The annals of Malena – 20 years later

“20 years ago I began a trip of creativity to discover the story and the images behind a mysterious desert warrior-maiden. She had been born from a boyhood dream, and had a different name all together.

I gave her a name based on a couple of words that I had discovered in a Sanskrit dictionary – Tears in Dust, and from that emerged a wholly different character with a new story.

JRR Tolkien himself said “It gives me great pleasure, a good name. I always in writing start with a name. Give me a name and it produces a story, not the other way about normally.”

Ashra Malena has been with me since 1976. She was the subject of my first “breakaway” piece of artwork using computers – “Desert Rescue”. I used Metacreations Bryce and Poser software then – considered as ground-breaking for their time.

I wrung every bit of capacity out of the software and let my discoveries, (and boundries of my creativity) lead me to develop the “Annals of Malena”.

Two decades have passed since 1999 and a lot of water has passed under the bridge. Computers are far more powerful – and cheaper – and software has developed in quantum leaps that allows a daring soul to do what was only dreamed of in 1999.

I couldn’t let time consign Ashra Malena to the realm of reminisces. I had to use the tools I had to hand, Wacom Tablets, DAZ Studio, Affinity Photo, Blender and 3D-Coat will lend a hand in the rediscovery of the “Annals of Malena – 20 Years later”