a brief detour

...for some dancing.


And dinner.

Stealth Sketching, Part 1

I'm trying to be more artistically responsible these days, which means 1) carrying around a sketchbook ALL THE TIME, and 2) drawing everything. I'm really not so good at keeping a sketchbook...I try, but usually when I break it out this happens:



I miss all the good stuff.

After going to the grocery store to pursue my new goal, I realized: it's not easy to sketch on the sly. There are certain things you have to remember...


1) Camouflage


2) Maintain your distance


3) Try to get a good angle

Part 2-- What happens if you're noticed?

Twigs are no fun to draw.

Had the most lovely, curvy model at lifedrawing on Wednesday. Unfortunately I didn't get a lot of good drawings in, but it was fun practice :)

painting practice! hmmm

LOST IS BACK!!

To celebrate, have some crying Jack! He sure does love to cry.

oops, forgot his angst beard:


I had an impromptu Lost premiere party (with...2 other people)
My last-minute Lost snacks: fruit, goldfish (for the fish biscuits!) and dharma-bear s'mores (which kind of failed ha).

Girls rock.

Updated my blogfolio!

& just to add some color...
I forgot to post my 2009 Christmas cards





one for the girls and one for the boys!

2009 was the first year I drew Christmas cards--or sent Christmas cards, for that matter-- so my batch was kind of small (I probably missed people, ack). It was fun, though! Hopefully it'll become a regular thing.

playing in photoshop!

trying different things :B

special double-post!

HEY IT'S RAINING IN SOCAL!

Bring on the typical SoCal reaction!
.....


Also, I can't be the only one who thought of this when I heard the tornado warning:


Roland Emmerich, the Visionary!

YEA, MOVIES!

I watched Gattaca today. It's one of my favorite movies, and every time I watch it I notice things I've never noticed before. If you've never seen it, you...should. Summary (in the words of Ebert hee):

Gattaca is set in a future in which genetics determine your social status. Genetic engineering--which embraces the idea of 'designer babies', eliminating chance for disease or 'prejudicial elements' of obesity/myopia/etc--is favored over the traditional method of procreation.

Vincent (Ethan Hawke) was born in the old-fashioned way, and his genetic tests show he has bad eyesight, heart problems and a life expectancy of about 30 years. He is an "In-Valid,'' and works as a cleaner in a space center.

Vincent does not accept his fate. Now Vincent dreams of becoming a crew member on an expedition to one of the moons of Saturn. Using an illegal DNA broker, he makes a deal with a man named Jerome (Jude Law), who has the right genes but was paralyzed in an accident. Jerome will provide him with blood, urine samples and an identity. In a sense, they'll both go into space. The sudden murder of a director at his workplace threatens to unravel their plan.
------------------------------
The film is beautifully shot.

I particularly like the early scenes which highlight Vincent's isolation/separation as a "faith-child" and the contrast between his status and that of his engineered (and favored) brother.









this shot is great, too. Here Vincent is working as a janitor at Gattaca. The escalator is used by the crew members at the company. His stairway up is right before him, but he can't take it.




I thought the double-helix staircase was very clever, as Vincent climbs Jerome's "ladder" to a better future. Jerome, who is paralyzed, can no longer make it up the staircase.


Some more shots:








Another thing that stands out is the use of red/green throughout the film:














all images (c) Columbia Pictures