PodCamp Toronto 2008 was just as fantastic as last year’s. I have a lot of things to write about however for now I want to direct your attention to an interview of me by John Meadows of his brilliant On The Log podcast (which looks into the future from a rear view mirror).

We talked about if using the computer to make art counts as art. Doesn’t the computer do the art for you? I love the name of this episode: The Pen is Mightier than the Plug-in?

John Meadows also presented “Stand Up and Breathe! Vocal Techniques for Podcasting ” at PodCamp Toronto 2008. The video archive of it should be available here soon.

I’ve uploaded the final set of progress photos of the paintings I’m working on. You’ll see them on my Flickr set called Paintings in Progress. The reddish one is complete (the one in the photo above). The blueish one will take a while. Check out the photos to see why.

It’s been a while since my last post so here’s a quickie featuring my latest uplaod to Flickr: a painting I’ll be occupying what’s left of my spare time. Like my Comic in Progress, which I posted last year, I’ll be posting photos of my progress.

Remember when I blogged about one of my Paris photos being shortlisted on Schmap? Well, I’m one of the winners! Now go buy those plane tickets and fly to Paris and check out L’Orangerie!

Kicking off my self-declared Year of Creativity is a list I reconstructed listing how using a pencil is better than a computer. “Reconstructed” because it’s a list I originally made for rec.arts.animation waaaaay back in the mid 90s when 9600 baud dial-up was all the rage.

The inside joke was really about hand drawn animation vs. computer and how people tend to think using a computer will make them artists.

Unfortunately, I’m not able to find my original post. Perhaps it was posted under a different animation group or maybe a forum. So without further ado, here is a new one. It isn’t exclusive to animation. Some, I admit, are a little cheesy.

1. A pencil will never crash.

2. A pencil doesn’t need electricity.

3. You will never get the blue screen of death with a pencil though you can always draw one.

4. For that matter, a pencil doesn’t run Windows.

5. Endless undo.

6. Spammers can’t reach you on your pencil.

7. You never have to worry about having to upgrade a pencil. Just buy a new one. They’re really, really cheap.

8. You never need to worry about software updates.

9. Ditto about security.

10. Pencils are user-friendly. Anyone of all ages and all levels of technical knowledge can use one.

11. Women can use pencils to put their hair up.

12. Pencils fit in your hand, on your ear, are portable and waterproof!

I leave items number 13 through 55 to you to submit :)

Happy New Year!

My last show recorded in 2007 is the first show for 2008. Best of all, it’s short!

It’s a quick drive on New Years’ Eve introducing The Year of Creativity. Something I made up to encourage me to really get off my butt and do lots of creative work. And my book! Remember way back in the earlier episodes when SpudCast was all about reporting on the progress of my comic book/graphic novel? Long story short, this podcast later morphed into talking about creativity when I realized I was making no progress after a few episodes.

I’ve decided it’s now or never. Be creative or not! Make 2008 the year of creativity!

I ask you:

How do you make yourself creative? What sparks creativity in you? What inspires you? Which creative works are you most proud of?

You tell me…

In a voice mail! Call +1-206-202-0463 (this is actually the number of my other podcast, Stuttering is Cool, until I get a new one for SpudCast). Or record an mp3 and email it to spudcast *at* gmail *dot) com.

SpudCast episode 17: The Year of Creativity 

Quite unexpectedly, I received an invite to Seesmic. Being the social media strategist I am, I signed up and took a look around. It’s fantastic! And I immediately came up with an idea for a show.

You see, I have a few paintings that didn’t turn out as I had expected (really, really ugly). But I never threw them out and I certainly didn’t hang them up on the wall as a grim reminder. So my first show is me showing 2 pieces that I’m not pleased with. One of them is downright frightful! :)

Normally, you only show your best work (like here). A site like Seesmic seems perfect for asking for opinions (I hope the comments won’t be too harsh!). Especially what to do with things like rating ugly, ugly art :)

My video is called What to do with bad paintings which I’ll probably call Chuck or Up Chuck if I have any future shows (um, not that I have that much bad art).

Episode number 12 is now up and it’s all about my passion for creativity. Innovative creativity. Being different creativity. Strategic creativity.  No matter what you call it, no matter the type, it’s all creative coolness.

And I’m excited to say that I’m changing the focus of my podcast to reflect this.

I also talk about pronouncing my name, my push for Facebook-like employee directories at work with photos, Nuit Blanche in Toronto aaaaaand I give you a challenge.

SpudCast #12 - Creativity and where to find it

Technorati Tags: creativity, social media, nuit blanche, Toronto, spud cast, podcast

Retro 50s and 60s animated television commercial character design has been popular for quite a number of years now. I first saw it when Ren & Stimpy premiered and the style is still in fashion today, like on Fairly Odd Parents and in many portfolios of illustrators featured on Drawn!.

Pascal Blanchet is an illustrator who pulls it off so well, in fact, that I could swear his work was actually done back in the 40s and 50s. It’s in the style of the 2-tone illustrations typical of 1940s and 50s jazz LPs. I also collect vinyl so this is why I can relate. And I also draw comics based on swing music (more on that in a future post).

This Québec artist was featured this week on CBC.ca’s Arts & Entertainment feature. His work is also shown in France.

I love the album artwork Pascal recreates for his personal collection of vintage jazz LPs. I learned from the CBC retrospective (no pun intended) that in all his books, he lists all the songs which had an influence during the making. What a great idea to give the reader has some additional insight into the artist.

Plus, it gives you a chance to discover new swing music.

I can’t wait to get my copy of his book, La fugue, which is printed on brown paper that resembles the same kind that was used to hold 78rpms.

There are 2 other reasons why I can’t wait to get this book (even though it was printed back in 2005 and I am late in finding out about it): I love swing music from the 1930s and 40s (the scratchier the better) which always gets me in a cartoony mood to draw; and the book was inspired by his grandparents’ love for jazz clubs back in the years after WW2. That’s a cool way to tell a story about an era.

Actually, there’s a 3rd: the cover is a 78. You have got to appreciate creative details like that. The brown paper, the record cover and the album-like illustrations all provide the mood of the swing era. Well, recorded music of the swing era.

His books are available on Amazon.ca and you can check out his work at pascalblanchet.ca.

Technorati Tags: Pascal Blanchet, illustration, swing, jazz, retro

On twitter today, community builder extraordinaire Chris Brogan asked everyone on his Twitter list to show off their screengrabs.  On an earlier post he asked artists to show off their desktop wallpaper designed by them.

Mr. Brogan, sir, the above his my desktop wallpaper desinged by me :) The cartoon character is named Franky Banky and he will be starring in my upcoming comic book which I have also begun podcasting about.

Technorati Tags: Chris Brogan, desktop wallpaper, twitter