Since returning to the University, I have begun exploring specific areas of my professional career in hand drawn animation. I use animation's techniques of the hand drawn cel frames and translate them in painting and drawing. I strive to convey this technique in a way that celebrates this creative process but allows those that are foreign to its concepts to gain understanding of it. My journey down this path is highly influenced by artists such as Salvador Dali and his exploration in film, Marcel Duchamp and the futurist artists with their approaches to conveying movement in static environments, and Edweard Muybridge’s plates that recorded actions frame by frame. These artists have offered examples of how I can utilize my skills and experience with technology to further express my ideas.
A demand of approximately twenty-four drawings to execute one second of animation is another area from which my inspiration springs. Animators' dedication to this process sparks my aim to exploit the reality that the viewer does not see many of these drawings. Therefore, my paintings and drawings honor those frames by elongating them in time.
To further expand on this idea is my study of movement, more specifically dance. In less recent pieces, I focus on basic movements or interactions such as walking, and running. The body's action of dancing offers many powerful gestures and shifts in weight and emotion. I feel each body is coordinated differently and therefore dance is completely unique to individuals. Using paint, colored pencil and other media I can take specific frames of gesture in a dance and celebrate the beauty found in those split seconds that are rarely visible.
I currently use images from stills in film, animation, and sketches that I have produced in my career. As I created these pieces I also wanted to be aware of how the viewer would interact with them in that they themselves would move along with the individual portrayed in the piece. This is strongly conveyed in my series paintings, which engage the viewer to physically travel as they observe the pieces.
The style executed in these pieces is inspired by animators such as Bill Plympton, Patrick Smith, Hayao Miyazaki, Don Herztfeldt, and Tim Biskup, particularly their approaches to background, medium, character design, and mood.
My experimentation in this area continues and will continue in the future. I am devoted to expanding my knowledge and exploration of the nexus of animation and fine arts.
