More Speed Painting...

I think every artist could tell you about a favorite artist whose work they discovered many years ago, and they have loved their work ever since.  For me, that artist is Berke Breathed: creator, writer and illustrator for the amazing Bloom County comic strips.  As a kid (which has stretched into my forties), I always went directly for the comic pages in the newspaper.  I would read them all, but save my favorites for last.  This included Bill Waterson's Calvin and Hobbes, and Berkeley Breathed's Bloom County.  I couldn't get enough of these guys, and while Calvin and Hobbes holds a very special place in my heart for Waterson's utter brilliance, Bloom County was what I remember discovering first, and I remember laughing out loud and reading the funniest one's out loud to my parents, trying to get them to laugh as hard as I did.  

Fast forward to having children... soon after my first child was born, I discovered that Breathed had also written and illustrated many children's books.  We soon discovered  Pete and Pickels, Edward Fudwupper Fibbed Big, Goodnight Opus and Mars Needs Moms.  I read in one of the "About the Author" sections, that his inspiration for creating children's books was when he discovered Jumanji and marveled at the airbrushing style illustrations in that book.

So I guess this made me begin to wonder if I had a children's book in me somewhere.  I've had many, many inspirations for stories as my children have grown, and one that seems to stick with me, is really finally starting to develop and make it's way to the page.  I've started with, what I considered the "make or break" image that's been in my head, and I think I'll continue to create the images as I get the time, that seem to hit the major story points that have yet to be solidified.

This is a link to the speed painting of the first of hopefully many to come.  I've heard people say, "you have do the work that you love, if that's the kind of professional work you want more of."  So, here's me doing the work I love doing, in hopes that it'll lead to more.

Enjoy...

An idea I've tried many times, but this one might be the one I like. Created using Adobe Illustrator. Enjoy.

On the next episode of...

I've been working hard the last few months on a new show, that will be coming to a TV near you.  I spent a long time putting the 'look' of the show together, with the inspiration mainly coming from the great music that has been supplied.​  I can't say much more about it, other than it's been a real treat to work on and to have been given such accolades from the producer and lead editor/project manager for the show, as well as many kudos from cable channels that have seen the show, praising the look and quality of not just what was shot, and written by great photographers, directors and producers, but the editing job (ahem, ahem, me), saying that it is network (meaning ABC, NBC, yadda yadda)) quality.  Me being not one to love tooting my own horn, but, ya know, if I don't put it out there, then who will, right.  :)

As soon as I can, I'll be posting some clips.  Stay tuned.​

Enjoy.​

Waverly and the Magic Seashells

Here's a project that's finally ready to share.  I've been working with this client for quite a while to help bring it to market, culminating with helping him create this fantastic animation.  My part involved story direction and script polishing, creating an animatic for the animators, directing the music, voice talent and sound design and adding finishing visual touches.  A team effort for sure.  I got to work with Scott Whittier again for the music and sound design, which is always such a pleasure.  So proud to see the finished work online and in Target.  It's soon to be in Toys-R-Us and WalMart.  Take a look.  http://www.magicseashells.com/mermaids/waverly.php

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Lately, I'm in the toy business...

So the last several months, I've been working with a few toy developers bring a few different toy products through the design and promotional stages and finally to market.  I've been using my creativity to ​help design apps.  Most recently, I've helped put together the TV spots for direct retail. This has involved helping with the creative on the spot, and seeing it through to completion, supervising the effects shots on location, designing and modeling the 3D environments and finally compositing the footage with the backgrounds I built and adding special effects to the footage.

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May 2012

​I've just finished a sales video animation for Biomet, a company that designs and manufactures medical devices.  They needed an animation that demonstrated their SternaLock Blu product.  The animation involved modeling a pair of clippers and creatively showing how the device can be used to fix bone to bone either after a bone is cut during surgery or because of a break.

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​I modeled and animated this pair of clippers from the real tool provided by the client.  

​I modeled and animated this pair of clippers from the real tool provided by the client.