Portland Studios

Today, we visited Portland Studios, an Illustration, Animation, and Design studio based in Greenville, SC. We got a tour of their very large and amazing studio, and also got a small peek into their process work (which absolutely made my day!) We learned about what kinds of things they can make for their clients- really cool cd cases, painstaking but overall very satisfying animations, amazing book illustrations... it all blew my mind. I wanted to cry.

I think I was at a point where I very much needed to see that... I've been having an incredibly hard keeping myself motivated lately, and right before finals, that's a very dangerous place to be. Just seeing their work makes me want to keep moving.....

We got to meet Cory Godbey and learn about his animation process.
OH MY GOODNESS. That Cory is very patient. He and Chris Koelle storyboarded and created an animation to a song by Stephen Delopoulous called The Run of the Beast.



I have nothing to say about this wonderful amazing super awesome animation except WOW. and that the Society of Illustrators seems to think so too, because it got accepted into the 50th edition of The Society of Illustrators Annual.

He's currently in the process of making an animation for Microsoft (I think?) --- which I can't seem to find the name for or the page with quick sneak peek animations of the characters.... Anyways, there's an awesome storyline about a man who gets a potion that makes him younger and the consequences that become of him (or don't) when he doesn't share it with his friends. I'm eagerly anticipating news that it's either being used on their website or at least that it's finished. Guys.. someone out there.. I'm not kidding. Tell me AS SOON as it's done!!!




Next, we met Justin Gerard. He just got done illustrating Beowulf (book one) and you can buy that here.


Again. I wanted to cry just looking at the books. He showed us some process-y (and secret!!) things about the image of the boat and vikings. I absolutely can't wait until I learn how to do stuff like that. I want to start right now. RIGHT NOW. Justin - you are number one awesome in my book right now. Also in your Beowulf book too.. since we're speaking of books, of course. but pretty much- i want to be like you.


I really enjoyed visiting Portland. I don't think it was a coincidence that we visited right before finals week when everything was due. I've been feeling pretty sucky lately... about my work and about a whole bunch of other things, but this was so encouraging... I feel like there's hope .. somehow that I'll be out there making art for a living with a bunch of really cool people who love Jesus...

dang that would be awesome.

Do not fail, as you go on, to draw something every day, for no matter how little it is it will be well worthwhile, and it will do you a world of good."

Cennini, 1370 – 1440

my grandparents cook WAY better than yours

satisfied tummies make for great stories and awesome sketches

Home for Thanksgiving

Residence Halls closed this morning at 9:00AM, so I had everything packed up (for the most part yesterday) and sat the desk from 7:30-8:30 and then I was off. Have I ever told you how much I dislike driving (especially on highways)? A little bit here and there is fine, I like driving through places that have slower speed limits and more things to look at, but 2 and 1/2 hours from Rock Hill to North Augusta is just aggravating! It is good thinking time, I guess.

I got back home around lunchtime.. I was glad to see my mom and dad and brother again. I think the last time I had seen them was during Fall Break. (which now that I think of it, wasn't that long ago)

My brother plays the baritone now. He couldn't wait to play Jingle Bells for me. He's freaking awesome at it. I doodled him.

Pixar Short Film Collection

November 6, 2007: The Pixar Short Film Collection and Ratatouille DVDs are IN STORES..
Yes. Grace and I were there that afternoon ... talk about exciting! I had seen Ratatouille twice already- the first time was June 29 in New York City (the day it came out!), and the second was on a date with my bro and mom and dad back home. I think I will probably watch it a gazillion more times- the rendering is absolutely gorgeous (and the story's great too)!

Last night, Winthrop's Society of Illustrators showed the Short Films Collection DVD from start to finish. Mike Sudduth, our So Ill Pres, let me make the flyers for the event- We usually have film night on Wednesdays, but because of Thanksgiving coming up, we thought that Monday would be good.

Twenty-five people came to see the Short Films- which was surprising because of the irregularity of the time. I feel like the So Ill kids are getting closer and are forming a tight community. We sit in the auditorium in more of one huge clump rather than last year, when we were all spread out with our own friends. We even had new people come last night who had never even been to So Ill before and we got to meet them and start friendships.

It was super exciting. We started the DVD atom the very first short film Pixar made (The Adventures of Andre and Wally B) and continued all the way through Lifted (Which came out with Rat.) There were parts in the Pixar collection where you could hear us all gasp in horror- Pixar's very first (and very brave) attempt at a human figure- wow- they've definitely come a long way since then.

You can see in the bottom two images- the communication of "a baby" was successful, but obviously they were in the beginning stages of their new technology. Does the toy look familiar? Pixar was foreshadowing (or inspiring!) both Toy Story and One Man Band with this short film.

There's something about Pixar's stories that make them so incredibly witty. I couldn't even count the times that we laughed so hard that we couldn't hear the audio of the movie at all. It was alright though, I really enjoyed spending time with everyone and getting to watch a movie together. I miss that.

Soularium Image Surveys this Thursday!!

This is the flier [c/o Chris Fox and Kinko's] advertising next Thursday's Campus Crusade for Christ meeting. We're going to go through the photographs as groups and discuss why each image that we've picked answers each of the five questions:

1. Which 3 images describe where your life is right now?
2. Which 3 images describe where you wish your life was?
3. Which image describes God to you?
4. Which image describes what you've experienced spiritually so far?
5. Which image describes where you wish you were in your spiritual journey right now?


Ansley, Stephen, and I (and some other Friday Arts Project/Campus Crusaders) have used this survey before on Summer Projects and Winthrop's campus, and every survey that is done is anonymously posted to www.mysoularium.com. My Soularium.com has example photographs from the set and the top 5 image-answers for each of the 5 questions.

Soularium is a great conversation tool because I think it's interesting to get to know someone on a deeper level, you know? I mean, you can know someone for years without even knowing them... knowing where they stand on the important stuff, and what's really important to them. I think that when you're able to answer tough questions - the ones that don't have simple easy one word answers- with photographs, it's like you're opening an entirely different door to their heart..




The soul never thinks without a mental picture. -- Aristotle

Dia De Los Muertos

Every fall, Winthrop has a CVPA (College of Visual and Performing Arts) Sponsored Arts Ball. The themes are really great each year. In the past they've been 'surrealism', 'superheros vs. villians', and last year was 'film noire'. This October, the theme was "Dia De Los Muertos"- or Day of the Dead. Day of the Dead is a traditionally Mexican celebration that honors the life of relatives and friends past. If we were going to be accurate about that aspect of history, the Dia De Los Muertos Arts ball this year would have probably been extremely different, but it was fun seeing a lot of college students dressed up as dead guys and skeletons. We probably played up the creepy part a bit much.

The freshmen art majors were responsible for decorating and providing snacks related to the theme. Let's just say that it was a bit weird to be walking around in McBryde with tombstones and eating bone shaped cookies and skeleton cakes.

This is right before we were going to walk across campus. That's me and Angel on the left. Jenny and Will were brave enough to use facepaint.

On the way, we stopped under a lamp post to take a picture of Jenny, Angel, and her Oreo graveyard cake!

There were photo stations set up for anyone who wanted pictures to remember the night.

It was so awesome to see Dr. Dufresne, my Art History Prof from freshman year dressed up for the Ball! Here she is at the sign in table at the entrance of McBryde.

Liiiiiiiiiiiiila Shull!!! We grew up in North Augusta together. I remember in high school seeing her art displayed in the halls and hearing Mrs. Stalk-Vargo brag about how talented Lila was. I think she was born with talent.

Winthrop's music students

Theater majors chatting before a performance

Oh my gosh. Becky!

New friends Julie and Jeannie

This guy made my night! I was talking to Dave and Sally Brown about how cool everything had turned out and I had just gotten used to the skeletons and the rest of the overwhelmingly bright Mexican clothes... I turned around to see this guy- Dead (in a really gross way), and unable to get the salsa off of his spoon!!! He stood there for almost 20 seconds forcefully shaking the spoon up and down, but that salsa wasn't going anywhere. It was hilarious! Dead, frustrated guys are funny.

eye bruises and conception

A week ago, I sent a message via facebook to my pal, Grace exclaiming that my eye had popped and was bleeding all over the place! This caused a small deal of concern amongst a few of our mutual friends (of which we have 57 to be exact).
I trekked to Crawford- Winthrop's infirmary and had a small adventure... which i have illustrated below!!

This is my eye. The bloody part is at the very top and I couldn't see it unless I pulled my eyelid upwards and/or put on mascara. I actually wasn't bleeding all over the place.. Sometimes I can get a tiny bit dramatic when I am panicky.

When I got to Crawford, they had me wait for like 45 minutes and then when they were finally ready for me to go into the office, I had to wait almost 45 more minutes! I was looking around and I found a round paper spinny thing that Grace has henceforth named the "Conception Wheel." The curious child I am, OF COURSE I had to touch it! I moved the top circle until the "due date" arrow was pointing to my birthday (Sept 19) and I know I shouldn't have... I didn't want to do it before I even picked up the thing... but I looked.

Turns out I'm a Christmas baby. EW!!

(not that Christmas is bad or gross- but... dang. Merry Christmas to Mom and Dad!)

When the nurse finally came in, she took me into the hallway to waste some more time. She confirmed to me that I do, in fact, have 20/20 vision.

We went back into the office and she said that she was going to have to use the "Eye Kit" on me. SCARY!

She put some numbing drops in my eye (which did not feel numbing at all- very close to a stinging sensation) and then some stuff that wasn't exactly highlighter fluid, but it might as well have been.



Then she turned off the lights and we had a blacklight Rave!!!


----just kidding!!----

She really did turn off the lights though, and she had a black light shield thing and she looked in my bright yellow eye to see if I had somehow cut it. Alas, no cut.

Two hours, two stinging (then really numb) eyes, three drops of yellow hilighter, a dance party and ten dollars later, I found out that it was only a bruise..

and that it could have happened because of a sneeze.

so ill -schmalloweenie bonfire

Last Saturday, So Ill (Winthrop's "Society of Illustrators") got together and went to Dave Brown's house to roast marshmallows and hang out. It was great to go and hang out with a bunch of people who all enjoy the same thing, you know? - especially when that thing is drawing!

Hanging out with artists is [one of the reasons] why college is so great.

working hard in the Mac Lab

this is what we do at 12:49 at night when we're trying to meet deadlines

cru

Vortex

We got back our Vortex projects today. I GOT AN A!!!!!!!
All Excellent's for Quality of Drawing, Quality of Kerning, Quality of Presentation, and Quality of Final Phase!

I think I'm going to cry!!!! I can't even begin to tell you how hard I worked on that project.. It's so hard to make sure that every line stays smooth and that you don't move the ruler before the ink is dry-- and all kinds of crazy other things. oh WOW I think I will probably wet myself out of happiness!

AND I won't have to redo the dang thing for SPEC Review!!!

NoDa Gallery Crawl

NoDa, (short for North Davidson) is a historic art neighborhood and community in Charlotte. Nicknamed SoHo's little sister, NoDa comes alive every first and third Friday of the month. The Friday Arts Project (a group of visual and performance artists- dance, theatre, writing, and music) organized two trips to NoDa, one of them being the Ten.Five.OhSeven. gallery crawl.

The first time we went to NoDa, we saw that they were having a public "art"-ing out on the streets, so Margo and I went to go try our hands at it. The drawing I drew was of Margo drawing. get it?
________________________________________________


NoDa trip #2:
Ten.Five.OhSeven.





Ten.Five.OhSeven. was an exhibition held at the Hart-Witzen Gallery for ten emerging artists from the Southeast and Charlotte regions. It was a fantastic thing to see, there were so many artists and musicians there, and it was a great opportunity to go talk with people who were growing in their art and in their walks of life... you can find out so much about who a person is and what they care about just through a few words or paint on a canvas.

This is some of our NoDa gang. Chris, Grace, Ashley, Jess..

Meet Julie! She's one fantastic kid!

We found this guy in the Smelly Cat Cafe, (the name comes from the Friends tv show)

He gave us his song list (which was abou 7 pages long) and claimed to be able to play any song at random. Grace's favorite part was when he sang every Beatles' voice- accent and all- in one song! (including echoing himself and even harmonizing with himself! ok, just kidding about the harmonizing)

Gallery opening at NoDa. That's Brandon up there.

music + paintings



Kevin, Romo,
and our soon to be married friends, Rique and Sarah (!)

Charlotte Zwebber, a figure drawing professor at Winthrop, and my pal, Nicki. Both of them had work showing in NoDa, a short walk down the street from this picture.


The whole NoDa experience was so much fun and it was a great opportunity to get to know artists from around Charlotte and from our own art department. I'm sure there will be more NoDa trips in the near future. (hopefully someday we will be able to take a group of kids for a SketchCrawl up there. not necessarily at an opening though... yikes that would be a mess!)


Till next time!

when i was one, my mom thought i was a baby doll. i think i'm ok with that

i brought my fall clothes to school and switched out short sleeves and white dresses for brown and orange skirts and coats. i can't wait until the weather quits being stubborn and decides to actually act like the season we're in.


so, a picture placed
excitement for halloween
improved shadow, BOO!