I’m Irish, from Belfast. I went to St. Malachy’s grammar school during the 1980s. In the 90s, I dabbled with higher education before starting to write and draw my own comics. I then moved into
designing e-learning for a number of years before becoming an animator and designing games. Currently, I’m a freelance visual artist living in London.
I can trace my interest back to investing in the Kickstarter for the Oculus DK1 VR headset. I knew there were 360 stereo panoramas of Mars and I wanted to experience the sensation of standing on the
surface of another planet. It did not disappoint. It was a visceral experience, in spite of the limited resolution and lack of color. I soon discovered a wealth of resources in the form of
Emily Lakdawalla’s articles on The Planetary Society and the forums at Unmannedspaceflight.com. That led directly to HiRISE and a severe addiction to data storage solutions...those file sizes are tough on the
bank balance! I was so impressed with the datasets I decided to create a series of high resolution 4K videos, akin to an aerial flyby. The HiRISE website was instrumental in providing a user
friendly portal to access the data. (Above: Marathon Valley, Endeavour Crater)
My tools: I use Photoshop for 2D work as well as batch processing frames for animation. I use 3DS Max and Blender for 3D work. I use After Effects, Premiere and Audition for video. I also use a plethora of plugins
for each software stack as well as numerous apps for specific tasks. I’m always testing new methods and love trying out new software. (Above: Arabia Terra)
I’ve been interested in astronomy since being introduced to the concept watching Ann Druyan & Carl Sagan’s Cosmos TV series. It was a welcome distraction from the civil war raging in Belfast during the 1980s.
Making content with HiRISE data has sparked a new chapter in my creative expression, bringing datasets to life through mosaics, animations, VR experiences and short films set to music. HiRISE is a fantastic
endeavor and an excellent introduction to discovering Mars. The website is invaluable and in my opinion, the best of its kind. (Above: A Postcard from Mars: Mojave Crater)
