100th Blog Post!

There you are ladies and gents! If you have kept up with my blogging from the beginning, thank you and continue to read on, and if you are newer addition; welcome and I hope you obtain some knowledge as well as a chuckle from my life in the past 10 months, the present, and the future as a graduate student at UIC in the biomedical visualization program.


Now that I'm done with my little 100th-post celebration, I would like to talk about one of my newer fave artists who was saved for this special post. Plus, he also drew some medically-inspired art finally (well kinda)! Juan Fransisco Casas, 31, is a Spanish artist that works on huge photo-realistic works of are created and rendered with a blue Bic ballpoint pen. Trained as a traditional artist, he started doing these huge drawings 4 years ago as a joke to make something look like a photo but was far from it. It wasn't until he won 2nd place in a national art competition that he took these pieces seriously that he based on nights out with friends and sexuality. At the present, my new personal favorites are the ones above named Eating Vesalius and Licking Vesalius in ode to the tattoo first illustrated in Andreas Vesalius' book De Humani Corporis Fabrica. Check out more of Juan's art here! Now it is back to working on my thesis project proposal and Flash tutorials on Lynda.com!

Thanks again everyone!

Photo courtesy of juanfranciscocasas.com. Eating Vesalius (detail) and Licking Vesalius. Juan Fransisco Casas. Bic ballpoint pen. 2009.

Letting it All Hang Out

The first week of our 8 week summer session is over and though I am trying to keep up with things the summer keeps on tempting me to relax, hang out, and to put it bluntly, just chill. I haven't quite stepped back into the class mode yet. It is nice in a way that our course load isn't that intense, so I still feel like I am in the clear.... I just don't want it to get out of hand, you know, since all of my weekends are already books for the entire duration. That will happen.

Though I say I have been a bum, I have:

• Checked out artists that I admire for my advanced imaging techniques as well as choosing my scientific subjects to illustrate.
• Taken my first Flash class and rewrote my crazy-messy notes (I swear, in the past month I forgot how to write.)
• Gutted my room of unnecessary things that I don't want to move in less than a month.
  
• Worked 16 hours and did my first tech help email and phone call. :D
  
• Caught up with friends.
• Watched Horton Hears a Who. (The animation is great and the humor is not just for kids.)
  
• Worked on my online class, which thankfully has only one more week.
  
• Talked with my thesis project committee chair and advisor about where I am going and what I have to do.
  
• Went grocery shopping at my favorite cheap (but good) ghetto grocery store
• Made a large amount of black bean salsa and chicken fajitas. (I missed having fresh produce.)
• Sat and took in a wonderful summer storm.
  

So there, I can say I have done something with my life. One thing I'm glad I didn't do is what these little characters are up to. This anatomical imagery is from Tom Giesler, an illustrator and entrepreneur in the San Fransisco Bay area. His ties with the graphic design and medical devices industry, as well as his humor, can both be seen in these clean and simple illustrations, made to look anatomical charts. Take a look at his website as there are more anatomically-based images there!



Photo courtesy of tomgiesler.com. The spirit of sharing and Brimming with enthusiasm. Tom Giesler. 17 x 22", acrylic & digital, 2007.

Lazy Summer Days are Taking a Break

My summer is now officially temporarily over. Today was the first day of classes of the 8 week schedule that our Biomedical Visualization program requires. We started off with Surgical Orientation which will prepare us for Surgical Illustration in the fall. Mostly, it is about not using mechanical pencils since the lead can easily break and could possibly fly into a body cavity of an individual having surgery. Okay, that was only one part of today's intro lecture and there will be more to learn! After that, we talked about the expectations in the next class, Advanced Imaging Techniques. Three high-quality works, eight mere weeks. No big deal when there are other classes to worry about as well. :D What I will like about it is that we can choose exactly what we want to do, in any media we choose, and in any style. Now I just have to think about what I want to do....that can be a feat in itself. We finished early like usual on the first day and went home.

While on the walk to class this morning, I received a pleasant phone call to start the day off right. My application for my new apartment went through! I am so excited to be moving to Lincoln Park since I will be by the lake and a block away from the park. I will be smack-dab in the middle of an awesome community and I can't wait to explore it more. The only thing is that everyone works out like crazy there, hopefully that will kick me in the butt to get myself back in shape. Sitting in front of a computer working on projects doesn't maintain the greatest figure even though I wish it would.

Now back from my tangent. I couldn't wait to sign the lease so I went after a little bit of lunch. Thank goodness I brought an umbrella since on the way back it was downpouring. My intention was to go to the grocery store, but now that wasn't going to happen. Nope, not without a car in the city and waiting for public transportation with bags full of groceries trying to hold up an umbrella when it is windy enough for it to turn inside out. That's just a bad omen and I have enough of them the way it is. ;) Also, I already had to walk a little bit from the bus and the gladiator sandals that I was wearing get slippery on the sole when wet so I could barely walk since my foot was slipping forward in the sandal but it's strapped to my foot and it is a thong design. OUCH! I had to walk differently so they wouldn't hurt me but then it took me even longer to get home in the pouring, windy rain. Once again, learned my lesson. Oh the joys of life at times!

Workin' It

Yes, I am back in the workforce... well kinda. I have just started working as a graduate assistant at the UIC ITL (Instructional Technology Lab). I'm very happy to be there, but getting started is going to be the hardest part of the job. After finishing all the paperwork and what not, I didn't know exactly when I was going to start so I was just waiting and keeping myself occupied with other activities which did not include checking my email religiously when I wake up in the morning like I do when I'm in school-mode. One day, a fantastic, sunny Tuesday, I didn't check my email until 1 pm. I received an email from my employer (from that same morning sent at 8:17 am) apologizing for not responding for awhile and asked for me to come in at 1 pm that day. #$^&! Needless to say, I jumped up, changed my clothes, cleaned up a bit and was out the door. Thank goodness I only live a 15 minute walk away and I don't have to dress up too much for the job. I was so upset at myself when I was power walking to my first day of work already late. Great first impression Lindsey. Needless to say, the person that was training me wasn't really informed either so it was okay. He just laughed at the my explanation and we went on. Phew, I learned from that lesson, even though it wasn't all my fault. What if I was gone or had an appointment that day, you know?

Anyway, we started right then and there and needless to say, there was a lot of information thrown at me at once. The job requires being a tech help person to help faculty with Blackboard, a Web-based course-management system designed to allow students and faculty to participate in classes delivered online or use online materials and activities to complement face-to-face teaching. Therefore, I need to know it backwards and forwards, inside and out. Okay, I can do that. But wait, there's more! We are there to help with technology, which means other forms of software as well. This includes video-editing, knowing everything about all the Adobe products, VCR to DVD transfers, html language, and on and on and on. I dabbled in some of these programs but not to the extent to teach someone else at the moment. @$#^! Needless to say, I went home satisfied that I started working before classes, but now I have all this to learn as well! It will be fine though, I mean I didn't expect to not learn or do anything for the benefits that come with being selected for an assistantship. Still very happy, plus I have been having a great time enjoying my freedom to explore the city and hanging out with friends. Unfortunately, my social life will be coming back to graduate school level in a mere four days.

Skeleton Boy

I'm such a big fan of this song, even before I took a look at this music video for Friendly Fires' "Skeleton Boy". This creative video, directed by Clemens Habicht, is simple. With a little bit of double-stick tape, a windroom, and millions of tiny bean-bag balls, this video is one to see.

Well, I'm off to enjoying another having a fantastic weekend in Chicago without (again!) having to worry about classes!

Video courtsey of YouTube.com. 'Skeleton Boy' by Friendly Fires.

An Amazing Use of 3D

I came back from my "walking set" of chores, hungry and slightly tired (I probably walked about 5 miles) and I turn on the TV and start getting my lunch ready. My typical Discovery TV show isn't on on Friday afternoons, but with that, I found something so much better. This TV series, named The Human Body: Pushing the Limits, talks about real-life amazing scenarios with the help of some incredible anatomical 3D images and animations. At the moment, I am watching the end of Strength and onto Brain Power. Other than the episodes I am watching, there is also Sight and Sensation. This series is pretty amazing and even by only watching it for a mere 20 minutes as of now, I have learned quite a bit about the human body.... and I have taken numerous classes in biology and anatomy. However, this series is worded in a way that everyone can take advantage of. Catch a few episodes now or order the DVD set from Discovery. I may be a nerd for saying this, but the Discovery Channel is awesome no matter what is on.






Video courtesy of YouTube.com Part 1 of The Human Body: Pushing the Limits 'Strength'.
Photo courtesy of Photobucket.com 'Sensation' and Discovery.com 'Sight'.

Is That a Cavity? No, It's Art.

Looking for an interesting way to get inked next? Try it on your teeth! Steve Heward is a trained tattoo artist that paints images on crowns at his Utah-based company, Heward Dental Lab. Amy Winehouse, David Letterman and Mickey Mouse are just a few celebrities that he has miniaturized and put in someone else's mouth. These creations range in price from $75 to $200 depending on complexity. Find out more about this ink job at toothartist.com.

Um, excuse me, but I think you have a little Simon Cowell on your tooth, just thought you should know......

Photo courtesy of toothartist.com. Tooth Tattoos. Steve Heward.

For the Love of the Game

When looking for apartments this weekend in Wrigleyville and the Lincoln Park area (and stuck in traffic since there was a Cubs game) I noticed a die-hard Cubs fan wearing a shirt with this design on it. Pretty cool and I want one even though I'm not quite an intense fan of the Cubs yet.... I feel like I'm cheating on the Brewers. :D

Buy this design now on Ebay for around $20.

Photo courtesy of Ebay.com. Chicago Cubs Skeleton Shirt.

Need a Hand?

When I saw these "handy" fixtures all over my former college roommate's bathroom in the house she is renting, I raved over them. She, on the other hand, would have done without and thought that they were kinda creepy. I first saw these helpful hands and feet months ago and I didn't want to post until I found the actual set for purchase. Without any luck, I surrendered and could not wait any longer to post. As you can see, the can hold things like towels, soap, toilet paper and drying racks. Though she is now in the process of finding a different place, I still want to tear out those fixtures for myself and replace them with something more traditional. I don't think the next potential renter or owner would care too much!



I did find a product comparable in function and design produced by designer Harry Allen. His designs are clever and bring a sense of naturalism to an otherwise rigid and typical design. To be more specific, one series that he created were casts of his own hands in different gestures to be use for holding anything that one can think of. Names such as Grab, C'Mere, Offer, Bestow and Om mimic the gestures and can be purchased for $79 each. Give yourself a hand and check them out!


Also, if any readers have any idea of where to find ceramic hand and feet fixtures like the ones above, please let me know by posting a comment. Thanks!

Photo courtesy for last photo from harryallendesign.com. C'Mere Hand Hook, Harry Allen, 2004, Resin.

John-Scott Project: Scott Portion

After some much needed rest and vacationing, I can now get back to showing my projects at the end of the semester. Ha ha! When I say much needed rest, I mean it. This little beauty kept me up nights before it was due, especially the night before. This is a 3D rendered illustration depicting nutrient absorption in the small intestine via thousands of villi in the intestinal lumen. The yellow spheres represent fat globules and lipids and the magenta represent both carbohydrate and amino acids (building blocks of proteins).

A few of my fellow students and I had a party that lasted all night; all of us working and helping each other. The project was due at 9 am and I finally threw in the towel with what I have here at 7:30 am. At that time, I went home, took a shower, and went back to class for the critique. Too bad I noticed too late that the RBCs that I decided to add at the last minute were too small. It will be an easy fix when I want to open up 3D Studio Max again. Mostly it will consist of rendering and compositing the foreground once again. I really liked compositing the different render passes the most, but my lighting pass freaked out and made the image blown-out when the opacity was at 100% in Photoshop. Other than the RBC problem, I am happier with the image than I thought I would be.

3D Studio Max is like math for me. I'm not a fan, but I feel like I have a talent for it. With everything, I just think it needs more practice so I'm not struggling with the program. I will post the revised one when I get the courage to open up the program again! :D Stay tuned for the John portion of the John-Scott Project!

Nutrient Absorption of the Small Intestine. Lindsey Pionek. 3D Studio Max 2009 and Photoshop.