stuff, but the website is live, woop!

Cover your eyes children!

2010-02-03T21:35:00.000-08:00

So I am actually updating! Insane, I know. No, what's insane is the amount of work I have to do in order to graduate this May...Listen I don't want to talk about it, ok? Here is a screen grab of a piece I am working on for a few things. I cannot disclose that information at this point, you will just have to keep checking my blog to find out. Anyways, the point is to show the inner anatomy in relation to the outer anatomy, so the bladder (which has not been worked on, hence the flat look of it) and the prostate gland, testes, etc. will all be slightly transparent under the outside skin. The images are damn desaturated and not nearly complete, but you get the point. I really like how the scrotum came out, so I included an image with and without the testes and epididymis (the pink slug-like object resting on the testes). Off we go.

Final tumor.

2009-12-28T17:12:00.000-08:00

My final edited tumor.

Another one.

2009-12-28T17:06:00.000-08:00

I edited this baby as well.

Quick job, but came out splendidly!

2009-12-28T16:47:00.000-08:00

I kicked my ass to get some work done this break, so I used a line drawing of the brain I did last year to serve as the base of a photoshop painting of a brain. It's nice to create something you're proud of, especially when you did it in about 24 hours! Yowza.

Snap shot from final Maya twin project

2009-12-13T20:58:00.000-08:00

Photoshop touched up and edited, ready to go. (click to enlarge)

Render passes.

2009-11-18T19:39:00.000-08:00

Here are a few shots of my Maya twins together...these are old, so my final probably will look slightly different, but I do love the depth of field effect I got here. These were snap shots so the depth of field was easy (as in just 'checking' depth of field attribute) but I need to figure out how to get the depth of field effect with a motion camera.

RB_CREATIVE

2009-11-15T21:31:00.000-08:00

Advanced Graphic Design called upon us students to create a brand logo, either our own or someone else's for our next assignment. I, therefore, created a web design company geared towards the healthcare industry. Clinics, doctor's office, hospitals - all would receive well-designed, high quality, creative web designs via RB_Creative. Here it is.

Don't be scared.

2009-10-25T21:24:00.000-07:00

I took this in honor of Halloween - I decorated my apartment with a few gimmicky decorations and thought I should photograph them in all their spooky splendor. Don't be scared, they are only plastic.

"You didn't wash your necks." "Sometimes we don't wash our necks, but that's ok." "I...wash my neck...take a look at my neck!"

2009-10-25T16:47:00.000-07:00

These are some images from a Flash interactive I did over the summer, on the major structures of the neck. I will link to the actual interactive when possible, but for now chew on this.

Ima slap yo' baby.

2009-10-19T21:37:00.000-07:00

Here are a few material/light shots from my babies...still a lot of work to go.

Watch it baby.

2009-10-14T21:18:00.000-07:00

So I have been tied up with some larger projects these days, so I figured I will post up some progress of them. For my Maya class this semester, our big final assignment is to create an environment (anything you want) and then render out the scene with textures and lighting, plus have a camera fly through. I wanted to do something medically-based that will hold my interest for the whole semester, so I decided to recreate what two fraternal twins would like in their mother's womb (fyi I am a fraternal twin with my brother (see below) so there is an obvious correlation here).

Moving on, below is a screen shot of my baby, the beginning of what will be two babies in the womb. Woop.

ERIN'S HEART & SOUL

2009-10-10T15:56:00.000-07:00

Here is my rework of the website design I am doing for my amiga Erin Stevens. Previously, this specific design was orange and green, but I think these colors work a little more to fit in with Erin's personality and style. I have yet to create any secondary pages because I am waiting for the ok from Erin so I don't waste ma time! Hope she likes what I've done so far. The other images are the rollover states for the links. Looking at it now, I am going to change the text under the heart on the off state to green, like the other links. Then on rollover, the heart color will change to green and the text will turn white. Woop!

So I lied a little...

2009-10-07T18:46:00.000-07:00

Below you will find my final versions of the medical icons for my most recent Advanced Graphic Design project. We had to choose three medical branches, and I, of course, chose Psychiatry as my last branch which certainly was freakin hard to represent. So my three branches were Ophthalmology, Nuclear Medicine and Psychiatry. While I was brainstorming, I figured I would call my last branch Neurology, because that's exactly what the icon looked like. However, I developed (I hope) a more representative icon for Psychiatry, although at one point I was ready to accept my current very Neurological-type icon. By the way, we had to develop a color version of the icons as well. We could use as much or as little color as we wanted, so I wanted to highlight the 'smaller' parts of the major structures that I created.

Frank Armitage Lecture coming up!

2009-10-02T11:47:00.000-07:00

Frankie boy. Mr. Frank Armitage will be featured again this year, on October 22nd and 23rd, at the annual BVIS event The Frank Armitage Lecture. David Bolinsky, Medical Director and Partner for XVIVO, will be the guest lecturer. Site creation and design for the event was done by my fellow classmate Lindsey Pionek.

"The Birds"

2009-10-01T21:37:00.000-07:00

A screen grab of a website design and creation that I am doing for a friend of mine, Ms. Erin Stevens. Simple and clean. We'll see how coding it goes!

Le babies

2009-10-01T20:44:00.000-07:00

Presenting my first real-life edited photograph! (It's the little things in life...) I adjusted hue/saturation, shadow/highlight, applied a photo filter and performed other small minor manual alterations. Woop! The subject is one of the many succulents I have flanking my kitchen windows. They are called 'Hens and Chicks' and they are cute little fellows aren't they? If you look close at the red glass stone on the far upper-right, you can actually see me - my hands and head surrounding the big black camera lens. Very cool. Unintentional, but nice nonetheless.

I CON CREATE ICONS.

2009-10-01T17:45:00.000-07:00

Our most recent project for advanced graphic design was to create icons for three branches of medicine. I started with a very flat, graphic style, but as I went on I really let my imagination take me where it wanted. The second idea I came up with is very 60's, and completely different from the other icons. For the last design, I wanted something bold and striking. So, below are the three very different styles I developed. If you prefer one, PLEASE let me know, because I have to pick one to finalize for the final hand in. (Click to enlarge in new window!)

Don't get saucy, I've got my Bovie.

2009-09-21T23:34:00.000-07:00

This vector illustration was created for my Surgical Orientation class over the summer. As the title implies, this instrument is called a Bovie, and is used for cauterizing and cutting various tissues. This was done in Illustrator and didn't take too much time at all.

Scorpion-Cactus hybrid?

2009-09-21T21:13:00.000-07:00

Another MAYA creation. What is it? I don't know, but it was fun to create!

Lymphedema

2009-09-20T22:56:00.000-07:00

Another Advanced Imaging project...I chose to do an image of a woman with lymphedema, and show through transparency, her lymphatic system and the disconnect that is causing her to have lymphedema. Although still in progress, I'm happy with what I've got done already. (The lymphatic system is basically like the 'garbage men' of your body...it gets rid of your cellular waste through a system of channels in your body. When those connections between the channels are broken, the body has no way to get rid of those wastes so the cellular fluid builds up in the person's extremities. In most cases, people with lymphedema have had their lymph nodes removed due to cancer, or radiation therapy and in women, it is most prevalent in the arms after breast cancer surgery. The affected limb becomes swollen, heavy and is prone to infection. Read more about it here, on Wikipedia if you like).

BRANCHES. BRANCHES. Oh my...

2009-09-20T22:51:00.000-07:00

Maya class. Create a complex branching network. Ok. Got it. How about a glowing metal pipe system? Cool? Ok, cool. (click to see a larger image)

2009-09-20T22:42:00.001-07:00

Alright, so here is the last slide to my mitosis storyboard...nothing too serious, just showing the finishing of cytokinesis (the 2 cells actually dividing). Soon, hopefully by tomorrow, because that's when it's due, I will put up the final composed storyboard, with camera angles and top-down views. Woop!

You dirty scoundrel!

2009-09-14T21:48:00.001-07:00

Advanced Graphic Design. Yup. Advanced. Nah...it's just the next (as in the only) graphic design class offered to us second years in BVIS. However, we have the same professor, a Mrs. Donna Hughes, who is one of the most instructive, efficient and passionate professors we have in BVIS. I love her. Anyways, our first assignment was to create any mode of advertising to alert the public of the H1N1 flu virus (a.k.a. the Swine Flu). Obviously, pigs were heavily utilized by many of us...and I am no exception. This would be an ad for the side of a bus. I wish Nathan, a fellow classmate, had a blog/portfolio up, because his billboard was FANTASTIC and I would link to it if I could! Mine is ok.

Wood.

2009-09-14T16:09:00.000-07:00

So we had to do some artwork over the summer, just whatever you felt like doing...I went to the Morton Arboretum and was inspired to paint some outdoor scenes, so I did! This has some traditional watercolor underpainting (gasp!) and the rest was done in Photoshop. I wanted a more 'contemporary look' so I left most of the background white, putting in random leaves and such. I actually loved doing this painting because I had to explore to get photos to work off of. Also, Photoshop CS4 is pretty much the bomb, considering I never got too attached to CS3.