Thursday, November 19, 2015

The evils of Instagram.

I realized recently that since I downloaded Instagram I quickly quit blogging (which was already at a minimal state to begin with). Social media is so quick! Instant gratification! Then I realized how hard it was to find my own posts in my feed just a few weeks later. Social media makes you feel more 'active' but it's a dust in the wind scenario. Posts on projects and artwork quickly become hard to find. Sure, to those dedicated few they can all be dug up later, but we are lazy and distracted people. If it takes longer than twenty seconds to find then it may as well be Atlantis. 
So, with that said, I'm hoping that this blogging app will help me combine the ease of phone posts with the need to create a constant body of work. Cross your fingers and bare with as I do some catch up posts in between takes on set. 

Crew gift ---- life in 401st

When filming a movie in the deep Missouri woods during deer season, hunter orange is truly the best crew gift. 




Thursday, August 13, 2015

Instagram is the blog killer.

Ahoy!
 So, as the title suggests, I set up an instagram. It was mainly to be a toy nerd and follow designers...and then it became toy sellers....and then....well, its just so fast and easy to post photos up that remembering to do the same here became difficult. Plus, the app for blogspot sucks unless you throw down a little cash and how can I claim the life of a starving artist if I go around buying apps and whatnot.
 To recap since almost a year ago. We moved back to Missouri in order for our beautiful baby girl to be near family. Skyping with cousins and grandparents just isnt the same as being able to bite their noses in real life. An added bonus is how much our monthly bills dropped by moving back. Sad things we miss...well, thats a long list that goes from weather, geography, insects, events, produce, friends, etc.
 I've been working as a remote visual effects artist with a surprisingly heavy average workload. Im Mr. Mom during the day while Rachel is off educating young minds. So most of my work gets done from 9p-3a, which is kind of how its always been. For the first time in years I have a real office, with shelves and posters of the films Ive worked on and toys and everything! Its oddly exciting.
 As I mentioned in a previous post, in addition to the freelance work Ive also been trying to clean out projects that I have left behind. This includes 2 feature films, one short film and 2 concept paintings. I have notebooks full of ideas and things I want to work on, but as is the central point in the book Getting things Done, unfinished work (whether still relevant or not) hangs in your mind and weights you down. Im looking to lighten the load.
 Part of the new work is to push the illustration and sculpture side so that I can start selling castings and prints. Also, it will be nice to feel like an artist again as opposed to an overworked drone. Working in movies is awesome, but the hours can be gross. As  I have been reminded lately, to be a successful artist you cannot just post to your social media. It is transitory and hard to reference back to. But a blog, that lasts literally forever (whether read or not).
 So look forward to more regular postings!

Wednesday, February 25, 2015

Manticore Or cleaning out the closet

For this upcoming year I am trying to push myself more as a professional artist (and not part of a larger studio). So in order to clear out my head for upcoming projects I am trying to wrap up projects that I have started and left behind. This photoshop painting of a Manticore I started in June of 2012 and probably touched 4 times up until this week. My level of artistic skill has increased a great deal, so my work over the past three times were largely painting over my old work to make it...well...decent. Im wanting to do more card game style artwork, so this is my first step working towards building that type of portfolio. Comments, recommendations welcome. What is your favorite fantasy creature?

Claunch_manticore