Hi gang! Just thought I'd sneak this one in ahead of my regular Monday post. Some of you might recall the super cool and awesome Shang Chi commission my friend Ben did for me last year (also on my birthday). Ever since then, I've been thinking about what to get for my next commission. When the Buzz Lightyear movie was announced last year, I knew the decision had pretty much been made for me. Even though Ben did not work on Lightyear, he did work on Toy Story 3 and 4. So obviously he had a lot of experience with the character. After the film's release, I brought up the idea of getting a Buzz Lightyear piece as my next commission. Ben was excited at the prospect, but unfortunately, he was up to his neck on his current Pixar project. So he told me we would pick up the conversation after his schedule cleared. Again, if you recall with the Shang Chi, it was also requested before my birthday last year. At the time, Ben had also warned me of his crowded and hectic schedule, which could cause some delays. What I didn't know at the time was that he would be pushing aside any work that wasn't critical just to focus on my piece. I did not expect to see that piece for weeks (or maybe months) after my birthday, but he ended up giving it to me one day after. Sneaky bastard. Anyway, as you can see, he's done it again. As far as I know, his work project has not been completed. But once again, he took time out of his crazy schedule to not only complete this piece, but to also gift it to me. Yeah, I know. He for sure gets the Gold Medal in the "Nice Guy" Olympics. Thanks buddy!

Oh yeah, about the piece. Ben told me he was trying to get a combination of the toy Buzz (or Toy Story Buzz) and the "real life" Buzz from the new movie. So it's not exactly the familiar figure we all know. He's also been playing around with different types of zip (his new favorite art toy), and finally settled on the one he used for the figure of this piece. Not sure if my scan is good enough to allow you all to appreciate the subtle effect of the zip on the tones and textures of the piece. But in person, they are incredible. I also like how the gradual change of lighting from top to bottom, gives you that feel of him coming out of the darkness of space and into the light. What can I say? An incredible piece, and an incredibly generous gift, from one of the nicest people I've had the good fortune to meet in a while. THANKS BEN!

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