Bond's Blog

Prehistoric Mutant Ninja Turtles

2011-09-06T17:03:00.000-07:00

Prehistoric Mutant Ninja Turtles!

This is an ode to prehistoric turtles, interpreted as the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, for ART Evolved's Turtle Gallery! I really love the challenge of creating something specifically for a topic every two months - it helps hone techniques. In this case, I was able to work on my digital colouring skills. The piece is inspired by this image from the recent computer animated movie. I thought it would be fun to replace the regular Turtles with important prehistoric turtles from the past. The first oldest turtle discovered, the first turtle with a shell, and early flippered turtles. For Donatello, I had to choose my favorite, one of the largest and iconic turtle, Archelon.

Raphael

Proganochelys quenstedti - Late Triassic (210 myo)

Germany and Thailand - first full shell - 1m long

Michelangelo

Odontochelys semitestacea - Late Triassic (220 myo)

Guizhou, China - oldest turtle (incomplete shell) - 40cm long

Leonardo

Placochelys placodonta - Late Triassic (200 myo)

Germany - paddle-like limbs - 90cm long

Donatello

Archelon ischyros - Late Cretaceous (75-65 myo)

South Dakota and Wyoming, USA - HUGE - >4m long!

Hope you like it! Cowabunga, dude! Pizza Party Time!!!

ART Evolved's Turtle Gallery is up!

2011-09-06T01:01:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone,
Check out the new gallery on ART Evolved! Turtles! Cowabunga!
I've got a couple of new pieces in there, which I will put up here this week.
-Peter

Meganeura Painting Final

2011-08-23T17:51:00.001-07:00

Giants Stalking Giants - 2011

Acrylics on canvas paper - blurring in gimp

The giant dragonfly Meganeura monyi sits blissfully unaware on a branch, as the giant scorpion Pulmonoscorpius kirktonensis creeps ever so slowly towards it's victim. Fossils show the scorpion to be 70cm (2.3ft) long, and the dragonfly's wingspan surpassed 75cm (2.5ft)! The Carboniferous provided these prehistoric insects and arachnids with an atmosphere of increased oxygen levels, which many scientists believe led to the increased size of these critters.

Wouldn't mind one of these beauts as a pet...

Posted in ART Evolved's Carboniferous Gallery here.

Carboniferous Art - Work in Progress

2011-06-24T11:17:00.001-07:00

Carboniferous WIP

Meganeura monyi and Pulmonoscorpius kirktonensis

This WIP is being made for ART Evolved's Carboniferous Gallery which goes online July 1st. Be sure to send in your art to artevolved@gmail.com.

I'll post the finished piece with more info on the amazing arthropods at the end of the month.

Also sent around twitter as my #10oclockart.

One More Win...

2011-06-15T01:25:00.000-07:00

Bring the Cup Home Boys!

Go Canucks Go!

Archeopteryx Painting

2011-05-22T16:35:00.000-07:00

Quick pencil sketch for composition.

Archeopteryx Pair

2011, acrylic on canvas paper, 9 x 12 in.

This painting was created as a gift for my friends Craig and Rhonwyn's wedding! With this year being the 150th anniversary of Archeopterxy's discovery, this early birds were the perfect subject. I have recently been experimenting with a more impressionist style using a more limited colour pallet. While I am really happy with the painting, I have still managed to use the primary colours - red, blue, yellow. Hmm, anyone have any suggestions on how to limit my pallet more effectively?

Parasaurolophus in Love

2011-05-07T12:45:00.001-07:00

Medium: Acrylic Paints

Now that the Hadrosaur Gallery has gone up on ART Evolved, I can reveill the complete parasaurolophus piece! Be sure to visit the gallery for a metric ton of gorgeous duckbill art!

The point of this reconstruction was to keep my colour pallet to only one to two colours. As the emotion of this piece is love, I went with the traditional red tones for the critters. One of the biggest challenges I have in painting is that I tend to paint with bold, almost primary colours. A prime example is my Pterosaur family in their garish blue, orange and yellow.

I have recently bought James Gurney's book, Colour and Light, in an effort to teach myself better colour choice. I look forward to pouring through it when I can find the time, and hopefully you will see an evolution in my art.

Thanks for checking this piece out and if you have any critiques, please let me know in the comments section below.

Sneak Peak into a new Painting

2011-04-25T13:25:00.000-07:00

I must apologize really for being absent from my own blog for so long. Life, as they say, gets in the way. Between work and tutoring, getting back into Basil for a one-night-only Fawlty Towers performance, and preproduction of Cinderella (which I'll be directing), I haven't found a lot of time for art.

So with ART Evolved's Hadrosaur Gallery opening only days away, I wanted to give a sneak peak of a new painting I've been working on for the Time Capsule.

Detail of Parasaurolophus painting

If you can't tell what this is, it is meant to be a very red Parasaurolophus. I will post the full painting here at the end of the month to coincide with the gallery.

Happy Easter everyone!

Darwin Day 2011

2011-02-12T17:30:00.000-08:00

Happy Darwin Day everyone!

Travel Photo of the Week #4

2011-02-01T23:48:00.000-08:00

The Needle in Dublin, Ireland in 2002

Travel Photo of the Week #3

2011-01-24T00:26:00.001-08:00

Eiffel Tower, Paris 1999

I love this photo, captured on a warm evening in Paris lit up like a beacon in the night.

Travel Photo of the Week #2

2011-01-08T16:57:00.000-08:00

Sagrada Familia Basilica, Barcelona, Spain (2007)

An amazing church designed by Antoni Gaudi, started in 1882 and probably never to be completed. The Sagrada Familia is an amazing amalgamation of architectural designs and is a must-see when visiting Barcelona. I love the city and I love Gaudi's surreal Gothic style! For more of his work, see Casa Mila and Park Güell.

Woolly Mammoth - Final Image

2011-01-05T15:28:00.001-08:00

Woolly Mammoth
(click to enlarge)

This final image was created by pencil drawing, digital colouring, and photoshopping onto photograph background (image by Craig Dylke). You can follow the making-of by clicking here.

The impetus for creating this beasty was ART Evolved's Elephant Gallery, up now. Go check out all the other pachyderms by talented artists! Go!

Travel Photo of the Week #1

2011-01-01T23:55:00.002-08:00

Into the Future: Disneyland's Tomorrowland (1996)

Starting of with something weird and artsy and old. Blurred light effects, motion, colour...

Ushering in 2011

2011-01-01T23:52:00.002-08:00

Last night, the world clock ticked over from 2010 to 2011, and with it, the infinite possibilities of a new year ahead! Time to seize those possibilites...

To begin with, it must be noted that I have been posting less and less here (only 40 posts last year!) I don't feel the desire to write about my personal life, nor have I done much traveling recently. Somewhere in 2010, I made a conscious decision to transform "Bond's Blog" into a space to showcase art and give a peek into creation. I never fully completed that transition.

So my plans for 2011 include creating the formal art communication space here. More shared art, more artistic updates, and artsy travel photograph-of-the-week type posts to start. Organization and planning is key! I am also committing myself right now to the creation and completion of some sort of kids book - something I have been dancing around for the last few years. It's time to do something about it.

2010 also saw the continued evolution of ART Evolved as a more significant force in the paleo-art-isphere. The continuation of the every-two-month galleries and an increase in article content, along with the highly successful Pink Dinosaur cancer campaign, has given me huge satisfaction. I also plan on spending more energy in 2011 so ART Evolved can grow even bigger!

Thanks to all my friends and followers for a great 2010. Here's to a fantastic 2011!

-Peter

(and a big welcome to the world to Calvin Mellow!)

Liveblogging Dec 2010 (Mammoth-Style!)

2010-12-21T14:35:00.001-08:00

For those not familiar with the term "liveblogging," it's an event where the artist uploads images of a work-in-progress (WIP) live, as they work on it.

Over at ART Evolved, the next gallery features Elephants and relatives, so I'll be liveblogging my effort in creating a restoration of a woolly mammoth today and in the next few days. I foresee a pen and ink sketch with digital colouring.

I will be attempting to add updates to this post in an effort to maintain containment.

Post 1- Dec 20th 2:05pm PST

Preliminary pencil sketch.

Post 2 - 3:02pm PST

Pen and ink pointillism begins. Scanner scans only half of him = annoying.

I promise the full guy next hour!

Post 3 - 4:45pm PST

And here the scanner cut off part of his right tusk, but at least captured his lovely legs! The pen and ink stage continues, finding doing fur/hair with pointillism slightly challenging...

Enough for today!

Post 4 - Dec 21 10:16am PST

Good morning! Here is the final pen and ink version that I have scanned. Now to import it into GIMP (my free Photoshop substitute) and begin the digital colouring. Once the animal is coloured, the big question is should I attempt to recreated a background? Or should I simply place the critter into a photograph of the appropriate habitat? Thoughts?

Post 5 - 11:56am PST

Well, an hour later and all I've got done is import the mammoth into GIMP and isolate him into layers. Not a lot to look at, but vital as I begin colouring!

For everyone's interest, here is the reference photo I used for this restoration. Royal Tyrrell Museum's wonderful woolly mammoth mount:

(Young me for scale.)

Post 6 - 1:02pm PST

Time for lunch! Here we have the first stage of base colour and shading done in GIMP with multiple layers. This particular pachyderm will sport a black and dark brown fur coat. No decision on the background as of yet...

Post 7 - 2:39pm PST

More layers of colour and texture...

We'll have to leave it there for today. Will try to pick it up tomorrow!

Here is the final composition. Big thanks to Craig Dylke for the background photo.

The final mammoth...

To Catch an Art Thief

2010-10-26T12:17:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, ART Evolved banned together around one of our members, Dr. Manabu Sakamoto, to catch an art thief. Please follow this link to read the whole story "The Art Thief vs. The Dinosaur Bloggers," masterly written and posted on ART Evolved by Glendon Mellow.

Here is a sample from the post:

Theft is going to get found out.

All of us on Art Evolved experienced a point in time where we made a decision to go online with our artwork. It's a tough decision, and everyone frets to varying degrees about what will happen if our work is stolen.

We slap copyright symbols on it, and some of us put obscuring watermarks on the images.
We employ Creative Commons Licences, or rail against Google ImageSearch for making it so easy.
We vary on how much we protect our artwork, and how much we like to share it.
None of us is likely to know if an indie punk band in Vienna has downloaded our Diabloceratops for their gig posters.

So if you're an aspiring artist looking to get into paleo-art or any kind of image, and you're nervous about making a big enough name for yourself online, here's some stuff you can do.

Don't steal.
If it's a fan homage, say it is.
Don't re-post someone's stuff without asking.
If they have a blanket statement saying it's okay, make sure you link back to them and give them credit.
Always give artists, illustrators and image-makers credit. Always.
Just ask. Always ask if it's cool. Most illustrators love feedback.
Use the © symbol a lot. State what you want.
Blog. Post comments elsewhere. Reciprocate.
Become friends and peers to others with similar interests.
If you can, be part of a network or group online.
"I got yer back" is one of the most heart-warming statements you can utter to a friend.

If someone steals your work,
make a fuss.
Go through proper channels.
Be civil and intelligent when you dialogue.
Ask for help from your support network.
I encourage anyone to put their artwork online. And becoming part of a network makes everyone stronger than without it.

Read the full post here.

I totally agree with Glendon when he says that becoming part of an online community is the best way to protect your art online. Strength in numbers, we've got your back!

-Peter

October is Pink Dinosaur Month

2010-10-08T08:35:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the recent absence folks, but I've been having too much fun with the Pink Dinosaur Cancer Fundraiser event that ART Evolved is currently running!

What is Pink Dinosaurs, you might ask? Go here to read an overview about what the event is. Send in a drawing of your pink dinosaur to artevolved@gmail.com and I'll post it on ART Evolved! Send in as many as you like! Each pic I post, AE will be donating $1 to the Canadian Cancer Society. If you don't feel you have the necessary mad skills to scribble a pink highlighter on the back of today's newspaper and email me a pic, then you can also go directly to the event site and donate there!

The response so far to Pink Dinosaurs is simply amazing. It has been promoted all around the paleoblogsphere (most notably here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and here) and we already have 25 posted pink dinosaurs. If we get more than 50, then my initial predictions will have been surpassed! The submission rate has increased now that it is October, and I am loving seeing all the amazing artwork! Paleo-art for a difference!

The event officially ends at the end of October, but if people keep on sending in pink dinosaurs, I'll post them through November and December!

With Fawlty Towers rehearsals in full swing and Zorro stage design due, my time is busy with acting and tutoring and teaching. I will need to sit down and create my own pink dinosaur to add to the growing group of spectacular art!

Pop-Cutlure Gallery Submissions

2010-09-01T18:48:00.005-07:00

Ghostbuster vs Zombie Dinosaur (2010)

Godzilla Contemplates Vancouver (2010)

Burning Man Bound

2010-08-27T17:07:00.000-07:00

(image link)

I will be away for the computer for the next two weeks, with the plan to head down to Burning Man for the first time! If you don't know what Burning Man is, check this out. Unfortunately, I'm typing this as I am actually heading out the door (for the drive from BC to Nevada).

Preparation, planning, packing, and now off. See you in a bit, with stories, photos, and sunburn!

ART Evolved is evolving into a Network

2010-08-26T18:48:00.000-07:00

Our little ART Evolved Network has evolved with it's own RSS Feed! You can subscribe to it by clicking on the icon above (or at the top of the left sidebar), and follow all 20 or so fascinating blogs from one place!

The network and RSS feeds are designed to put ART Evolved, and everyone involved with it, more exposure and hopefully more opportunities for freelance gigs and jobs. One step always leads to another! Big thanks to Glendon for putting in the R&D time to make this happen!

Fawlty Towers Poster Design

2010-08-25T14:27:00.002-07:00

Something non-paleo this time: Here is the final version of the poster that will advertise the upcoming SMP show, Fawlty Towers. In the show, which will be made up of two of the television episodes, I get the honor of playing Basil Fawlty.

Yes, him.

While learning John Cleese's many ad-libed lines, I have also thrown together a smaller, bookmark-sized advertisement for easy distribution.

So if you happen to be in the North Vancouver area during late October, stay for a spell at Fawlty Towers and see this amateur artist make a complete fool of himself!

A Return to Blogging about Art

2010-08-24T00:08:00.000-07:00

Ode to a Tyrannosaur (2010)

a portrait of Traumador the Tyrannosaur

Well, it's been a while! Hi! I have a blog! After two months of inactivity, I shall now remember I have a blog and begin posting again. (Blog apathy passing...)

The above painting was a gift to Craig, the author of The Tyrannosaur Chronicles. It captures his title character between the depths of deep time and the heights of outer space, a truly living fossil.

Inspiration comes from all around and I got an intense paleontological dose on my recent trip to Calgary and Drumheller, home of dinosaurs and full of old friends...

Inspiration indeed!

Reef Painting WIP (1)

2010-07-08T23:32:00.001-07:00

The combination of a burning image from diving in Cebu and a gaping space above my fireplace has brought about a new painting.

There is a moment when drifting towards the edge of the reef, floating slowly towards the abyss, where the colourful reef plunges straight down towards darkness. I remember the moment precisely, floating towards and then past the edge, thinking "I must paint this." Has this happened to you?

So, with a wish to create something a bit less prehistoric, I began this sketch. It incorporates aspects of the few photos I took while diving in the Philippines.

My plan is to paint the background coral reef, full of colour, then add all the multitudes of fish, arthropods, bivalves, mollusks, and cute nudibranchs (sea slugs) I saw!

I also want to add a Hawksbill sea turtle, along with a silhouetted reef shark (even though I never saw one while diving! Cheating?)

Last Saturday was a marathon painting day. I am beginning to realize my art style: that I tend to work in spurts of intense creativity...

So here is where we are with this Coral Reef painting. Kinda looks like an empty aquarium, ready for some citizens.

Basic background? Check! Ready for fish? Double Check!
Destroyed by oil spill? NEVER! :(

Happy Crawlin' Canada Day!

2010-06-29T21:16:00.024-07:00

a Canadian Trilobite: Olenoides serratus of the Burgess Shale

- see this and a lot more trilobite art at ART Evolved.

Trilobite WIP(3)

2010-06-23T01:25:00.000-07:00

FINALLY figured out how to separate and select only the black pencil/ink lines! Yes! This is something I've been trying to do forever, and I'm sure it was such a simple thing! Also started to do some detail and blending with the background.

T-minus 8 days to ART Evo's Trilobite Gallery, and Canada Day! Speaking of which, stay tuned for another in my Canada Day Flag series!

Trilobite WIP(2)

2010-06-17T15:27:00.000-07:00

Started on the colours. I'm thinking red-brown with green eyes...
Lots more to do...

Trilobite WIP

2010-06-16T17:27:00.000-07:00

With the ART Evolved Trilobite Gallery a short scurry away, it was really time to get something done for it. I started with a quick search for an interesting Moroccan specimen and found this, the lovely Dicranurus monstrosus. After grabbing the black uni-ball pen, this is what I came up with:

Next is to throw this into photoshop and digitally colour him, with hopefully some sort of background for this little critter!

I'm Back with more Blue Whale!

2010-06-10T15:59:00.000-07:00

A month-and-a-half?!

Yes, it's been a while since I last posted. I've been a bit busy; with end-of-the-year substitute teaching and privately tutoring ten students, the only art I've been able to produce is set painting for a Hamlet show and a coral reef painting I've started. With all this, and the depression surrounding the oil spill, I haven't been up to posting.

But I'm back, and with an update on the new Beaty Biodiversity Museum at the University of British Columbia here in Vancouver! Check out my previous post on the announcement and backstory here.

Yesterday, I had some time off and decided to go check out the full Blue Whale skeleton in person!

Unfortunately, the museum wasn't open yet! Aak! So instead of smashing through the glass and swinging from the bones, I decided to wait until Fall 2010. But check out these photos of the mammoth whale, in full feeding pose, below! Also, check out these official Flickr pics for more...

sooo big!

Click to enlarge!

Now to go work on my trilobite for ART Evolved's July Trilobite Time Capsule and my answer to the Philofossilizing question, "What is Palaeo-Art?"

Oh! And I'm borrowing my sister's drawing tablet (Wacom Intuos 3) and trying to get my head around it. Any insight or advice for tablet owners?

Cheers,
Bond.

Liveblogging: Ichthyosaur Edition! (Part 5)

2010-04-23T15:58:00.000-07:00

In an attempt to liven up the piece and give it some more movement, I've started to add a bunch of squid for my mixosaur to pester. The squid are completely drawn, coloured and copy-pasted digitally.

I can't decide if I need way more squid to make the school effective or not. Comments and suggestions are truly welcome!

Liveblogging: Ichthyosaur Edition! (Part 4)

2010-04-19T13:54:00.000-07:00

...add some shading and skin texture, and the mixosaurus is starting to emerge from it's ugly faze.
Time to add more underwater detail...

Liveblogging: Ichthyosaur Edition! (Part 3)

2010-04-19T00:54:00.000-07:00

Added a simple background...

Ask a Biologist is BACK!

2010-04-18T21:24:00.000-07:00

Hi all! Be sure to check out the NEW version of Ask a Biologist! It's swanky and fresh and full of verve! So, ask that biology question you always wanted answered! Check out the new blog! Meet the scientists! All Around Yay!

Liveblogging: Ichthyosaur Edition! (Part 2)

2010-04-18T13:15:00.001-07:00

This is Mixosaurus! Say hi! As you can see above, he's been given a basic blue colouring. This is only the beginning...

Liveblogging: Ichthyosaur Edition! (Part 1)

2010-04-17T13:36:00.001-07:00

Without a full day to dedicate to liveblogging (aka doing art for 15 hours consecutively in one sitting!), this edition of liveblogging will be an ongoing event where WIPs will be posted often.

For this edition, an ichthyosaur is the subject (to be included into May's ART Evolved Ichthyosaur Gallery!) While teaching Math yesterday, I managed to throw down a quick sketch of an ichthyosaur I kinda liked.

I like how droopy his snout is - he looks very Muppet-like. And, yes, his tail is completely wrong! He was sketched in pencil, then the brightness was digitally lowered to give him an inked look. From here, I plan to digitally colour him and place him in a created environment.

Any guesses as to his name?

Burgess Shale Birthday Comic: An Experiment...

2010-04-12T22:40:00.001-07:00

I recently purchased plasq's Comic Life with the intention of starting some sort of comic strip. The program allows me to layout images like a comic and easily add titles and dialogue bubbles. It actually is really fun and easy to use! As a test, I took my Anomalocaris Regret piece and created the above one page comic.

I am pleased with the result, but the premise of this future project is still unknown. Suggestions?

Barosaurus Finished

2010-04-09T00:44:00.004-07:00

Created during liveblogging for ART Evolved's Sauropod Gallery. See it's creation here.

I returned to this piece after six months and decided to play with the contrast and lighting... I think I'll say it's finished and be done with it. For some reason, I love some aspects (puddles, rain wash) and hate others (rain effect, simple forest, colours). A fun experiment!

New Portfolio and Updates!

2010-04-05T00:54:00.000-07:00

Update:
In keeping with the blog redesign and the online transition of Bond: Unprofessional Doodler (just fooling around) to Bond: Amateur Artist (on the track towards professionalism), I have created a new professional-looking portfolio! Click here to check it out!

The portfolio is hosted (free!) through deviantArt, and I am quite pleased with the results. Having had an account with dA for a few years, I found it very easy to organize and transfer images. If anyone is interested, my deviantArt profile is here.

Art Update:
I am currently working on a few things:

a coral reef painting - a large piece to hang above the fireplace, full of colourful coral, fish, and invertebrates! I have had this image in my head since scuba diving in the Philippines, of slowly drifting towards the edge of a reef and peering down the wall into the dark depths... The painting is still in the initial stages; the reef has been sketched and the background ocean blue has been painted. Stay tuned for updates, as I am quite excited about this one...
an ichthyosaur piece for ART Evolved - one month until the very exciting Ichthyosaur Gallery, and I haven't even started a piece yet. My plan is to sketch simple outlines and then digitally colour it using the same photoshop technique I used on the spinosaur. I just need to decide on a subject - which genera of ichthyosaur?! Perhaps I will get inspired before the AE liveblogging session in a few days! Remember, you too can join in the liveblogging!
a playbill poster for Players 99 - Back in 1999, the acting group I belong to (SMP Dramatic Society) put on a cabaret show, and the SMP producers have asked me to create a poster for the archives. I preformed Monty Python's Bookshop Sketch and sang a Cherry Poppin' Daddies swing dancing song, while a couple swang danced. Uh, swung danced? Danced swingingly???

Anyway, have a Happy Easter! I hope you all had loads of chocolate. Mmmmm, chocolate....

Redesigned Bond's Blog and a Spinosaurus

2010-03-31T10:49:00.000-07:00

Spinosaurus strolling at Dusk

Welcome to the newly redesigned Bond's Blog! As I dabble in tweaking the html, I'm sure the design will shift here and there. But I am much happier with this new look.

To celebrate this fresh start, here is a new Spinosaur piece I created for the upcoming Prehistoric Times magazine. It represents an artistic jump in my abilities as I began experimenting in digitally colouring!

The above piece was created using a mix of trad and digital techniques: it began as a pencil sketch, then scanned into the computer where I tweaked the contrast to change the pencil into strong "ink" lines. Using layers in photoshop, I built up the colours and shades and details, until he ended up looking like the final product. To finish him, I placed the coloured spinosaur into a photograph of a beautiful beach (that I took in the Philippines while traveling in late 2008.)

Zoom in to see the full effect of this digital colouring. It's not perfect, as the black "ink" layer gets lost in places, and the general shading still needs work. (Also, if you think about it, his left foot disappears conveniently behind his right! Yikes!)

Anyway, it's a new style for me that I'd like to continue and try to perfect. How do you digitally colour your drawings?

In Transition

2010-03-27T17:38:00.000-07:00

Upgrading to Bond's Blog 3.0...

Stay tuned for a more artistically focused site.
Hold my place in line,
I'll be right back!

My Vancouver Olympics Photos

2010-03-10T00:05:00.001-08:00

Vancouver Olympics Rap-Up

2010-03-09T22:37:00.000-08:00

Final Medal Results: USA 37 - Germany 30 - Canada 26 - Norway 23 - Austria 16
(See the final results here)

What an amazing experience the Vancouver 2010 Olympics was! The city had an amazing vibe with people partying in the streets and singing 'O Canada' on the seabus! With Canada wining more Gold medals than any other country and winning the most Golds ever for Winter Olympics, I couldn't be happier!

One of the most amazing experiences was actually going and watching an event. I was lucky enough to get tickets to the last night of Short Track Speed Skating and witness Canada winning two golds (Thanks Craig and Lady R!) Another post will cover that soon.

But it's not the medals, not even the sport. It' was the patriotism and the party. It was something special...

If you haven't seen Stephen Brunt video essay on the Games, it sums up perfectly my feelings:

With the final Hockey Game won (most amazing game EVER!) and the Closing Ceremonies over, we turn our attention to the Paralympic Games! Next Saturday, I'll be going to my first Sledge Hockey game. I'll tell you all about it later...

Vancouver 2010 ... What fun!

A Special Event of Phenominal Preportions

2010-02-28T00:35:00.003-08:00

Medals: USA 39 - Germany 29 - Canada 25 - Norway 22 - Austria 16 - Russia 15
GOLD: Canada 13 - Germany 10 - USA 9 - Norway 8 ...

Today was the Greatest Olympic Day yet! 3 Gold Medals!!! Canada is now third in medal standing and leading in Gold Medals!

With Craig staying with me in Vancouver (and spending all our time enjoying the Olympics!), we are finally able to sit down and do something arty and creative. So we've decided to do something radical and potentially damaging to our friendship.

Craig work with computer graphics, while I work with pencil and paper. We thought that it would be interesting to work together and see if we can create something together - a joint dinosaur project using both of our skills!

For this, we're taking on the most famous of dinos - Tyrannosaurus rex! The progress of this Epic Event is being documented on Craig's blog Weapon of Mass Imagination.

The process works like this: Craig creates a tyrannosaur in CG, and I create a tyrannosaur on paper in pencil, and then we digitally lay one over the other to see the difference between the recreations. The point is to use both our interpretations, along with reference material from the internet and books (specifically Tomas Holtz's) to create an uber Rex. The final product will be in CG, as we are able to walk through each body part and discuss and tweak it much more easily that on paper.

Step 1: Our two images, side-by-side (left-mine, right-Craig)

I am extremely interested in where this project will lead. This is the first time Craig and I have worked together side-by-side on the same thing. We both have our strong opinions, and have already come to blows over honestly stupid details, such as adding muscle grooves and ear-placement.

Anyway, check our progress out here and let us know how we are doing! Here come the King!

Live Blogging: Olympic Edition 8

2010-02-22T00:55:00.000-08:00

Liveblogging finishes for today - after a bunch of late nights enjoying the downtown festivities, intense and stressful Olympic action, and hours of drawing, inking and photoshopping. Just really too tired to focus. Craig is tired too. He just lost his Therizinosaur's body - comically leaving legs, claws, and a head floating in space. (As I type, he has already mended most of the damage but subbing in an older dinosaur's body and playing with it.)

Above is my first attempt at colouring using photoshop. The effect was unexpected and kinda works - enough for me to keep playing with it! If anyone has any suggestions or tips in colouring digitally, let me know! Thanks!

So that's it for now, I'm off to bed. Liveblogging 3 will continue another day! Stay tuned...

Live Blogging: Olympic Edition 7

2010-02-21T22:42:00.000-08:00

A late update, but real progress here. I've managed to finish up the inking to an extent that I am happy with. Now I'll be experimenting with colouring in photoshop... wish me luck!

Quite the smackdown, theropod on theropod! Leaving the alioramus with some intense gashes on his face - would he survive?

After Canada suffered a loss to China in curling, Craig entered a period of depression, transmitting all his remaining energy into colouring (texturing) his therizinosaur. The resulting collapse and explosion of creativity on his part has created a beautiful grey-green-orange coat of scales! Check it out here.

Live Blogging: Olympic Edition 6

2010-02-21T20:35:00.000-08:00

Ok, I'm over the loss of Canada to USA, so back to updating the progress of this Therizinosaur.

Since the game is over, Craig and I have both been making lots of progress on our pieces. Here is Craig's progress. As you can see, most of the ink detailing is done on the therizinosaur. I have only his right leg to place and ink.

Craig as become stressed again as Canadian curlers are loosing 4-2 to China. But M&Ms and Lady R's delicious dinner helped. Dishes time.

Next is to finish all the ink details, then get a good scan. I'm going to try to colour it in photoshop, which will make good liveblog-reading as I've never tried it before! But that is one of the bonuses of having photoshop-savy Craig!

Live Blogging: Olympic Edition 5

2010-02-21T18:56:00.001-08:00

Too sad to post. Canada lost. Also no work progress to show. Well done, Miller.

Live Blogging: Olympic Edition 4

2010-02-21T18:16:00.000-08:00

End of the second period now, with USA up 3-2 on Canada... yeah, the game is certainly distracting Craig and I from our liveblogging. He modeled toes and an arm, and I inked a foot. Not a lot completed. The stress level is high and our voices are horse...

Go Canada...

Live Blogging: Olympic Edition 3

2010-02-21T17:24:00.000-08:00

So here are the inks starting, and I'm liking the cartoony feel of it. I'm not sure if I'll paint it or not - maybe use watercolours? Any suggestion?

Olympic update: Canada won silver in speed skating!!!

Now Hockey has started and both Craig and I are incredibly distracted. And nervous! USA is up 2-1 at the end of the first, so Canada needs to step up and put pressure on...

Art.

Hockey!!!!!

So far, Craig forgot to add a knee and I missed a toe my therizinosaur's foot - so things are going great! Stay tuned for more fun...

Therizinosaur: Coloured or not coloured?

Live Blogging: Olympic Edition 2

2010-02-21T16:06:00.000-08:00

We've flipped over to 300 m speed skating - to Craig's shegrin. 4 Canadians are in this contest, so I'm stoaked! The Swiss just won two points in curling, so Craig is freaking out. Beyond that, he is currently working on the proportions of his dino's leg. I'm beginning inking my drawing...

Go Cindy Klassen in speed skating!!!!

Live Blogging: Olympic Edition 1

2010-02-21T15:29:00.000-08:00

Finally, the time has come for Craig and I to sit down together and do our joint-liveblogging extravaganza!

With him on his computer and me on mine, and the Olympics on TV, we are ready to settle in to many hours of Therizinosaur art. Currently, curling is on - Canada vs Switzerland, and Craig is incredibly tense. He keeps yelling out exclamation. Personally, I'm more of a hockey guy, so I am looking forward to today's epic Canada vs USA game (begins in an hour and a half!!!!)

So this time around, I'll be blogging the creation of a therizinosaur in action. They have these wonderfully long claws which would have been used for food-gathering along with defense. This piece will (hopefully) illustrate a Therizinosaurus cheloniformis defending himself against an attaching Alioramus remotus. Here is the drawing as it is currently.

I will through up some thumbnails in the next post so you can see where this idea evolved from. Now, if only Craig could calm down... (CAN 3 - SWI 1)

Vancouver Olympics - Day 6

2010-02-18T00:23:00.001-08:00

Medals: USA 14 - Germany 10 - France 7 - Canada 6 - Korea 5 - Austria 5

Canadian Gold in snowboard cross! Yesterday, Maelle Ricker won Canada's second gold medal and was the first Canadian woman ever to win gold IN Canada! But good on the US for all today's medals.

Images from Vancouver...

Beautiful Russian tall-ship Kruzenshtern docked in North Vancouver.

The Olympic Spirit!

Mukmuk enjoying the festivities

The official Vancouver 2010 Olympic Mascots

Sumi, Quatchi, Miga, and Mukmuk (the mascot's sidekick!)

The Vancouver Skyline (as seen from North Vancouver)

Man, do I LOVE this city!

The Olympic Flame clearly visible from across the water!

Go Canada Go!

Vancouver Olympics - Day 3

2010-02-15T01:43:00.002-08:00

Medals: USA 6 - Germany 4 - France 3 - Canada 3 - Korea 2 - Italy 2

Gold for Canada! Today, Alexandre Bilodeau won Canada's first GOLD of the 2010 Olympics (in fact, Canada's first gold medal on Canadian soil!) So that makes one of each medal for Canada, with more to come!

The Games opened Friday night with amazing Opening Ceremonies that showcased Canada's First Nations people, it's beautiful forests, and a bit too much East Coast fiddling punk.

For a beautiful clip from the Opening Ceremonies can be seen here; Canadian singer K. D. Lang croons "Hallelujah."

Along with all the Olympic excitement in Vancouver, Marek, another palaeo-Vancouverite blogger, commented on the Games in this episode of Walcot's Quarry! Check it out!


Speaking of Olympic-palaeo connections, expect Traumador the Tyrannosaur to make a special visit to Vancouver! As his talent agent, I feel there is no place better than these Olympics to get noticed! Just gotta give him a call... Stay tuned to the Tyrannosaur Chronicles to see if any of my money/fame-making schemes work out!

Along with Traum, Craig and Lady R are both in town! Here we are next to the holiest of Canadian Icons - the Stanley Cup! (I touched it!!!)


Expect more updates from this extremely exciting time in Vancouver! I'll periodically update the medal standings, as well as throw up more art. GO CANADA GO!

The Vancouver Olympics are Here!

2010-02-11T23:51:00.000-08:00

Vancouver welcomes the World, as the 2010 Winter Olympic Games begin tomorrow! And with it comes a redesign of the blog banner. Can you spot Mukmuk?

Yesterday, the Olympic Torch finally made it to North Vancouver after 105 days of traveling all around Canada. I snapped the above pic as the torchbearer ran past my apartment.

The 2010 Olympic Torch in all it's glory. Traumador just arrived in Vancouver and jumped into the photograph! He's very excited to be a part of the games, but I sure he'll find a way to get himself into trouble!

The Olympic Spirit in mitten form. Craig, Laura and I paint the West Vancouver red! These red mittens have really hit it off big - even the Inukshuk and the lions guarding the Lion's Gate Bridge have red mittens!

Here the Torch finally made it's way to West Vancouver - the last stop before heading downtown to light the main Olympic Torch tomorrow! You can really feel the excitement in the air, as the World's eye turns towards us and Canada shines...

Vancouver

This amazing light instillation is a stunning addition to the Vancouver skyline! You can submit a design here and the 20 high-powered spotlights will create your design!!

So here's to winning Gold, Canada!
But first, we've got the Opening Ceremonies tomorrow at 8pm P.S.T.

The Wizard of Oz, or Why I've Been Away from Blogging

2010-01-19T13:24:00.001-08:00

Some of you might be wondering where I've been there last few months - 9 posts in the last two and a half months! Well, I've had my plate full with Ruby Slippers and Munchkins!

I belong to the acting troop SMP Dramatic Society and every year for the past 15 years we've been putting on a pantomime in January. For the uninitiated, a pantomime is a British tradition of putting on a family fairytale play that appeals to both kids and adults. There are usually amazing costumes and sets, a lead boy played by a girl, a Dame played by a man, and lots of audience participation. In short, they are really fun to experience! This year, we decided to do the Wizard of Oz!

I personally wear two big hats in this production of Oz: Set Designer and Dame. Behind the scenes, I have been designing the various colourful sets for the show, and in the spotlight, I've been acting in a dress!

Set Designer

There were five main scenes to design which included Munchkinland (where Dorothy's house lands on the witch), the Wicked Witch of the West's castle, and the Emerald City. Something I wanted to experiment this year was to use a projector to project part of the set (this would save space in storing painted flats, and allow us a very cool Floating Wizard's Head.) So far, it's working very well!

Here are a few sketches and photos of the production of the sets for the Wizard of Oz:

Early Munchkinland sketch

Early Castle sketch

Two final flat drawings from the Castle

Watch for more production pictures in subsequent posts...

The Dame

A Dame is an older motherly woman with a healthy libido always played by a man. It is usually one of the larger roles in the play (both figuratively and literally!) with by far the most lines to remember! In the Wizard of Oz, the Dame is Aunt Em - who just happens to come along with Dorothy on her adventures in Oz.

Aunt Em from the movie

Rehearsal pic of cast in the Emerald City (I'm third from the right!)

As for what my costume looks like, you'll have to wait until the next post! I'll just say it looks nothing like the above image of Aunt Em from the movie... Imagine a whale with blue hair. Huge. Ugly. Dame.

The Wizard of Oz opens on Thursday, to a run of completely sold-out shows!

And this is why I've been too busy to blog!

Goodbye 2009. Hello 2010!

2009-12-31T02:17:00.001-08:00

As you may have noticed, Bond's Blog is going through a New Year's refurbishment. So stay tuned, while I work out the html and finalize the tabs. And all this on it's 300th post!

With the end of a year comes reflection. I thought I'd take a moment and recap 2009 from a Peter perspective.

Reflections on 2009:

It is over a year since I've been back in Vancouver, after living abroad for the previous 3 years. I've been effectively "stable" for the past year, but I still don't feel "settled." I'm sure it will come with time. Just as long as I can repress the urge to grab my pack and run to the airport!
I did run to the airport once in 2009 though! Las Vegas, Baby! A fun Vegas trip with a couple of buddies, along with some camping and cabin-ing around British Columbia, is the extent of my travels this year. Quite a reduction from 2008, which included Korea, Japan, and the Philippines...
Upon returning back to this beautiful city, I returned to my substitute teaching job. While I am planning to get my own classroom someday, I was given the opportunity to teach Science 9 in summer school in July! Quite satisfying to teach an entire course from beginning to end...
2009 has also seen me in two different apartments - the first: an expensive bachelor with a view, the second: a less-expensive one-bedroom ground floor with a garden (and fireplace!)
A huge benefit of the Stable Life is an increase in the amount of art I do. I've painted more this year than any previous, and that makes me happy!
What also makes me happy is my formation of the paleo-art website ART Evolved. Along with Craig, we've managed to create an expanding community of artists and scientists, who create, discuss, challenge, teach, experiment, and appreciate all things prehistoric art! ART Evolved has er.. evolved and grown more then either of us expected - culminating with a featured interview and article in EARTH Magazine! (My thanks to all the talented friends I've made on this adventure this year!)
With great highs also comes great lows. 2009 was the year we had to put down my dog Toby. This was one of the most painful experiences of my life, as Toby was part of my life for 13 years.
This was also a great year for visiting friends. My English roommate Emily came to visit for a few weeks in April, as did a couple of my Lookout Crew friends Marianne and Duncan in the summer! It was a blast seeing them and catching up. Miss you all!
For the past 15 years, the local theater group I belong to, SMP Dramatic Society, has been putting on traditional pantomimes every January. This year, it is The Wizard of Oz and I've delved headlong into the production - not only as Set Designer, but also acting as the classic Dame, Aunt Em! Yes ladies and gentlemen, this role requires a bit of cross-dressing, but don't fret - this is classic pantomime! But I'll tell you, double H-cups are really big!

So ends 2009, a transition year. A creative year. A year of coming together. But what of 2010? What do we have to look forward to next year?

The Wizard of Oz run at the end of January...
A month of artistic collaboration with Craig, as he visits for the Olympics in February...
And of course, the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympic Games! 43 days until the torch is lit...

Hmm, after February, 2010 is quite open... Suggestions? Come visit! This is an open invitation to you to come see this beautiful city of mine. Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas Bloggers!

2009-12-22T16:33:00.001-08:00

Finishing the Stegosaur

2009-12-08T12:45:00.000-08:00

Continuing the progress on my Stegosaur, it became apparent that the background I painted just wasn't cutting it. The decision was made to keep the painted dinosaur with all it's millions of scales and put him into one of my photographs (a beach in Donsol, in the Philippines).

Add a few pterosaurs (Kepodactylus insperatus), and we have a lovely Stegosaurus stenops in a recreation from the Morrison Formation!

Evening Stroll on the Beach

(Click to see every scale!)

There was a reason behind creating this moody Stegosaur piece: for submission to Prehistoric Times magazine! Along with Mr. Stego, I'm also submitting my Anomalocaris painting and cartoon, with the hope that at least one of these getting published.

Anomalocaris and the Burgess Shale

Anomalocaris Regret

Either way, look to the next issue (#92) of Prehistoric Times for some great art, and just maybe you'll see one of these guys here!

A Quick Stegosaurus

2009-12-03T00:37:00.002-08:00

Photo reference: Stegosaurus stenops at Discovery Place, Charlotte, NC - taken by midwinter.

Materials: pencil on glossy paper, acrylics, brushes, water...

Progress: Fair, but this WIP still unfinished.

I plan to add more detail to skin and scales, and contemplate a subtle sunset...
(Click on any of the pics to enlarge them.)

UPDATE Dec 3rd:

Here I have begun adding scales to the stegosaur.
So far, only the hind leg and part of the tail has been scaled...

Happy Origin Day!

2009-11-24T22:42:00.003-08:00

Today marks the 150th anniversary of Charles Darwin publishing his masterpiece The Origin of Species!

One of these days, I'll have to actually finish reading the whole thing through...

(left) The triptych painting of The Evolution of Darwin: Boy, Traveler, Thinker I painted for this year's Darwin Day Celebration.

... I leave you with a picture (below) I took of the man back in 2006 at the London Natural History Museum, before he was moved.

Darwin and Huxley having lunch with their adoring public!

This was before they moved Darwin to the top of the steps in the Main Hall, replacing Richard Owens.

I wonder where Owens ended up?

Museums I've Been To: Europe - Part 1: Berlin

2009-11-09T23:22:00.017-08:00

Berlin, Germany. 2002.

Our tour through the museums of 2002 Europe begins with the Museum für Naturkunde Berlin. Established in 1810, this is a world-class institution containing two of palaeontology's crown jewel specimens - the Giraffatitan (Brachiosaurus) mount and the Berlin Archaeopteryx. I visited the museum in the summer of 2002, and it has since had a major refit and renovation, so much of what I will show here has changed. If anyone has descriptions of the new layout, I would love to hear it.

Archaeopteryx lithographica

Upon entering the museum, you are immediately dwarfed by the huge main gallery and its centerpiece, the brachiosaur (I will henceforth be incorrectly referring to the Giraffatitan as Brachiosaurus as I was in 2002 and because I want to. She will always be Brachiosaurus in my heart...) Flanking the gigantic sauropod are two more: a cast of the ubiquitous Carnegie Diplodocus and a lovely Dicraeosaurus.

(left) Me and Megalodon's Jaws.

The rest of the photographs speak for themselves. Most of the dinosaur fossils on display were collected during the 1903-1913 Tendaguru Expedition to East Africa (southern Tanzania). Led by Werner Janensch and Edwin Henning, over 250 tons of fossil bone was collected from this 150 million year old Late Jurassic deposit.

Giraffatitan brancai (Brachiosaurus)

Dicraeosaurus hansemanni

See the new mount in this wikipedia photo!

Kentrosaurus aethiopicus
It's new mount can be seen in the dicreasaur photo.

Plateosaurus engelhardti

Elaphrosaurus bambergi
Click here for the new mount!!! It doesn't even look like the same animal!

Dryosaurus (Dysalotosaurus) lettowvorbeck
See the updated mount here...

Stenopterygius zetlandicus

Some nothosaur (name?)

The Second Oldest Turtle = Proganochelys dux

Case of Swimming Things: Fish, seals, penguins, dolphins, ichthyosaurs and plesiosaurs.

The museum and some of the collections were damaged in February of 1945, when an allied bombing raid left the east wing in ruins. It is now finally being rebuilt.

Amazingly, Wikipedia states that less than 1 in 5000 specimens are on display! I'd love to poke around in their extensive collections and see what treasures I could find...

Thank you for joining me on this quick tour. But don't take my word for it, go to the Museum für Naturkunde the next time you're in Berlin, and say hello to my Brachio!

Halloween This Year

2009-11-07T13:24:00.002-08:00

Berlin Brachio...er... Giraffatitan Reconstruction

2009-11-04T23:28:00.005-08:00

Giraffatitan brancai Restoration - The New Berlin Mount

With ART Evolved's Sauropod Gallery up in all it's glory, I quietly added one more piece from me - a brachiosaur in pen-and-ink with dot-shading. Officially, it is a reconstruction of the new mount of the Berlin Brachiosaurus ...err... Giraffatitan branchai.

Giraffatitan. A name just not as cool as ol'Brachio. If you're interested in why this specimen was renamed, check out here and here. My interest lies not in the new name, but with the new mount.

Back in the summer of 2002, I traveled around Europe by train (good ol'Eurorail!), checking out the many museums and beer halls the UK, Ireland, France, Spain, Italy, Belgium and Germany has to offer.

Besides the beer, wine, rich food and chocolate consumed, one of my favorite things I found in Europe was the Berlin Brachiosaur - yes, still Brachiosaurus in 2002 - at the Museum für Naturkunde Berlin. It was huge - a mighty testament to an amazing animal as well as to the scientists who discovered, prepared and mounted her. Umm, created her mount. Yeah.

Still the tallest mounted skeleton in the world, the Berlin Brachiosaur was updated when the museum underwent renovations. Gone were the elbows-out arms and draggy tail. Now she strides elegantly in lovely Greg Paul-style, head held high and arms underneath.

You can see the transformation from the original pose in these 2002 pictures (before digital panorama ability!) and the new pose in the Wikipedia picture at the top of the post. Next to that new mounted Giraffatitan is my pen drawing of the animal reconstructed. As you can see, I moved the positioning of the back legs, to make it look more stable where it stands.

I love this specimen - one of my favorites out there, and when sauropods became the next ART Evolved gallery, it seemed right to reconstruct the Giraffatitan. (Though she'll always be the ol'definitive Brachiosaurus to me.)

Having delved into these old European museum photos, I feel the need to share them. And so begins a new series here on Bond's Blog - A Photographic Tour of Museums I've Been To: Europe - Part 1: Berlin. Coming soon...

The Sauropod Gallery is UP!

2009-11-03T00:47:00.004-08:00

Check out the HUGE Sauropod Gallery over at ART Evolved - it really is as gigantic as the beasts we reconstruct!

Sauropod Liveblogging 15: FINISHED (for now)

2009-10-18T02:02:00.003-07:00

Here we are with the finished piece - well not quite, but it is as much as I am going to do today! 2:00 am and time for bed. That was a blast, a whole day - 15 hours of painting and blogging. All it needs now is a name: Rearing in the Rain. Umm... maybe. With that, I bid you goodnight.

Music: none, except for the sounds of snoring...

Sauropod Liveblogging 14: Rain Splashes

2009-10-18T00:57:00.002-07:00

Dinos in the Rain. Does this work? I don't think it is too much, do you? Maybe need more rain shafts and perhaps blur out the forest more...

Music: I Gotta Feeling by Black Eyed Peas, Numb by Linkin Park, Stockholm Syndrome by Muse.

Sauropod Liveblogging 13: Rain

2009-10-17T23:57:00.004-07:00

So here is an hour's experimenting with rain. Certainly makes the piece more moody...
Will be continuing with the rain, hopefully not adding too much...
Midnight here in the rainy city...

Music: All Apologies by Nirvana, Better Man by Pearl Jam, Vertigo by U2, Smile by Lily Allen

Sauropod Liveblogging 12: Scales

2009-10-17T22:54:00.003-07:00

Scales now...just dots, but they work! 11pm here and craving food. Think I'll finish tonight? That's the plan. At some point we will be bringing the rain. Anyone know the best non-digital way to add the impression of rain?

I am back to listening to music: Tango Shoes by Bif Naked, Grey Street by Dave Matthews Band, 1234 by Feist

Sauropod Liveblogging 11: Spines

2009-10-17T21:59:00.003-07:00

Spines were added to the back of the barosaur and need to be continued down his tail. Starting to slow down...need coffee and a kick in the pants!

But the Canucks WON!!! 2-1 against the Wild!

Sauropod Liveblogging 10: Details Details...

2009-10-17T20:58:00.004-07:00

Details in the allosaur were added with pen, and its tail has been placed over the barosaur's tail. I like where this is going. Need to make the piece more menacing... Maybe I'll add some rain.

1-1 all tie right now in the game! Go Canucks Go!

Sauropod Liveblogging 9: Mud Puddles

2009-10-17T19:57:00.003-07:00

So this time, we've added detail to the millions of mud puddles/footprints. They should be looking more 3-D (though you may need to enlarge the pic to see it.) Time for some dinosaur detail!

Vancouver 0 - 1 Minnesota : End of the 1st Period. COME ON VANCOUVER! SCORE!

Sauropod Liveblogging 8: Darkening

2009-10-17T18:38:00.005-07:00

Here I have darkened the dinosaurs, and I am trying to figure out the shading and where the shadows fall... It's a rainy evening, and the last light seems to be coming from behind the mountains in the background. So the shadows should fall towards the "camera," right?

Let's try it!

Vancouver vs Minnesota: Puck drops now! Score 0 - 0.

Sauropod Liveblogging 7: Forest Detail

2009-10-17T17:55:00.002-07:00

Added more detail to the background forest, which I am liking much more. I really love the moment where the painting starts to leave Glendon's Ugly Phase and starts to become nice to look at. I'm not quite there yet.

Time to delve into the dinosaur detail. My style tends to be bright and colourful, and I am trying to move away from that - so these animals will be becoming darker...

Vancouver Canucks hockey game starts in about an hour, so I'll be updating you on that as well!

Sauropod Liveblogging 6: More Mud and Deeper Colours

2009-10-17T16:56:00.003-07:00

Defining and darkening the ground and the dinosaurs. Need to go in and do the forest details. Had lunch.

Sauropod Liveblogging 5: Mud

2009-10-17T15:53:00.002-07:00

Let there be ground! So I've begun to do the muddy, water-soaked ground, as I plan to have it raining. Need some shadows and shading. Usually not my strangest aspect of painting, so I want to focus on it.

Music I am listening to right now: Baby Beluga by Raffi. Sung by Craig...please stop.

Sauropod Liveblogging 4: Dino Colours

2009-10-17T15:00:00.004-07:00

So the dinosaurs get a base colour. I had to physically remove the red from my brush for the allosaur (who just has to be red! Why? I don't know!) Trying to get away from the norm...

I am listening to right now: Craig's voice on skype. He's begun his liveblogging, so check him out here.

Sauropod Liveblogging 3: Colours

2009-10-17T14:00:00.003-07:00

Began the sky and the base colour for the forest. Think the ground will be am annoyance. Time to move onto the dinosaurs. And get food (already 2pm here in Vancouver!)

Music I am listening to right now: Beautiful Freak by The Eels, Tribute by Tenacious D

Sauropod Liveblogging 2: Background

2009-10-17T12:58:00.002-07:00

It is quite hard to see on the pic (you can enlarge any of my pics for more details!), but I have added a bit of a background. Think I'm going to go with a skewed horizon, hopefully giving a frantic feel to the piece. Not sure it is working at all. Perhaps it is just killing the "circular" flow Glendon mentioned in a previous comment... Thought?

It's raining in Vancouver, and it might soon be raining in the Jurassic... Time to put paint to paper.

Music I am listening to right now: She's Not There by Santana, Acting Like a Fool by Matt Costa.

Sauropod Liveblogging 1: Pencils

2009-10-17T11:54:00.004-07:00

And so we begin... with basic pencils on "canvas" paper. This is the point now where I need input on the anatomy of the animals. Did I get the proportions right?

See you back in an hour. Next is to finalize some sort of background...

Music I am listening to right now: Cuts Like a Knife by Brian Adams, Shot Through the Heart by Bon Jovi. Hmm. Big Rock theme here...

Sauropod Liveblogging 0: the Ideas Stage

2009-10-17T10:20:00.003-07:00

Welcome to ART Evolved's Sauropod Liveblogging Extravaganza! My painted piece begins here, but Rachel's is completed and Mo is right in the middle of his, so check them out. Check here for links to all the ART Evolvers' liveblogging!

My plan is to restore the American Museum of Natural History in New York's famous mount of the giant sauropod Barosaurus rearing-up to protect her baby from an attacking Allosaurus. This scene has been restored many times before, but it is still a favorite of mine and will be a real challenge. From the thumbnail sketches above, I think I'll be choosing the arrangement in the middle with the barosaur facing us and the allosaur in the bottom left quadrant. Just need to decide on the medium: acrylics or watercolours?

Reference photos I took in early 2007:

Barosaur front view

Allosaur in front of the barosaur and baby

Livebogging 2: This Time with Friends

2009-10-13T14:52:00.004-07:00

The end of October brings Halloween, one of my favorite holidays of the year (still trying to decide on a costume). It also brings the opening of a new Time Capsule at ART Evolved - this one labeled "Sauropods!"

With two weeks to go, it is about time for another experiment in art that is liveblogging! With lessons learned through my first experience liveblogging the Anomalocaris, Liveblogging 2 will take place this weekend - October 17 and 18th! Be sure to come by and comment on the creation of my Sauropod piece!

But that's not all! This time around, fellow ART Evolved bloggers will be joining me in this Liveblogging Fest all weekend! Six to ten artists, all creating art LIVE and posting work-in-progesses LIVE all weekend! But where will you be able to find these amazingly talented artist's blogs?

Why here on ART Evolved! We will compile a single comprehensive post containing all the links to every participating blogger involved in the ART Evolved LIVEBLOGGING FEST!!!

Check them out!!!

Tires

2009-09-29T22:10:00.003-07:00

Dad: Bye. I'm just going out to buy tires.

Grandpa: You know, Billy. When I was your father's age, we we had tires too.

Billy: You had tires? But I thought you used horses.

Grandpa: No, we didn't use horses back then.

Billy: Why not? Did the dinosaurs eat them all?

(Actual Canadian Tire radio add I heard in the car today and loudly laughed out loud! So random! Haha!)

Five New Art Pieces (A Busy Day)

2009-09-10T00:09:00.007-07:00

A few years back (while drinking in England), I created this Ammonite in an attempt to work in a more abstract or post-impressionism style. You see, I usually work in a very realistic style - full of detail and accurate lines. I enjoy my realism, but I often feel limited. I've wanted to continue working in this abstract style for a while, so I figured, since Ammonite was featured in the EARTH Magazine article, I'd dive back in today (as I wasn't called to work today - it being the second day of school, not surprising!)

What follows is the result of a day of painting, four good pieces and one "mehn" piece. Enjoy!

Euripterid

Trilobites

Hadrosaur Embryo

Dunkleosteus

I am really a fan of the Dunkleosteus. He just looks so cool. As you can see, I've given each piece in this post-impressionist style with similar stark backgrounds. The final piece below I am less then proud of. It was part of a four-piece painting of the Tyrrell Museum's juvenile Gorgosaur (read more here). The background reminds me of purple moldy cheese. I include it so that perhaps someone can help me fix it!

Juvenile Gorgosaur

The EARTH Magazine Article about ART Evolved is now Online!

2009-09-09T22:51:00.005-07:00

Now you can read the article! EARTH Magazine has been kind enough to put the interview about ART Evolved on their website - and currently as their featured story! Read the entire article and see the art here.

Since I wasn't called to teach today, I decided to spend a few hours painting. I ended up completing four new painting and touching up an old one - a very productive day if I don't say so myself! I am especially pleased with a portrait of Dunkleosteus. I will be showing them here once I've got them digitized (go camera, go!) Let me know what you think...

The Films of Alfred Hitchcock

2009-09-06T14:15:00.003-07:00

I have recently been indulging in an Alfred Hitchcock marathon - watching a movie a month. Not having ever seen many of his films, my naive understanding of what "a Hitchcock film" was was seriously misguided. Blackmail, murder, death - sure, but having now seen five of his films, there is much more to them. Hitchcock truely creates and sustains tension, plays with symbolism, and experiments (successfully) with new film technology. As an evolving filmmaker, Alfred Hitchcock and his film have become inspirational to me.

Here are the films I have seen so far, in the order I saw them:

Psycho (1960) - I saw Psycho first maybe 5 years ago, and I remember really enjoying it. I especially loved the fact that there was so much more to the story than just the infamous shower scene.
Rear Window (1954) - The first Hitchcock film in the current "marathon." Loved it. Now I understand it's spoof in the Simpsons. It is an amazing use of confined space, with the protagonist (wonderful James Stewart) wheelchair-bound in his apartment, only able to watch his neighbours out his window.
The Birds (1963) - A very creepy and surreal film. I really enjoyed the technical side with the extensive use of special effects. Story-wise, it starts slowly, then rushes into terror. But where is the ending?
Vertigo (1958) - I am so conflicted with this one. I was fascinated by the story and the way it takes such a turn in the middle, but I also felt it dragged in the second half and was confused by the complete shock tag ending. Vertigo is a very fascinating film with very suspenseful moments. I think I like it, but it requires another viewing.
Strangers on a Train (1951) - A fantastically simple story (I wish I had thought of it!) with a stunning acting turn by Robert Walker! Simple, subtle and well-paced.

Up next and waiting to be put into my DVD player is Dial M for Murder. I'll update you with my thoughts once I have seen it. Perhaps I'll make is a semi-regular feature on here. We'll see. All I know is that I am really enjoying watching Hitchcock's films and seeing the style of film-making of 50 years ago.

I can't fathom what Hitchcock would have thought of today's hyperfast blockbusters, such as the garbage Transformers 2...

Another Catchy Song from They Might Be Giants

2009-09-04T14:37:00.003-07:00

Electric Car

Another great song that has embedded itself in my brain from the upcoming CD/DVD "Here Come Science" from They Might Be Giants! Not paleo-related, but sciency nonetheless - and the animation is fantastic. Check it out!

"Let's take a ride..."

Article on ART Evolved in EARTH Magazine!

2009-09-03T12:19:00.006-07:00

What a week it has been for ART Evolved! First off, we have the opening of the Anomalocaridid Time Capsule, spilling lovely Cambrian artwork everywhere. And secondly, ART Evolved has been featured in an article in EARTH Magazine!

Cover image obtained from www.earthmagazine.com here.

"Paleo-artists get creative"

On pages 64 and 65 of the Septermber issue of EARTH Magazine, Craig and I are interviewed about paleoart, the blogging community, and the creation of ART Evolved. The article not only includes art pieces by both Craig and I, but also pieces by fellow artists Glendon and Zach! It's a great article and well written (by Carolyn Gramling), so get your copy of EARTH and check us out!

Catchiest Song in the Universe

2009-09-03T12:09:00.003-07:00

I Am A Paleontologist

Be sure to see this video by There Must Be Giants if you are, like me, interested in paleontology or educational entertainment!

Warning though: the chorus will be stuck in your head all day. "I am a ..."

The Anomalocaridid Gallery is up on ART Evolved!

2009-09-02T02:56:00.004-07:00

The NEW GALLERY is UP! Click here and see the amazing paleoart inside the Anomalocaridid Time Capsule - CHECK IT OUT!

A Schinderhannes - one of my submitions to the Anomalocaridid Gallery

Also, the November Gallery's topic was decided! SAUROPODS! Two months to get your art drawn, coloured, painted, sculpted, filmed, built, and flavoured - and all about the long-necks!

Live Blogging 13

2009-08-17T20:51:00.004-07:00

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

2009-08-17T19:52:00.002-07:00

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!

2009-08-17T18:50:00.003-07:00

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

2009-08-17T17:53:00.002-07:00

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

2009-08-17T16:59:00.000-07:00

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

2009-08-17T15:58:00.000-07:00

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...

2009-08-17T14:59:00.000-07:00

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

2009-08-17T13:52:00.002-07:00

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

2009-08-17T12:51:00.004-07:00

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

2009-08-17T11:58:00.000-07:00

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

2009-08-17T10:50:00.003-07:00

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!