Painting for Kit and Ace

The first time I heard of Kit and Ace was when I received a email from the store manager, Sarah Hutchings, asking if I would be interested in doing a commission for the store opening in YYC.  Knowing virtually nothing about the company, I hit up google for some answers and was immediately impressed by the classic, cool style of the brand.  Then after meeting with Sarah face to face and hearing a bit more about the project and the company’s vision I got a little more excited!  It was so cool to be working with a company whose vision is so fresh and out-of-the-box!

So, began the Kit and Ace painting journey.  (In case you’re wondering, Kit and Ace is the relative of Lululemon.  The founder's wife and son, Shannon and JJ Wilson, began this company that specializes in technical cashmere t-shirts...and other soft and cuddly products. ) 

A little glimpse into my process.....The top image is a crude version of the shapes and composition that I visualized - this is me just getting what's in my head out on the paper.  The middle image is a "frankenstein-ed" drawing of what the finished piece will look like.  I rely heavily on the sketch. At this stage, what you see is basically what you get, minus the color and paint.  Finally, the photo above gives you an idea of what the staging was like. I take many many pictures before choosing the best pose for each character.

Kit and Ace was kind enough to basically give me free reign on the concept and content of the piece.  The initial idea came to me one night while in my studio, and was inadvertently influenced by Wes Anderson, since I had recently fallen in love with his film the Grand Budapest Hotel and was on a serious WA kick.  The concept was intended to capture the nostalgia of free-spirited, childhood innocence, while growing up in a time of political and cultural incorrectness....The excitement of summertime camps and playing cowboys and Indians...this was the vibe I was going for.   If you look at the original sketch you'll see the camp leader wearing a First Nations headdress.  After a lot of discussion back and forth with Sarah and a friend closely linked to the aboriginal culture, I decided to remove it.  At the time there had been a lot of controversy floating around about the misappropriation of aboriginal symbols in pop culture, and although art is a great vehicle for social commentary, there is a time and place for everything, and this wasn't it.  So, off came the headdress.

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At the time, I definitely had an internal fight with what to do with the empty space behind and around the camp leaders' head.  The headdress carried a lot of visual weight on the left side of the painting and I was disheartened about having to employ a non-existant "plan B".   For the life of me I couldn’t find a satisfying solution that wouldn't be a complete afterthought!  But lo and behold I found a solution, and the solution ended up being the moon.  Pretty magical stuff, if you ask me. :)  

I've decided that it is completely vain to be lovey-dovey with your own art like I am with this piece, but I just can't help myself.  I love this painting not because of the aesthetics, but because it represents the sheer delight of being fully immersed in the creative process and seeing something through to the very end.

On a side note, my 5-year old was as excited about this painting as I was.  He wanted to be a part of the process too, so he did his own version of the painting. That long-necked, wild-haired figure on the left is me, and in my lap is him, all cute and tiny.  (He got my hair to head-size ratio correct). The red image at the top says "NO GHOSTS".....as in ghostbusters.  Because you can't have ghosts hanging around the campfire, people.   I'm also pretty sure that those black things coming out of the fire resembling 5, 39 and 10, are supposed to be marshmallows roasting on a stick.  Well, either that or they are the numbers 5, 39, and 10 and represent our respective ages, which is also very possible.  Exploding sparklers for a birthday cake perhaps??  It shall remain a mystery. :)

The final piece below, and a few images from the Kit + Ace grand opening....

Thanks for reading!

I Heart The Grand Budapest Hotel

Over the past weekend I saw Wes Anderson's latest film, the Grand Budapest Hotel.  Before I proceed, let me preface by saying that I don't normally watch a movie and then feel the need to go and blog about it.  I love watching films, but I usually find the goods ones to be no more, no less than a really great piece of storytelling, peppered with attractive faces, hot bods, and cool cinematography.  But this film, for whatever reason, did a complete number on me.

I was pretty much giddy through the entire duration. 

I adore Wes Anderson.

I adore his work.  I think of him as one of the most prolific, creative artists of our century.  Notice how I didn't say: prolific, creative filmmakers.  Nope.  I said artists.  In fact, I've plonked him in the category of "All Great Artists", among the Rembrandts, Carravaggios, Boteros, and de Koonings of our world. "How bold!", you might say.....how does this 40 something Texan, deserve such a place in the Grand Artistic Hall of Fame?  Oh, methinks he deserves it.  I'm not professing to be an expert by any means, but my experience and education make me feel competent enough to back this statement up if I needed to, and this blogpost is an attempt to do just that.

First of all, what makes a great artist?  No doubt a tough question to answer, but after some thought this is what I came up with.  A great artist is:

• Someone who breaks new ground and goes against the tide.  (Wes Anderson? Check.)  Among all the Ron Howards, Scorseses, Spielbergs and Tarantinos, comes a voice that is uniquely its own.  The story, the telling of the story, the look, the feel, the design of the film - all of it is so very, definitely, Wes Anderson.

• Someone who enables us to transform our perception.  (Check.)  Just watch the movie if you don't believe me.

• Someone who creates an unforgettable experience.  (Check.)  Again, watch the movie.

• Someone who sparks curiosity and inspiration within us.  (Check.)  I'm talking about the kind of inspiration that changes the way you think....the kind that makes you itch to create something matched in its beauty and inspiration.  Personally, I haven't felt this level of inspiration from a work of art in, well, forever.  Now, that's inspiration!

• Someone who takes the magical and makes it tangible.  (Check.)  A genius artist is someone who tirelessly, diligently, habitually, works on his craft to make the vision in his head a tangible reality.  Just imagine how painstakingly he plans and executes every shot.  It kinda makes my head spin.

• Someone who has a great story to tell, and tells it with style and panache. (Check, check and check)

• Someone who can provoke strong emotions.  (Check.)  Did I mention that I came out of the movie crying? 

Do you know how you can tell if a movie is great?  It's during those inflight moments when a movie is playing on the airplane and you don't have your earphones handy.  If the movie inspires you to scramble to get them or settle for watching the entire thing without sound - I think it's a pretty good guess that it's a great one.  If that movie is playing without sound...and you'd rather keep reading your Kobo or take a nap - it's safe to say that you're not being captivated enough to want to watch.  Imagine for a second, watching TGBH with the sound off.  I'm guessing there would be a mad scramble for those earphones.  I'm also willing to bet that a soundless version would be pretty darn lovely, regardless.  Every shot is a masterful feast for the eyes, brilliantly composed, much like how an artist composes a painting.

So why do I feel such passion about his latest?  Quite simply, because I walked out of the film utterly moved and inspired....by the color, the design, the artistry, the brilliance, the story.  I could go on about this, but everyone's busy these days.....so instead I came up with a top ten list.

TGBH TOP TEN LIST

(why I think this movie rocked)

 

1. Every shot was eye candy. 

First and foremost.  I'm a visual person, so when things appeal to my eye it tends to put me into a very happy state of wonder.  There was nothing out of place in this film.  There was nothing that should not have been there,  or that "oh well!" happened to end up in the shot.  Everything was meticulously considered and placed. 

When you look at the shots above,  it becomes obvious just how meticulous Wes Anderson can be with each detail.  Right down to the color; the angle, pose and proximity of the figures and their placement based on height; the lighting; the prop styling, etc.  All things are considered.

2. The Story

He's an incredible story teller.  And the best thing about his stories is that they masquerade as being simple.  There are emotionally charged undercurrents to each of his films.  And any content which is edgy, macabre, or emotionally heavy, is disguised with whimsy.  (Might I remind one of the missing fingers??) This film, was by far the most moving and touching yet.  I did mention I cried, right?

3. Nostalgia

So, I've never been to the Grand Budapest Hotel.  No one has.  I've also never lived in the 1930s.  But there's something inexplicably nostalgic about this film.  Perhaps it's the 1970s bright orange and green decor, which reminded me of department store shopping with my mom.  Or, perhaps it's the miniature sets that have a Sound of Music-type, dollhouse, feel to them.  Somehow, the feel of the place and the story, both evoke a sense of nostalgia that's hard to logicise.  (Remember the closet full of games in the Royal Tennenbaums?  Anyone who grew up in the 70s or 80s knows exactly what I'm talking about. )

4. The Cast

Ralph Fiennes, Jeff Goldblum, Adrien Brody, Jason Schwartzman, Jude Law, Tilda Swinton, Ed Norton, Bill Murray, Willem Dafoe, Harvey Keitel, Owen Wilson, F. Murray Abraham (OMG...Salieri!), etc.

Need I say more?

5. The Faces

Not since Fellini, has there been a cast of characters so unconventional in their beauty.  It's an understatement to say that Wes Anderson doesn't go for the conventional, 'Hollywood' ideal of perfection.  He spins 180 from there.  In fact, I think it's safe to say that he deliberately seeks the quirky, odd, and unique.  I adore the refreshing quality of this.  Each face is of it's own unique design, much like the film itself.

6. The Moustaches

Okay hipsters, you ain't got nothing on these bad boys!  The plethora of moustaches in this film were modeled after real, pre-WWII European style moustaches of the time, and then of course 'twisted' (pardon the pun) by the savvy of a hair and makeup artist, who's main job during production was to keep them waxed, preened, conditioned, and in check.  So, who had the best moustache out of all of them??  I'd say it was this guy....

7. Someone in the film is named Zero.

8. Gustave H.

The character played by Ralph Fiennes, is a lovely man, filled with grace, composure, kindness, and politesse. And in the face of life's disturbances, he still remains gracefully, lovely.

9. Jason Schwartzman's hair

10.  The Grand Design

This is the main reason why I think of him as one of the greats.  Sure, his shots can seem somewhat formulaic, compositionally speaking - he likes what he likes, he knows what works, and he consistently sticks with it.  But isn't it genius regardless?   How many filmmakers use design in the way that he does, unfettered in it's consistency, rich in it's style and design?  Few.  In this film, each frame is a work of art that would translate beautifully, framed on a living room wall.

While writing this post, I had an idea.  Someone, somewhere, needs to open a Wes Anderson  - themed hotel.  Just like how Johnathan Adler designed the Parker in Palm Springs, the world needs Wes Anderson to design a hotel.  Any takers??  Just credit me with a discount. :)

I'll leave you with this piece of yumminess. The recipe and directions on how to make those cute little Mendel's cakes.  Soon on the do to list will be making these bad boys.  Stay tuned to see how that goes.  OK....how many filmmakers actually include recipes in their repertoire????  Just saying.

And now, I've got to put this great inspiration to use.  Off to the studio!