Sketches, "The Tree"

Part of The Process-

Just to whet the appetite, here are just a few of my sketches that are centered around observation and replication of photos and life.  In some of these you'll see my continued struggle to reconcile different aspects of the processes of seeing, interpreting, and drawing.  Mostly of concern are the principles of composition, value, and draftsmanship, as well as the replication of the visual impact that the subject matter evokes.  But an embarrassing amount of anguish is created simply in the attempt to make a drawing look something like its source material.  Ah well. 

 The last picture is a potential title card for an upcoming project of mine, "The Tree."  Based on my reaction to a relationship gone sour, this project is slated to be a traditionally animated narrative of a jilted lover, whose sorrow gives life to a cursed tree.  The project should be a huge stepping stone for me, both in terms of the technical skills that I must acquire in order to complete it, and the emotional catharsis of telling the story itself.

There are some other exciting developments on the way, including several more animated shorts featuring my favorite flatulent ducks.

Big News

The Ottawa International Animation Festival

Last year, as a student of the animation program at the Rhode Island School of Design, I was taken on a school-sponsored trip up to Canada to attend this prestigious festival for the animated arts.  I had been assured by my professors that it was to be a very important and enjoyable experience, but nothing they said prepared me for how right they actually were:

This festival is incredible. 

This horse is awesome.

 Between the new sites and culture, the surrounding museum and architecture, and all of the shwarma restaurants I ate at, I loved Canada.  Even so, the festival itself was the crowning jewel of the whole experience: 

Here was a place where some of the most celebrated and talented people in animation, industry or independent, gathered to watch an exclusive selection of some of the most amazing and inspiring animations from hundreds, if not thousands of submitted films that year.  It was a gathering of enthusiasts appreciating and networking animation on an international scale.

I was floored, and I returned to RISD inspired like never before.  I wanted to become the best animator I could; a process that is still ongoing.  This festival was, and still is, a celebration of some of the best and most inspiring work in animation.  I was a little doubtful that I could ever reach that echelon.  Nevertheless, by the encouragement, advice and counsel of my great friends, family and teachers, I completed my thesis project(s) for school and sent off some audition copies to a selection of festivals, including this one. 

It got in.

Have you ever screamed at literature?  I have.

This is a huge honor, and I can't even begin to express my gratitude to all of the people that helped make it happen.  I'll be doing my best in the coming days to prepare for my upcoming return to Canada, and I've got several personal projects in the pipeline.  So stay tuned for updates, because there's a lot to look forward to.