Next project

My next project is primed, and I'm just waiting on it to cure before I paint it.

It won't be a complicated project from a "novel technique" perspective, but sometimes the old and familiar is a nice mental snack that my brain can get behind.

 

Tortoise

 A while ago, mostly out of sheer boredom, I started to 3D print a tortoise with a castle on its back...you know, as one does.

I've slowly been assembling and painting it up.  So far, it looks like this.

Anyway,  someday it shall be photograph-ified, but not this day (ignoring the fact this post contains a photograph of the thing. To that I say....shush?).  Today it remains a post on this blog.

X-Wing at Sunset

 I put the finishing touches on my latest shot:  X-wing at Sunset:

I also edited the behind-the-scenes video, which you can check out here:

Happy Thanksgiving - 2024 Edition

Happy Thanksgiving y'all! I made this image to celebrate a day Americans decided was a good time to pause, reflect on the good things in our lives, and eat a ton of food. (You Canadians know what I mean - you did it last month, after all - the rest of the world - well, hope you're being thankful regardless of having a specific day or menu associated with it).

Thanksgiving is one of my favourite holidays - mainly cause it has not been overly commercialized. Its just a simple concept: Eat extra stuffing and gravy, and think about the good things in ones life. With Black Friday and Cyber Monday, and most stores going into full on Christmas sales mode, there *is* a lot of commercialization surrounding the date. Thats all Christmas crap tho - Thanksgiving itself gets very little shelf space in retail, and I am 100% OK with that.

I suppose one could argue that since America is a commerce driven economy that the lack of commercialization of the idea of being thankful could be construed as a problem. In a capitalist society where money dictates the will of the people, where is the money going into being thankful? Those are thoughts that can exist... but I am thankful they don't have to. I am also not huge on the whole mythology of the day - you know what I mean: It's all wrapped up in that little diorama we North Americans have all had drilled into our heads during our youth of natives and pilgrims coming together to share a meal and have a rockin' good time. I'm not huge on that history because, odds are, its entirely fictional. Also it hides a lot of genocide of the First Nations people. This may be controversial in some circles, but I am of the belief that genocide is never good, regardless of when and where it happened, or how much turkey was consumed beforehand. Fortunately, this ugly history wrapped in a fuzzy fiction doesn't have to impact how we celebrate today. For me today is all about getting an extra helping of gravy and stuffing, and reflecting on the good things in my life. That is something I can definitely get behind. There are a lot of things to be thankful for. Some of which include:

• I am thankful I have a wonderful wife who loves and supports me. Without her I'd be lost in the woods. With her I have the strength to face life's challenges. I love you, sweetheart! Thank you for being all that you are.
• I am thankful I have two wonderful kids who are growing up to be smart, intelligent, amazing adult human beings. They are going to go off and do amazing things, and I get to be a part of their origin story. That rocks.
  
• I am thankful that I got to live in two countries that, while they don't always get run the way I wish they would, have given me security, freedom, and opportunities to get an education, find some financial security, and live a live that is relatively drama free. (For those not familiar, those two countries are Canada, where I was born and raised, and the United States, where I currently live). OK, fine, there is often a lot of drama - especially in light of the recent US elections (man these Americans know how to draw things out!) but generally speaking the Federal government has very little to do with my day to day life. I have never had the decision of "am I going to be nice or a jerk to my neighbours", or "will I drink Pepsi instead of Coke" depending on the decisions of the federal government. Those all remain personal choices, and thats a Good Thing(tm).
  
• I am thankful I have a space where I can be creative, make things (like the image in this post), photograph things, write things, and generally being forth my thoughts and ideas into the world. Its really not that glamorous of a space - just a couple small rooms in a relatively unfinished basement, but its more than some folks have, and it really does bring joy to my life. I am also thankful that I have a lot of creative people in my life - folks I don't spend nearly enough time with (either online, or offline - either due to distance, time, or the fact that I tend to be a hermit). But there presence in my feed, and in my life when we do get to hang out, has been awesome, and has helped make me the confident-in-creativity person I am today.
• I am thankful for Cheetos Cheese Puffs - you know why.

Those are just a few things I am thankful for. I could write more, but after a while it gets a little repetitive and a touch esoteric. I hope today, especially if you're American, but also especially if you are not, to take some time to reflect on your own life. It may not be (in fact I guarantee it is not) perfect, but if you look, you will find things to be truly thankful for.

Painting X-Wings

 For my next project I have been assembling and printing a Bandai 1/72 scale X-Wing fighter.

I have assembled and painted several of this model over the years.  This is, by far, the best paint job to date.  Normally I go way overboard on the weathering.  I think I am closer to the aesthetic seen in A New Hope on this one.

CAn't wait to finish off the diorama that goes with this classic fighter.

The perils of pre-ordering action figures

 Back in January 2023 I pre-ordered this Indiana Jones figure from Mezco Toys:
https://www.mezcotoyz.com/one-12-collective-indiana-jones-temple-edition

When I pre-order figures I normally have a clear idea of what sort of photos I have in mind for them before I hand over my credit card - especially for expensive models like this one.  Since this was delayed and its been so long since I ordered, I've forgotten entirely what I had in mind for this figure.  So it will likely sit on my shelf instead of in front of my camera.

Its Indiana Jones tho, and he is rife with story-telling potential, so I suspect that will change shortly after he arrives on my doorstep, but for now, I got a $130 credit card bill with no purpose.  Oh well. It ain't cheap being a geek.

Hopefully its worth it.  Indy is one of my favourite characters, and its incredibly hard to find good action figure versions of him.  They are either badly rendered plastic that looks nothing like Harrison Ford, or long-term very rare collectables that require the resources of Harrison Ford to afford.  This may be the sweet spot I need to deep dive into some sweet sweet Indy photography.

Game On

There is nothing quite like a good game of hockey to lift the spirits.  Game on, boys!  Drop the puck!