“Angelfish I” (c)2013, Acrylic on Canvas: Digitally Altered
Morning Study
“Angelfish I” (c)2013, Acrylic on Canvas, 20″ x 16″
Not only are fish tasty but they are fascinating, and this morning, while surfing the net, this little beauty caught my eye. Call me a shark, but in order to post this with any satisfaction, I had to perform some digital trickery. On the right is the original, but the composition was stagnant, even for a study.
But as they say–whoever they are– “A bad day of fishing is still better than a good day at the office!”
So grab a cold beer, chips, tartar sauce and enjoy!
“Spiegel im Spiegel” (c)2012, Acrylic on Canvas, 24″ x 48″
Seumas McNally (1979 to 2000)
I knew Seumas as a sweet, giggly and brilliant child. He grew into his good nature and genius until, tragically, cancer stole him from us just after his 21st birthday, in 2000.
This painting is meant to be viewed while listening to Arvo Part’s Spiegel im Spiegel. Below is a short version of the song on YouTube, but a superior and complete version can be found on Q2 Music (@q2music) by clicking here and scrubbing to 1:45:45.
“Begone Dull Care” (c)2012 – Acrylic on Canvas Board, 12″ x 9″
This is a quick study inspired by my memory of this short film by Norman McLaren–the NFB-renowned Canadian (yeah!) animator and film director–that I saw in my UVic film studies class.
You might remember McLaren best for his exquisite, fluent Muybridge-like “Pas de deux,” but I hope you enjoy this snappy little video of animated drawings on film. It’s an abstract visual description of jazz–at its finest–by the legendary Oscar Peterson.
“Girl with Pink Hat” (1973), detail, by Wayne Thiebaud
“If we don’t have a sense of humor, we lack a sense of perspective.”
–Wayne Thiebaud
I realize there is no “pie” on this page, –Wayne Thiebaud’s signature images–but your taste buds will twitch as you consume the color and texture of these lovely details and you will certainly be bonbon-bewitched as you watch the video below.
I have admired Thiebaud’s work for many years, ever since the sight of a small print of a single slice of pie on my sister’s wall. I love how he plays with color to electrify the surface of his subjects. And with much anticipation, in November, 2011, I had the pleasure of seeing “Girl with Pink Hat” (1973), at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (@SFMOMA).
“Girl with Pink Hat” (1973), detail, by Wayne Thiebaud.
Wayne Thiebaud (born November 15, 1920) is an American painter whose most famous works are of cakes, pastries, boots, toilets, toys and lipsticks. He is associated with the Pop art movement because of his interest in objects of mass culture, although his works, executed during the fifties and sixties, slightly predate the works of the classic pop artists. Thiebaud uses heavy pigment and exaggerated colors to depict his subjects, and the well-defined shadows characteristic of advertisements are almost always included in his work. –Wikepedia
Christopher and Christine Kezelos, owners of Zealous Creative (@ZealousCreative) and directors of The Maker, are brilliant and their video is nothing short of genius.
In a magical five and a half minutes, a sense of passion and urgency is summoned in us to . . . well, I’ll let you decide. But I will say that it’s astounding how they manage to expand the story into eternity—past and future—in the last 30 seconds. Watch the full video, below:
The Maker has an impressive list of awards: recognition from the ITSA Film Festival, Couch Fest Film Festival, SXSW Film Design Awards and 2012 Bondi Short Film Festival for Best Production Design (Australia). Here’s director Christopher Kezelos interviewing animator/dolly maker Mark Lagana about his industrious designs—including his pipe dolly and bicycle wheel dolly—and use of recycled materials.