fwizard

@complicatedreality.com

129 Followers 44 Following

I'm Yamen, it rhymes with ramen. I make fractal art, write poems and stories, and create games and puzzles. See more of my work at complicatedreality.com

A photo of two occuloids on a shelf surrounded by books. Each occuloid is a sculpture made of laser cut brass, with a large eye that holds a glass marble (one is red, the other green) above eights wavy tentacle arms. They resemble squid in a surreal way.
This fractal design looks like a nest of pale blue wires holding 9 pink orbs, while glowing stars shimmer in the air. It looks chaotic and messy at first glance, but on closer inspection the wires follow a neat sine wave pattern and the orbs are arranged in a distorted hyperbolic tiling. The design feels calm, but magical, maybe even a bit whimsical.
A video panning across a long line of metal poetry cards, each showing a fractal pattern engraved on the face up side. There's approximately 60 of them, but most are only partially visible as the stack has been spread in a line.
An image of a crooked banch resting on top of a shallow pool of water. A poem is written out on the left side, which reads: Ask a rascal, answer's easy: There's magic in the sticks. Every fallen branch? Enchanted. Better pick one quick! This one's faster, this one's stronger this one's got a crook. Each is pointed to adventure better than a book! Some will try to take them home, from nature, power borrowed. But wiser wizards let them lie and find new ones tomorrow!
A time lapse video of a laser project. The laser etches and cuts a dragon coiled in a hexagonal spiral.
A video of Yamen, wearing his wizard hat, holding up a sheet of brass. He explains that he will teach viewers how to make a magic mushroom out of brass. The camera changes to a new perspective, looking down on the brass from above. Yamen explains that he is using a metal ruler as a wand, and working in metric, but says it's fine to use other measurement systems if they work better for you. Then he instructs to hold the shape of the mushroom in your mind, and tap the brass three times. On the third tap, he says a magic word (vazook) and the camera cuts with a flash of white. Still looking at the brass, the ruler is lifted to reveal a mushroom shape cut from it. Yamen explains that the shape arrives "planted", but it can be popped out and flipped over. When he does that, we see an intricate fractal design engraved along the surface. He encourages viewers to try it themselves, and asks if there are any other shapes they'd like to see.
A photo of four metal pendants, each with a fractal pattern engraved on the surface. The pendants are anodized steel with a rainbow effect.
A photo of an iridescent metal pendant with a swirling fractal design around the words "An if is a dream, but only until a dreamer gives wonder a small bit of will". The pendant sits on a soft purple blanket and has a black necklace string attached.
A colorful fractal design with knots of yellow energy threaded in intricate patterns through a neon pink and orange grid pattern. Shapes repeat on themselves as the knots tangle, and the whole thing looks vaguely like the threading on the back of a corset.
A short, close up video of a laser engraved steel "dog tag" charm. The steel has been anodized, creating a "holographic" rainbow effect, and an abstract fractal design has been etched onto both sides. On one side, the words "These Puzzling Times Need Curious Minds" can be read in the center of the design. On the back, a careful look reveals the Complicated Reality logo hidden in the design near the bottom.
This boisterous fractal theme looks like a neon eye with a hexagonal pupil, made of electric yellow, orange, blue and white filaments, against a chaotic swirl of purple and pink vapors. It feels like if the Eye of Sauron dressed up for a rave, piercing and brilliant, if a little ominous.
A photo of Yamen wearing a fancy partial cloak with hood. The cloak extends only just past his shoulders, and features many different occult images like skulls, eyes, hands, cards, and alchemical symbols, all in gold on black. Yamen is smiling like he just figured out a secret
A video showing a black metal business card with a poem engraved onto it, resting on top of a curled hand. The poem is recited out loud, then the card is flipped like a coin with a satisfying metallic clang. When it settles on the dark surface below, the back side is face up, revealing an intricate fractal design.
Two Chaos Coins. One says "Cleave" with an image of an axe swinging in a large arc. The other says "Manic Mallard", with a depiction of a duck. Around the rim of each, text reads "Carry Chaos Coins with caution, Fate's a fickle friend. Destined to save desperate days, or supply silly ends." The opposite sides of these coins are in the next photo.
An image containing a cryptic clue: "early amphibians play short record with endless detail (7)" in white text against a dark background with a repeating geometric pattern in dim gold lines. The bottom of the image labels it as "Complicated Cryptics #1", and the Complicated Reality logo is stamped in the lower right corner.
The front of a laser etched business card for Complicated Reality, featuring an intricate fractal design that weaves around a central logo.
This fractal design is both bright and subdued, like viewing a sunset from inside a tall forest. Three focal points make shimmering flower shapes in orange, red, with white loops dancing between them. It feels serene and quiet, but also vivid and undying.
This fractal design is focused on a glassy marble shape impacting the inside of a circular tunnel. The tunnel is made of tightly packed, parallel arcs in orange and blue. The orange reflects around the edges of the marble, and four small shockwaves fly out from the impact location. The design feels energetic and fast.
A video of Yamen wearing his wizard hat, reciting this poem: Sometimes fine means you could use a pick me up, and sometimes tired just means you're dehydrating. Sometimes hungry just means you need to stand up, and sometimes tired just means you're digesting Sometimes hope means choosing how to give up, and sometimes tired just means you're still debating. Sometimes yes means your mind's not made up, and sometimes tired just means disinteresting. Sometimes giving in means you keep your head up, and sometimes tired just means procrastinating. Sometimes truth means there's a pattern to pick up: you're going to get tired, don't skimp out on resting.
This fractal design has three D20 elements superimposed into the center of three different hexagonal vorticies, as though the rolling dice created a strange tornado around it. The dice and their corresponding vorticies all descend in a sweeping arc from the upper left corner, giving the impression of a broad dice rolling motion. The fractal elements shine in electric blues and oranges, with frosty blue storm clouds in the background. It feels energetic and powerful, like watching God roll dice in a thunderstorm.
This fractal design resembles two abstract eyes. One is smaller on the left, the other on the right is about six times larger. Both feature an orange flower shape reflecting in a dark pupil. Instead of a white sclera, there's a crossing line pattern around the edge of each eye, like veins that are far too orderly. Where the eyelids would be, the edges of each eyeball shape erupt with fiery orange and red. The whole piece has a strained, "can't look away" feeling.
A video of Yamen wearing his wizard hat, reciting this poem: Like nothing I have seen before. A flattened world, glowing door. A dungeon full of horror galore and a cat I saw on the second floor. I've seen her on the wrapup show, I don't know how she got below. Things explode when the eyes glow of that cat I saw on the second floor. On the fourth, I'm falling back. Damn this subway, where's the map? She paved the way, I gave my hat to that cat I saw on the second floor. I've heard her talk, I've heard her sing, from atop that raptor thing. I see the guild that's gathering by that cat I saw on the second floor. Crawlers don't descend to ten. So if on nine I meet my end? Know I'd die and die again, for that cat I saw on the second floor.
A light-hearted flyer with the headline "Flat hat got you down?" followed by a photo of Yamen wearing a wizard hat with the cone flattened down and drooping back. A paragraph reads "It may not be easy to talk about, but most wizard hats lose stiffness with age. It's normal, and there's no shame in getting a little help. Here's a trick I learned at wizard camp. There's a photo of a hand holding a blue plastic cup above an upturned wizard hat, followed by another showing the same cup tucked into the cone of the hat. A paragraph reads "Tuck an empty cup into the cone. It might take a little adjustment to get it to sit comfortably, but a lightweight cup makes it pretty easy." A final photo shows Yamen wearing the hat again. The cone is much taller, but still has a little bit of curve towards the tip. A final paragraph reads "Just like that, a taller, firmer hat with just enough tilt to maintain its character. An average haberdashery charges as much as 15 silver for a permanent alteration like this, but you can get the same effect with a cheap cup you probably already have!
This fractal design has a trail of white vents receding towards the dark horizon. From the tips of the vents, silky tan lines of vapor twist up into the midnight blue sky. Small fairy shapes zip between the smoky rings.
A tense, conflicted fractal design. A central starbust shape in neon pink, with arms that form loops with dramatic curves, and a wiry technical texture. But all around, a swarm of dark shadows flit about and stain the otherwise bright composition. Some of the shadowy shapes seem to pierce into the center of the starburst, but it's still keeping its structure for now. The design evokes a feelings of weathering a storm, uncertain futures, and maybe a hint of rebellious defiance.
A photo of Orbit, a nearly white Husky Pitbull mix with short hair. He's standing on a large bed, looking to one side with a goofy smile.
A warm, vibrant fractal with swooshes of glowing orange energy that heats up to yellow in tense spots and cools to a mysterious magenta at certain sharper corners. The bands of energy form complicated flower-like knots as they meet.
A fractal design with elements that resembled a jungle canopy with orange flowers, and a skull mask shape looming above.
A short video of two dice being rolled into a wooden dice tray with blue leather on the rolling surface. The leather has been laser marked in a fractal design with a contrasting black burn.
A video showing off a new product, a dice pouch full of gaming accessories. The pouch has a rainbow fractal design on the outside, and a zipper on top. It's a bit larger than a dollar bill, about 9x5 inches. Inside, there's a d20 set of 7 matching dice, plus an extra d12 (for Daggerheart), two extra d6 (for 3d6 systems like GURPS), a notepad, a novelty pen shaped like a sword, two metal coins, ten auxiliary tokens with fractal designs, and a device that fits between two fingers and works kind of like chopsticks. The video shows the chipstick device being used to pick up and move game tokens while your fingers are dirty with snacks.
A short video of two engraved coins in a hand, rocking back and forth to show their reflectivity. The top coin has a more golden color and the details are a bit less sharp. The bottom coin almost has a mirror shine to it, and the details are very sharp and clear.
A wallet with a fractal design etched into the surface.
Two brass coins with busy fractal designs engraved into them.
An engraved brass coin with a fractal design that resembles waves rippling in a perfectly square pool of water.
A photo of 8 round metal tins, about 4" wide each and 1.5" tall, arranged on a table. Each has a different fractal pattern laser etched onto the lid.
A short video showing a circular leather ornament with an shiny iridescent layer. Parts of each side have been marked with a laser, reducing the iridescence to a flat white color. One side has a fractal mandala design, the other has the words "All is full of love".
A collection of 9 small, round aluminum containers with screw on lids. Each lid is decorated with a laser engraved design. Most are fractals, a few have sayings like "All is Full of Love", "Curiosity is the flower, Comprehension is the sun", and "The only way out is through". Each container is a bit larger than 1 inch in diameter.
A display shelf with six colorful fractal prints on aluminum for $30 each.
Two stainless steel hexagons with the same fractal design engraved into each. The design is upside-down on the left, and right-side-up on the right. In the design, two focus points spiral out with wedge shaped bands from either side, and their interference creates the illusion of a mushroom shape.
A brass coin with an intricately detailed fractal design that evokes the feeling of a large flower, like a sunflower with only 7 petals. Around the flower cascading shapes retreat into the design in a way resembling topographical maps.
Two brass coins with fractal engravings. One is a flowery mandala design with thin cascading lines telescoping out from the center. The other is an irregular, but orderly, grid pattern twisted around two focal points, like a netting of sacred geometry.
An engaged brass spin coin, with a black ball bearing embedded in the middle, surrounded by an eye shape pattern, and the saying from the start of this post.