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In mid November I took a trip to San Francisco for the Adobe MAX conference. I left a few days early so that I could attend ADIM (Art Directors Invitational Master class), a pre-conference event hosted by Russell Brown an adobe tips & tricks master! ADIM is basically an annual outlet for graphic designers to break away from their daily grind, to network, to dress up in crazy outfits, and to create a fun theme based project that uses the latest and greatest techniques and technologies being used in the field.

This year’s project, based on the theme Jurassic Safari, was to create a lenticular poster using Photoshop CS4’s impressive new 3-d tools. When it was time to show off what we had created it was clear that some of the ADIM veterans had been working on their projects long before the conference had even began. Maybe next year I’ll come more prepared because the creator of the best project won a copy of the Adobe Master Suite collection! The Adobe MAX conference kicked off with an over the top keynote session introducing new Adobe products and new technologies. The session was set up more like a concert than a conference with an exciting light and screen display and an impressive DJ. The keynote also featured guest appearances by Bud Albers, the CTO of Disney Interactive and the first lady of California, Maria Shriver, who declared that she thought she was at a Star Trek convention, which for a good number of the software geeks in attendance was most likely a compliment.

The next few days at MAX were filled with plenty of sessions showing off the new features found in CS4. A few of my favorite new CS4 features: Photoshop’s content aware scaling tool; Illustrator’s use of multiple art boards and blob brush tool; and Flash’s object based animation and bones tool.

One of my favorite sessions was a presentation by Simone Legno, the uber talented creator of the popular brand Tokidoki, who talked about his career path and the inspiration behind a few of his many awesome characters. It was especially cool to hear Simone explain his thought process behind the creation of my favorite Tokidoki character, Sandy. Sandy, as Simon explains, is a naïve and vulnerable little girl who protects herself from a scary world by wearing a cactus suit. Sandy is one of the many endearing characters in Tokidoki’s collection. Simone Legno’s illustrations have made their mark on today’s popular culture, and his amazing success story is such an inspiration to a young designer like me.

Overall the Adobe MAX and ADIM conferences were a great experience, I learned more than my brain could possibly absorb, made some talented new friends, and came home with almost 15 pounds of swag!

If you watched the CNN Inauguration Coverage for President Obama on Tuesday, you may already recognize this as it was a special feature in the broadcast. Our friends over at Photosynth, in partnership with CNN, released a special Inauguration Synth created from submitted photos the public captured at the event. Entitled “The Moment”, this Silverlight widget allows you to browse through the hundreds of photos that were taken using Photosynth’s technology that creates interactive 3D spaces from 2D photos.

Not so long ago, when the technology was first launched, we worked with the Photosynth team to create their first website. Be sure to check out the latest iteration of the Photosynth site where they’ve opened up the technology to the public to submit user generated content to create custom Synths that are showcased in the growing online gallery.

Ryan Worsley has been with Plexipixel since spring of 2007, working both as a Web Producer and Graphic Designer. When she’s not scanning CSS code or designing games for the Zune, Ryan somehow finds time to create beautifully rendered paintings of buildings and cityscapes . Working with oils on canvas and glass, her paintings showcase a rich attention to detail and a love of her craft that is both stunning and inspiring. Ryan received her BFA from Rhode Island School of Design in 1998, and has shown paintings and films throughout Seattle and the Pacific Northwest. Her work has been seen at COCA, the Lo-Fi Gallery, 911 Media Arts Center, and the AntiMatter Film Festival in Victoria, BC.

Ryan’s latest show is at Zeitgeist coffee in Pioneer Square on Thursday, January 8th, from 6-8pm.

Architecture definitely has a big influence on you. Are there specific architects/buildings/time periods that appeal to you?

I love the Warwick hotel on 4th avenue in Seattle. It’s a sort of awkward looking 60’s design with octagonal windows. I like Marina towers in Chicago, Centrepoint building in London for the same reasons. Sometimes I work from photographs of buildings I’ve never seen in person, and when I happen upon them, it’s like spotting a celebrity.

How do you feel your work as a fine artist influences your work as a graphic designer?

I suppose I always approach a project thinking primarily about color and composition, and probably more often use these things to solve issues.

What other artists influence you?

Well, I have books featuring Edward Hopper, Gerhardt Richter, Andy Warhol, John Singer Sargent, and all those heavy hitters. Nowadays I prefer to troll flickr or blogs. Currently my favorite painters usually do work that is incredibly different from mine….I like fantastic fantasy outsider art, but I don’t incorporate it into my stuff (I don’t think). But I like anything that is simple and pretty.

Have you been to the Edward Hopper exhibit at SAM yet?

I haven’t made it there yet but I’m going this week. So much to do….

Are there any current favorites you’d like to mention from your blog and flickr trolling?

This is one of my favorite blogs:http://pantherhouse.com/newshelton (Warning! Some of the images are not workplace appropriate.) I actually find a lot of my flickr pools from this blog. Unfortunately I don’t save them, so I have no idea what they were. Sorry!

Who do you think has had the greatest influence on your work?

It’s hard to say at this point. I suppose anybody who has ever told me they liked something I did.

Working at graphic design 8 + hours a day can be creatively exhausting. What keeps you inspired and motivated to pursue your artistic goals?

It’s like eating well…all about creating good habits. Periods of non-creating are usually due to lapse in diligence. You crave the same foods you eat, I always say, and I think its true.

I think other aspiring artists and designers would love to know…what are those good habits? Or is this a situation that if you told us you’d have to kill us?

My secret is to wake up early and just pick up a brush and fill in some shape with some color. Its easier to work when I’m not trying to figure out what to do next, and morning is the easiest time to do that. Plus whatever you look at or start is on your mind until the following morning.

How was your experience at RISD, and how do you feel it helped prepare your for the fields of fine art / graphic design?

RISD was a very DIY school. I went from ‘94 – ‘98 so right when I graduated people were starting to really actually use e-mail. Flash websites were popping up and video production was starting to be accessible to the consumer. I paid more attention to video since that was my major, but I learned how to walk the line between technology and ideas. A person can either spend all of their time and energy updating and learning the newest and latest or executing their ideas in the best possible way. One of my classmates became a super 8 film artist, one invented their own software called Processing. I think I’m trying to figure out my own balance.

Emru and Tamu Townsend, December 1973 sourced from Heal Emru

Emru Townsend, writer, technophile, father, son, brother, passed away last night a little before 10pm last night. Emru was diagnosed with leukemia just last December. He spent the bulk of 2008 blogging about his life with the disease and encouraging people around the world to register as bone marrow donors with the assistance of his sister Tamu.

Emru’s short 38 years on this earth seemed so much longer because of the seemingly super-human way he lived life. He accomplished much and touched everyone he came in contact with, even if it was virtually. In his very last year he packed in more life than many do in a lifetime. He worked tirelessly for the marrow registry, created a huge community of other people needing bone marrow transfusions, identified a potential match in the summer, got a transplant in September, all before he finally succumbed to the disease less than a year after his diagnosis.

Emru leaves us with an amazing legacy that includes a memory of someone who had a knack for cheering everyone else up even when he should have the recipient of said cheer.

If you’d like to honor Emru’s memory, please please please register with your national bone marrow registry. You may be able to save a life like Emru’s.

Links:

• National Marrow Donor Program – the US bone marrow registry organization
• Heal Emru – Emru’s leukemia blog
• Heal Emru’s Facebook Group
• 5×5 Media – Emru’s media website
• Frames Per Second Magazine – Emru’s animation magazine
• EcoDigital – Emru’s digital green site
• Michael Franti and Spearhead : “Say Hey” video – the most current song Emru listened to before his death and the way that Tamu and Emru’s wife Vicky ask you remember Emru–happy, full of life and love

Last night Matt and I were invited to see Richard Williams speak at a 2D or Not 2D Festival pre-event at Digipen. Richard presented a few excerpts of his new Animator’s Survival Kit – Animated animation course to a room of enthralled animators both professionals and students. Even at 75, Richard is not only a brilliant and giving instructor but also an amazing storyteller. I’m so thankful that we had the chance to meet him and listen to his personal stories working and engaging with Disney’s Nine Old Men.

The Animator’s Survival Kit – Animated is available for purchase as a 16-DVD box set on the web and will be offered for 20% off at the 2D or Not 2D Festival which will be held at the Pacific Science Center, November 14 – 15, 2008.

Ian Ross, Drake Brodahl, Troy Parke, Matt and myself went down to the screening of “The Animation Show 4” at the Varsity this Friday.  We sat next to a crew from the old Sucker Punch days including Suzanne Kaufmann (who currently instructs at Digipen and is working with us at Plexi this summer), Ramey Harris, Bart Kaufman and Gene Blakefield who worked with us (meaning Matt, Troy and Joel) at another studio before going over to Sucker Punch. 

The highlights of the show for me included Joel’s intro piece, Pes’ “Western Spaghetti”,  and Matthew Walker’s “John and Karen”.  Word straight from Joel was that he did an ending animation that wasn’t included in the screening.  Perhaps it’ll make an appearance sometime in the not-so-distant future. 

After the screening, Joel Trussell, Rebecca Moline and Robert May (Producers of “The Animation Show”), Anton Bogaty, Gene Blakefield, Tom DesLongchamp and his wife Jessica, Matt and I went over to Flowers for a couple of drinks and lots of animation chatter.   The group eventually ended up in Capital Hill for more drinkage and deep discussions.  Hanging out with Gene, Anton, and Joel again after such a long time was such a wonderful treat–reminiscing, talking about new stuff, being wacky, eating lots of fries and fried fish, *sigh*!  The cherry that topped everything off was getting a chance to meet and talk to the very delightful Rebecca and Rob.  Thank you for some fun times!!!

 

Joel in the Plexipixel animation clubhouse

Troy cheesing it up with Joel Trussell

Rob May, Joel Trussell and Rebecca Moline rocking HARD

Getting crabs in Northgate with Gene Blakefield and his adorable family

Joel, Anton Bogaty (and Matt) reliving old times at the Canterbury

Jim Woodring has a new book out which is available signed by the amazingly talented artist himself on his website.  A signed book will be sent to your doorstep for a mere $25 (shipping included) or $35 overseas. 

“The Museum of Love and Mystery” constains 24 cardboard pages of full-color images from Frank’s holiday sojourn in the Western Unifactor.

Matt already has a copy of this book.  It’s a MUST HAVE. 

 

Saturday, June 7, 2008
10am – noon
Under the Arches near the Pacific Science Center

Meet the star of Wall*E and other nerds like us taking photos with the cute little dude.  Don’t forget to bring your camera!

 

Tony White has posted a version of his short film “Endangered Species” for viewing on YouTube.  It’s a mockumentary of the rise and fall of traditional animation.  The animation in the piece is well executed.  The pace is good and the content of the story is interesting and compelling.  The most creative part of the film is how Tony mimics snippets of well-known animations using Tony’s well-known animation character in a delightfully playful way. 

Toon Zone posted a really comprehensive interview with Tony in 2006 about the “Endangered Species” animation and its inspiration.   

In the interview, Tony mentions his ill-fated ”Animation Masterclass” book.  This was the book that Tony consulted with Matt Tamaru (Rodriguez at the time) on Flash character animation.  Unfortunately, ”Animation Masterclass” never did see the light of day. 

Here’s the film.  I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

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I’ve been a resident of the north area of Seattle for over 15 years and the Ballard Denny’s located on the corner of Market St. and 15th has been a very important landmark for me.  Unfortunately, the building–which is a great example of mid-century Googie architecture–has been vacant since it was sold to ill-fated monorail project in 2007 and is slated for demolition.  The land is tragically slated to be developed into yet another condo with a Rite-Aid on the corner.

The building was built in the mid-60’s as the Manning’s Cafeteria and was one of many Manning’s restaurants up and down the west coast.  Manning’s was one of Seattle’s longest running and successful chains.  The Manning’s Cafeteria Building was the only building in Seattle designed by Clarence Mayhew, a very well-regarded Bay Area architect.  More information about the building can be found on Docomom WEWA’s website.

Tomorrow, the building will be up for nomination as a historic landmark at a public hearing.  Here are the details:

Wednesday, February 20, 2008, 3:30 p.m.
Municipal Tower, 700 Fifth Ave., Room 4060. The meeting will be open to the public.

Hope to see you there!