January 15, 2022 - Artist Weekly

James Tralie on Understanding the World Through Art and Science

Artist Weekly Staff on January 15, 2022

Humans are curious by nature and often take great lengths in order to pursue answers and gain a deeper understanding of anything that piques their interest and fascination. Some interests turn into hobbies, while others manifest into a passion. The latter holds true for James Tralie.

Growing up, James has always been interested in space and astronomy. Seeing the rings of Saturn through the viewfinder of his dad’s telescope kindled the spark of thoughts he had for humanity’s place in the solar system. And thus, started James’ more profound need to understand and experience the science behind the cosmos.

His love for science came hand in hand with his love for art. When he got his first camera, James became infatuated with astrophotography, specifically capturing the Milky Way looming above the surrounding landscape.

James studied and graduated from Princeton University with a Bachelor of Arts in Geosciences. He worked hard to incorporate art into every project during his undergraduate research, including learning 3D and using it to map out the origins of tropical cyclones in the East Pacific. Combining his love for film and animation with his educational background in the field of science, James was able to develop multiple productions for freelance projects.

Now a Planetary Science Producer and Animator at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, James has mastered relaying complex scientific discoveries and missions to the public through engaging content. He works directly with scientists and engineers to explain the results of research and missions. His projects include producing and directing documentaries, animations, visualizations, and augmented reality (AR) content to promote planetary science missions. James has had the chance to work on anything—from a 360 video that places the viewer on the surface of an asteroid, to a comic book-style animation about the ionosphere of Mars.

In the midst of the pandemic and during the quarantine, James got into creating 3D environmental renders. Missing hiking outdoors and wanting to bring a piece of it indoors spawned his “Great Indoors” series, a collection of photographs that expresses his feelings of being trapped and longing for the ability to explore nature outside. The project is the reimagination of James’ favorite destinations pushing the boundaries of abstract interior spaces.

At the core of James’ works is the commitment to design relaxing spaces that transport viewers to a meditative, calming world. And in the hopes of imparting his technical ability and creativity, he also teaches the ins and outs of photorealistic lighting design in 3D renders through video tutorials that can be viewed in his YouTube account. Through this project, James explains how to block a scene out and sculpt the terrain through using a 3D software to evoke a sense of realism. The realism is influenced by several factors, including texturing, lighting, and randomness, to move the render away from looking too “perfect.”

Over the years, a number of James’ works, including films, documentaries, music videos, dramas, and animations, have been selected by international film festivals for screenings and awards. These accomplishments are a testament to his talent and continuous passion for his craft.Learn more about James Tralie and view his works by visiting his website. You can also check out his Instagram and YouTube accounts.

New North American Player in the Adhesive and Sealant Market Making Waves in a Well-Established Industry

Artist Weekly Staff on January 15, 2022

Businesses continue to spring up daily with different goals, milestones, and priorities. For many businesses, it is profit first for them, while for some, they put their customers first; and that’s a working strategy many new businesses have chosen to adopt. National Adhesive is one of the staunchest advocates for a customer-oriented approach to business, and as an adhesive, sealants, and tapes production company, its fresh approach to doing business has set it apart.

National Adhesive Inc. operates solely on the principle of understanding its customers’ needs. In furtherance of that principle, the company has launched a new knowledge-based interactive platform that fully informs customers what product to buy, how to use it, where to use it, and when to use it. Other factors that set National Adhesive Inc. apart are its wide range of products and the quality they deliver to customers.

With three years of experience in the USA adhesive market and 25 years of experience in the marketing industry, while working with an African partner for the last 25 years, National Adhesive Inc. strongly believes it has all the strategies it needs to improve customer experience on lock. A spokesperson for the company said, “We stand for making things easy. Everything we do revolves around that one statement and the questions we ask. How do we make it easier for our customers and provide flawless services to our customers? We are not an adhesive company; we are a marketing and customer focus company providing a solution to consumers in the adhesive and sealant market.”

National Adhesive Inc. has gained a lot of traction in North America, enough to place it in the league of the most prominent players. For the rest of the year and the next few months, its goal is to get its products stocked by the biggest retailers and departmental stores. The company also intends to get to a pole position where it can favorably compete with every major adhesive and sealant brand in the United States.

Entering a market and quickly rising to the top of the market are things that are not very common in business, but National Adhesive Inc. has gotten it right with its business model. Its customer-centric approach is also poised to get the company more customers and drive its growth in the multi-billion dollar industry.

Over the next few years, the directors at National Adhesive Inc. see the company doing millions in sales and gaining hundreds of thousands of customers in North America, Europe, and other parts of the world. “We have a strong passion for simplicity and making the process of buying and using our products hassle-free,” a spokesperson for the company said. “The level of growth we have enjoyed in the last three years have given us all the motivation we need to stick to our approach and improve as necessary as we proceed on this journey.”Learn more about National Adhesive Inc. on the company’s website.

Brantley Gilbert Gets to Honor Fallen Friends with Memorial Plaque

Artist Weekly Staff on January 15, 2022

Country singer Brantley Gilbert recently lost three different friends and US veterans from KIA, Cancer, and a work accident, and being able to honor them was something that touched the Til Valhalla Project and its founder Korey Shaffer personally.

Shaffer, a US veteran himself who originally started his company to help himself deal with the pain of trying to cope with the many losses he was dealing with from those fallen at war or back home from suicide, could relate to exactly what Brantley was going through.

“When I first started making plaques for families of Fallen Heroes, I would look around and watch the news for any recent Heroes to honor. My buddy Coleman had mentioned that Brantley Gilbert has lost several friends and that we should make a plaque for him. In Brantley’s song, “One Hell Of An Amen,” he shows the friends he has lost, and it spoke to me. So we built a single plaque to honor them all. Then, we took it to social media to find a way to get it home. One of his friends, Kyle, saw the post and said he would deliver the plaque to him. We sent them both shirts and the memorial plaque. The next thing I know, I’m working at my desk and I get a call from Brantley Gilbert thanking us for the plaque. We talked for a while and he told me about his friends and how he lost them. Then he said he was going to hang the plaque up in his cabin. All in all – he was a phenomenal person who went the extra mile for the Til Valhalla Project and we can’t thank him enough for it. Since then we have made great friends with Kyle and everyone is better because of it!”

Shaffer and his team at TVP, known for creating plaques free of charge for fallen soldiers, first responders and others for their families, put together a special item for Brantley to have.

Speaking to us here directly about hearing from Brantley after he received the plaque, Shaffer told us, “Having Brantley personally call me to say thank you was a surreal experience. It was an eye-opening moment when you realize that you don’t need to be a huge company to get a reaction from celebrities, just need to have good intentions and drive. Seeing that picture of him holding his memorial was insane to see something we worked so hard on in the hands of a celebrity!”

And while giving Brantley something to remember his friends by was a surreal moment, Shaffer doesn’t plan on stopping there. “We are upping our plaque production to 120 plaques a month this year (2022)! And going forward with other notable people, I would love to partner with Coffee Anderson because we use his music in all of our plaque delivery TikTok’s. My goal would be to have him help us deliver memorials nationwide.”

What Shaffer and his company are doing is truly extraordinary, and as Brantley recently said on social media after the passing of one of his friends, “Y’all be sure to hold the ones you love a little tighter and cherish the time you have together.”

One Hell Of An Amen to that!