28 July 2011
27 July 2011
Xtina's Birthday
Here is the painting I made for my buddy, Christina's birthday. She takes great joy in dark things. 8)
24 July 2011
Hairstyles
Was working on guys' hairstyles today at the coffee shop. Most guys have some lame hair. And most that don't are hipsters. Same goes for clothes. Most guys just wear t-shirts and jeans, myself included. Hipsters just happen to have some sense of style. Just an observation.
UPDATE: After doing some more research there are a TON of hairstyles for guys. Most require product, but hey.
UPDATE: After doing some more research there are a TON of hairstyles for guys. Most require product, but hey.
13 July 2011
To Boldy Perform As No One Has Performed Before
Portland has many things to offer; one of the largest selections of craft beers in the country, tasty, tasty foods I had never heard of before moving here, film festivals showcasing obscure films from all genres, theaters that serve beer, pizza, nachos, burgers, etc, a diverse music scene which includes a ton of bands that never came through my home state of Oklahoma, more comic creators than nearly any where in the states other than New York, and... Trek in the Park.
We are very lucky to have Atomic Arts, the theater company here in Portland that has been putting on Trek in the Park for the past three years. Much like Shakespeare in the Park, performed in most major cities around the country, Atomic Arts has taken it one nerdy step further and are performing episodes from the classic 60's Star Trek in a stage format, with props and sound effects bringing the presentation to life. And it's free!!
Star Trek: The Original Series lends itself very well to this format. The series didn't rely heavily on special effects and most settings were fairly sparse. And the crew from Atomic Arts does a smooth, seamless job of transitioning. You can tell they spend a lot of time choreographing each scene and each segue to make the production flow. They can turn the bridge into the sickbay in a matter of minutes!!
This season they are performing "Mirror, Mirror," the second season episode where Kirk and crew get transported to a parallel universe and the Federation is a force for war instead of peace. And the actors are spot on with the characters. Adam Rosko, one of the founders of Atomic Arts with his sister, Amy, plays Captain James T. Kirk to a tee with his classic pauses while speaking, his over the top acting and his unique fighting skills. You should totally see his amazing flying kick! Jesse Graff plays the stoic Vulcan, Spock, nailing his glare and stare. He makes Spock seem very powerful. Paul Pistey plays Dr. McCoy, Bones, with great emotional exuberance, as a great counterpart to Kirk and Spock, rounding out the classic Platonic triumvirate. Nate Ayling has perfected Scotty's accent. Nearly every time he speaks you can hear the crowd giggle ever so slightly at how amazing he sounds. Dana Thompson, captures all the classic 60's nuances of Lt Uhura, such as her longing gazes and quick whips of her head as she responds in shock. Ryan Castro, also does a great job of capturing Chekov's accent. "There is a wessel approaching, Captain." (He also did a phenomenal job of portraying Khan Noonien Singh last season) And Kaebel Hashitani's glares and sneers as the evil and sly Sulu rounded out this perfect cast. The rest of the supporting cast did a great job as well. You really need to see them live to capture just how great everyone performs. It is one of the best productions I have ever seen.
The sound effects and background crew are quite amazing as well. You hear the swish of the doors opening and closing, the phasers blasting, the communicators opening, all the blips and beeps of the bridge with dramatic music setting the tone. The title music is played to perfection with Margaux Hash performing the classic vocals. They really make you feel as though you are there, watching the classic TV show being made right before your eyes.
I wish I had gotten more pics from this weekend, the first performance of Mirror, Mirror, but I was pulled into the play. They are performing every Saturday and Sunday in July, 5pm, Woodlawn Park, Corner of Claremont and Oneonta in NE Portland. If you decide to go, which I think EVERYONE should, you should get there very early. Most of the good seats will be taken by 2:30/3:00. Take a blanket, some food and a few games. Make a day of it. It will be SO worth it. You won't be disappointed.
First, there is a video showing the ingenious way they portray the transport from their world to the warrior world of Mirror, Mirror. Watch the transporter beam shimmer!! (I apologize for the shaking of the cam. I was highly caffeinated!)
We are very lucky to have Atomic Arts, the theater company here in Portland that has been putting on Trek in the Park for the past three years. Much like Shakespeare in the Park, performed in most major cities around the country, Atomic Arts has taken it one nerdy step further and are performing episodes from the classic 60's Star Trek in a stage format, with props and sound effects bringing the presentation to life. And it's free!!
Star Trek: The Original Series lends itself very well to this format. The series didn't rely heavily on special effects and most settings were fairly sparse. And the crew from Atomic Arts does a smooth, seamless job of transitioning. You can tell they spend a lot of time choreographing each scene and each segue to make the production flow. They can turn the bridge into the sickbay in a matter of minutes!!
This season they are performing "Mirror, Mirror," the second season episode where Kirk and crew get transported to a parallel universe and the Federation is a force for war instead of peace. And the actors are spot on with the characters. Adam Rosko, one of the founders of Atomic Arts with his sister, Amy, plays Captain James T. Kirk to a tee with his classic pauses while speaking, his over the top acting and his unique fighting skills. You should totally see his amazing flying kick! Jesse Graff plays the stoic Vulcan, Spock, nailing his glare and stare. He makes Spock seem very powerful. Paul Pistey plays Dr. McCoy, Bones, with great emotional exuberance, as a great counterpart to Kirk and Spock, rounding out the classic Platonic triumvirate. Nate Ayling has perfected Scotty's accent. Nearly every time he speaks you can hear the crowd giggle ever so slightly at how amazing he sounds. Dana Thompson, captures all the classic 60's nuances of Lt Uhura, such as her longing gazes and quick whips of her head as she responds in shock. Ryan Castro, also does a great job of capturing Chekov's accent. "There is a wessel approaching, Captain." (He also did a phenomenal job of portraying Khan Noonien Singh last season) And Kaebel Hashitani's glares and sneers as the evil and sly Sulu rounded out this perfect cast. The rest of the supporting cast did a great job as well. You really need to see them live to capture just how great everyone performs. It is one of the best productions I have ever seen.
The sound effects and background crew are quite amazing as well. You hear the swish of the doors opening and closing, the phasers blasting, the communicators opening, all the blips and beeps of the bridge with dramatic music setting the tone. The title music is played to perfection with Margaux Hash performing the classic vocals. They really make you feel as though you are there, watching the classic TV show being made right before your eyes.
I wish I had gotten more pics from this weekend, the first performance of Mirror, Mirror, but I was pulled into the play. They are performing every Saturday and Sunday in July, 5pm, Woodlawn Park, Corner of Claremont and Oneonta in NE Portland. If you decide to go, which I think EVERYONE should, you should get there very early. Most of the good seats will be taken by 2:30/3:00. Take a blanket, some food and a few games. Make a day of it. It will be SO worth it. You won't be disappointed.
First, there is a video showing the ingenious way they portray the transport from their world to the warrior world of Mirror, Mirror. Watch the transporter beam shimmer!! (I apologize for the shaking of the cam. I was highly caffeinated!)
08 July 2011
The Eye of the Beholder 001
I want to start showcasing from time to time artists that have inspired me, from all genres and movements and from different times in my life. There are a ton!! I used to spend the majority of my days as a young teen looking through art books at the bookstore as my family went shopping around the mall. I wanted nothing to do with mall shopping!! Just give me some books and some art. I was in love!
What originally got me into art were the covers to fantasy and sci-fi novels and comics. It wasn't until my mid 20's that I was introduced to Fine Art. And my late 20's til I discovered street art. Now I am trying to incorporate it all and find even more!!
So, where do you start something like this? Do you go chronologically, starting with your first influences, or do you go straight to your all time favorite?
I think I will start with a new artist that has caught my attention and has inspired me to try out some new techniques, Jamie Jones. Just like when I was a kid, I can sit there and stare at his paintings for hours! He does a great job of creating atmosphere with very few strokes. Here is one of his paintings that first caught my attention.
Not only do I love the huge robot looming in the distance, but I also love how he creates the city in the foreground with sloppy blocks of colors and haphazard lines denoting windows and shadows and such. I'm a big fan of creating depth and capturing shape and form with very few swashes of color or lines. Here's another one where he creates a sense of atmosphere. Just look at that giant in the distance. It's ginormous!!!
Here's another one where he captures so much with so few elements. Just look at that fella on the right. Just a few sketchy lines and WHAM there's a cloaked figure walking. And look at that background. Looks pretty messy, but conveys the sense of snow drifts in a dark, dreary forest.
And here is one of his figure pieces. Again, very simple looking, but capturing so much in a mess of strokes.
He is a digital painter, but he uses these dry brush and splatter techniques that I love. I'm working on developing my style for my comics am wanting to create the type of atmosphere created here. Something simple, yet tangible. Inspiration is all around us!!
What originally got me into art were the covers to fantasy and sci-fi novels and comics. It wasn't until my mid 20's that I was introduced to Fine Art. And my late 20's til I discovered street art. Now I am trying to incorporate it all and find even more!!
So, where do you start something like this? Do you go chronologically, starting with your first influences, or do you go straight to your all time favorite?
I think I will start with a new artist that has caught my attention and has inspired me to try out some new techniques, Jamie Jones. Just like when I was a kid, I can sit there and stare at his paintings for hours! He does a great job of creating atmosphere with very few strokes. Here is one of his paintings that first caught my attention.
Not only do I love the huge robot looming in the distance, but I also love how he creates the city in the foreground with sloppy blocks of colors and haphazard lines denoting windows and shadows and such. I'm a big fan of creating depth and capturing shape and form with very few swashes of color or lines. Here's another one where he creates a sense of atmosphere. Just look at that giant in the distance. It's ginormous!!!
Here's another one where he captures so much with so few elements. Just look at that fella on the right. Just a few sketchy lines and WHAM there's a cloaked figure walking. And look at that background. Looks pretty messy, but conveys the sense of snow drifts in a dark, dreary forest.
And here is one of his figure pieces. Again, very simple looking, but capturing so much in a mess of strokes.
He is a digital painter, but he uses these dry brush and splatter techniques that I love. I'm working on developing my style for my comics am wanting to create the type of atmosphere created here. Something simple, yet tangible. Inspiration is all around us!!07 July 2011
New Header and New Projects
I finally finished my new painting for my header here on my blog. I like how it turned out. It incorporates some of my new techniques with some of my old techniques and images. I've been using a much more muted palette.
Next on my list of projects is a pin-up for Travis Bundy's trade paperback, "Jeff." It's a story about a common guy with a joe job, jumping dimensions, fighting mystical baddies and saving the buxom ladies. I'm using this opportunity to test out some new techniques that I intend to incorporate in my painted comics coming soon. Been experimenting a lot lately. One of my favorite aspects of being an artist!!
Now, I am off to ride my bike around the water front. I rode about 10+ miles yesterday and got some great photos. Portland is a beautiful city!!
Next on my list of projects is a pin-up for Travis Bundy's trade paperback, "Jeff." It's a story about a common guy with a joe job, jumping dimensions, fighting mystical baddies and saving the buxom ladies. I'm using this opportunity to test out some new techniques that I intend to incorporate in my painted comics coming soon. Been experimenting a lot lately. One of my favorite aspects of being an artist!!
Now, I am off to ride my bike around the water front. I rode about 10+ miles yesterday and got some great photos. Portland is a beautiful city!!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)