Nintendo Character Digital Paper Crafts

Like many others, I am a big fan of Nintendo's Mario Bros games and after learning how to create the Cat Paper Craft, I decided that I would try to create a mushroom from the games and the character Yoshi's head.  While working with small polygons and shapes to have to cut out and glue together, I really do enjoy creating these paper crafts because they are like a puzzle, and I tend to enjoy a challenge of putting together a 1,000 piece puzzle, and they are of something that is meaningful to me, such as specific characters from one of my favorite video games.  

The mushroom stands at about five inches tall while the Yoshi head is about ten inches and I would have made them bigger if I had more space to store them in but because they were simply created for the purpose of the enjoyment of making them, I opted to make them as small as possibly but big enough to be able to put together well and so that they are recognizable.

Photography 2017

I have some photos posted from March of 2016. These photos are from my recent travels and activities.

Being Connected

Paper on cardboard

3' x 8'

2017

With today’s technology everyone can stay connected with any one person or group around the world.  We can know what is happening on the other side of the world in real time by watching news broadcasting stations on television and then read the full story in the newspaper the next day.  People read newspapers and magazines, and watch the daily news on television in order to stay connected and become aware of what is going on in the world and the society that we live in.  As society becomes more adjusted to the use of technology and things being digitized, more and more newspapers and magazines are being offered online while still being able to receive a physical copy in order to keep up to date on events going on around the world.  However one receives their daily news of events that are happening, we are still able to stay connected as a society with each other around the globe and our advancement in technology allows for this connection to be kept.  Represented here are the two cities Chicago and San Francisco made from newspaper and magazine pages that can be found both online and in the physical format that includes stories and information going on in multiple parts of the world.

This piece was a part of the one night student exhibition, Wall Works Summer Exhibition, that took place in Reno, Nevada on June 8, 2017.

Digital Paper Craft

This Paper craft was made with the use of the 3D application Maya and Pepakura Designer.  This figure stands about 16 inches tall and took a total of about 5-6 hours to put together after being printed and cut.

 

Geographic Location Project

Water and Silence Have a Melody of Their Own

For this project I specifically chose the beach Sand Harbor of Lake Tahoe.  Sand Harbor is a popular location in the Tahoe area for swimming, boating, and other activities. It is the largest alpine lake in North America.  Although I chose this beach specifically, it could really be any beach anywhere.  I love being near and to swim in bodies of water, whether it be a small pool, pond, or a large ocean.  Sitting on a beach next to this body of water is so relaxing and calming that every worry I my have during a point in my life simply washes away as the waves role in and out of the shore.  To be able to swim and simply float in water is also just as relaxing to me than sitting on a beach listening to the waves and any animals nearby.  Being able to feel the breeze that often comes with wide open water and sandy beaches gives me a feeling of comfort by being able to take in my surroundings.   

In addition to this being such a relaxing and calming experience, there are some very healthy benefits to listening to the sound of water and other natural sounds when meditating or relaxing that can lead to some other very healthy benefits in one's life.

"Meditation and water are wedded for ever" 

- Herman Melville

Water is often thought to be a symbol of serenity, purity, and clarity of thought.  This can undoubtedly be experienced simply by listening to water, without having to follow any specific kind of meditation with the sound.  Water meditation can relieve stress, help gain mental control and clarity, connect with true yourself, and many other things that will have a positive effect on you and your body.

link to main map: http://arcg.is/2pxqcqX

An Earful

This ear shaped pillow is meant to show how we take in everything around us, including the current news and other advertisements on the television, radio, etc.  Due to the media constantly telling us stuff such as recent current events, the weather, sports game scores, etc, there are some things that we will listen to and respond to while there are other things that we may be more likely to ignore because we have no need to in a specific moment of our lives.  These things that we choose to not listen to as closely as others simply sounds like background noise, or so much is being said that all you can hear is "Blah Blah Blah" as the media tries to tell you what to think of different things and how they are viewed by society.  Printed onto this pillow are two specific news anchors, Keith Olberman and Bill O’rielly, but the possibilities are endless for who could be printed on it with the speech bubble that says “Blah Blah Blah”  to show how much speech is thrown our way whether we want it or not.

40 Years in the Future- A Dying World

In the year 2057 people have all but forgotten what it means to take care of our home and the world we live in, resulting in most of our natural resources and materials being used up at a constantly faster rate than we can replace and make more to the point where many living organisms have died for the most part outside of the city.  Due to the lack of plants there is now a lack of fresh air supply and is toxic to anyone that goes outside the city walls for too long.  If they were to go out they would need to wear a face mask or gas mask of some sort over their nose and mouth so as to not breath too much of the toxic air and it is required of everyone to wear heavy duty boots so that the spoiled dirt won’t get into shoes and touch the skin.  In addition to the poor air quality, the sky has become permanently dark so that the sun can no longer be seen, although its UV rays are more harmful than ever and requires extra protection.  Technology, however, is more advanced than it has ever been and we no longer have a need for physical screens.  Sensors are placed into the wall in order to become a computer or television screen.

Linoleum Block Prints

These are some photos that I took and turned into linoleum block prints. They are 5" x 7".  

The image was first taken into Photoshop and turned into a bitmap, before being taken into Illustrator and using a laser engraver to cut/engrave the image into the linoleum blocks.

An Assemblage of Consumerism

I made a 3D Sculpture of a coffee pot pouring out multiple things that we take for granted as well as items that are a necessity to function in today's society. Consumerism has become something of an addiction just as most people become addicted to coffee in order to make it through a single day. Some of the items I have chosen to include are video game consoles and controllers, a cell phone and ear buds, sport cars, soda cans, and multiple food items such as: apples, bananas, hamburger (fast food), small candies (addiction to sugar/sweet things), and even a jar of Nutella.  This sculpture was created in the 3D software Maya.