Latest sketch

 

This is week two of being self employed and it has been a bit difficult to get into a proper schedule. However, this week has been much better than the previous one, I'm a bit more focused and trying to stick to "work hours". The problem is, since I don't have to leave home in order to get work done, I find myself leading a very relaxed schedule.

In any case, waking up every day and feeling less stressed is an improvement that I embrace effusively. I'm also making an effort to improve my drawing skills and this is the first sketch that I've done, hopefully in a month's time I'll be able to see a difference. Not trying to run here but I assume I will have more time to do things that I really like.

We'll see how it goes!

Yosemite National Park

 

Playing hide and seek with Alexa amongst the towering trees was quite fun. The weather was really fantastic too, it would be cool in the mornings and evenings but as soon as the sun would bathe the valley, the whole place would warm up quite quickly. It was the end of winter and snow could still be seen in patches here and there. There was a huge area with snow around the far end of the park closer to Half Dome and at times you would come across some ice on the tracks but other than that, it was all good!

Apparently the park was quite empty too... hard to believe when you see so many people filling up the cafeteria and the restaurant. You would encounter about 20 people on any given track on average and if this is the empty season, you can start to imagine what it's like during summer.

No bear encounters to worry about although they do stress out the point of not leaving anything in your car. Videos are shown all the time where bears completely destroy cars just to get an apple or even a piece of gum. Cars get totalled as if they were cans of soda pop.

 

Sun was setting when this picture was taken. You can start to see the sun's rays bouncing off the stone walls giving that orange tint to them. This particular water fall is the tallest in the US of A and apparently it's the fifth tallest in the world. Most of the mist that came of from the waterfall turned into snow and you can appreciate a big patch of snow before the waterfall continues it's path onto the lower part of the waterfall.

  

 

Mirror Lake can be seen in the picture above and you can see how it is still frozen. I didn't realize that we had already arrived to the lake because the water level was quite low. Once the snow and ice start melting and the waterfalls come back to life, the lake will rise once again and I'm sure it will be hard to miss. Still, it was a really nice place to be and just take in the scenery. So peaceful.

The lake is located at the bottom of the flat part of Half Dome. I only saw 3 climbers whilst we were there. One guy was just practicing bouldering and two other guys were packing their gear into their car. I assume that during the warmer months you can see climbers taking the walls.

Ooops! Somehow the roles were reversed here, I'm the one who's always taking pictures of Alexa and no one is taking picture of me. I guess it was bound to happen someday.

We'll definitely have to go back again at some point and visit all the other things that Yosemite has to offer. Traveling with my girl makes things much more memorable! ;)

San Francisco

More images to come...

On top

Last year Alexa came to NZ to visit and we had a whirlwind of a trip stopping at some of the major points of interest in the N Island. We didn't have enough time to see or do as much as we would've liked but she still was able to go back to LA with a good idea of what NZ is like... Gorgeous!

This year I went to California and we traveled around as well although not as much. Still, we made a stop in Carmel, San Francisco and Yosemite. Nice and interesting places, and Yosemite is stunning as well.... If I had to choose between what I've seen so far of California and NZ, there would be no doubt about my choice of NZ being on top. NZ rocks!!!!! Now if only Alexa could be here... I love you GG! ;)

By the way, that picture was taken on top of the hill that overlooks the city, the wind turbine is right next to us but not included in the shot.

Alexa Tattoo

Angry Teddy Bear making a sneak appearance as a tattoo. Love the way it looks! Love my model Alexa too :)

Update: Team Paul Callaghan

Mark Hunter wearing "Team Paul Callaghan" apparel.

Things are going well with our fundraising and I would like to thank everybody who has contributed in one way or another. The t-shirts and hoodies sold through Team Paul Callaghan have been a huge success, and some members of the team have seen supporters wearing them around town. That's really awesome!

Our goal of reaching $20,000 has been met and we're now on our way to $25,000. Will we be able to reach the new goal? With your support there may be a good chance of doing so.

I would like to remind you guys that all proceeds from the sales of the Team Paul Callaghan go directly to the Relay for Life event organized by the Cancer Society of New Zealand. If you guys have already contributed, spread the word around with your friends and family members.

Don't forget that you can make a direct donation as well in case you want to miss out on the cool swag. Just head to the Relay for Life page and help us support a good cause.

Cheers!

Team Paul Callaghan

I suppose many of you are familiar with the name of Paul Callaghan or Sir Prof Paul Callaghan as he was known in the later years. He always got a kick out of being named Sir, but he only accepted the honor because he thought that it would give him more street cred and in that way he would be able to reach more people when he addressed his thoughts and visions about NZ science, NZ economy, the rebuilding of Christchurch, the conservation of the flora and fauna of NZ and so many other things that concern or should concern all kiwis.

Paul passed away last year after battling cancer and a group of friends and family have gotten together to honor his memory and share the wonderful experiences he brought to our lives. It is for this reason that we have decided to organize a team in the Relay for Life event that the Cancer Society of New Zealand leads each year. Paul took place in this event a couple of times, showing his support for this cause and even participated in the opening lap as a cancer survivor.

This year we have designed some cool t-shirts to support this noble cause and we ask you to show your support by purchasing these designs. Not only will you be helping the team reach our goal of raising NZ$20,000 but you'll also be helping out all of those people that benefit from the work of the Cancer Society. So come on, chip in, and be part of Team Paul Callaghan by visiting the Team Paul Callaghan store!

If you'd like to know more about the man himself, I invite you to visit his blog. If that is not enough for you to get an idea of who he was and what he did for New Zealand, simply search his name on the internet and choose from the myriad of entries that dedicate some lines to his work.

Thanks for taking your time to read this.

Kiss

Sometimes a kiss says it all, there's no need for words.

Light & Shadow

This is probably my favorite picture from the shoot I did with Alexa. I like the composition of the shot and the way that she stares directly into the light. Her gaze directs you towards the light but because there isn't too much detail, your eye goes back towards her and a dynamic tension is created. At least my eyes always tend to fall upon her ;) Getting nice pictures is easier when you have someone to inspire you!

Contrast

I love the way I was able to breathe some color into this picture. The original image was quite dark and had a brownish tint to it. A few filters from photoshop later and the skin has a nice healthy color. Love the contrast! As usual, I must thank my lovely model for putting up with me. Love you GG :)

Facebook headers

A few images that were taken during last year's summer while touring around the North Island. From Cape Reinga down to Wellington. The second picture was taken at Kerosene Creek near Taupo. Awesome trip!! Needless to say, the company was the best part of it all :)

Pool time!

The days are definitely getting warmer over here and it just seems appropriate that I should have finished this drawing that had been put aside for quite a long time now. I started this sketch in June, which is our winter. I must have been suffering from cabin fever and couldn't wait for some warmth to come over this way.

What am I most happy with in this illustration? Well, it would have to be the lace. I think that's one of the things that took me the most time to do. Once again, I must thank my wonderful model who puts up with my demands even though she may find herself in awkward and uncomfortable positions.

Thanks GG!

The Professor

The first of two cards that I will make to illustrate an article on the MacDiarmid Institute website that talks about the efforts of bringing together the scientific world with the business world in New Zealand. The New Zealand government is promoting the commercialization of science and has set in motion several programmes in order to achieve this.

Spring Fairy

 

Practicing with some brushes, trying to get a watercolor effect. The end result is quite nice although didn't quite obtain the effect I was after. Definitely need more practice. I do like the tones of the skin though, nice and peachy! It's spring finally and a fairy seemed like a good idea to draw :)

WIP

This one has been waiting for quite a while to be finished. There are so many details that need my attention still but here's a small preview of what's to come. Inspired by the girl with the most beautiful smile! Come back again soon to see the final version.

New illustration for the MacDiarmid Institute, this one is to illustrate the blog entry "The Funding Flood".

When thinking about a concept for this illustration, I remembered the famous print The Great Wave off Kanagawa from the Thirty-six views of Mt Fuji by Katsushika Hokusai. I made some modifications in order to match what has been written. It's not an exact reproduction of course but I still like the end result. I changed the color of the water so that it would seem like it's a wave of money and the yellow foam represents coins. Maybe that's not very well achieved but I think it still gives you a good idea of what's happening.

Enjoy!

Cooking on the job!

I was asked to take a picture for an article that the MacDiarmid Institute was going to publish on their website. The article talks about a new way they have been able to determine if there's bacterial growth on meat and kiwi fruit in New Zealand. You can read the whole article here.

There were two possible ways to showcase this article. The first one, which would have been the obvious one, would have been to take a picture of rotting meet covered in some kind of bacteria. But who would be motivated to read about something that's oozing some possible kind of goo?

I thought the second option would be the best way. Having a nice picture of some cooked meat presented in a nice way would probably catch people's attention. The article may even be more appealing, if not by the article in itself, maybe by the fact that your brain is acknowledging that there's a tasty platter in front of you, hahahaha... yeah right.

The first place to get all the required material was the fridge of course. A quick check in to the freezer confirmed that I had some meat that just needed to be defrosted. Some fresh tomatoes were at hand and I had some nice mushrooms that were just screaming to be used. A couple of apples were thrown in into the mix and some spring onions too. Things were cooking!

Now I'm not claiming to be a good cook but the result was very satisfying. Not only did I end up having a great meal, I also ended up with a nice picture; two fulfilling results. Both my stomach and my pocket would be full after this little job.

Yum!

Best Poster Ever

OK maybe I'm exaggerating a bit but there's no denying that the simplicity of this illustration reflects so much! What evil machinations is this little guy pondering about? That's besides the point, the point is that this little guy is savoring a moment. He's in total peace knowing that he has in his possession a carton of milk. As soon as I saw this image, it struck a chord in me. How can I forget coming back from school and enjoying a tall glass of cold milk? Or having 25 cents in my pocket during elementary school so that I could buy a carton of milk from the school cafeteria?

I have no idea who made this illustration but it is totally Awesome!!! I've been searching for the illustrator/artist who came up with this image but have come up empty handed so far. I would love to have this little guy living somewhere in my flat. I may have to make a reproduction myself, although would love to give credit to the guy who came up with this masterpiece.

Those who know me, are aware of the importance of milk in my life, hehehe

Mmmm.... milk!!

A storm had just come through Wellington and another one was on its way. That weekend I had planned to go to the Wairarapa and visit one of its vineyards and enjoy a really nice lunch with Alexa. There seemed to be no point in venturing out and driving over the Rimutakas if the weather was going to be bad. You might as well stay closer to home and appreciate what you have in your backyard.

A drive around the bays is always a good drive and each and every one of them has its own appeal. Owhiro Bay, Island Bay, Lyall Bay, Scorching Bay, Evans Bay... drive to each one of them and have a little stroll, 10 to 15 minutes will be enough before you head on to the next one and you'll be surprised by the amount of things you'll see. Penguins, seals, dolphins, orcas and even the occasional sea leopard can be encountered. That day however, only the seagulls were out braving the weather, the Cook Strait had been roaring and was getting ready for another uproar. Amongst the shiny kelp that had been strewn across the stoney beach, the white plumage of the seagulls really made them stand out.

In the end, we spent around 4 hours gathering seashells and enjoying the views that were on offer. Maybe the lunch we had had not been as fancy as I had planned originally, maybe the weather hadn't been as great as expected, yet, those few hours had been spent in great company and with the discovery of little treasures in each seashell and views from the bays. Perfect way to end the weekend.

A journey to remember

New Zealand is full of surprises and you never know what you may encounter. The weather is a very important factor that keeps you on your toes at all times. This picture was taken at Cape Reinga, at the northern tip of the North Island. Even though it was midsummer and the rainy season was nowhere close, we had to change our plans a couple of times in order to avoid the bad weather, this was unsuccessful however.

As we arrived to the lighthouse we were greeted with a spectacular view of clouds. We were immersed in some of the thickest clouds I've ever seen. You could hardly see more than 2 meters in front of you. We had finally reached the very tip of the country and we could see nothing at all. The sand dunes that are normally visible where completely hidden. The currents of the Tasman Sea and the Pacific Ocean that clash together as they encounter one another could not be appreciated. The Pohutukawas that symbolize the journey of the spirits leaving the material world in order to join the ethereal world could not be seen either.

A major disappointment you would say at first glance, but we decided to wait it out a little bit. Maybe if we were lucky enough, the clouds would rise and we would be able to get a glimpse of the spectacular panorama. During that half hour, we encountered a married couple who were living in Oz and had come back to visit NZ, where they were both from originally. They had been in Australia for 40 years and were a bit homesick from the sound of it. They were loving the fact that we were shrouded by the clouds and it brought them memories of their early childhoods growing up in rural NZ and having to deal with the rain while wearing gumboots and drenched wool jumpers.

It was one of the nicest conversations or storytelling I had come across in such a long time. The clouds lifted a bit and we were able to see the coastline (sort of). In the end, the views weren't the most interesting part of that stop, even though they are spectacular (trust me, they're picture perfect when it's not raining, I've been there before). The thing that really made the place magical, apart from the environment created by the weather, had been talking to two complete strangers and been able to walk down memory lane and having a glimpse of their lives.

It's nice to be able to travel around beautiful places in the world and be enriched by the experiences that you will always remember. Sometimes there are certain journeys that become unforgettable and will always have a special meaning. To be able to share a trip with someone special makes the adventure even more rewarding. Thanks Alexa for those ever precious moments!