And already it’s 2008. It feels like ages ago that it was January, 2007 and I was celebrating my upcoming one-year anniversary at my job. And yet it feels like only yesterday that I was starting my very first day as a Computer Animation major at Ringling. Who knew time could move this fast?

You know why it moves so fast? Because Ringling buries you under so much work that you can’t crawl back out to look at a clock. It’s the first feckin’ week of school and I’m already seriously behind. I’d celebrate the weekend – and a much needed moment to relax and reorganize – if I didn’t have so much to do.

But whatever. I’ve been wanting to post new art for a while but haven’t had the opportunity, but finally it’s scanned and photographed… and there’s so much of it that it’d be overkill to put it in one post. So for now I concentrate on the stuff from winter break.

First, some figure studies. Intermediate Figure improved my gestures by leaps and bounds… and amusingly enough, the improvement didn’t really come until the last three weeks of class.

During the semester Yezi and I challenged ourselves to do 30 portfolio pieces over winter break. I didn’t meet the goal, but having something to work toward did keep me drawing more than I probably would have otherwise.

Soon into the break my friend Rachele and I were on the subway heading for the National Zoo in D.C. – she too needed to build up her portfolio.

When I tell people that I went to the zoo during the winter they sigh and comment on how unpleasant it must have been. But it’s actually great fun. The animals are so cold they’re all up and running about trying to keep warm. Not so ideal if you’re trying to do careful drawing, but for gestures it’s great. Cold as hell, but if you can withstand the biting chill long enough for the numb to set in, then it’s not so bad.

Many of these guys I’ve drawn in the past, so it was cool to take a second stab and see where my skill is.

The Clouded Leopards are always camouflaged and hiding and virtually impossible to spot… today both were out and stalking a bird hanging around outside their enclosure.

I do have to say, the mammal house sucks. Because the mammals are all small, which means they have very fast heartbeats, which means they won’t stay still for more than two seconds.

They’re also nosy, so when they’re not bouncing off the walls they’re at the glass staring at you with their oddly shaped hard-to-draw heads.

We’re walking along toward the big cat area, and on a slope, calmly walking among the trees along the path, are two White-tailed Deer. Not part of an exhibit. Just enjoying a cloudy winter day in the middle of Washington, D.C.

I didn’t do this bit of National Geographic drama justice. The Cheetah and the Zebra exhibits are right next to each other. Four young cheetahs and a bull zebra. Maybe I’ll play around with this scene in the future.

Rachele bought me The Skillful Huntsman over break… which prompted me to try some costume designs.

The week after we went to my friend’s farm. The horse anatomy challenges me like none other. But one day I’d like to be mildly competent at it.

That’s it for tonight. I’m going to bed for I lose consciousness.