*************

* Romantic
* Passionate
* Creative
* Talented
* Artistic
* Intelligent
* Educated
* Ambitious
* Driven
* Loyal
* Sincere
* Compassionate


INTRO:


************* I'm a creative and passionately driven renaissance man. I work as a creative director & professional beauty photographer in downtown Los Angeles and I also serve as CEO of my own commercial studio. As a stereotypical Leo who also happens to be left-handed, I lean quite heavily toward the exciting world of creative art. I'm a huge fan of early Hollywood and that romantically glamorous period between 1920 & 1940. I'm also a character designer and a great admirer of the art and business of character merchandising.

************* I maintain a wide variety of interests along with a deep and insatiable hunger for knowledge. I tend to keep myself busy most of the time as I'm usually engaged in matters of business concerning my studio. In my spare time you might find me reading a book or trade magazine, studying or developing new techniques in studio lighting & digital composition, designing or developing a new character, creating visuals for the web, composing or practicing a musical tune on my electric guitar, researching something of interest on the internet, or maybe watching something educational or newsworthy on YouTube or late night TV (e.g. History Channel, Science Channel, Biography, Discovery, Learning Channel, PBS, CNN, MSNBC, etc).

************* I draw a great deal of inspiration from the Far East and the early greats of the Hollywood Silver Screen. There are a few names in particular that have left in me a deep imprint in how I view the world from a creative vantage point. Max Factor and George Hurrell along with the great Tim Burton captivated my mind early on and were the main forces that lead me to pursue a life behind the still camera. The roaring 1920's and the tantalizing precode era of the early 1930's inspired me tremendously with the sensuality & allure of soft focus. For me, this truly glorious period in film history brought forth an amazing array of visual elegance and style. Hollywood Screen Stars such as Anna May Wong, Mae Busch, Clara Bow, Louise Brooks, and Colleen Moore became immortalized in celluloid and were the visual eye candy that began to shape and mold the foundation of my artistic aspirations.

************* Coco Chanel and the ushering in of the Art Deco movement also captured my imagination. The fashion world is so undeniably influential to the mind of a young artist that it's virtually impossible not to succumb to it. Fashion designers such as Christian Dior, Valentino, Givenchy, and Versace along with Anna Sui and Vera Wang became monoliths in my world. And then there's the exotic Far East. Perhaps not so exotic to a natural born native but to an impressionable guy like me it can only be summed up into one simply dynamic word; BREATHTAKING! There's just no other way for me to describe it. The amazing kaleidoscope of design styles that originate out of Hong Kong, Shanghai, and Tokyo City are so elegantly mesmerizing and so beautifully captivating that they have forever transformed my visual senses in ways that I have only begun to know.

************* In the realm of the animated film there is none other than the great Walt Disney and the incomparable genius of Ub Iwerks. Through their amazing talents and creative vision they taught me like so many others the rudimentary aesthetics of great character design. Shintaro Tsuji, the celebrated founder of SANRIO & the revolutionary KAWAII movement of Japan, along with the VOOZ Corporation of Korea, and the more recent TOKIDOKI Corporation, have also served me as sources of great inspiration. I owe much of myself to these great icons of popular culture and vow my respects to their creative mastery and success in the field of commercial design. In fact, it was Shintaro Tsuji along with Disney that inspired me to pursue art as a business rather than a casual pastime.

************* Well, if you've managed to come this far you might say that I'm a bit of an old fashioned guy. And perhaps in some ways you could be right. But being old fashioned isn't always a bad thing. There are many wonderful things to behold and discover from our past. Things that can enrich our lives in a meaningful and positive way. They have certainly enriched mine and for that I will be forever grateful. For these things have made me who I am and who I will always aspire to be. They are my true passions.



MOST COMPATIBLE WITH:

* Feminine Ladies
* Passionate Ladies
* Business Professionals (Entrepreneurs / Owners / Managers / Sales Professionals)
* White Collar Professionals (Accountants / Lawyers / Consultants / Financial Advisors)
* Creative Professionals (Artists / Designers / Photographers / Musicians / Writers)
* Beauty Industry Professionals (Hair Designers / Makeup Artists / Stylists / Fashion Designers)
* Web Industry Professionals (Web Programmers / Web Designers)
* Educated Intellectuals
* Sweet & Compassionate Souls
* Humanitarians
* Health Conscious Individuals
* Early Hollywood Fans
* Disney & Sanrio Fans


LEAST COMPATIBLE WITH:

* Republicans
* Dog Owners
* Gun Owners
* Tomboys
* Party Animals
* Smokers
* Drinkers
* Drug Users
* Thrillseekers
* Hyperactive / Rowdy & A.D.D. Prone Individuals
* Fickle & Capricious Individuals
* Rap & Country Music Fans
* TV Fans Of NFL / NASCAR / WWF


MUSICAL TASTES:

* EZ Listening / Romantic Ballads
* Jazz / Swing / Ragtime / Classical
* International Music
* Movie Soundtracks / Instrumentals
* Rock N' Roll Oldies
* 60's British Invasion
* 70's Disco
* 80's New Wave / Synth Pop / Glam
* Trance / Techno / Electronica
* New Age / Ambient Moods
* CJKTV-POP (China-Japan-Korea-Taiwan-Vietnam)


FAVORITE MUSICAL ACTS:

* BEATLES
* DAVE CLARK FIVE
* BEE GEES
* ABBA
* BLONDIE
* GO-GO's
* U2
* FLOCK OF SEAGULLS
* THE CURE
* THE ALARM
* THE OUTFIELD
* SODA STEREO
* BILLY IDOL
* PETE BURNS (DOA)
* GREEN DAY
* AFI
* BEAU HUNKS
* SINATRA
* TOM JONES


FAVORITE FILM STARS:

* CHARLIE CHAPLIN
* HAROLD LLOYD
* BUSTER KEATON
* LAUREL & HARDY
* LUCILLE BALL

* ANNA MAY WONG
* CLARA BOW
* LOUISE BROOKS
* COLLEEN MOORE
* MAE BUSCH

* LON CHANEY SR.
* EDWARD G. ROBINSON
* JAMES CAGNEY
* JOHNNY DEPP

* GONG LI
* ZIYI ZHANG


Thanks for stopping by and feel free to send a friendly hello if you get the chance.

-REX