edspace

birdbee

2010-05-21T14:25:00.000-03:00

It's been awhile since I posted anything here, but that's because I have been busy with my birdbee character lately. The brand new birdbee blog is up and running. Since launch on May 5th, 2010, there has been a new birdbee drawing every weekday. It is my intention to continue like that for as long as I can manage.

There is also a birdbee facebook group intended to help spread the word and, hopefully, gather some new fans. As always I am interested in your comments.

Ukulele Monkey

2010-02-20T19:47:00.006-04:00

Pac Man Pixel Art Finished (for now)

2009-11-30T16:12:00.006-04:00

Well... it was a marathon week of pixel pushing. The show is tomorrow night and the art work is off to the printers just in the nick of time! This was a ton of work, but I'm going to call this "version 1" because there are still more details I want to add. So I'll do another print later when It's done. It's impossible to see all the details clearly here, but here is a close up of the storage room at the top left-hand corner:

Pac Man Pixels 2

2009-11-25T11:16:00.003-04:00

OK, so maybe I went a bit over-board with my Pac Man pixel art piece. It's grown into a bit of a monster and it's taking much longer to make than I predicted. The date for the show is only a week away, and I have a lot left to do! I guess I'd better get back at it.

PacMan Pixels

2009-11-10T08:23:00.003-04:00

I had to put my Quebec pixel art image on hold for awhile while I work on some new pieces for an upcoming show organized by Jono Doiron. The theme is art inspired by video games. I am working with images based around the original PacMan game. The little image above is a tiny part of a much larger piece I am obsessively working on now.

Québec à la Pixels part 5

2009-10-25T21:04:00.004-03:00

Today I decided I should start working on the hotel. It's got a tricky curved face and lots of little details that are making it an interesting challenge, but I think I have a pretty good start on it. Most of the photos I have seen on line of this area focus on the gate, but here is a link to a photo that includes the hotel and the theater as well.

There are flower baskets on the hotel windows that I have not attempted yet, and I am going to have to sort out those little oval windows.

Québec à la Pixels part 4

2009-10-23T13:32:00.006-03:00

The skating rink is proving harder to get right than I anticipated. I am happy with the proportions, but the position is causing some trouble. I will have to shift it up and to the right. I've been adding some little details, like street lamps, a fire hydrant, a newspaper box, even a little tree in a planter. All this is to avoid the obvious big job: the hotel that is still just a rough outline.

The red lines on the image are various guides I have created to aid in construction. The triangular guide in the lower right corner helps with determining shadow lengths. At the top are two isometric diamond shapes that help with the angles in the buildings. The street, old walls, and gate are set at a different angle, and you can just see some red guide lines in the middle of the image that I use to help get those angles right.

Québec à la Pixels part 3

2009-10-21T18:53:00.007-03:00

I had a chance to get more done today. Moslty I fixed details on the fort wall and tower. I also went to work on the skating rink, even though I'm still not sure it will be included in the final piece. While I was in Quebec city I saw they even had a little Zamboni going over the ice... it might be fun to add one. I added a little street lamp and a person walking by as well. It might be fun to populate the street with lots of people (you can click on the images for larger views).

Québec à la Pixels part 2

2009-10-19T18:36:00.003-03:00

Today I made progress on the city wall and gate. I am trying to decide if I will include a piece of the Palais Montcalm in the lower right hand corner. There is an outdoor skating rink as well, which I have partially outlined in white. Still tons to do!

All sorts of details that need fixing!

Québec à la Pixels

2009-10-18T14:21:00.006-03:00

I'm working on a few new pixel art projects. One of them is a view of a little section of Quebec City at St. Jean Gate. Most of this was created while sitting in the lounge at the top of the Hilton Hotel. From there the view was pretty similar to an isometric pixel art drawing, so I just went to work using the actual view as my reference, only working on the shadows in the morning. This was rather unusual for me, as usually my pixel art is based on photos I have taken while out exploring. When I realized I would have to leave before I was finished, I ran out and took a dozen or so photos of the area for reference when I got home.

My New Office

2009-08-25T10:29:00.003-03:00

It's been about a year since I came back to Halifax. In that time I never really set up a dedicated work space for myself. But now I have one! I spent most of last week converting what used to be the walk-in closet to an office space. It's a nice little room with great light and a view of the street.

"Mechanical Figures" or "What I Was Doing in Croatia"

2009-06-24T09:42:00.006-03:00

Those of you who have been wondering just what the heck I was doing in Croatia last year can now view some of the bits and pieces of the animation project we were working on. This link should take you to the director's (Helena Bulaja), Vimeo page where you will find several clips from the project, "Mechanical Figures".

It's sort of stream of consciousness musings inspired by the life and work of Nikola Tesla. It's a combination of live video, motion graphics, stop motion animation, still photography, and hand drawn animation. Most of the music was composed and performed by Christian Biegai (Germany). I was mostly involved with the stop motion material involving ceramic beetles. The Beetles were made by Sabina Haan, an artist in New York city. I worked closely with Al Keddie (Scotland) and Helena.

We animated them in nature, on the floor in our studio, and against large print outs of photos taken in New York.

Here's the link: http://vimeo.com/album/97242

Clip #9, called "Bug Assembly" was the result of some of the bugs arriving in Zagreb broken. So we animated them being reassembled. We decided to animate the bugs at 12 frames per second, but the broken pieces at 24 fps. In other words, we shot 24 photos for each second of video, moving the broken pieces a tiny bit for each shot. We moved the whole bugs for every other shot.

The streaks of light and glowing effects were not added digitally, they were made by "painting" with little coloured flashlights as the frames were shot with a still camera. We were working with very slow shutter speeds. Some times 10 or 15 second exposures per frame. It made for slow going by times, but it was creatively very satisfying. It's been amazing to watch the material we shot transformed with the edition of music, sound and Helena's artistic design and editing.

This clip features some rather famous people Helena interviewed for the project. There are also some bits of the material Al shot of paper cutouts inside an antique Tesla radio (he had his head in that old radio for weeks!). Near the end of the clip there is a couple of scenes I shot one rainy evening in "Electric Town" in Tokyo.

Clip 4, "Time and Space" is a surprising scrolling video collage, and it includes material I shot during my days inside the radio.

But do check out all the clips.

Rock Throwing Chimp.

2009-05-14T10:54:00.003-03:00

So there was this story in the news a couple weeks back about a chimp in Sweden who appears to be demonstrating his ability to plan ahead by stockpiling rocks that he later uses to throw at human visitors to the zoo.

Nell and I were both quite taken by this story, and we joked that this might be a good strategy for anyone who works in an office to ward off unwanted interactions with colleagues. This is what inspired me to buy a toy chimpanzee, gather a few pebbles, and glue this together for Nell's desk.

(http://abcnews.go.com/Health/MindMoodNews/wireStory?id=7039359)

Cassette Tape Lamp Take 2

2009-05-14T09:18:00.004-03:00

While the hot glue gun allowed me to assemble the first cassette lamp very quickly (see previous post), in the end it was quite fragile and it fell apart. But since it turned out pretty cool, I think it's worth taking another run at it.

I've been testing a couple of different glues. They dry much slower, and so I have to use clamps and let them set over night, so it's slow going. I've make a simple jig to hold three cassettes together using scrap wood and a couple clamps. I had enough clamps to make 4 jigs. So it will take a few days just to get enough cassettes glued together to make the sides of the lamp. Then I will have to think of another set up to glue the sides together. I have some 90 degree corner clamps that will likely come in very handy.

Cassette Tapes Meet Glue Gun

2009-04-23T14:51:00.013-03:00

A few months back I was considering throwing out a bunch of old cassette tapes when I had a vision of making them into a lamp. It seemed like a cool idea.

The idea rolled around in my head for awhile and finally one day I looked on line to see what else people might be making with cassette tapes. Well, of course, someone beat me to it and had already made pretty much exactly what I had in mind. (LINK) Seeing some had already been made put me off the idea for awhile. But yesterday I decided to give it ago anyway.

I dug out the box of old cassettes in the basement, as well as an electrical socket, cord, and switch from an old table lamp. Unlike the examples I found on the web, my tapes were not uniform. They were a mix of black, white, and clear plastic. Most of them had labels and writing on them. I thought that old labels and text might add a layer of interest to the design, so I grabbed sixty cassettes and went to work with the glue gun.

When I turned on the light inside it looked pretty good, but when it was switched off sitting there in a lighted room, I just didn't like the look of it. All the different labels and colours made it look too cluttered. I thought maybe giving it a light coat of spray paint might unify the outside, but still let the light thorough when switched on. I had white and black spray paint on hand and decided to go with black (although later wondered if I should have gone with white - oh well). I wasn't sure it would work, but I knew I didn't like it the way it was, so I took a chance. Luckily it worked! I added a base and a removable top made of some plastic cassette boxes.

So now this thing is made (that's it in the photos), but it's too big to use anywhere at our house (about 12" x 12" x 14"). I think it needs to be in a larger, more modern, or eclectic room.

It might be cool to make one in a tall cylinder shape too, but I don't think I have enough old tapes left to make another one.

Google Earth Street View comes to Halifax

2009-04-14T15:54:00.012-03:00

IT was mentioned on the local news about a week ago that the Google car would be driving around town soon collecting images of Halifax for the "street view" feature on Google Earth. If you don't know about street view yet, it's a feature on Google Earth, the popular virtual globe and mapping software, that lets users see 360 degree, street level views of cities.

I was just chatting with a friend on the telephone around 3:00pm this afternoon when I saw the Google car attempt to make a wrong turn onto our one way street. Fortunately the driver realized his mistake right away, and turned around. He parked out front for a few minutes before continuing on his way. My camera was near by so I grabbed a couple of photos of the car while it was parked and as it drove by. Perhaps I will be seen standing in the window when the images are added to Google Earth.

The street view feature has caused some controversy over privacy issues. Google has developed software that tries to recognize faces and license plates on cars and blur them out. But of course, context is everything; a person can be recognized by their clothing, location, and any number of other factors. The software is not perfect either, it's not as good at recognizing and blurring profiles of faces, while often it blurs faces on statues and billboards. Blurred or not, some people see Street View as an unwelcome invasion of their privacy. I can understand that if you are one of those few people caught getting a speeding ticket, taking out the trash in your bathrobe, or strolling around wearing Crocs or something, but mostly I'm all for it. I quite enjoy seeing the street view perspectives on Google Earth. I recently checked out my friend's home in South Lanarkshire in Scotland. I've never been there, but taking a virtual tour around the area was great fun. If people insist that recognizable images of themselves not be removed, then I suppose Google should remove them. As for houses and yards and other things that can be seen from public streets it seems to me that's fair game.

I heard someone say they wouldn't want people all over the world to see how easy it is to break into their garage. Come on, if you are worried about your garage get a better lock. I very much doubt thieves are planing their break-ins by scouting locations on Google Earth. No one is going to travel across the globe to steal your Sears circular saw.

So if you see the Google Earth street view car driving by, give 'em a wave, or a moon, whatever you are into.

"Coastweekly" posted this short video clip on YouTube of the same car (still in Halifax) a couple of days later. I like the sound of the child's squeal of delight at the beginning.

UPDATE
The street views of Halifax are now available in Google Earth. And there I am with my camera in the window. Too bad they did not take the photos in the summer with all the green leaves... and our freshly painted house!

View Larger Map

Finished or Finished Enough?

2009-04-07T10:47:00.008-03:00

You just created a new piece of art. It's finished! Ok, so it's not perfect; you can see ways to improve on what you have done. You take those lessons learned and apply them to the next piece of art. You are comfortable with your earlier works, flaws and all, because they are steps in a larger process.

Really? Does that really happen? It does in my mind. I sometimes imagine that is how it goes for everyone else. That's what I might say to another artist who said they were having a hard time letting a piece go because it was "not quite right". I would say, "It's a process, let it go! You learned from this experience, now move on to the next one." That's what I would say. I would be very sincere too. I would also hope that they would not then ask, "Is that what you do?"

No. No that is not what I do. I work on a piece, obsessing over it for awhile, then eventually I either decide it's done enough and try to ignore all it's flaws, or I just say it's not quite finished. Pieces can remain "not quite finished" for months, years... maybe forever.

Upon noticing that I seemed to have an awful lot of work that I was not showing to anyone, a designer friend of mine asked the obvious question: "Why are you hiding all this work away?" I told him it was either unfinished or not good enough. Then he asked me a question I've never really been able to answer to my own satisfaction: "Why do you get to decide if it's any good or not?"

At first I thought it was a ridiculous question. Of course I get to decide if something I made is any good or not! But, over the course of the discussion I saw what he was getting at. In my opinion (and in many others as well), this guy was a brilliant graphic designer. I was blown away by his talent, and naturally respected his opinions. And there he was, pointing out things I had created and he was telling me "this is good, this is excellent, ok, sure, this one needs more work". What he wasn't saying was "this is crap, hide this away!"

He helped me learn to accept praise for things I had made. When someone told me they liked a piece of my work, I would often immediately tell them all things that I thought were wrong with it. As my friend pointed out, this is a bit insulting. They just told me they liked it, now I'm telling them it's not very good (or worse), in effect saying, "you don't know jack, Jack."

Today, if someone says they like a piece, I try to simply say "thank you" and then maybe ask them what they like about it. Sometimes they can tell me, sometimes they can't. I almost always hear my friend's voice in my head asking "Why do you get to decide if it's any good or not?"

That one question has helped make me much more at ease with my own art. More at ease. I'm still a long way from brimming with confidence.

About a year ago I started taking digital photos of textures. They could be anything: glass, wood, ruty metal, cracks in rocks, anything that grabs my eye. I'm not trying to capture perfect photos. I call it "collecting pixels". I use these photos of found textures, by layering, warping and distorting them, to create images that look sort of like insects. They have tons of detail and because I am using lots of sources from nature, they have a strong organic quality. I want these images to look like they might have been created in a lab, maybe with microscopic imaging, as if these were taken during the scientific study of some new species.

I work on them, decide they are "finished enough" or "not quite finished", and then make another. And another and another. I've shown them to a few people. The response is usually positive. There is always interest in how the images are created. But I am still holding them back. I have no idea what to do with them. Prints? Does anyone buy prints of weird, alien looking insects? Maybe I should just make a calendar? Should I just accept that they will never be sold to hang on walls, but try to put together some sort of show or exhibit? I can think of all sorts of reasons not to do any of these things. Good digital prints are expensive... so is mounting or framing. Can I afford to invest in things I might not sell?

Ok, I don't expect anyone else to answer these questions for me. But I am curious how other creative people approach these issues. Do they even have these issues? How confident or comfortable are you that an individual piece is "finished"? Are you embarrassed by your early work? Do you find it easy to just "put it out there" and see what the reaction is? Do you even care what the reaction is?

Inspiration, Imitation or Rip Off?

2009-04-06T10:05:00.042-03:00

There is a talented painter I met a couple months before I took off to Europe. His name is Jeff Lyons and his paintings are fun, colourful, and full of life. He is dedicated and has worked hard at developing his his style which has become quite distinctive. You can check out his work here: LyonsART (http://www.lyonsart.com/index.html)

Today on Facebook I saw a link to "Kimmi's Attic" (http://www.flickr.com/photos/kimmisattic/)
(Note: several of the images I found particularly interesting were removed shortly after I posted this entry. Imges no longer available include:"Dejanae", "ginny", "Rebecca", "Ling", "Shaye", "Blair", "Mona", "Eve", "Annie", and others.)

For the sake of comparison, here is one of Jeff's paintings "April" and one of Kimmi's "Raeanne", and here is Jeff's "Luna" and Kimmi's "Just Thinking".

It really bugged me, so I looked a little further. I found Kimmi's web site, where she says "Please pay special attention to gallery 3, this is my "Girl Friend Series" (http://www.kimmisattic.com/Gallery%203.html). Even the NAME is a taken from Jeff's work, and she is drawing special attention to this series of images over her other works. Maybe they are selling well? Kimmi says that she feels that "art speaks to a person's inner being in a way that words cannot convey." Funny, there are a few words that spring immediately to mind when I see Kimmi's "Girl Friend" paintings.

On her blog, Kimmi thanks everyone that left messages after her paintings were selected by "Minor'e Gallery" where she had a great time showing her paintings and meeting other artists and inspiring people. She goes on to mention that the Girl Friends paintings have been selected by "Prairie House Gallery" to be sold as prints.

Surely, this sort of thing happens all the time, right? Should Jeff Lyons just be flattered (and maybe he is, I've not spoken to him about this)? In my opinion Kimmi has crossed a line here. She is showing these paintings in galleries and is now selling prints, and to my eye, they are more than just similar to Jeff's work. I can't be sure when any individual painting was made, but it appears to me that she was painting in a colourful, folksy style, showing scenes of domestic life, when she suddenly went off on a tangent making rather thinly disguised versions of Jeff's paintings. Again, I'm not entirely sure of the order of events, but my guess is there was suddenly some buzz around her new paintings and it snowballed from there. It's hard to hide stuff out in the open on the world wide web though.

I wouldn't be making a fuss about any of this if Kimmi had simply stated that these works were her own versions of paintings by Jeff Lyons, or even that this series was inspired by Jeff Lyons (although I think that would be a stretching the concept of "inspired by"), some sort of acknowledgment. Instead there was the repeated assertion that her paintings were "100% original". I think that is a rather extravagant claim for any artist to make!

When I was a kid I used to trace art work from books and magazines. It helped me get a feel for how they were drawn. I even drew a comic strip in which all the characters were copied from other well known comic strips. It was fun. But I never tried to sell them or pretend that they were "100% original" (a claim Kimmi makes for her paintings on various blogs). I wanted to make my own characters and did. Even when they were just stick men it was more satisfying than copying work by other people.

As artists, we draw inspiration from all around us. Anything we see can get taken in and influence what we do later. Some times it can be unconscious and one unintentionally makes something that comes very close to another artist's work. There are famous examples of this (like George Harrison's song "My Sweet Lord") and much less famous examples. I'm thinking of a piece of animation I made several years ago called "SeXXXy Doll". When I wrote it (with help from my friend Jeff Kenney) and animated it, it all seemed like an original creation. It wasn't until two years after it was finished that I watched a collection of animated shorts from the NFB and realized that I had come way too close for comfort to a short called "George and Rosemary" by Alison Snowden and David Fine. Of course I had seen their animation many years before I made mine, but never consciously thought of it while making "SeXXXy Doll". It would be a pretty stupid thing to try to do on purpose as "George and Rosemary" is widely known. I'll never forget how I felt while watching it and realizing how heavily I had drawn from it. The influences were so strong and obvious. I felt sick about it! I find it hard to watch either mine or theirs now.

Surely there is a line beyond which influence and inspiration becomes out right rip off. Has Kimmi crossed that line? It can happen once, sure, but repeatedly, with works by the same artist? I know what I think and I'd be interested in knowing what others think.

She still has a gallery at ebsqart.com (http://www.ebsqart.com/Artists/cmd_21007_profile_portfolio.htm),
and an Ebay page (http://stores.shop.ebay.com/KIMMIs-Attic__W0QQ_armrsZ1),
and a boundlessgallery page (http://kimmisattic.boundlessgallery.com/profile/index.html).

UPDATE:
Just a few minutes after posting this, Kimmi's blog was changed so it can only be viewed by invitation. Several paintings were also removed from her Flickr page.
Of course, you can still view some of it with the handy cached version
(http://74.125.95.132/search?q=cache:eGfqx90FihkJ:kimmisattic.blogspot.com/) .

Let's Celebrate Zombie Valentine's Day!

2009-02-11T08:13:00.008-04:00

I was one of a group of artists commissioned to create custom Valentines. The crazy folks at Argyle Fine Art in Halifax took orders from custom made Valetines from the public. The orders came with notes about the people for whom they were being created. One person's interests included "exploring abandoned houses" and "zombie movies." I had great fun making this zombie Valentine. Once again I used my chunky, blocky, no-curves style of 3D construction.

This morning over coffee Nell and I decided that "Zombie Valentines Day" would make a great holiday! It would fall on Valentine's Day (February 14), but we can promote the zombification of Valentines's Day as a bit of an antidote to all that cutesy, sugary, sweetie-pie kitsch that dominates the day. A quick look on the international-wide-info-web turned up a few Zombie walks and Zombie Pub Crawls happening on Valentine's Day. But I say we take it all the way and let's call it Zombie Valentine's Day! Are you with me?

Join the Zombie Valentine's Day group on Facebook... invite your friends too!

Smoking Fez Monkey part 5

2009-01-29T20:06:00.008-04:00

This is a close up of the table on the left side of the image. The top image is how it appeared after the final render in Bryce, the bottom image shows the details I added later in Photoshop.

I was not really happy with the wood grain that was rendered in Bryce, so I used a photograph of some pine to make a new texture for the table. I painted in a little dent in the edge of the table. I also decided I needed to add some ice cubes in the glass of gin. The gin bottle is based on Bombay Saphire London Dry Gin. The gorilla is from an old engraving. You can also see there is some texture on the wall as well.

Oh, and of course there is a Planet of the Apes comic book ;)

Smoking Fez Monkey part 4

2009-01-29T13:57:00.003-04:00

As the slow process of building the scene progresses, I make many little test renders. Here's one of the monkey with his new chair. The smoke from the cigarette is the only element with curves.

Smoking Fez Monkey part 3

2009-01-29T12:42:00.005-04:00

Above is the Blocky Fez Monkey scene with the textures mapped onto the images. This is just a a preview, not an actual render of the scene, but it is starting to come to life a bit. At first I had a bunch of Elvis Presley singles on the floor, but I later replaced them with different bands. There is a repeating banana pattern on the easy chair and a gorilla on the the gin bottle label. That's when I decided to really go for the monkey and ape references. Pretty much everything in the room has something to do with apes and monkeys. I'll post a series of close ups along with the final render so you can see the details.

Smoking Fez Monkey part 2

2009-01-29T12:38:00.006-04:00

I took my blocky, curve-free, fez monkey model and built a blocky, curve free living room for him. Then I started building blocky props and other details. I decided to have the monkey playing along with a record. I really enjoyed constructing the 1950's style record player. The Monkey seemed a bit lonely, so I made a little penguin friend him. Then I took the penguin out, deciding that I like it better without it. Then I put it back in... and then out agasin. This went on for a couple of days. Finally I decided the penguin stays. As I was was waffleing over the penguin I continued constructing objects to filll the room. In the end, I think the curve-free lava lamp is the coolest, especially when the lighting is added in the final stage.

Above is a wire frame view of the scene, and below that is a flat shaded view showing how the lighting will fall.The next stage is adding textures.

Smoking Fez Monkey (test preview)

2009-01-13T14:12:00.007-04:00

I am working on a new 3D image using my "blocky", curve-free style of 3D modeling. I have taken the Fez Monkey I used in my "Blocky Monkey Blowing Bubbles" image and made some changes. I'm also in the process of building his living room and props for the scene. It's slow going as I keep changing things around. This is a test render (without colours or trxtures) of the monkey playing his ukulele.

REPIXX Show at Sam's

2008-12-16T10:36:00.003-04:00

Chris Smith says:

"REPIXX has a new phase as of today. It's now found a home in the store windows of the old Sam's (Sam the Record Man) on Barrington St. here in Halifax. Pretty fitting hanging an art show based on music in an old record store I think!"

So you can still see the show if you missed it at Argyle Fine Art. And you can still buy the super cool show catalogue from Argyle Fine art. I have one and you can't have it, so i suggest you get your own while you still can!

Repixx Show Press

2008-12-01T13:12:00.001-04:00

http://thechronicleherald.ca/ArtsLife/1091809.html

http://live.haligonia.ca/sound-bites-full-episode-list/640-chris-smith-photographer.html

http://www.thecoast.ca/Articles-i-2008-11-13-152793.113118_Photo_finish.html

http://www.metronews.ca/halifax/entertainment/article/140789

http://thingsofdesire.ca/2008/11/06/repixx/

Uncle Baby Blog

2008-11-11T11:59:00.003-04:00

Attention Uncle Baby fans: Uncle Baby now has his very own blog:
http://unclebabyblog.blogspot.com/

Uncle Baby episode 2: The Nature

2008-11-05T11:59:00.000-04:00

Repixx

2008-11-04T16:38:00.004-04:00

I have created a new pixel art piece that is being featured in a show called REPIXX. Here are the details:

Celebrate the Photography of Chris Smith through the Eyes of 15 Artists in this innovative show of artistic collaboration and creativity

REPIXX

Opening Friday, November 14^th, 7pm-9pm- Argyle Fine Art

All Welcome! Artists in attendance. Music provided by DJ Double A

(HALIFAX)- Argyle Fine Art is very excited to present our upcoming show REPIXX - on display from November 12-November 24^th. Award winning music photographer Chr!s Sm!th decided to create an opportunity to collaborate with other visual artists in the group show REPIXX opening this weekend in Pictou County (Nov 6-9) as part of Nova Scotia Music Week and then coming to Argyle Fine Art next FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 14^th, 7-9pm….so mark your calendars because this is one show you don’t want to miss! REPIXX will feature the work of 15 visual artists who have created original works of art inspired by Sm!th’s photography of Canadian and international musicians. Each visual artist was supplied with a photo and the simple mandate to “create”! Come see the results as these fantastic new pieces are displayed alongside the photos that inspired them.

Participating artists are: Gordon MacDonald, Steven Rhude, Teresa Bergen, Mike Holmes, Trevor Van den Eijnden, Kevin Lewis, Sara Caracristi, Lisa Brawn, Ed Beals, Brian Porter, Mark MacAulay, Sydney Smith, Marcel Kerkhoff, Blythe Church and James Walker.

Bringing artists together was the name of the game for photographer Chr!s Sm!th when coming up with the idea for REPIXX. “I want people to understand that this is not my show but OUR show. The artists involved have poured their creative energy into this and I can’t wait to see it all together!” says Sm!th. The title for the show came out of talking about the show from the perspective of a re-mix of sorts..but playing on the name of Nicki Sixx of Motley Crue-one of Sm!th’s personal favourite photographs in this collection. Other musicians that Chr!s Smith has photographed and included in the show are: Joel Plaskett, Wintersleep, The Novaks, Matt Mays, Gordie Johnson, Hey Rosetta!, The Divorcees, Old Man Luedecke, Matt Andersen, Zoobombs, The Superfantastics, Barley, Ross Neilsen and Squid.

”REPIXX was created to be a rock dropped into a pond. Yes, there will be a big splash, but the ripples afterwards will be where the action is once the exhibition closes,” states Sm!th . Adriana Afford, owner of Argyle Fine Art, shares his vision and believes that “When people work collaboratively with one another, there is no end to what can be accomplished.”

*The opening reception in Halifax on November 14^th will also celebrate the great successes of Photopolis…as the closing party for this wonderful festival of photography…so come out and celebrate one and all!

Musician photos include:
Joel Plaskett
Wintersleep
The Novaks
Matt Mays
Gordie Johnson
Hey Rosetta!
The Divorcees
Old Man Luedecke
Matt Andersen
Zoobombs
Motley Crue
Ross Neilsen
Squid
The Superfantastics
Barley

FEATURED ARTISTS:
Gordon MacDonald
Blythe Church
Kevin Lewis
Steven Rhude
Teresa Bergen
Sara Caracristi
Trevor Van den Eijnden
Marcel Kerkhoff
Brian Porter
Sydney Smith
Mike Holmes
James Walker
Mark MacAulay
Ed Beals
Lisa Brawn

http://funkfactor.com/

http://www.argylefa.tk/

Prepaid Envelopes

2008-09-17T09:58:00.004-03:00

While we were having our coffee this morning, and opening the mail, an idea came up: Can we use the prepaid envelopes that came with the junk mail to send letters to friends and family for free? The idea struck me as so obvious, that if it did work, there must be a flood of information on the web about it. Well, there isn't.

After looking around for a few minutes I found that "prepaid" envelopes are not all really prepaid. They are sort of "prepaid-in-waiting". The company that sent out the envelope is only charged for the postage if the envelope is used and scanned going back through the system. That's what all those little bars are for.

So, why not use them for your own mail by just putting on an address label over the address printed on the envelope? Well, apparently many of these envelopes are coded to a specific postal code, and if it is sent to some other postal code, the recipient could be on the hook for the postage. Makes sense.

Junk mail seems to really get people wound up. I found there are a lot of people out there who like to send these envelopes back filled with other junk mail they have received. They will send the Pizza Hut flier to the credit card company, the muffler shop offer to the magazine subscription department and so on. The reasoning being that the company who sent the envelope has to pay to get your junk back, which adds to their own recycling costs and wastes their time. Some people even claim they have attached the envelopes to larger packages with several pounds of junk (even bricks and bottles of water!), costing the company even more money. Do people really do things like that? Seems like a lot of trouble to me.

I'm not so sure sending anything back is such a great idea. As I understand it, a lot of junk mail is handled by third party companies who just deal with bulk mail outs. Might they not count any return as a hit? After all they want to have high hit rates to demonstrate how well their service works. Might that not trigger even more junk mail? At least they know you actually opened it.

The people who were advocating sending junk back were not saying that they didn't get junk mail anymore, in fact they all complained about getting more and more. So while loading up a credit card company's envelope with their own shredded junk mail may feel satisfying in the moment, I very much doubt it would be much of deterrent, even if it does get back to the offices of the company in question. And shipping your junk mail around through Canada Post is not really doing anything to help reduce waste or lower carbon emission.

No, it's not as exciting as sweet revenge, but perhaps a better alternative is to visit the Canada Post web site, where you can participate in the Canada Post "Consumer Choice Program", which is supposed to stop delivery of unaddressed ad mail to your home.

Here's a quote from the web site:
Through the Consumer Choice Program, you may opt out of receiving Unaddressed AdmailTM delivered by Canada Post. However, choosing this option may also discontinue your delivery of municipal notices and mailings, such as municipal calendars. It is important to note that this option does not discontinue the delivery of unaddressed advertising by parties other than Canada Post.

Not perfect, I guess. But it's a start.

Microwaves meet CD

2008-09-11T09:00:00.004-03:00

Have you ever put a CD in a microwave oven? I used an old data CD (they do pile up don't they?), so there was no heavy printing on the back, just the thin foil layer. When I pushed "start" there was quite a display! Sparks flying and zapping sounds. In just a few seconds a pattern like an ancient, weathered mosaic had formed in the foil as it cracked and split. It may not be the smartest thing to do. I have no idea if it's bad for the oven. It also produces fumes that are likely not exactly good for you. I'll use this one as a coaster.

Muffins!

2008-08-28T17:01:00.004-03:00

I made muffins today for the first time. Oatmeal with white and dark chocolate... and a pecan half on top for decoration. Not bad for a first try, they actually taste quite good.

SeXXXy Doll (2000)

2008-08-28T15:12:00.006-03:00

It is hard to believe it was way back in 2000 that I created my Flash animated short, SeXXXy Doll. I had to prepare a DVD ready version SeXXXy Doll for a screening at this year's Ottawa International Animation Festival, so since I finally had a video version, I went ahead and put it on YouTube. But why the heck would they be showing SeXXXy Doll at the OIAF eight years later? Well, they are presenting a 4-part series to compliment the release of Chris Robinson's new book, entitled "Canadian Animation: Looking for a Place to Happen", and they want to screen SeXXXy Doll as part of the Calgary/Halifax program. The Festival runs Sept 17-21st this year.

More about Chris Robinson and his book

"In 2007, writer Chris Robinson traveled across Canada to meet with some of the country’s leading independent animation filmmakers. Along the way, Robinson muses about the animation art form in Canada and his own relationship to the scene and personalities, many of whom are friends and colleagues. As he travels from place to place he carries along his own private (and sometimes not-so private) struggles with insomnia, depression, identity, cab drivers, hobos and nobos and the shocking murder of animator Helen Hill, who‚s life and work embody many of the themes that colour these conversations.

"With the intimate detail of a diary, Canadian Animation: Looking for a Place to Happen weaves together history, memoir and dream into a mesmerizing and candid portrait of Canadian animation, art, doing, drifting and dying.

"Lavishly illustrated, the book’s cast includes award-winning animators Marv Newland (Bambi Meets Godzilla), Chris Landreth (Ryan), Chris Hinton (Nibbles), David Fine (Bob and Margaret, Ricky Sprocket), Wendy Tilby (When the Day Breaks), Anne-Marie Fleming, Torill Kove (The Danish Poet), Claude Cloutier (Sleeping Betty), Janet Perlman (Why Me?) and many more.

"Chris Robinson is an Ottawa-based author and the Artistic Director of the Ottawa International Animation Festival (OIAF). A noted animation commentator, curator, and historian, Robinson is a leading expert on Canadian and international independent animation. He is also a frequent contributor to The Ottawa Citizen and The Ottawa Xpress.

His other books include: Estonian Animation: Between Genius and Utter Illiteracy (2006), Unsung Heroes of Animation (2005), Stole This From a Hockey Card: A Philosophy of Hockey, Doug Harvey, Identity & Booze (2005), and The Animation Pimp (2007).

Robinson lives in Ottawa with his wife Kelly and their sons Jarvis and Harrison. His dog is Molly.

Canadian Animation: Looking for a Place to Happen will be published by John Libbey Publishing and available through Indiana University Press in the Fall of 2008.

The book will be launched at the Ottawa 2008 International Animation Festival in conjunction with a retrospective screening of Canadian independent animators.

Uncle Baby 1: This is my Show

2008-08-19T11:07:00.002-03:00

Uncle Baby came to life one day while the Bulaja kids and I were playing with their toys at the kitchen table. There was a maker and a little plastic baby doll and I just couldn't resist. I think it was one of the twins that came up with the name "Uncle Baby" a few days later. We would just goof around and make him talk in this gruff grown-up voice. The kids and I thought it was hilarious. I decided right from the start that there should be some Uncle Baby movies. Ivor took Uncle Baby on holiday and took a series of funny photos and even made them into a comic book. The Uncle Baby legend was growing! Just before I left Zagreb to return to Canada, the kids presented me with my own Uncle Baby. So now there are two Uncle Babies. I made a little test movie that very night and that movie is now available on YouTube.

Uncle Baby 2: The Nature has been shot but it might be a couple of weeks before I find the time to edit it. So there will be more to come.

Gnocchi

2008-08-18T14:52:00.001-03:00

I just made gnocchi from scratch for the first time. I first ate it in Italy, but I really learned to love it while living in Croatia. It's really not hard to make; it's just a potato dough made from mashed potatoes, flour and an egg, but it took me awhile to get the hang of rolling the dough on a fork to make the little grooved shapes. After making nearly 200 of those little buggers I think I got the hang of it! You can use pretty much any sauce you would use on pasta, but in Zagreb I learned how to make a sauce using Gorgonzola cheese, mileram (sour cream), and smoked ham. It's delicious! You just boil them like pasta, but it only takes about three minutes. Normally they would be white, but I didn't have enough white flour, and had to use half white and half whole wheat flour... I hope that won't make much of a difference. So that's what we are having for dinner tonight. I hope you are hungry, Nell.

Landed

2008-08-05T15:41:00.001-03:00

I made it back to Canada. I think I have been without sleep for about 36 hours now.

Croatia Farewell

2008-08-01T08:11:00.001-03:00

My ten month stay in Croatia is coming to an end. I am booked to fly home to Canada on Monday, Aug. 4. The only snag is my flight is with Lufthansa, and they currently have ground crews that are on strike. I've been trying to find out if my flight is canceled or not, but under the circumstances nothing is certain. I pretty much have to wait until the day, show up really early, and see what they can do for me.

When play is work, and work is play

Airline adventures aside, I am very glad I came to Zagreb to work on this "Tesla Project". The opportunity came at a time when I really needed to get away and get some new perspective on life. I got to do a lot of traveling and work with some really great people like Helena and Zvonimir Bulaja, photographer Al Keddie and musician/composer Christian Biegai. There were many other creative people who worked on this project long before I got involved, and still others who are joining the crew as I prepare to leave. Collectively we have produced a huge amount of material that has to be shaped and molded into a film, website, books, and even performances. Helena has grand visions, but somehow she makes them happen.

It's all about the Food

I am very excited about heading back to Canada, but there are things I will miss about Croatia. The coast here is simply stunning. I love spending time in Split, even in the middle of winter. I will miss sipping cappuccino in Britanski Square and eating pastry with salty cheese. Zagreb has the best pizzas I've had anywhere, including Italy. I developed a passion for octopus here (thanks Josh! --and is there something in octopus that makes you a bit goofy? I seem to feel intoxicated whenever I have it... or was I just happy after a good meal?). I will miss the ice cream, which is generally very good everywhere, but Vincek on Ilica St.-- oh my! The cakes and other deserts there are works of art as well. In the winter there are street vendors selling roasted chestnuts, and little stands offering sausages --the spicy ones were excellent! We just called them "spicy street sausage" (which Al's friend, Sarah mistook as a euphemism for something else entirely!).
Oh and of course the "Toplo Hladno" sandwiches from the Pingvin Sandwich Bar on Teslina St. are delicious. I will miss the outdoor fruit and vegetable markets that operate all year long, and the Sunday flea market at Britanski Square with it's mix of treasures and trash.

Higher ground

I won't miss the grey clouds that can hang over Zagreb for weeks in the winter. They blanket the city and just seem to get stuck there, getting thicker and thicker, leaving you to wonder if the sun will ever return. But just one afternoon up on Medvednica, just above the clouds, improved my outlook immensely. I should have gone up there more often. Speaking of the mountain, it features an extensive trail system. I made a few hikes up to Medvedgrad and to a cave for a tour.

Sta?

I wish I had learned more of the language while I was here, but the truth is it is very easy to be lazy about learning Croatian because most people here speak English very well and as soon as I say dobra dan in what I think is a passable accent, they immediately switch to English. I learned only the basics, like pivo (you always learn the local word of beer right away!), and basic greetings like bok, dobra dan, dobra vecer and dovidjenja or just jenja. For some reason I learned the numbers pet and deset right away (and so pedeset came easily), and eventually I learned osam, and dvadeset... but really, I should have learned more numbers by now! Thanks to my friend's children I quickly learned doci, idemo, and ne. I learned the names of a few types of stores and businesses like frizerski, pekara, and obuća (I challenge anyone to take one walk down Ilica Street and not figure out what obuća means).

You will learn "ulaz" and "izlaz" pretty quickly if you don't want to keep running into people. Waiters here seemed to be endlessly entertained by my pronunciation of "Ozujsko". I eventually figured out that I was putting the emphasis on the wrong syllable. Oh yes, another of my favourite things to say, also food related, is "kikiriki."

I picked up a few other words here and there, of course, but every word seems to have several forms and the grammar completely eluded me. There is an old lady who lives in the same apartment building as me. She's pretty slow moving and I've held the door open for her a few times. She chatters away to me in Croatian, and I have told her that "I only speak English", to which she replies "Ahhh, English..." and then she just continues chattering away to me. I guess it really doesn't matter to her if I understand or not. She's likely talking about the weather, or telling me that she's slow because her back is sore or that she's off to visit her grandchildren. I just smile and say "dobra" and "da". She is likely thinking, "what a nice retarded fellow".

Welcome

2008-07-14T07:38:00.000-03:00

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