Welcome to my playground!
I live in Ypsilanti, Michigan, where I work for a printshop as a Prepress Technician. That means I do everything from trouble-shooting and technical work to graphic design. To say that I have a wide range of interests may actually be an understatement. I read alot of science fiction, but mix that with everthing from Anthropology and archeology to theoretical physics. I have a degree in history, with an emphasis in preservation, which shapes not only my approach to my art, but my views of the world, history, and my own place in this crazy universe we live in.
This is just a sample of what kinds of work I've been up to, and is meant to serve something like a portfolio of what I've done and am capable of doing.
I also have virtual galleries on Renderosity and DeviantArt, both of which are very much a reflection of my varied interests.
The basis of much of my work:
I find that my science fiction interests seem to be leaning towards "near-future" space exploration, and I like to ground my designs in as much realism as possible. I like my ships to look plausible, have a design based upon their function, and have a look that is generally a modular and mass-produced feel. For each ship I try to imagine what it's meant to do, and then I look at the components that would be needed for that function. I also build around the idea that the manufacturers are trying to do as much through economies of scale as possible, which means trying to mass-produce as much of their ships as they can. The easiest solution I can foresee is components designed to serve a few basic functions, which are then mixed and matched with others to create more specialized ships or even stations.
The more recent discoveries in the Extra-Solar Planets research is certainly having an impact on my own imagined future. Years ago I built up a basic timeline for the exploration and settlement of the nearby stars, basing it off of as much information as was then available about these stars. Today that information is quite literally changing every day, so it's nearly impossible to keep up. What we have seen is that planets like Earth aren't likely to be around every star. That isn't to say there won't be such planets, we may even have found one recently (Although as of mid-October 2010 there is now some uncertainty in that earlier announcement) not too far away. So, while I imagine settlements in space, I seldom portray garden-type planets in my own work.
Below are three general categories of my artwork you'll find here:
Space Scenery and Backgrounds
Science Fiction and Spacecraft
Costuming and Other Hobbies
Other Space and Science Fiction Stories
Abstracts and Designs
And that's the Show, For Now...
As I have said before, I have a very wide array of interests. Which means you can expect I'll be adding more and making adjustments to this page over time. I'd also be remiss if I didn't add some links to pages I particularly like:
The Cultural Gutter:
The web-magazine edited by a close friend of mine, and worth reading for more reasons I can count.
Astronomy Picture of the Day:
The name speaks for itself. Always a good picture, and a caption written by a scientist so you'll learn something, too.
Space.com:
A good general source for news and discoveries. Great links to NASA and more. Especially good now that commercial development is moving at last.
Desktop Starships:
If you want a good source for wallpaper dedicated to the furthest frontier, this is a great place to start. They collect a wide array, and respect the artists, too.
Archeology Magazine:
Another good place for news from the front-lines of the field. Meant for the interested layperson and the professional alike.
Renderosity:
A good site for digital and 3D artists. They have excellent tools for displaying your work, learning and marketing. Their membership ranges from students to working professionals.
DeviantArt:
Probably the most popular site for sharing and displaying your work. They also have many tools and ways to learn, and a huge array of members that you can learn from that also ranges from students to working professionals.