Hey, thanks Marc! Sorry about the late reply, I was going to leave it for a day or so to see if anyone else posted any feedback, then forgot that I never replied 
This was definitely alot of fun. It was great to exercise my creativity and see how all the other talented artists here worked their own unique styles given the same constraints. It was also a great learning experience. I essentially went from zero knowledge of blender to what you see above. Given that about 3/4 of my time was spent learning, I’m thinking that come the next challenge, I will be able to put alot more time into the actual result and do a much better job.
I already can’t wait for the next one 
Thanks to all those that followed along and offered feedback and support!!
-Adam