Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park - artist residency

I'm in Cypress Hills for a 3 week art residency. I arrived before the long week-end began, stopping first in Maple Creek to meet the organizer and to be given a tour and all the necessary forms.

This is the cabin that I get to use as a studio for the duration and where I'll hold classes.

Got wet? It was raining hard the first week-end. I had to unload a surprising amount of studio stuff and camping gear. It's amazing how much I can get into my Toyota Carolla.

More rain and cold weather means less campers and less people to attend my week-end classes. It'll give me time to settle in and get organized.

 Its a cosy little cabin. there are lights and electricity and a heat register if I need it. I 'm glad I brought an extra folding table it is already proving to be a necessity. I brought tons of things to work on and tons of art materials to use and instruct with.

Here si the classroom after a bit of my magic touch. I put a drop cloth down and hung my colorful prayer flags up. I dragged a big desk clear across the room which is where the tripod is seated for this shot with my new fish eye lens.

I decided, due to environmental factors and ease of cleaning, to NOT bring OIL paints. Instead I will be trying out tons of new acrylic materials because of their easy of clean up with water and quickness in drying. Here I've pried two stretched canvases and made some test panels to try out new neon colors, interference and iridescent paints as well as textured grounds in a variety of applications.

Here is a 3d lettered sign I began as a classroom example beside the cabin window.

Late last night I went to this Yurt/ Observatory for an astronomy presentation  with technical difficulties and glitches being the first of the season but none the less informative. Plus the clouds decided not to cooperate. I met the Astronomer in Residence and saw Saturn thru the large telescope in a way that made me fill like a kid again. Plus I always love yurts, they are so cool!

 As Artist in Residence I have been given a camp stall in the "war lodge" campground. There was a vintage camper waiting for me. This is camping luxury. It has two power outlets and an operating mini fridge. The sink and etc. dot have water and the stove doesn't work but its a warm shelter with cupboards etc. Much better than just tenting it.

I dumped all my stuff and started to get my camp settled. I still put up my Henessey hammock and found other uses for the cooler. The weather has turned gorgeous so I'm off to enjoy it and feed the mosquitoes. There is so much to do and see here, from mini golf and canoeing, to zip lines and hiking. I nearly forgot to mention that there is an ice cream shop below the studio that is way too conveniently placed and extremely tempting. I may come back fat!

I hope 3 weeks is enough to help me unwind after the past year. Tomorrow and the few following days I'm going to get out biking and hiking in the days to take pics then make work in the studio until dinner time when I'll return to my camp and stare mindlessly into a fire until I feel like sleeping.

IN THE BEGINNING........ SPECIAL THANKS TO GENEROUS SUPPORTES OF CREATIVITY LIKE YOU!!!

My "In the Beginning" animation is finished and up on video but only for private viewers like you who were so generous in supporting our Calgary Animated Objects Society conflict/resolution invest YYC campaign.

 

Thank you!!

Ashley Bristowe, David Quiichini, Kate Monaghan, James Murphy, Isabelle Kadyn, Marilyn Field, Angela Inglis, Jake Mulyk, Emiko Muraki, Karen Ball, Colin Jackson, Patricia Glenn, Brenda Lieberman, Sharon Stevens, Gina Georgousis, Michal Lavi, Alane Smith, Carol Beecher, Charlie Johnson, David Nicholls, Jim Button, Jessica Barker, Sharon Watkins, Gina Georgousis, Charlie Johnson, Xstine Cook, Jana Lait, Shawna Quinn and Janet Perlman. 

Got Nerd?!

Even just a little bit?

Warning: 
Exposing yourself to nerd may be dangerous as it known to be contagious in the State of California, viewer discretion is advised. 

Click here, but remember, you've been warned!

Last week I posted a Lego Star wars B-wing Starfighter assembly time lapse animation.  I added the Millennium Falcon kit to my collection. I had to pay full price and choose this kit because of it's classic appeal and multiple mini figures. It has a Darth Vader, Obi Wan, Princess Leia, Han Solo, Chewbacca and of course, Luke Skywalker.  I have so much fun putting these together that I just have to share. I  love Lego!  Enjoy my 1 min. stop motion animation.

PS: if anyone has any Lego they want to send to a loving home, I have open arms eagerly waiting and ready for Lego donations, wink, wink.  =;D

FULL SPECTRUM ARTS COLLECTIVE PHOTO OPP

Well we all got together at Quickdraw Animation Society for our final extended studies class as well as some past students, some students from the Tue night class and some new prospects for our upcoming animation nights in the summer. The full spectrum crew happened to be in the same place and time again since our Wreck City installation so we had a chance to take a couple of pics of the group together.

 From left to right front to back in an "M" shape:
Bruce Robertson, Ola Birch, Jordan Hollenbeck, Jennifer Buggins, Brian Batista, Sabrina Zbinden, Chris Jones, Keelin Baldwin and Eric Smith.

 Thoughtful pose.

 Animation frustration.

 The point, showing you the love, and at least one duck face.

I'm not really sure what is happening here.

If there ws any doubt.....

today may it be put to rest (on May the Sith, as if May the Fourth wasn't enough, it is still STAR WARS celebration day the extended version) I am a complete NERD!

I decided to combine a few of my favorite things Media art and Animation (time lapse) Lego and Star Wars. I went to the Lego store in Chinook Mall (yeah, that's dangerous, I didn't even know we had a Lego store..............future addict right here, got myself a V.I.P card) It just so happened that they had a May the Fourth special on. They were giving away free Han Solo Lego figures with any purchase over $75 and there was a LEGO B-wing Starfighter (10227) kit on sale for 50% off. regular $250. Need I say more?!

Here I am happy as a clam.

I time lapse photographed my Lego ckit assembly and post it on You Tube with some music, sorry no After Effects laser beams and light saber etc. added, that would be going a little too far! lol. =:D
I have access to some old VHS copies of the original Star Wars and watched episode V & VI back to back. while I put together the 1487 Lego pieces. Check it out below.

I was surprised when opening the box that it was just full of numbered bags full of pieces and also bags within bags. I remember older kits when I was growing up having vacuum formed plastic trays you can organize and fit the pieces into. I recycled all the plastic bags which is a great bonus. I am going to keep the box for future moves and maybe there is some value in it. The LEGO kit even came with a display stand. It has a bit of movement. The cockpit can fully rotate, so can the treads behind and you can change the angle of the wings. Its not stable enough to play with or let the kiddies handle. There were a couple of tough spots and some weaker attachment areas in the design, but all in all a real joy to put together. That is probably why it is a 16+ model. The design of the Starfighter in this kit is bigger in scale then regular kits, so the little Lego men are too small to sit in the cockpit so this kit does not come with any mini figures =;(  Good thing I have the free "May the fourth" bonus gift - Han Solo from Hoth.

Lego instructions are super straight forward and easy to follow. There are no languages, just pictures and a couple of arrows.  This week-end Jess and I played a game where one person had the Lego instructions and the other person had the pieces. Its a great way to practice communication skills as well as being super fun. When I worked for the city one of the application tests was to work as a team giving instructions to another to put together a simple Lego kit. Pure genius! There are no names for the individual pieces so you have to get a system to do it well. I find it is good if you organize the pieces first then get your partner to orient the piece right and get it put together. This is my kind of challenge and its fun. Needless to say Jess and I were very successful in putting together our "cookies" and colored "thingies with __ (numbers) of bumps" correctly.

The B-wing took over 4 hours to completely build on my own. I love how the designer used the colors within. In the end they are completely hidden but makes for easy assembly. At about 1 am, after assembling all the B-wing Starfighter components, I began losing focus some of the smaller bits of the constructed pieces fell apart. This is the time to throw in the towel if you are smart. Battling it just makes it worse. I decided to go to sleep and repair it in the day with fresh hands and a fresh outlook. I shot the time lapse of construction of the stand before breakfast, it was a breeze. I took some finished shots of the assembled B-wing and did the post production. I outputted the image sequence from After Effects with a new orientation and scale and brought it into Final Cut to add the sound. I sped up Meco's 1977 record Galactic Funk 167% to fit the length of the video and outputted it to upload to my You tube channel for the enjoyment of other nerds on planet earth. Enjoy!

Here is the link to the you tube if you want it :D 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LFO56jrQLgU&feature=youtu.be

Bare Cares Stare!

Last night and all of this week-ed I have a new piece showing alongside an orchestra of amazing artists and their works at the VHS(ex) show. FB EVENT INFO PAGE HERE.

There is a little TV spot about the show in the link below.
http://globalnews.ca/video/531865/gil-tucker-vhs-tribute

It was a super busy night jam packed full of art goers. I already got four bids for my piece. = AWESOME!

I had originally been working on a Rob Boss piece but at the end I didn't like the product so I sanded it off and re-coated the entire surface with titanium white and started all over again. I did a blended sky backdrop with drips and splashes. I was feeling the pressure, watching paint dry. I sanded the surface to get rid of the angst.

I blocked in some puffy clouds with a dry brushing technique and let some of the background show thru.

I made a pinkish blend with Alizarin Crimson and Titanium White to block in the bear body doing a cute little head stand on the puffy cloud.

I blocked in the rainbow coming out of the bears backside. I threw in some golden falling stars and a lightning bolt. I put in the details on the bear and then added some pink sparkles to the fur. Then I began outlining the clouds with sharpie marker.

I used Copic markers to quickly get the rainbows blocked in as time had completely disappeared. I clear coated it with varnish and printed out a "Be Kind Please Rewind" mock up on pink paper. I scrunched it up and colored the happy face in with a yellow high-lighter like they used to back in the days of VHS video rentals.

Here is an iphone shot of it on the gallery wall. I think it turned out better than expected once I hung it on the wall. You have until Monday to see all the work at this special group show and make bids on the well crafted works available. Do it!

FB EVENT INFO PAGE HERE.

GANESH drawing for the Calgary Comic and Entertainment Expo

Usually this is a slow time of the year for me. But this year is different. It wont let up.
I've been digging deep. Like the energizer bunny, I keep going. It always seems like I bite off more than I can chew and the task is impossible. Yet, I get it done!

Here is the list of things I've just wrapped up since my last post; CAOS project animation, Wreck City installation and take down, The Calgary Underground Film Festival,  and the Calgary Comic Expo.

Meanwhile I made this appearance on ShawTV's Calgary Now program.

Today I'm back at it.

It's a good thing too, today is tax day and I balanced and filed my taxes which make me feel like I'm on top of the world. The numbers may not say that however.lol.  That being said, I can finally post the making of my GANESH drawing. I donated the original to the Calgary Comic Expo for the Children's Make a Wish Foundation. It was printed on page 10 of their artbook this year.

Above is a progress shot of the drawing I created on canvas paper.

 I outlined it with my Copic multi-liner pens and began coloring it in with various copic markers based on prior work so that it would with my special 3d glasses.

 Here is is colored. I did the background in a soft pencil crayon and then decided to revisiting the piece and darken the background and add some clouds around the outer edge.

 This is from  the photo I sent in to the Comic Expo for their artbook submission competition. I didn't hear back for a log time so I assumed I was not selected to participate. Days before the Expo when I was on the TV show I ran into the CCEE people (Kendrix and Emily Expo) and they told me I was in fact in print! Booyeah!

It was great seeing my work in the publication. I donated the original fully framed to their auction to help raise money for Children's charity. I signed hundreds of copies for those fans who came to my booth G01 in the Artist Alley at the Expo this week-end and let people borrow my 3D glasses to get the full effect of the artwork.

ink trees

Mostly I'm spending hours on this laptop putting the many pieces of my animation together.

I painted my main intro title frame by frame on this black and then fit it into my timeline.

 I wanted some trees to grow as they zoom past the camera in the foreground. I intended to shoot them a variety of ways in black on white and drop out the bright. Since it is frame by frame it will appear to grow organically.

 I made an elaborate set up consisting of a fish tank with a glass bottom being shot up toward so that I can paint with ink onto the back of wet paper towel, allowing it to soak thru and bleed.

I also decided to do a few trees as top down progressive animations. I based some of my trees off of bonsais from my book collection.

Here is one done in ink on animation paper. They turned out alright, the experimenting allowed me to come up with a variety of things for my animation that I would never have thought up to do. This opportunity has been an incredible opportunity for experimentation.

Golden Giraffe

Here are some progress shots from my final week of production.

I stretched and stapled my green screen fabric over my studio wall so it stayed flat.

I set up my system for the grueling task ahead.

I started applying gold leaf frame by frame as I maintained the stop-motion movement. The size can take up to half an hour to get tacky before applying the leaf. Then I take a picture, apply more of the glue, wait a bit then apply the leaf move the parts and take the next picture. Then repeat.

I started with the back legs then the front and slowly moved up to the body where the spots really begin.  I left the spots free of glue to reveal the dark wood between the gold pattern.

Slowly but surely I complete the body as it walks. It is ridiculously late and I'm losing focus. Now onto the hard part. The neck.

Finally after a grueling and late night/morning I have the first stage done all the way up to the head. I continue the stop motion movement in another session and tidy up the gold leaf. Wish I had a leaf blower. lol.  This is a big  climatic 15 second shot in my film and I'm glad I've got it in the can.

Hiding away working / painting myself into a corner

It should be no surprise that there hasn't been much noise from my end. If you haven't seen or heard from me, I've been hiding away working.

 Here is a ground shot of plasticine growing for my flick.

And a bit more as it progresses across the screen. Later I will drop in a background where the white is and put my animated wooden snake slithering by on top.

But first I have to scrape and clean. The plasticine. Will not fit back into the bucket from which it came.

Look at how full the bucket is. It took longer to clean it up then to make the animation.

I also decided to get rid of my animation table to create a bit more room so I can add another regular table. It made this much more space beside the bookshelf. Enough for my chair and....

 a wire shelf full of painting products, airbrush, canvas etc.

I have been working a tonne with After Effects. Here is a lens flare type thing I am working on for the intro.

Here is a shot of the space during the closing reception.

I had to move out of the +15 space during the Easter long week-end. It took some time but the traffic and parking were not bad since it was a holiday.

 I painted myself into a corner as I exited the space, leaving it feeling brand new.

 I took down the Epcor painting show(above) and the Calgary 2012 publication came out with my Skyline painting on the cover.
Also: My arts collective (Full Spectrum) got into Wreck. We will be doing an undersea kingdom installation in the basement of 807.

More to come, stay tooned.