Do something good and throw it on the seashore!

I heard this recently at a conference....."Do something good and throw it on the seashore" (apparently it comes from a Greek proverb)

To do something for fun and for free - purely with the intention of doing something good for someone else (without being found out), reminds me of the quote above.... and it's amazing, that when doing this, without expectation, what the tide brings in!

Francis Alys 'Sometimes making something leads to nothing' - Reflective Practice

Interesting to see work by other artists, involving the medium of ice...
As part of a PhD presentation this week, I discovered this work of art by Francis Alys
'Sometimes making something leads to nothing' - the title in itself is intriguing, particularly when looking at storylines for animation, that allow the viewer to meditate on their own thoughts about transformation and loss.

I love that when the ice finally dissolves, as part of this moving installation, it's pooled water legacy is enjoyed by some fascinated and cheerful street kids.....

Who knew that could possibly be it's final destination or outcome....

Paradox of Praxis 1 (1997) is the record of an action carried out under the rubric of “sometimes making something leads to nothing.” For more than nine hours, Alÿs pushed a block of ice through the streets of Mexico City until it completely melted. And so for hour after hour he struggled with the quintessentially Minimal rectangular block until finally it was reduced to no more than an ice cube suitable for a whisky on the rocks, so small that he could casually kick it along the street.
http://francisalys.com/sometimes-making-something-leads-to-nothing/

Leon Morrocco - Sketch books - Inspiration and reflective practice

For part of this week I have been teaching the International Summer Short Course students and we've been looking at storyboarding, inspirational images and techniques, both with pencil drawings and today creating images using a graphics tablet.

Jan Johnson (Fullbright Scholar 2015-2016) at DJCAD came to the studio today with a copy of the sketch books of Leon Morrocco...I actually thought I was leafing through a real sketch book and kept checking my hands for pastel dust! Leon Morrocco's sketches were absolutely stunning; the pencil line in places was heavy and without any line weight variation, which only added to the confidence of his sketches and the colours were vivid and Mediterranean in feel, sometimes applied loosely with Guache and sometimes obviously matted with sticky oil pastel....the detail in some of the architecture, objects and people was intricate and brilliantly proportioned.... and I was mesmerized....so much so, that I bought a copy of his 2003 sketchbooks on Ebay at the first opportunity and  later headed for the art shop to buy a square chunky sketch book, a 4B pencil and some oil pastels....

And to top it off, I researched Leon Morrocco and this is his abridged biography:

Leon Morrocco was born in Edinburgh, the son of an artist with Italian roots. He studied at Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art, The Slade, and Edinburgh College of Art. In 1968 he won an Italian government scholarship to study at the Accademia di Brera in Milan. He was lecturer in drawing and Painting at Edinburgh College of Art from 1965-1968, and then took up a similar post at Glasgow School of Art from 1969 and 1979. 

In 1979 he moved to Australia as Head of the Department of Fine Art at the Chisholm Institute in Melbourne. He resigned in 1984 to devote all of his time to painting. 


INSPIRED!

The Glasgow Boys - Reflective Practice

The Glasgow Boys exhibition at the Kelvingrove Museum in Glasgow...

"The Glasgow Boys consisted of an informal association of some twenty artists; its main figures were William York Macgregor, Joseph Crawhall, George Henry, Edward Atkinson Hornel, Sir John Lavery and Arthur Melville"

Great examples of diffused and non direct lighting - and themes of community and life.
I was particularly by the light in the sky on the horizon...it brings an air of hope and continuing life to this sombre scene..
In fact, on reflection, I think it's the lighting in all of the following paintings that caught my interest...as despite whatever the mood of the scene, the lighting is joyful.

A Funeral Scene in the Highlands - James Guthrie

A Sunny Meadow - E A Walton

By the Findhorn - Alexander Mann

The Last Turning - James Paterson

Helensburgh - Lavery. Love this sunlight. This looks like a scene from the Waltons

Repairing the Bicycle - Barclay Pringle. Love the 'ghost' of the bike and how delicate the wheels are painted

Inspirational settings - The Hanoi Bike Shop Glasgow

Inspirational settings...

The Hanoi Bike Shop Glasgow...compact, high colourful, hot and aromatic!
What a great sense of community. The seating layout was compact and enabled easy conversation with our neighbours about what they were having...
Hot summer evening in Glasgow - with a visual and edible feast of colours and flavours....

Particularly amuzed by the exterior seating; which also seemed to bear witness to some lively conversation held by the overhead hairdriers...

Infographics and Infogasms - PhD...A worthwhile pursuit into the unknown

So an interesting week seeking advice and direction with regard to further research and the possibility of a PhD; all inspired by the 'Transformative Practice' Conference at DJCAD 6-7 June 2016. http://www.dundee.ac.uk/djcad/events/
The Keynote speakers Dr Sunil Manghani (University of Southampton) suggested that we take notes in the form of drawn 'infographics....this is the second time I have heard this phrase. The first being at Pecha Kucha a couple of weeks ago by speaker Reif Larsen
 http://www.reiflarsen.com/Reif_Larsen/%5B%28%28mechanism%29%29%5D.html

(Paraphrasing Larsen) "an INFOGASM  is information in an Infographic format....providing an immediate sense of 'Wow!!!!.I now understand EVERYTHING'....followed by an acute drop off coupled with "Wait...do I actually know ANYTHING?!!!"

Here are my infographic notes upon the breadth and depth to an Arts Phd....I love the image at the top of the jetty facing towards an unknown shore, with the caption "A Worthwhile Pursuit of the Unknown!"

The Benefits of Failure - JK Rowling. Reflective Practice

A came across this short speech by J K Rowling, speaking at the Harvard Commencement in 2011.

Speaking of personal failure as a rock bottom, and that how that rock bottom can be a transformative processs, providing a solid foundation for future growth and opportunity was inspiring.

It taps into the background idea and storyline inspiration for my current work in progress 'THAW'...

Intresting to observe the audience's expressions as they listen. I have noticed when discussing similar themes at the recent conference on 'Transformative Practice' at DJCAD, that the audience often nodded with private identification...

I am intrigued and excited to see where this reflective practice and research path leads.....

Tutoring International Students

I've been given the opportunity to tutor some international students, from Michigan USA, who are studying a short course in the Animation department of DJCAD, for the next four weeks.

First step was a tour around the building with Phillip Vaughan and then delivering their project brief; which is to create an animatic for a 1 - 2 minute animation.

The brief is open, with no guides or restrictions, which will encourage them to define their own ideas and reveal their imagination.

After a good session of brainstorming a natural opportunity for a 'creative break' presented itself. Krish, shown in the foreground below, is currently shooting his final film.

One of our international students, Emily, found herself in the lead girl role! They all got 'live' experience and witnessed, and participated with suggestions, for camera positions, set ups and shot continuity.

I love this image below...it looks so 'American high school'; with the lockers, stripy flooring and a casually dressed student wearing a back pack....

So day 1, has really broken the ice and provided some great bonding experiences with the current Masters students...

Looking forward to seeing their ideas nuggets pitch, this coming Tuesday!

Cat poses and test frames for Elena Lam's film

Playing with cat poses for Elena Lam's 2D animated film this week....great to be using my graphics tablet and photoshop to create some quick ideas and poses...

The image below has been created by Elena, showing her concept designs and cat poses....
I played with adding the texture fur, using Loish brushes in Photoshop

And my test poses and cat drawings below, to keep cohesive and in keeping with Elena's cat designs....
So that the artwork remains consistent

Reflective Practice - Rome's Invisible City

Fantastic BBC programme

Rome's Invisible City. Autodesk's 3D scan software Recap has created exact scans, down to 1mm in accuracy, of the hidden city in Rome.

Amazing fly throughs, with skeletal and transparent trees, cars and urban buildings, hovering above 'ginger root' structures underneath.

Breathtaking imagery and a masterpiece in 3D capture technology...

https://designandmotion.net/reality-capture/romes-invisible-city/

Ice and sunlight; storyboard images

Found this great image on the following blog https://loristillman.wordpress.com/2013/12/09/icicles-and-silence-send-mighty-reminders/

Interesting title 'Icicles and Silence send mighty reminders..

I've played with the image and added some specular glare and sun rays in Photoshop; to form part of my storyboard in my animatic for my final film 'THAW'

Ongoing reflective practice; whatever the situation

So, researching the procedure for an Art based PhD....this cycle springs to mind...

Post Graduate Conference - DJCAD June 6 -7 2016

Well what an inspirational week....
I was invited to submit an abstract for THAW and present the initial research and ideas for my final Masters project: as part of the Post Graduate  'Transformative Practice' Conference at DJCAD 6-7 June 2016. http://www.dundee.ac.uk/djcad/events/
The Keynote speakers Dr Sunil Manghani (University of Southampton) and Dr Joanna Choukeir (University of the Arts London, Kingston and Ravensbourne University) were very inspirational; not only the content of the presentations, but the ethical ideas behind their research and ongoing practice.
I gained some unexpected information regarding the depth and breadth of PHD study and the opportunities for ongoing reflective practice and research by way of a part-time practice based or lead PHD...

Food for thought....

Dr Sunil Manghani
"Drawing on Theory"

Dr Joanna Choukeir 

PHD presentation:

Youth in Lebanon: Using collaborative and interdisciplinary communication

 design methods to improve social integration in post-conflict societies

The content and the presentation itself were flawless....

Critical Review - RoboCop 2014

Whoa!
I could see that the overall emotional theme of the film was a desire for Justice, however, it seemed that the cop who became Robocop (against his will. In fact he had no say at all and his wife agreed to the decision) wanted only justice to be delivered towards the 'bad guys'. All the while, Robocop had been reduced to a brain, face, lungs and hand, and doctors could play god and turn him on and off at will.
Where was the justice for him, or his wife or son?
The opening sequence, set in war torn Tehran, suggested a political motive for the script, which evaporated and rapidly developed into the portrayal of a company wanting prestige, power and greed.
Robocop, having been blown to pieces by a car bomb, after a four month rehabilitation (Frankenstein experiment) is once again conscious and able to walk, meets his wife and son at home. They hug a metal carcass.
The closing sequence, by way of Robocop once again being with his wife and son and walking proudly through an airport, implies that justice had been accomplished and a nuclear family can be happy again.
Seriously?
The image below sums up the film for me. Verging on horror, and devoid of human empathy or in fact any true justice at all.
What happens next for that family?

Storyboarding for Stathis' film

Storyboarding for Stathis' final film.
Stathis made a good start on figuring out the opening sequence of him film; using a 3D Maya  model and putting the shots into Premiere to create a Previs. I helped him rationalise the first few shots and gave him some ideas to reduce the complexity of the script, by reducing the characters from 14 to 2, and halving the length of the film, whilst telling the same story.
Below is an idea for a running sequence...it starts with two young boys running towards the camera through a sunlit field. The camera tracks backwards at a fast pace....as the colours darken, the mood becomes dramatic and a dividing fence appears....the boys eventually are separated and run either side of a chain link fence....an ominous sign of oncoming war and conflict.
The image below shows the storyboard sketches and then a 3D working model (tin cans, sheet of paper and trusty trolls!) to show Stathis what I meant and how the characters would be staged.

 Opening sequence

 Stathis' Previs Shots