Portfolio Website Update

The website has been finalized for now, and is now located at www.abates.net/portfolio. The links to my resume & my first flash created site are also included. This address is a little different than the first, just because I wanted to get all the kinks worked out before I used this URL. I will be adding and/or revising my work posted on it each semester at the very least. Currently, I am enrolled in Intermediate Photography and Life Drawing studios, as well as a Art History and Spanish course. Next semester I will definitely have a Graphic Design class, such as another Typography, or Adv. Graphic Design. I am also trying to decide between the next sculpture or painting course. Any comments for improvement on it would be greatly appreciated.

Selling My CD's (sad but true)

I also wanted to give a "Heads Up" to those of you that I know, and I will be passing the word along in an email in the future, but I am going to sell my ever-growing CD collection in it's near entirety (only keeping a select few) in around a month. I have already calculated what all of my CD's are worth on Amazon, which is where I plan to sell most of them. The storefront I have on there has already been started, but only a few things are listed (none of my purchased CD's). For future use, my Amazon store is located HERE. So if any of you out there reading this know of a particular CD of mine that you would want, let me know before I list it so you can get first crack at it. Chances are I will cut you a deal since I will know whoever is reading this blog. The main reason for doing this is not only is my collection getting larger than I can handle to move, but I see everything in the music industry going digital. Very sad to me since artwork, liner notes, credits, etc. kind of get lost in the process. I think vinyl is kind of getting a resurgence also due to this, but also because of many analog recordings that are not available otherwise. I may also sell a few to the shops here in town, but they don't really give you a good deal, and I need college cash very badly. Help a professional student out!!

Personal Webpage

Just wanted to post on here that around 10 days ago I officially launched my new personal webpage. It is www.abates.net. The purpose of getting this rolling is to have a online portfolio of my artwork so when I look for new job opportunities for design related employment, this gives potential places of employment a way to see my actual work instead of just having a resume and cover letter pleading my case. I think it also helps that just in itself creating and loading a webpage shows my knowledge of several programs, and hopefully that is obvious from visiting the site. The only part that is active now is www.abates.net/portfolio2, and it will be updated pretty much on a constant basis until I decide to go a different direction. Hope you enjoy, and feel free to send any comments, criticism, and suggestions my way.

Picture & Video posting from 2006 Vegoose, Lollapalooza, & Wakarusa festivals

Just wanted to let everyone know that after gathering and posting all of the Vegoose pics & flix from this year, it inspired me to look at all of the festival stuff I have captured from years past. So I am slowly adding pictures and small videos to my Photobucket page from Vegoose 2006 & 2007, Lollapalooza 2006, Wakarusa 2006 & 2007. For the videos larger than 100MB, they will go on my YouTube account under Kiedis1616. It is pretty cool to relive all these festival experiences, and hopefully even better will be added in the future. I have had such a good time at all of these festivals with good friends & music, I hope the tradition lives on for many more years.

theNEWDEAL website

Just wanted to say that I was searching various band sites for logo ideas for my typography class, and realized that this would be a good example of a flash site. I think it has a very good use of animation and sound, without overdoing it (so it doesn't load slowly). The band is called theNEWDEAL, and there website is here: http://www.thenewdeal.com/. Not to mention, I really like their music too, but they are from New York, and I don't think they have ever toured in the midwest other than Chicago. I don't feel like travelling 8 hrs. to see them, but maybe a festival soon? Hope so.

While I am at it, I think a bad example of flash use is the My Coke Rewards site. It is extremely slow to load, and they use flash in areas where it is unnecessary. I don't think it ever completly loads due to all the little promos they try to pack on the home page. The only reason I found this site is because I enter my codes from 12 packs and bottle caps here for various things. Kind of like how Camel Cash and Marlboro Miles used to be when I was a smoker. I quit, and they quit.

Architecture Portfolio Pages

I wanted to post my portfolio submission for third year admission. This was for the College of Architecture, not graphic design, so the emphasis is a little different. Any suggestions on what to keep, change, get rid of, add, etc. (with reasoning) would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

Holiday & Birthday madness

This is the crazy birthday month for me. My brother's (who I have already talked about), is midway through October, and it is just a warning that holiday madness is about to ensue. After his, we get Halloween, then Nov. 2nd is my mom, my roommate, and one of my good friends I have known since 7th grade. We just went out for my dad's b'day on the 12th, and I will go out again for my friend Mike's on the 18th, and I am sure I will get crazy on my own on the 24th (or the closest Sat. night to it). Don't forget about turkey day. Not my birthday this year, but it has happened on 4 different occasions. I am only 2 days off in 2007. Then it gets even more nuts because we have to x-mas shop, visit with everyone that comes back to Lincoln to stay with family for the holidays, and then Christmas & New Year's in one week. I also have a buddy I have known since I was 1 yr old (our families are friends) that has a b-day on Dec. 26th. So we celebrate that at the Grapevine at the stroke of midnight, or last call, whichever we hear first.