I'm not dead....

I understand that I haven't really posted here since 2007, and that you DO NOT do that online these days, and I would like to sincerely apologize to those of you who legitimately worried about me. 

To try to explain something complicated simply: we'll just go with the simple fact that during my senior year at RISD, I underwent a rather large "course correction," during which I changed my major focus from concept or fantasy illustration to academic and informative illustration (with a focus on natural history) and museum art fabrication. This was precipitated by the rather nasty experience of my father's relapse with cancer, subsequent bone marrow transplant and difficult recovery. I spent my senior year with my nose to the grindstone (making a specific targeted portfolio), and withdrawing from many parts of my life before that.

Since then my work has been so different that I've been unsure whether or not it had a place among my previous more whimsical works (or on deviantart at all), and my new focus absorbed my full attention to the point that I simply walked away from online self-promotion in favor of joining a team and making real, physical work. 

I am now a principle artist working for a museum art production company here in Minneapolis, Minnesota--Blue Rhino Studio. We produce artwork for museums, zoos, aquariums, visitor/nature/history and cultural centers around the country. I'm part of a small (but mighty!) team of talented people, who I enjoy working with every day (for the most part). The sculptures, dioramas, models, displays, exhibits etc that we produce are usually a product of the team as a whole, so much so, that I have a hard time finding parts that I feel the right to claim individual responsibility for, and thus have not posted much of my current work anywhere online (although I consistently work 40-50 hours/week).

I'm considering posting some things to deviantart again, as I have some personal projects (crafts, sketches, random stuff) that I am doing on the side that I think could belong here. If you get a chance to check out the studio's page or some of these other links, I'd be interested in getting feedback as to whether this type of collaborative work could/should be posted to deviantart (with company watermarks/explanations of my part), or if it just belongs on the company site. 

I am also thinking of posting to tumblr, twitter, or possibly blogspot with current studio work, and I will post that info once I get my ducks in a row.

For now, you can find more information and my professional work:

At my personal site: www.bethzaiken.com

At Behance: www.behance.net/bzaiken

And at the Studio's page at www.rhinocentral.com,

.....as well as in museums, zoos, and visitor centers across the country.

If you'd like to get in contact with me, please use my gmail account (Bzaiken(at)gmail.com), or facebook at www.facebook.com/beth.zaiken