Filed under: Art — beantime @ 2:06 am Tags: Toonlet
I didn’t quite know what was cool about Toonlet when it was first described to me, but now that I’ve been out there and monkeyed around with the tools - wow! - such a fun thing!
I start with just a funny idea (ok-I think its funny). Go into Toonlet, and start creating my characters with the various tools - head shape, hair, glasses, torso…many to choose from.
Then I save these characters with a name/emotion…so maybe teacher happy, teacher confused, Sarah happy.
So, if I wanted to do another strip with characters recurring from a previous strip, I just click on the character to add the to a pane and type their words in - going forward, the strips can get done fairly fast!
Just sharing - this is really fun - there’s still lots to learn about Toonlet though - I see some pretty fancy panels out there…!
As a medium-neutral artist, I find inspiration from things I see in my environment and then identify the medium that best fits what I’m trying to express.
One of the most inspiring pieces I’ve ever seen is The Horse in Motion by Edward Muybridge.This series, shot in 1877, was used to settle a simple question – is there a point at which a running horse has all four legs off the ground at the same time?Indeed there is – see the second picture on his contact sheet.
What I find inspiring about The Horse in Motion is the limits within which Muybridge worked to create his piece, and his resourcefulness.I am much more satisfied with a piece that is challenging to produce, than with a piece that is not.
A few years back I took his original piece and used it to create a cutout from brown, gray and black paper.The panels are purposefully off kilter.In the original series, each of his 16 shots was from a different camera, so they didn’t quite line up, and I wanted to capture that.
When I finished the piece, I did continue to work with cutouts though, and consider this to be one of my favorite mediums to work in.As for Muybridge though, I thought I’d quenched my thirst.
That is until last month...
I found a little digital key chain that can hold still pictures.You can set the time to automatically advance through the pictures at the unbearably slow speed of 5 seconds.I couldn’t think of any better pictures to slideshow, or ’slideslow’ than The Horse in Motion!
Here’s what I did:
I took his contact sheet, and cropped each picture individually.I then uploaded it to the keychain in the right sequence.When you play it on the keychain there’s an ugly 1/16, 2/16, 3/16 that shows in red in the corner…But I sort of like that.It’s a more up-to-date version of Muybridge’s hand-written 1, 2, 3…that he had on the original contact sheet.
I then crossed my fingers as I pulled the circuitry from its plastic casing.Phew!It still worked.I didn’t want a key chain though, I wanted a pendant.
I got some balsa wood from the art store and made a little frame in which to put the gadget.I painted it silver to look like a metal frame…somewhatand, voila! Now I’ve got a Muybridge pendant. I carved a little hole in the side for the USB connector to get a charge through.
So now, my Muybridge thirst is quenched again…for now!
Legion of Tech launched their Legion of Talk speaker series Tuesday night with Gary Vaynerchuk – the highly successful host of Wine Library TV.The topic was generally described as ‘branding/promoting using new media’, but Vaynerchuk talking on that was like Martha Stewart talking on ‘food preparation’.
Vaynerchuk’s take-away was this: if you are passionate about something, you can take that passion, and with time and attention spent on branding and promotion, turn that passion into ‘crazy’ success.‘Crazy’ success, here I come…..so…what’s the problem?
I hope I am not alone in saying this, but I’ve had a lot of passions in my life.When I was into them I was really, really into them.
For a short stint last year I was really, really passionate about Adam Smith and economics and I had a knack for slipping ‘invisible hand at play’ references into almost any conversation.I could SO go there with Vaynerchuk’s ideas on self-promotion – but I won’t!You see, I sort of lost my passion for Adam Smith.Good thing too. I was about to buy a very expensive early copy of Wealth of Nations on eBay.
Once I was passionate about home-brewing.There was probably a good year or so when I always had something percolating in the carboy.I made a killer Peet’s Coffee Stout once.Could never get the recipe to turn out the same way twice, but I was told by many that that first batch was heavenly.My landlord at the time, who was old enough to remember Prohibition, frowned on my hobby, but I just couldn’t help it.She’d often ask accusingly if I was brewing beer.I’d always say no even though the waft of wort coming from the garage was overpowering at times.I haven’t brewed in years and just this spring threw out all of my handwritten recipes.I’m not a passionate brewer anymore.
I was once passionate about being a concert promoter.I wanted to be the new Bill Graham (back when he was the ‘old’ Bill Graham), and it was all I talked about.I got little business cards ‘Stop Drop and Roll Promotions’ done in the then-cutting edge San Francisco font and hustled for gigs on behalf of any band needing ‘representation’ from an incredibly naïve 21-year old. I went to LA to ‘take it to the next level’ and then 390 later, happily came home to San Francisco having gotten ‘over that music thing’.
I’ve been passionate about so many things.But am I passionate about something to the point that I’d bet on being passionate about it for the length of time it takes to become ‘crazy’ successful?Do I even want to be ‘crazy’ successful?Well, sure I do!I’m passionate about it!
Ok, so they’ve only been open a month or so…but OMG! The ice cream at Cool Moon in the Pearl is just soo delicious! I was feeling a little guilty by the number of ‘little tastes’ we were taking…but the flavors were all so unique and delicious! Lets see, we sampled grapefruit, banana, and a bittersweet chocolate with white chocolate speckles, named Perseid Meteor Shower…and it looked like a little meteor shower! Lots of fun flavors, and the owner seems just as excited about making all of these fun flavors. I picked up a pint last night for only $4.95. (half Perseid/half cinnamon). I do believe I’ve found my ice cream shop (check that box!) - in the dead of winter no less!
Last night we went to see the movie, Untraceable, starring Diane Lane as a Portland-based FBI agent trying to nab a guy who is committing some sick, sick crimes streaming live online… So, thriller. The real thrill was seeing all of the Portland scenes! The people to the right of us were whispering to each other through the whole movie, but I didn’t mind..because I’m sure they were just pointing out familiar places to each other…like B and I were How was the movie? Diane Lanes best work since Must Love Dogs. Read that however you will…
If you live in Portland you must go see this movie though. There’s a flyover shot of the Broadway bridge going westbound. Where the lanes peel off to the left and right…we live to the right! Also, someone from Sellwood gets the ax. Our favorite breakfast place, Fat Alberts, is in Sellwood. Creepy.
There’s also a scene where its raining on the Broadway Bridge. When they shot it they had to make Hollywood ‘rain’. Hello…When is it not raining on the Broadway Bridge?
Its times like these, when the temp hovers in the thirties, that you really, really appreciate the warm little streetcar that goes around in a little loop from home, through the Pearl, downtown, by work, and back again. That little streetcar takes me everywhere and I just love it!
The other night we had another fabulous time at Portland Center Stage. This time it was Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night.
As is typically of me and Shakespeare, I was completely lost for about the first 10 minutes…then ‘poof’! the language soaked in and I could just sit back and enjoy. As usual, great performances by all. The interesting thing now is that next week, the same cast is going to do another play, The Beard of Avon, which is Shakespearesque and set in the same period. Should be fun!
Well, we got a white christmas this year! I took a grainy video of the snow coming down, but its so grainy, you can’t see the snow…so I won’t subject you to that…
Portland was quite the place to be for the holidays. We had the night of a hundred Santas - something to do with Santacon? We hadn’t heard of it and were ’startled’ to say the least, by the number of intoxicated Santas we saw on the way home…when we got to our stop, low and behold! it was also a ‘meeting spot’ for the Santas - I snapped a pic then hurried inside:
Speaking of cheer in volumes…we also got to take in a little caroling with about 250 tubas…at Pioneer Square
On Christmas night we ended up watching The Big Lebowski at the Clinton Street Theater. We were at the 4pm show…Had we gone to the 7pm show we could have had White Russians with our movie! Maybe next year
Does it make a sound?
Indeed it does! During that big storm the other day, we had the tallest living thing in Oregon lose its top. It was a beautiful sitka spruce. The tallest in the country - over 200 feet tall.
Oregon has a Heritage Tree program recognizing important trees in the state. There are quite a few, but I believe that this particular tree was the empitus for the project …some tree! Here’s the brochure:
If you’re toodling through Oregon, you should print it out and go visit some of these beauties. This one was about 750 years old (Magna Carta anyone?) and just think of all of the things that happened in the world since she was here. There’s just not much that lives to be this old. They’re talking about letting her be a nurse log and letting her lay in the forest there…
Oh my! I believe I may be becoming a bit of a tree-hugger! And I’ve only been here a year!
Ok, we didn’t get rid of the car…but we did get bikes! The picture above is Bryan headed home on his new bike, shiny helmet and all! (a 3.7 mile ride).
Portland is THE bike town. Voted #1 bike town by bicycling magazine. The new bikes, and B’s new Birkenstocks…we’re really embracing all things Oregon.
Its fitting that not only is Portland big on bikes, but the drivers are the most courteous in the nation! Check out their survey.
So you have lots of bikes and lots of nice drivers Just another reason to like Portland…
How was the movie? Diane Lanes best work since Must Love Dogs. Read that however you will…
