Month: December 2023

Inspired by Halloween, I used Aero AR to craft a ritualistic Samhain scene filled with symbolic objects drawn from Celtic lore. The focal point was a stone altar topped with a human skull and a melted but still flickering candle representing the closing harvest. Around this altar floated transparent ghosts along with forest creatures like an owl peering wisely, a nervous squirrel, and a rabbit darting between dead trees. Fog and a full moon blanketed the background.

I was successful in fully building out and positioning these detailed assets within Aero to achieve the atmosphere I envisioned. However, upon trying to preview this completed scene, crashes soon followed. On desktop, my intricate Samhain world would materialize seemingly perfectly for 7-10 seconds before glitching and seizing up. On mobile by QR code, I could select a surface and glimpse everything in place just as planned, but 20 seconds later a crash would halt the experience dead in its tracks.

While proud I brought my imagined objects – skull, candle, specters, animals, trees and all – to (fleeting) virtual existence, it remains impossible to fully stable preview let alone share this hard work with others. Though as a creator, seeing it flicker to life at all feels like an honor to the ancient traditions of Samhain that inspired me. Someday I hope to stabilize this AR scene to fully immerse people in Celtic rituals reimagined.

Technology Report: iPad Pro and Apple Pencil

Overview: The iPad Pro is Apple’s high-end pro tablet line featuring their most advanced mobile processor for robust creative software support. Paired with the Apple Pencil stylus, it offers an integrated digital canvas and tool for graphic design and illustration.

Key Features:

• Liquid Retina display on 12.9” model provides large canvas with ProMotion for silky smooth drawing
• Powerful M2 chip enables full Adobe Creative Cloud app support for desktop-class design
• Apple Pencil attaches magnetically and charges wirelessly, offering low latency input
• Thin, light tablet design with all-day battery for portability between studio and location

Usage: Together, the iPad Pro and Apple Pencil transform into an on-the-go digital sketchbook perfect for graphic design work including sketches, icon design, illustration, etc. Its portability enables drawing anywhere when creative inspiration strikes. The pencil tools in apps like Illustrator and Photoshop are very robust for professional work. Files integrate seamlessly via iCloud and Dropbox with desktop projects.

Who Would Benefit:
This mobile package would allow any design student ultimate portability to develop ideas, create concepts, or start projects from anywhere. Tablet skills are demanded by studios, and Apple’s pro ecosystem leads for creative industries. The ability to design on an iPad Pro demonstrates versatility across devices and platforms needed in digital arts careers.

I have been wanting an iPad and stylus for quite sometime now and still haven’t pulled the trigger, but when the time comes it will be this one or whatever comes out next from apple.

What factors and experiences in your life will allow you to be a disruptor? For your blog this week (due 12/1), please write at least 300 words about the things that make your vision unique. What do YOU bring to the table in your work (design, photography, video, etc…) that is distinctly your own? How does your past influence your approach to what you are learning in this program? Please be specific about the ways you are aware of the singularity of your perspective in your (newly) chosen field.

My lifelong interest in graphic design began at age fifteen when I discovered the political punk artwork of bands like Crass Records. Coming from a poor, broken home, their DIY principles deeply resonated with me. For the first time, I found artwork that aligned with my worldview. To this day I still love Crass members Gee Vaucher and Penny Rimbaud’s art and politics – their music and ethos have stood the test of time.

In 1998, I got my first job and became immersed in the local punk scene and aesthetics. That same year, I was introduced to Photoshop as a teacher’s assistant. With their encouragement, I used my access to digitally manipulate punk imagery into original t-shirt and patch designs. My art teachers nurtured this innate talent and DIY spirit. Graphic design became my outlet for self-expression and liberation.

After over twenty years developing my amateur design skills through punk projects, I chose to attend the Seattle Central Creative Academy to finally pursue this passion professionally. With my wife’s support, I am pivoting my career to devote myself wholly to nurturing my creative talents full-time. The academy feels fated, like an opportunity that acknowledges the merit of my scrappy, self-driven background.

What truly sets me apart is my decades-long dedication to the punk scene’s DIY principles. From scavenging discarded resources to upholding an anti-establishment ethos in my aesthetics, this background gifted me uniquely resilient design skills. I aim to retain this identity as I bring my honed talents into professional design environments that have typically prioritized polished technical skills over gritty self-motivation.

My resourcefulness and determination have powered my design capabilities for over twenty years without reliance on expensive training. I believe these DIY ethics from my upbringing make me a disruptive force, able to stand out and make a lasting impact in the design world. My goal is to demonstrate that creativity bred from scarcity can yield artistic talents as strong as those cultivated through privilege.

Exploring Lincoln Park – Seattle’s Wildlife Oasis

Lincoln Park’s 135 acres offer beautiful Puget Sound beaches and green space, yet many don’t know it’s also a prime urban wildlife spot. Here’s why nature lovers should visit:

1. Whale Watching Spot orcas, gray whales and porpoises, especially during migration seasons.
2. Birding Hotspot
   Over 150 species spotted throughout diverse park habitats.
3. Seals, Sea Lions & Otters Found along shoreline trails drawn by fish.
4. Artful Surprises See one-of-a-kind installations like the cleverly hidden Troll sculpture.

With vistas of mountains and sea, combined with trails, trees, wildlife sightings and art, Lincoln Park is the perfect blend of nature and creativity thriving as a sanctuary right in Seattle!