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 ...