Diorama

Here is my first project from my digital representation class this semester.  We are using 3ds Max to create 3D models and and other types of rendering.  Here is the project brief for this first introductory project.
"The diorama functions as a device to portray landscape as a spatial experience. The diorama provides an opportunity to create a landscape representation that is focused around a limited vantage point. Your vantage point and the composition of the diorama is vital to create a compelling experience. Your goal will be to use one of the landscape types to develop a digital diorama that will be viewed through an animated camera. Beyond representing the landscape type your diorama will explore the following concepts: background, middleground, foreground, atmosphere, light/shadow, color/tone, scale, perspective, blending. Your animation will focus on the first and last frame and the motion/timing between those points."

With Everything

Heard a rendition of this song tonight at The Refuge.  Awesome song.  Very powerful.

So let hope rise,

And darkness tremble

In Your holy light,

And every eye will see

Jesus, our God,

Great and mighty to be praised

Studio: Review 1

We finished our first review in studio last Friday.  The first stage of this semesters studio process was all about documentation, inventory, and analysis of our site in North Lake Charles.  We split into groups of two for the inventory stage of the process.  Each group was assigned a different topic.  Those included:  hydrology/topography, vegetation/habitat, brownfields/contamination, built environment, circulation, and program.  After all of the inventory was collected each individual formed there own analysis of the site.  The goal of the analysis was to layer all of the info found in the inventory to pull out some new information about the site that will be able to help understand the site a little better for the design process.  Here are some images of some of my boards/artwork from the review.  There was a lot more than this, obviously, but I just wanted to share some examples.  The first two were my main boards.  They were very large so you will probably have to click on them to see any detail.

Anaylsis.  Focusing on how the growth of the neighborhood and change in the river has affected the biodiversity of the area over the past 100 years.

Analysis:  Looking at the different habitats and plant typologies in the neighborhood that influence the biodiversity.

Print process:  Xerox transfers and ink exploring relationship of plant densities.

Scratching/Tearing:  Layering of different maps, photos, etc. throughout process that were randomly scratched and torn to try and draw some new info from the site.

Study Model:  Exploring plant cover in area

Collage:  Woodland plants

Collage:  Meadow

Now it is on to phase 2, a design framework...

ZBB - You Get What You Give

I am not typically a country music fan but I am a Zac Brown Band fan.  Seeing him at HullabaLOU a couple months ago confirmed this fact.  ZBB's second studio album, You Get What You Give, came out two days ago and I just got a chance to listen to it.  It is very good.  They played a lot of the songs on the new album at HullabaLOU so we kinda got a sneak peak to some of them.

As of right now, I don't like it quite as much as The Foundation but I still think it is very good.  After a few more listens, I might change my mind.

AOL Music currently has the whole album so everyone can listen to it without buying it or downloading it right now.  Check it out:

ZAC BROWN BAND

Shangri La Botanical Garden

Our studio visited Shangri La Botanical Garden & Nature Center a couple weeks ago in Orange, TX.  We went to the gardens because it has a lot of the same plant communities that are in our site for the semester in North Lake Charles, LA.  The Gardens are a very diverse 250 acre ecosystem on the edge of Adams Bayou in southeast Texas.  Shangri La was pretty cool place and had a lot of very interesting areas to check out.  The architecture was great and the overall layout introduced visitors to all aspects of the Gardens in a very fluid and non-impacting way.  Just wanted to share a couple pictures:

Da Bears . 2010-11 Preview

My friends, please excuse my brief absent from the blogger world (if anyone even noticed).  I was extremely busy with studio last week.  I will post results of Friday's review sometime this week.

I completely forgot to do my Bears preseason predictions this season so I figured I will do it now, although it is already week 2.  I will not let the week 1 triumph (barely) over the Lions skew my season predictions.

Most of the media was completely down on the Bears before the season started.  Saying the O-line can't protect Cutler (100% fact), they don't have the personnel to run Martz's offense, the defense is getting too old, etc., etc.  I don't feel the same.

First off, I understand all the hate for the offense.  Mike Martz hasn't done much of anything since his days in St. Louis but he also hasn't had a QB worth anything since then.  Admit it or not, Cutler is a good NFL QB.  He's just a little bit of a head case and obviously turnover prone.  I like Cutler to have a bounce back year this year.  He looked pretty good overall last week against the Lions.  I think him and Martz are gonna make for a good tandem.  I also like how the WR core has come around.  They still don't have any big names but overall I think the group is very solid.  They are all very speedy and we should see quite a few deep balls this year.  Forte is also gonna have a huge year.  He is gonna get all kinds of chances to both run and catch the ball.  Gonna have huge numbers this year.  The problem with the offense, and its a significant one, is the offensive line.  They are bad, real bad.  If they can't block anyone this year the offense is gonna go no where.  Stay tuned.

I love the addition of Julius Peppers on defense.  They overpaid for him big time, but what do I care its not my money.   He is a great player and once again bring a nice pass rush back to the Bears front 7.  Peppers will open up space for Tommie Harris to make some more plays from the inside this year too.  Urlacher is back, for now, and hopefully Briggs can stay healthy all year.  If these guys can stay healthy, the Bears will have one of the best front 7's in the NFL.  The secondary added Chris Harris, who was a Bear during the Superbowl run a few years ago.  The secondary is mainly the same as last year though with some guys switching positions around a little.  They need a big year out of Peanut Tillman and hopefully some of the young guys (Major Wright, Josh Bullocks, Craig Steltz, DJ Moore) can step up and make some plays.  The defense should be solid.

My 5 Semi-bold Predictions:
1.  Cutler will finish as a top 8 QB this year and will not throw more than 15 INT's.
2.  Julius Peppers will become the Peppers of old and make the Pro Bowl team again this year.
3.  Mike Martz's offense will become a top 5 overall offense in the league (o-line pending).
4.  Matt Forte will once again become an elite rushing and pass catching RB this year.  Over 1000 rushing and receiving yards.
5.  The Bears will finish at 9-7 but not make the playoffs.  The NFC is too strong of a division this year with the Pack and Vikings.  I can only hope these two teams are not gonna be as good as everyone expects.

I am excited.  That's all for now.

Bizarre Lakes

To keep myself sane in the studio I often look at other blogs to see what is going on in the outside world since I don't get to see much of it.  Many of these are outdoors and hiking blogs to see all the awesome things and places that being are enjoying in the wilderness.  I'm not sure why I do this though because it mostly tortures me knowing I can't see any of these things right now.  But, my list of places to go is getting quite long.  Anyways, today I ran across this list of bizarre lakes and thought they were pretty interesting.  Check out the link:

13 BIZARRE LAKES

Personally, I'm a fan of Crater Lake:

Vol Walk/Boomsday...from Abe's perspective

Just wanted to pass along couple of videos that Abe made last weekend of the first ever Derek Dooley Vol Walk and some Boomsday fireworks. He got himself a new flipcam type camcorder over the summer and has been shooting some videos with it. Here they are:

Sunset...again

Another beautiful sunset tonight here in Baton Rouge...

Sometimes its the little things in life...

Studio . North Lake Charles

I wanted to share some of the pictures from the neighborhood that we are working in this semester for studio.  We will be working on a design in North Lake Charles which is in the Calcasieu Parish very close to the TX-LA border.

The part of the town that we are focusing on has fell to degredation because of the construction of I-10 many years ago.  This split the town in half resulting in many businesses moving to the southern part of Lake Charles.  This left many brownfields as well as abandoned homes and lots within the neighborhood.  For the first couple of weeks, we have been collecting data and doing inventory on the neighborhood and surrounding areas before the design process starts.  We haven't been given our project statement as far as the design phase goes, so I will update when that happens.  I don't have a second blog for studio this semester so I will be sharing tidbits about what we have been working on periodically on here.  Here are some pictures of the area that I took last week.

Calcasieu River which borders northeast area of neighborhood.

Meadow within neighboorhood.

Wetland

Wetland/meadow threshold

Abandoned railroad

I-10 corridor into neighborhood

Wetland

Fighting Gravity

This is awesome.  Skip to the 2:00 minute mark.

Footvol

Vol Nation.  Stand Up.

ITS TIME FOR THE DOOLEY DYNASTY TO BEGIN

Sunset

Pretty nice sunset tonight viewed out of my window.  This is definitely one of the nice things about Louisiana; there are sunsets like this 3-4 times a week.  Beautiful.