Monumental Happenings Continue

Here are the updated renderings I mentioned in the previous post, for the upcoming Marine Aviation Monument.  I souped up the color a bit compared to the previous iterations, and added some detail to suggest what the final bas reliefs will portray:

  

 

I also did another architectural rendering of the proposed monument, to be used in a promotional piece:

 It's a veritable hodgepodge of visual elements including digital work, drawings, photographs and sculpted items (the finial Emblem on the top is actually the maquette I did for the project) I must also give credit to Natalie of the architectural firm Fentress, whose original rendering using my design sketches I used as the inspiration and derivation for this image. 

And here are the original brainstorming thumbnail sketches I did for the project, scribbled on the back of a sheet of used paper:
 

Monumental Happenings

Lately I've been working fervently on a project about which I'm greatly excited, and for which I'm honored to have been hired:  The Marine Corps Aviation Association's Marine Aviation Monument.
I'll be sculpting four bas reliefs for the monument, which will memorialize the main eras of Marine Corps Aviation: WWI, WWII/Korea, Vietnam, and GWOT. 
I've done some basic drawings to visualize the bas reliefs, which I'm now refining and adding color to, to be used in publications and promotional materials.

Sample drawing giving basic concept for bas relief. 

I'll post the refined bas relief designs when I've finished coloring them in.

On the top will be a finial element, a large Marine Emblem, the Eagle, Globe, and Anchor.

Working on the maquette of the finial element of the monument: an Eagle, Globe and Anchor in the round.

When finished, this monument will stand ten feet tall, placed on the grounds of the National Museum of the Marine Corps, near the Semper Fidelis Memorial Chapel.

A Great Send Away

A week ago today, my friends at the National Museum of the Marine Corps had a going away get-together for me at Pancho Villa, one of my favorite Mexican restaurants (I love Mexican food).

They presented me with two very thoughtful and wonderful gifts, which I must confess made me at a loss for words.

The first gift was a personalized Marine NCO sword (I've always wanted one but never bought one...).

The second gift was a custom-made palette plaque, fashioned by the folks in the Museum's Exhibits Department, with the motto, "GO TO WAR, DO ART!" burned in. Attached was a hand-crafted KABAR/palette knife-- a nice touch, as was the "crossed brushes" in the SSgt chevron.

Incredibly thoughtful gifts, from incredibly thoughtful and professional people, which I now display proudly in my home studio.

(And the sword will come in handy when I'm doing any cavalry or pirate illustrations in the future...I've already said "avast" a couple times..!)

Walking Papers

Well.

It's OH-fishel.  As of last night at midnight, I am no longer in active service with the Marine Corps.

I have my DD214 copies and my orders releasing me from active duty. It's no April Fools joke, and I'm still a bit sad to see it become reality. If I had my "druthers", I'd still be on active duty.

I had the best job in the Corps. No other billet like it. What a privilege it was to be able to do all the Corps let me do, and to represent the Corps to the folks at home (and art world as well).

I met a lot of great folks, went to many great locations (as well as garden spots like Iraq and Afghanistan), and drew and painted a lot of interesting scenes.

"Slice of Life" scenes were a lot of what I did, and now my little slice of life in the Corps and Combat Art Program is over. A new slice is being carved out.

I hope it's got some nice decorative icing on it.

Thanks to all the people who made the calls and did the paperwork to get me on active duty, to keep me on active duty, and finally to send me on my way back into the 1st CivDiv.