More That Connects Us…

 

I am excited that 6 of my zoom portrait series “Zoomed Out” will be on display at the the Satellite Gallery exhibit's “More That Connects Us.” These are a collection of sketches that I work on while I am in my many Zoom meetings. I started them during COVID and just kept going with them. I have hundreds of them now that many of my meetings are still virtual. 

The exhibit opens on January 10 from 5-7 pm 

OIAF Takeaways

As usual this years Ottawa International Animation Festival was incredible. Here are a few of the things that were said in the panels that really stood out to me.

During the Advice from Animators Panel Sam Gurry told us to not try to quantify our work or put a price on the work we do.

 

José Pou shared his experience of being a security guard when he couldn't find any animation jobs. He said it was hard, but he learned that there is no shame. We should not be shamed by the work we do. This was one of the greatest take aways from the event.

Chris Rutledge reminded me that we need to finish things. It doesn't need to be perfect just finished. I love that way of thinking.

In another session, I loved learning about the development of Wild Robot. Chris Saunders, the director, made the comment that “Abstraction brings believability”  He was referring to what they learned by trying to create a computer generated forest that was as beautiful as the backgrounds in Bambi. 

I also liked his insight as to why there are no mothers in Disney films. “Mothers keep adventures from happening.”

Sketching at Diagon Alley

As part of my family's visit to Orlando, Florida I took an opportunity to sketch a bit in Diagon Alley at Universal Orlando. I could have spent a lot more time there. I loved all the skiwampus buildings. It was a visual smorgasbord!

If you are interested you can purchase a limited edition print of the sketch from my website here.

A Visit to Orlando: Cinderella's Castle

 

My family and I recently visited Orlando Florida for the first time. On the day we went to Disney World, I made sure to spend some time sketching while the rest of the family waited in lines for rides. I really enjoyed the complexity of Cinderella's Castle. 

There is something wonderfully calming about slowing down and looking. In the process of drawing this I saw a mother struggling to take a selfie with her two sons. I took a small break and offered to take the photo for them. I do not think I would have noticed her struggle if I had not taken the time to just look.

If you are interested you can purchase a limited edition print of the sketch from my website here.

Opening night at the Quimby Gallery

It was a wonderful opening night at the faculty art exhibit in the Quimby Gallery this evening. This was an opportunity to exhibit my whale illustration and a number of my recent sketches. What was even better was the amount of students and faculty that showed up. 

Summer sketching in the Dark

A few sketches from Saturday night’s performance of Newsies at the Vermont Children’s Theater. I was using Procreate so I could better draw in he dark. It is still challenging to draw people while moving. I am working on it.

More Summer Sketching: At the Beach

A small sketch form our family trip to Hampton Beach to see the Sand Sculptures. I love drawing people. We are all so different.

Town Meeting Day

Every first Tuesday f the year we have Town Meeting day, where the residents of the Township of Lyndon Vermont can come to vote on budgets and other issues. I have come to love this day. I love seeing people involved in the government. I love hearing the discussions and the arguments. I love the sense of community. I love drawing the people present.

More from my sketch book

A few more sketches of people. This was while I was at Positive Pie in Montpelier, Vermont. It is a great Pizza Place.

My go to pencil it a 3H. The latest leads that I got are harder than they have been in the past. It feels more like a 4H. I am wondering if I got a mixed batch.

The shop across the street

While waiting for my children to finish their dentist appointment, I made sure to make time to do some drawing. This is the small bookstore across the street from our dentist's office. It had always struck me as a delightful little store. I particularly loved the snow cover and how it effected the overall quaintness. It gave it the quintessential Vermont look.

More Sketches

Here are a few more recent sketches from my sketch book. One from the December graduation at Northern Vermont University-Lyndon and the others from a restaurant.

Various Sketches

I am pretty good about bringing my sketch book everywhere I go. I have also started doing random sketch book checks with my students. I don't think they appreciate it when I see them at a movie theater and ask if they have their sketch book.

It is still a challenge for me to draw people from life, but as I do it daily it gets easier. I find that when I stop for a given amount of time my ability to draw and capture likenesses diminishes faster than it takes to build it up again.

Lately, I have been making a conscious effort to draw where ever I am. These are mostly random people from restaurants and community events. My daughter is in the bottom left corner.

Sketch from Cambodia: Phnom Kulen, Elephant Pond

After a scooter ride and a small walk through the jungles of Cambodia, we came across this wonderful site. I wanted to capture that moment as it just emerged out of the jungle as we turned the corner. Constructed around 802 AD Phnom Kulen or The Elephant Ponds is all that is left of what is believed to be the birth of the Khmer Empire. It was so peaceful.

I was able to visit in February of 2017 and I am just getting to painting some of my sketches from the trip.

Sketching and Blacksmithing

I have been working on some lengthy projects. I will be starting to post this with in a month or so as I get them more finished. For now I am posting something from a month ago.

This last October, I went with my daughters school to a local blacksmith shop. It was exhilarating to watch a master at work. Not only was I able to do some sketching, I took an opportunity to try my hand at some blacksmithing. Even though I was left exhausted with blisters on my hand, I thoroughly enjoyed the experience. I can now say I have made a nail.

A New Project

I started preliminary studies for my next project. The book is set in Cambodia and will be featuring elephants as the main characters. As part of the process of designing the characters, I am studying how to draw realistic elephants first. Even though I have done many many studies of elephants in the past, I still feel this is necessary. Even though I have drawn numerous elephants in the past, I am consistently amazed at the new aspects of the elephant that I see.

Summer Sketching At VINS

Last week, as part of my Animal Studies Drawing class, we went to VINS (Vermont Institute of Natural Science) to draw the raptors they had there. Aside from educating individuals about the environment, VINS is an avian wildlife rehabilitation center. They take in wounded birds and help them, if possible, get back into the wild.  It is an incredible place to visit. I scheduled time to draw some of their birds one on one with the students. This allowed us an opportunity to draw the birds up close and in motion, which is a challenge. I found that through this level of observation, I gained a much greater understanding of how to draw the birds we saw. It was nothing short of incredible. I struggled and struggled to capture the birds in motion. It was wonderfully frustrating.  When I went to draw after we left, I could draw the bird better without looking at references. It was imbedded into my memory more effectively. 

Above is my sketch of one of the turkey vultures. The first is my original sketch, the second is my digital painting and the last is my first attempt at watercolors in a long time.

Cambodia Sketch

This last February I had the incredible opportunity to visit Cambodia for research on a project I am working on and to take a group of students in a sketching class. Today, I gave a presentation on the trip, showing my photography and sketches. This is the first of over 50 pages of my sketches. This is of the Temple Banan just outside of Battambang. The woman was sweeping leaves away form the temple.

Sketching at the Diner

Went to Miss Lyndonville Diner for breakfast last wee and did some sketching.

Meeting Sketch

This is a sketch of Jeb Spaulding, The Chancellor of the the Vermont State College System. Over the past two years I have been in many meetings with him and drawn him many times. This is the best one to date.

I love finding small moments to draw what I see.

Meeting Sketches

I find great joy in sketching people in meetings. It is particularly rewarding when I get the lioness done well. Over the next year I am sure there will be more as I already have many meetings scheduled.