After changing my hosting plan and upgrading my PHP, I had to install a new WordPress theme. So now the site is completely different than the previous version, so you may notice some bugs and glitches here and there until I’ve fully ironed out all of the wrinkles. Notably you may discover some dead links throughout my site, since I have to troubleshoot all of the broken links manually – and I’m still gradually fixing that. You also may notice some strange inconsistencies with the text formatting and site design, since that aspect is under construction as well.
Nonetheless, despite my lack of major updates in terms of LEGO creations and animations, I have been very busy in the recent months. For starters, I’ve been almost entirely focused on honing my skills for pop-art paintings inspired by LEGO toys. To do this, I’ve been creating tons of abstract paint pours combined with illustrations and ink printmaking to mass produce pop-art designs. I started off with small 12”x12” square paintings on wood to use as a guerilla art project during the 2023 holiday season, and now I’m stepping up my game by making larger canvas paintings to donate to schools and businesses.
In addition to working on my paintings, I’m seriously debating moving back to my home state of Pennsylvania and actually leaving New York City. I’ve lived in New York for over 14 years as of now, and although I’ve had my shares of adventure, I think it’s time for me to move on. Quite frankly I’m getting worn out by being crammed into a tiny apartment in Manhattan where I could otherwise own a home and several acres of land elsewhere. At the time of this update, I work as a graphic designer and video editor for an investment bank in Manhattan where I work onsite for a few days a week. I’m in negotiations right now to possibly work fully remote or in some kind of semi-remote capacity, in which case I’ll most likely move back to my home state.
Hypothetically, I’d like to own a house on a large plot of land, and with the ample space I’ll be able to work on multiple projects concurrently. This includes a large room to assemble LEGO creations, a workshop to make paintings, an outdoor space to build large sculptures, a studio for recording videos, and an entire room for making stop-motion animations. At the moment I live in a small studio apartment in Manhattan’s Financial District, and due to my limited space I’m only able to work on one project at a time. This means if I’m painting a portrait I physically don’t have enough room to build a large LEGO model, nor do I have the sufficient space to record a video. Hence why there’s been a major lull in my ambitious creative ventures since 2019. Back then I had a two-bedroom attic apartment in Queens; in which case, the larger area gave me better options for multitasking projects.
But in some more fun news! Around the 2023 holiday break, I decided to treat myself to some custom trinkets inspired by LEGO – bolo ties and jewelry! To start, here’s my LEGO Black Falcons bolo tie with matching sterling silver ring, inspired by the classic Castle theme Black Faclons:
Next I have my bolo tie and matching 24 karat gold-plated ring, inspired by the classic LEGO Castle theme Black Knights:
And finally, my bolo tie inspired by the classic LEGO Castle theme Dragon Masters:
-Baron von Brunk