Double Felix (Problem Solving in Surrealism): Chance is always an ingredient in a surrealist work of art, both in how the picture comes together and how unanticipated problems are dealt with. In this film I explain my solution to a composition problem.
The puppy profile in this color pencil drawing will be recalled from my previous short animation Germs of Balloons. Ideas are often repurposed from my sketch pages.
My Life as an Alternative Comics Artist: I spent the 1990s making alternative comics, which ended up evolving into my Blender Kitty comic strip in the early 2000s. Like my paintings and animation, my comics were strange and “experimental.” Their absurdist humor appealed to a small (but loyal) audience. I explain my thinking behind them in this short video.
Forest Serenade: A strange troubadour intrudes on a pleasant visit to the forest.
Whimsical monsters are my speciality as an artist, but you would not want to happen upon any of them unexpectedly. At the end of this animation, I “show my work” by sharing the sketch sheets for the individual drawings. This is the artistic equivalent of “breaking the fourth wall” with the viewer. One may describe this violation of protocol as a form of Dadaism.
Autism and The Allure of Missing Information: I identify with a long list of creators in various art forms, and believe our point of intersection is an autistic perspective on the world. Autistics begin with details, and then build outward, like reverse engineers, to construct a whole that is both unanticipated and greater than the sum of its parts.
I believe film director David Lynch is one such creator. I am not a doctor making a qualified diagnosis. However, I am pretty good at picking out fellow travelers. Autism, for many high functioning autistics, is only an occasional stumbling block, while its virtues include a laser beam ability to bypass the obvious and penetrate to the heart of a mystery.
Time Lapse Completion of Guinevere Planitia: This completes my first time-lapse painting project. I list the challenges that face me in part one, but need to add one more: Because oil paint is reflective, and glare is an ongoing issue with photography, an unintended STROBE LIGHT effect is created where the intermittent pressure of my hand on the canvas makes the picture pop rapidly in brightness. The only way around this is to limit lighting behind me. (I figured this out about halfway through.) Unfortunately, the reduced lighting makes it harder for me to see.
The final still image restores the full intensity of the painting.
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