sculpture (3D illustration)

selected new work:








selected archived work:

Treehouse:

Architectural Model / 3D Illustration sculpture built to exact blueprint scale for the construction of the "living" treehouse structure in the new children's section of the San Diego Botanic Garden (formerly: Quail Botanical Gardens).

My job was to illustrate what the organic features of a real-life mature banyan (ficus) tree would look like sculpted onto the rigid straight lined steel structure shown in the blueprints. Another key feature of this structure is that there are numerous (epiphyte) planter 'pockets' all over the structure where real banyan tree seedlings were planted, so that one day they will grow and take over the structure making it an ever-evolving and growing 'living' treehouse.

It was a success, and it was greatly rewarding to walk around inside of a structure that I sculpted with my own hands in the studio. It's great to see kids having fun and climbing around on the structure just as it was intended for and also to see the real banyan tree seedlings and other plants beginning to already take over the structure.

In a few decades it could be quite an impressive sight..

Here the model's straight angled skeleton framework is being built to exact scale as depicted in the blueprints. 

Then to the challenge of creating the organic curves and details of a Banyan tree on top of that rigid framework while still staying within the plan's footprints.

my model being used in the construction site as sculpting reference

the structure finished and ready to be enjoyed

2015 Update: Lots of plant growth on the structure, as seen here from underneath the treehouse.

2015 Update: here you can see the sculpted concrete tree on the right and the real Banyan tree (left) growing, taking root, and vining all around the built structure just as it was intended. I'm very happy to see this.

Credits: Thank you again to the San Diego Botanic Garden and everyone else who I worked with on the project, it was a great learning experience and very rewarding to see the finished product. DPA Immersive Experiential Learning Design firm was great to work with as well and responsible for the blueprint design, measurements, and the overall design of the new 'Hamilton Children's Garden' area within the San Diego Botanic Garden. (the last photo is courtesy of DPA, www.dpadesign.com ...and coincidentally has my brother Dustin captured in it, up in the treehouse in the blue shirt). Unfortunately, I had a camera stolen with all the photos of the finished fully detailed model on it. What is shown above is all that remains of it.

more updates coming soon..