quick update on stuff

Hi

Well, things got really busy after that awesome weekend and I wasn't able to climb last week and looks like I wont be able to climb this week. A lot of work needs to be done and I caught a cold and have not been able to push myself as much as usual.

Thomas's birthday was this week and we had dinner at a Japanese place with his friend Danny and between the three of us we drank a huge bottle of Sake. I have to ask Thomas' how much was in that bottle again. He's considering taking up a hobby collecting Sake bottles ( after drinking what's in it ). It was a fun night.

I'm working around the clock at the moment. I just managed to finish a contract earlier this week but I have 2 others and one of them has a due date every week and the other one every forthnight...so there's a lot to do.

Am looking forward to climbing again next week and bouldering and gym and eating out and getting work done...etc :D

The Monday after an awesome weekend!

Hi!

That's another oil design character illustration which has nothing to do with this post. It's here for decoration!

Well, things have been very busy all around! Work has ramped up majorly and so has the extracurriculars! Going to gym, climbing and acrobatics are all full steam ahead! The weekend just past was absolutely physically gruelling but fun!

On Saturday, I went to an high intensity RPM class with Justin, Thomas and Sau Yan (will talk more about her later) for an hour. Whoah....I have never felt so much pain in my behind as I did then. Afterwards, it was weights with Justin and Thomas. Yan went to a body balance class while we did that. We all went out to lunch to the Dumpling House (yum, yum) and had coffee. Then Thomas and I went to Acrobatics where we got slapped with dips, star jumps on soft landing pads , balance beam exercises and lots and lots of core work. After RPM I did not want to use any of my leg muscles...and after acro, there was a point I did not think I'd be able to walk properly again... :D I chilled out with Thomas that night watching Rogue Assassins, a movie with much fluff and silly plot lines but good fun till the point the DVD stopped right before the end. Bleh. Am sure my life isn't any less better for not knowing the ending :).

Sunday was all about Rock climbing at Cliffhanger. I've never been there before. I really enjoy bouldering. Kills my hands a bit but damn, I really do have fun. I did a couple of climbs and one of them was really, really tiring. I finished it but I really want to improve my fitness level and strength to last longer on the walls.

Now, Justin, Thomas and myself have been very fortunate to meet another group of climbers who are all very nice and wonderful people! Sau Yan, Mindy, Wei Chen and Steve are all great company and are fun to climb with! They're enthusiastic and they're into activities which is great! They're all Malaysian though like Just and Gav. What is it with all these fantastic Malaysian climbers?!?!?!

Steve has enlisted Justin to train him at the gym...the poor man does not know what's he's in for. I didn't. I'm thankful for the training...but wow, did it hurt! But can't complain too much as there were results!

I'm RPMing, weights and doing acro this coming Saturday and climbing tomorrow, cardio on Wednesday, gym on Thursday and climb again on Friday! Much activities that's for sure!!!! Oh...and am doing work throughout the day and nights amidst all the extracurriculars :)

blah blah blah!

Hi

Well that's another one of my newly designed OIL characters...I just think these characters up, draw them, then leave Thomas to think of the animation idea. I like the arrangement, it just leaves me so much freedom to just draw whatever I want for OIL without having to think of the context or what it's used for, etc. It's nice to just draw whatever inspires me in the moment.

I am sick-ish again with a cough and cold. Yay. Not. I am also getting really sick working from home day in and day out and not seeing anyone. I can't go out much because I do have TONS of work to do. Not something you hear everyday from a freelance animator but I am loaded with work! Very fortunate and I am very thankful. But I feel like a bloody hermit! Yes, I get to wake up late (9 am) and work in my pyjamas till I finish a shot/scene then take a shower then try and finish more work till rock climbing, dinner or gym in the evenings. I miss working in a studio and the banter between workmates and going out to lunch. I really miss it. Looking forward to working at Ettamogah in July. The main thing I think I will dislike about it, is the travel time. Ugh. And the getting up early...just not used to it anymore...ah well. Must take the good with the bad.

Now, my rock climbing has improved yet again. Yay! I can now do rock overs. Woo hoo! Still need a bit of work on it but I'll get there. Now if only I can stop freezing/panicking on walls where I know I'll swing. Justin says it's cause I don't want it enough. I do want it...it just freaks me out a bit. Okay...maybe not a bit. A lot. But I've gotten over a lot of things that made me uncomfortable with rock climbing and this will just be another one of those things. Eventually.

I am going bouldering tonight with Thomas, Justin and Gav. Should be good fun. I need to take it easy though. I've been exercising every day for the last few days and I'm feeling very tired. Still it should be good fun and I am looking forward to it.

SWAMPED!

Howdy boys and girls....

The image above is something am still working on for OIL. I haven't had much time to work on my own stuff since getting sick and having a lot of work.

Does anyone ever really read what I post up here? Nah, not true, I know a couple who do, it's just one of those things I forget every now and then when I put things up.

Anyhooo....I am swamped with gigs. That's right...I am loaded with work from people I have worked with in the past: Zactoons, Wizzmedia and Renmotion. It's pretty damn good I must say and am having a bit of fun with all 3 gigs. I want cash cos I would like to buy my own home this year. I would have been able to buy one before but I loaned someone a lot of money and looks like he wont be able to pay me back. It will be a very pleasant surprise if he does. Anyway, losing that cash has put me about a year and a half to 2 years behind in savings. That's a lot of time that I am trying to catch up on. Incidentally I am still going to buy a rocking laptop and go travelling somewhere at some point and I still would like to eat out and go rock climbing, gym and the occasional spending spree :D Hurrah! So....I need to do lots of work.....and I want more work :D I am insane and a workaholic.

I feel old. I am 27 now and turning 28 in May and feel like I haven't done much in life and I really want to change that. This year is going to be big and full of achievements! Projects, purchases and presents!

Hope you're all well!

Friends, Work and Rock Climbing

Hello,

These are a couple of OIL styled illustrations that may go on the illustration section of OIL (a web series that Thomas and I are working on) once the OIL website is up. The top one is my first coloured version in "OIL style" the second image (blue one) is the normal OIL palette.

Things have been good. I am now more or less fully recovered from being ill. God, I felt like I wiped out an entire forest from blowing my noise with every tissue and toilet roll paper I could get my hands on.

I am still working for Wizzmedia and Zactoons have hired me to do 8 animations (last due date in June) and I am also doing some work for Renmotion (unknown quantity and time). Should be good fun...am going to be so overloaded come next week but I like work and I love animation so bring it on! Also, Thomas and I are also discussing battle plans for our own projects that will be running on top of all my other commitments so it should be awesome! And am not being sarcastic either, having lots of things to do and they look pretty is awesome. Show reel pieces and MONEY!!!!!! Money which will ultimately pay for my laptop (which I have yet to purchase) and possibly travelling! If I do travel, doesn't look like it will happen till July which will be before Ettamogah starts. Much to do!

It's such a small world or maybe it's just my world because it seems to be filled with people from AIM (Animation Interactive Media at RMIT Uni). This is not a bad thing. But wow....like a lot of people who are very important to me, my friends, people I work and associate with (in and out of the studios) are mostly from the AIM centre. I have a lot of fond and not so good memories from AIM. I am grateful for the experience and for the lessons I learned there....and I don't just mean animation either.

Indoor rock climbing has been fun. I still have a lot of weaknesses though which I am working on. I don't like swinging from the wall, I get freaked out and I need to conquer that and I can't seem to do a "rock over" which is something I really need to work on. Going bouldering with Justin and Gavin tomorrow so that should be a lot of fun! Am looking forward to it.

Next week is all about work...all about juggling 3 different animation projects and styles! Should be good!

Am sick....and other stuff

Howdy,

Long time no write! Things have been a bit busy...I had a lot of Zactoon, Renmotion and am still working on Wizzmedia stuff. Much to do still. I may possbily be doing more work for Zactoons as well so that would be pretty cool...

The Illustration above is for Unit-16, it was my turn this week :) I'm happy that I had more time to work on this. My last illustration was so rushed, probably did it in less than half an hour and in unfortunately looked like it too.

I am a bit sick at the moment. I have been working really hard for a very long time without any vacations and it has finally taken it's toll. I've been trying to save up for a house but someone borrowed a substantial amount of money from me and it looks like he wont be able to give it back so he has well and truly thrown a spanner in my plans. Unfortunate, but it's a mistake I am no longer going to make. Still, looks like the house is going to have to wait. I need a vacation. I am thinking New Zealand right after I finish all current jobs and right before the full-time gig starts in July.

My climbing isn't so great at the moment, I think stress is really getting to me....trying to find ways to chill out and be happy. Which is kind of hard when am all snot-filled and dizzy..bah. Am not on a very good mood. I think am going to sleep a bit more.

Lalalalala!

Hi Everyone!

Things have gotten very busy since I last wrote! I finished that job for Renmotion a few days ago and Zactoon and Wizzmedia work has also started. I am also doing a couple of full-time days at the Australian Children's Television Foundation doing some game testing. Much busy-ness and that makes me happy!

The illustration above is for the Unit-16 forum that I am a part of...

Now let's see...there's much to update! I conquered the wall that was the bane of my existence at the indoor rock climbing centre but now I have a new wall I want to conquer. Things are good with all my friends and if the Visual Playground thing was meant to happen, it'll happen. Though I may be too busy now to take on a full-time position before I start full-time work at Ettamogah in July.

Work is good! I like being productive and it funds savings, tax payments, bills, eating out and extracurricular activities. More work, the better! Though I do get tired and I wonder how I am going to fit climbing, gym ans several jobs at the same time....

I am also getting slightly obsessive with collecting piggy banks and filling them up with coins. Like I fill up one, then instead of depositing the contents to the bank I buy another container and try and fill that up and I have a separate one for gold coins and silver coins, etc...my goal is to fill an entire cupboard of it! Slightly neurotic, obsessive and weird I know. My friend Daniel thinks I should wean myself off it before it becomes worse. But I like filling up containers with things and coins are as good as any! I end up saving money too :)

Going rock climbing today then doing some more work at night. Looking through this game I start testing tomorrow and setting up my new Wizzmedia and Zactoon work! Hopefully I finish one of the animations or a scene some time tonight...