Really, No I Mean REALLY, ready to go...

This has been a challenging week indeed. I am SO ready for a vacation I can't STAND it! A little background here. I LOVE to be busy and focused on a daily basis. I LIVE for action and activity while I work. I enjoy working under deadline and sometimes I think I THRIVE on it. Some of my best work has happened at four in the morning after a night of struggling to find the right creative hook. These past weeks have spoiled me, I've been given huge projects and completely unrealistic deadlines and I've pulled it all off with my contractors smiling and their clients happy as clams! Then this week came. Because I am leaving, no big projects, no towering deadlines, just a week of regular-guy kind of work. I am so bored I can't stand it! I get stuck in rush-hour traffic - which isn't around when you leave at 8pm - I get to take a lunch break - one of the first times I got to do THAT - and I have little projects, and very little of them... Oh well, I guess I shouldn't complain, I do need a break after all!

So, we're outta here, today's theme picture. Taken while we were in the Bahamas about four years ago. And THAT'S another story for another time, perhaps Tia will post about it - NO BUTT shots dear - well, ok, maybe a little one for HNT's sake!

Now to top it off, I just crispy-fried my dinner! OIY! Sorry for the whining, I guess I needed to dump some of it off...

On a more positive tone, I LOVE Virgin UK Radio. If you haven't tried it out yet, go NOW and plug in. It's the ABSOLUTE BEST radio station I have ever heard - and I AM PICKY about my radio. I am finding myself sourcing all of my new music tastes with their playlist. The Brits have really something good going there. Their DJs are great personalities, their playlist rocks and even their commercials ooze with great British humor. I LOVE it! Right now though I am listening to one of the most beautiful classical guitar pieces, Concierto Madrigal for 2 Guitars and Orchestra by Rodrigo. It was a rare day today, I had the truck - most days I take the motorcycle to work. I had NPR on and on my lunch the last three movements were playing. Some really fascinating guitar work, both having been written, and played.

I guess I better get on with my evening, the quicker I get my work done, the earlier I can crash!

Wish all of you a spledid time while we are away!

Recovering

OK, I've decided to post this blog, but I have to say that I have second and third guessed it all day today. I spent several hours working on it and keep thinking that I am too "full of myself" in the way it comes across and I certainly do not mean that. I am not one to be boastful or full of ego, in fact, in the last 6 years of being a martial artist, I have done a great deal of work to eliminate as much ego as I can, and learned to become a spiritual being, a warrior and a monk. With that said, this isn't a post about any HUGE, WORLD impending theme, this is about me, enough...

It's a fine Saturday afternoon, I slept in this morning, spent the morning rolling around in the sheets with the woman I married but rarely see anymore. Enjoyed a late brunch with her at a new favorite whole foods sandwich and coffee shop (not the Whole Foods chain mind you, a private store). I wrapped up an amazing week of work yesterday, but have to go back tomorrow for a full Sunday of work. I'm tired today, but thrilled to be where I am. Thrilled to be doing the best work I have ever done. I have never really been a "career" man. I graduated 7 years ago and have been in the same field, but I find that the structure of work in America is FAAAAAR to rigid for my tastes, health care is horrible and the system is driven for the corporations, never the consumers. I am an artist after all. For me to be excited about the work I have been doing these last 5 or 6 weeks is an amazing concept. I don't dread doing what I am doing and I LOVE IT. I am allowed to be creative, almost completely carté blanch. I've never been happier with my work and career. It feels like an addiction. Only one day this week did I actually put in a normal 8 hour workday. It's been 11, 14 and 18 hour days, but all good work. My life is totally out of balance, but so much so that it isn't annoying. I don't have a couple of hours at the end of a long day to even think about what I should be doing otherwise. I just work. Then I come home and sleep, albeit very lightly. I'm getting used to sleeping only 5 or 6 hours a night. I recently was in contact with a former co-worker. He was a Creative Director and I only had an opportunity to work with him for 3 months, but he made a giant impact. He is now working in LA at TBWA/Chiat/Day, the opportunity of a lifetime for anyone in the creative/advertising industry. I am very privileged to have worked with him and he has been a valuable source of information on career aspirations - not to mention an incredibly talented individual - although you would never know it from looking at him, bright obnoxious Hawaiian shirts, flip-flops, and always smiling or cracking jokes. He made work fun, and at the time, the company we worked for, needed it. Anyway, being in touch with someone who made it to the "BIGS" has been rather important to me. A path to follow. I have spent several years of questioning what I am doing with my life and career, and now I feel like I am being "discovered" at least in Sarasota. It's a good feeling to have someone who knows the field out here to tell me that, after searching for 18 or 20 months for killer creative, that they realized that I am that person. And I KNOW it. It's a new sensation and I don't ever want to sound boastful or full of myself, I hope those of you who are reading this don't get the wrong impression of me, I'm not that way in the slightest. I am now just finding new wings and flying higher than I have in the past and the view is incredible!

Anyway. I took some photos of the latest project that wrapped up Friday. We were commissioned to design an interior sales office space for the largest Real Estate firm in Sarasota, Michael Saunders. I was given a smidgeon of time to produce the concept, create the look and execute the design of the multi-room space. Early on in the project, we were told that our deadline could not be pushed because the client had already mailed out invitations for a private party to show off her new space. It took the efforts of many to organize and choreograph this production nightmare! Images and artwork printed on canvas, designs in cut acrylic, overlapping elements, maps, and templates all to be created in a time space of minimal proportion, absolutely no room for error. It took us two full days for three guys to assemble the pieces and we wrapped up 90 minutes from the deadline. It was exhausting and nail-biting, but through our white knuckles and gritted teeth, we wrapped it up. Our client was extraordinarily pleased and has now commissioned us for ALL of her sales galleries. Just hope we got longer deadlines next time.

I'm off to relax the remainder of the day. Another long week ahead of me, then it's OFF to Finland. I can't wait! I'll try to post again before we go.


Chaos in preparation for the assembly


Putting together the individual canvases for the back wall


The back wall coming together


A canvas spread in a sales office


Lettering template





A complete line of type


Had to have some proof I worked on this!


Complete side wall


Part of the completed gallery.

Elusive Baby

For about two weeks I have been trying to capture a family of Sandhill Cranes that live not far from where I work. I saw them one morning walking and feeding in the grassy areas outside my window, two babies and two adults. The babies were wonderful, watching as they mimicked their parents, bending to feed from the grass. the babies must have only been a few weeks old, but were already walking as gracefully through the tall grass as their adult counterparts. I saw them several mornings in a row, then I started to carry my camera with me and they didn't show up for several days. I was worried something had happened to them. then, the other morning, they were walking along the side of the road, only one baby in tow unfortunately. I was able to get within feet of them to shoot these pictures. Hope you enjoy. Cranes mean alot to me. Being a sacred and totem animal in my life. My martial arts and Tai Chi instruction involved white crane techniques. When a crane appears in my life, I feel honored. This is dedicated to the spiritual warriors in my life, in my past, in my present, and in my future.

Exploring

OK, here we go! No more excuses of "working in excess of 70 hours a week", or "long days, long nights," or "I just don't want to be on the damn computer!" I am just going to have to make the extra time to be around more often. Taking a break from work to post a message, or coming home and update even if it's short. Damit, just do it!



There is so much to get caught up on it’s not even funny! The house is off the market now, we had to say goodbye to our last realtor. He didn’t show the house once. Once we return from Finland, we’re going to reevaluate our situation and possibly relist, but honestly, I don’t think we’re looking at the possibility of selling much before the fall anyway. It’s a touch market, it's also hurricane season, and we’re asking ourselves how much we’re going to be willing to sacrifice on price to attain our dream. I think a bit of sacrifice is worth it in the long run.

So, hello to all the new visitors, you've all been very cool to hang out with and it does seem as though we are building this nice little community here. I need to get to a few more of your posts today - I've heard rave reviews of Michele's blog and some new friends in New Zealand, must get around to those. And of course, my old favorites...

So, I've had my NEW camera for a week now and I LOVE IT! It is SOOOOOOOO NICE to have a manual focus, SLR (single-lens reflex) in my hands again - WOO HOOOO - so I get a little carried away, and those of you with perverted minds, a word of warning, I can dish it out as quickly as it comes in! I could become a total tech geek about it, but I won't bore you with that. I MUST say though, for a slightly outdated digital camera (meaning there are newer and better ones out there), this is a perfect step up on this amateur's repertoire. The imaging sensor in this camera rocks. At 100% and 200%, the images resemble film, very fine noise altogether. The Canon 20D is great! Moving into amateur/professional grade photography means alot to me. Whether I move ahead with it and create a new livelihood from it, I don't care really. I just want to have a camera in my hands and something worth while in front of me to shoot. Nothing feels more right for me. I've been chasing the dream of having a digital SLR for a very long time, all the extra work and long nights are paying off and allowing me to afford some extras in life.

Photos...

I have been taking my camera to work with me every day. I stopped by a pond and snapped off a couple of shots of the cattail and the lilies. Then, Friday, a co-worker, Charles, ran in and grabbed me from my desk, camera in tow to show me the beautiful Black Widow he found. She (or he) posed nicely for us, showing off her beautiful hourglass marking on her belly. Friday night Tia and I went to our favorite hang out, O'Leary's pub. It's an outdoor dive, wood patio on a beach overlooking the Marina downtown, probably one of the only last original "places of character" this town has left in the downtown area. It's a beautiful place to escape with a nice beer and some live music. Anyway, the woman with the dogs is from that pub. Then we went to the beach and I snapped off a few rounds of some storm clouds and sea oats. Perfectly cliché'.

Anyway. Probably should get back to work (again).

Quick Note on a Thursday

Just penning a quick note for the sake of keeping my site fresh. It's so difficult to keep up these days with so much work on my plate. I absolutely love what I do, I get to be creative on some very nice projects during the day and then come home to my faithful clients in the evening. I do like being busy, knowing that in the near future I will get a break, also knowing that sometime, down the road, things will come to an end here and I will pick up either a new career or new opportunities to be creative wherever I go in New Zealand.

I have thoroughly enjoyed all of this, but it leaves very little time for the other things in life like watching movies, updating and keeping up my blog, spending time with friends - thankfully my family is no longer in Florida. I feel a pull of guilt also for not meditating and practicing in the (martial) Art like I used to. Gone also is time to cook, clean, do household chores (which I do enjoy), also maintaining our house and lawn, keeping up our gardens. My life, in one phone call four weeks ago, changed. I am now fully adjusted to the new lifestyle and have come to enjoy it, but I do miss everyone and the process of journaling about life and the move.

I promise soon, once we are back from Finland, I will have SOOOO much material (photos) that you'll be begging me to stop posting the photos from Finland - PUHLEEEEEAAASSSE!

So in the meantime, check back with me once in a while, I'll be here always in spirit.

NEW CAMERA!

Hey everyone! Sorry it's been so long between blogs, been working 60 and 70 hour weeks these days. The work is good, but spending any time on a computer after hours has been a challenge, in fact, even today it has been challenging to even get dressed!

Anyway, I took the plunge this week and bought myself a new "toy." I finally splurged and bought a Canon 20D Digital SLR camera! I found a used body on-line and saved a bunch. It seems to be a decent camera and so far I LOVE shooting with it! It feels so good to have a manual focus lens in my hands again. It just feels good to have an SLR back in my tool box. Should be able to pay this off with all the new work that's been coming in. Hoping that this will help my photo career open up.

To those of you who I have missed blogging all this time, I am sorry and I do hope you all understand. Thanks!