New sketches, inspiration for Elemental Magic to begin to unfold at Finca Silencio!

Recently sketching and drawing up a storm.

As our new workshop comes together,

projects become more do-able

every day.

A sweet little hang out spot that I hope to construct high on out mountainside, 

a place for meditation, yoga, or just hanging out for the incredible 

sunset, a picnic or dinner...

Flowers in a decidedly Japanese style...

Inner Landscape

Emerging flutter-by...

Pure Plant Energy

Heading home with a newly purchased trio-pus, 

a handy little pet closely related to the octopus, 

that doubles as a household I.T. Expert.....

Sea to Sky, Sky to See

"It Becomes Everything"

Early Montage of Heck Flower effects test.....released for the first time...

This is one of the earliest

tests I did for Brett Morgen's 

'Montage of Heck' 

a recent successful documentary 

about the life and times  of Kurt Cobain.

The final version of the scene is very dark,

fitting into the film seamlessly, 

it punctuates Hisko Hulsing's exquisite

story-telling character animation sweetly
while not distracting attention away from it.

I owe a great deal of gratitude 

to Hisko for insisting that I animate this shot,

and pulling me out of semi-animation retirement....

From here on in I will be having multiple 

animation projects moving forward at any given time!

Animation is an addiction, an affliction....a gift..the
modern day equivalent of alchemy...



P & L

Moonrise & Sunrise

Accidents will happen....

"Witnesses say a small bird was seen speeding away from the area at the time of the incident. Authorities later reported finding coyote remains, underneath the enormous rock..."

"It Becomes Everything"

Visual Effects created by nature, fluid, sunshine 

and millions of years of geological erosion.

....an exploration of 100% natural visual effects in an extended selfie! 

Amazing soundtrack courtesy of Easily Embarrassed.

Bucket Fire

One of the oldest effects animation training 

exercises is to try to animate a bucket of 

cold water pouring over a blazing hot camp fire. 

It's about time I did a live-action reference version!

Unfortunately the reason I was putting it out is because 

the local fire department authorities dropped 

by to tell me the small camp fire being used to BBQ on,

was against the by-laws of the town, and that he was responding to a

'complaint'.

Folks with nothing better to do

than shut down our peaceful and 100% safe 

little camp fire BBQ. We even had a huge bucker

of water on hand...

Fantastic cicadas just before sunrise at Finca Silencio......

My little slice of paradise..

Sunrise wavesplash!

Diving in, at Finca Silencio, Costa Rica

Red Breasted Mergansers at sunrise, at 'The Spit' in Comox Valley

I caught these red breasted mergansers in slo-mo

doing some beautiful dance moves in the dawn's first 

light, near Comox Harbour, Vancouver Island, 

British Columbia.

Tons of brand new Effects Reference videos on Elemental Magic's YouTube page.....

Check out the new effects reference videos 

on my Elemental Magic YouTube page!

I am using my new Casio EX-ZR200 Exilim camera

to get some sweet slow motion reference in some of my 

favourite places in the world.

Stay tuned for a whole new world of effects video reference material

that I will be creating in my new Costa Rican jungle home this year!
The Elements, Earth, Wind, Fire and Water,
will be explored in a whole new way...
Elemental Magic goes
to Finca Silencio!

I have been shooting reference the last few days in the 

natural splendour of British Columbia's Vancouver Island,

where I am surrounded, as we will be in Costa Rica,

by gorgeous rivers and waterfalls, and endless gorgeous 

coastlines, all rimmed with majestic green 

mountains lined with stunning fjords.

Only difference is, the water will 

kill you by hypothermia in about 

20 minutes, whereas you can 

play ALL DAY in the 

Costa Rican ocean!

Gumby goes swimming.....

My first Casio slo-mo video!

New super high quality reproductions of my paintings are finally here!

Emerging

Acrylic on canvas

36" x 12"

untitled

Acrylic on canvas

36" x 24"

last supper

Acrylic on canvas

48" x 24"

Please Tim, leave little Dumbo alone. No reason to go repainting the Mona Lisa now.....

I think that the original version of Disney's Dumbo is a unique and unsung masterpiece in filmmaking history. One of the most gorgeously crafted pieces of animation art ever conceived. It is not a mere story to be retold through a big budget visual effects loaded live-action Hollywood blockbuster, it is a timeless work of art. Why pick on this incredible piece of animation history just to come up with a story? This is clearly a shameless grab at producing a 'product' they KNOW people will go see,  because of their built in love of Dumbo, already planted there through the genius and vision of the original animated film. With all due respect to Tim Burton, he has had his go at a couple of Disney masterpieces now, Alice and Sleepy Hollow, and he did alright, they didn't stink. But please Tim, leave dear little Dumbo alone....

http://consequenceofsound.net/2015/03/tim-burton-to-direct-new-live-action-version-of-disneys-dumbo/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jCtIdfd5l3w

Guabo River, Finca Silencio, Silencio, Costa Rica....

Preparing to move into this jungle wonderland in Costa Rica.......the ultimate experiment in Elemental Magic......

A beautiful piece of craftsmanship and vision! Wood as water.....

Sneak preview, working title card for one of my upcoming animation film projects...

What stories would the animals tell,

and pass on down to their children 

through the ages, about us modern day humans, 

and our legacy on planet Earth?

How have we re-shaped the animal's reality, 

after they lived in perfect balance with nature

for millenia, minding their own business,

and peacefully raising their families

for countless generations?

For millenia even us humans lived in relative

balance with nature as well, relying on its fruitful 

bounty for sustenance, but never 

taking more than needed, or hoarding, 

or controlling another sentient being's food source.

But modern man?

We are a species unto ourselves.

A species that lost its way,

and began taking more than it needs,

more than it gives back...

the legend is told.....