>> WHEN I FIRST BEGIN TO REALIZE
THAT, YOU KNOW, MAYBE I COULD DO
SOMETHING WITH THIS ART AND
MAYBE I REALLY HAD A VOICE AND
MAYBE I COULD REALLY GROW THIS
INTO SOMETHING THAT I COULD SEE
MYSELF DOING FOR THE REST OF MY
LIFE.
I DID A LOT OF 2D WORK THAT WAS
MATTE PATTERN BASED AND I GOT TO
THE POINT WHERE IT JUST WASN'T
EXCITING FOR ME ANYMORE.
I REALLY WANTED TO START TO PUSH
IT.
I WANTED TO SEE WHAT I COULD DO.
YOU KNOW, I'VE ALWAYS HAD A LOVE
FOR SPIRIT ANIMALS AND TOTEMS.
SO WHY NOT TURN THESE THINGS
THAT ARE ALREADY BASICALLY
MAPPED OUT FOR 3D PRODUCTS INTO
THESE 3D PRODUCTS.
AND IT'S BEEN FUN TO SEE THEM
EVOLVE FROM THIS FLAT SURFACE TO
WHAT NOW IS SOMETHING THAT HAS A
PERSONALITY.
AND IT'S A LITTLE DIFFERENT TAKE
ON, YOU KNOW, TAXIDERMY, HAVING
SOMETHING HANG ON YOUR WALL AND
LOOKING BACK AT YOU.
\M\M
\M\M
NORMALLY WHEN I START OFF A NEW
PROJECT, I JUST START WITH A
SIMPLE SKETCH.
JUST A SIMPLE LINE DRAWING, YOU
KNOW, PENCIL, PAPER.
THIS KIND OF GIVES ME AN IDEA OF
HOW I WANT THINGS TO BREAK DOWN.
IT GIVES ME AN IDEA OF WHERE
THINGS CAN BUILD UP AND THEN BE
RECESSED.
WHAT IT REALLY IS FOR ME IS A
STARTING POINT.
FROM THAT, I REALLY GET A FEEL
OF HOW EVERYTHING'S GOING TO
LOOK AND THE FINISHED PIECE
ITSELF IS GOING TO FEEL.
AFTER I'VE FINALIZED THE SKETCH
AND GET IT TO WHERE I WANT IT TO
BE AND I FEEL HAPPY WITH IT,
I'LL TAKE IT UPSTAIRS, I'LL SCAN
IT IN AND THEN I'LL BLOW IT UP
TO THE SIZE I WANT.
I BRING IT BACK DOWNSTAIRS, DO A
LITTLE CUT ON THEM AND THEN TAPE
THEM TOGETHER.
AND THEN THAT REALLY IS THE
BASIS OF WHERE I START.
LUCKILY, MY LOVELY WIFE HAD THE
GREAT IDEA OF DOING THIS LEAFY
SEA DRAGON WHICH REALLY SPOKE TO
ME.
I REALLY THOUGHT THAT I COULD
REALLY PLAY WITH IT, REALLY
BUILD IT UP, REALLY SHOWCASE
WHAT I'VE BEEN TRYING TO DO
LATELY.
SO WHAT I REALLY TRY TO DO WITH
THE FOUNDATION IS MAKE SOMETHING
THAT'S GOING TO REALLY HELP ME
BUILD UP AND BUILD OUT.
BUT I WANT SOMETHING THAT'S
STURDY AND THAT HAS SOME
SUBSTANCE THAT I CAN PUT THESE
OTHER PIECES ON SO THEY'RE GOING
TO BE ABLE TO BE STURDY.
THIS PROCESS USUALLY INVOLVES,
YOU KNOW, NEW WOOD, THREE
QUARTERS INCH THICK AND I
USUALLY END UP ON THE SCROLL SAW
OR THE BAND SAW CUTTING MOST OF
THAT OUT.
THIS REALLY FOR ME IS WHERE I
START TO PUT THE PERSONAL FEEL
INTO IT.
YOU KNOW, I GREW UP DOWNSTAIRS
IN THE BASEMENT NEXT TO MY DAD'S
WORKSHOP.
YOU KNOW, THE SMELL OF SAWDUST
WAS ALWAYS IN THE AIR.
IT REALLY FEELS LIKE HOME TO ME.
IT REMINDS ME OF MY CHILDHOOD.
YOU KNOW, THE CONSTANT HUM OF
THE SCROLL SAW OR THE BAND SAW
REALLY DOES MAKE YOU KIND OF
WASH OUT AND AS YOU'RE KIND OF
MOVING IT ALONG AND FOLLOWING
THIS PATH -- AND AS CHILDISH AS
IT SOUNDS, IT'S ALMOST LIKE
DRIVING A CAR ON A REALLY WINDY
ROAD.
SO YOU'RE KIND OF ZONED OUT AND
YOU JUST REALLY GET INTO IT
BECAUSE I KNOW LATER ON THERE'S
GOING TO BE ALL THIS CHAOS.
THERE'S ALL THESE PIECES THAT I
HAVE CUT OUT AND IT'S GOING TO
BE A LITTLE HECTIC BUT RIGHT
NOW, IT'S JUST BUILDING THAT
FOUNDATION AND REALLY STARTING
TO GET THAT MODE, THAT FEELING,
THAT FORM IN THERE AND IT'S A
REALLY CALMING PROCESS.
[ SAW BUZZING ]
SO I HAVE MY BASE AND NOW I WANT
TO BUILD ON TOP OF THAT.
SO I GO BACK TO THAT CUT GUIDE
THAT I ORIGINALLY HAD IN THE
BEGINNING AND I REALLY START
HACKING AWAY.
CHOPPING IT UP AND PULLING OUT
THOSE LITTLE PIECES THAT I DID
THE LINE WORK IN SO AFTER I DO
THAT PROCESS THEN IT'S REALLY
KIND OF DECIDING ON, DO I WANT
THIS TO BE NEW WOOD BECAUSE
IT'LL BE PAINT LATER OR MAPS
LATER OR DO I WANT TO DO
RECLAIMED WOOD?
IS THIS A PART WHERE TEXTURE
WILL WORK VERY WELL.
THAT GIVES IT A PERSONALITY.
NOW I NEED TO GIVE IT SOME
ATTITUDE.
A MOOD.
SO I REALLY KIND OF PICK MY
COLOR SCHEME ACCORDINGLY.
WITH THE LEAFY SEA DRAGON, I
WANTED SOMETHING THAT WAS GOING
TO READ "UNDERWATER," I WAS
GOING TO SOMETHING AQUAMARINE
WITH A LITTLE BIT OF BROWN
LEAFINESS IN THERE.
SO WHAT I USED IS AEROSOL SPRAY
PAINT AND THEN ACRYLIC.
THE REASON I USE SPRAY PAINT IS
IT REALLY GIVES IT A SOFT,
TEXTURED LOOK AND IT'S EASY TO
PAINT ON TOP OF AND I REALLY
JUST LIKE THE FACT THAT I CAN GO
GRAB A CAN OF THE COLOR I WANT,
BE DONE AND KEEP MOVING ON.
AS FAR AS THE OTHER PAINT, I
JUST USE ACRYLIC AND IT REALLY
HELPS FRAME EACH PIECE.
SO THIS IS WHEN I TURN THE MUSIC
OFF.
THIS IS WHEN I GET REAL QUIET
AND THEN I GT THE PAINT OUT AND
I START, YOU KNOW, LINING
EVERYTHING.
MY GOAL IS TO FRAME EACH PIECE
IN A WAY WHERE IT'S AN
INDIVIDUAL CANVAS.
SO THE PIECE AS A WHOLE IS 70
SOMETHING CANVASES PUT TOGETHER.
WHEN I'M DOING THE LINE WORK,
YOU KNOW, I'M KIND OF THINKING
ABOUT MY PAST, MY FUTURE, MY
WIFE, MY KIDS, YOU KNOW.
WHAT I NEED TO MAKE FOR DINNER.
SO ALL THAT STUFF IS GOING
THROUGH ME, INTO THE PIECE.
I THINK ME THINKING ABOUT MY
PERSONAL ISSUES -- MY PROBLEMS,
MY HOPES MY DREAMS, MY
ASPIRATIONS -- IS SOMEHOW
SEEPING INTO THAT LINE WORK IN
THAT WOOD AND THEN TRANSFERRING
INTO THE VIEWER.
\M\M
NOW IT'S TIME FOR CONSTRUCTION.
THIS, FOR ME, IS THE MOST
VULNERABLE PART.
YOU'VE WORKED SO HARD.
YOU'VE SPENT ALL THIS TIME
MAKING ALL THESE INDIVIDUAL
PIECES PERFECT AND THEN YOU HAVE
TO HOPE THAT THEY GO TOGETHER.
AND, AS I'VE LEARNED, THOSE LAID
PLANS GO OUT THE WINDOW REALLY
QUICK IN THIS SCENARIO AND YOU
HOPE FOR THE BEST.
HOPEFULLY AT THIS POINT I HAVE
MEASURES PROPERLY, I'VE CUT
EVERYTHING AND SOMETIMES YOU DO
HAVE THAT RANDOM PIECE, YOU
KNOW, LIKE WHEN YOU GET YOUR
IKEA FURNITURE AND YOU PUT IT
TOGETHER AND YOU HAVE THAT ONE
LAST PIECE THAT YOU HAVE
LEFTOVER AND YOU'RE LIKE "I
DON'T KNOW WHERE THIS GOES."
SO, LIKE I SAID, NOTHING EVER
WORKS TO PLAN BUT YOU KIND OF
ROLL WITH IT AND THEN, AT THE
END OF THE DAY, IT IS WHAT IT
IS.
MISTAKES HAPPEN AND THEY ALSO
BECOME PART OF THE PIECE.
\M\M
SO EVERYTHING'S CONSTRUCTED,
PROTECTED AND STILL MISSING
SOMETHING.
SO THIS IS WHEN I GO FOR THE
EYEBALLS.
I HAVE A LITTLE CACHE, A LITTLE
TIN THAT I OPEN AND FIND THE
PERFECT PIECE.
AND WHEN I PUT THAT IN, IT'S
STARING BACK AT YOU.
YOU FEEL ITS SOUL.
YOU FEEL LIKE IT'S FINALLY
COMPLETE AND THEN YOU STEP BACK,
YOU TAKE A LOOK AT IT AND YOU
SEE WHAT YOU STARTED WITH WITH
THAT SIMPLE LINE DRAWING.
IT'S AN AMAZING FEELING WHEN IT
COMES OUT THE WAY YOU WANT IT.
AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT IS
VERY TRUE AND DEAR TO ME.
IT'S VERY HARD TO SAY GOODBYE.
EVERY PIECE I DO, I FALL IN LOVE
WITH.
EVERY PIECE I GIVE AWAY, I HATE
SEEING IT GO.
BUT I KNOW THAT IT'S MAKING
SOMEBODY ELSE JUST AS HAPPY AS
IT MADE ME AND THAT'S A VERY
GOOD FEELING.
\M\M
No comments:
Post a Comment