by ruralpearl | Nov 19, 2013 | Animation
I spent a good portion of the day working on my newest animation.. It’s a little abstract. I spent about 7 hours shooting an 11 second segment (goes to show how long it takes to do stop-motion, even with my sped up rough style). I’m shooting 2 frames at a time at a rate of 24 frames per second, which means that for each second of finished animation, there are 24 shots (but I’m doubling them up, so you get 2 duplicate shots right in a row — half the amount of work and good enough for this style).
I’ve never shot away from a light box before, so this portion of the animation is a new technique for me, having to use lighting from the sides and above (instead of below to create silhouettes). I’m no lighting expert and you definitely see the flicker, but all in all, I actually prefer to have the look of the early 1900’s films, so I’m a-ok with it. I suspect I won’t finish it this week since I also have lots of art fair prep to do, and next week you’ll find me on a sunny (hopefully) shore in Florida for a quick break from life, then Thanksgiving, then the Bizarre Bazaar in Lawrence, and then I’ll be back at it.
by ruralpearl | Nov 17, 2013 | Animation
I couldn’t wait. I’ve already started working on a new short animation. I’ve got it all planned out. Next up is creating the scenery. It’s gonna be pretty basic (like my others), but I’m going to try out some new techniques that I haven’t used before. I’m using this to also get a feel out of the editing software I bought almost a year ago and haven’t utilized yet…
Today was strangely productive in the most domestic of ways. I made candied apples (just like my grandma always used to make with Red Hots candy), chocolate & cocoa covered almonds, and a big pot of soup with kale, some random vegetables, fresh herbs, quinoa and chia seeds. I’ve never made soup like that before. It turned out great.. And of course, I made this puppet. All this creative energy was perhaps fueled by three chai lattes. Moderation in moderation.
by ruralpearl | Nov 17, 2013 | Music I Like
A fellow midwesterner (Midwest is the Best!). This is one of my all time favorite songs — Gene in collaboration with Doug Dillard.
by ruralpearl | Nov 16, 2013 | Animation, Inspiration, Music I Like
From one of my walks last weekend.
Current obsession: the medley on side B of The Beatles’ Abbey Road.
Newest nerd-out toy (well, software): Logic Pro X to fulfill my needs to make weird music and soundscapes. My mind is heavily on animation & sound right now. Soooon… Soooooon….Plans for not too distant future include building a praxinoscope prototype and a series of silhouette puppets (…meaning, once I’m finished with shows for the year, all signs point to animation & exhibit endeavors).
by ruralpearl | Nov 14, 2013 | Cut Paper, New Work!
8 x 10 inch commissioned paper cutting based on a couple of my fox cuttings.
by ruralpearl | Nov 13, 2013 | Cut Paper
I pretty much failed at my first attempt of doing a panoramic styled photo on my iPhone.. but anyway, I spent a good part of the weekend and these last few days cleaning and organizing my house.. and trying to contain my work-stuff which is usually spilling over into almost every other room in the house. The dining room had become my cutting room, the living room often storage for supplies. It was getting a little ridiculous. I think it’s under control for the time being.. and I actually had brunch at my dining room table on Sunday!… with no art supplies in sight! Back to my cutting table (in my actual workroom) to continue on some commissioned work. Til next time..
by ruralpearl | Nov 12, 2013 | Cut Paper, New Work!
8 x 10 inch paper cutting. SOLD.
by ruralpearl | Nov 11, 2013 | Inspiration
The Wakarusa River, Nov. 10, 2013.
A great weekend was had. I’ve realized that I’ve allowed stress to overtake me more often than not this year. It has been my busiest year yet as far as my art career goes, with lots more traveling, more wholesale accounts, and more work overall. This is a great thing of course, but I suppose I have to figure out how to better harness it and balance it with home life which includes maintaining a home and home workspace, as well as being a present (single) parent. Nothing is easy – not matter what shape or size and we all carry our own loads, and I often repeat to myself, sometimes to no avail, “JUST DO IT”. It often seems like there’s little time for other things, but weekends like these make me realize I can combine them all (well, maybe not the work-work, but inspiration for new work is certainly to be found). Friends, family, cooking, hiking, nature, music, cleaning and organizing and simplifying. It was all there. Something as simple as swinging on a log tied with rope to a tree on a warm autumn day makes you forget all the worries and fears and pasts and futures. (It doesn’t help that I’ve been reading C.S. Lewis’s Space Trilogy which deals with the struggles of these very things). And I’m refreshed and smiling on a Monday morning. More pictures to come from my nature walks. Happy start to your week.
by ruralpearl | Nov 4, 2013 | Music I Like
by ruralpearl | Nov 4, 2013 | Inspiration
I drove home this morning to a great sunrise. November is proving to be a great month visually.
Thank you to all you folks who came to Crafts and Drafts on Saturday in Kansas City. It turned out to be a great show!!
Thank you, Cynthia, for the nice postcard. I found it in my mailbox this morning when I arrived back home. Totally made my day!!
This morning I went for a run on the river levee and crossed paths with a deer. I also saw a female red tailed hawk fly from a field with its furry breakfast dangling from its talons. It seemingly went into its nest as 3 crows followed behind cawing their beaks off. The male hawk then swooped in and chased them away and was duking it out in the sky with one as I ran on. Awesome!
