As you can see, Wayne is still doing great.  His only problem?  Too much kitty food...Jessica worries he is getting obese.  I think his fat pads were cut loose from the underlying tissue after he was attacked two years ago.  He might need to have them removed at some future date, if they appear to bother him.  Right now, he doesn't seem very bothered (except that he doesn't like the flash on the camera).

Bubble Islands

My only square-dimensioned image to date, and the instigator of the desire/need for a mat cutter of my own, this particular piece started life not long after I first acquired Bryce 5, and began playing around with it. The original incarnation sat untouched for probably a good year of intermittent graphics creation. When I looked back at it, I decided it needed improvement, and that image is the result. :) It took two days, two hours, 27 minutes, and 44 minutes (yes, I have the render report saved) to render it at printable dpi. The image is a direct link to the page at my online store (which uses PayPal for payment processing).

Not that I'm hinting or anything. ;)

It's been a while since I said anything here, hasn't it? Sorry, I've been kinda busy. :)

Anyone curious about what I've been up to? No? Ah, well, then you can just suffer through. :)

I've moved out of the house, with Christine tagging along ;), to be much closer to my job, rather than have the drive eat half of my paycheck in gas alone. I've got a new car, have had her since the end of July. (I'll put up a picture shortly, she's my baby, right after Wayne. :)

My friends bought me this printer for my birthday, along with extra ink, and large format paper. They spoil me without bounds. :)

Some of you may know that I do digital artwork -- perhaps you've even meandered to my site and actually looked around a bit. I don't claim to be the best -- in fact, I know I'm not. I also know that my friends can be ... persuasive, and I finally gave in to them badgering me into sending my artwork to sci-fi conventions. So far, I've mostly pulled about even, which is probably very good for a starting artist, although the prints made with the new printer are beautiful.

Curious about the artwork? I have the five pieces that are actually "public ready" available on my online store. For now, I'm picking up pre-cut mats and just attempting to get the best ones for the "feel" of the particular image. I'm trying to save up to buy a mat cutter, and maybe a papercutter, because the razorblade and foamboard don't like me very much. :) Also trying to save up enough to actually get a DBA as FireHazel Productions. I'm also really new to this whole "shipping" thing -- last time I did this stuff, mom mainly did the packing and what not, I just was the Post Office runner. Now I get to do both. So patience, if you are kind-hearted enough to order? :)

I should have a sixth image up soon, and one of the images will eventually be a part of a series -- I'm trying to decide which way I want to take the series -- different poems? Or different scenes for each of the two stanzas of the poem it already has?

But, per mom's request, and, yes, she actually requested it, I will probably post a small blurb about each image, maybe a week or two apart, with a link to that image on the website. Hopefully, I'll have the next image finished soon. :)

Edit:

Just realized I haven't mentioned anything about my other main endevour -- writing. I submitted a short story, about 2k words, to the Writers of the Future contest. It was accepted into the 4th quarter for the 2005 contest, quarter ending September 30th. I won't hear anything back for 8-10 weeks from that date, so nothing until November or December. It's my second writing submission ever -- and the first got a rejection letter. I just hope this story, if rejected, doesn't pull what that one did, demand a re-write and have a growth spurt from less than a thousand words to 35k ...