Whenever I talk about computer graphics software, my obvious love of Bryce invariably comes up. Having been hired by MetaCreations to create Bryce imagery for their use (see the Seven Wonders Gallery), one might suspect that my enthusiasm for Bryce was related to being in their employ. It isn't. My enthusiasm for Bryce started on day one of my using it, continued while I worked for MetaCreations, and continues now that I'm once again a freelance artist. Everything I say about Bryce I say from the heart, and will continue to say regardless of where my career goes or what other software I learn to use.

And please do not think anything I say is an opinion of MetaCreations. These opinions are mine alone, so if I say anything you disagree with or are offended by, please blame me alone.

All those predictions about the life as we know it crashing as the Y2K magic hour passed were exaggerated, but I had a miniature version of Y2K disaster in my life nonetheless. In early January, I closed the first Munns Gallery and left my home of 6 years in less than storybook fashion. 

I was actually surprised how many Internet acquaintances noticed and shared their regrets for the closing of the gallery. It was a very lonely period and those notes were sometimes the few rays of sunlight in my bleak world back then. But of course, I'm not the first to deal with difficulties in life, and others survive and mend the course of their lives. So that's what I've been doing this past year. 

Things are better now. And I'm pleased to welcome you back to Version Two of the Munns Gallery. It's a little different this time, focusing on the essentials and not so much on the peripherals. All of my old work is back, and there's a nice gallery of newer things too. The old tutorials are back, plus several new ones. And I plan to continue developing more as time goes on. 

My trusted and talented Webmaster, Cheryl Boswell, is back, and I can say with absolute assurance that you have her, as much as me, to thank if you like this gallery. 

The gallery is no longer a shrine to the "100% pure Bryce" school of digital art. It's now down to maybe 99%, or even lower. I've branched out to work with Lightwave, 3D Studio Max, and briefly, Maya, plus Photoshop. My Recent Works gallery reflects this. I still use Bryce far more heavily, creatively and enthusiastically than just about anybody, but now it's as a companion to the other high end programs. This is reflected in my new tutorials, which describe my ideas and processes along these lines. 

Interestingly, in the 3D Studio Max Web boards, I was finally introduced to the Bryce Detractors I'd been hearing about so often, when somebody playfully started a message thread about best and worst software, and I was outnumbered 5 to my one against Bryce. It made me realize, more than anything, how subjective our appraisals of any software are, and how much people actually disagree on that overused adjective "intuitive."

And I have come to appreciate far more fully how the digital industries collectively have lost their perspective on talent and tools. The emphasis is always on the software you know and not on how well you've mastered the software you prefer, despite that being the truest measure on who is merely good and who is truly great. It's a topic I hope to expand on in a future opinion piece.

But now, I simply wanted to welcome you to the new gallery. To those of you who enjoyed the other gallery and expressed regret that they couldn't find it, I thank you for your interest and hope you'll enjoy this one as much. To those of you coming to this gallery anew, welcome, and please feel free to tell me how you like it. And I wanted to say thanks to Gunther Berkus of Bryce Alive for hosting my Braj Mahal images and tutorials when I had no home for them.

It's nice to be back. : )