My visit to Mackinnon and Saunders

As I mentioned in my last post, I met Ian Mackinnon of Mackinnon and Saunders at the Bradford animation festival which took place two weeks ago.

Ian very kindly invited me to come and have a look around the studio so that I might have an insight into the puppet making profession. It was a wonderful experience, Ian took me around each department and introduced me to some very talented individuals. These people are amazing! It was over whelming seeing the sheer amount of dedication and attention to detail. Many of the puppets and maquettes were familiar to me. As soon as I walked through the door I was came face to face with a life size model of the martian from Mars Attacks! 

I really enjoyed just being able to look around and chat with Ian and the other members of the team. Everyone was friendly and offered me words of wisdom! Having external feedback on my work always helps me focus on the key areas I need to concentrate on, so that I may continue to improve. Though I am really happy with some of the complimentary remarks I received.

My latest character "Frank"

This is the maquette Ian commented on saying that he liked that I had managed to make a simple character yet give it plenty of appeal and a strong form. He explained that often drawings and models can be made over complicated and detailed and mask the fact that underneath the form is off.

Again as I mentioned in my last post about Valerie Kausen (granddaughter of Chuck Jones) liking my quicker sketches. Ian said the same thing. He really liked the raw pencil lines in my life drawing sketches. He said that I should not be afraid to show more of my rougher sketches as I can draw and understand forms. This as you can imagine was a good confidence boost.

I know that I and many of my friends miss being at university, and this seems to be a common topic in recent blog posts. But even though I have left higher education I am still learning. Even in the few hours I spent at Mackinnon and Saunders I feel I have gained even more knowledge and experience that should inevitably help me on my journey to making my way into the animation industry.

Life and Animation related updates: Bradford animation festival... and I'm going to be an aunty

It has been a very busy and hectic time of late, hence why I have not posted anything in a while. In my ordinary everyday life I have had some good news and some not so good.
In October I lost my grandma to her terminal illness. She was such an inspiration, she taught me that you can do anything you set your mind to and enjoy the journey life takes you on. She was very supportive of my love of art and animation and she always encouraged me to go the distance. She will be missed very much.

Not to sound too cliché but as life goes on we are met with many ups and downs. On a happier note I am very excited to say that I am going to become an aunty for the first time, my brother Harry and his partner Rachel are due to have a baby in May!

My work and experiences are slowly growing, I have now sold a few more prints. Here is a piece commissioned for a lady at work. I was asked to sketch her niece and great nephew in the style of some of my more recent illustrations.

My commission for Lyn

And this is an addition to my portfolio for the Bradford animation festival.

BRADFORD ANIMATION FESTIVAL 2012

I attended the Bradford animation festival (BAF) last week with my old university chum Elodie Markwell. We enjoyed a brilliant few days at the festival going to many interesting talks and screenings. It was fantastic for me to be around animation lovers once again! It was a well needed break from office life. 

Elodie and I had chance to network with some wonderful people in the animation industry, some we had met before. Mr Ian Mackinnon from Mackinnon and Saunders, I had met Ian previously when I was a student at a networking event at Staffordshire university. When I was at the BAFestival I recognised him and was able to re-introduce myself. I was able to speak with him a couple of times during my time at the festival and was lucky enough to be invited by Ian to go and have a tour of the studio! I will be posting about my visit there next week.

Another familiar face for me was Mark Shapiro (above) from the US studio LAIKA, creators of Coraline and ParaNorman. 

I met Mark earlier this year at the FMX festival in Stuttgart, it was great to have the opportunity to attend his talk and speak with him again. Thankfully he remembered me and I was lucky enough to enjoy talking with him and Ian over a nice cold beer. They both gave me plenty of advice and useful tips on what I can do to try and break my way into the industry.

I also met Valerie Kausen (above), granddaughter to the legendary Chuck Jones, having grown up watching the old Warner bros cartoons I really enjoyed the talk she gave. It was really interesting and inspiring hearing about Chuck Jones from someone who was so close to him. 

Valerie and Mark were staying in the same hotel as Elodie and I so I was able to have drinks with them at the hotel bar. Valerie was kind enough to look though my portfolio and gave her personal comments on my work. I was over the moon when she made a comment on one of my life drawing pieces, saying that Chuck would have loved it. It was such a compliment and really lifted my confidence. 

Free wine at networking event: Drinkies in the Ladies loo Elodie!!

Happy to be at the festival in the cold!

So...To sum up, even after leaving university, being thrown into a full time job, having bills to pay and coping with the ups and downs of being in the adult world.... I am still just as motivated as ever before. I may not have reached my dream goal of working in the animation industry just yet, however I am learning to enjoy the journey!