joe randel's art dump

31 years ago today, at Belleville General Hospital in Ontario Canada, I was born.  Both my parents are artists types (one draws, the other crafts furniture) and I seem to have taken the best aspects of these skills in to myself to hone.  When I was a child I would play with my Legos and small toys but I would get down low and use my eye as a sort of camera and plan out cool “shots” for my own viewing pleasure, like I would fly little space ships close to my eye and alter my focus to create a more dramatic entrance of the hero of the moment.  I drew a bit, but not much, although I knew I could, I just never bothered.  I took film classes in High School and architecture and drafting and excelled at both of them.  Later, when I’d decided that I wanted to make art my career, I went to animation school and learned to better draw the human figure and create life in my work.   I soon found the the film courses, drafting and even the way I played with toys as a kid help me a great deal since I already had a working idea of the concepts and shot set ups.  After college I succumb to my love of games and decided to do animation for them… 2D animation.  Seven some odd years later I’m still at it and loving what I do.  I also found the time to get married and father two children. ^_^

It’s interesting to look back and see what you’ve done and the decisions that you’ve made to get you to the point you are at now.  I’ve had high points and low points but regardless of those it’s the decisions that I’ve made have made me who I am.  It makes you wonder if those events in my life where different would I have made the same choices?  Probably not… how could I after all.  I would have made different choices based on different events, but would I end up at the same place I am now.  Is it destiny or choice, or maybe both.  I believe that the life you live is a road with branches on it.  You come to a branch and you have to make a choice as to what to do.  But I also believe that the choices that you come across in your life are presented to you for a reason.  So you can learn from your choices.  It’s not about making the wrong move, but learning and becoming a better.  Some people will learn from their choices and some won’t.

In 31 years I’ve learned quite a lot and I’m happy to be where I am and who I am and I’m glad I can share my life with the people around me.  It’s neat to think what I’ll learn in my later years too.  What choices I’ll make.  Where will I be.  Still here I hope.  Some parts tell me that this whole “31 is you last year” thing is silly but something still eats at me.  But regardless of what happens, I’m still happy with the live I’ve lived.

I wouldn’t have it any other way. ^_^