End of March, Final de Marzo

©2011. GatoFlores, MujerDurazno, ArbolesOjos.
Some other drawings made while thinking of rhythm.
Otros dibujos realizados pensando en ritmo.

Almas Santas Almas Pacientes

©2006. VacaReja, TumbaTortuga, CruzLibélula, AlmasCementerio, AlmasBosque
These sketches and frames were done as part of a background design back in 2006 for Cecilia Traslaviña's whimsical and outstanding experimental animation: Almas Santas Almas Pacientes. I worked on transforming the graveyard into a forest, digitally, frame by frame on photoshop. It was hard work but I really enjoyed the process, learned a lot and felt blessed with the opportunity :)

Estos bocetos y cuadros son parte del desarrollo conceptual para un diseño de fondos en el 2006, como parte de la animación experimental Almas Santas Almas Pacientes de Cecilia Traslaviña. Mi trabajo consistió en transformar digitalmente, cuadro a cuadro en photoshop, el cementerio en un bosque. Disfruté muchísimo el proceso, aprendí cantidades y me siento muy afortunada por haber tenido esta experiencia :)

Here I share with you these very interesting links:
Aquí les comparto estos links fantásticos:
Almas Santas Almas Pacientes (2007)
Colombian Avant-Garde Animation
Moebius Animación

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Notes from Shaun Tan's Essay on Originality and Creativity

Mentoring and teaching art students has been a wonderful experience for me! I find myself learning so much from them! I've not only learned about techniques, composition, colour theory or concept development, but also about creativity! In every meeting I confirm that an art class is a place for self-expression, to feel free to create without judgment, and to explore one's curiosity about art and life. There's no room for perfection in art practice... only for experimentation :)

And so, this reflection reminded me of Shaun Tan, one of the artists I most admire, and of his generous way of giving advice to emerging visual-storytellers like me. Here are some quotations taken from his essay on Originality and Creativity:

My own experience is that inspiration has more to do with careful research and looking for a challenge; and that creativity is about playing with what I find, testing one proposition against another and seeing how things combine and react.

Often the most interesting stories are the ones which tell us things that we already know but haven’t yet articulated in our minds. Or more precisely, they encourage us to look at familiar things in different ways, as if to remind us of their true meaning; the way we live, the things we encounter, the way we think and so on.

I realised that what I had to do was to extend the metaphorical logic of the text even further, and introduce more unexpected ideas to build a parallel story of my own. Not an illustration of the text, but something to react with it symbiotically.

I’m often thinking of different things I’ve read, or particular words, while I draw and paint which best express the particular poetry of colour, line and form I am after.

For me, that’s what creativity is - playing with found objects, reconstructing things that already exist, transforming ideas or stories I already know. It’s not about the colonisation of new territory, it’s about exploring inwards, examining your existing presumptions, squinting at the archive of experience from new angles, and hoping for some sort of revelation. What really matters is whether we as readers continue to think about the things we have read and seen long after the final page is turned.

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On March 11, an 8.9 earthquake struck off the northeast coast of Japan near the city of Sendai. It is the most powerful earthquake they ever experienced. Artists Help Japan Earthquake & Tsunami Fund is responding to the immediate needs of survivors as well as short-term to long-term recovery projects undertaken by the affected communities.Artists Help Japan

and My Sister ...last stages

©2008. The Dog (My Sister series)
And this is how it got to the final image! It was exhibited together with other 11 images at the Adelaide Town Hall for the SALA Festival in 2008, at the Nexus Gallery in 2009, and at the Wild at Art Studio in 2010. I was trying to bring to the space the atmosphere of a bed-time story (a story that needs active interpretation).

Y así es como se llegó a la imagen final! El grupo de 12 pinturas que conforman el libro-álbum fueron expuestas en el Adelaide Town Hall para el SALA Festival (2008), en la galería Nexus (2009), y en el Wild at Art Studio (2010). Con esto quería invitar a la audiencia a sentirse en medio de una atmósfera tibia de lectura nocturna, mientras intentaban activamente interpretar el mensaje del libro, y como yo trabajo en el Town Hall, pude ver de cerca sus reacciones! Fue una experiencia increíble :)

My Sister ...first stages

©2008. The Dog (My Sister series)
These photographs show the painting process for the first image of my picture book MY SISTER. The painting is 60 x 80 cm and was made using acrylics on wooden canvas. It took me between 9 and 12 hours to complete without mentioning the time spent on the conceptual development! I find that painting, as any other art technique, is a conversation between the artist and the artwork, and even though the final image does not look like the one I had in mind before starting, thanks to this conversation, this image is soooo much better!!! I really enjoyed working on it! :)

Estas fotografías muestran el proceso de creación de la primera imagen del libro-álbum MI HERMANA. La pintura mide 60 x 80 cm y la hice usando acrílicos sobre madera. En total me demoré entre 9 y 12 horas para completarla, eso sin mencionar el tiempo empleado en el desarrollo conceptual! Y es que pintar, como cualquier otro medio de expresión, es una conversación entre el artista y su obra, y aunque el resultado de esta imagen en particular no se parece al que tenía en mente antes de comenzar, es muuuchooo mejor gracias a esta conversación!!! Disfruté muchísimo y no me importan las canas que vinieron con el proceso! :)

Mi jardinero favorito

©2011. Jardinero
Thinking of a beautiful man that has been planting trees all his life... Real and metaphoric trees.
He's currently taking care of hundreds of little trees so they can grow strong and healthy in a public place at the north of Bogotá (Colombia). A future forest in the middle of the city to bring back the birds and awaken the ankles of the mountains.

Pensando en un hombre hermoso que ha plantado árboles toda su vida.... Árboles reales y metafóricos.
En este momento este jardinero está cuidando cientos de árboles para que crezcan fuertes y sanos en un lugár público al norte de Bogotá. Poco a poco va germinando un bosque del futuro para traer de vuelta a los pájaros y despertarle los tobillos a las montañas.

Adelaide Chamber Orquestra.

©2011. Músicos.
Mientras escuchaba... John Adams' SHAKER LOOPS... Increíble.
While listening to John Adams' SHAKER LOOPS.... Amazing!
"The title alludes to the American religious sect known as the Shakers, whose worship ceremonies flirted with wild states of consciousness; in the composer's words, Shaker Loops evokes an: ecstatic frenzy of a dance that culminated in an epiphahy of physical and spiritual transcendence." - ACO Program 2011 National Concert Season.

Indiferencia

©2011. Indiferencia.

At the Adelaide Town Hall

©2011. Esperando en el Town Hall a blanco y negro, color.
While waiting for my shift to start.
Mientras esperaba a que comenzara mi turno de trabajo.

Primer día de clase... y Cecilias!

©2011. Primer día de clase, Cecilia.
On our way to Uni, Carlos and I found a group of beautiful pinkish cockatoos (Galah) with white head. They reminded us of Cecilia, Carlos' great aunt... and so, that's how we named them :)
Camino a la universidad vimos un grupo gigante de cacatuas rosaditas con cabeza blanca (Galah). Nos acuerdan mucho de Cecilia, la tía-abuela de Carlitos y desde que encontramos el parecido las llamamos así.

Esperando el bus!!

©2011. Esperando el bus.
While waiting for a 40min late bus!!!
Mientras espearaba un bus que llegó 40min tarde!!!

Pink city

©2011. Cudad a blanco y negro, Ciudad a color.
A quick sketch from the bus going south in Victoria Square. I used a monochromatic tonal study to create perspective.
Un boceto rápido desde el bus. Usé varias tonalidades del mismo color para añadir perspectiva atmosférica.

Tadi, de Etiopia

©2011. Tadi de Etiopia, Señora.
A drawing of a very nice guy I met on the bus; and another one of a lady that wants to be animated.
Un dibujo de Tadi, que conocí en el bus; y otro de una señora que tiene ganas de ser animada.