The Flea and Junk

Drawing #1 - Series of Violent Mishaps

2009-03-03T21:27:00.002-05:00

Congratulations, Jacob!

2009-02-09T12:55:00.006-05:00

Ya douchebag. . . . . ;)

HEROINE! HOORAY!!!!!!!!!1111one

OH MY GOD! AN UPDATE!

2008-12-20T16:39:00.004-05:00

Holy crap! How long has it been since I updated this thing? Sheesh!

Well, I've been busy busy busy! Juggling between freelance jobs and a personal film that I'm in the process of boarding.

Man, I dunno what else to say that would sufficiently describe what I've been up to these past few months. I guess I'll just post some stuff in the meantime, and I'll follow up. Toodle-oo! :)

Guess who it is. . . .PART TWO

2008-08-04T22:58:00.005-04:00

Like the post below, I'll give anyone a dollar if they can guess who these 'tards are.

GUESS THIS UNDESERVING TARD!

Guess who it is. . . .

2008-08-03T20:52:00.003-04:00

No one comes to this site because I suck, but guess who this dolled-up monstrosity is and I'll give you a dollar.

I should really work on my caricaturing. . . . more to come soon.

Just one of those days. . . . .

2008-08-02T02:00:00.004-04:00

. . . . . . .feelin' kinda down and out. . . . . . .

Oh well!

Click Pleh, STOOPEHD! LOLZ

2008-07-28T17:14:00.001-04:00

Click play to see my newest and stupidest flash animation. Be gentle, I'm still learning. :)

[Upload your own video]

Flash ish phun!

2008-07-22T00:35:00.006-04:00

Haven't been able to find any work yet, so I've been messing around with flash.
Thanks to Jacob Ospa for all the helpful tips! ;)

Now here is mah duckeh. . .he's from my pitchbook. Kinda sorta based him off of Duckman, yes. . . . and hopefully I won't have to ever use those characters again. HA!

[Upload your own video]

Haven't Been Feeling Like Myself. . . .

2008-07-06T11:26:00.003-04:00

Been having a bad last few weeks. Lots of stuff going on. Kinda feel like I placed myself in a situation that I don't think I'll ever get out of and I think I embarrassed myself in front of a prominent figure in my field at a bar. Guess having no one to talk to (or not being given the permission to) kinda strains my emotions a bit.

Can't shake the feeling that people don't want me around or that I'm being conspired against. Still can't tell if it's all real or my imagination.

That, and I really miss my best friend. Haven't spoken in ages. :/

Man, life can sure suck sometimes.

Demo Reel!

2008-06-30T14:03:00.003-04:00

Finally managed to get my demo reel together. Yay!

Sketchbook Drawings

2008-06-21T21:28:00.006-04:00

Slowly but surely building up my portfolio. It isn't my best work, but I figured I'd post some of it so the 2 or 3 that visit can critique.

Portraits and backgrounds (very obviously) aren't something I'm particularly strong at. Help a girl out. :)

I wouldn't ask if I were you. . .

2008-06-19T19:09:00.003-04:00

No, I don't actually draw like this. However, using a mouse in MSPaint = Funny.

As the title above says, don't ask. I'm kinda crazy. ;)

Of course...

....on a more professional note, here's a screen shot of what a small personal project I'm doing in flash to get my reel complete.

Sorry for the silliness. :)

An Inspirational Blog by Joe Murray

2008-06-19T18:52:00.004-04:00

. . . .for anyone who is an artist,
for anyone who has suffered,
for anyone who has loved. . . .

for anyone. . .

It's blog posts like this one by Joe Murray that keep me uplifted despite negative things happening. We all have the power to stay positive and we all have the power to love. :)

http://joemurraystudio.com/blog/?p=135

Of course, don't check out just that post. Many of his other posts are condensed with wisdom . . . .and lots of amazing quotes from a variety influential people.

Uhm....What?

2008-06-09T02:52:00.003-04:00

The professor (Jacob Ospa's creation) is apparently being eaten by a cat. . . . . . . while he promotes Crayola red crayons. Mmm...delish.

Been workin' on my demo reel. . . .

2008-06-01T20:58:00.005-04:00

....doing lots of animating in flash too!
More to come soon. . . :)

Random Photoshop & Flash Sketches

2008-05-23T01:45:00.010-04:00

Well, I've been out of school for about a few weeks now. I graduated last Friday . . . . . . . so, what have I been doing? Aside from interning at Augenblick Studios (a studio that continues to feed me flash knowledge like a loving Italian mother who says "c'mon, eat s'more lasagna!" after I'm stuffed. Thanks! That's a major compliment, of course! ;D), I've been sketching like mad! What kinda stuff? Well, after that incredibly long run-on sentence held in the parenthesis above, does it matter? On with the show! :D

Here's a random duck I sketched in flash at Augenblick between assignments. I love their cintiqs!
Someone said he looked like "Duckman." Forgot who. . . .

I definitely wanna ink the pic above duck when I get the chance.

Here are some that I drew sporadically in Photoshop in only a few hours. Think I was watching Adult Swim. . . .or something. I used to enjoy drawing flash, but photoshop produces a nice line. Anyway, here's the insanity. Voila!:

I'm not even going to explain why I drew this. Hitler is fucking hilarious and I love LOLCats. No, I'm not a Hitler advocate (I'm half-Jewish) and speaking of Jewish . . . . I also drew my oddly shaped Jew nose (lookee! He's a lil' character), my eye (just randomly), two ducks doing it (because it's funneh. lolololol) and me eating a donut stating the phrase "EVERYBODY GET DOWN!!!" I spelled the phrase phonetically to capture that one scene in Andrew Falicon's film. . . .which is fucking hilarious.

Speaking of Thesis films. It was a wonderful experience going to SVA. Some experiences were better than others, but that's life, right? I really love how everyone came together to watch some rockin' awesome films. Congrats to Kat Morris, Danny Curtin and Rob Bohn on their Dusty Wins and of course, congrats to the nominees! Although I'm a little upset that some films didn't get nominated for at least some award, the films that were nominated and that did win were great choices. Still wish Ben Li was nominated or won something -- his film was gorgeous and I think everyone can agree to that. Hell, I wish we all could have won something. . . . all the films were great! I can't really think of any bad films. . . .except for "Kitty Chronic." That film sucked. I mean, a cat on pot...God, how many times....oh....that was my film. :I

Crap.

Just kidding. I'm proud despite the quality. :) It was a neat experience and I'd gladly do it again.

Anyway, everyone's films had a whole bunch of outstanding qualities to them. Class of 2008. We should all be really proud! Congrats, everyone!

Now to see the films from Pratt this coming Tuesday. This should be fun. ;)

HIGH SKOOOOOOOOOLLLLLL???!111?

2008-05-18T02:48:00.012-04:00

Oh my Christ. . . . drawings I did in high school (that I recently discovered on an old website that I hope will never see the light of day again). Not only am I embarrassed by the fact that I was a whiny, emo-esque, poseur metal-head goth (Whatever the fuck you wanna call em'), but my artwork was just....heh...shitty. If I could go back in time, I'd beat myself for no only wearing shitty ass clothing, but for wearing boots incapable of walking in and for wearing make up that made my face look even more horrid than it already was.

Needless to say, Poynter would bash my face against a wall if he ever saw these. . .

But y'know, it's funny. I'm almost kinda glad that this unmentionable website is still up. I had lost most of my old artwork and to find the majority of it still on here is just. . . . . .well. . . . . cool! Going to SVA has definitely honed my skills to say the least. Of course, that's an incredible understatement. I mean, my god, look at this crap. . . .

I just can't myself. . .

2008-05-12T01:22:00.002-04:00

More insane drawings. These have become more fun than anything. :)

I can haz sleep, plz?

2008-05-11T04:11:00.001-04:00

I'M NOT TIRED!!! WEEEE!!!

More insanity!

2008-05-10T14:29:00.001-04:00

I'll stop with the depressing emo posts after this. . .
I promise! Thankfully, I'm starting to calm down.

Insomnia! Yay!

2008-05-10T05:23:00.003-04:00

Slept for an hour at about 11 or 12 and woke back up. . . . . it's 5:23 A.M. Booo...

Can't sleep. . . .falling apart. . . blahblahblahblahblah...bleepbleepbleepbleepboop.

Alright, I think I should relax.

Kitty Chronic!

2008-05-08T01:20:00.004-04:00

Come to the Animation Sidebar tomorrow! Brought to you by the School of Visual Arts, you can check out my film as well as an array of other excellent films. Of course, when I say excellent films, I don't mean mine.

The School of Visual Arts Animation Sidebar will be held at:
333 West 23 Street
New York, NY 10010

It all begins at 7:00 p.m. and it ends at approximately 11:00p.m. So (if you dare) come watch your eyes bleed at my film. :)

Now for your viewing pleasure (or displeasure...you make the choice), here's my film Kitty Chronic!

Thesis Advised by Donald Poyter
Music by Darien Shulman (check out darienshulman.com)

Panic Disorder

2008-05-04T18:15:00.006-04:00

Living with Panic Disorder is difficult. Here's sketch I've currently been working on in flash pertaining, obviously, to anxiety.

Welp. . . back to my papers.

Kitty Chronic! - My Thesis Film

2008-04-24T22:25:00.003-04:00

So, I managed to get my thesis film done by the Wednesday deadline! Holy crap! It's a freakin' miracle!

Now, It's not a perfect film (not by a long shot), but it's still my baby and I'll give it all the love it deserves. . .. which is a lot! It may not be as beautiful or cleaned up (it's a little dirty, actually) as some of the others, but when I look at this film and my film (utilizing the same characters) from my 2nd year at SVA (which, by the way, I never finished), I can't help but feel a great sense of pride. The quality of animation has grown so much since Freshman year and I think everyone in my class can say the same!

Choosing Don Poynter as my advisor was the best decision I ever made in school. Originally, I had planned on having a different advisor (who just so happens to be one of the best teachers at SVA), but my layouts SUCKED! The help with compositing and clean up would have been fantastic with the other advisor (and in this case -- I probably COULD have used it), but it was frustrating that I couldn't draw a couch properly. . . or a chair....a tv....a bookcase...the list goes on! I NEEDED help with composition and layout so badly that it was painful. I learned a whole lot about After Effects and and Photoshop from both Eric Eiser and Candy Kugel -- both were EXTREMELY helpful. What I needed was someone who could teach me, not so much how to draw, but to DESIGN. In other words, I wanted my message to get across clearly. . . .and it did! All of Don's advice helped me to create something that I never thought would be possible.

As I mentioned before, it's not a perfect film. In fact, I still have a lot of learning to do. However, I'm satisfied with the results.

Anyhoo, Here's a few screen shots. I'll post the film after the screenings:

Strength . . .

2008-04-12T17:35:00.003-04:00

Strength is an unusual term because there are many way to define the term. One can be emotionally strong, physically strong, intellectually strong, have a strengthened knack for diplomacy, etc. etc. etc. These are a few of the cases that I have seen and the list can go on forever.

How the strength is possessed is another story. I never thought (until recently) that it would be possible to find strength in yourself, from ones that are weak and near helpless. I have observed that with time, people don't gain strength from those who are already self-actualized or "tough as nails." Looking at those who are weak, we are consistently reminded of many things. It can be as simple of a generalization as: look at how much they've sacrificed for me, or I'm going to do my best to grow in ORDER to take care of this person. Even more interesting is how, often times, when I look at the weak, I find myself knowing what NOT to do. For example, if I observe a person with a deteriorating body that has been (with time) self-inflicted, I know what to do to avoid such things. I know not to smoke, and I have learned to take good care of my body to the best of my ability. Although I have much growing up to do in terms of my emotions, my attempts at keeping a positive atmosphere only help in the process of my growth.

The person I hold closest to my heart is in this crazy disposition. This person never took care of them self and consistently ignored every word from many of this person's loved ones. Whether it was to stop smoking or eat healthier (that person was a diabetic), they didn't listen and as time passed (up until this point), this person is now in critical condition. Not getting any better and not getting worse, this person has been in limbo for days on end. Going back to strength, of course, I have learned many things from this very situation. Holding onto this person's hand with tears in my eyes, I learned that I had obtained strength by learning to do the opposite of what this one individual did. Normally, only one aspect of strength is gained, but I almost feel as though I'm gaining more strength now than I ever thought I possibly could. Not only have I learned to do the opposite of what they did, I found myself growing up 5 whole years in a matter of minutes as I realized that I would soon be an adult and this person....my mother...won't be my provider forever. I'm unsure of where my mother is at or where she will be, but as I await my graduation, I often wonder if this was meant to happen.

I'm a highly skeptical person, but in my own mind, maybe this is God's way of saying "grow up, it's time to continue on the legacy your mother passed to you." Although I am saddened that my mother is in the hospital, I almost think of this as a positive thing (at least, I'm trying to). For all I know, my mother may come out of this funk and she'll be able to see my film and come to my graduation -- that would fill me with an inexplicable euphoria. However, if that does not happen, I have made a promise to make her proud . . . . . . . .

. . . because she sacrificed every bit of her strength for me.

Within my mother's weakness (and strengthened sacrifice ), I have become a stronger individual. I owe everything to her by showing her that I can be different and happy. For the first time in my life, I have looked in the mirror and have seen a beautiful woman --- not a insecure little girl (though I still harbor some insecurities). There is no sense in crying over spilled milk because my belief is that you create your own destiny. There may be something up there in the sky assisting us (who knows? no one does!), but every little choice that we make leads us into the path we must follow.

I will now work on my film.
I will get it done.
I will graduate.
and with a little luck and arduous looking....

I will find work.

I WILL make you proud, mom.