Wed, Feb 17th 2010, 08:50
It's time to rush out and buy the last two editions of Aesthetica Magazine for whom I've written two articles 'How To Animate: Parts 1 and 2'.
Each article is a ten part guide to coming up with ideas for animation and turning those ideas into reality.
You can keep up to date with Aesthetica Magazine on Twitter, Facebook or on their blog.
Tue, Feb 16th 2010, 10:17
Here's a link to an article on the Association of Illustrators website about our work with the NHS.
Tue, Feb 16th 2010, 10:13
Sludge red leaves, not yet soil, tarnish the ground.
Here a slip of silver, a quiver of birch,
Last season’s swish and swash still has shape
But soon the drape will rot to rib.
Wet clay will crack and
Spring will knock the winter back.
Stratford upon Avon, 16 Feb 2010
Mon, Feb 15th 2010, 11:57
Has anyone else noticed lately that most of our news is happening 'On the ground'. "So what's happening on the ground?" "On the ground things look different." "We've been hearing from our man on the ground."
As opposed to what?
Our man in the clouds? Our woman in a tunnel? Our soldier hovering a few feet above the ground?
These words or phrases seem to crop up from time to time. During the floods of 2007/8 hundreds of houses had no water, and soon every other word on the news was 'Bowser'. And after the tragedy of 9/11 (or 11/9 as surely it must be) it was all anyone to do to stop themselves from saying 'Ground Zero' over and over and over again.
But now it's "On The Ground". There are people On The Ground in Afghanistan. There are civil servants On The Ground in Westminster. There were quite a lot of people On The Ground at the Copenhagen Screw-The-Earth Summit. They are probably also On The Ground in the International Space Station. There's stuff happening On The Ground on ships, in submarines and possibly even on some ground somewhere.
What's so special about being On The Ground? Surely most human activities apart from a few hinted at already qualify as being On The Ground? Walking. Eating. Sleeping. Having a poo. And most of these aren't that exciting enough to report on. But of course I'm being facetious (again) and On The Ground really means the place where something is actually happening as opposed to the place where it isn't (i.e. everywhere else... which may or may not be places with some 'ground' as well).
On the plus side it makes a change from being At The Coalface, On the Frontline or On The Shop Floor (presumably after an accident with a rogue tin of baked beans). And of course the ground is very useful for keeping one's feet on, and for hitting it in a running type way. Apparently.
In future rants... the BBC phrase 'Are you ACROSS this?' that is leaking out into public usage and the infuriating 'step up to the plate' which is used all over the UK when surely we should be 'stepping up to the crease' or maybe the non-metaphorical but perfectly functional 'taking responsibility'. Grrrrr!
Thu, Feb 11th 2010, 19:11
We are presenting The Moon Bird tomorrow - the 12th February 2010 - at Animated Exeter. If you're in the vicinity please do come along!
