opening page of website

This is the first draft for Out of the Blue's opening page. Customers will see this page first when they type in the url address. The out of the blue text will light up as the mouse drags over it. African tribal music will be playing in the background. Kathleen's store is full of amazing African artifacts and stones that she wants to catalogue online. She is looking for a new image for her store. Out of the Blue is sort of mystical but not whimsical. Her store is full of beautiful, delicate work, wether it be natural or artisan made. This page has not been approved yet, as we are still in pre-production.

Web site 450 project

So this project has moved a lot slower than I would have liked. Part of the issue is working with a local business woman who is extremely busy. Most of the web design layouts are approved but I am waiting on the information to put in to them. I am using IWEB because it is compatible with the owner's Iphone and she can access and update it whenever she wants. The web site has become very extensive but I am so excited about it. We have both done a ton of pre-production work and I plan on using the 450 class next quarter to to all of the production work.

Final project for the year: MOVIE POSTER

For the final project with the students I decided to have some fun. The project is to create a movie poster. The students formed groups of no more than three and were given a genre to work with. They then had to create a story line and basic template for the cover. The next day we worked with the camera or researched online to find some great source images. They will have two more classes to work on the project and each complete a different look for their movies. I am very excited to see how these turn out!!!! The teacher, Mr. David Nolin has asked me to stay on and work more with the students. This should be a great challenge and I will most likely extend my project because of the opportunity. Some ideas I have for next quarter will be:

• Designing add layouts for local businesses
• Repairing damaged photos
• Creating text that has emotion
• Abstract graphic art

Capstone: Volunteering in a high school class

Logo project: The goal was to introduce students to the text box and get them to play around with altering layers and text. The assignment was to create a personal logo using part of their name. This was my example piece that I used in class. It is built with three layers. The two text layers are actually the same letter M, just flipped vertically to create a mirror effect. The third layer is a black oval in the background.

Who do you want to be?: This project involved the students finding a picture online and placing their own figure into that image. For my example I chose Fred and Ginger. I found a picture of myself and cut out my face, then transfered that image into the Fred and Ginger photo. I then worked with the separate layers to create a more realistic looking photo. It is very cheeeeezy but the students had a lot of fun. The goal was to teach them about using layers and filters. Many students felt this was a challenging first project but they really enjoyed it once they got comfortable with some of the tools.

Clone stamp Project: This project was assigned to get students comfortable with the clone stamp tool. This skyline image was the one I chose in class to use as an example. Some students moved very quickly in this project and others had some difficulties. Overall students said this was one of their favorite projects because they had the control to make things disappear.

Out of the Blue Web Project:

Goals:

Personal:

1. To re-familiarize myself with web design

2. To feel comfortable with various web programs and to be able to communicate that understanding to clients.

Professional:

1. To design and create a website from the ground up.

2. To receive compensation for the work I complete.

3. To make a website that is easy to use and update.

Exploratory:

1. To learn how to make updates from other computers.

2. To learn how to create links and moving icons.

3. To feel comfortable with iweb design.

4. To find other web design programs that I like.

Project Description

For this web site I am working with the owner of the store, Out of the Blue to create an online database that showcases her collection of African art. The site will be educational as well as consumer oriented. The goal is to guide the shopper through an interesting, informative and unique site that will ultimately lead them to purchasing African art.

Specific Products of Study

Influences

hamillgallery.com

artheos.org

randtribal.com

discoverafricanart.com

iweb tutorials

Specific Technical and Research Issues

Build photo catalogue

Build info catalogue

Choose template for site design

home page

All Tribes page

All Objects page

Individual tribes pages

Individual Objects pages with Gallery

Individual Objects of Tribe page

Individual Object with info page

Contact Information page

African Art statement by owner

Bio about owner and store

Links to favorite books, websites, and other gallery sites

Music for site

Quote for cost of work

Time line for Project Out of the Blue

October 2: Meeting with Kathleen to discuss layout of the website and assignment of check list

October 5: Check in with Kathleen to decide next meeting time

October 9: 11am meeting with Kathleen to go down check list and discuss price

October12 or 14: Work on uploading all info

October16:11am meeting with Kathleen to collect photo and info discs

October23:11am meeting with Kathleen to collect written bio and african statement

October24:Get the rest of check list done

The website currently up for Carrillo Underwater Systems is
carrillounderwater.com
The main focus for this site will be to update all the photos and re-vamp the layout.

The websites I am researching for Out of the Blue include:
hamillgallery.com
artheos.org
randtribal.com
discoverafricanart.com
I will be working from the ground up on this website so I need to brush up on my web knowledge.

Back to School

Well I am back in the lab after a long, hot summer. I have had a lot of time to think about what I want to do for my senior capstone. I want to investigate working on websites. There are two different businesses that are interested in letting me work on and create websites for them.

Carrillo Underwater Systems
The first business is Carrillo Underwater Systems, it is my dad's business. The company sells underwater deep sea dive equipment. He needs a site where people can view his new product line and check out all the specs. I want to create an engaging site that people want to look at. The company is based out of Brookings, right on the beautiful Southern Oregon coast. I want to feature his products in their natural environment. I plan on photographing his new line and using the template of his website that is already laid out.

Step 1. Talk to Robert and find out what he has already done with the site
Step 2. Work on a proposal for the site
Step 3. Photograph the first product line
Step 4. Collect the written information on the product
Step 5. Collaborate with his publicist on the writing and information for the web site

Out of the Blue
The second company is Out of the Blue. It is a local Ashland jewelry and trade store. The owner, Kathleen focuses and specializes in African Art. She has an amazing collection of masks and tribal art pieces that she wants to feature on a site. Kathleen gave me a website that she would like to mimic. It is an impressive site that takes you through each tribe in Africa and which art they feature. This project is huge and I am not sure if I am capable of taking it on but I want to try.
Step 1. Research the website hamillgallery.com
Step 2. Find out what it takes to create that kind of a site.
Step 3. Start working with Kathleen to find out which pieces she wants to feature.
Step 4. Photograph the art that she has on hand.
Step 5. Create a database of all the information she has on each tribe and organize it.
Step 6. Research and catalogue the info on each piece.

I need to do a lot of digging and research before I can create a timeline.

This is one of my images that I am working on in photoshop. It is not completed...but I having fun with the program. This piece is illustrating the drive from the farm to the piglet's new home.

This is a photo of the baby piglet with a litter of pups. It actually nursed from the mother dog.
I love the expression on this pig's face!
Shawna Tenney is the artist for this take on "when pigs fly." I absolutely love this piece!
I am still trying to narrow down the little girl for my book.
This photo is absolutely amazing. I want to really express that good ol' hard working farm girl with one of my characters.

Pig photos

I am writing a kids book about a pig that we had, that escaped. I've just been cataloging photos of pigs for illustrations. I have most of the story already mapped out. I just need to get to work on illustrating and posting it.

I wouldn't mind getting back in to doing more of the futuristic cities. I had fun with it and I think that with more work I could do ok with it. All in all I like doing most of my prep on paper and then trying to model it.

This box house right here is the bane to my existence. Just getting the clean lines on this.....was very challenging. The reason is that I had to connect everything and figure out the correct pitch of the roof in proportion to scale etc.....I have so much more to learn about modeling.

This is a deck design I have been playing with. It still has a lot of work to go but I am really liking the lines of it.

So overall working on houses as been challenging. I still need a lot of work to get comfortable with what I want. The house I am working on is still incomplete in a lot of ways. I want to go back in to older versions of it and work on cleaner lines, but also adding more charm to it. All in all I want to get my mom in here so we can bounce ideas off each other for a specific layout we might both agree on. I would like to get a lot better at designing structures, and not necessarily texturing or lighting.

Looking for inspiration.....

I am looking for ideas on what texture to put on to my house....still playing with the design of it but I think I am addicted to it now =P

House remodel set 2

Just more progress on the house. I started cleaning up the lines and rotating angles to create more interest. I also have been cleaning out the inside to start laying out the floor plan.

first attempt at architecture

I took the basic box structure of my parent's house and then added on new roof lines and extensions.  I am liking how this is coming along but I still need to develop the two other sides and then cut the roof off and work the inside design out.  Not sure how I am going to do that step yet.  I may copy this image in and and then create a new model for different views.

Project

This is the beginning of my new project.  The idea is to have a sort of floating island.  The base structure will resemble an oil platform but the architecture will be more futuristic.  The premise is much like the movie Water World.  It is a floating city that is completely self sustainable.  

lighting-testing it out

Playing around with key light, and back lighting.  With this one I set a cross light very low to the ground at a high density to create that high contrast on the edge of the box.  I am attempting to add depth to the scene.

Anne McCaffrey illustrations by Michael Whelan

These are illustrations of different books that Michael Whelan did the cover art for.  

Michael Whelan- Fantasy artist

Michael Whelan is one of my favorite fantasy artists.  Most of his work is acrylic.  I was first introduced to his work through his illustrations of Anne McCaffrey's fantastic world of Pern. A world filled with dragons and peasants but placed in the future.  His depictions of the world I read about for years as a child, were absolutely amazing.