through the barefoot eye

bonjour

2009-11-13T15:42:41Z

Hello, Montreal! I am here this weekend thanks to roadtrip buddies Laura Kenins, Mike Holmes, and Dorian Lang. We are here to exhibit at EXPOZINE! It should be a really good time, but for today I am content to explore the streets of this beautiful city with our lovely hosts Jordyn F. Bochon and Tim Carpenter who are both awesome and have kindly allowed us into their home for the weekend! Last night Jordyn made a PIE! And I helped, sort of. PIE!

On the way here I drew some little car drawings:

Originally for the Illustration Friday theme "blur", thinking of how the past few months have passed in such a manner:

And a little tree sketch:

See you at Expozine!

IF - skinny

2009-11-03T18:04:34Z

So I said I'd do it and here we go. Illustration Friday "Skinny".

Not much, but hopefully it'll get me drawing/painting more in any case.

quickly quickly

2009-10-30T14:19:07Z

Hey, I am heading out the door to work but I wanted to post this first, in the spirit of all hallows eve.

The scarf is keeping her head on, that is how it is related to Hallowe'en. Yes.

Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!

sweaters

2009-10-23T13:19:49Z

Hey guys, the Halifax zine fair is tomorrow! I first went to the zine fair here in 2007, back when it was still Canzine East, and that's where I first started making connections in the community here by meeting awesome people like Laura Kenins, so it holds a special place in my heart.

Admission to the Fair is FREE and it's happening from 12-5 at St David's Church Hall at 1537 Brunswick St. (Across from Steve-o-reno's.)

I will be there with some comics, buttons, cards and screenprints! Also it is the same say as the International Day of Climate Action '350' here in Halifax, so you can swing by the event that the Ecology Action Centre has planned at the Halifax Commons by the Pavillion at 2pm afterwards (or before). Good times all around!

In fact, I have a special raffle for those who attend both the Zine Fair and the International Climate Day of Action event. Come by my table, and if you pledge to go to the event (or if you come to the zine fair after having gone to the event) you can enter your name in a raffle at my table to win a prize pack that includes a dvd of my first film, 'Warming' (coincidentally about climate change), along with two comics and two buttons of your choice that I have at my table. So come by the craft fair, go out and make your voice heard at the 350 event, and potentially win some swag!

nocturn al

2009-10-15T12:22:59Z

Whew. What a time.
I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving -- I'm sure feeling thankful to know good people, both near and far.

So hey, Nocturne is this Saturday, it is Halifax's art at night festival and is in its second year. Last year it was an incredible experience, and it's only going to get better! I have a small contribution this year in Leslie Menagh and Tanya Davis' project called Storybook, where Tanya will be performing stories that she wrote in costume with a choir while illustrations from those stories are projected behind her. It will take place behind the Halifax Courthouse. Here's one of my images:

It should be a pretty neat piece! Here's an article about it, and it's in the coast as well (the last one on the page). Andrea Dorfman and Sydney Smith are the other two illustrators on the project.

Hey, I'm going to Expozine next month and I'm really excited! If I remember how to make comics I will have a number of wares, new and old! Who else is going to Expozine? I've never gone to any kind of zine fair that wasn't just in the city I happened to be in before this. And speaking of, the Halifax Pop Explosion is coming up later this month, and with it the Zine Fair! I will have a table there (Oct 24, St. David's Church Hall), and will also be doing a mini comics jam.

I've gotta jet now though, my lovely mother is here and we are going to the annapolis valley! I'll pick some apples for you guys.

robot ponies

2009-09-25T14:32:37Z

Hey, here's some crayon doodles from when I was at the crafter's fair. the second day I got a crazy fever, but I think I was still coherent when I drew these:

Maybe it's a yearly thing? Burning boats.

Also, my friend Dan has been posting some excellent art over this way.

And, yesterday I won the Helen Hill Animated Award from the Linda Joy Society, and it's going to give me the facilities and motivation that I need to make a new film over the course of the next year! Helen Hill was a pretty incredible woman, and I'm really honoured to receive an award bearing her name.

not one to give much notice

2009-09-16T14:34:34Z

Okay, so:
I wanted to upload my film online as I had intended, with the sound and everything, but I've had a lot of trouble figuring out file formats (as I mentioned before). Now, thing is, it's in the Toronto Urban Film Fest, which plays one minute films silently in subway stations around Toronto during this week. Also, they put them online. They were kind enough to take my file even though it wasn't the right format and accept it into their festival, and now it's online, silently, with no end credits.

So though I wanted to show you my film my way first, life is busy as always and I felt that I may as well show this one for now since it might take far too long for me to get my act together.

Thus, here we go, Kate and Bradbury.

And if you feel so inclined you can register and vote for it for the people'e choice award!

If you're in Toronto, it's airing on the subways....today (yeah, that's right, no notice, sorry about that.) The times that it will be on are:
10:43:10 am
12:23:10 pm
2:03:10 pm
3:43:10 pm
5:23:10 pm
7:03:10 pm
8:43:10 pm
10:23:10 pm
12:03:10 am

And again, if you're in Halifax you can see it with sound in a big theatre at the Atlantic Film Fest, in the Frame x Frame II program on Sept 19 at 9:20pm and the Atlantic Shorts VII, on 23 at 9:20 pm as well.

And, Arglye Fine Art is hosting Urban Myths and Legends on the evening of the 22nd, with work from various animators. Should be good times!

The Halifax Crafters Art Harvest went really well this past weekend and I got a chance to talk to lots of amazing people (and make some rad trades with joanna close, Hello Pineapples, my friend Mark's preserves (kimchi and plum butter!), Geordan Moore, and so many other excellent crafters!) (crafter I wish was there, but who was in Vancouver: Heather Verdin).

Here are some blurry shots of the (very) minicomic I made for it. Screenprinted cover!

And speaking of comics, my good friend Jordyn F. Bochon recently was nominated for the Gene Day Award! You should go look at her stuff RIGHT NOW, it will blow your mind.

Enough rambling from me. The air is crisp and the leaves are turning! It's my favourite time of year.

leeks

2009-09-11T14:46:47Z

I forgot to account for this frame/page in my layout for the little quick+dirty comic that I am putting together for the halifax crafter's art harvest this weekend, so I am posting it here even though it isn't much. It would be lonely and unused otherwise.

And yeah, crafter's fair! This weekend, North Street Church (5657 North St), 11-5 both Saturday and Sunday. Also, Saturday is the Go North festival, which is always a blast. Come by and check it out! I will have new buttons, this little comic, stickers, and cards, plus all of my usual stuff.

dahlias, again

2009-09-03T14:58:30Z

It's been a while! Too long of a while. I wanted to wait until I had more to post, but that might be a while, so here is a lady I doodlepainted while watching a movie. Please excuse the lack of proper anatomy and the cut off legs.

The Atlantic Film Festival is coming up soon! I am working at the box office and have had a chance to see a few of the films, and let me tell you, they have been pretty amazing thus far. Also, Kate and Bradbury is in the festival and will be screening with the Frame x Frame II program and the Atlantic Shorts VII, on Sept 19 and 23, respectively. Also I will likely have something at Argyle Fine Art for the Frame x Frame reception on the 22nd.

In terms of getting it up online, I'm still working away at it. I have a .vob file that I have gotten a program to turn into an .avi, but then when I try bringing it into my (ridiculously old) version of Premiere, it says it's the wrong compression. Also I can't even play it. Do I just have the wrong codec or something? Does anyone have any suggestions?

lavender thyme peppermint

2009-07-21T16:57:25Z

tall ships

2009-07-15T22:25:48Z

Today some guys dressed as pirates came on our tour. Tall ships festival!

Here is a crayon doodle:

keep on chugging there, livejournal!

I went to a midnight screening of harry potter yesterday and it was great fun; today I felt like I had a sugar hangover (sour patch kids).

Thus ends this very random entry.

thai basil, purple basil, basil basil

2009-07-07T18:55:26Z

More little bits and pieces. A lady who was spinning some wool (I bought some rhubarb-ginger jam from her, which she was also selling), and a quick watercolour that I would call "mom does the eagle pose" if I was giving it a title, done at the same afternoon at the beach as the painting in my last post.

I am going to make an attempt to catch up with things this week! I owe everyone emails, mail, and cupcakes.

humulous lupulous

2009-07-04T17:10:49Z

My mom was here a while ago and we went on a trip up to Cape Breton, which was lovely. I drew a little thing:

I forgot to mention that I was selling my wares at the Alderney Landing Boardwalk Artist's event on Canada Day this past week, which was pretty fun. I then went on an amazing scavenger hunt and saw three sets of fireworks (the last ones I kinda ran away from).

Hope everyone is having a good weekend!

annies sarahs and arabellas

2009-06-09T19:06:01Z

Here's a screenprint that I made last week for the Roberts Street Social Centre's birthday party and screenprint fundraising sale. There was a call for bike-themed posters to coincide with Bike Week here in Halifax. Sadly I didn't make it to the event myself, so I haven't seen most of the other posters (though Geordan put his up here. He was also the one who organized the poster series.)

Last week was completely crazy, so I ended up having to rush this one a bit and as a result it's not quite what I wanted it to be. I was thinking about acrobats on bikes like in this video, which the leader of Halifax's synchronized bike team (The Ramblers) had sent out to us last year as inspiration. I was imagining the same sort of thing but with regular community members, but I'm a bit disappointed with the execution. Also I printed it on the wrong kind of paper.

Additionally: I will be picking up Kate and Bradbury from AFCOOP this week, so it should be online soon for real this time!

a while

2009-06-03T04:35:41Z

So many things to do! I haven't put anything on here in a fair few weeks though, so here goes:

Yes, I am still drawing these things. It is a compulsion.

Also, I made a silly little comic to screenprint, and when I actually printed it the thing turned out horribly because I accidentally used a screen intended for fabric prints, so here it is digitally instead.

Today I sat in the Public Gardens in the sun with my father. It has been a lovely month filled with sunshine, wonderful visitors from the west, and board games.

things in stages

2009-05-12T00:52:34Z

This was the image when I scanned it before making screenprinted cards for the crafters fair, I accidentally inverted the colours and kind of enjoyed it. I've been meaning to post the actual screenprints for a week or more, but life....ahhhh, life! I have been rehearsing a lot at my new job (as an actor at a historical brewery tour), plus I am still working at two theatre box offices (free theatre, a thing of beauty). Also tomorrow is my birthday, year of the ox! Anyway, just wanted to put this up here since it's been a while since I updated and I don't know when I'll actually get around to posting the actual thing. The trees have bright green beginnings of leaves, I had fresh fiddleheads for dinner tonight, and things generally are quite fine, quite fine indeed.

You can see the print on the lefthand side, actually. Also the magnets I made!

keiths and wickwires

2009-04-30T04:01:40Z

Remember that crayon house I drew a while ago? I made it some friends.

I haven't been on the internet too much recently as I've just started a new job and things have gotten a little hectic....also I have been scrambling to get stuff together for the Halifax Crafters Fair this weekend:

Since May 2nd is Free Comic Book Day, I will be giving out free comics on Saturday, so if you happen to live in the HRM feel free to stop on by! I am screenprinting a bunch of stuff for this as well as selling the prints I've made previously, so some of it might make it's way to the internet afterwards. Perhaps I will get at Etsy store since I am apparently too lazy to get up a shop of my own?

Also, I was going to have dvds of my film to sell as well, but that is not happening as I have not gotten a digital copy yet. The good folk at AFCOOP are a bit swamped, so it might be a few weeks into May before I get a copy up online.

galsan @ 2009-04-17T13:56:00

2009-04-17T17:59:07Z

The quest to Make More Prints continues!

Printing process at Inkstorm. I am terrible at coating screens, but it never seems to screw up the image itself.

That comic that I posted the other week has been printed in the halifax arts publication Her Royal Majesty. They printed the cover at the Dawson Print Shop, and it looks really fantastic. I also have some other old illustrations scattered throughout. Kudos to Harriet Lye for doing a bang-up job; this is the 4th issue and it seems to be going strong! Here are some bluury photos:

Randomly -- I made truffles with my friend Jennette the other week! Chocolate galore.

The other night I got about 50 balloons from work (ushering at the Atlantic Book Awards), took them on the ferry from Dartmouth, and basically walked them across town. Miraculously, only one got punctured along the way!

Also -- check out this amazing book that em made for me in exchange for one of my prints. It arrived in the mail one afternoon and totally blew me away!

afcoop, I love you

2009-03-31T21:06:44Z

My one minute film is screening tonight at Park Lane here in Halifax! As you can probably tell by this and other pictures I've posted, it's a really, really simple film -- one minute long, 750ish ink drawings on white paper with pretty much no backgrounds. It was a really fun and crazy process despite a fair few technical setbacks, and I learned a ton and met a bunch of amazing people.

I am somewhat terrified about the screening, but also really looking forward to it....it's the program's 10 year anniversary so there is a retrospective screening along with this year's batch of films. I've seen some of the films in the retrospective and they are quite excellent, and there's some pretty stellar ones that my peers this year have made also!

One Minute Film 2008-2009 Screening
Empire 8 Park Lane Cinemas
Tuesday, March 31, 7:00 pm
Admission: $8

The One Minute Film Scholarship (OMF) is an outreach program of the Atlantic Filmmakers Cooperative (AFCOOP). It provides first-time filmmakers with an all-expenses-paid opportunity to learn the basics of filmmaking while creating their own one-minute, black-and-white, 16mm film. These films are generally silent (no sync sound or dialogue), although a simple soundtrack of music/basic sound effects may be used. Through the program, participants receive workshop training, mentorship and all the equipment and supplies needed to finish their films. Most importantly, they are welcomed into AFCOOP’s supportive community of independent filmmakers.

Followed by
One Minute Film Reception
Jon Alan’s Luxx, upsatirs at Park Lane Mall.
Tuesday, March 31, 8:30 pm
FREE admission

Please join filmmakers, mentors, friends and family for a reception at Jon Alan’s Luxx (two floors up from Empire 8 Park Lane Cinemas) immediately after the One Minute Film 10th Anniversary Screening.

2008-2009 OMF films:

Life on the Inside, Directed by Dawn George
Just for You!, Directed by Cassidy Bankson
Wish You Were Here, Directed by Nan Slater
Mittens, Directed by Brooke Fifield
Cups and Cakes, Directed by Charles Currie
Ashes to Ashes, Directed by Christopher Shore
Life’s a Drag, Directed by Cassie Latta-Johnson
Trail Mix,Directed by Amanda Murphy
Give and Take, Directed by Emily Ruth Gore
Pizza Guy, Directed by Ralph Jackson
A Lifetime of Laundry, Directed by Colin Ogden
Kate and Bradbury , Directed by Colleen MacIsaac
Delayed Relief, Directed by Trisha Dempsey
Lucky Duck , Directed by Joanne Miller

10th Anniversary One Minute Film Scholarship Films:

Africville My Home (1999) Terry Dixon
Unsettled (2000) by Valerie Salez
Just One Kiss (2000) by David Ewenson
The Old Crick (2006) by Sonia Edworthy
The Birth of a Nation: Struggles & Strengths of Mi’kmaq Women (1999) by Darliea Dorey (Director) Donna Gloade
Girl at the Window (1999) by Sherry Lee Hunter
Why Do My Hands Still Shake From The Memory (1999) by Philip Clark
The Lives We Touch (2000) by Mike Davies
Ramblers: Halifax Synchronized Bike Team (2008) by Rebecca Singer
Dialogue (2006) by Mireille Bourgeois
Where we walk (2000) by Andrea Puszkar
Nuit Blanche (2008) by Francois Gaudet
I Dreamed I was a Helicopter (2002) by Brittan Fell .
Breakfast in America (2006) by Anu Jindal
Royal Family Jewels (2003) by Peter Bustin
Glamour Guts (2008) by Jasmine Oore

(I know I've posted a similar photo before but I'm just really excited that it is on 16mm film! So tiny!)

march of snow

2009-03-23T21:31:06Z

March print! I made this one a small (4.25 x 5.5) postcard as well. I was so stuck on what to do for this print, I went through way too many half-developed thumbnails (some of which I might use later) without anything good, and ended up having to rent the screen I had coated for an extra week because of my indescision. Eventually I demanded of myself that I just print SOMETHING, and here's what it is.

This one is on very slightly different paper colour. Does it deserve its own image? Probably not, but here it is.

I keep meaning to get a store up and running, but things have been busy and I haven't had a chance, but if you feel like having one of these prints (or that other one), you can paypal $5 to occasionally.colleen at gmail.com and I will send one your way!

hsm

2009-03-20T18:39:44Z

I've had these drawings sitting around for a few weeks and haven't had a chance to post them yet. So now I'm taking some time out of pinning tickets together at work to post them! Mostly it is lifedrawing and experimenting with watercolour/crayons.

And this last one is actually from yesterday. King's is running an amazing free and excellent lifedrawing session every two weeks, so I'm trying to go as often as I can! I really need the practice.

galsan @ 2009-03-16T13:20:00

2009-03-16T17:04:22Z

I have a bunch of drawings that I scanned last week with the intention of posting, but things have been a little hectic and I haven't had a chance to colour/post them. Looks like things might continue that way for a few days, so here's something in between -- a little comic that I wrote earlier in the winter when it was lung-hurtingly cold out that I just added images to yesterday:

And also: I just turned in the final cut 16mm version of my film! I am done! I still have some tweaks and such that I will make to the digital version that I'll put online next month, but the bulk of it, and my requirements for the OMF program, are done with! Hooray!

flounder; snowfall

2009-02-20T23:01:39Z

I've been playing around, not really making anything that I'm too happy with, but I'm working at it!

This week I pulled out my set of crayons and had at it, just playing and having fun....it was really enjoyable, so I think I might continue at it for a bit! Here's some results, mainly doodles from work and such, plus some watercolour/crayon experiments.

A drawing to show Dorian what a yeti trucker he looked like in his silly hat.

Knitting with 11 fingers.

Random things that were lying around while I worked open hours at Inkstorm.

And: I have a little comic in 'Don't Touch Me' Issue 19 which is launching at the Toronto Comic Jam on Tues, Feb 24 9pm-12am at The Cameron House, 408 Queen West, Spadina-Queen, Toronto.

"With comics by Dalton Sharp, Dave Lapp, Jason Marcy, Hugo, Jess Fink, Lonnie Allen, Cam Lee, Jason Marcy, Hartley Lin, Colleen MacIsaac, Dave Sherrill, Caanan Grall, Nick Maandag, Brian Brown, and many more."

Thanks to this kind dude for asking me to be a part of it!

comics of yore

2009-02-16T19:12:18Z

Old comics. This one was made for my first Halifax Zine Fair, and I have recently determined that it is totally out of print. Who knows when I will reprint it, so I figured I would put it up online in the meantime.

It's called 'Lucht Siuil', which is Old Irish for 'the walking people', a phrase used to describe travellers.

Coming up next: Crayons!

homemade bread is the best bread

2009-02-06T23:06:56Z

So, as documented in that hourly comic from earlier this week, I did some screenprinting over the weekend. This is part of my attempt to make a print a month (I am counting this one as January still since I designed it and coated the screen for it in January) and learn more about what makes a good print design along the way.

I wasn't really happy with these when I finished printing them, though they turned out better than the last prints I was unhappy with in December. The good thing is that I think I know what I would do differently next time -- I'm looking forward to the next one. Onward and upward!

This was also an attempt to use up more of my glow-in-the-dark ink, though that layer had some definite issues when printing and a lot of the details got lost on most of the prints. Oh well!

I did these on three colours of paper, postcard size. This was actually created with a screenprinted postcard exchange in mind, which was organized back in October when I went to a 3-colour print skillshare workshop, but which I had neglected to contribute to until now.

Since I have a bunch of them, I think I will take five and send them off to people in the mail -- leave a comment if you're interested!