Couple of WIPs

Two fun new pieces for STJ begging for some paint.

A few nights ago, we noticed Zero sitting on the back of the couch, staring at this picture. He sat there for at least 10 minutes. I honestly believe he recognized it as a cat!

Trying my Hand in Acrylics, STJ May

For the last few months I've had this blank canvas staring at me, begging to be brought to life. Unfortunately, I don't have much experience in that field. However, I do know what I like to see in an acrylic painting, so there was at least something to go by.

One of my favorite artists stated that there is almost always white space left in his work. I can't remember what he said exactly, but it was something along the lines of "it's ok to leave blank spaces in art, it's not a tax form." I don't like for art to look like a photo, which worked to my advantage.

I decided to be quick and 'sloppy' with this painting, and it was fun. That's what matters the most right!?

Available now at Spookytime Jingles

Snowman WIP

It's hard to imagine being in the Christmas spirit, especially since the world is still experiencing cold fronts here and there. However, when working on vintage-style pieces like this one, it makes me long for the season. I can almost feel it.

For this piece, I wanted to go as vintage as possible. I think the chenille stems, the old fashioned dotted smile, and his charming wink all contribute to an authentic vintage feel.

Visit my Christmas page at Spookytime Jingles May 13 to see the finished product.

WIP Pictures!

Hat on...

Hat off

Which looks better? I'm completly torn. I wonder if there's a way I could rig the hat to be detatchable so he could hold it some days and wear it other days. Any thoughts?

The 10 Best Stop Motion Animation Films/Shorts

I recently watched the Stop motion film, "Fantastic Mr. Fox," and I couldn't resist paying homage to what I would consider the best form of animation. The characters seem much more life-like. Cameras take pictures of real characters that can be touched by human hands. That's something you don't get with Pixar or the other film makers swimming in an ocean of CGI. Don't get me wrong, I love a good Pixar movie, but for me, nothing can measure up to these treasures below.

I give you my 10 favorite Stop-motion animated movies and shorts. Keep in mind, this is only my opinion!

10. Vincent- Written and directed by Tim Burton, this is the shortest film on the list, at a whopping six minutes. It has the typical dark Burton feel, which I consider a good thing.

9. Corpse Bride- Another Tim Burton winner.

8. James and the Giant Peach- Roald Dahl is one of my favorite authors, and Henry Sellick is one of my favorite directors, so there's not much more to say here.

7. Wallace and Grommit Shorts- I'm kind of cheating here by lumping in four shorts into one rank, but I just didn't have enough room on the list. The Wallace and Grommit shorts are what first turned me on to stop motion

6. Fantastic Mr. Fox- As I said, I just saw this one for the first time, but it didn't take much time to climb to number six on my list. It's hilarious, atmospheric, and clever; like a Fox!

5. Wallace and Grommit: Curse of the Were Rabbit- The dynamic duo look even better on the big screen.

4. Chicken Run- This is like a stop motion, chicken version of the Shawshank Redemption, one of my favorite live action films. Plus it was created by Aardman, the makers of Wallace and Grommit, so you know it's a winner.

3. Madame Tutli Putli- I just found this short film on youtube. I've never seen such life-like puppets in stop motion, which somehow adds to it's creepy feel. Check it out if you haven't seen it


2. Nightmare Before Christmas- Needs no explanation. stop motion creativity at it's best, thanks to Tim Burton and Henry Selick.

1. Coraline- Written by Niel Gaimon and directed by Henry Sellick, this is my favorite stop-motion movie. I read an article about this movie about a year before it's release, and counted down the days from then on. Meanwhile, Steph and I read the book, and loved it. The movie version did not disappoint. It blended a bit of CGI with the old "claymation" art, making for a truly unique experience.

Spookytime Jingles April

It's STJ time again! Head over to spookytimejingles to see my new Frank piece, and a few acrylic art cards.

Moon Man Progress Report

Today, I realized it's been a while since my last moon man update. Most of the major structural work is now completed. This is where the fun begins! For the last couple of weeks, I've been applying clay over the paper mache exterior.

Thinking of the cost, I had not originally planned to have a clay exterior. However, I've decided after investing this much time into a single sculpture, it would be worth the few extra bucks to finish it properly.