Walking Round Milan at Night

Not last weekend but the one before I had the unfortunate experience of being out in Milan at night time without transportation home. I can tell you right now that's not going to happen again.

Elena and I were out on our own, bar hopping in as much as we hopped to 3 different bars (it was a good night, try Ragoo- it's far but nice) when at 3amish we decided it was time to go home. Outside Plastic, we looked for cabs and since we found none decided to walk to one of the apartment buildings nearby and call for a cab from there because normally they're pretty bad about coming to a club at night. No answer at any of the cab numbers. We started to walk towards Elena's but still found no cabs. What we did find however were hordes of sexist and offensive men screaming obscenities at us and generally making the whole ordeal more unpleasant that it already was. And I was in heels.

So what's the moral of the story? I don't know!?! Maybe that you shouldn't go out past your bedtime or you'll turn into a pumpkin...

Happy Halloween

Well, halloween has come and gone with as much success as last year. I attempted for the last time to hold a halloween to-do at my place and it fell into six people sitting around eating chicken for 14. The six that turned up had fun though.

In other news I got a contract to do some work and I'm waiting on the details, but it should be pretty good once it gets going.

I'm trying to decide whether or not to go to the gym for something called flexible strength, but I'm not sure... it's at 3 and I want to have pizza and a nap first. Hey! No laughing! I've been working all morning long!! No one can say I'm a lazy bones!!

Here's a few projects I'm working on. The first is the preliminary modelling for Doughie, the main character in the short film I want to create for my thesis project this year.

The second is the starts to a rendering I'm trying to do which should be photorealistic of a diner.

Don't get excited about the ring image... it's not something I've recently added to my collection or something. It's not a photo, just 3D. I'm pretty happy about how the image turned out as it was an afternoon worth of work and helped me land that contract I mentioned.

Today is a Yay Day!

Okay, looking at this image you wouldn't know it but today is a great day cause my Wacom Intuos3 tablet arrived and despite the Mom Bar induced hangover, I'm in a really decent mood.

Yesterday was ridiculous. Firstly I arrive at class and they still haven't installed theHalf-Life motor (or whatever it is) on the computers so basically we're sitting there twiddling our thumbs... and then Alessandra comes down and says that we'll have a make-up class for their idiocy yesterday today... and today was meant to be my one day off this week... anyhow... then we're forced to go to this seminar that plays like a badly written tourist brochure for Osaka Japan... and I'm thinking of standing up and starting to scream... but I don't.

Then when it's over, I get handed this invite to a dinner in a hotel near Centrale to celebrate the Japanese delegates/businesspeople/whatevertheyweres and after a drink or to at the bar on the corner we head off to this thing... Upon arrival we're greeted graciously by our translator and pointed in the direction of the food (which, by the way I never got to eat) and plonked down at a table with 6 Japanese people who just won't stop taking photos of us. It was weird, but nice somehow.

Back on MonteNero I caught up with Ashley and Vanessa, Barbie was there with his usual entourage and the guys from 3virA arrived late in the night. Nothing interesting happened except I got angry at a flowerman who refused to have a conversation with me cause I'm female and being female I OBVIOUSLY don't know anything. The good news is this time I was clever and got a tram home instead of waiting for taxis.

I'm just a little annoyed that i still don't know if I have class today and I'm also irritated with myself as today was my only opportunity this week to get down to GetFit (my gym) but I can't cause I think it's better if I'm back to sober-state neutral first (I might pull a muscle otherwise). I rekon I can try to get there tomorrow, but I have 6 hours of class first, so who knows how I'll be feeling.

Off I go now back to playing with the Wacom. Yay!

Bored but Excited

I went to Virtuality in Torino (Turin) yesterday, a conference on all things virtual, but I only went to a XSI workshop. Not saying that it wasn't useful. It was very useful to me. By the end of the day I was exhausted, and after playing around a bit with the things I learned for a while today I'm tired all over again!

So tired and bored and want to do something but I can't think of what and it's a grey cloudy day.

Anyways, the exciting news is that the thesis project is coming along quite well (but you can see the other blog if you're interested in that) and I started doing some work to get Gretel's old animation polished to have something completed finally. The image above is the set without materials, or Gretel, but I like the lighting.

Went for Korean for dinner last night. The menu lists about 20 things, but in the end ll the dishes were the same. And spicy. Mmm good.

New and Exciting?

Been back in Milan now for a few weeks and starting to settle in again.

I've been working on developng the story for the thesis project further and gathering resources etc. I even set up another blog to chart the progress of how that's going. Visit it HERE.

I still ahven't touched anything 3D as I've been shying away from the computer a bit. I figure there will eb time enough to get back into it, and that I'll be eating and drinking 3D in no time. Monday afternoon we've got the initiation meeting. It will be frustrating as usual, but I'm so tired of being on holidays.

What else? I'm becoming obsessed with the 40's and have been trying to work out how to get my hair to curl nicely. So far rag curls seem to be doing some nice waves, but I have to master pincurls as well. You see? Too much time on my hands.

In other news, went to the famous 'Wednsdays at Mom's' yesterday. It wasn't bad but only because Nat and Vale, Ashley, Vanessa and Martha were there too. I drank too much and have been paying for it all day. I barely got to the post office this morning to mail somthing someone bought on ebay.

Wow. Maybe I should only write when I have something to say.

Whirlwind Summer

Well, I feel like I've spent the entire summer on a plane, in a train or in a car so far, but I've seen a billion different things as well. I'm going to produce a map or something of the around the world adventures I've had as soon as I sit down for a moment and life gets, well, a wee bit boring again. For the moment it's not looking like the case for at least a few more weeks.

I was in OZ, now I'm in NA. Tonight I head back to the old EU and Monday off on a cruise around the AEGEAN.

My best friend Melissa got married on September 3rd. I was a bridesmaid in Fuchsia. My big toes have been paralysed since the wedding (not sure if it's considered a neurological disorder to volunteer for 20 hours in 30 dollar 5 inch heels). I'm still going to have my doctors look into it.

I made a sculpture for the wedding as part of my gift and to go on top of the cake. It ended up not fitting on top of the cake at all and smelling a lot like modge podge (not the best flavour of cake) but you can be your own judge on the results.

The best thing about this summer has been being able to see all the people I haven't seen for the longest of times. Eric, Jaqui & Taryn, Alex, Lisa, Kylie & Mark, Zannah, Mel & Michael, Kosta & Josephine, Mom, Marty, Tam, Jack & Max, Esther & Mel, Mike, Jakki & Zack, Sasha, Zoecat & Lindsaydog. Did I leave anyone out? Probably, but no one reads this blog anyways.

Next post: Charting The Summer of 6

and in the future:
- Great Ocean Road:Description or Inquiry?
- Brisbane to Cairns and Everything In Between
- Batchelorette Number 1
- 27 and Cruising

Or, maybe I'll just get on with my work. Isn't there a thesis coming up?
I gotta get on a plane in a few hours. See you in the next time zone.

27 and Counting Part 3.... Off to see the Wizard

So now I'm 27. It's always been an age that has a bit of mystery for me as in my adolescent years I was a bit fan of 70's rock and Roll stars, as well as 90's grunge acts, and gee, wasn't River Phoenix cute? Enough of that though. I'm happy to be 27 actually. It seems to make sense as the next logical age for me.

So I am off to see the wizard again. Off to Oz for the 3rd time in the past 10 years. It's still exciting. This time I'm going with Fabri and we're going to get off the beaten track a bit and at least a bit further away from Sydney than Byron (although I have to admit it's not close to Sydney at all Byron Bay). We're planning to go to Melbourne and see little penquins, then to follow the Great Ocean Road on a mini road trip. From there we're flying to Brisbane and taking a car fromt here up up up to Cairns, seeing the barrier reef and all the little towns on the way. I'm packing a bathing suit for sure and hope that every run down motel along the way has a pool. It's also great cause I have four of my best girlfriends in Australia. Alex, Kylie, Lisa and Zannah. It's amazing how everytime I travel I know people.

And OF course... my new Niece Taryn. Oh my god she's so cute so cute so cute so cute cute cute!!! See??? I wanna squeeze her (but I won't cause there's nothing worse than a squeezing aunt). I can't wait to meet her. Shes' too cute. I also haven't seen my brother or sister-in-law for over a year and they've managed to reproduce in that time so I figure we've got alot of catching up to do.

Really, she's too too cute. Too cute.

27 and Counting part 2....

Went back to 'GARDDDDAAAAA!!!' for my birthday celebrations and stayed in a nice hotel that reminded me of the good old days in Lake Placid New York. There was even a games room, though no Beaver Lodge... but then it was summer so I'm not sure what good a Beaver Lodge would be. There was no MacGyver either. But hey, not every hotel can have MacGyver staying at it.

We went to Movieland (ie: the most dangerous theme park in Italy) the first day and Aqua Paradise the second day, both part of the Canevaworld chain of family entertainment.

Let me just say something to the kind organizers at MovieLand; if you're going to make a haunted house in a theme park, it's probably best not to have your patrons walk around in a pitch black corridor following a red light while actors dressed as characters from popular horror movies jump out at you wielding sharp weapons. It's probably also not a good idea to screw all the furniture in the sets to the floor so that when your patrons jump a mile out of sheer fright (and they will, it's really damb scary) they don't cut open their legs. You haven't thought of either of these concepts and as a souvenir I get to take home a nice putrid scar on my leg.

Other dangerous things that happened at Movieland:
1) drowned in a submarine simulator
2) asphyxiated in a garage spewing burning chemicals
3) was driven off a bridge in a real truck
4) contracted malaria but being doused with sewage... twice ("on this ride you may get wet")

I'm not complaining. I had a great time. It just goes to show you however, what fun all the Americans are missing out on by having these liability laws when it comes to public safety.

But... onto AquaParadise!!!! It's essentially a water park where you go on rides and tubes and things. I love the water so had a great time, except for the ride Fabri and I went on where we didn't quite clear the hump in the slide, slid down backwards and were at a loss for what to do. Apparently 'it happens'... I prefer that happening to what we saw happening on the same ride a few hours later. Two guys who did clear the hump, managed to flip over and enjoy the rest of the slide from the intamacy of their faces. Great... the tube was riding them!!!


PS. This image is like a Where's Waldo... you can find me in it if you know what you're looking for.

27 and Counting...

I meant to update earlier, but lazing around the house doing nothing, and I mean nothing got in the way. This is my birthday update where i tell you about all the things I got up to on and around July 4th.

First let me start by saying, if you didn't already know that Italy won the World Cup this year. They are now officially
'Campioni del Mondo'
beeep tooot bwong!! These are the sound effects from the mayhem that ensues every time you mention it. Somehow, 72% of Italians are now hiding under their t-shirts and in their shorts bullhorns, flags and greasepaint in the colours red, white and green... just in case a moment arrives to celebrate. To see the best of the mayhem that ensued photos visit:
Fabri's World Cup Photos Slideshow

No more pencils, no more books...

That's right... school's out for summer!!! Yaya!! I haven't updated for a while so there might be a few posts in the near future. Here goes:

This is the final image from my XSI exam. In the end I wasn't too too proud of it cause I think I let myself down on the rendering. It's missing a kick. I know school's all about learning and stuff but I have such high expectations of myself that sometimes that happens. I do get frustrated.

The good news is that the file was so organised and well planned out technically that I think I'll still get a decent grade. But enough of that!!! No more school... now I can have a life again. Yipeeeeeeee!!!

The XSI Challenge

Here's my final image after 24 hours locked in a basement and the topic 'The Achievement Reached'. My criticism? The food was bad and they promised motivational prizes and they didn't give us any.

Regardless, I didn't win, but I am pretty chuffed with myself. She's cute! And I learnt loads that I wouldn't have without this opportunity!

Yay!

Be Yourself, No Matter What They Say.

Well, the Sting concert was fantastic. He's truly someone to admire. Okay, yeah, just a musician and that, but you didn't see how happy he looked. We were right in the second row up against the rails and singing our hearts out.

This is a terrible photo I took of the screen we were standing next to. Sting's looking old... but not acting it. I should follow his example.

Saturday started with promise of fun and adventure as the event 'Milano Live' was underway because of the Notte Bianco (which is the night, twice a year that things are supposed to be open all night). Fabri and I went into the centre to catch the train that takes you around to all the different fun things that are going on. They were liars. There was no train... okay, so we were on foot. On foot, in the searing sunshine we made ur way through to Parco Sempione and went up in their tower. It's 45 stories of iron and steel and from the viewing deck at the top you can see most of Milan. We were then meant to go see bellydancers in the stock market square, but when we got there there were none (more lies!). So we head home.

Not a moment too soon. A storm broke out and with the heat, ( 36?) we had had all the wondows open. We went to go look out from out balcony and saw that LOTS opf water came into the house. I started mopping and int he end, after about 30 minutes of serious moping and moving of carpets and furniture and the like, the bucket was full of 8 pints of water. 8 PINTS!! At least it cooled things down for a bit... like 4 hours.

It's hot again now. I'm still working on my exam for XSI, but I've lost my concentration and I have to go over things again to figure out where to restart. I have little over a week left.

And then I realized...

I got old. Someday, I guess when I wasn't paying much attention, I just turned into an adult! Like a scene out of the Sims or something, last night I was in bed reading (hint #1) and I realized that the book I'm reading now has no story. But really... None at all. It's a book about Canada.

Whaaaaaattt?? A book about Canada? There's history and facts and talk of native peoples. There's polar bears. Okay, so it's not a bad book... But, there's no way you could get me to even have a look at it 10 years ago. And then I realized... I got old. Incidentally the book is called Beauty Tips from Moose Jaw by Will Ferguson and I reccomend it. Makes you kind of want to visit Churchill Winnapeg.

Tonight I'm going to a concert/festival in Piazza Duomo. Sting is the headliner and it's free... Yay! Sting!! Yaaaaaayyyy!! ... but it's 35 degrees out and I'm frightened. Last night I set up a fan in 30 seconds flat in the pitch blackness of the night. It's hot hot hot. Did I mention it was hot?

Went to a party last night. It was hot there too and we had to leave because of the bugs, but they served large salad and parmigiana and had a new xbox or playstation or something with fighting games in one room, oh, and a characture artist. I look nothing like me.

I might go sit in the bathtub for a while now. I got some more textures for my scene done.

Why I'm not a computer geek.

I know it seems all I do is work, cause that's practically all I do... But sometimes, I finish working before sundown and I even get to take photos like this from my bedroom window.

Or like tonight... I'm going to a party. I'm even ready to leave the house already!


And then, as if you needed another example to see how full and exciting my life is, just this weekend Fabri and I escaped and drove up to Valle d'Aosta. It's more than just winter, like the advert says. We saw a fort and rode in 4 glass elevators. And Fabri had Zuppa (soup) which wasn't soup at all! It was cake!

In other news, it's hot here. Really, really, really hot. Like, I can't breathe hot. I'm sleeping with an ice-pack (much to the dismay of Italians everywhere). However, this year my battle with the mosquitoes (zanzare) is going better but I'm not so attractive covered in bug spray all the time and closing myself in the house surrounded by nets.

Ooops, I should get going. See, I'm interesting, I'm not a geek... I swear!

Oh, but get this: I may be accepted to the XSI challenge afterall 24 hours of solid modelling and materials 'woo hoo'!!!

Working on Materials

There are some things I'm obviously aware of, like the lime green panel on the record player, and her crazy pink shoes. And the doily, which is obviously now reacting to the lighting setup as it should. I'm keen on her hair colour, but then, this isn't a self-portrait, so I might Ashley Judd it up a bit (ie, remove some of the auburn).

I'm a little nervous about the newspaper, cause I think you'll actually be able to read the thing over her shoulder, which means I have to get into her personality and figure out what exactly would she be reading (I wish my Aunt Ethel was still alive, she'd know about these things).

It will be in english (the language, not the culture... oh and I'm not actually American or English by the way).

Pearls! Any ideas on the best way to approach it's shader? Are the tulips too frightening? Is this post annoying you yet?

Lights, Camera... Well, Just Lights and Camera Really.

I've been playing with textures, lights and the camera angle all morning. I think I'm starting to get close to the mood I'm after with this shot. The record player, flowers, compact case and woman all have to be lit seperately, but this is a nice start.

I'm going to work a bit more on scene textures and then do some research for 1950's makeup and work on her facial features and skin tone.

Woke Up Late

I got up at 10:30 today. Bit of a sore throat and general sleepiness, but other than that, no excuse really for the lie-in.

At least I've got my first decisions for the inquadratura (composition) done already for the XSI project. Now I can go about perfecting everything you see in this shot for this exact layout and I don't have to spend hours on things like ears or deciding exactly what shade of blue or green or brown her eyes have to be. Now I know you won't see it anyways.

I'm about to make a list of all the changes I have to make based upon self-critique of this image and then systematically go through and correct every error I find. The first thing that's bugging me is that it doesn't really FEEL like she's reading that newspaper... maybe it's cause there's nothing written... or maybe it's her blank gaze into space.

LATER THAT DAY...

I got alot done on the model of the woman and modeled a new, more 1950's chair for the scene. Now I'm waiting to see if pelting works on the mesh. It takes forever. Here's a shot of what I0m watching on my screen. I'm waiting for all the circles to be flat.

Porceline Skin

9:00am
I've decided to start this post this morning and finish it later this afternoon. This is where I am so far with the redo of my 'model' in my setting for the 1940's/50's XSI exam. I think the skin tone is coming out well though there's still a million things I want to do with it and I have to find a way to get her undergarments to look less like plastic and more like satin. I think a change of colour will be appropriate here.

Yesterday I spent alot of time on her facial features and trying to smooth her out, She's looking a little less scary and I think the best way to move forward now is to work on the hair (cause baldness is sooooo scary afterall). I also have to think about pelting her entire body and face to make adding the fine details to her skin easier, not to mention that the exam is counting on it.

I'm still trying to decide between blonde and brunette, but I guess that'll be a decision based upon the final composition and what I end up deciding for that.

BTW: Check out my new link to Erwin Olaf's photography. I really like the quality he's deriving from his subjects and will be using that as inspiration on this project




11:20am
The basis for the hair is finished. It looks as if she might be a brunette afterall. I think I'll have fun playing with the contrast between the hair and skin tone anyhow. I can go alot redder with the skin on a brunette. But the 1940's and 50's were so, well, blonde, weren't they?

1:20pm
I have just spent the past 2 hours perfecting facial hair and an ear that won't actually be seen in the final renderingd AND... I don't even think that they're all that perfect yet. Hmmmm... I'm a die-hard time waster. Anyhow, she's alot more feminine with eyelashes and I'm happy about how things are going. I'll work one more hour before heading off back into the real world and doing something relatively normal like go to the gym.

Sitting in a Motion Graphic Exam

I'm not sure what this exam is for or what I'm doing here... but I'm almost certain that it's not helping me become a better animator, nor is it useful on my path to 3D film direction.

People are playing football behind me and the teacher has asked us to 'explain' our work. Good news is that it'll all be over in an hour or so... just have to make sure I don't go crazy before then.

Ooops, too late.

Re-doing XSI

I still haven't managed to recover anything from Lacie (curse her, curse her!) and so I've had to restart alot of the work I did for XSI. I'm int he process of modelling the woman again and it's going well cause now I know how to do it faster. I started her out from bodywoman and in the default pose.

Her face is based on a sculpture that France did of Laetitia Casta as the new Marianne. I'm glad I had an opportunity to redo that part cause the old (lost) verson had a dog face. I think her lack of beauty took away from the overall composition.

Anyhow, then I posed her with the high heels in the shoes on the mirror pose and now I'm shifting around fat and edge loops and trying to make sure she doesn't look completely plastic for the submission on the 19th.

Oh, and I have the animation exam today.

I Don't Remember Watching Annie

The sun will come out, tomorrow.(You can)bet your bottom dollar that tomorrow they'll be sun. Just thinkin' about tomorrow, clears away the cobwebs and the sorrow, 'till there's none.

When I'm stuck with a day, that's greay and lonely, I just stick up my chin, and grin and say...

O...

The sun'll come out tomorrow, so you gotta hang on 'till tomorrow, come what may. Tomorrow, tomorrow, I love 'ya, tomorrow, you're only a day away.

Epi didn't fix the drive, but he's still wokring on it so I might write him a haiku instead of a full poem at the end of the week. A thank-you Haiku. I have to look up the format again 'cause it has to be at least several years since my last haiku... in fact, I can't even remember what the occasion might have been.

Incidentally I found a file with Gretel's mesh on the desktop with which I have been able to go ahead with the Annie muscial animation. It's going well and I like animating. It's much better thaìn modelling cause you can see the character come to life. I gave her a pig/bear thing to play with, but she's so busy being inspirational that she' doesn't pay it much attention. I still ahven0t decided if I'm going to cut her off at the bridge or take her into the full reprise (with dancing). Emotionally, I'm thinking reprise, logically, one verse is all she needs. Let's be honest though... It's Wednsday and the exam is Monday.

I should get back to her.

Lacie has Betrayed Me!

Alas, the time has come for that fateful day when my external hard drive finally tells me to piss off and just stopps running. I'm a firm believer that every computer has a life of about 2 years before it starts to betray its owner and I guess I should have thought the same for an external hard-drive no? Lacie won't run. We went to school today and she didn't show up on my desktop so I took her back home and no joy here either. I have no back ups.

Let me make a list of what is lost, both for you ti see how foolish I am and for me to learn even more from my haorrible mistake:

- Chud
- Sal
- Gretel
- The Tassi Americani (Raccoons Playing Poker)
- Cheech's film (at least the working files)
- Lofty Pines Motel Room
- Sky Fishing
- Surrealistic Silver Girl
- Everything from my portfolio before IED
- XSI Exam (yes, the whole exam a.k.a. 125 hours of work)
- Work for Matt in London (eeeesh! Che pale!)
- Character Animation Exam

Now I know you're asking yourself.-.. why didn't she have copies? Yes, indeed... why didn't I have copies.

Today I learn once again to never ever trust a computer (they're all whores, whores I tell you!!) and at the sme time... never to trust myself.

Let's see if Epi can fix it. If he does, I'll take an hour out of my dat tomorrow to write him a poem. An ode to Episcopo. Stay tuned.

Corruptions, Losses and bits of Coloured Paper

I lost Chud. Chud is lost. Turns out some time last week while working and getting a usual error followed by a swift shut-down of XSI, his file was corrupted permanently. Instead of learning then what I know now, I repeatedly reopened the file, worked a bit more (till the next crash) and saved the progressive files. Little did I know however (cause I'm stupid) that the file itself was growing and cultivating an error, which, a week later would allow me to reach a point in my work where Chud was almost complete, but where the file would refuse to save, rotate in viewports and remain open for more than 3 minutes. I reinstalled the software 3 times in a vain hope that in fact it was some other problem, but alas, no. Chud is gone.

Ah, learning is fun!

Sal, on the other hand, having been abandoned from my workload before the forementioned error was salvageable. I'm still trying to decide whether to take him further for my final presentation for Progettazione (and we all know about that) or to drop him, as well as Chud (they were after all a team) and drag Gretel into another project. I just think it's such a cop out though... to just abandon everything. I'm pretty sure regardless of what I choose I'll get the same grade as they're pretty much arbitrary, but I now have to decide whether doing more work is worth it. The exam is Tuesday.

Coloured paper you ask? This is the other exam in the next few weeks. Motion Graphic. It's meant to teach us (I think) about the relation between music and images, but it's really just teaching me to be angry, and wound-up. Alice and I are working in a team and that seems to be going well. She came by on Friday and we spend 3 hours of out lives stop-motion animating bits of paper making different images and moving around the screen. The project is for a track by this electronic musician named Gak Sato and our 5 seconds or so is quite country, so at least I'm happy about that. Really though... I don't think I'll be knocking this one into my portfolio any time soon. Oh, and did I mention that the teacher just didn't bother to turn up for class last week? Really slick.

Chud Has a Little Elton John Going On

.
Now it's just getting silly. I'm trying to get Chud and Sal ready for rendering and I just keep adding weirdness. These are Chud's new Goggles. I think he has issues.

This morning I got up early 6am to go renew my Permesso di Soggiorno (like a visa). There were about 100 people ahead of me in line at via Montenapoleone and by 730 I found out that I was in the wrong place... apparently they don't do the PDS for Canadians there anymore. Luck had it that Roni was also out and about at the break of dawn trying to do hers and correctly directed to the same one I was now on my way to. We got appointments to actually do the paperwork at the end of June. She leaves the country 10 days afterwards.

I'm going to egt my hair cut later.

Where are we going? To GARDAAAAAA!!!!

Yesterday we got up at stupid AM after the 70's party at Frida. We piled into a very small caravan and head out to GARDAAAAA!!! Apparently, after all this time Andrea suddenly thinks to mention that his parents have an apartment on the beautiful and also famous lake in Northern Italy, and that he has a set of keys. Epi, Denise, Carolina, Ricardo, Fabri and I were off.

We stopped for lunch upon hitting the lake then went for a stroll in Sirmione. It's a penninsula that juts out into the lake (well, an island really, connected to the mainland by a castle) and boasts the home of Maria Callas and giant hotels hidden by trees as well as thermal baths, pebble beaches and an impressive and frightening Gelato (ice-cream) district. I had Mela and Lampone.

After Sirmione we drove past Gardaland (Italy's #1 theme park), Movieland (Italy's #18 theme park) and finally arrived at Andrea's apartment on the water. It was overcast, but we still headed down to the pebble beach and all got our legs in the water. It was 17degrees, but I reckon I could have had a swim if I had thought to change into my bathing suit. We practiced skipping stones and had fun throwing pebbles at Ricardo while he slept on the dock. It was about 15 minutes before he woke up. In all this time Michele was "trying" to get to come meet us and we finally realised he was actually on the west side of the lake as opposed to the east side where we were enjoying the sunset and the horrible neighbor's' leaf burning. We decided it was best to meet him in Cola'.

At Cola' we debated for a long time whether or not to spend the 18euros to enter the Thermal park. In the end, Fabri and I grabbed a pizza with the others then our bathing suits and decided to try it out. It was amazing. They've built a false lake over the thermal spring with pebble bottom, grotto,waterfalls and massage point. Really, it was the most fantastic 'pool' I've ever been to. Did I mention that it's around 34degrees? Oh, and that within the lake there are 2 hottubs, one at 37degress and the other at 39?? It was WONDERFUL. I'm so going back there. Check it out here: www.parcotermaledelgarda.it If I can managae to organise it maybe I'll force everyone to go back there for my birthday in July.

Chud and Sal look to the future.

Y'know, I might just put these two in a musical while I'm at it.

Chud's a redhead now and not quite as bald as he was in his debut feature. Also, he stopped wearing the blue coloured contacts cause I convinced him his natural, deep brown eyes were worth showing off.

What exactly am I doing? This is my final project for progettazione. I haven't really learnt how to Proggetare (plan) anything in the class, but I recently got a book on the subject of planning towards short film production... here I come.

My idea for the thesis is coming along well. As things go, in the next year I have to study biped as well as quadruped motion. Yes, we're talking four-legged friends here. The main idea comes from a story that Max told us at the bar one night (that's Max the friend, not the 3d software or my nephew). Ah, dogs are so cute and troublesome.

I'm hoping to get started on Gretel's recital in the next few days. The only think is she's all rigged nice and clean in Maya and I don't feel like pulling her out for a re-rig in XSI, which after the experiment with the gymnast seems to be my strongest animation program.

Ha ha ha... I imagine this blog seems pretty weird now. So, for something normal: Today I will go to the gym for a swim.

Sal

This is Sal. He's Chud's best friend. He's kind of like a sidekick. He has problems with personal hygene.

The Many Faces of Gretel

This is probably the work I'm most proud of this year. I haven't any time to elaborate, but I'm going to try to get a short animation of Gretel done to a song from the hit off-broadway musical 'You're a Good Man Charlie Brown'. Gretel will be playing the role of Lucy.

1950's

This is a 1950's Record player and Lamp I'm working on for a project in XSI.

Gretel Revisited

This is a newer version of gretel after consulting with Kizo on technical and Laura Fiori on Character Design. She's much closer to the original concept too.

The Little Gingerbread House

Well, Gretel is almost finished. Her dress and hair need detailed modelling and textures (which I'll knock out in Zeta). I'll probably go for a blonde or red for the hair as I find black too Wednsday Adams.

She needs rigging and posing for the final exam after Easter... Any feedback? I'm talking to Signora Fiori today and seeing if I've strayed too far from the original character sketches (which you might remember were more cartoon).

Speaking of Easter, jetting off to London for 7 days. Wanting to catch up with everyone, but not sure if anyone's around.

Didn't Win Hasbro: No More Contests For Me, Well, Maybe One.

Well, the award ceremony for Littlest Pet Shop was yesterday and honestly I really thought I had a chance when I saw the other work. I wasn't impressed by anything there really and thought each workl had as much chance as each other work in winning, that is, except for the ones which actually did. Apparently the judges decided to give the prizes to work which could never actually go into production. The first prize and the €1500 I could have spent on computer stuff, shoes and other fun goodies, went to a door with horrible pink poodles glued to it. I give up with the school's idea of what flies.

The only other thing I might consider entering is a 24 hour modelling (no, not like fashion modelling, which like 'field hockey' I think should always be prefixed even if we are in Europe) contest in XSI. Yes, I only picked up the software a few weeks ago, and yes, the prize is a Softimage trainer's jacket which I can guarantee I will never wear, and yes, it's 24 hours straight in front of a computer in a big room full of other geeks in front of a computer doing the same thing (though my work is probably something other than a gargoyle or demon or minataur). But doesn't it sound romantic? Like a ballroom dancing marathon? I'm actually going to look into it.

I have a fancy dinner business thing tonight with Fabri and I'm convinced I'll be overdressed, but I have no other venue to wear my new silk, chinese, high collar gown which is white with navy blue flowers on it. So I guess I'll be wearing it tonight. I might leave my hair down tho. I don't want to be too much of a cliche'.

What a long few weeks!

I haven't had a chance to update in ages. I've been throwing myself into the documentary of Ciccio's graduation that I have to submit on Friday. Alos been slaving away (but creatively) on reference photos, collages and sculptures, yes, sculptures for an illustration I'm startign in XSI. Above you can see the collage of what I'm hoping to accomplish with the image.

Friday was so nice cause I met Nathalie and we did a Pilates class. It's not easy I'll tell you. But then we had the full sauna/spa experience at my new gym and it was such a treat. to top it all off we discovered a wonderful 'Piccolo Ristorante' just by the gym that does a fantastic set menu for 8euros... that's first, second, salad, coffee and wine/water for 8 euros... Crazy!

Yes. I joined a gym. It's more like a health club really. I've been on a roll so far and there 3 times a week. between different classes, the spa, the cardio machines, the weight machines and the pool I'm not bored yet. The crazy thing is that going 3 times a week coupled with the medicine I'm taking and you can already see muscles taking shape in my arms. I feel stronger too. I'm not talking incredible hulk or anything, but we all know how fit I was to begin with right?

Cheech came to Milan for the weekend and stayed here. We all had a big night on Friday and Nat and Roni came out too. I was exhausted on Saturday and terribly hung over but managed to make it out for brunch anyways (I do love the American Bakery). I slept the whoel afternoon and then spent far too much money that I don't have AT ALL at dinner at daBertie. I'll never go there again I'm sure.

Sunday we were at Mario and Lucrezia's for lunch and then headed out to the Hobby Show which ended up being very boring and not the right place to take your boyfriend and one of his friends on a Sunday afternoon. I'm certain I would have enjoyed it alot more if I was there with my mom and she was buying me crafting paper and we were thinking up ideas for fabulous crafts. In the end I only bought an anatomy book.

I'm working alot on Gretel and ZBrush these days too. Been studying how her muscles and bones go together, but I'm reluctant to show you a screen shot cause at the moment she looks kinda gross... all bald and naked. I guess that's how all of us start out though right?

This is how the joke starts...

So there four dead-skeletal raccoony things are playing poker, right?

Duel

This is a rendered scene of 30 seconds of a film I have to reproduce in a team for next Tuesday. It's Spielburg's first success, so I guess it's good luck.

Sky Fishing Online!!

Please follow this link to see my 2nd ever animated short 'Sky Fishing'.

www.orchid-eye.com There is a link right there on the home page.

Released Today and Coming Soon for Your Viewing Pleasure

Previously known only by it's working title 'Gone Fishing', my 2nd ever animated short was finished today, 2 days ahead of schedule! Here are some shots from the 1 minute animated film.

Within the week I'll be publishing the short on my website for your viewing pleasure. Look out for it! There's a surprise ending!!!

Thanks to:
Eric an Jaqui in 2004 for a conversation on a drive down to Copake New York which planted the seed for the concept of this film

Fabri for loving a crazy, aspiring CG professional, and for believing in me.