potato wedges

Dark Knight at the Arclight

2008-07-20T11:18:00.000-07:00

Hollywood, CA - Saw Dark Knight this weekend like everyone else. The Dark Knight is a richly layered crime story filled with drama and tension. I had not felt this much despair for my heroes since The Empire Strikes Back. Here are some shots from the Arclight theater in Hollywood displaying the new Batsuit, the Joker suit, Clown Masks and the awesome new Batpod. And yes, Heath Ledger is amazing in the role. I will be going to see it in IMAX very soon.

Rival Temps

2008-06-24T06:40:00.000-07:00

Rowland Heights, CA - Instant Summer with temperatures rivaling Las Vegas--with some added humidity to make you sweat!

Iain McCaig @ Gnomon Live Workshop!

2008-06-14T23:58:00.000-07:00

Hollywood, CA - Iain McCaig electrified us all with his presentation today at the Gnomon Live Workshop. His presentation included random previews of his coming book titled "Shadowline" and a sneak-peek at some secret projects he has been working on. At the end, he wrapped it up by doing a quick character demo involving people from the crowd to pose for him! He is best known for his work on all three Star Wars prequels, including the creation of Darth Maul and the various costume changes for Queen Amidala. His abundant energy, enthusiasm and love for creation was inspiring to witness.

Smart Start

2008-06-11T20:26:00.000-07:00

Rome, Italy - On the streets of Italy and most likely all over Europe, the Smart car has taken over. I have seen this car on the web many times, but to actually stand next to one and see it zipping throughout the tight streets of Rome and Florence was impressive. If you take it out of those tight streets and place it on an L.A. freeway next to massive gas-guzzling SUV's, it looks ridiculous! One thing that got me interested were the different permutations of the Smart Car--I literally saw hundreds of these over there and not many of them were exactly the same. In our efforts to "Go Green" in L.A., it might be a while before we see hundreds of these on our freeways--and with how inept drivers are out here, it would just be too dangerous!

Italian Moments

2008-05-31T21:30:00.000-07:00

Greetings from Venice

2008-05-22T15:48:00.000-07:00

Venice, Italy - We have safely reached Italy, and it has been amazing! Jen and I rode a gondola today and toured the tight streets and alleys of Venice. The Gelato is a must out here and we are trying to taste every flavor. The forecast was for rain, but so far it has been sunny skies. Tomorrow we are off to Florence for another couple of days. All I can say is that being out here is a like a dream--I have already taken over 200 photos with several days to go. To all our loved ones, we miss you and will try to update our next stop soon!

Otis Graduate Show

2008-05-08T23:27:00.000-07:00

West Los Angeles, CA - Plenty of talented artists have graduated at Otis Art College showing off their work at the Graduate Show in West LA tonight. Cecil Kim, a friend and co-worker at Sony and also an instructor here invited a bunch of us from work to check out the show. A few of my favorite artists of the night were Illustrators Wendy Park, Monica Grue, and Whitney Pollett. Each had their own unique style and were humble in their own way. What amazes me most are how well rounded these artists are and how well prepared they are for the industry. Here are some highlights.

The Last Interceptor

2008-04-30T22:49:00.000-07:00

Playa del Rey, CA - I just finished watching "The Road Warrior" on blu-ray. I have seen bits and pieces of it in the past, but never the whole movie, and certainly not the ending! Wow, I was floored by the stunts and the imagery of multiple vehicles moving fast in the desert with big dust clouds behind them! Definitely a classic, with no 3D visual effects--just a lot of great stunt work and a simple story. I got bummed out when Mel Gibson's car got destroyed, which is why I found this image of the toy and immortalized it in this post. Thanks Kevin for letting me finally see the glorious high-speed destruction in blu-ray!

Worse Before It Gets Better

2008-04-14T08:51:00.000-07:00

Forehand Analysis

2008-03-27T01:02:00.000-07:00

Tennis coaches use video to analyze shot form and technique. Last year, I decided to film myself hitting groundstrokes to see the strengths and weaknesses in my shot. Over 20 years of playing, I think I removed a lot of the unnecessary movement and bad habits I used to have. After seeing myself on film, I realized that my timing is my biggest problem, as I tend to hit the ball a little later than I should. When I hit the ball late, I am more prone to shanking shots off my frame and not using the full power of my swing. Hopefully this year, I can make this shot more of a weapon by working on my timing.

License and Registration

2008-03-22T13:25:00.000-07:00

Bunnies!

2008-03-20T22:06:00.000-07:00

Happy Easter Everyone!

Among the Living

2008-03-07T11:00:00.001-08:00

Santa Monica, CA - Bagel Friday--Today is the first day that I actually feel like I have recovered from the flu. I am just happy to be alive and feeling "human." Everyone who had the superflu warned of a three week recovery time, and sadly they were correct. Thanks to everyone for the well wishes, and a message to all: Don't get sick--it's not worth it.

New Combination

2008-02-26T21:56:00.000-08:00

Thanks to all for the get well messages! My Doctor recommended this new powerful combination of drugs to help get me through this "Superflu." Along with plenty of fluids and rest I should be okay in a week or two. My best goes to all those heading for Utah this weekend. I wish I could be up there with you in the powder! This image proves I am still alive and fighting--If you look at my eyes, you can see my thousand-mile stare as the Nyquil quickly kicks in! Good night everyone!

Going Nowhere

2008-02-23T12:04:00.000-08:00

Playa del Rey, CA - Here I am. Where I have been for the last 5 days, lying in bed trying to recover. My body hurts and my head is so clogged that I can barely hear anything. I thought that I might be able to go outside for a while and get some fresh air, but I am slowly discovering that won't happen this weekend. I opened a window up here to remove the stale, sickly air in my place. This image is from my laptop camera documenting my misery.

Fully Infected

2008-02-21T09:12:00.000-08:00

Playa del Rey, CA - I have officially become one of the infected. This latest flu virus that is sweeping the nation feels different. There are moments where I feel normal, and then within an hour I feel completely destroyed. This will be the first time that I will be missing work three days in a row, which hasn't happened in almost 10 years. Let's hope that I don't make it to four, because I am tired of sleeping and bored out of my skull at home. This image is of the tools I am using to recover quickly from within my quarantine.

Update: This week has been horrible. I have not been this sick for a very long time. Hope to be back to normal next week.

Ryan's Workshop @ Concept Design Academy

2008-02-18T22:21:00.000-08:00

Pasadena, CA - Here are some shots from the Ryan Meinerding workshop at Concept Design Academy this past weekend. Ryan worked with us briefly at Sony during our tour of duty on God of War 2. Just when we got him laughing at our jokes, he had to go become famous and make jaw-dropping artwork for movies! Saturday's workshop was no exception, as he gave us an analysis of how character costumes are used in film, an introduction to his process and a cool demo to wrap it all up. It was a highly inspirational workshop and it was good to see him again.

Older Than Before

2008-02-13T22:32:00.000-08:00

Special thanks to everyone who remembered my birthday yesterday! I have more photos to load up, but blogger is being hella lame right now and won't load them.

Happy Chinese New Year!

2008-02-09T20:22:00.000-08:00

iPortal

2008-02-09T20:19:00.000-08:00

Nice picture Greenspan!

Birthday Lunch G-style

2008-02-09T20:15:00.000-08:00

Blog Neglect

2008-02-05T10:20:00.000-08:00

Los Angeles CA - Ever feel like the events of everyday life begin to overtake you? Lately I have been feeling a step or three behind myself, and I have realized my blog updates have suffered most. In case you didn't know, I run two blogs--"Potato Wedges," which is my personal blog, and the other (linked below) is my professional art blog--both of which have had minimal updates as of late. My blogs are a way for me to keep in touch with distant friends and family, as well as others who might be reading. But I realized if something doesn't change often enough, people stop looking--so this entry is my way of saying updates of daily life and artistic creation are coming. Slowly life is becoming more manageable as I have finally hit the gym again to get in shape for my wedding and I am creating art in the background to discuss and share. Thanks to everyone who is still paying attention! Now..BLOG ON!

http://eriksanjuan.typepad.com/blogfolio/

BBQ with Ashley

2008-01-22T11:02:00.000-08:00

Our old friend Ashley Morgan visits us from the ATL! Although her visit was brief, we were able to laugh it up like old times. See you soon Ashley, we miss you!

Bruce Lives On

2008-01-06T02:02:00.000-08:00

Nucleus Gallery, Alhambra CA - The Nature of Water opening reception was a great success as plenty of people turned out to see the show. Center stage on the floor was Bruce Lee's only daughter Shannon, representing the Bruce Lee Foundation. It was a great honor to speak with her briefly regarding all the things she has been doing to keep her father's iconic legacy going strong. I also got a surprise visit from Scott Seeto and his family lending their support! Also posted are some of my personal favorites from the show itself. It was overall a great experience that I was honored to be a part of and I will never forget.

Nucleus Gallery: Nature of Water Show

2007-12-19T00:24:00.000-08:00

Nucleus Gallery, Alhambra CA
January 5th 2008 - January 21st 2008
Opening Reception January 5th 2008 7:00pm - 11:00pm

Hey everyone, I will be among 45 other artists participating in the Nature of Water Nucleus Gallery Show! This shows theme will be based on the inspirational legacy of the great Bruce Lee. The show is also backed by the Bruce Lee Foundation and the Justin Lin film 'Finishing the Game.' There will be refreshments served on opening night and admission is free to all ages! There will also be contests and giveaways while the show is going on. I am especially excited to be participating in this show since Bruce Lee has been an inspiration to me personally and to many generations of people all over the world. Here is the link to the Nucleus website for more information regarding the event:

http://www.gallerynucleus.com/gallery/exhibition/134

Hope to see you all at the show!