Monday, June 9, 2008

Weekend concert and skinned knees


The week went by really quickly! Besides lots of drawing (I still have to scan my sketch book sometime) I went to see Chris Koza at the Main Room in downtown. Bought some really awesome posters the concert by a local artist, Andrew Turman and completely took the skin off both my knees when I was biking around. :( Over all it was fun fun and BTW Bandaid brand makes a kick ass wide knee band aid!

Main room club!

They play animations during intermission.
Chris Koza!
The aftermath.

Read more!

Sunday, June 1, 2008

Biking on the weekend

I got another bike from another co-worker and embarked on some trail riding this weekend. Since Minneapolis is the City of Lakes, I biked around 4 of them roughly 20 miles or so. I got lost part way and ended up 4 hours off my original path and thus mayhem occured :)


I got caught in a 20 minute hail storm - fun fun fun... (photo borrowed from FLICKR site - not mine!!!!)


Buildings at Lake Harriet
Boating at Lake Cahoun
Kayaking!

Outdoor concert Hall!
Lake Harriet Beach.
Red Hot Art festival!


Many, many, many bike paths.

Read more!

Thursday, May 29, 2008

Robots and other cool toys!

So I went to this new place called Robot Love and SOO

and found a lot of cool stuff to look at. I bought myself a little companion since I was getting a little lonely at nights...


Nabaztag - WIFI rabbit on crack!!! (eat that Mike!)

A lot of fun toys!


There was a really cute show by Erin Currie
featuring some really unique dolls and paintings.








Meet Silver Gloomi, my bedtime snuggler!

Read more!

Tuesday, May 27, 2008

A night on the town!


So I did two useful things today: 1) I applied for my US Social Insurance # so I can get paid, unfortunately it should be coming in 4 weeks.
2) On the spur of the moment, I got a cheap seat at Eddie Izzard's show that was at the Orpheum. He did a 2 hour long stint with no breaks and was extremely, EXTREMELY funny!
YAH EDDY!

Read more!

Sunday, May 25, 2008

Life drawing and Duck vibrators

I decided to get a little life drawing done and joined a small group called Dr. Sketchy's anti-art school. It was life drawing in a bar with booze, thematic lighting and burlesque dancers (named Lady Ascensia and Tomahawk tassles) for models. All in all, it was A LOT of FUN! - See more under.

Definitely not one of my better pics, but I had downed 2 pints already...and it was really dark.
Both Tomahawk and Ascensia (she a poet) posing together. I had one more pic I really liked, but one of the models really liked it so I gave it to her :)

The drawing set-up, bar room seating!
Yes people actually sat down and drew like this!
They gave out supplies....
We had a host and the models on the stage! There were drawing contests and I ended up winning twice, I got a gift certificate for Smitten Kitten and......
A vibrating massaging ducky.



And a Kama Sutra bath set complete with lubricant (or bath gel). What I really wanted was the $25 coffee gift certificate...

Read more!

Friday, May 23, 2008

First work week done!

Watched IRON MAN today and all I can say is "WOW". Highly. Highly Recommended. On a lighter note I ended up eating at "White Castle" and to be honest, Harold and Kumar got gyped, burgers were very thin and overly salty and really, all I thought was I should gone to the Wendy's a block back.

Read more!

Thursday, May 22, 2008

Time off work

Where to go where the 9 to five grind is over? Midnight coffee shops and crime bookstores. See read more for more info!

Since I've gotten here, I found some pretty sweet spots to hang out. One is the Bad Waitress cafe it's a superhero themed dinner that's open till midnight. Offers free wifi.
Another place is the Spyhouse, another midnight coffee/wifi place (coffee is really good, though midnight coffee drinking isn't that smart!)

I've also gone to a really cool bookstore - nothing but crime stories.
A really tiny MCAD gym (seriously it's a sections studio space with machines) that make Sheridan's gym look huge!
And the following pic was something that I couldn't resist taking.

Read more!

Wednesday, May 21, 2008

WIMP!!!

So ever feel like a complete dork? In my case it started with a bike...And here is the rest of it.

Bruce was really nice and lent me his bike to use for the summer. I decided then to overcome my enormous fears of riding in city traffic. Which then made me decide to make the following purchase.


And yes, even with the helmet and a long three hour bike ride which took me from Uptown to Downtown and a lake, weaving in and out traffic (the city has bike lanes to boot). I'm still scared shitless of riding near cars, trucks, traffic, lamposts, children little animals etc. but at least I'm still riding...

until 6:30 this evening when I left the bike at work cause my ass was sore like hell....

Read more!

Minilogue/hitchhikers choice - short version (Longer on DVD)

Cool stop animation video that was sent to me! Check it out, animating through stop motion

Read more!

Tuesday, May 20, 2008

Look Ma I'm drawing!

I've started attending an opening life drawing session at MCAD. They have it on Mondays 7-9pm. So it's a summer of draw, draw draw.....
A 20 minute piece in my sketch book, see more below.And here is the rest of it.
This is the studio that they use at MCAD - $5 a session folks!






Let the studying begin

Read more!

The workplace! Say hello to co-op!

Just a quick update on work (and a few pics), welcome to the next 3 months of my life - reelworks.
Outside of reelworks!And here is the rest of it.
My work station! (I have an animator's table).
They give out supplies too. I have all the blue pencils I want, a two screened MAC with intuos tablet (and free coffee and tea to boot!)
And this was my first day at training. I did 3 practice tweens for an old animation which were critiqued and reviewed by Brett. The average tweens done by an animator 3-5/hour, what I did, 3 in a day. I did better today though, I did 6 in a day. Whooo....oooo.....(meh!)

I'm supervised by Brett, the assistant animator, and also work with Bruce, the head animator, Audrey (one of the producers) and Thom (the fixer guy/digital works etc.) Everyone is really nice and fairly laid back and there'll be lots to do this summer!

If this experience has taught me anything, it's a complete new respect of animator's and the work they do. Heart the animatoooooors! (But I still am an illustrator first and foremost)!

Read more!