Delayed Projects

A number of years ago, I was asked to create a mural for a local company. They wanted Vermont animals clad in bowties progressing through the seasons of the year! It was a dream come true and I dove into working on it. 

I had never done a mural before so I started by doing a bit of research on pricing and different ways of making a mural. I have a friend, Breadwig Ballinger, that has painted a number of murals, so I consulted with him about the project. I worked on a color rough draft to present to the town and the project got stalled. At the time the town was not approving any permanent outside art. 

It was difficult news to hear as this had become such a joy for me to work on. In response to the delay, I decided to keep working on the project as if it was going to happen. So I have slowly worked on the final illustration. It has become a passion project for me. I work on it in-between other jobs as it has evolved into a very complex composition.

I am not finished yet. I have finished winter (to the far right). I am almost finished with spring and I have started refining summer.

I do not know that I will ever see this on a wall, but I have enjoyed working on it. The process has been a wonderful challenge and I hope that it will someday be seen by many more people on a wall.

Wild Vermont Transit

 My 3rd puzzle in partnership with Vermont Puzzle is now available.

Wild Vermont Transit features a quintet of bow tie clad Vermont animals waiting patiently amongst the fall foliage for the bus to arrive. If you are interested in purchasing one for a friend or yourself you can visit my website at barclay-studio.com

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.”

Summer Work

This summer I was able to stretch my design skills by designing Vermont Children's Theater's Web site. 

As part of the project, I have also been expanding their brand, to include more options for their logo (to come) and brand colors.

The colors evoke summer and the joy of theater. The red (the primary color for the company) represents the barn the theater is located in.

The secondary colors each represent different aspect of summer. The blue is the Vermont summer sky, the green is the grass around the barn, and yellow is the sun.

I 

Puzzled!

 

I recently partnered with Vermont Puzzle and started the Barclay Collection of puzzles featuring my illustration work! The Vermonotaur puzzle is now available to purchase! 

The puzzle features the Vermonotaur, a solitary creature that roams Vermont helping collect sap for sugarers and other good deeds. It is a 12x18 inch 345 piece puzzle that has been individually printed (no mass production. 

If you are interested in purchasing one you can visit my site at barclay-studio.com

Hopefully, more puzzles will be coming soon.

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.