Eartholographics

Commercial Spaceflight Federation Members Honored with Sculptures and E-Holograms for Enabling Commercial and Private Space Travel

2012-01-18T00:30:00.000-08:00

[3D Video walking up to Fresco II before the CSF dinner awards event. Owners Lenny and Lea Graffeo hosted the event...food and ambiance was simply the best]

Commercial Spaceflight Federation Members Honored with Sculptures and E-Holograms for Enabling Commercial and Private Space Travel.

Eric Anderson, Chairman of the Commercial Spaceflight Federation (“Federation”), and artist Eileen Borgeson honored John Gedmark with the prestigious
CSF "Space Pioneer Award" (sculpted by Eileen) at Fresco II in Palmdale, California at their semi-annual meeting January 17, 2012 for his pivotal role as Founding Director of the “Federation”.

John Gedmark recently left his position as Founding Director of the ‘Federation’ to pursue other opportunities and has been succeeded by Dr. Alex Saltman (who coordinated the event.) Gedmark served as Executive Director of the Commercial Spaceflight Federation along with Bretton Alexander, first President of the Commercial Spaceflight Federation, together building and leading it since the organization was incorporated in 2006 overseeing the growth of the Federation from the original 10 companies to over 50 members today. Gedmark remains as an advisor to the “Federation”.

Eileen, while creating the Space Pioneer Award given to Gedmark, used her “Muse of Excellence” sculpture as the featured sculpture and designed a custom marble base for this Federation’s special presentation piece. Eileen's “Muse of Excellence” sculpture has been used twice before with different bases for significant industry awards.

JUSTSAP (Japan – U.S. Science, Technology & Space Applications Programs) presented the “Space Exploration Pioneer Award” to Takaji Kuroda (also an accomplished artist in Japan) for “his sixty year involvement with Japan’s space program as well as being the co-founder of JUSTSAP.” Holography legend, Lloyd Cross, also received Borgeson’s Muse as the “Holography Pioneer Award” for his major contributions since the early Sixties in Lasers and Holography (Multiplex Holography inventor).

Also recognized at the dinner were the individual members of the COMMERCIAL SPACEFLIGHT FEDERATION, as they enter the 2nd decade of Private Spaceflight, for their synergistic efforts in achieving the first decade milestones…starting with Dennis Tito’s historic trip to the International Space Station. Borgeson collaborated with holography pioneer, Jeff Allen, in creating the Holographic “Space Visionary Wings” E-Hologram. This embossed hologram was made into a signed and numbered CSF limited edition honoring the accomplishments and spirit of the members of the Federation.

For this E-Hologram art piece, Borgeson enlisted the help of some of the most talented and experienced industry engravers and printers. Freeman Thomas (Graven Images) spent hours hand carving the “Space Visionary Wings” into solid brass to be able to create a physical bas-relief image with a holographic optical surface above. Jason Henry (Henry and Co. since 1976) added his experience and expertise in the meticulous printing and holographic embossing of the art edition.

Borgeson also presented a ‘sneak preview’ of a ‘one-of-a-kind’ artist proof of the “Space Visionary Wings” during the dinner ceremony. The “Space Visionary Wings” prototype pin was made by silver jewelry master, Stanley Guess. Borgeson has been working with the Federation for several years in preparation of honoring the new private astronauts with their own ‘Private Astronaut’ Wings.

A historic ‘Space Awards’ installation of the STS “Dennis Tito Award”, holographic crystal “Orbit Award” and the ISDC06 Poster was on display with Eileen’s “Wings” sculpture and Kent Lauer’s dichroic and “Time Tunnel” and “Spectral Mosaic” optical crystals in an installation corner of Eileen's "Space Awards". Eileen is always exploring new designs and mediums to honor future recipients with art awards representing the caliber of their accomplishments. These awards were presented to seventeen individuals and companies at the ISDC06 awards show the same year the Federation was founded.

Eileen also produces Fine Art internationally for top industry awards for Non-Profits, Corporate & Entertainment Industries, Television/Gaming/Film Industries, Leaders and Individuals, with a passion to see these individuals and companies acknowledged.

She has supported the Space Industry for the past 7 years (creating and sometimes presenting: The ‘STS’ Dennis Tito Awards, Holographic Crystal Orbit Awards, the X Prize Vision Circle Pins, Orbital Muse, Space Ambassador Award, Space Exploration Pioneer Award, Muse of Flight (for FAA) and now the Space Pioneer Award. She is currently creating Jewelry and Sculptures (celebrating Space Exploration, Travel and Lifestyle) that will still be in fashion into the 22nd Century and continues to expand her artistic role in the Evolution of Holographic Artistry. Eileen’s adventure into art has also included collaborations with notable artists and their Estates and companies, i.e. Erte, Yoko Ono and The John Lennon Estate, Al Hirschfeld, Warner Bros. and Disney.

New Year - New Beginnings

2012-01-02T16:47:00.000-08:00

2012 is just waiting to blossom for us.

Eileen Borgeson, Meryle Holmes and I brought in the new year at two parties. First was hosted by our friends, Pete Sarenana and Kathy McNamara at their annual party. Pete and his group The Carry On Band with musicians friends entertained a large crowd of family and friends in their tented backyard. Kathy, as usual, danced the night away.

We later joined Robert O'Hara and Tina Longobart and went to Jeff Gund's annual New Year's Eve party "Hollywood style" with many actors, actresses, models and musicians and a view to 'live' for.

Here are two short videos in 3D from the events:

Videos on Eileen Borgeson and Jeff Allen posted to Youtube 4 years ago

2011-10-28T08:57:00.000-07:00

Recently I came across these videos on Eileen Borgeson and myself that a friend, Zion Estes, had produced in Hawaii and posted on YouTube four years ago covering some of the activities we've been involved with in the past.

First Contact with a Holographic Avatar

2011-09-29T13:58:00.000-07:00

What’s it like to come in contact with a Holographic Avatar?

How does it ‘feel’ to have your actual hand pass through a Holographic Avatar’s virtual hand or body? Holography has and will continue to present us with new, sometimes radically new, imaging, concepts and applications that are going to challenge our past belief systems and ‘truths’ about what we thought was and will be possible.
Holography’s ability to record (or store) within a two dimensional plane then re-create (or re-construct) fourth dimensional (and multi-dimensional) visual reality opens up an array of possibilities in entertainment and educational experiences.

Holographics (applied Holography) will redefine what entertainment and educational ‘experiencing’ is and offer new portals of possibilities. Space can be created where it wasn’t before, and then occupied with virtual people and imagery. The virtual ‘outer’ space can be stored in the real ‘inner’ space of the holographic substrate.

Holography opens up the possibilities of creating environments and experiences that support a ‘post-terrestrial’ mind-set, freeing the participants to have a more total experience during each moment of their personal interaction and immersion in the HoloZone.

This video shows the Holographic Avatar (Mime) coming to life through a light and projecting out in front of the holographic image plane. For all observational and interactivity purposes, this Holographic Mime really does visually exist in and occupies space. Notice when First Contact is made with this Holographic Avatar my hand literally goes through the Mime’s outstretched virtual hand.

Next-gen imaging techniques inspired by this holographic capability will be folded into the HoloZone experiences we’re creating at Virtual Live Stage Entertainment and Holographics.com , including the images themselves being ‘triggers’ for the participant’s ability to interact with and change the experience.

This 3D journey into a ‘First Contact with a Holographic Avatar’ was taken and created by Eileen Borgeson and Jeff Allen using Sony’s Bloggie 3D camera. The holographic imagery was entirely reconstructed with the light source of the 3D camera.

Real-Time 4D Reconstruction and Recording of Holographic Images using only the Light from the 3D Camera

2011-09-28T17:28:00.000-07:00

We’re so used to seeing print, photographic, video and digital images and symbols in 2D (shapes, contrast, and color) that when we see a hologram it’s hard to understand how can the images look so real compared to most other imaging techniques. The simple answer is that when a light source is directed onto a hologram at selective “reference” angles, it literally, reconstructs, with its own light, all the visual properties of the pre-programmed holographic image (s).

I was recording, in 3D, some ‘holographic techniques’ that we, (Virtual Live Stage Entertainment) will be ‘fusing’ into our initial HoloZone-hybrid (HoloDeck-like) Experiences, when I noticed an interesting capability. The light source emanating from the 3D camera itself was actually strong enough to recreate a fairly bright holographic image from a ‘pre-recorded’ hologram and the resulting image was capable of actually being recorded by the camera itself.

This felt like an excellent opportunity to demonstrate a most important principle… that holographic images are created entirely by light. This is why a hologram can ‘communicate’ directly to the viewer/participant’s eyes the exact description (information), in forth dimensions (space/time), of the object/scene recorded on/in the hologram. In addition, this particular hologram enabled the demonstration of viewing separate ‘holographic universes’, created within the same hologram, as shown by noticing how two entirely different images/scenes are visually reconstructed in 3D by the movements of the camera.

Notice the minute details of the images and how their highlights and perspective change with the viewing perspective. Notice how the holographic images completely disappear when the camera's light is switched off and an entirely new image or perspective appears when switched back on.

Eileen Borgeson ‘filmed’ this video with a Sony 3D Bloggie Camera and the light from it. David Bowie’s “TVC15” song is playing in the background. It’s about a Holographic ‘hologrammic (Bowie’s term)’ television and its ‘captivating’ capabilities.

VLS Entertainment’s “The Spirit of Rock & Roll” Avatar came to life in 3D at Birthday Bash

2011-09-19T13:45:00.000-07:00

3D video of Pete Sarenana wailing at Kathy McNamara's Birthday Party - If your don't have red and cyan (blue) glasses click 3D and choose non-3D viewing)

Virtual Live Stage (VLS) Entertainment - 'Behind the Scenes’ blog series

Of course there’re ‘real’ individuals behind VLS Entertainment’s ‘virtual’ performers. “The Spirit of Rock & Roll” Virtual and Holographic Avatar is based on the passion, talent and spirit of Pete Sarenana.

Pete is a die hard enthusiast of Rock & Roll music who wails like no body else on guitar and synergistically combines his sounds and talent with others in the Carry On Band. He personifies the “Spirit of Rock & Roll” that many of us have for ‘down and dirty’ Rock and Roll.

VLS Entertainments has started capturing the images, nuances and essence of “The Spirit of Rock & Roll” Avatar in Randy Martinez’s studio. Of course “The Spirit of Rock & Roll” Avatar will not be bound by terrestrial restraints. “The Spirit of Rock & Roll” will be able to change form and shape at will…at least at our will.

In the spirit of Rock and Roll, Pete brought his Carry On Band (Mark Prudeaux, Adam Ponce and Rik Cruz) together with some very special guest stars and performed for his wife’s, Kathy McNamara, birthday party. Kathy was enthusiastically dancing the night away. Playing from their amphitheater in Pete and Kathy’s backyard, the music blasted ‘til the early morning hours. (Pete also has a full on recording studio on premise.)

Attending Kathy’s birthday celebration were many interesting characters and celebrities, including: Lou Pizarro, star of TV’s, ‘Operation Repo’, Jerry Salas of El Chicano (who performed all evening), Rudy Esquivel of G&R Entertainment and VLS Entertainment, artist, Eileen Borgeson and music producer, Gerry Gallagher.

A holographic installation was also set up showcasing Rob Taylor’s full color holographic woman with fan, which, as usual, fascinated the partiers with her seductive movements.

As for me, besides celebrating Kathy’s birthday, I found the evening to be a much needed ‘blast from the past’ with driving loud, live music taking me to a period before Holography where I was full time involved with music, managing groups and producing concerts.

Eileen Borgeson and my foray into the Commercial Spaceflight Community at the International Space Development conference in 2006

2011-08-11T23:58:00.000-07:00

This video was shown behind the stage proceeding the launch and presentation of the Dennis Tito Award for private space explorers who visited the International Space Station for a week 'vacation'.

Below is an article titled: "Eileen Borgeson’s Historic ‘Orbit Awards’ Poster Commemorating Space Tourism and Space Development is available for Free to all Earth Citizens" published following the event.

The ‘Orbit Awards’ Poster commemorates the 25th Anniversary of the International Space Development Conference (ISDC06) held last month in Los Angeles at the Sheraton Gateway. The event coincided with the 25th Anniversary of the National Space Society, the 10th Anniversary of the Space Tourism Society, and the 5th Anniversary of Dennis Tito’s historic flight to the International Space Station. He was the first private space tourist and he, along with 17 other space travelers, pioneers, entrepreneurs and visionaries were honored at the ‘Orbit Awards’ Dinner in May. The ISDC06 event was co-hosted by The National Space Society and The Planetary Society.

To create the central art for the ‘Orbit Awards’ Poster, Eileen Borgeson combined the imagery of her ‘Orbit Awards’, (AKA ‘the Dennis Tito Award’) with the “Portrait of the Milky Way”, an impressive artistic depiction by artist, Jon Lomberg. Rising from the center of the Milky Way, the ‘Orbital Muse’ a four sculpture assemblage, seems to move through space and come to rest under several ethereal rays flanked on either side by the faceted Holographic Crystals…visuals of the Awards that Eileen co-designed with Holography Pioneer, Jeff Allen. (The Milky Way painting is in the permanent collection of the Smithsonian Institute’s National Air and Space Museum.)

To always be remembered, the Space Tourist honorees and ‘Orbit Award’ winners are all listed on the left side of the Poster: Dennis Tito, Mark Shuttleworth, Dr. Gregory Olsen, Dr. Buzz Aldrin, Sir Richard Branson, Colonel Rick Searfoss, Robert Bigelow, Paul Allen, X Prize Foundation, Zero Gravity Corporation, Scaled Composites, Eric C. Anderson, The Ansari Family, Leonard David, Henry Vanderbilt, Tsuyoshi Saotome and Peter Wainwright.

On the right side of the Orbit Poster, the notable speakers have their own place of honor: Burt Rutan, Elon Musk, Dr. Buzz Aldrin, Dr. Peter Diamandis, Dr. Gregory Olsen, Rusty Schweickart, Rick Searfoss, Shana Dale, Charles Elachi, Bill Nye, Gen. Pete Worden and Rep. Diane Rohrabacher.

The Orbit Awards Poster celebrates the major space developments evolving from the private sector. “From an educational viewpoint, it seemed appropriate to initially release a poster that could be downloaded free to the global community.” Eileen Borgeson continues, “If more people can become aware and understand the scope of this emerging industry they may exchange their apprehension for excitement and enthusiasm as so many others have done”.

The ‘Orbit Awards’ poster can be downloaded directly from Eileen’s ‘Virtual Gallery’ home page at www.EileenBorgeson.com. Also watch a short video shown at the Orbit Awards historic event.

The Orbit Poster’s artistic image was influenced by the composition of ‘The Universe Within’, a hologram currently being produced by Jeff Allen. The viewer of the hologram will see Eileen Borgeson’s sculptural ‘Orbital Muse’ and Jon Lomberg’s computer generated, ‘Universe’, alternately projecting and floating in the same holographic virtual space.

The Orbit Poster combined the talents of three accomplished artists in their fields.

Eileen Borgeson is an artist’s artist who creates art in every medium. Her art is in collections worldwide, including: B. B. King, Elton John, Aerosmith, Hugh Hefner, Dalai Lama plus the major television networks, who are all recipients of her Promax ‘Muse of Creativity’ Awards. You can get a visual taste of the variety of Eileen’s artwork at her ‘virtual gallery’; EileenBorgeson.com.

Jon Lomberg is one of the world’s most distinguished artists inspired by astronomy and has won an Emmy for his work on PBS’s Cosmos series. Lomberg was the principal artistic collaborator of astronomer Carl Sagan. Lomberg’s illustrious career can be sampled at JonLomberg.com.

Jeff Allen has participated in many holographic breakthroughs. The holograms on the VISA and MasterCard credit cards and National Geographic magazine covers are a direct outgrowth of some of these early efforts. Articles chronicling Allen’s experience can be viewed at Holographics.com.

Creating Virtual and Holographic Avatars…just another day in Paradise

2011-07-02T15:37:00.000-07:00

[Pics: Eileen Borgeson Rock Star Avatar, Pete Serenana’s Avatar appears in Chicago by JR Horsting, “Holographic Portrait of Queen Elizabeth II” by Chris Levine, Dr John Perry, Rob Munday, Jeffrey Robb]

It’s amazing how communications now enable us to communicate and create virtually…even if it’s Virtual Avatars. Last week, with the help of real people we had an Avatar shooting session. Me in Hawaii…them in San Fernando Valley (my birth place.)

Three ‘actors’ were ‘filmed’ by Randy Martinez for three developing Virtual and Holographic Avatars: “HoloHost”, “Spirit of Rock and Roll”, “(Secret)” Avatars. The actors were Pete Sarenana, Rudy Esquivil and Randy Martinez. The digital files from the ‘session’ are now being converted into virtual avatars by ‘computer and imagination’ wiz, JR Horsting. The Virtual Avatars will then be ‘choreographed’ into a motion memory to evolve into HoloExperiences through virtual and holographic projection in a HoloZone-hybrid for Stage. We will be ‘folding’ these Virtual and Holographic Avatars into Live and Virtual Stage performances and performers.

The first Holographic Avatars will be created in what I call ‘magic window’ holograms because you look through a window and see suspended imagery moving and floating in front of and behind the ‘holographic window’ Holography legend, Steve Benton, referred to Holography by his quote: “A Hologram Is a Window With a Memory”. The Queen of England was created into a portrait ‘Holographic Avatar’ through this technique.

Lloyd Cross, another Holography Legend, will be consulting on the creation of the Holographic Avatars. Lloyd was the holographer who created Salvador Dali’s, ‘Alice Cooper’ hologram, using his Multiplex holographic technique that he developed in the earlier seventies. Eileen Borgeson will also in involved in an artistic stylist capacity as she is also creating and developing different Avatars, including a ‘Rock Star’ Avatar

The timing is ripe to ‘Go Virtual’ and Holography is the "Holy Grail" of 3D. The public’s fascination and interest in virtual entertainment and entertainers is growing exponentially as is evidenced by Japan’s virtual pop star, Hatsune Miku, who is performing ‘live’ tonight at a sold out performance at the Nokia Theater in Los Angeles during the Anime Expo.

Jeff Allen and Eileen Borgeson Team to Produce E-HoloMasters for Brand Recognition & Authenticity

2011-05-29T16:41:00.000-07:00

[Visuals descriptions: E-Holograms: Eileen Borgeson’s Holographic A&E Magazine Cover, Holographic Hangtag with overt and covert security features by Eileen Borgeson and Jeff Allen and Eileen Borgeson’s Asteroid E-Hologram Card.]

Past Articles/Press Releases 'Revisited'

Jan 31, 2010 – “If you want to predict the future…invent it.” - Dennis Gabor – Nobel Prize winner in Physics for the invention of Holography.

Holographer pioneer Jeff Allen and world-renown artist Eileen Borgeson announce a Teaming Arrangement that will bring a new generation of mass-produced Holographic Optical ‘Read-Only’ Memory Chips (E-HoloChips). These E-HoloChips will offer both overt and covert security features to the high growth security and brand identification industry through the creation of E-HoloMasters.

This ‘Art and Technology’ collaboration results from the merge of the seasoned experience and expertise of holographer Jeff Allen (www.Holographics.com) and artist Eileen Borgeson (www.EileenBorgeson.com) to offer hybrid holograms that bridge the gap between commercial display and security holography and create a formidable presence in these rapidly growing markets.

For almost forty years Jeff Allen has been active in pioneering optical holography beginning with his involvement in the invention and the obtaining of basic patents on the color correction for diffractive optics as well as an historic breakthrough which produced the world’s first successful high efficiency white-light viewable replicated holograms on plastic with both static and moving imagery.

More recently Allen was involved with the development and marketing of a patented holographic technique covering the optical geometry to mass produce instant composite holographic imagery which initially included biometrics, or the visual identification & recognition for ID Card/Smart Card holders.

Eileen Borgeson is an artist’s artist and has been creating classic artistry her entire life. More recently, she has translated her art/sculptures into seven different types of holograms. She draws from her vast fine art experience working in an extensive array of mediums and continues to demonstrate proven artistic abilities in creating recognizable imagery and icons for branding. Just a few of the companies that have utilized her ‘fine art branding’ capacities are: Warner Bros., Disney, Fox, Universal and Sony.

For more than a decade Borgeson has been involved in creating many different E-HoloGrams working together with various holography companies and holographers incorporating such holographic techniques as: pulsed laser, dichromate, integral, embossed, dot-matrix and computer generated. Besides being used for fine art editions, her E-HoloGrams have generated much media interest and have been used for holographic magazine covers & magazine inserts that were distributed throughout the global television and computer gaming industries. In addition to her long-time association with Allen, she has known and been friends with holographic legends and visionaries, Lloyd Cross and the late Steve Benton.

E-HoloMasters are a breed unto themselves. E-HoloMasters are created by Borgeson and Allen in collaboration with their strategic marketing, design and technology alliances including multiple holography companies and holographers globally. E-HoloMasters are protected by copyrights, patents and trade secrets, and can employ a vast array of holographic imagery and techniques that utilize conventional and unique holographic manufacturing processes.

E-HoloMasters are used to inexpensively mass produce Holographic Optical ‘read-only’ Memory Chips (E-HoloChips) which will become recognizable Icons/Imagery to continually and effectively communicate a message or brand identity directly to the viewer on an interactive and personal basis while providing brand authenticity. Each proprietary E-HoloMaster offers a custom mix of recognition, aesthetics and overt and covert authenticity features which could also include Internet Interfacing.

These HoloChips, apart from visual HoloBranding and Brand Recognition applications, can also be programmed for personalization to include a wide array of custom security options, such as: Biometrics, Bar Codes, Encryption Codes, Medical information, as well as offering other features devised to meet project specifications. E-HoloChips can also be programmed from Photographic or Computer Generated Digital Sources, either locally or remotely, and can function with a Visual Interface, Hardware (Reader) Interface or both.

Allen and Borgeson’s initial marketing campaign targets their global digital entertainment network, including every major television network, cable and satellite company as well as the individuals and companies that service this industry.

Allen and Borgeson are reaching out to expand their holography alliances to include companies and individuals in new territories in order to more efficiently serve the marketing, promotional, branding and security needs of the global digital entertainment industry.

Territorial breakdowns are defined by the locations that receive Borgeson’s licensed Promax/BDA Muse Award at conferences and award events held annually in North America, India, Asia, Australia, Europe, UK, Latin America, China & the United Emirates.

Allen and Borgeson are available to collaborate and discuss the most effective ways of communicating/translating your client’s message or brand into a sophisticated, re-viewable E-HoloChip that offers a level of product/brand recognition and protection that’s unparalleled in today’s market.

Allen, after almost four decades of holography involvement, is still of the opinion that “we have only scratched the surface of holography’s potential and I believe we can expedite its evolution through collaboration within the global holographic community and by actively pursuing the creation of new holographic techniques, applications and entirely new markets.”

Jeff Allen and Eileen Borgeson’s Mission Statement is “Create…Rather than Compete.”
Forging a better future by creating new dimensions in holographic imagery, techniques, applications and markets through Collaboration…rather than Competition.

Please contact Jeff Allen directly at Jeff@Holographics.com, to:
• Ask for a complete E-HoloMaster and E-HoloChip package to be sent to you,
• Inquire about HoloBranding opportunities that exist in your territory,
• Receive examples of their current marketing campaign press releases, articles and ads,
• Obtain a list of their current holography and creative alliances.
• Discuss current branding or product security projects you may have,
• Request seeing examples of Borgeson’s E-Holograms,
• Help service their network of entertainment companies in your territory or
• Offer your services through their global network

Alice Cooper’s ‘No More Mister Nice Guy’ Hologram Record Story or, ‘the Almost Launch of Holographic Records’

2011-05-18T18:47:00.001-07:00

[Images: 1) Mick Mashbir of Alice Cooper on the chartered BDB tour plane at the start of the Billion Dollar Babies tour, 2) Mick Mashbir on stage with Billion Dollar Babies tour, 3) Salvador Dali’s Portrait of Alice Cooper’s Brain Multiplex hologram by Lloyd Cross]

There have been many news stories circulating lately about Alice Cooper being a hologram...and...here’s another one.

I was collaborating with Capitol Records around 1973 testing a process to create holograms on 45 and 78 vinyl records at the same time the music is ‘pressed’ into them.
My partner in CR&D Corporation, Michael Foster, had created a way to ‘transfer’ the holographic visual data and mastering capabilities to the lacquer that the companies ‘carve in’ their sound/audio data and, from that, make an embossing master to then mass produce 'holographic' records.

I proposed that Capitol Records could use existing manufacturing capabilities to mass-produce holograms; such as putting 3D portraits of their artists or actual holograms directly onto the surface of the record itself. After an initial discussion with the Chairman, I was invited to their board meeting. They unanimously agreed to see where we could take this and I was put in touch with two individuals: one, the person in head of production to produce the first prototype and two, Dennis Killen (Director of Merchandising and Advertising) in preparation for its use.

Grand Funk Railroad, their top group at that time, was slated to use the process when Richard Perry also heard of this activity from publicist Michele Elyzabeth Blanchard. Richard was working on an album with Ringo Starr, who was also with Capitol Records. I met with both Richard and Ringo and discussed holography and embossed holography and my ‘prototyping’ involvement with Capitol.

Well, they loved the idea and stormed into Dennis Killen’s office one day to discuss the project. Of course, in historic matters, everyone wants to be first and poor Dennis got caught in the middle of one of their top groups, Grand Funk Railroad and Ringo Starr, a former Beatle, who, of course, made Capital a Lot of $$. When the dust settled both projects were put off.

During that time Shep Gordon, manager of Alice Cooper, got wind of the holographic record process and wanted to use it. During the same time Alice had been the subject/actor of Salvador Dali’s “Portrait of Alice Cooper’s Brain” a First Cylindric Crono-Hologram, commonly known as a Multiplex hologram or Cross hologram. This was a type of hologram that created moving holograms from motion picture film invented by a friend Lloyd Cross. I just talked with Lloyd the other day and he shared how he ‘virtually’ oversaw the production from San Francisco with Technical Consultant Selwyn Lissack in New York City over the phone while Salvador Dali was producing the film shooting session, Lloyd created the hologram later from the film footage that Dali had selected to use for the hologram.

The album Alice Cooper was working on was “Billion Dollar Babies” and the single Warner Bros decided to press as a prototype was “No More Mister Nice Guy”. My good friend Mick Mashbir was the lead guitarist for the album. I don’t have any pics of our holographic record prototype so I called Mick and he sent me some shots of him during the Billion Dollar Babies tour to use with this blog entry.

A disagreement between Cooper and Warner Bros about using the holographic process on their record came to a head at one point and I was told it was one of the biggest fights they had with WB.

WB had evidently already pressed 500,000 albums and wasn’t too thrilled about trashing that much vinyl. Well Cooper still wanted the release to be holographic but WB played the final trump card, and said the sound quality was affected by the holographic process. Of course, Cooper didn’t want any compromise in the sound quality and the plain 45 and album were released without the hologram. Also of course, the sound quality wasn’t really affected because the holographic information is on the record surface where the ‘sound grooves’ aren’t with no affect on the needle.

I was also talking with Tony Smith manager of Genesis about putting a hologram on Genesis’ “Lamb Lies on Broadway”. I met Tony while leaving a Seals and Croft concert at the Universal Amphitheater as a guest of Joe Smith, then president of Warner Records (later president and CEO of Capitol Records.) We were both waiting for a taxi and only one made it through the mass of departing cars…so we shared it. I mentioned I was involved with holography and he mentioned he had some holograms in his hotel room. Without him saying which holograms he had I told him which ones he had. It was easy; we had the only embossed (of commercial quality) holograms in the world. We talked about putting a hologram on the album and moved toward that end.

I’m still not sure what happened but was told later by a friend Peter Kuys, then owner of Stallion Records, who knew Tony Smith that a miscommunication with them by a third party had waned their interest. This was one of my saddest moments as this album is still one of my favorites and I would have loved to have contributed to its overall message.

Note: For historic completeness, Peter Kuys had optioned the use of this process for a record during this time period.

As with some other early marketing efforts I realized this ‘record technique’ as well as the ‘embossing method’ had just been invented and the whole process was probably a bit a head of its time so I directed my energy otherwise.

The ‘jinx’ finally lifted and 6 years later when Split Enz used the technique on their “True Colours” hologram 1979 with A&M records. Next “Superman II” soundtrack 1980, Styx “Paradise Theater” released in 1981, then cassettes and CDs which wouldn’t use this process to enhance their ‘records’.

Since then many holographic CD covers and as well as holograms on the CDs themselves have been used.

Back to Alice Cooper, now in the holography's media limelight again, he and most of his original group appeared virtually last week’s at Jagermeister’s London event ‘billed’ as "UK's first 'holographic' 4D rock gig”...well, at least, they're trying. But stay tuned as I'm consulting on a virtual stage entertainment project which will be incorporating true holographic space and imagery with virtual and live performances.

“God, I’m Glad Someone Is Still Thinking.”

2011-05-14T19:07:00.000-07:00

(Image - Embossed on plastic 'Diver' transmission hologram, circa 1972-73, by Michael Foster and Jeff Allen)

It’s been said the Guru is there when you need him (or her.) I was thinking of a significant experience in my life that seemed somewhat like that.

In the early seventies I was buying a ‘manual hologram replicator’ (known back then as a ‘manual clothes wringer’ for washing machines) when a chance remark by a sales boy has stuck with me ever since. He asked me, (at that time I was looking very ‘early seventies Hollywood’ with long hair) why was I buying a hand roller. The place was a car wash supply store in Los Angeles, one of the few places that still sold the ancient wringers, but in this case, they were for drying chamois used for washing cars, not clothes drying. Well, I didn’t look like an employee or owner of a car wash so his question seemed reasonable.

It was one of those perfect, memorable moments. To answer his question, I reached into my black leather side bag for a newly created embossed hologram and lifted it into his field of view, illuminating it with a very bright halogen light which just happened to be above him. What he saw was a suspended image of a diver with his hand projected inches in front of the physical transparent hologram.

I know at this stage in the holography game only a minimal amount of people on the planet had even seen a hologram, let alone even heard the word. Little did he know he was seeing a piece of holographic history. ‘The Diver’ was our 3rd hologram in the ‘prototyping of the white light embossed holograms’. Today, embossed holography is now a multi-billion dollar industry.

‘The Diver’ is one of CR&D's (Mike Foster and my R&D corporation then) four earliest embossed holograms in the MIT Museum Collection. I recently donated ‘David’, which completed their set of CR&D's early white light embossed holograms, except for one, titled, ‘Randi’. (More info Link to MIT blog entry - http://eartholographics.blogspot.com/2011/02/david-my-white-light-embossed-hologram.html)

So here, the sales boy in a car wash supply shop is witnessing a suspended 3D solid looking image of a diver floating above my hand. When I told him the answer to his question, “why was I buying a wash wringer?”…my answer was “to mass produce holograms like this one.” In what must have been a surrealistic moment for him, he paused, and then reflectively said: “God, I’m glad someone is still thinking!”

I thanked him quietly in my mind for reminding me that there are times when we’re ‘awake’ and using the creative abilities and experience capabilities we have, while we’re still ‘thinking’ about all the infinite possibilities waiting to be created and experienced.

As to how the chamois wringer mass produced embossed holograms, let me just say that Michael Foster, the inventor, was a very clever man.

Now, when I see an amazing collection of art or a truly innovative technological achievement…I think, “God, I’m glad someone is still thinking.”

Virtual and Live Entertainers to share Stage in Turnkey, Portable, Scalable HoloZone, by Jeff Allen

2011-04-09T22:58:00.000-07:00

[Visuals: Jeff Allen and Eileen Borgeson 'brainstorming' at Gary Stice's Point House in Kealakekua Bay with Captain Cook's Monument in background and Jeff Allen’s HoloTheater Complex Concept and Floorplan]

Each new project is its own adventure into creative manifestation. Since December, while on the Mainland, I’ve been working with Rudy Esquivel, of G&R Entertainment since he approached me to design a HoloZone possible of ‘projecting’ a virtual entertainer onto a stage with live musicians.

Rudy and his brother, comedian Gilbert Esquivel, have been pioneering ‘comedy with live music’ events for a while now. Wanting a ‘creative edge’, we discussed the evolution of his concept to include Holographic and Holographic-Hybrid Experiences with live entertainment and comedy to offer into the entertainment industry.

From my involvement in holographic R&D laboratories as well as producing holographic shows experienced by millions across the US and into Canada, I have distilled a wealth of knowledge and imaging techniques (holographic, 3D, CGI) on how to create immersive and interactive environments. From Comdex parties at Caesars’ Palace to Warner Bros. back lot parties, to State and County Fairs I’ve offered the ‘HoloZone’ experience to a whole spectrum of individuals and age groups.

Now I’m back in Hawai’i and currently at my favorite place for inspiration, Gary Stice’s Point House in Kealakekua Bay. Several breakthroughs occurred last night with a ‘brainstorming session’ with Eileen Borgeson about HoloZone launch strategies, dealing with types of HoloExperiences and HoloAvatars to create for Entertainment performances and methods to approach global markets from the start. When you’re at one of the most beautiful places on the planet…you tend to think on a global scale.

This creative ‘brainstorming’ influenced our perspective on the types of HoloExperiences that could be offered with ‘Rudy’s’ HoloZone-Hybrid model, ‘VLS’. Working ‘virtually’ with Rudy through the phone and Internet, we continue to massage our plans, define our goals and are moving forward with them.

Under strict confidential arrangements, preparations are being made to start building a HoloZone for stage applications, targeting this Summer to begin producing the custom performances. The HoloExperiences themselves are now being story-boarded, scripted and the ‘imaging capturing’ studio sessions are being scheduled.

This HoloZone-Hybrid VLS will enable a true 21st Century HoloExperience in ‘post-terrestrial’ in multi-dimensional perspectives...a ‘Live’, engaging experience beyond today’s 3D television and theater offerings. Our initial focus will be fusing ‘virtual’ entertainers with ‘live’ entertainers for stage performances.

With the advent of faster computational power, higher resolution imaging, sophisticated optical arrays, new breakthroughs in digital holographics combined with ‘tweaked’ existing holographic techniques, we are getting closer to the ‘proverbial’ Holodeck experience shown in Star Trek Television and movie episodes.

From Jolee’s Kona ‘Light House’ to Holographic/Art Editions that Illuminate Our Lives with ‘Light’…We Rediscover the Big Island, Hawai′i

2011-04-01T20:05:00.000-07:00

[Visuals - Eileen Borgeson and Jackie Simon at Jolee's Light House and a Kona Zebra]

Back from the mainland...Chance meetings open up portals of new experiences, paths and friendships. One day at our Vacationland digs, a whirlwind of energy named Jolee artfully slinked in and darted through the palm filled property with the grace and intent of a panther in the jungle with her ‘being in nature every moment of sunshine’ tanned body glistening in the sun.

And very shortly thereafter we ended up renting Jolee’s Ohana in her Kailua-Kona ‘Light House’ accented home, surrounded with the tools of the active lifestyle she lives and shares with all who ask…kayaks, stand-up paddleboards, boogie boards, snorkels, fins, mopeds, bicycles and more. We’re always searching out new locations to keep fresh with our approach to artistic and holography projects, ideas and concepts and hadn’t investigated this part of the island yet. Jolee’s quick LA departure to continue honing her lifesaving life skills provided us another chance meeting with her close friend, Jackie Simon, another free spirit just back from months in Thailand adventuring and educating others on one of her many paths of life.

We head back to the east side of the island with stops at our friend Violet’s enchanted fern forest cottage (and Unicorn corral) in Volcano…then another cottage next to Tony’s geodesic ‘recording studio’ dome with an extended visit with Tony Selvage himself…our ‘violin virtuoso’ buddy.

A delightful afternoon with Ariya and grandbaby, Naiya De, at the warm ponds…he’s a 2 ½ yr. old constant smiling little Buddah baby-fish.

Back to the Kona side…stopping for a Zebra proudly displaying his stripes. Eileen took a pic of him with a donkey either looking on or waiting to be painted for a Zebra gig in Tijuana.

Next…to the City of Refuge and then decided it was time to see, first hand, the aftermath of the Japan Tsunami at Kealakekua Bay. Kealakekua’s our favorite spot on the West side of the Island and we stay there as often as possible swimming with Dolphins and creating art and virtual business.

We visited Willa Martin and David Carlin’s…their house came through it unscathed and Gary Stice’s Point Houses were luckily spared with just some structural damage. It’s amazing and shocking to see the power and the inter-connectiveness of events occurring thousands of miles away. We’ve so many memories and projects created in all these places. Last year the ‘artist sign-off’ Lumiere sculpture was finished by Eileen Borgeson at Willa’s right before it was rushed off to R. S. Owens to be cast in the nick of time for the inaugural Int’l. 3D Society’s awards show.

So we’re now back in Kona discovering the White Sands Beach and rediscovering Kua Bay with those huge aqua waves crashing a bit too hard today for our comfort. We’re ready to immerse ourselves into HoloZones, Marilyn Monroe licensing and Artistic creative sessions, expressions and impressions. One HoloZone coming up…with concepts for live/virtual stage acts.... and illuminated glass editions emerging from the Atascadero Atelier where Eileen Borgeson and Butch Young create crystal magic.

“Leap of Faith” Crystal Luminaires By Eileen Borgeson and Butch Young Sculptured by Hand

2011-02-23T20:59:00.000-08:00

[Visuals- Eileen Borgeson's and Butch Young's "Leap of Faith" Luminaires.]
Bringing in excellence once again, the two experienced and strong talents of Eileen Borgeson and Butch Young have come together, this time to create a delicately carved and aggressively sculpted image designed by Eileen and carved by Butch entitled, ‘Leap of Faith’. Inspired by Eileen’s sculpture, ‘Lumiere’ that she created as the ‘Oscar’ for the International 3D Society (of which ‘Avatar’ received 5 award sculptures last year), ‘Leap of Faith’ is made of the finest quality German optical crystal. The futuristic yet classic feminine image is captured in light ascending from the base of Butch’s rough hewn sculpted forms.

Whenever the two of them get together to create it’s always ‘Museum quality’ that results. Their 25 year collaborations have resulted in works for museums, airports, casinos, private homes and galleries in N.Y., S.F. and Beverly Hills which include images created for Erte, the John Lennon Estate, R.C. Gorman and numerous other international artists.

They are both perfectionists, Eileen thinking in mixed media, designing and translating her detailed images into many different sculptural mediums and Butch, the teacher and focused master, who spends hour upon hour on just a torso or wing getting just the right sculpted shape and depth. Only the finest glass and crystal combined with state of the art illumination and base materials will satisfy these two.

‘Leap of Faith’ is a “Sneak Preview” of a limited edition series soon to be released. As each piece is personally sculpted by hand, no two will be exactly alike, keeping each image a unique original.

To view works or contact Eileen Borgeson and Butch Young:

Eileen: www.EileenBorgeson.com.
Eileen@EileenBorgeson.com - 707-367-9051

Butch: www.theSandwitch.com .
thesandwitch@prodigy.net - 805-286-7575

“David”, the First “White-Light Embossed” hologram, to join MIT Museum’s other ‘Historic Holography Firsts’

2011-02-12T17:32:00.000-08:00

["David" white-light-viewable embossed 3D hologram made in early seventies]

I’ve been communicating with Seth Riskin, Manager, Holography and Spatial Imaging and Emerging Technologies Initiatives, in the arrangements to donate my ‘David’ white-light-viewable embossed hologram to MIT Museum’s extensive collection of historic holograms which includes the former New York Museum of Holography’s collection.

This week the MIT Museum’s committee “…was unanimous (and excited) in accepting the donation… Thank you once again Jeff for this generous, donation, important to this collection.”

“David” was the first in a series of white-light-viewable holograms created by Mike Foster and myself in our early pioneering efforts of holography at our Cottonwood Research and Development Corporation. The MIT Museum will now have all in this series except for the ‘Randi’ hologram. All of these holograms used Steve Benton’s ‘Rainbow’ holographic technique which eliminated one axis of parallax but enabled the reconstruction of the holographic images with non-laser light (white-light.)

Below is an overview of some history of the “David” hologram.

“David”
The First ‘White-Light-Viewable’ Embossed Hologram
Donated to MIT by Jeff Allen - 2011

Description

• An embossed hologram of “David” from a sculptural copy of Michelangelo’s masterpiece
• “David” was the first ‘White-Light-Viewable’ embossed hologram
• “David” is also a transmission hologram viewed with rear illumination
• “David” was created in 1972-73 at Cottonwood Research & Development Corporation (CR&D) in Salt Lake City, Utah
• Holographic Master and Composition of ‘David’ was by Mike Foster
• The Hologram of ‘David’ was physically embossed by Jeff Allen
• The 4” x 5” Hologram of “David” was embossed onto a 5” x 6” sheet of clear acetate
• “David” incorporates Steve Benton’s ‘Rainbow/Slot’ technique (Benton Technique) for White-Light-Viewing

Historic Background

• In 1970 CR&D was formed by Jeff Allen and Michael Foster to finance, research, develop and market the ‘technological breakthroughs and advances’ of Foster’s, with a major focus on prismatic optics initially, then diffractive optics.
• Major CR&D projects included: 1. The invention, development and patenting of a new ‘state of the art’ of optics through holography (diffractive optics) and 2. A unique holographic master creation process including a manufacturing technique to inexpensively mass produce planar diffractive optics onto plastic (holographic embossing.)
• This holographic embossing technique could also be used to mass produce holograms of three dimensional scenes and images (display holography.)
• The same sculpture of “David” was used previously to develop the embossing technique to include display holography as well as optics.
• CR&D’s first embossed ‘laser-viewable’ hologram was of the “David” sculpture made in 1972.
• The “David” sculpture was also used to become their first ‘pseudo white-light-viewable’ hologram by using an ‘image plane’ technique that Foster was developing at CR&D. This technique allowed for both X and Z axis parallax viewing. CR&D was obtaining some very good results with this technique when they became aware of Steve Benton’s ‘Rainbow/Slot’ technique (Benton Technique). At that time Lloyd Cross introduced Allen to Benton’s technique in San Francisco where Cross was developing his ‘white-light-viewable’ laser holograms on silver halide film. This technique was applied and we were then able to create a white light viewable (non-laser light) embossed hologram of “David” though having only one axis of viewing parallax.
• Their second ‘white-light-viewable’ embossed hologram was the “Dog Fight”, displaying two bi-planes in flight.
• In 1974 CR&D deliver an order for Laser Focus Magazine for “white-light-viewable’ holograms of “David” and “Dog Fight”. Allen embossed the holograms from Foster’s holographic masters onto black acetate so they could be illuminated through front illumination and Laser Focus referred to them as ‘reflective holograms’. Their first ad was placed in their own magazine, November 1974 (See Exhibit A.)

MIT’s ‘Early Embossed Holography Collection’ Highlights

• The ‘white-light-viewable’ embossed “David” hologram will join the others in the MIT collection of the early embossed holograms created by Foster and Allen in 1973/74 during their holographic embossing development period. “David” was the initial hologram made in this series.
• This collection now includes: “Dog Fight”, “Diver”, “Earth, Moon & Magnifying Glass (Einstein’s Relativity in a Quantum Universe”) and “Superman”. (This is also the order in which they were made after “David”).
• “Randi” is the only other significant ‘white-light-viewable’ embossed hologram created during this period that appears to be missing from the MIT collection. “Randi” was made in the same period of time “Superman” almost simultaneously. Both “Randi” and “Superman” were made with Foster’s unique ‘composite hologram’ technique integrating or displaying many frames of 2D pictures.
• Other holograms in the MIT Museum Holography Collection created by this holographic embossing technique include ‘Holographic Records (Music)’ on vinyl. These ‘Holographic Records’ also incorporated a holographic mastering/embossing technique developed by Foster and Allen which enabled the mass production of holograms using existing automated machines. This new technique developed in 1973/74 for records incorporated the holographic information with the sound information on the surface of the records. The very first Holographic Records were created by Allen and Foster working in conjunction with Eva-tone (flexible vinyl thin record manufacturer for magazine inserts) and Capital Records using Foster’s ‘special holographic mastering technique’ for records. Allen and Foster next worked with Alice Cooper, Shep Gordon (their manager) and Warner Bros to create a test ‘45 Holographic Record’ of Alice Cooper’s release, “No More Mr. Nice Guy”.
• “David” will join MIT’s other ‘Historic Holography Firsts’ in their collection as “David...the First White-Light Embossed Hologram”. The others are: the “First Laser Transmission Holograms” and the “First Reflection Hologram”.

"If you want to predict the future...invent it!" Dennis Gabor, Inventor and Nobel Prize winner for Holography

Back To The Future - Holographic Experience

2010-10-24T01:06:00.000-07:00

Images: Father and son watching three 120 degree (Lloyd) Cross Holograms on a 360 degree Multiplex display and John Perry's Large Format T Rex Hologram. View of the Sunset outside our Holographic Experience building. Movie of Jason Sapan's Multiplex Motion Hologram of Eileen Borgeson.

Last night was the third day of Desert Empire's Jeff Allen's '21st Century Magic' Holographic Experience. I'm still amazed and pleased that the reactions to the holograms have been at least as great as they were 18 years ago when I produced the first holographic experience for them. People just went wild and still couldn't believe what they were seeing. This experience has shown me that the opportunity for a major launch of display holography is primed.

Just as 3D is getting a 'second wind' for movies, Holography, the Holy Grail of 3D, will find an awaiting audience just as interested and excited.

Blending Eleen's Borgeson's Fine Art into the Holographic Environment added a sophistication and style to the 'mood' of the event.

The area the Holographic Experience was in was mostly illuminated by the holograms themselves. The Holographic Experience itself was 'solid state' except for the motorized 360 Multiplex display.

Holographic Artist Eileen Borgeson Featured at Jeff Allen’s ‘21st Century Magic’ Holographic Experience

2010-10-22T11:43:00.001-07:00

Images: "Virtual Adventurer" HoloPrint, "Virtual Adventurer" Illuminated Deep Carved Glass & "Athena" Pulsed Laser Hologram of Bronze Sculpture.

Yesterday afternoon opened the Jeff Allen's '21st Century Magic' Holographic Experience at the Desert Empire Fair in Ridgecrest, California. I was asked back by Gail McElwain after a show I did for them 18 years ago. 40 holograms were augmented and themed with custom lighting and dioramas used to create an immersive and interactive environment with Eileen Borgeson being the featured artist.

Included were three of Eileen's mixed-media holographic art pieces, "Athena", "Virtual Adventurer", and 'Orbit Award' Holographic Crystal.

The "Athena" hologram (of her Athena Bronze sculpture) was a collaboration by Eileen and holographer Ron Olson...more on this hologram - http://eartholographics.blogspot.com/2009/06/two-e-hologram-sculptures-created-as.html. X-Prize Foundation and the FAA presented Marion Blakey, then head of the FAA, with Eileen's "Athena/AKA:Muse of Flight" Bronze sculpture when she left to became president and chief executive officer of the Aerospace Industries Association. The Personal Space Flight Federation also presented Eileen's Bronze "Athena' to Patricia "Patti" Grace Smith for distinguished service as the head the commercial space transportation section of the Federal Aviation Administration when she left the FAA.

"Virtual Adventurer" is Eileen's holographic idealization of her illuminated 'deep carved' glass piece she created with long time collaborator, Butch Young. Interesting enough to note, Butch had previously entered the "Virtual Adventurer" glass piece into the New Mexico State Fair and it won First Prize.

The 'Orbit Award' holographic crystal was used as an award for the Space Tourist Society and National Space Society given to notables in the Space Exploration and Travel Community, including: Buzz Aldrin, Paul Allen, Richard Branson, Burt Rutan, & Peter Diamandis.

A small retrospective of some Eileen's other mixed media art is also incorporated, including her original sculptures and her collaborations with Disney and Warner Bros.

Concurrently Eileen also has a gallery show of her works at the Gualala Arts Center in Mendocino Country which runs through November 22nd.

This event continues through the 24th.

Jaws Meets Jurassic at the Desert Empire Holographic Experience

2010-10-20T00:14:00.000-07:00

Three of the holograms at the Back to the Future Holographic Experience

Innocent bystanders will have a 3D life-sized holographic shark lunge towards them as they venture through Jeff Allen’s “21st Century Magic” Experience provided at this year’s Desert Empire Fair’s Holographic Entertainment and Educational Experience in Ridgecrest opening October 21st. As the survivors venture forward they encounter a holographic T-Rex projecting his head through a wooden barrier. Luckily, the shark and dinosaur are both holographic and everyone will emerge unscathed to enjoy other futuristic experiences. Time travel “Back to the Future” to witness historic holograms, journey to the future of holographic art and enjoy all of the other activities this year’s Desert Empire Fair has to offer.

Other attractions from Jeff Allen’s “21st Century Magic” holographic experience will include:
1. The Birth and Evolution of Embossed Holography – “The Guttenberg Press of the Future”,
2. A Special ‘Rainbow Hologram’ Tribute to “Steve Benton” - Holography Pioneer and Visionary,
3. Holography Legend, “Lloyd Cross’s Multiplex Holography” – 3-D Motion Holograms - Fusing Holography with Film, Video and Digital,
4. A Journey into pre-21st Century Holography – “Back…To The Future”
5. “21st Century E-Holograms” The Fine Art of Holography by Eileen Borgeson, and
6. Exploring Einstein’s Holographic Universe of Relativity and Quantum Mechanics.

Also, for the first time ever, both the laser illuminated “David” and white-light-viewable “David” embossed hologram prototypes will be available for the public to visually experience.

These historically significant ‘one-of-a-kind’ “David” holograms (holographic images of a bust replica of Michelangelo’s ‘David’ sculpture) were physically embossed on clear plastic by Jeff Allen over 35 years ago at two crucial breakthrough stages and were integral parts of the embossing process developed with his partner (and the process’ inventor) Mike Foster, during this period. Embossed holography has since produced trillions of embossed holograms like those seen on credit cards, National Geographic Covers, driver’s licenses, jewelry, books, greeting cards and ‘kinetic’ packaging applications.

Embossed holography could very well be the ‘Guttenberg Press’ of the 21st Century capable of mass producing (without lasers) holograms. The Guttenberg Press was considered by many the highest technical achievement of the last millennium (one thousand years) because it mass produced the written word and enabled the first mass communication. Already, embossed holography annually produces billions of holograms made and distributed throughout the world.

Almost two decades ago, Jeff Allen created another Holographic Experience ago for the Desert Empire Fair. At that time fair-goers got a ‘sneak-preview’ into 3D TV and Computer Animation. Eighteen years later, 2010, 3D Television has been commercially launched following the 3D movie craze which started in 2009 with James Cameron’s Avatar in 3D. Eileen Borgeson, the featured artist for this Holographic Experience, created the inaugural Lumiere Awards, which were presented at the Mann’s Chinese Theatre by the International 3D Society last Spring, with four awards honoring Avatar. Two of Eileen's other awards, the Orbital Muse and Athena, will be shown in holographic form.

This year, attendees under 19 years old will have their first chance to ‘re-visit’ some of the holograms seen by their parents in 1992. Besides the historic holograms from the previous show, viewers will be treated to some of the latest in technological holographic advances that will be part of this “Back To The Future” Holographic Experience.

These Experiences are created to entertain, educate and engage everyone at every age. There will also be ‘larger that life characters’ from “Alice in Wonderland” with an area for the kids of all ages to venture into.

Mendocino Meanderings & John Lennon “Baby Grand” by Eileen Borgeson

2010-09-19T16:26:00.000-07:00

Pics: John Lennon’s “Baby Grand” with new frame with Eileen Borgeson, John Lennon’s “Baby Grand” by Eileen Borgeson

When you finally find paradise remember to bring it with you when you travel. Luckily in our Mainland Mania Maya there’s Marin, Mendocino, Friends and Family which are their own forms of Paradise and has offered our latest voyage its own flavor.

For the last few of months we’ve been entirely focused on re-locating’ our vast, accumulated collection of holograms and Eileen Borgeson’s art from our Mendocino studio to Marin with stays at our friends, Willa Martin’s hide-a-way (vacation rental) house on a ridge overlooking Mill Valley and Mark Becker’s glass cliff house on the same ridge looking the other way with a spectacular view of the San Francisco bay. Both homes are art pieces themselves adorned with their owner’s own art and lifestyle.

Immersion into water (swimming), my new religion, is an act which is faithfully fulfilled every day possible in the Gualala River which borders Sonoma and Mendocino Counties at a fork where two streams combine. The temperature is the same as the cold shower at the warm pond in Puna, Hawaii. Refreshing! But the swim becomes short lived, though the steam warmed up in late summer.

Though the ‘move’ requires a lot of our energy there is still time to pursue our passions.

One of Eileen Borgeson’s latest projects was framing John Lennon’s Baby Grand deep carved in crystal art pieces from her private collection to be given as a gift to a friend’s ‘earth angel’ for an addition to his collection of Eileen’s art. The piece is over 18 years old. It took two weeks for Eileen to create the ‘perfect’ frame for the piece. She enlisted the help of master woodworker Mark at the Gualala Joinery next door to our studio to create the natural wood elegant frame study enough to hold the somewhat heavy piece of crystal. Eileen’s personally gold leafed the inside border of the frame with 23K gold to accent the 23K gold with fills the carved in glass canyons carved from the lines of John’s simplistic style and ‘stroke’. The end result was a ‘museum quality’ piece which tributes both John’s genius in art and well as music.

Hawaii calls everyday though it appears early November is the portal for my next immersion into the islands.

Avatar Won I3DS Lumiere Awards Created by Sculptor Eileen Borgeson and Oscar Manufacturer R. S. Owens

2010-04-01T12:33:00.000-07:00

Visual: Eileen Borgeson with her Lumiere Sculpture the day of the awards show.

At the Inaugural Lumiere Awards show in Hollywood, the International 3D Society recently honored Avatar, Up, Jeffrey Katzenberg and Brendan Fraser. Renowned Artist, Eileen Borgeson, designed and sculpted the awards which were created by R. S. Owens, manufacturer of the Oscars.

R. S. Owens (www.RSOwens.com) manufacturer of prestigious awards like the Oscars and Emmys has teamed again with renowned Artist/Sculptor Eileen Borgeson (www.EileenBorgeson.com) to create another classy industry award…this time, for the International 3D Society (I3DS). Eileen is the creator of Iconic Fine Art awards for the Entertainment Industry including the Promax ‘Muse’.

The I3DS Lumiere Awards honored the best in 3D during the ceremony at Mann’s Chinese Theater. Avatar took home 6 Lumiere Awards. Other winners included: for Movies…Up, Coraline, Partly Cloudy and Under The Sea 3D. Studios also receiving awards : Lightstorm Entertainment, 20th Century Fox, Walt Disney Studio Motion Pictures, Pixar, Sony Picture Imageworks, Focus Features and Warner Bros. Special Awards went to Brendan Fraser and Jeffrey Katzenberg. The I3DS Lumiere Award winners were peer-voted by the ‘creatives and professionals’ in the 3D entertainment community.

The Lumiere project began over a year ago, with Hawaii artist, Eileen Borgeson flying from Hollywood to meet with Jim Chabin (President of I3DS and former President of both the Emmys and PromaxBDA). Together they shared their visions and developed a sculpture destined to become ‘the Award of all Awards’ for the emerging 3D Industry.

Some visions for their Lumiere:
1. She’d stand on her own merit as a fine art sculpture,
2. A classic beauty to compliment the Oscar as she graced his side in trophy collections,
3. to someday earn the prestige and respect of the Oscar, and
4. to obtain the global iconic success of PromaxBDA’s ‘Muse of Creativity’ Awards.

Borgeson and Chabin brainstormed over a week creating concepts and drawings until one ‘clicked’. In Eileen’s capable hands, the sculpture took shape. After a hundred hours or so of detailing, sanding and fine tuning, the Lumiere sculpture was born.

Eileen and Jim’s first collaboration resulted in the original Promax Gold and Silver ‘Muses of Creativity.’ Their joint efforts again created the: The Brandon Tarticoff Award-hand shaped, cut crystal, and the ‘Rocket to Stardom’ Awards-blown glass and metal.

Scott Siegel, owner of R. S. Owens, was brought into the Lumiere project by Eileen and his company created the first Lumiere Artist’s Proofs, just as had been done with the Promax ‘Muse’ Awards. His company is known internationally for it’s precision quality and unequaled performance in the producing the best in the industry.
The artistic proofs gave Eileen the rare opportunity to see Lumiere as a finished piece, complete with 24K gold ‘dipped’ finish, prior to the final mold making and production. She then fine tuned her original sculpture to make it more compatible with the seven part ‘mass production’ metal mold to guarantee consistent fine art quality. A golden disc was added beneath her foot to ensure the proper slant of the Lumiere in her ‘launch’ mode.

Chabin and I3DS’ goal to have the awards show before the Oscars was an incredible logistical challenge since the green light for the show and awards production happened only weeks before the event itself. At that point, Eileen and R. S. Owens immediately sprang into action and with Eileen working directly with Sandra Thomas(Custom Awards), Mark Psaros (Head of Operations) and Jorge (Head of Production), the seven part mold was made, production done, sculptures polished and the 24K Gold plated…shipped to arrive the day of the event!

In this endeavor, the R. S. Owens team broke all previous time records in its 65 year history for a mold creation and sculpture production, a feat they’d prefer never to repeat.

While all this was happening, Jim Chabin had the daunting task of organizing the I3DS as well as the awards show to evolve and recognize the 3D industry and 3D’s ability to immerse the audience into the story. 3D is rapidly becoming the entertainment of choice. Avatar has already demonstrated this by becoming the most financially successful movie of all time with Disney’s 3D Alice in Wonderland already following suit.

Through everyone’s combined efforts, a success was created so the 3D Entertainment Industry could be honored with the I3DS Lumiere awards… and finally be recognized on the level it deserves. The resulting award show video can be seen on the I3DS website. (www.International3DSociety.com.)

Avatar wins 5 I3DS Lumiere Awards by Eileen Borgeson

2010-02-25T14:37:00.000-08:00

(Visuals of Brendan Fraser on stage with Lumiere Award and Brendan with World Renown Violinist, Tony Selvage)
International 3D Society's Lumiere Awards by Eileen Borgeson honored the best in the 3D Cinema Community Tuesday night in Hollywood.

The winners were (including the two People's Choice Awards:)

Live Action 3D Feature: “Avatar”
Animated 3D Feature: “Up”
3D Talent: Brendan Fraser, “Journey to the Center of the Earth”
Best 3D Character: Neytiri in “Avatar”
3D Vision Award: Jeffrey Katzenberg and DreamWorks SKG “
Best 3D Scene: “Avatar” and Jake Sully for “First Flight”
People’s Choice Award, Live Action 3D: “Avatar”

People’s Choice Award, Animation: “Coraline”
3D Stereography, Live Action: “Avatar”
3D Stereography, Animation: “Coraline”
3D Visual Effects: “Avatar”
Marketing 3D Content: “Avatar”
Short 3D Motion Picture/Narrative: “Partly Cloudy”
3D Documentary: Imax’s “Under the Sea 3D”
2D to 3D Conversion: “G-Force”

We weren't able to attend (still in Hawaii) but we were well represented by our friend Tony Selvage who went to the awards event and party. We're sure Tony became one of the 'default' celebrities of the evening. Cigars with Brendan, etc.

Thought we'd share some visuals of the event provided by Tony.

Past blog on the award:
http://eartholographics.blogspot.com/2009/09/eileen-borgesons-lumiere-3ds-oscar.html

More on the event and Lumiere later.

Honeymoon, New Beginnings and Interruptive Technologies

2010-01-31T15:10:00.000-08:00

Everything happens in Paradise. Remember the television show Fantasy Island...well its premise was true. Eileen and I just spent a magical week in December with two great spirits from the mainland, John and Cheryl Dalton, who joined us here in Hawaii.

John and Cheryl had just recently married and decided the first trip to Hawaii for them both should also include their Honeymoon.

John and I had previously done ‘virtual’ business together in the fields of energy (my families’ coal property in Utah) and entertainment, introducing my HoloZone (holodeck-like) Experience/Complex to theme parks and Dubai, but we had never met. So what better to place to meet than in a real Hawaiian 'HoloDeck', which is what the experience and change of surroundings we were about to embark on was to seem like.

John and Cheryl spent a couple of days on Oahu before ‘teleporting (through Hawaii Airlines’ to the Big Island where Eileen and I met them at the airport. We then transported (via automobile) to our first journey together, where else? But Vacationland.

Our habitat was very unusual for Hawaii. Alaska big block construction (built by Alaskans) with an eclectic interior of attractive furnishings with each room painted in a different ‘hue’ of subtle turquoise and lavender colors. Pleasant shifts of mood seem to occur in each colored room.

The first day was spent with a swim in tide pools, and an exploration on the Kalapana-Kapoho ‘Red’ Road. Black lava cliffs with huge breaking waves, volcano heated ‘warm pond’, Kalapona surfers, Kalani retreat, Kahana Beach ‘Sunday crowd’ and a walk to the black lava walk to see the lave route as in flows to the ocean. We were now at the end of the road, Uncle Roberts…a legion of these parts and in the Hawaii Kingdom. The road ends here because of Pele’s volcanic action in 1982 which spared Uncle Roberts. His house and property became ‘Hana’ and refuge for many of the individuals who lost homes in this area when they most needed it.

Pele’s been active since and still, active only a few miles away, sending steam plumes in the air where she pores herself into the sea.

The next day we departed along the south way stopping at the Volcano National Park at the lodge poised over the crater. Misty fog covered the volcano crater but its size and previous activities were evidenced by the found throughout the now Christmas Decorated lodge warmed by a fire (not Pele’s) in the rock fireplace that’s made the Guinness Book of World Records for continual flaming.

Later that day we arrived at the next part of our journey at our friends Gary and Apple Stice’s Dolphin Retreat on Kealakekua Bay, several doors down from his Point House. The smiles on John and Cheryl’ showed that this location was about to add to our magical mystery tour. The honeymooners stayed on the upper half of the house and Eileen and I nested into the downstairs apt. Luckily there were two kitchens which came in handy for our upcoming ‘Orphans’ Thanksgiving Dinner we about to have in a couple of days. [Note: a ‘Orphans’ Thanksgiving Dinner is when you have a traditional Thanksgivings dinner with your non-traditional family (family by default) on is held on any day other than Thanksgiving].

The next week was about ‘just being’ here. Kealakekua has so much beauty and so much history it’s important to relax and absorb the magical energy and Hawaiian feelings that permeate the area. The Dolphin Retreat has a wonderful lawn with a short rock wall separating it from the ocean.

Easy entrance to the ocean was just a short walk away. One day I walked it and swam and walked back to the awaiting jacuzzi at 103 degrees in just 11 minutes. On the last day Eileen and I joined 18 playful Dolphins for a morning swim.

John and Cheryl took some daily trips up to Kailua for some to explore the island on their own.

Throughout the experience John and I would take brief moments to discuss possible business scenarios involve my knowledge, experience and positioning in Holography. Holography being an immerging technology which we’re still inventing offers a ‘gold mine’ of ‘killer applications’ that are finally being realized or hopefully being discovered. Many are destined to become ‘interruptive technologies’ and really change the landscape of business, lifestyle and the future.

We discuss many aspects of potential directions and felt Solar Energy, Brand Recognition/Security and the HoloZone (HoloDeck) applications are probably the most needed at this point.

Our Orphans Thanksgiving Dinner was very special with 11 attending. Besides John, Cheryl, Eileen and I, we were joined by neighbors and Mendocino friends: Willa Martin (prolific artist and amazing women), David Carlin (one of the best Netsuke artists and total character), John and Lilly (new friends here from Gualala for Lilly’s jewelry show) and Jon Lomberg (Carl Segan’s friend/illustrator, Emmy award winner for PBS Cosmos and visual consultant for Jody Foster’s Contact movie.) [Note: we had previously collaborated with Lomberg on the historic ISDC06 Poster (launch of Space Tourism). John’s ‘Portrait of the Milky Way’ (now at the Smithsonian) was the background for our Dennis Tito and holographic crystal Orbit Awards.]

A trip back to Hilo via the north road of the island where John and Cheryl were teleported back to Oahu for their return trip to Houston.

This may not have seemed like a HoloDeck-like experience you would have in mind but the unusual and special sites of Hawaii and the sharing of the Aloha feeling creates an experience that you’d want to program into a HoloDeck and experience over and over again.

Starbase Hawaii Spaceport – Featuring Post Terrestrial Lifestyle, Environments & Architecture with HoloZone Training & Entertainment Facilities

2009-12-01T15:34:00.000-08:00

[Images Rendering: Starbase HoloDeck (HoloZone) Entertainment and Training Center Rendering by Eric Christensen and Starbase by Eyoub Khan both with Eileen Borgeson's Orbital Muse Sculpture Landmarks]

Living in Hawaii is a lifestyle unmatched in any other location on Earth. One of the most remote outposts on the planet, the Hawaiian Islands are centered in an expanse of oceanic space thousands of miles from another body of terra-firma. The spirit and vision of most people of Hawaii includes a balance of nature, love of life, family & freedom and the desire to spread the ‘Aloha feeling’ throughout this planet and beyond. The islands were colonized by Ancient Explorers who used the stars to navigate, and with the creation of a Hawaiian Spaceport, a launching place would exist for a new breed of Space Explorers wishing to navigate the stars and eventually colonize the Universe.

Children now and in generations to come, need new frontiers to explore and new realities to expand their awareness and consciousness so they can make their own unique contributions. It’s time to go beyond just ‘what will be the newest gadget’ to be put into the marketplace for mass consumption, a constant for all previous generations.

We have mapped the world and we now need to expand our horizons and physical awareness to outer space (as well as inner space.) Space travel, by its very nature, requires a self-sustaining environment as we have all so lately become aware of living on this fragile planet nor can ‘take off’ into space without also taking care of our ‘home base’, planet Earth..

The spaceport under discussion would function as a ‘de-compression center’ not only for the returning space explorers but the ones blasting off for a new ‘off-planet experience’ and the new realities and perspectives that the trip will hold for them.

This two-way culture and life transition could best be served by the radical changing of past terrestrial-based design concepts and linear experience approaches and replaced with an evolved classical artistic expression in the spaceport design with a new ‘quantum’ attitude made capable through holographic imagery, applications and optical functions.

The spaceport experience should be aesthetically and sensory stimulating, as well as reflective, and unlike any other place on the planet. There is a real opportunity to evolve our past concepts and precepts to be more in line with the eventual ‘oneness awareness’ of the citizens of this planet…a perspective many come back with after their off-planet adventures. “I took off as an astronaut but returned a humanitarian,” Quote from Russia’s first astronaut, Uri Gagarin.

One of the training sessions to be offered in the HoloZone (HoloDeck-like) Complex is a ‘non-linear’ glimpse of the ‘Overview Effect’, a life-changing epiphany experienced by many astronauts during the viewing of Earth from space. I have been working on the “Overview Experience’ project for the last three years and the HoloZone concept for several decades.

Eileen Borgeson’s ‘post-terrestrial’ art imagery and sculptures will be seen throughout the spaceport and incorporated into the physical structure as well. Eileen’s 60 foot “Orbital Muse” sculpture will be the primary Landmark for the spaceport and will adorn the HoloZone training and entertainment complex building along with her ‘Virtress’ image in terrazzo and her ‘Cybernetic Circuitry’ laser cut into metal.

The “Orbital Muse’ has become the ‘Oscar™’ for the Space Exploration Industry and is the featured sculpture atop of the Dennis Tito Award (given to space explorers paying $20-35 million for 6 months of astronaut training and then blast off for a week’s stay at the International Space Station). The Orbital Muse sculpture and design is used also for other prestigious space awards including: the Space Ambassador (in crystal) and the Space Exploration Pioneer Awards.

Multiple Holographic transformational applications and techniques will be used where ever possible throughout the spaceport incorporated as building materials, solar energy conversion film to projected three-dimensional imagery. Holographic imagery, functions and optical effects create sensory impressions which our senses haven’t come to terms with nor can fully comprehend which enables an experience that is totally new and evolutionary plus it crosses the age barrier for spaceport visitors.

Eyoub Khan, main principal of Conceptual Design (www.condzngrp.com), is the master designer of the Starbase with extensive involvement in Space Development and Exploration. From his consulting work on the SpaceHab’s interior to designing major transportation hubs, Eyoub is a ‘deep well of knowledge and design’ with the capabilities of coordinating the master planning of the spaceport, operations and infrastructure into a comprehensive package.

Eileen and I have come away from the recent JUSTSAP Symposium and our Space Exploration Pioneer Award presentation with renewed interest in pursuing our spaceport collaboration with Eyoub. We live on the islands, are involvement with the Space Development and Exploration community and know that Hawaii is an ideal location for a spaceport with a renewed opportunity to continue its exploration spirit.

We know that the entire JUSTSAP group, the Rocketplane organization, our island friend, master technical wizard, Kyle Brown and many others share our vision of seeing a spaceport here in Hawaii and we will all continue to forge new alliances to synergistically proceed in this endeavor. We’re open to connect with other like-minded individuals so please contact us with your thoughts, concepts and how you may contribute. My email: Jeff@Holographics.com.

JUSTSAP’s 4th Annual ‘Space Exploration Pioneer Award’ by Eileen Borgeson honors Michael Duke in Hawaii

2009-12-01T15:06:00.000-08:00

Pics:
On November 9th at JUSTSAP’s (Japan – U.S. Science, Technology & Space Applications Programs) 19th annual space symposium, Michael Duke (chief geologist for the Apollo Lunar Mission) was honored for his over 5 decades in pioneering space exploration, his contributions to JUSTSAP’s efforts, and especially for implementing space education programs.

After an introduction honoring Michael Duke by Jim Crisafulli, Director, Office of Aerospace Development State of Hawaii, and Dr. Frank Schowengerdt (U.S. Vice-Chairman – JUSTSAP), Eileen Borgeson and I made the virtual presentation to Michael who was unable to attend the event.

Previous recipients of the JUSTSAP ‘Space Exploration Pioneer Award’ were: The Honorable George R. Ariyoshi (former Governor of Hawaii) in recognition of “his sustained and distinguished contributions promoting international collaboration in space exploration”, and Takaji Kuroda, also an accomplished artist in Japan, for “his sixty year involvement with Japan’s space program.”

Each year Eileen and I have offered a different art sculpture for JUSTSAP’s awards. In 2007 George Ariyoshi received a sculpture entitled ‘Pele’s Gift’, which was a bronzed resin organic flame sculpture offering a cast crystal earth with the Hawaii Islands sandblasted into the Pacific. IN 2008, Takaji Kuroda received a frosted blue acrylic sculpture (cast by R. S. Owens – maker of the Oscars, Emmys and Eileen’s original classic Promax Muse award.) The award was mounted on a metal chromed/holographic base which included a 3-D image projecting off the earth.

In 2006, JUSTSAP itself was honored with the first ‘Space Exploration Pioneer Award’ by E Art Gallery and Mark McGuffie, presenting for the Hawaii Island Economic Development Board. The award was the “Orbital Muse’, the featured sculpture on top of the Dennis Tito Award (for space explorers who pay $20 million+ for 6 months of astronaut training and a weeks stay at the International Space Station). Another award, a sub-surface etched crystal ‘Space Ambassador Award’ was given to Anousheh Ansari by X Prize’s Peter Diamandis and Alan Hale (Hale-Bobb Comet founder) at the X Prize Cup in New Mexico.

This year’s JUSTSAP ‘Space Exploration Pioneer Award’ was a Hot Glass Sculpted Rocket Eileen designed and collaborated to create it with amazing hot glass artist/friend Daniel Moe here on the Big Island. He’s one of the best to come out of the Pilchuck School in Washington (Dale Chilhuly’s baby.) Assisting Daniel was Summer Campbell.

Our good friend and now ‘family’, Kyle Brown, attended the award presentation with us. Kyle’s a New Yorker we refer to as ‘street wise with heart’. In a discussion about the future of JUSTSAP, Kyle offered a suggestion of approaching the new minds of this generation with educational, science and art projects starting with the students of Hawaii. The suggestion was well received and discussed at some length. Kyle has been lending his technical expertise to the local school systems for some time now and was chief technologist for the Imiloa Center in Hilo when it was first launched. He is now in discussions with RocketPlane of Oklahoma to approach the Hawaii school system with some of these concepts.

As usual, we all stayed at our favorite location on the Kona side, Gary Stice's "Point House" on Kealakekua Bay...a perfect Space to unwind from an inspiring Space Event.

The theme of JUSTSAP’S 2009 symposium was “Asia-Pacific Strategies and Projects for the New Space Age” held at the Fairmont Orchid Resort on the Kohala Coast. Notable speakers included: Dr. Osamu Odawara (Japan Vice-Chairman – JUSTSAP), Stephen Day (Chairman – JUSTSAP), Douglas Craig (Strategic Analysis Manager – ESMD/Directorate Integration Office NASA Headquarters), Charles Miller (Senior Advisor for Commercial Space Innovative Partnerships Programs – NASA Headquarters), Susumu Yoshitomid (Special Counselor, Japan Space Forum), Hiroshi Shimoji (Deputy Director General, Dept. Planning, Okinawa Prefecture), Dr. Galina Xanthopoulou (Professor, Institute for Materials Science, NCSR “Demokritos”), John Mankins (President – ARTEMIS Innovation Management Solutions), Dr. Daniel Rasky (Director, Space Portal – NASA Ames Research Center), Christopher Pestak (Manager, NASA Programs – Battelle Memorial Institute), Robert Wegeng (Chief Engineer – Pacific Northwest National Laboratory), and Jerry Comell (Site Executive, State of Hawaii, The Boeing Company)

Cirque du Soleil’s, Guy Laliberté qualifies for Space Tourist Society’s Dennis Tito Award by Eileen Borgeson and Jeff Allen.

2009-10-12T17:49:00.000-07:00

Visual: [First Dennis Tito Awards, Jeff Allen, Eileen Borgeson, Dennis Tito and Rick Searfoss.]

[Visual 2: Eileen Borgeson's Private Space Explorer Pin Rendering.]

Who would not be thrilled at the news that the founder of Cirque du Soleil would be honored by an award you were involved in creating? Both Eileen Borgeson and I had collaborated together designing the Dennis Tito Award for the heroic space tourists who train as astronauts and then visit the International Space Station (ISS).

We were both also very pleased to find out that Guy Laliberté, an artist, not a scientist, would host the First Poetic Social Mission in Space during his Sept 30 to Oct 11 visit to the ISS. His "Moving Stars and Earth for Water" took place on October 9, 2009 (GMT) in 14 cities on five continents simultaneously around the world. Each city had an "artistic moment" and unfolded with the presence of artists and world-renowned personalities, including: Al Gore, Peter Gabriel and U2.

How appropriate that John Spencer, helmsman of the Space Tourist Society (STS), was the person to tell Eileen and me that Guy Laliberté had just docked at the ISS an hour previously. We had called John to discuss Guy becoming the seventh honoree of the Dennis Tito Award.

During the historic 25th Annual International Space Development Conference (ISDC06) (Free Commemorative Poster Link: http://www.eileenborgeson.com/pdfs/OrbitPoster.pdf), Dennis Tito personally presented the first two Dennis Tito Awards to Gregory Olsen (second space tourist) and Mark Shuttleworth (third space tourist.) at the Orbit Awards Event. Mark’s award was accepted by two time commander of the Space Shuttle, Astronaut Colonel Rick Searfoss.

Dennis was then surprised with his own award by the artist Eileen Borgeson who was escorted by her collaborator on this award, me. (Link to video on Eileen and me displayed behind the stage before our presentation: http://video.yahoo.com/watch/654966/3034939)

The Dennis Tito award is two tiered with four sculptures of Eileen’s featuring the Orbital Muse on the top. Eileen and I created the concept as well as the design. The award was assembled by the fine crafts persons at Saxton Industrial who also manufactured the three sculptures that supported the Orbital Muse. Saxton Industrial also sponsored the initial three Dennis Tito Awards for the ISDC06’s Orbit Awards event.

Guy Laliberté and the other three space tourists, Anousheh Ansari, Charles Simonyi (who went twice) and Richard Garriott will be honored with their own Dennis Tito Award at the next prestigious Orbit Awards event tentatively scheduled by the Space Tourism Society in 2011, the 10 year anniversary of Dennis Tito’s first flight to the ISS. Sergey Brin, co-founder of Google, has also placed a $5,000,000 deposit for a trip to the ISS in 2011.

At the ISDC06 event, the ‘holographic crystal’ Orbit Awards, also created by Eileen and me, were awarded to significant astronauts, pioneers and entrepreneurs of the private space exploration community. The list of honorees, included: Buzz Aldrin, first man who walked on the moon, Paul Allen, co-founder of Microsoft, Richard Branson, of Virgin Galactic and everyone’s aeronautical hero, Burt Rutan, designer of the SpaceShip One. His SpaceShip One won the $10,000,000 Ansari X Prize for two consecutive Sub-Orbital Flight above 62 miles.

Eileen Borgeson is also designing a selection of Space Explorer Wings for private individuals who take an orbital flight around the Earth. The FAA has recently ruled that individuals reaching a height of 64 miles in space now qualify for their Astronaut Wings.

Eileen Borgeson’s Lumiére – 3D’s “Oscar”?

2009-09-15T23:06:00.000-07:00

[Visuals: Eileen Borgeson with Jim Chabin collaborating on the original Lumiere sculpture. Original Lumiere (somewhat damaged in mold making) and the Gold Lumiere award manufactured at R. S. Owens (Oscars, Emmys, MTV awards.)]

3D is having a renaissance in the 21st Century. Thousands of theaters are being retrofitted with digital equipment offering the capability to create immersive live and recorded experiences. Starting this year, all the future movies produced by DreamWorks will be in 3D…most of the new flat screen TV sets are incorporating the hardware to display 3D programming… and computer gaming consoles are increasingly offering their interactive adventures in immersive 3D.

This industry has been growing for over a hundred years now and it deserves some recognition.

Eileen Borgeson has been brainstorming with Jim Chabin for many months now in a stealth capacity creating one of her ‘”signature’ sculptures as the award for this industry.

Jim Chabin has served as CEO for several organizations including the Emmy’s and Promax/BDA. Both have presented prestigious awards to ‘peer recognized’ recipients. Together with Jim’s creative vision, Eileen Borgeson sculpted and ‘birthed’ the Promax ‘Muse of Creativity’ award which was first launched in 1995 in Washington DC with 100 awards.

The Promax Muse Award is now a global icon for the television industry. BBC has referred to it as ‘television’s Oscar’. Awards are given out globally in eight different awards shows annually. Every award has multiple winners (sometimes up to 15) which now total into the tens of thousands with nearly 20,000 physical Muse awards created and given. Jim later spawned the ‘MI6’ organization for the interactive computer gaming community and Eileen’s Muse was chosen for their award also.

Throughout her career, Eileen’s art has been presented as awards and recognition pieces. In addition to the television and computer gaming industries, her award sculptures have also become icons for the entire space exploration industry and numerous art pieces of hers have been used for celebrity recognition and birthday pieces.

Last November, Jim’s organization, ‘Chabin Partners’, collaborated with the Singapore government to produce ‘3DX’, the first major international 3D film festival event to date which featured 3D ‘luminaries’ such as Jeffrey Katzenberg and James Cameron.

Jim’s newest exciting endeavor is the ‘International 3D Society’ which was formed to service the 3D industry and to recognize the pioneers and artists in this industry as it continues its international rapid growth.

Jim and Eileen’s past collaboration has successfully produced one of the most successful media awards of all time for it prestige and sheer number of recipients. With 3D rapidly becoming the entertainment choice of the future (at least until Holography finally plays its hand), the Lumiére could very well become the ‘Oscar’ for the entire international 3D industry.

Members of the X Prize ‘Vision Circle’ were gifted with Jewelry Pins by Eileen Borgeson honoring them for their generous support

2009-09-11T22:51:00.000-07:00

[Visuals - Vision Circle Pin and Larry Page wearing his Vision Circle Pin with friend Robin Williams at Google Gala]

The members of the X Prize Foundation's 'Vision Circle' share Peter Diamandis vision of ‘Revolution through Competition’ to benefit humanity.

This month (October 2009) the X Prize Foundation is featured on the cover of WIRED UK magazine with the feature article “SAVE THE WORLD. WIN A PRIZE”

Time warp to 2007 - Eileen Borgeson was approached by the X Prize with a very special request. Create a jewelry art pin they could ‘gift’ their Vision Circle members that would be worthy of each of their $2,500,000 contribution towards the X Prize foundation’s $50,000,000 campaign for future prizes embracing space, education, poverty and the environment.

Eileen was given a very short window to create this exquisite piece. She developed many different design concepts which were first reviewed by the management of the X Prize Foundation with founder, Peter Diamandis, making the final selection. (One of Eileen’s ‘design finals’ was later made into a holographic cover for A & E magazine as well as an E- Holocard with the angel-like images surrounding a holographic earth). Eileen’s mission was to physically create these pins to be delivered in time for their event three weeks away.

Eileen, in conjunction with jewelry artist, Allan Baird and his expert knowledge of 3D CAD programs and with his Rapid Prototyping machine, were able to complete the finishing, polishing and last detailing of the Vision Circle Pins while the patient Fed Ex driver waited. It’s amazing how the Universe works! They arrived next day (March 3, 2007) at the Googleplex location in the nick of time for the ‘Radical Benefit for Humanity’ gala hosted by Larry Page. The event successfully raised $2,700,000 for the X Prize Foundation. Eileen’s Argentinium silver ‘Vision Circle’ pins were also presented to honor the seven founding ‘Vision Circle’ members.

Now the Vision Circle Member’s number has risen to 10 with some of most successful entrepreneurs and pioneers of the computer, Internet and space travel evolution as supporters: including, the founders of Google, Larry Page and Sergey Brin, and the original sponsors of the $10,000,000 X Prize, Anousheh and Amir Ansari. Note: Anousheh had previously received Eileen’s Space Ambassador ‘sub-surface laser crystal’ Orbital Muse Award given to her by Peter Diamandis and Alan Hale (co-discoverer of Hale-Bobb Comet) at the X-Cup event in New Mexico.

The other members are Anner Wojcicki (with Sergey Brin), The William James Foundation, Eric Schmidt, Gil & Elyssa Elbaz, Rey Sidney, John Templeton Foundation, Bita Daryabari and Dr. Stewart & Marilyn Blusson.

Eileen also enlisted some of her friends and local talent here on the Big Island in Hawaii to create the native Hawaiian Koa wood presentation boxes. Master woodworker (and computer artist) Frank “Big Kahuna” Chase came to the last minute aid creating ten tiny elegant and precision-made Koa wood boxes. Mark and Karen Stebbins then laser ‘burned’ the X Prize Logo into the lids (each individually numbered #1 through #10) which they then inlaid with Abalone. The finishing touch was the black satin velvet cushions to rest each pin.

Please Don’t Feed the Flowers

2009-08-30T17:49:00.000-07:00

Living in Paradise doesn’t mean there aren’t any challenges and oddities.

I wake up in the morning still faced with myself and that same nagging question…“What do I want to do with the rest of my life?”

After some reflection, I realize I might as well continue to fully live in this present moment ‘til I figure it out.

So today I got up and walked over (two driveways away) to Kalani to swim, sauna and soak in the hot tubs. Eileen Borgeson biked over later and joined me.

I start the jaunt midway on the three acres that we’re living on which is lined with many different varieties of trees, including coconuts, mango and papaya…all, except the papaya, about 40 feet tall for some odd reason. Along the way, I pass the crazy fruit tree section: noni (think the smells and taste of really dirty gym socks-a fruit that possibly cures anything and everything), breadfruit (think super glue that’s good for you and can taste like potatoes or pudding) and jackfruit (think juicy fruit gum, gooey latex, a mango/banana flavor with seeds that when steamed or roasted taste like some exotic nut.)

A short stroll along the tree canopied road bordered on the makai side by the waves crashing on the lava cliffs and then I start walking on the beautifully landscaped grounds up to the pool. Kalani is situated on 120 acres of grounds which Richard (the delightful owner whom I just met) has been evolving since the late seventies into a retreat he shares with many while respecting and preserving that land’s ancient and sacred Hawaiian history.

A few hours later after my meditative and ‘spa’ experience I’m back at our Puna Kalapana Retreat…and now back to Please Don’t Feed the Flowers…

I’m looking at a scattered selection of sublimely exquisite plants and their flowers…some, look they must have been designed by Dr. Seuss himself. Most of the flowers are beyond verbal description so you just have to see them yourself (above.)

In one picture my Son Chris’ ‘spider orchids from Mars’ have encountered an as- yet-unknown-to-me ‘pink woven something’ with delicate purple flowers growing from its side. And in the other visual there is a banana flower who was about to eat a pink perfection hibiscus when she was politely reminded of our ‘Please Don’t Feed (or feed on) the Flowers’ rule here…later they became new ‘best friends’ (even without a workshop.)

Houston Hotties sent by Mission Control to Dolphin Encounter in Alohaland

2009-08-17T02:26:00.000-07:00

(Pics: top - Eileen Borgeson, Patty & Becky Busmire and Jeff Allen; middle - Drew Busmire, Josh Withers, Eileen and Becky; bottom - Patty and Kim Peeples)

Chance meetings are sometimes the most memorable. Eileen Borgeson and I had just landed at the Point House on Kealakekua Bay. While checking out the terrain we encountered other visitors in this strange yet bewitching piece of paradise.

There they were sharing the same vista of the ocean with the sacred Hawaiian Heiau on our right and Captain Cook monument directly across the bay.

There’s always something so special about a close family on vacation. They’re sharing new experiences and playing like a pod of Dolphins.

Speaking of Dolphins, Eileen was put on Dolphin alert to call the Houston Hotties (Kim Peeples, sister Patty Busmire and a ‘much to bright for her age’ daughter Becky – who’s much prettier when she smiles) if she saw any Dolphins. Luckily, our friend Gary Stice’s Point House is closest to where the Dolphins swim and offers a perfect ‘crows nest’ for viewing.

Well, as if on cue, Eileen spotted Dolphins playing in the bay at 6:30AM. After a quick call to Patty, Eileen swam to a location where the Dolphins could swim up to her if they chose… which they did.

Eileen’s Experience “I was off to the side of the other swimmers and found myself almost constantly surrounded by the over 30 Dolphins that were with us in the Bay for nearly an hour…several pods were cavorting above and below the surface, leaping, spinning on top and two ‘teenage Dolphins” were below me flipping the leaves I had brought them and acting very clownish. One whooshed by me so close it almost touched my cheek…I nearly kissed a Dolphin! My best ever encounter in Kealakekua Bay”.

Shortly after Eileen’s call to Patty, the Houston Hotties arrived ready to see if they too would be greeted by the Dolphins.

Kim (now a Hawaii resident for 11 years) opted for shore duty and Patty and Becky plus me in tow climbed over some rocks and sailed (actually swam) off to Dolphinland.

Our expectations for success were high since Pattie had paved the way eight years earlier with her first visit with the Dolphins. (Becky was unable to attend at that time due to a commitment to higher education that has since forged her character even to this day.)

Well another accomplishment for Houston Mission Control. The Houston Hotties were well received by the Dolphins and that special epiphany happened when two species meet on friendly and even playful terms.

Later more of the Houston Hotties clan showed up and we were able to share the vistas of Gary's Point House with Patty's son Drew Busmire and his friend Josh Withers before they took off to college for their commitment to higher education.

More about the Houston Hotties in episodes to come…

E-HoloCards – Spectral Analysis at It’s Best.

2009-08-01T11:41:00.000-07:00

E-Holograms utilize light to display the visual magic of Eileen Borgeson’s artistry and my holography experience and knowledge in accessing various holographic techniques to create our mixed-media E-HoloCards.

The holographic substrates themselves are optical recordings (no dyes or pigments) which use the same light that illuminates them to reconstruct optically recorded imagery or kinetic effects. E-Holograms have been programmed to create 3-D solid or moving imagery, kinetic rainbow explosions or both. Many E-HoloCards have also been physically embossed with old-world craftsmanship & precision and traditionally printed with images, designs and lettering.

Each different light source, whether incandescent, neon, fluorescent, mercury arc or the sun, emits a different spectrum (frequency) of light, thus they each create a different ‘look’ on each E-Hologram.

If you look at a light source through a pair of holographic novelty ‘rainbow’ glasses you’ll be able to see the visual spectrum produced by each specific light source. This is sometimes referred to as spectral analysis. By analyzing the colors of the light that passes through a holographic (diffraction) grating you can determine which frequencies the light is composed of. Spectral analysis is also the technique used by astronomers to measure the size, age and composition of the outer and inner universe.

Every light environment, whether outside in nature or inside will also affect how the holographic image appears to the viewer. Even ambient light can create beautiful colors with the brilliance of dichroic glass and even nature’s opals. Even different viewers in the same room can be looking at the same hologram and see an entirely different image.

Shown here is the same E-HoloCard we used for two different occasions. This was an E-Hologram prototype which utilizes selected holographic substrates to incorporated with Eileen’s imagery.

The first use was a congratulations card we emailed to Eileen’s granddaughter, Ava Wallen congratulating her on her gymnastics achievement of making it to California State Finals. The second use was an E-Card we sent via email to our bestest of friends, Linda Siegel-Kane. We had digitally shot the card before it was sent to Ava so we later just Paint Brushed Pro-ed the personalization into the digital file. Notice how different the visuals look. They’re the same card just a different lighting situation.

Eileen’s basic image outline of each card creates the same theme but the overall artistic expression and impression of each E-HoloCard changes in different lights, environments and viewing angles.

Moments in Holography History - 1st White-Light Viewable Embossed Holographic Prototypes of Michelangelo’s David

2009-08-01T11:31:00.000-07:00

[visuals note: The visuals show two viewing perspectives of the same embossed hologram of David. ]

At the beginning of this century while going through some ‘almost’ lost treasures of my past, I uncovered a plain brown envelope with a number of 4” x 5” acetate plastic sheets separated by tissue. Further investigation revealed that these were the first prototypes from the early seventies when Michael Foster and I, under our Cottonwood Research and Development Corporation, were ‘tweaking’ Foster’s holographic embossing process. The technique used at that time replicated holograms on plastic that needed a laser to view them. Most holograms up till then needed a laser to create them and view them.

I was surprised that the smell of acetate was still present in bag. After almost 40 years! Acetate was the chemical we used to replicate holograms from the holographic master onto plastic sheets.

Our subject matter was a small sculpted version of the bust of Michelangelo’s iconic “David”. We were evolving our previously replicated holograms which required laser illumination to view them and make them white-light-viewable.

Foster was making successive holographic masters that incorporated new optical approaches he was experimenting with to increase the white-light viewability of the replicated holograms. I was doing the physical embossing to create a replicated plastic hologram from each of his new masters using a very clever embossing process he’d devised.

So each hologram in this batch was a hologram made from a new different holographic master during our experimenting that night. We were always nocturnal. The process enabled us to see the holographic image of David from a white-light source. But, as you can see from the pictures, the image of David had a spectral spread around it. Still this hologram is probably one of the first embossed image holograms ever made which had the capability of white-light viewability from a holographic master plate capable of mass-producibility onto plastic without laser exposure. Both techniques were major breakthroughs at that time.

The first public viewing of a hologram from this session was made in San Jose at the Tech Museum during their Talent and Tapestry Event in 2001.

We later incorporated the Steve Benton ‘Rainbow” technique which eliminated one parallax dimension (in this case the vertical axis) to create white-light viewability. Our first ‘prototypes’ of these holograms were purchased by Laser Focus Magazine to sell in an ad in their magazines. This probably was the very first commercial use of embossed ‘display/image’ holography. These holograms (actually holographic prototypes) were available for purchase only months after the breakthrough was made. Talk about bringing an invention to the market place in a short period of time…this certainly qualifies. Luckily, breakthroughs in holographic imagery can be seen as they happen thus making them available as a product for purchase instead of just a part of a more complex system that has to be further developed before in becomes a product or gadget. Holograms are actually both. They are the holographic substrate that records imagery as well as the display device that reconstructs the holographic imagery when illuminated with light.

Finally…The Future Is Here?

2009-07-03T14:19:00.000-07:00

It’s been an interesting ride for me watching how ‘slowly’ holography has evolved, at least from my vantage point. Of course then again, we were replicating flat optical lenses and holographic movies onto plastic almost forty years ago.

Back then, unique concepts of holography’s possibilities and implications-that didn’t surface until decades later-used to be just daily thoughts for me.

In a fairly recent Scientific American Magazine (Aug. 2003) their Cover Story asked: “Are You a Hologram? (Quantum physics says the entire universe might be)”

[My quote from a magazine article on holography in 1977]…“it’s a whole new science of technology with undreamed of potential,” it ventures also into the realm of metaphysics, as you might have gathered. “is the universe a hologram? Am I a hologram?” asks Jeff and does not pause for an answer...

This was over a quarter of a century earlier from the article “The Future is Here: Holography Opens Horizons”, LA Free Press, by Polly Warfield, Oct. 21-27 http://www.holographics.com/articles/LAFreePress77.html):

Again, back then I just asked the questions…though now ‘The Holographic Universe’ concept seems to be the prevailing ‘metaphor’.

Lately there have been some significant breakthroughs in holography’s capability to measure, manipulate, direct, process, store and display information on a quantum level. Holography has the potential to open up new vistas in our ability to interact with each other on this planet and better understand our roles as part of the whole. In Latin, Holography means ‘whole message’.

[Another quote from the LA Free Press article] “While pictures are interpreted symbols, a hologram is a direct, precise means of communication. An infant is born with the ability to read a hologram immediately, while, to the baby, words and pictures are utterly obscure”…muses Jeff Allen.

Our early embossing techniques have evolved to the point where billions and billions of embossed holograms are being produced globally for security and packaging applications.

‘Display’ (which includes interesting and artistic imagery) holography has been the caterpillar morphing into a butterfly…and it’s been taking its own sweet time.

But…with holography’s inherent capability to create interesting, impactive and interactive imagery in multi-dimensions, a new era will eventually be ushered in and in the forefront, holographic communication through print, will be positioned. The stage is set.

[Here's how the LA Free Press article began:]

THE FUTURE is here now, says Jeff Allen, smiling gently in his quiet and rather whimsical way.

The future has sprung full blown from a laser beam, like Minerva, fully grown from the head of Jove. It shimmers like rainbow, beckons like the horizon. You can see it in a hologram……..

Honoring Hawaii Governor George Ariyoshi with Eileen’s JUSTSAP Space Exploration Pioneer Award

2009-07-01T00:02:00.000-07:00

(pic - Jeff Allen, Eileen Borgeson and Governor George Ariyoshi)

For the past three years, the JUSTSAP organization (Japan – U. S. Science, Technology & Space Applications Program) and its members have been honored with three separate sculptures by Eileen Borgeson presented as ‘the Space Exploration Awards’.

Debuting in 2006, Eileen’s ‘Space Exploration Award’ was presented as a recognition piece for the entire organization. The award featured the ‘Orbital Muse’ sculpture.

Earlier that year, The ‘Orbital Muse’ had been introduced as the ‘Dennis Tito Award’ honoring the first private space explorers who trained as astronauts and paid to visit the International Space Station. The ‘Orbital Muse’ was positioned on top of an assemblage of three other sculptures by Eileen. Three Dennis Tito Awards were given out by the National Space Society and the Space Tourist Society at the SDC06 awards show and Eileen and I got to surprise Dennis Tito on stage and present him with his own award.

The ‘Orbital Muses’ of awards were supplied and sponsored by Saxton Industries.

In 2007, Eileen and I had the honor of personally presenting the second JUSTSAP Space Exploration award to former Hawaii Governor, George Ariyoshi. This was entitled the Space Exploration Pioneer Award and was Eileen’s ‘Pele’s Gift’. Greg Henkel sandblasted the Hawaii islands into the crystal earth Pele’s golden flames were holding. Greg of Stoneface sand blasted the plaque as well. The Koa wood award base was made by Big Island’s master woodworker Jonathan Mathew.

George Ariyoshi is considered to be the most beloved of all Hawaii’s Governors, which is probably why they changed the rules to allow him to have a third term. When we researched George for our presentation speech we discovered many wonderful contributions he offered in his position. We talked to him after the presentation and found him to be very engaging and as endearing as everyone had said he’d be.

The award reads:

The Space Exploration Pioneer Award
Presented to The Honorable George R. Ariyoshi

In recognition of his sustained and distinguished contribution promoting International Collaboration in Space Exploration.
Japan and U. S. Science, Technology & Space Applications Program
November 12, 2007

E-HoloGrams - Revolutionizing Print through Art and Technology

2009-06-27T22:05:00.000-07:00

One of the very first articles written about me and holography was in “Sky” Magazine (1974, Delta Airlines) entitled, “Holography: New Light on a New Dimension” by Lionel Rolfe and Nigey Lennon (article @ http://www.holographics.com .) One of the storylines was my involvement in pioneering optics and embossed holography with Michael Foster (my inventor/partner at that time) and also discussed some of holography’s potential.

“…Already, says Allen, Foster has patented a device called a thin lens, the implications of which could have the most profound effect on the field of optics since Galileo made his lenses. Basically, the thin lens is made holographically, but, more important, it can be embossed on plastic…

...It has been only eleven years since the advent of holographic technology. From Dennis Gabor’s first crude microscopic holograms, it now appears that we will soon be inundated with a promiscuous, mass embossing of holograms that can be made for literally pennies. The implications and applications are unlimited…”

Shortly after the article’s release I received letters from the Presidents of both Hallmark and Hoyle Cards excited about the use of holography for their cards. Unfortunately, it was premature, since there were no mass-production holography facilities existing at that time. Ten years later though, our embossing technique was utilized by National Geographic to make the first embossed holographic cover (the Eagle, shown above) for a major publication. Today, billions of embossed holograms are being produced primarily for the markets of holographic security and packaging. Because of this, the infrastructure exists and is in place to offer inexpensive, mass replications of holographic imagery and content to really take print to its next level.

I occasionally see some clever uses of the holographic technique in print but they really haven’t touched holography’s potential in this market. Eileen Borgeson and I are being pro-active in this regard and have been creating holograms that show ways of combining holography with art and design in what we call E-HoloGrams or HoloGraphics (for 3-D print commercials.)

Together we have collaborated on five E-HoloGrams for print including: the A&E Magazine cover (shown above), a magazine insert, a fine art print, an art poster and greeting cards. We also have an ongoing educational/marketing campaign focusing on Promax/BDA members, who have been receiving Eileen’s sculptures as their awards for 15 years.

The print media now has the opportunity to go beyond just words and pictures -which holography does. The print media (magazines, books, catalogs, newspapers, brochures, inserts, postcards, greeting cards, direct mailing pieces) are physically and personally delivered, which holograms need. So by combining these two mediums, we just may be seeing the perfect marriage that can re-invent the printing industry as well as holography.

Microsoft’s, Paul Allen’s get-away…another fan of Kealakekua Bay

2009-06-25T10:21:00.000-07:00

Here’s a picture of his homey little yacht (the one with the helicopter). Kealakekua Bay, a Marine Conservation area, is known to have the best snorkeling on the island and Paul chooses to use his yellow submarine for up-close viewing (it’s underwater with the fish and coral at the time of the shot.)

Eileen Borgeson and I have been playing in the same area with the dolphins and fish, but we had fins and kayaks. There are three favorite houses we stay at in Kealakekua Bay.

Two of them are Gary and Apolonia Stice’s Hale Naia (locals call it the Point house) and Dolphin Retreat. Eileen and I have collaboraed on many inspired art and holography projects here. We’ve always been able to do business here with high speed Internet and FedEx. Both Hale Naia and Dolphin Retreat include separate living quarters so we’ve had business associates fly in and be able to maintain privacy for all.

Shown in the aerial photo posted here, their Point house is the farthest on the left across from the Hawaiian Heiau. The Dolphin Retreat House is just to the left of the pier. This shot is from a series of low flight photographs taken of all the Hawaiian shorelines. The photographer, Brian Powers, shares his visuals and vision on his website, www.HawaiianImages.net and on my friend, David Cook’s, www.InstantHawaii.com site, which is an on-line almanac of Hawai’i (The Big Island) living.

We started coming to this Bay when we’d visit our Marin/Mendocino coast friends, Willa Martin and David Carlin, who own a house on Kealakekua Bay. When I first saw their house I was seduced by its Bali style...very .few walls or windows with all the rooms open to a landscaped courtyard. Comfortable living outside with furniture, beds, music, and curtained privacy when desired. Ahh…then there was the hammock stung between the two palm trees. Ahh…and the upper lanai to relax, chat and take in a sunset on the bay.

There’s also a great “good island feeling with lots of Aloha” place we’ve stayed on Highway 11 overlooking the Bay from the top of the hill in the town of Captain Cook. The Manago hotel is very basic but their rates are extremely low and it’s got a million dollar view. Their casual dinning room serves up hearty food enjoyed by tourists and locals alike. One of our favorite places is a couple doors down from the Manago, Senor Billy’s Cantina. They have especially good salsas, beans and drinks with overall good quality Mexican food and service.

Incidentally, Paul Allen received the ‘Space Visionary’ Holographic Crystal Award that Eileen and I created for the National Space Society and Space Tourism Society. Burt Rutan accepted it for Paul at the 25th Annual Space Development Conference a couple of years ago. A free downloadable 25th ISDC06 poster of the event designed by Eileen Borgeson is available at: www.eileenborgeson.com under ‘recognition.’ The poster includes all the key speakers like, Elon Musk (Pay Pal), Peter Diamandis (X Prize) and Astronaut, Rick Searfoss (also an award winner) and the other award recipients besides Paul, including: Buzz Aldrin, Richard Branson, Dennis Tito and the X Prize.

Whenever we come to Kealakekua Bay we stock up on food because we’ll find no reason whatsoever to even think about leaving this place. The neighborhood is its own unique experience. There’s been a certain ‘timelessness’ in each the stays here.

Happy Birthday (106th) Al Hirschfeld - June 21 - Legend in Line

2009-06-21T06:24:00.000-07:00

Eight years ago, Eileen Borgeson, Margo Feiden and I worked on a 98th birthday tribute for Al Hirschfeld. 48 Theater, Movie and TV Icons participated with Eileen Borgeson to create this Tribute Piece. The first public showing of this piece was in San Francisco at an event partially hosted by Louise Hirschfeld at the 'Hirschfeld Centennial' exhibit in San Francisco. Al Hirschfeld had passed away on January 20th, 2003. He had just finished Charlie Chaplin "The End".

The Tribute piece was showcased at the entrance with other artist proofs of Eileen's Hirschfeld's drawings in black glass, including: Bringing Up Baby, Casablanca, Marilyn Monroe, Frank Sinatra, Charlie Chaplin, Judy Garland, Einstein, Ginger Rogers & Fred Astaire and Ricki & Lucy. The pieces feature raised glass lines to accent his drawing lines offering actual shadows. The pieces were then hand oil painted.

Tribute participants, included: Whoopi Goldberg, Jack Lemmon, Valerie Harper, Mary Tyler Moore, Joel Grey, Cher, Phyllis Diller, Ed Asner, Polly Bergen, Charlie Rose, Ann-Margret, Lauren Bacall, Bea Arthur, Bernadette Peters, Steve Kroft, Ed Bradley, Leslie Stahl, Mike Wallace, Don Hewitt, Morley Safer, Betty White, Barbara Walters, Carol Channing, Natasha Richardson, Patrick Stewart, Debbie Reynolds, Dolores Hope, Bob Hope, Jason Alexander, Gregory Hines, Steve Martin, Bette Midler, Steve Tyler, Margo Feiden, Julie Andrews, Woody Allen, Tracy Ullman, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Mel Brooks, Katharine Hepburn, Wendy Wasserstein, and Barbra Streisand.

Al Hirschfeld Museum Collections include: The Smithsonian Institute, National Portrait Gallery, Museum of Modern Art, Whitney, Museum of the City of New York, Lincoln Center Library and Brooklyn Museum.

Eileen was honored when told that her interpretations of his work in glass were the only ones from any other artist that Mr. Hirschfeld had liked.

Newsflash on Artist Eileen Borgeson - In Real-Time

2009-06-17T21:57:00.000-07:00

I wrote an email to a collector of Eileen’s Erté “Diana” Czech Crystal Vase. It seemed to cover areas that would be interesting to those of you who know Eileen and/or collect her art so I’m posting it here. In the ‘economy of effort’, and being somewhat lazy here in Paradise, I’m posting the email in its entirety (minus the collector’s name of course.)

(Visual - Ad in 2008 Promax/BDA Conference Magazine)

“I hope this email finds you well.

Since we last communicated in Kauai when you acquired "Diana", Eileen and I have made a trip back to our Mendocino coast studio and are now back in Hawaii on the Big Island.

Yesterday I was bringing our extended family/friend, Linda Siegel Kane up-to-date on some of Eileen Borgeson's recent activities and it occurred to me that since you have one of Eileen's most beautiful pieces, you may be interested in what the Artist has been up to.

Gold and Silver "Muse of Creativity" Sculpture
Tomorrow, in NY, at the Promax/BDA 54th annual International Conference and Awards Show (www.PromaxBDA.tv), Promax will be honoring hundreds of companies and individuals with Eileen's Muse statue as their Promax Muse Award. Eileen's Muse is considered the 'Oscar' of the television industry. [Note: One year Eileen's Muse even replaced the Oscar, for the first time, on the cover of R. S. Owens' catalog (attached.) They produce the Oscar©, Emmy, MTV Music and the Country Music Awards as well as Eileen's Muse of Creativity.]

Recipients of the Muse include all the major networks (ABC, CBS, NBC, Turner, CNN, BBC, etc.), cable companies (HBO, Showtime, etc.) satellite (Direct TV, etc.), and the advertising/creative companies that service this industry. The awards are for the best in marketing, promotions and design.

For the last 14 years they have given close to 20,000 of Eileen's sculptures. Besides their major show in NYC these Promax Awards are presented in eight other conferences and award shows in Africa, Arabia, Asia, Australia, Europe, India, Latin America and United Kingdom.

NY Times Article today: http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/06/16/the-best-in-tv-marketing-gets-its-moment-in-the-sun-bugs-included/

Muse of Hope Bronze
In this Spring/Summer 2009 issue of Kosmos Journal, (an International magazine, sanctioned by the U.N., with their focus on global transformation), a full page visual of Eileen's Muse of Hope sculpture was featured next to the article, "As Our World Re-Shapes Itself". The publisher, Nancy Roof, discovered Eileen's work on the Internet and wanted to share her art with the Kosmos readers. One of Eileen's Muse of Hope bronzes was given to Bob Hope by his family on his 99th birthday. Kosmos also features this Muse on their home page - http://www.kosmosjournal.org/

Marilyn Monroe Hologram
Eileen has also signed an arrangement with Tom Kelly Jr., son of the Hollywood photographer who took the historic and iconic 'Red Velvet' series of pictures of Marilyn Monroe at 22 in 1949. (One of these pictures of Marilyn launched Playboy Magazine as their first' playmate'.) [Press Releases - http://www.theopenpress.com/index.php?a=press&id=51163, http://www.theopenpress.com/index.php?a=press&id=50927.]

Eileen is creating various art editions of this image. Two holographic artist proofs of her Marilyn are currently being reviewed for cover consideration by the Editors-In-Chief of Esquire and Harpers Bazaar. Different visuals of Marilyn and her evolution can be seen on our blog - http://eartholographics.blogspot.com/ .

Incidentally, if you'd like to see your Erté Diana image which was carved on a large diameter plate format, Eileen had a one-of-a-kind plate made during the time the vase was made - http://www.flickr.com/photos/8858445@N03/2624014140/

Hope you find this interesting and I especially hope "Diana" has become a welcome and inspirational addition to your home.

With Aloha,

Jeff

Jeff Allen
"The Fine Art of Holography"
E-Art Gallery
Holographics.com
808.965.1978 (Hawaii Vacation location)
Jeff@Holographics.com
www.Holographics.com
www.EileenBorgeson.com

"If You Want to Predict the future...Invent It!" Dennis Gabor - Nobel Prize Winners for Holography

Marooned on Gilligan’s Island

2009-06-15T22:07:00.001-07:00

(Top image Jeff Allen strolling on Moloaa Bay)
(Captain's Quarters - The place to write your novel)
Flashback January 3rd. One of the favorite tourist attractions on Kauai is taking a bus tour and visiting locations where movies like Jurassic Park, the Raiders series, South Pacific and even television shows like Gilligan’s Island were filmed.

Moloaa Bay (bit north of Anahola) is where Gilligan, Mary Ann, Ginger, the professor, the captain and his wife faced the challenging, and mostly comical, prospects of surviving after being shipwrecked on an island (in reality, the not so tiny island of Kauai).

This was also the first stop in Kauai for me and Eileen Borgeson, staying at another one of Gary and Apolonia Stice’s five beachfront locations on Kauai. We came directly here after a short flight from Oahu leaving their Makaha Cabana location where we composed our first ‘Brief’ magazine ad. They designed a three story house and had it built right on Moloaa beach, and while gazing out the third floor balcony you get the impression that you’re on a ship complete with expansive ocean views.

While there, the thought that occurred to me most was what a perfect retreat to settle in to write a novel while sitting on a large wooden rocking chair mesmerized by the sites and sounds of the ever-changing ocean. Of course, herein lies the problem. It’s so easy to become mesmerized, when would you find the time, or incentive, or write?

In spite of the totally immersive and captivating experience we had at this location, we were able to conduct a lot of ‘virtual’ business and happily returned to this location after stays at three other of Gary’s locations. With a bit of sadness we left Kauai but at the same time with enthusiasm to be returning to our former home, the Big Island, and with excitement to begin work with Peter Sieg of Maalea Press in Hilo on ultra high resolution giclee artist’s proofs of Eileen’s ‘Aloha Marilyn Monroe’.

Two E-Hologram Sculptures created as Pulsed Laser Art and Awards

2009-06-14T18:55:00.001-07:00

These large, pulsed laser created holograms of Eileen Borgeson’s bronze “Athena” and “Orbital Muse” are unique holograms with parallax in both the X and Y axis and dimension in the Z axis. What this means is that you can look side-by-side, up-and-down, forward and back-with complete parallax-at the three dimensional images of the sculptures which have been “identically reconstructed as light sculptures”...an exciting new twist to the ‘limited edition’ concept in Art.

They look exactly like the actual sculptures, catching even the bronze patina on “Athena”, except when you go to grasp them, which viewers invariably try to do, your hand passes right through them.

Ron Olson, at his Laser Reflections laboratory in Las Vegas, created the original holograms from Eileen Borgeson’s sculptures. From those originals, he then created ‘white-light-viewable’, ‘projected image’ holograms (where you see a portion of the image floating in front of the holographic glass plate).

The “Orbital Muse” E-HoloGram was a front page feature article in the Star-Bulletin Newspaper in Honolulu, (by Burl Burlingame, July 3, 2007) So intrigued were they with holography, they plastered ¼ of the page with the photo of the “Orbital Muse“ hologram! (Story entitled: “Holographic sculptures made by a couple on the Big Island are bestowed as awards” (Link to article - http://archives.starbulletin.com/2007/07/03/)

Of the many different types of holograms existing, pulsed laser holograms are truly some of the most impressive and realistic holograms today. They can catch animate objects like people, animals and plants by the ‘pulse’ of the laser. It’s measured in nano-seconds and effectively ‘freezes’ any motion of the subject and enables an ‘un-blurred instant recording ‘of the image.

Some other types of holograms require a ‘vibration-free table or environment’ to capture even solid images. This is accomplished through extended time exposures. This holographic technique also creates holograms of ‘living subjects’ from previously recorded film of digital imagery.

And now, we suggest you keep your eyes open for the very latest innovation in holographic technology…creating large, moving, full-color holograms directly from digital files.

Eileen’s Promax “Muse of Creativity” Sculpture – Revisiting an Award Icon

2009-06-14T12:06:00.000-07:00

Today Eileen Borgeson shot some digitals of her bronze “Muse of Creativity” (only two cast bronzes were ever made of the Muse) on our porch overlooking the tropical backyard. Yesterday Eileen had also just come across a slide of the original ‘sculpey’ version of the “Muse of Creativity” statue which she sculpted back in 1995 for Promax’s first Award Sculpture. They honored 50 winners for the best broadcast marketing promotions at their annual convention in Washington, DC. [Eileen had created two crystal/gold award designs they presented for several years to the winners previously.]

Now more than 10,000 Gold and Silver Muses have been given out since. Next Tuesday through Thursday (June 16th – 17th, 2009) Promax/BDA (the global entertainment marketing, promotion, and design community organization) will be having their 54th Annual International Convention and Awards ceremony (hosted by Bob Saget)in NYC and will be giving out hundreds of these awards. Eight other awards shows are held in other geographical areas (Africa, Arabia, Asia, Australia, Europe, India, Latin America and United Kingdom) throughout each year.

Eileen included in the shot of the Muse of Creativity, the Muse’s sisters, “Ascension” and “Pele”, which she sculpted over here on the Big Island maybe five years ago. Both these and three other sculptures were created at the same time in Hawaii and were made into molds and cast in different materials working with Scott Siegel of R. S. Owens, manufacturers of the Oscar©, Emmy, MTV Music, Academy of County Music and Eileen’s Promax “Muse of Creativity” Award. The sculptures premiered at the International Awards and Recognition Conference in Las Vegas in the lobby and at R. S. Owens’ booth.

The Pele in the image above was finished in 24K Gold leaf and Ascension, in bronze with a variegated green patina, was cast by Jim Marino at his Heretic Glass (& Bronze) Foundry in Gold Beach in the southern most part of the Oregon Coast.

Ascension has been given on two separate occasions, as a Holography Pioneer Award (with a hologram on its base) to holography legend Lloyd Cross and as a Space Exploration ‘Life Time Achievement’ Award by JUSTSAP (also with a hologram.)

The “Muse of Creativity” even replaced the “Oscar” on R. S. Owens’ ‘Elegance in Awards and Gifts’ catalog cover one year because of its beauty and success (see above visual.)

Haena Beach, Kauai – Gateway to Jurassic Park

2009-06-13T23:16:00.000-07:00

As you can tell from the satellite picture, Heana beach is a secluded piece of Kauai paradise at the end of the road and the beginning of the 'Jurassic' Napali Coastline

At our two separate stays here we had two visits from family… Eileen Borgeson’s brother, Jim Martin and his new wife. [Note: Year before last Eileen was the wedding planner for Jim and Lynn and they tied the knot in Vacationland by the water… across the street from the house where, ironically, we moved into a few months later.}

Next we were visited by Candace, Mia (my granddaughter), spirited ‘Krazy’ Katie, her daughter Charley, and our newest ‘family’ member, Marjy Berkman. We later heard that Katie said it was the best vacation she ever had-a comment we keep hearing from those who’ve stayed at Gary’s locations. This is another one of the big houses that Gary and Apolonia designed and built themselves-with plenty of space for visiting yet also places to be alone. We understand the house they built on Maui is the same design only 50% larger.

As far as weather goes, especially for winter near the bottom of the range containing the rainiest mountain on earth, the sun shined almost every day. We were able to swim, snorkel, balance on the paddleboards, watch the kite surfers and just relax on the sunny beach almost ever day.

Soaking in their hot tub in the day overlooking the bay or gazing at the stars at night with the constant sound of the ocean was a wonderful form of meditation.

Along with family visiting, I was involved with the marketing of my family’s interest in some mineral rights property in Utah. Eileen finalized her Marilyn and began some other art projects. We spent quite a few days taking pictures of Eileen for the ‘Brief’ magazine ad. The lighting changed rapidly throughout the day, not to mention the sporadic showers, but we finally got the shot we liked. (Above is a pic of Eileen Borgeson we considered for the ad)

Kauai - "Garden of Eden…without the Snake"

2009-06-13T13:19:00.000-07:00

(Above Pic - Sunset Haena Beach with 'Bali Hai' mountains background - gateway to the rugged and spectacular Napali Coast)

Flashback Kauai. Why anyone would buy a round trip ticket to Kauai is beyond me. Why would you want to leave? It’s exquisite! Of course, there are other types of paradise…The Big Island, Mendocino, Big Sur, New York City… with many adventures awaiting.

(Left Pic - Eileen Borgeson floating on a boogie board off Haena Beach after cruising the bay standing up on a long board)

Speaking of snakes, actually there are no snakes on any of the islands…eels (and wild pigs)…but no snakes.

Kauai is the oldest of the Hawaiian Islands chain and possibly the lushest. Given Gary’s abilities to know the best places in Hawaii to stay, there’s no wonder why he has five places here on the north shores of Kauai.

Any wonder that South Pacific was filmed here also. I thought it had been filmed in Bali. When I saw the ‘Bali Hai’ mountains at Gary and Apolonia’s ‘Haena Beach’ location, it was like a Zen Slap…I really got it.

This mountain range is also the gateway to Jurassic Park and some Indiana Jones adventures.

Eileen Borgeson and I arrived in Kauai in January to start composing our next ‘Brief Magazine’ ad and for Eileen to complete her “Aloha Marilyn Monroe” drawing.

Flashback (Dec. 29th to Jan. 6th) to West Makaha – living right on the beach

2009-06-12T00:06:00.000-07:00

Kind of Yin Yang… From the excitement of Waikiki to the laid back Makaha on the west (sunnier) side of the island (almost to the road’s end) where you can still immerse yourself in that ‘old Hawaii’ feeling.

Thanks to Eileen’s life-long friend, Loren Lasher, he and his canine buddy, “Buddy” (a hospital ‘positive therapy’ dog) took some time off to drive us to the new beach location. Loren is a motivational speaker who walks the talk and shares his insights in a weekly E-newsletter to his friends and associates here and around the globe. (www.LorenLasher.com).

Here we spent a week basking in the sun on ‘another white sandy beach in Hawaii’, swimming, working on Marilyn Monroe and comprising an ad for ‘Brief’ magazine inviting Promax/BDA members to any of Gary and Apolonia Stice’s 17 beachfront houses on 6 islands in Hawaii for ‘creative vacations’. This is a term we gleaned from a headline on Obama’s two week stay on Oahu before returning to Washington to become the United States’ next president. Seems like Hawaii must be a good, creative place to be when Obama comes here to prepare for his newly appointed mission ‘to save’ the world.

It is time for the Aloha Spirit to spread throughout this planet.

For years I’ve had the dream of being right on a white sand beach and here I was-literally one step from the patio onto the beach with the ocean calling only a few hundred feet away. After pinching myself, I realized this was not a scene in a HoloDeck. This was real. And life is good.

Admittedly, it’s a challenge to be motivated and conduct business when you’re already living a life many people are striving for. Eileen and I are so lucky to be passionate about what we are doing or we’d possibly never get anything done. And Gary and Apolonia’s places are experiences you want to make people aware of and share with as many as possible. The happier the planet is the happier we all can be.

We spent New Years Eve here and actually participated in roasting a pig on a keawe wood fire, Huli Huli style… filling the pig with lemongrass, garlic, salt and lots of red wine…then basting, fanning and poking it periodically. Mmmm good, especially when shared with sooo many ‘uncles and aunties’.

The private fireworks here are surreal. Some of the displays coming from individual yards could compete with a small city’s display, though the lingering smoke is so thick you can barely see. I’m not suggesting an oxygen mask but it’s not a bad idea. But oh the brilliant, cascading explosions were just awesome!...and seeing them from the white sandy beach…quite a memory. Hawaiians certainly know how to bring in a New Year.

On a white sandy beach in Hawaii

2009-06-11T23:53:00.000-07:00

Flashback – December 28th, 2008. After many months of being mainland bound we finally returned to Hawaii. First stop for just an evening was Gary and Apolonia Stice’s Waikiki Penthouse overlooking Diamond Head and less than a half block to the beach.

On our first evening beach stroll we could hear a live group playing on a nearby rooftop restaurant singing ‘on a white sandy beach in Hawaii’. This is a song we love so much from the IZ album. It all seemed just perfect and it was sooo good to be back.

We have lived on the Big Island for many years now and being the newest island, it is mostly black lava shorelines with sometimes black (and green) sandy beaches (though since we have found some incredible white sand beaches on the west side). For the next couple of months we were embarking on a journey which included staying in 6 different locations of Gary’s beachfront houses on Oahu and Kauai while Eileen created her ‘Aloha Marilyn Monroe’ inspired by various Hawaii locations and experiences.

Though we usually find ourselves in idyllic remote locations, being in Waikiki was exciting and a pleasure. There’s something about locations where almost everyone is on vacation…not to mention nightlife, restaurants, galleries and other assorted activities.

We look forward to returning there soon. Honolulu is the largest city in Hawaii and a good focal point for conducting business in Hawaii. Honolulu also services an International crowd with one of the biggest art markets in the world and has some classic galleries offering art on the quality of Eileen’s art.

Kealakekua Bay Portal to Dolphin Heaven

2009-06-01T16:07:00.000-07:00

Visuals - Left, then right view with Birgit, Ariya's childhood friend from Germany

“This is the absolute best place I’ve ever been on vacation!” We hear these words often from family and friends who have shared our stays at Gary and Apolonia Stice’s “Hale Naia” house on Kealakekua Bay, Kona side of the Big Island.

Eileen Borgeson and I are staying here for a few days with our ‘daughter-in-law’ Ariya and my grandson Naiya De before they fly off to Germany, Ariya’s homeland, for five weeks.

This amazing home, as are all of Gary’s 17 beachfront houses on 6 islands, is strategically located in literally the best spot on the Bay. It’s also known as the ‘point house’ since it’s at the end of the road adjacent to the Dolphin viewing point and closest to Captain Cook’s monument.

Kealakekua Bay, Captain Cook, is known by locals to be THE BEST snorkeling in Hawaii. A monument has been erected in the memory of Captain Cook where he was killed on February 14th, 1779. It’s placed on a piece of land that is the only property in the United States owned by England. This is also the destination landing place for kayaks and snorkeling boats taking off from Kona.

Dolphins are frequently seen swimming and spinning here and during whale session you can see Grey Whales breaching in the Bay. Our friends, artists Willa Martin and David Carlin, whose place is just a couple of blocks away, tell of seeing the birth of a baby whale right in front. Eileen and I swam with the dolphins many times just beyond the house. Remember…these are beautiful, wild creatures in their domain, and the experience is both exhilarating and reverent at the same time. It really does seem to change you. You wonder who is the most ‘evolved’. For one thing, they’re always playing. How uncivilized?

Eileen and I especially like to ‘brainstorm’, as well as ‘execute’ business strategies and future art editions here. With FedEx and Internet access there are no limits on conducting inspired and effective virtual communications from almost anywhere…so it might as well be paradise. Last year a business acquaintance flew in from Canada for a ‘relaxing’ intensive where we reviewed some holography opportunities with his holographic glass company and my business associations in Dubai.

Gary, the talented and savvy businessman/owner of these 17 Hawaii locations, was previously involved with mapping the shorelines on Hawaii and got to know the best locations on the island. His passion for Hawaii combined with his knowledge of unique beach locations inspired him to ‘collect’ houses in some of the most desirable areas in the Hawaii island chain. He and Apolonia now share their houses, as vacation rentals, to individuals and families looking for a ‘treasured experience’ in real Hawaii. Check out their website for pictures and descriptions of their hand-picked beach front locations on every island. www.MyHawaiiBeachfront.com.

Eileen and I, without reservation, suggest to anyone coming to Hawaii for vacation, sabbatical or as a ‘creative retreat’ to stay in any of Gary’s locations. Many of the homes Gary and Apolonia have designed and built themselves using exotic woods and materials from Apolonia’s homeland, the Philippines. Their Anini Beach house in Kauai is a masterpiece with the white sands adjacent to the property and the gentle beach waters only a few feet away.

Each of our stays was like living the chapters in an adventure novel…Different beaches, mountains, neighborhoods, characters, sunsets, sunrises, food and history. Across the street from this house is an ancient heiau and next to it a monument to the first Christian church, which almost touches the sacred heaiu…not sure of the logic for this. The Hawaiians used to ‘bury’ their chiefs in the caves in the cliffs you see when looking towards Captain Cook’s monument. You surely can feel the intense history of this location.

Haena Beach Flashback in Kauai

2009-05-29T13:32:00.000-07:00

Here is a shot I took of Eileen Borgeson when we were staying at one of Gary and Apolonia Stice’s 17 beachfront houses (www.MyHawaiiBeachFront.com) near ‘Tunnels beach’ in Kauai (with ad concept draft.) We used this picture in an ad we produced for ‘Brief Magazine's' Spring 2009 edition.

“Brief Magazine’ is the international journal of media marketing, promotion and design. We were suggesting its readers take a 'Creative Escape' to one of Gary’s locations to manifest their next Promax Muse Award-Winning Campaign.

The Promax Muse Award is a sculpture created by Eileen and more than 10,000 Muse sculptures have been given world-wide at their eight different annual award ceremonies.

During the months of January and February we stayed at 6 of Gary’s locations on Oahu and Kauai while Eileen was creating her Marilyn Monroe drawing from the historic Tom Kelley ‘Red Velvet’ photo sessions 60 years ago, May 27, 1949. (Press Releases - www.prlog.org/10244623, and http://www.theopenpress.com/index.php?a=press&id=50927 ). One pose of Marilyn from this session went on to launch Playboy as its first centerfold.

Active Volcano Reminder

2009-05-27T21:59:00.000-07:00

Living in the Puna area of the Big Island certainly keeps you aware that you’re living on an active volcano.

Today I was sitting on a rock overlooking the ocean in front of our house. To the left was a stark, rugged black coast line framed by ‘living green plant life’ of all types living symbiotically with the relatively new lava rock. A cruise ship rounded the corner on its mission to view the lava as it spills into the ocean. The plumes from the lava flowing are visible to the right along the coast line

The actual lava flow is probably only 8 miles from us. A short walk near Uncle Roberts at night over the lava from a previous eruption offers a night view of the glowing rivers of red making their way to the ocean offering its contribution to creating a new coast line.

Flash Back - Sonoma Coast

2009-05-23T09:27:00.000-07:00

On our last trip back to the mainland and our Mendocino coast studio in Gualala we snapped this picture. We were going to visit Eileen's daughter, Erin Wallen, and granddaughter, Ava for Easter. The shot was taken before Jenner at the mouth where the Russian River meets the ocean.

Further south down the coast is Bodega Bay. Driving up the coast to our studio California Highway 1 drives on high cliffs that remind me of the Big Sur coast.

Brief Magazine Ad for Motion Holograms

2009-05-19T15:52:00.000-07:00

This is the ad Eileen and I worked on last week with Andreea Prichea and Erik Montovano of Newspeak in New York for inclusion into Brief magazine's Summer and Promax/BDA conference issue. The ad was designed by Erik of Newspeak. Newspeak is our newest alliance to service the global electronic entertainment community with 'motion holograms' for print and other applications.

Brief magazine is the international journal of media marketing, promotion and design executives and creatives. Brief is mailed to these 8,000 individuals & companies and distributed at PromaxBDA conferences and award shows.

FedEx with Aloha

2009-05-19T15:31:00.000-07:00

Eileen Borgeson and I are creating a type of holographic edition of Eileen’s Aloha Marilyn Monroe using a patented dot matrix holography technique created by Vacumet. The technique is ‘green/recyclable’ and illuminates Eileen’s Marilyn with holographic spectrum light (see final artist proof above).

On two occasions now, we were eagerly awaiting seeing our artist proofs of the development of the hologram being sent by Vacumet to us FedEx. Here lies the FedEx with Aloha story.

The first set of artist proofs were sent to our ‘adopted daughter’ Ariya’s address who resides in SeaView since we had just settled in a new place and hadn’t received mail here yet. When Fed Ex’s, Tamara Crater (her real name), arrived to deliver the package, Ariya let her know we were waiting and excited to receive the package.

Without asking, Tamara suggested she’d give us extra special VIP treatment and would deliver the package to our address, on one condition…she receives a hug. (Ahh…only in Hawaii.) We eagerly accepted the terms and minutes later we were all looking at the Aloha Marilyn Artist Proofs for a first time ‘sneak preview’…after appropriate hugs.

One week later, the newest Marilyn Artist Proofs were sent to us FedEx to our new address. We weren’t aware of the specifics and weren’t here to receive the package, but on our return, there was the package left for us anyway at the back door. We still don’t know whether in was our angel Tamara who took the initiative to leave it for us on a Friday afternoon (not having to wait till Monday) or another FedEx angel.

Note: We are now in communications with several major magazines in reference to their potential use of our Aloha Marilyn hologram for their magazine covers.

Aloha Marilyn Monroe E-HoloGram Magazine Artist Proof

2009-05-12T13:13:00.000-07:00

Last Friday Eileen Borgeson and I received the first artist proof of the Aloha Marilyn Monroe E-HoloGram. We’ve been working on this with Joe Formosa and Kizzie Suriel of Vacumet over the past month. Basically, Eileen’s Marilyn is printed on a special patented dot matrix holographic material with areas screened to create a different translucency allowing various intensities of the metallic holographic ‘rainbow’ effect to shine through.

It’s a relatively simple process and we like the ‘enhancement’ it creates for Marilyn, especially since she’s island themed… and rainbows are such an integral part of the island experience. We’ve been working with Vacumet in preparation of offering Eileen’s ‘Marilyn’ as a holographic Magazine cover. This is one version…the dot matrix version. There will be at least two other E-HoloGrams of Marilyn: composite and 3-D animated.

The idea of a Marilyn Holographic Cover occurred when we first met last fall with Tom Kelly Jr., son of Tom Kelly, who took the infamous ‘Red Velvet Collection’ series of photos of Marilyn on May 27th, 1949, almost exactly 60 years ago. One shot from this session several years later was released in Playboy Magazine’s inaugural issue and became its first ‘centerfold’. Our relationship with Tom Kelly Jr. allows Eileen to create her signature style art editions using the images of Marilyn from this session.

Our choice of magazines we’d like to see it on would be: Playboy, Esquire, Cosmopolitan, Elle, Interview, Wallpaper and TV Guide. Vacumet has produced holographic covers for many magazines, including: Rolling Stones, Maxim and T V Guide.

Ahhh…Where it all began.

2009-05-08T17:00:00.000-07:00

Around ten years ago, Eileen and I visited Hawaii for the first time together. She had been to Hawaii four times before and I in passing in the late sixties while setting up entertainment circuits in Japan, Australia and New Zealand.

We had traded our ‘tan bark’ house in Gualala, Mendocino for an ‘off the grid’ cottage on the Big Island for a two week vacation from Catherine “Radiance” Grace. When we first arrived I eagerly went out to feel the white sand beneath my feet when I discovered volcanic cliffs with massive waves crashed into and over them. This was my first realization that the Big Island was the most recent island in the Hawaii Island chain and still had an active volcano.

We then discovered the neighboring Kapoho Warm Pond though. We were staying in the closest residence to it…a short walk of maybe 5 minutes. Soon after we were floating away from the mainland mania in the ‘bathtub warm’ pond fed by the volcano thermals and surrounded by palm trees with the sounds of the ocean crashing into a channel at the entrance to the pond. My desire for white sand had been transcended by the pleasure of weightless floating and immersion into liquid space.

Since then we have stayed at many places located one to seven miles from the warm pond. It remains as one of our very special places where we frequent as often as possible, especially on a full moon which is where we’ll be on this one.

Relaxing in Pohoiki Paradise

2009-05-07T16:14:00.000-07:00

There are so many very special places on this planet and this is one of them.

Imagine a ‘hot tub’ that is a natural grotto of black lava rock, surrounded by palm trees, overlooking the ocean and fed by volcanic thermals and flushed with every high tide. Set back only a few hundred feet from the boat ramp entry (where boats take off to fish or sometimes view the lava still flowing into the ocean). It’s a place Eileen and I frequent often. This is also one of our favorite places to dive in and swim in the ocean…and watch the surfers nearby. An added perk is that the water close to the shore is also fed by the thermals so there are wonderful pockets of warm to hot areas to swim or just float in…ah, such a life!

Yesterday we took an hour ‘hot tub’ break between our morning calls back east and afternoon jam on a project Eileen is collaborating on with her new artist/sculptor friend, Arya, whom we met in the Ahalanui warm ponds-not far from Pahoa town. Eileen’s assisting Arya on her presentation of several concepts for a large sculpture in Abu Dhabi.

Puna Retreat

2009-05-05T22:29:00.000-07:00

Eileen and I moved to our new Puna Retreat last Thursday to settle for a least a couple of months and focus on our launch of Eileen’s “Aloha Marilyn Monroe” and our “Holographic Communication in Print” campaign targeting the worldwide Promax/BDA electronic media marketing and design executive members. The Promax Muse Awards are from a sculpture created by Eileen and are given out at eight different award ceremonies annually throughout the planet.

We discovered the island lifestyle and the Aloha feeling here are very supportive both creatively and spiritually. We feel the opportunity to spread Aloha to other parts of the world should be a major influence in sharing our art and holography techniques.

Our new Puna Retreat is ‘more good’ (as some Hawaiians would say) than some of our other locations here on the Big Island. It’s on 3 acres, two stories with lots of space for Eileen to spread out her different art projects…but challenging for me as only a ‘dial-up’ Internet connection works so far…turtle speed and ties up the phone line. But “it’s all good” (another phase heard here a lot that is very appropriate.)

The property in front of and behind the house has been majorly cleared but is surrounded by all types of trees, including: Mangoes, Bananas, Breadfruit, and -oh yes – Noni, the cure all medicinal ancient natural ‘fruit(?)’ that unfortunately smells like dirty socks to some…and I won’t go into the taste…though I have been known to drink it when I really want to ‘cure’ myself.

We’re directly across from the ocean set back about 1,000 feet on an upward slant offering an expansive view of the Ocean with a wraparound lanai on the 2nd floor.

We’re off the grid here with an array of solar panels and catchment water but by paying attention to the batteries you don’t have to notice it. Refrigerator, lights, computer all work just fine, and it offers a sense of independence and awareness of alternate choices of energy sources to live by.

SeaView’s “Space Bellyacreas” Farmers Market and Papayas

2009-05-04T23:15:00.000-07:00

Saturdays 7:30 to 11:30 the SeaView’s local color and assorted Punatics gather together to offer and exchange fresh fruits & vegetables, baked goods, cooked foods and hand made items in an atmosphere of fun and community at Space Bellyacreas in SeaView.

Last Saturday, May 1st, Eileen (shown in the pic) and I shopped there for our stash of fresh bananas, tomatoes and avocados later augmented by a visit to the Pahoa Farmers Market on Sunday for organic Strawberry Papayas, lettuce, jicama, cucumbers and more bananas and tomatoes. Of course, we bumped into many people we know and exchanged hugs and kisses. Always a great way to start off the day.

Note: Papayas at the local store in Gualala where our Mendocino studio is have Papayas for around $7.00 each. Here you can get them sometimes 7 Solo Papayas for a $1.00 and 5 Strawberry Papayas for $2.00 at the various farmers markets. When we were on Kauai, they cost around $3.00 each for Papayas from Puna.

SeaView Cottage “Aloha Marilyn Monroe” Experience

2009-05-04T19:13:00.000-07:00

This enchanted cottage is where Eileen and I spent the first eight days of our return to the Big Island from our studio on the Mendocino Coast. This is where we had rented for a week before our last trip to the mainland. We had found the place on Craigs List and rented from the owner, Cynthia “Lahi” Verschuur, a documentary film producer/director.

Staying here was like camping in the jungle…in a very large and comfortable tent with all the comforts of home, bedroom loft, complete kitchen (propane) and furniture. There are screens for windows and the shower and toilet (compost) are outside. The cottage is off the grid with ‘catchment water’ (rain) and electricity from a neighbor. The experience was very rewarding and living/surrounded by nature offered the proper creative environment for furthering our “Aloha Marilyn Monroe” art editions launch both artistically for Eileen and ‘Aloha inspired’ for both of us in marketing strategy.

The extra perk was being awakened each morning with the music and sounds of birds as they embrace the day. The morning bird symphonies are common on the island, but more pronounced with no windows.

We moved next to our Puna resort home next to the Kalani Resort. Huge two story house, three acreas...across the street from the ocean...talk about Yin Yang!

Eileen's bronze "Muse of Hope" sculpture in Kosmos Journal

2009-05-04T01:19:00.000-07:00

The above picture was taken on the lanai at Ariya Lorenz’s ‘orange’ house in SeaView, Hawaii directly across the street from the ocean. Ariya is the mother of my Grandson, Naiya De.

This is the bronze "Muse of Hope" by Eileen. [Note: another pne of Eileen's "Muse of Hope” with a different patina was given to Bob Hope on his 98th birthday by his family and business manager.]

Eileen Borgeson looked at the new Spring/Summer 2009 ‘Kosmos Journal’ for the first time on Saturday, May 2nd. This latest issue featured Eileen’s “Muse of Hope” bronze sculpture on a full page presentation. Surrounding Eileen was Ariya, Debbie and Briana.

Kosmos Journal's mission is to inform, inspire and engage individual and collective participation in a global shift to a higher-order consciousness, and to transform our political, economic, ecological, aesthetic, cultural and social structures to reflect this shift.

They endeavor to do this through new ways of thinking about our commonality and diversity, and through transforming and connecting the objective world of global realities and the interior world of values and worldviews.

The latest Kosmos Journal edition focuses on “Waves of Change” personal to planetary transformation.

Nancy Roof, founding editor and art director of Kosmos Journal (www.KosmosJournal.org), came across Eileen’s sculptures over the Internet and wanted to share Eileen’s art with her readers. She contacted Eileen and reviewed many of her sculptures. Eileen’s “Muse of Hope” was chosen.

Designing Website for “Aloha Marilyn Monroe”

2009-05-02T19:40:00.000-07:00

[Image is Eileen Borgeson with Peter Seig and “Aloha Marilyn Monroe Scroll"]

Saturday Eileen and I worked for seven hours with Peter Sieg at his Maalea Press facilities in Hilo, Hawaii designing a new site for Eileen’s “Aloha Marilyn Monroe” digital art editions.

Much of the time was spent in discussing how Marilyn Monroe had such a major effect on the continuing global transformation of the planet. Her particular type of sensuality with innocence could only exist in a mostly peaceful time that she immerged in, the late forties through early seventies. She became the global symbol of the American Dream for Women. Beautiful, Glamorous, Successful, Sexy and Talented.

So our goal is to create an inspiration web site, spread Aloha by launching Eileen’s signature style portrait of Marilyn and pay respect to her as an individual who rose to the top of the celebrity strata for being a complete woman in every sense.

Newspeak 'brainstorming' and New "Aloha Marilyn"

2009-04-29T00:05:00.000-07:00

We're continually on the search for unique art editions and mediums for publishing and licensing Eileen Borgeson's "Aloha Marilyn" (inspired by Tom Kelly's 'Red Velvet' photo session in 1949 with 22 year old Marilyn Monroe), and we especially like our latest 'artist proof' (see image) created just last Sunday with Peter Sieg of Maalea Press in Hilo, Hawaii (http://www.maaleapress.net/). We've printed three 'Marilyns' on canvas each with it's own background color, bordered in black. She's seductive, alluring yet she keeps that 'appple pie innocence'look.

This morning we had a conference call arranged by Carol Eisenrauch and Julie 'Surfer' Sweetwood of Hurrah Marketing (http://www.hurrahmarketing.com/) between Eileen Borgeson & myself and Andreea Prichea & Erik Montovano of Newspeak. They're a creative agency that works on Identity design, Motion design, Editorial design, Print design, Web design plus Short films, Music videos and HD Video editing(http://www.newspeak.tv/). Quite the versatile organization.

We discussed 'teaming' with Newspeak in a synergistic collaboration to launch the 'Fine Art and Holographic Creative Services' of Eileen's and mine this June 16-18 at the PromaxBDA International Conference and Awards Show in NYC. Promax's "Muse of Creativity" Award to be given at this event was sculptured by Eileen and licensed to them to use as their own 'Oscar'. The Promax Muse Award is presented at other separate award shows and conferences throughout the year in eight territories, which include: Africa, Arabia, Asia, Australia, Europe, India, Latin America and United Kingdom.

PromaxBDA's Conference is the world's largest entertainment marketing, promotion and design event attracting industry leaders and executives from top television networks, cable channels, local stations, station groups, distribution, syndication, media and creative agencies, design and emerging media.

We will be placing a full page ad in the Summer/PromaxBDA Conference issue of Brief Magazine (global entertainment/information industry magazine) along with web banner ads and email blasts.

Eileen and I have decided we'd both like to win one of her Promax Muse Award statues through a 'E-HoloGram' print campaign in one of the different Promax print award catagories. Newspeaks has the experience, energy and creative juices to help us realize this dream.

Holography is rapidly becoming the medium of choice from impactive communication to creating future quantum nano-computers. Eileen tweaks the holographic expression to deliver not only a powerful message but to create timeless (as well as historic) pieces of art. Eileen has worked with several holographers and holographic laboratories to create a vast array of different holographic images of her sculptures including Athena (which was presented to two retiring female heads of the FAA) as well as the Space Industry award icon, the Muse of Flight.

Today we received a package from Kizzie Suriel and Joe Famosa of Vacumet. They've sent us a variety of Holographic samples we're considering using for the potential holographic "Aloha Marilyn Monroe" art editions, E-HoloGrams and magazine covers. Vacumet produced the Rolling Stones Magazine and TV Guide holographic covers.

Gallery Hopping with Marilyn Monroe and Michael Jordan Hologram

2009-04-28T00:21:00.000-07:00

Martina (left) and artist Eileen (right) with larger-than-life "Aloha Marilyn Monroe" Portrait.

After rising to the sounds of the tropical birds in our jungle hide-a-way, Eileen Borgeson and I drove to the Kona side of the island to The Gallery (http://www.thegalleryhwv.com/) at the Hilton Waikoloa Village and met with Martina Stephens, the gallery director. Carolyn Chase, of the Chase and Hanes Gallery in Hilo arranged the meeting and she and Peter Sieg of Maalea Press (http://www.maaleapress.net/) joined us in the adventure. Carol and Martina are long time friends and used to work together at this Gallery so it was a casual and informal visit which very much included the Aloha spirit.

We viewed various art editions of Eileen's, including: several different "Aloha Marilyn Monroe" giclee prints-one larger than life and one with 3 images of Marilyn with different colored backgrounds- bronze sculptures (Ascention Bronze and the Muse of Creativity Bronze/AKA: Promax Muse Award) and "Astroid embossed Hologram" (an E-HoloPrint card produced by Letterhead Press - http://www.letterheadpress.com/).

We also looked at several holograms from my collection, including: Sports Illustrated's Holographic "Michael Jordon" Cover and a projected digital holographic mini-movie of a face morphing/opening into the muscles and the skeleton. Very cool.

The Gallery had one of the most extensive and stunning displays of original art by local Big Island Artists. It's sad that this 'economical adjustment' we're going through has had it's effects on some areas of the art market...especially affecting the artists that are creating such amazing imagery. This is certainly the time to acquire art with the prices lowered by the artist reflecting their sensitivity to the current economic climate.

Next, down the street to the Genesis Galleries in the Kings Shops Waikoloa and Queens Market Place where we briefly met with Vera Kirkpatrick, who, with her husband John, own their three galleries on the Kona side. Eileen was particularly taken by some of their unique museum quality and glass art pieces. The emerging and seasoned Glass artists are continually stretching the evelope of what's possible with the medium.

After that we drove from sunny Kona over the Saddle Road, which runs between Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa Volcanos to Hilo. The clouds cleared enough for us to see the observatories and some snow on the tops of both volcanoes. On our drive we brainstormed about the initial Hawaii launch of the "Aloha Marilyn Monroe" at Carolyn's gallery in Hilo the first part of May.

Found picture of Chuck Jones 83rd Birthday Present Presentation

2009-04-25T14:45:00.000-07:00

I came across some interesting pictures of a surprise birthday present presentation fourteen years ago for Chuck Jones’ 83rd at the Linda Jones (Chuck’s daughter) Enterprises’ gallery in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Craig Kausen, Chuck’s grandson, made the presentation of Eileen Borgeson and Butch Young's glass Luminaire of Chuck’s Michigan J. Frog, carved by Butch Young (Eileen’s close friend and ‘master blaster’.)

Craig is now president of Linda Jones Enterprises (LJE). LJE has worked in the past with Eileen and Butch creating art editions and custom art pieces in glass of some of Eileen's interpretations of Chuck’s art, including: “Grinch” portrait Luminaire, the “Fix It Up There” (Grinch) Luminaire, “Cindy Lou Who”, Luminaire, and “Grinch Chimney” (custom Luminaire) and Grinch (custom) Vase. (All carved by Butch also).

We keep in contact with Craig and spoke with him last Wednesday and Thursday. He suggested we create a blog. We have also discussed with him the potential of holographic art editions. Craig is an individual who is a real gem and asset in the fine art world. And everyone who knows him knows he comes from the heart.

"Aloha Marilyn Monroe" preparation for The Gallery at the Kona Hilton Hotel

2009-04-25T13:51:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Eileen Borgeson worked on two mixed-media "Aloha Marilyn Monroe" orginals (full body and close-up) incorporating a high resolution digital print with oils, watercolors and pastels. She worked on the patio of our rented jungle cottage (no windows, only huge screens) from Cynthia "Lahi" Verschuur through Craigslist. Her cottage is surrounded by jungle adding the element and inspiration of ultra nature to Eileen's art piece. "Lahi" is a video producer/director as well as hula dancer/marimba player/surfer residing in SeaView.

We are preparing for an art presentation Monday at The Gallery in the Hilton Waikoloa Village Resort on the Kona side of the Big Island arranged by Carolyn Chase owner of the "Chase and Hanes Gallery" in Hilo, Hawaii who will be with us. Peter Sieg of Maalea Press, also in Hilo, will also be with us. Peter is co-publishing the Digital "Aloha Marilyn Monroe" with us on his state-of-the-art German scanner and printer. This equipment is the same used by the Smithsonian and The Louvre.

Aloha Marilyn Monroe Holographic Mag Cover

2009-04-24T15:29:00.000-07:00

Presently located in a cute cottage in Seaview on the Big Island for a few days with artist, Eileen Borgeson. Been discussing several approaches to offer Eileen's "Aloha Marilyn Monroe" as a holographic magazine cover.

"Aloha Marilyn Monroe" is Eileen's idealization of the famous and iconic Marilyn Monroe image which was taken during a photo session by photographer Tom Kelly on May 27th, 1949 almost 60 years ago. Images from this session were published in Playboy's first magazine and the concept later became their Centerfold.

Eileen has worked with other artists, their estates and companies idealizing their art and creating fine art editions of the works. These artists and companies, include: Erte (considerated the Father of Art Deco), John Lennon, Chuck Jones, Maxfield Parrish, Nagel, Robert Hoppe, Otsuka, Muramasa Kudo, Disney and Warner Bros.). Eileen's website is: http://www.eileenborgeson.com/.

Eileen has created many different art editions using many different holographic techniques. She has produced several E-HoloPrints, including: Virtual Adventurer, Astroid, Guardian Angels with Earth and Guardian Angels for A&E Magazine's March 2008 Cover for their 20th year anniversary.

Our collaborative holographic magazine cover of Aloha Marilyn Monroe will be mixed-media and incorporate various holographic printing techniques. Some articles on my involvement in Holography can be referenced at www.Holographics.com.