For some time now I have been promising myself a return to organic art. In my case this means line drawing. I love how line fluctuates, swings, cuts, curls, twists, envelopes, stubs, caresses, how it becomes a natural extension of an artist, how its creator can funnel into it the inner thoughts, passions, desires, frustrations or dreams. How such a simple entity can act a echo of the complex one who brings it to being. What a harmonious synergy and mutual dependency, one might say, till death us apart? It is amazing how it carries and projects such an amazing range of emotions, while maintaining its black and white purity and simplicity, even certain integrity, how it can challenge and drive its creator crazy. And so, I loved it back when it and I had such an emotionally fulfilling bond, and hence have been missing it ever since. Now, years later, my desire to rediscover and explore it once again has grown in intense, became eager to be unleashed.

Over the years, I kept on delaying and postponing. But in Japan, maybe due to the quality of calm and stability, of which I had spoken in all the previous reflections, even if for a limited period of time, I found it and regained it. Did I enjoy it? To the fullest! I felt motivated, vibrant and “spirited away” once again. It was amazing to see that the skill, the passion, desire to will a line, to unleash it to life, is not eternally gone. It is reliant on one’s state of mind, and time to reflect.

I have just returned from a trip to Netherlands, the land of tulips and windmills.  The first one representing an outgrowth of our humanity’s adoration for beauty of nature, and our ingenuity in refining it to the outmost perfection. The second, a product of design projecting humanity’s pragmatic inventiveness when faced with a need for a solution and solving it through design thinking, this at the core of my mission there. 

Should current technologies motivate and dictate new innovative designs or can concept designs inspire novel technologies? Which one is better, wiser, more advantageous in a long run? But is the choice black and white or could students be offered some, or the best of both worlds of occasions? Should educational systems, most of which are motivated by the need to differentiate themselves, this in order to compete with other similar in objectives schools, be also willing and capable of electing the more comprehensive and more globalized, Renaissance like approach and philosophy towards their education?

We have been, and so have the technologies we invent, evolving with an accelerated speed. Currently we are, as it should be, at the stage of development that is the most advanced thus far. Technology is a true “magic wand”. It makes us more powerful then ever. This is likely the most exciting time to be a creative individual or an artist, or a designer, or even an engineer or technologist or inventor. Borders between all disciplines are dissolving before our eyes. Interdisciplinary fusion is lighting up the path to exciting future.

“Build it and they will come” seemingly reflects the mantra of many Asian cities and countries that feel by merely building a large infrastructure designed to house animation production, it will attract both foreign investment and foreign projects designated for the international marketplace which will, in turn, allow such city to become an “international animation destination hub.”  But who will use such facilities and how are governments going about the business of recruiting and bringing in new projects?

By John Moore

Mobile apps for tuning a variety of musical instruments are readily available, but a recently demonstrated iPad app expands the musician-helper category beyond those basic tools. The software, dubbed Celeste, helps configure pipe organs and was among the featured apps at the University of Utah’s Mobile Application Demo Day.

Celeste tackles the issue of setting up an organ’s stops, which the organist uses to manage -- allow or block -- the flow of air to certain pipes. Configuring organ stops for a particular piece of music can prove time consuming, but the iPad app lets musicians keep all the organ stop settings they need at the ready. It’s an insurance policy of sorts should someone inadvertently overwrite the preset stops in an organ’s memory bank before a performance. Rob Stefanussen, the University of Utah computer science student and organist who wrote the app, recently spoke about Celeste.

My friend, Bob Archer says that depression makes him laugh so hard he gets an erection. Reminds of Steve Martin's sneeze-gasms in Lonely Guy.

Chew on This reports live from the 2013 Holland Animation Film Festival.

Ah... nothing more American than baseball and acid trips.

While I attempt to suppress my jealousy of the lucky dirt bags that got to go to Germany for Gamecom, I am almost immediately cheered back up with the release of these two new gameplay trailers showing off some in-game footage of the two newly announced characters in Marvel vs Capcom 3; Viewtiful Joe and Dormammu. Hit the jump to see the videos.

 

The Earth’s solar system has encountered an unwelcome guest: a deadly asteroid called Thanatos. But the threat isn’t so much its trajectory toward Earth, but its inextricable link to the emergence of dragons on Earth. Some are out to ravage the planet, others are used by specially trained humans for defense. Called “dragonauts,” these female pilots are as sleek and sexy as their tight outfits! Now, in the midst of this prehistoric, interstellar conflict, Jin Kamishina meets Toa, an intergalactic hottie with super powers and an intense attraction for him. Time is running out on Earth, and the mysterious connection between asteroid and dragons must be solved. What is a boy to do?

 

 

 

Okay, essentially you’re looking at a carbon copy, yet on a portable platform. So, what more can I say? It’s the same, entirely unlocked forty playable characters (some old, some new). You’ve got Arcade Battle, Story Battle, Ghost Battle, Challenge Battle, Network, and Practice. From the minute I picked up my PSP, intuition and training took over. Power kicks, combos, and special throws: every technique was effortlessly executed via the familiar layout of the portable console.