So I’ve been neglecting my usual hobbies — my web site, my Fugue and Jaunt projects, this log, and my various forum and gallery posts or comments — not without good reason, of course; I’ve just discovered contests.

I’m fairly new at 3D art. I’ve been working with Poser 3 since November 2000 and Bryce 3D since March of 2001. If it weren’t for 3D World magazine, I wouldn’t even have those programs for my 3D doodling. My personal software budget is cash poor, and my hobby is greedy; so forking over $500-$7,000 for some 3D modeling/animation program is still quite out of the question.

Well, just recently, I heard word of a couple of art contests that had great 3D software as prizes, and suddenly I had a huge incentive to really learn how to work with Bryce and do more than just doodle. My renders are still not at the level that I’d like them to be, but considering my short time with the software, I’m pretty proud of my progress. It would be even greater if I actually won anything, but that’s beside the point.

The point is that I’m finding myself more and more focused on this particular hobby of mine, therefore neglecting the other things mentioned at the beginning of this entry. As I write this, my “main” computer is tied up with a render; it’s been more than a day now, and it’s only 56% done. So I haven’t been able to check my personal e-mail for a while now.

Woe to the electric company should they decide to gift me with a typical California rolling blackout in the middle of this render because the contest deadlines are fast approaching and my 3D hobby is hungry for software.

Needless to say, it’s the most demanding of all my hobbies.

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