Monday, August 17, 2009

Live Blogging 13



Which of these two lighting schemes do you like better?

I am leaning towards the first one. At this point, I can't think of how to improve this anymore. Any ideas?

I feel it is done-ish at this point. I am quite please as to how it turned out and how this process went. I must say I really want to continue the live-blogging, but I don't want to start a new piece. So, at this point, I will stop and have desert! Thanks for watching!

Live Blogging 12 - Let there be Light


Yeah, this is not the final result. I am still in the midst of experimenting in photoshop to create the effect of light shafts in water. I was planning on doing it with paint, but before I tried that and potentially ruin the painting, I thought I'd give it a digital shot.

As you can see, they don't really work. The first one uses five spotlights, and the one above uses a blue omni filter. Looks really cool, but not quite the effect I was going for. Below is close, tweaking the spotlights at an angle.

After working on this for an hour and debating with both Craig and Lady R in New Zealand. We are a bit stuck. But Craig did manage this effect above, literally making pikaia god of all things Burgess!

More work is needed...

Live Blogging 11 - Opabinia? Why not!


This is quickly becoming the full menagerie of Burgess Shale creatures. The opabinia is just to the right of the anomalocaris' tail. He is small, tube-mouthed, and 5-eyed. Amazing something like that had evolved on Earth.

Should play with underwater lighting next...

Live Blogging 10 - Adding Odaraia


No big changes this time out, only the addition of a school of Odaraia near the bottom. Need to finish up the anomalocaris' tentacles - give them spikes.

Mentally, I think I'm doing ok. Hungry again, and it really seems that the day has sped by! Doing nothing but painting and blogging sure wastes the day away... Think it's Cake time.

Live Blogging 9 - Darkening


I have attempted with this post to increase the detail in the reef and the anomalocaris, while darkening the animal to make it seem more like it is underwater. Need to fix the marellas - they are quite difficult to detail at this scale.

Live Blogging 8 - Critters


With Craig's suggestion, I've included a nectocaris in the foreground. He joins a pikaia in the top right corner, a bunch of wiwaxia, a couple of marella, a hallucigenia, and a random trilobite (not sure which genus). Having all these little guys up here makes me want to add more! This painting has become less about anomalocaris and more about the Burgess Shale environment! Any suggestions for new critters?

Live Blogging 7 - Detail Starts...

More detail and shading brings the Anomalocaris alive further. The picture still seems very bright (something I am not trying to achieve!) and I dread water/light/shadow effect of underwater creatures... Loads to still do.

Still focused, but this day is streaming by very quickly. Time for the Police (and Sting).

Strangely, Google seems tyo not be letting me see my blog, though I can still post. Weird. Update in an hour.

Live Blogging 6


Had lunch, so less accomplished, but I have the first pass over the reef floor done. So now the entire pic has a base coat of colour. Next, I'll be adding details and darkening things up a bit.

Live Blogging 5


Red. Hmm, I like the contrast, but it really needs to be dulled down and detailed. Maybe compliment it with some orange and yellows... Maybe like a Galapogus Crab.

Gonna attack the floor of teh Brgess Shale next. A mottled purple and brown and green, I think. Need lunch too. And enough Pearl Jam. I think it's time for a little bit of Rage Against the Machine, yeah.

Live Blogging 4



As you can see, I have started to block out the colours on our lovely anomalocaris. As Glendon says, this is the Ugly Stage. I think we will be in this stage for many hours...

Unsure as to the colouration of Mr. Anomalo. I want to to look natural while standing out from the blueish background. Lobster-like red is tempting...

Live Blogging 3


Here is the final pose. Decided not to turn the tail. Focusing now on the background, adding wiwaxia sponges and muddy slopes. Any suggestions of other fauna to add? Definitetly adding a couple of marellas, but I may also fill in the Burgess Shale with a halluciogenia and pikia too.

Hungry, so I need to grab some breakfast. No worries, this is kinda fun! Look for the next post at 1100p.s.t. in one hour!

Live Blogging 2


I'm liking the underbelly shot of the creature. Might push the tail back as if he's doing a belly flop, attacking the Marella. Time to start the final sketch...

Live Blogging 1

Welcome and I hope you enjoy my attempt to live blog my creation of my Anomalocaris painting. Here we are at the beginning, white page and my ideas.

Let them flow onto the page! Check back in an hour to see what progress I have made.

Countdown to Live Blogging Event


Check back tomorrow when I start my live blogging session. 0900 p.s.t (1200 e.s.t, I think!)

Subject: Anomalocaris and the Burgess Shale.
Medium: Acrylic Paint over Pencil on White Paper.

Follow along live and leave comments if you want to. I'll do my best to respond as I paint and blog!

Friday, August 14, 2009

An Experiment in Live-blogging

With about two weeks to go before the Anomalocaridid Gallery on ART Evolved, the pressure to create my Anomalocaris painting is on. And with visiting friends and the beach weather, I haven't started it yet!


So I have decided to try something different this month. I am going to experiment with live-blogging! Inspired by following Glendon's live-blogging of his Darwin Day painting, I'm going to give this a shot. I'll start early on Monday, August 17th (0900h p.s.t.) and paint all day, posting every hour with updates on the picture live. Ambitious yes, but it'll be fun!

I'll make sure mint green tea, chocolate bars, and bagels are on hand, along with U2 and Linkin Park. I'll turn off the phone and not check my email (erg!), and hopefully something excellent will be produced!

Thursday, August 13, 2009

Creative Spaces

I was invited by Sean Craven to share my creative space - the inspired area where the art and magic happens. Of course, I said Yes!

Welcome to the Chateau de Bond, a small and cluttered place with a wonderful view. My creative space occupies the main table (cleaned up for guests!) as well as the surrounding floors and walls.

My creative space: desk, chair, computer, paper, pens, paints, books.

Opposing view of my creative space: books, films, view.


The flat surface for painting, the digital box for photoshopping and blogging.
The larger screen is new (birthday present - a few days old!) and triples the size of my digital workspace.
It is so much brighter than my little powerbook! Another Mac user.


The acrylic paints I've been using for the last 9 years (Delta Creamcoat and Liquitex)


A selection of inspiration from the shelf.


A model of the stage I am designing for as Stage Designer for SMP's new pantomime - the Wizard of Oz!
(I should blog more about this, as it's an exciting project and takes up much of my summer time off.)


More inspiration: the view out the window = East North Vancouver and Burnaby. I love the sounds of the seabirds and trains...

So there you go. The tour of where I do my work, though sketching and developing ideas happens in the sketchbook - which is portable: on the couch, in bed, on the beach. Art can hit you anywhere!

Look to ART Evolved soon for a collection of Creative Spaces from other artists.

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

New Blog: "Dinosaur Hunting by Boat!"


There's a new paleo-blog on the horizon - one that follows an epic journey searching for dinosaur bones by boat!

Tyrrell Museum palaeontologist Darren Tanke's blog, Dinosaur Hunting by Boat in 2010, is up and running. It will follow his historical reenactment and reconstruction of Barnum Brown's scow, Mary Jane, floating down the Red Deer River in Alberta, Canada - which originally navigated the river and searched for fossils in 1912.

It will be an exciting project, one I will be following closely! What I wouldn't give to be part of it...