Shaolan Hsueh, Chineasy, Kickstarter@Robert Leslie 2013

Scribble Town (ST): Here with us on the Scribble Blog is ShaoLan Hseuh! ShaoLan’s creativity and energy to build Chineasy is extraordinary.  Let’s hear her story!

ShaoLan Hseuh (SH): Hi, my name is ShaoLan Hseuh and I am an entrepreneur, investor, writer, traveler and dreamer! I am also the creator and founder of Chineasy, a Chinese language methodology that will help you learn to read what many consider to be one of the hardest languages in the world to learn! Chinese!

ST: Where are you and what are you up to these days?  What does a day with ShaoLan look like?

SH: At the moment every living breathing moment is spent either working on Chineasy or with my family. With Chineasy’s Kickstarter campaign now over (having successfully raised nearly £200,000) I am now working on the hard part – fulfilling the delivery of all of the gifts I promised!

A day with me: I am a very early riser (you have to be or there just isn’t enough time in the day!), I am very into exercise and eating well and if I am not weight lifting or drinking chilled green tea then I am either with the members of my Chineasy team of my children – when they aren’t at school of course!

Chineasy Mountain

ST: What is Chineasy?  How did the idea for this new endeavor begin, which is so different from your past experiences?

SH: The Chinese language has long been considered the most difficult major language to learn, largely on account of the vast number and complexity of its characters. Being a Taiwanese native now living in London, this is a fact I am acutely aware of. When I began to teach my British born children Chinese, I realized just how difficult Chinese characters are for a native English speaker to learn. It was like torture for my kids! So I spent many years looking for a fun and easy way to teach them how to read Chinese. After years of searching, I realized that none of the methods out there were engaging or efficient enough. So I created my own!

Chineasy’s goal is to allow people to learn to read Chinese easily by recognizing characters through simple illustrations, but also to bridge the gap between East and West. As the best way to understand a culture is to start with its language.

Chineasy works on a simple building block principal. When you know a few key base characters (or building blocks) you can start combining them to create more complex words (compounds) which, when combined, allow you to create simple phrases and stories. It’s that easy!

Chineasy Mouth

ST: From what I have read online, you wear many hats and have accomplished so much across many fields.  Please let us know about this adventure you are on. How did you go from Taiwan to London?

SH: It was a very long adventure and it is one I still haven’t finished! As I child I was raised by two very artistic parents and, like most children, chose to study something as far removed from my parent’s interests as possible! As an MBA student in Taiwan I published a series of best selling software books, which were awarded ‘book of the year’. Using the royalties earned from their sale I founded my first software venture pAsia in 1995, which I grew from a team of 2 to a team of 250 by 2001. After moving to London in 2002, I began investing in and advising young technology companies through Caravel Capital, which I founded whilst studying at the University of Cambridge. Following a sabbatical in which I traveled the world I came back to London and decided to try my hand at something new. Today, I am still highly active in assisting young businesses, but I have also expanded to the mentoring and support of education, arts and culture (I am on the Business Advisory Council of Business School in Oxford University and Development Advisory Board of Victoria and Albert Museum). As a social venture, Chineasy is the culmination of both my entrepreneurial experience and my artistic childhood.

Chineasy Fire

ST: Was there somebody that encouraged you to be creative and business savvy?  Also, how do you collaborate with the designers of Chineasy?

SH: Although everyone could be creative, having right environment is crucial. Everyone could be ‘trained’ being a savvy business person, but having good intuitive and constructive environment certainly helps. I happened to grow up in an artist family and loving arts throughout my life. I was also lucky enough to work with world class business leaders and global thought leaders. I am inspired by many people through out my journey. Many of them became my life long friends and consistently encouraged me to be ‘myself’. Being yourself and knowing what your ‘calling’ is helps you to have the vision beyond what people normally see in their ‘career’.

Originally I planed for Chineasy to be a purely personal project for my children and friends, but when I was invited to talk at TED, I started asking several illustrators to implement my creation. One day I chatted my friend Crispin Jameson, who is the director of an agency in London called Brave New World [BNW] and he recommended Noma Bar. This was how I started working with various parties in addition to Chineasy team.

ST: When you develop an illustration what is your creative process like?  What is your process for getting work out of your head and what are some favorite tools you like to use to create?  I especially love your color choices and the relationship between the image and character is so clear!  I wish I had these when I was learning Mandarin!

Chineasy Tree

SH: The truth is it is a long and thought out process, these illustrations are much more than pretty pictures – as our three designers will tell you! Each character we create has to follow the same three guidelines: 
they have to look stunning, be stylistically consistent with what we 
have produced before and, most importantly, they have to be 
educationally effective.

Traditionally ancient Chinese was mainly Pictographic (the symbols were drawings of what they represented) yet over the past thousands of years, many of those pictographs have morphed into very different shapes from their original forms. Instead of trying to reproduce all of the historical links I use a totally refreshing approach to interoperate pictographs, as our illustrations have to be something westerners can associate therefore easier for them to remember.

Chineasy Character Development

Before we even start designing our team (which is made up primarily of myself, my two in-house designers, my project manager & research assistant) researches the definition, 
origin and history of the character. We then move on to the applications (for example, how to build more characters and phrases) and finally 
we consider how to make stories out of them. After this research our designers create their different interpretations 
of the character. We always have several versions and numerous drawings for each. Between us we then discuss, debate and bounce 
ideas back and forth. When we come across a challenge (which happens with nearly all of them), we discuss, sleep on it and play around with different combinations of colours, or designs.

Chineasy Sun

Finally, whenever a new illustration is created, I show them to my children. If they can guess the answer immediately, I know we’ve got it right. If they struggle, we go back to the studio and do it all over again

ST: When you create a new Chineasy illustration do you take into consideration not only symbolic representations in Chinese characters, but also tonal sounds?

SH: Chineasy was started as a tool to teach my children how to read Chinese, not to speak, and so the illustrations are meant to act as a memory tool in literature not for sound. I am plotting a new method to teach people how to speak, which will be my primary project next Watch this space, soon I will be able to teach you to speak as well as write.

ST: What are some other hobbies or interests you like?

SH: Unsurprisingly, for someone who has done so many different things, I have a lot of hobbies! I like to keep busy and I believe that health is incredibly important! I spend a lot of time doing sports: skiing, swimming, weights, rock climbing. I love music and performing arts. This summer I did some painting class with my children. I would also love to teach them how to do calligraphy one day, just like the way my mother taught me. Everything. I am also very interested in Eastern medicine and spent some times studying acupuncture (that’s when you use needles to cure ailments, you can end up looking like a pin cushion). I am also a very big traveller and believe that you should experience the world through your own eyes if you can – not through foreign press

Chineasy Moon

ST: How can we start using Chineasy?

SH: Its easy to become a Chineasy user. At the moment I update a Chineasy facebook page daily and already have a thriving community who seem to pick up every character I teach – it is very heartening!  I also have a website (chineasy.org) which anyone can access free of charge, as well as my newsletter which goes out to the community once a week! Now that our Kickstarter campaign has been successful I am also happy to announce that I will be having a beautiful, and educational, book published in Janurary 2014. This book will be available in both e and print formats. We are also going to produce loads of learning tools, such as flashcards and computer screensavers!

Chineasy is a gateway into the language, it is meant to help people who wish to learn, but who have always been thrown by the languages complexity. My children have learned at least 300 characters using this method and that is without vigorous lessons.

ST: I’m ready to start learning Chinese with Chineasy! Thanks ShaoLan! http://www.chineasy.org

Chineasy Person

Chineasy Door

Scribble Town (ST): Drum roll, bird tweets, and a big round of applause for Rabbit Days and Dumplings, Elena Moon Park’s new music album! It’s an “all-ages folk and children’s music from East Asia”. I can’t wait to hear all about it!

Photo of Elena Moon Park by Gala Narezo (http://galanarezo.com)

Elena Moon Park (EMP): Hi all! I’m Elena Moon Park, and I’m a musician living and working in Brooklyn, NY.  I grew up in the hills of East Tennessee, then lived and went to school near Chicago for a few years before moving to Brooklyn.  Upon moving to NYC, I began freelancing as a musician around the city, and since 2007 I’ve been playing music for families.

ST: Every life has its own special beat and story! How is the tune now- where are you and what are you up to these days?

EMP: These days I live in Brooklyn, NY, where I work with an organization called Bang on a Can’s Found Sound Nation and play music on a variety of instruments.  For the last eight years, I have been playing fiddle and trumpet with the Brooklyn-based family music band Dan Zanes and Friends (DZAF).  I traveled across America and around the world playing music for families with DZAF, meeting many parents and children of all ages, and I quickly realized that there is a lack of music from Asia in the US-based family music world.  Two years ago, I decided to make my own album for families, featuring folk and children’s music from East Asia, and this resulted in Rabbit Days and Dumplings, released in September 2012.

Rabbit Days and Dumplings CD cover. Artwork by Kristiana Parn (http://kristianaparn.com)

ST: That’s great!  We can already mark are calendars for your next show at the Lincoln Center in NYC for Saturday, July 27 at 12pm.  I’m still curious as to how it all began with you.  When did you start creating music and was there somebody that encouraged you?

EMP: I started learning how to play the violin when I was around 5 years old.  When I was young, my parents strongly encouraged me to play music, and I am eternally grateful for that!  Sometimes it was hard to practice when I was growing up – there were many other things I wanted to do! – but my parents convinced me to stick with it, at least until I went to college.  After college, I continued to be inspired by many, many fun and adventurous musicians, especially when I moved to NYC and decided to learn more instruments.

Young Elena (find pictures of musicians as very young people in the liner notes!) http://rabbitdays.com/

ST:  Like what – which instruments do you play?  I have a feeling the list will go on and amaze us all

EMP: Besides the violin, I play mandolin, trumpet, ukulele, jarana (Mexican guitar), spoons, and I just started learning how to play the musical saw.  I liked the mandolin immediately because it is tuned just like a violin, and I think the sound is lively and beautiful.  I played French horn in high school band, and I always enjoyed playing a brass instrument, so I picked up a trumpet.  The ukulele, jarana, spoons, and musical saw are all discoveries through playing family music.

Soran Bushi in Rabbit Days and Dumplings (http://rabbitdays.com)

ST:  From horns to strings you are creating a melodic soundtrack to your foot steps. And for us too!  Is there a particular place or environment you find yourself feeling really inspired to create?

EMP: I am most inspired by meeting people and hearing their stories.  This is one of the reasons that I enjoy playing folk music so much — because folk and traditional music, and any music that has been passed on through generations, constantly being reshaped and re-imagined, embodies such a depth of history and culture that one can learn from.  Music is such a fantastic way to communicate across borders and languages, and a beautiful way to build relationships and communities.  In that same vein, playing music for families, and watching the intergenerational bond that music can create, has been the most enriching musical experience of my life.

ST: Oh, that gives a window as to what propelled you to create Rabbit Days and Dumplings.  The album really brings together so many different people, cultures and languages.  On the record there are many wonderful musicians singing and playing with you.  How did these collaborations come about?

Dan Zanes plays banjo for Diu Diu Deng (http://rabbitdays.com)

EMP: As I was discovering what a joy it was to play music for families, Dan Zanes (my bandleader) began to encourage me to teach him some folk songs from East Asia.  I grew up in East Tennessee, but both of my parents immigrated to the US from South Korea.  I realized that I didn’t know any folk songs from East Asia, and decided that I should definitely learn a few.  It started with one Korean New Year’s song called Sol Nal that we played on a DZAF Holiday Show, and thus started Rabbit Days and Dumplings!

I have been very fortunate to play a lot of different kinds of music with many different musicians in this rich musical land of New York City.  While putting together my album, I enlisted the help of friends and friends of friends, and many were gracious enough to join me on the album.  All of my song arrangements are inspired by these incredibly talented musicians, and so the album is truly a reflection of the New York City musical world that I know and love.

NY Korean Traditional Marching Band (http://rabbitdays.com)

ST: Wow!  Elena, for somebody so musically creative are there other forms of art you practice?

EMP: I really love to take photographs.  I have a nice but simple point-and-shoot digital camera, and I try to take it with me whenever I travel.  For me, photographs are expressions of appreciation for the beautiful things you encounter every day.  They make me stop and recognize these moments of beauty, both small and large.

ST: Every picture captures a moment and every song has its place.  When you were growing up what was your favorite song?

EMP: I had a lot of favorite songs when I was growing up.  One Korean song, San Toki, which is featured on Rabbit Days and Dumplings, was a favorite of mine when I was really young.  When I was older, I really liked the song “Rainbow Connection” from the Muppets.

Poster of Rabbit Days and Dumplings. Artwork by Kristiana Parn (http://kristianaparn.com)

ST: My sister and I used to sing Rainbow Connection too!  Another song which brings me back to my childhood from Rabbit Days and Dumplings is Ti Oh Oh.  My mom would always sing that to us especially when we were taking a walk in the forest.  Thank you for capturing all these wonderful sounds, stories, and songs!  Scribblers, have a listen to some songs on http://rabbitdays.com/music.

EMP: I’ve always tried my best to explore as much as possible, and to be open to any and all new people, places, foods, art, music, and ideas.  This openness has always led me somewhere fulfilling and fun.  At the same time, I learned to keep in touch with my roots, and to get to know my roots better as I grew older.  The most important thing for me, though, is to keep having a good time on the way, wherever you are heading.

ST: Thanks Elena for your advice!  We will all have happy feet our adventures thanks to Rabbit Days and Dumplings!

Scribble Town (ST): Carly Kasner shows us how animations bring to life more imagination than we could imagine.  It is easy to see in her artwork and her approach to creativity!

Carly Kasner (CK): Hello Scribblers, I come from Long Island and graduated from FIT, May 2012. I am a graphic designer with some essence of illustrator mixed in. From the time I was little till this very day, I have had a special connection with cartoons, which inspires and or impacts my work today.

Anime self portrait of Carly Kasner

ST: How are you spending your time these days?

CK: I am currently interning at The Jewish Board of Family and Children’s Services in New York City. It is a non-profit organization that provides mental health and social services. I design various flyers, books, and print/e-mail invitations there. In my spare time, I have been recently involved in t-shirt design contests between the websites threadless.com, and welovefine.com.

In addition to that, I occasionally create my own characters for fun. In recent years, I do consider my work to be more digital but I still highly respect the traditional methods as well as the digital I utilized InDesign, Photoshop and Illustrator as my main digital formats I use whatever tool(s) will get the job done in the best way for my idea/client.

Monster’s Inc scribble shirt by Carly Kasner

ST: Designing t-shirts sounds really fun and it must feel good when you see somebody wearing one of your ideas. When did you start illustrating / scribbling / being creative?  Was there somebody that encouraged you?

CK: The beginning of my creative era was around kindergarten I stumbled into my interest of drawing through the inspiration I got from cartoons and my love for doodling. I used to like to draw dogs. I feel that I was born with a love for drawing.

ST: Your love for dogs is seen in your North Shore Animal League Logo.  I really like how you’ve nested the dog and the cat together.  It’s as if they were hugging each other.  It’s a very clever design!  Where do you find yourself feeling really inspired to create?

North Shore Animal League logo by Carly Kasner

CK: I think my inspiration can come from different sources and/or artists, but I think my, main root was the endless hours I spent in front of the TV growing up. I was a 90s child and some of my favorite cartoons were Courage the Cowardly Dog, Hey Arnold, the Rugrats, and The Angry Beavers. I was inspired not only by the characters image; I was inspired by the stories that molded the characters personalities. And as I got older, I became inspired by Japanese cartoons and comic books a.k.a. anime and manga.

ST: What other forms of art do you practice?

CK: In high school, I did some ceramics, collages, oil painting, and water colors in recent years, I am still partial to the sketchpad and pencil. I try to use that for my creativity as much as possible and even though I haven’t practiced it much lately I am also fascinated by watercolors.

ST: What is your favorite movie?

CK: My favorite movie is Hayo Miyazaki’s Spirited Away.

ST: I also really liked Miyazaki’s Howl’s Moving Castle.  The story and images are unforgettable!  Carly, please share any tips, advice, or ways of encouraging scribblers.

CK: I struggle sometimes with accepting mistakes but it is important to accept mistakes and to learn from them. Try not to let them discourage you. I try to look at mistakes as boundaries to define what not to do next time. Keep in mind that you can’t get something right unless you get it wrong.

ST: Thanks Carly! That’s great advice!  Making mistakes is a big part of life and making art.  At least we can say we tried

Sweet Bots by Carly Kasner

Scribble Town (ST):  Every year, Youth Art Month (YAM) has a flag competition for each state.  Students from each grade level (elementary, middle, high school) creates a flag design for YAM in their state.  The design can use the National theme: Art Shapes the World, or you can create your own theme.  A winner will be chosen from the three levels and the winning flags will be represented on the posters and postcards promoting the YAM show at the Capitol in March.  The winning student artist will receive an actual 3’x5’ flag of their winning design.  On the Scribble Blog with us is the winning high school student from Minnesota, Chelsea Waite!

Chelsea Waite’s winning NM YAM flag!

Chelsea, what was your first thought when you heard of the YAM project?

Chelsea Waite (CW): When I first heard of the contest, I was excited because I have never been involved in a art contest this big before.

ST: Already you sound like a person who is up for challenges and like to take a chance! How did your idea develop?  What story or idea are you trying to convey with your flag?

CW: I wanted to focus on the idea of diversity. I think diversity is important to New Mexico because of the many different cultures we have here. My first idea of how to represent diversity is in using the Zia symbol. I found that I could manipulate the ends of the symbol to go off into different direction, but then come together in the middle to make one complete symbol. This is how I think the people of New Mexico are, we come from lots of different cultures but live together as one.

ST: Multiculturalism in New Mexico is just one of the things that makes it a special place. How did you decide what medium to use?

CW: I decided that I would use Sharpie and color pencils because it is easy to make small thin lines with these mediums.

ST: How do you feel about your final outcome?

CW: I was happy with my final outcome, but I never thought it would win.

ST: And that’s exactly what happened! What do you like most about your YAM flag?

CW: My favorite element in my flag are the yucca flowers. I didn’t choose the yucca flower because it is our state flower, I chose it because it is not very pretty. Compared to the millions of flowers in the world, the yucca flower is ugly but if you look close enough there is beauty there. I think this represents New Mexico because of that very same reason. This state is often overlooked but if people take the time to look close enough they will be able to see beauty.

ST: That’s such an honest approach to depicting your surrounding.  There is beauty everywhere if we just tune our eyes in the right way.  You are so wise and thoughtful!  How did the idea come into your head?

CW: I came up with the idea the moment I heard about the contest. The idea popped into my head very easily and with not much effort.

ST: And just like that we now have a beautiful YAM flag for New Mexico! Thank you Chelsea for your creativity and taking the time to share with the Scribblers!

Scribble Town (ST): Clark Sorensen is a man of his heart, many trades and talents! He grew up in Salt Lake City, Utah, where he earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in Sculpture from the University of Utah.  Before settling in California he lived in France for a couple of years.  Clark has been a costume designer, illustrator, and computer animator, working primarily on video games.  He probably has had a hand in one of your favorite video games!  Clark’s playful attitude has led him back to sculpting and painting where for the past 10 years he has devoted his full attention to creating art.  His unique series of urinal sculptures has given him worldwide recognition and now he has caught Scribble Blog’s eye!

Clark, where are you and what are you up to these days?

Clark Sorensen (CS): I am living and working in San Francisco.  I’ve been a full time artist for about 10 years working primarily in porcelain.

Portrait of Clark Sorensen

ST: How did you discover working with ceramic and was there somebody that encouraged you?

CS: My first try at clay was a wheel throwing class when I was a youth, maybe 8 or 10 years old. There was a small art center near my house and I took some kind of art class every summer. In college I pursued a fine art degree in sculpture and ended up gravitating to ceramic sculpture, largely because I liked the teaching style of a professor named David Pendell. He wasn’t one of those teachers who wants you to copy his style or ideas but encouraged individuality.

Urinal Group by Clark Sorensen

ST: I hope everybody gets the opportunity to find such an encouraging teacher such as David Pendell!  When did you start creating handcrafted urinals and sinks?

CS: About 13 years ago I was hit with the idea to try to make a urinal. The more I thought the more I liked the notion. My first pieces were duds and it took me several years of trying to produce a successful, working urinal.

ST: The best ideas really do just hit you on the head!  I love on your website where it says, “Answering Nature’s Call!”  Please tell us more about your motivation and technique.

Venus Fly Trap Urinal by Clark Sorensen goes for $11,500. "It is the most recent addition to Sorensen's line up of whimsical urinal. This carnivorous plant comes with a full set of spikes. They look dangerous but are made of friendly silicone rubber. Pedestal is included." Read more about it on http://www.clarkmade.com/urinals.htm.

CS: I have always loved making things – anything. As a child I remember wishing I could be marooned on Gilligan’s Island because they got to make everything from scratch. I like to think I harness that spirit as I’ve had to experiment with my clay and glaze techniques in order to succeed. Some problems have taken me many years to solve. Even though I am an artist, part of the time I feel more like a scientist. I’m often glad that I learned algebra and geometry and chemistry.

ST: One may not think, but math and science really does come in handy when making art.  Where do you find yourself feeling really inspired to create?

CS: I am always thinking and evaluating. I have many sketchbooks full of future ideas. If you’ve ever been to a great art exhibit, concert or museum and found yourself looking at even a garbage can as if it were art then you know the mind-set I try to have all the time.

ST: I wonder what is the last forest or place of nature you walked through and thought, “this would make a great urinal.”  If you have a story, please share.

CS: I am thinking that all the time. Whether it’s in a garden, the hardware store or the grocery store. I don’t only think of urinals really. I have lots of ideas for sculptures and projects but only so much time. If I could only clone myself I think I could realize all these ideas.

ST: What are some tools you like to use?

CS: I always say that if you can’t find the tool you need then make it. I have a growing array of tools that help me make more tools. I am always carving a stick into the tool I need.

These 2 orange poppy sinks by Clark Sorensen were installed in a software company bathroom in Alameda California in 2008

ST: What kind of music do you like? Is there something you are listening to at the moment while you make art?

CS: I listen to music all day long. When I tire of my music then I turn to Pandora and mix it up. Sometimes I’m in the mood for old 80’s tunes and sometimes I need a little jazz or classical. I’m all over the map and love to have new music introduced to me.

ST: Clark, what is a good piece of advice for our Scribblers?  Coming from somebody who really thinks out of the box I think you are big inspiration to many!

CS: I would say that there are so many more careers out there than the traditional ones, especially in the arts. Don’t be afraid to encourage yourself or your kids to dream outside the box. You will be surprised at the opportunities out there to animate, design parties, make monster movies, design flowers for famous weddings, carve ice sculptures for Oscar parties, design dresses for celebrities, on and on and on. not everyone will or should be a doctor or a lawyer. Dream dream dream!

I would recommend your readers seek out a film called: “Between the folds” a documentary about working with paper made for PBS. I have never seen a more exciting view of creativity and what some people are doing with paper. I also love to watch modern dance because it often makes me stay up all night thinking about art and expression.

ST: Keep on dreaming!  You heard him!  Let’s all continue on that path!  Thanks Clark for being with us today

Calla Lily Top View Urinal by Clark Sorensen. Calla lily water free urinal using the URIMAT insert for a garden center in Germany.

Irra Verbitsky is an award winning artist, animator and independent filmmaker living and working in NYC.  She has so many talents and accomplishments that it is hard to name them all!  She was also my storyboard teacher at the School of Visual Arts where she still teaches in the animation department.

"Viking Voyage" by Irra Verbitsky

Currently, Irra is the President and Creative Director at Polestar Animation.  She is involved in many things such as designing storyboards, background designs and animation.  Her independent animated films have been screened internationally and at the Whitney Museum of American Art and the Museum of Modern Art in New York City as well as at festivals here in the U.S.A. and abroad.

Original Storyboard for "Owen"

Irra has directed and animated children’s films for Scholastic.   On the animation “Owen” (1995) Irra was
background painter and color animator while Sara Jessica Parker narrated the animation.

Irra is a very accomplished storyboard artist.  As a storyboard artist she sketches the stories, so that the scenes in the movies or animations can be visualized.  Here you can get an idea of how she sketches out her storyboards to create her award winning ‘Owen’.

I wasn’t the only one who thought ‘Owen’ was a great animation!  Others thought it was such a talented piece of art that ‘Owen’ won the prestigious Carnegie Medal for Best Children’s Film of the Year and an ASIFA EAST Award!  Those are two biggies

So far Irra has created over one hundred one minute spots for Sesame Street.

Do you recognize any of these animation stills?  Here’s one from the animation titled ‘The Story of Princess Twelvia’ and another one titled ‘Moving’.  From the picture below, where do you think Princess Twelvia is going?  How many steps are there on the staircase?  Hmm…maybe there’s a connection!

Sesame Street's 'Twelvia' Original Production Cel & Background by Irra Verbitsky

Sesame Street's "Moving" Original Production Cel & Background by Irra Verbitsky

The Last Unicorn movie poster

Irra provided the design work on the title sequence well as the story boards for the feature film, ‘The Last Unicorn’.  The animation is an adaptation from the American author Peter S. Beagle’s class tale ‘The Last Unicorn,’ which was written in 1968.

“The unicorn lived in a lilac wood, and she lived all alone. She was very old, though she did not know it, and she was no longer the careless color of sea foam but rather the color of snow falling on a moonlit night. But her eyes were still clear and unwearied, and she still moved like a shadow on the sea.” – Peter S. Beagle ‘The Last Unicorn’

From that short paragraph of the book’s prose-poetry you can get an idea of how the story is very tender and beautiful.  In the movie the unicorn is told by a butterfly that she is supposedly the last of her kind because all the others have been herded away by the Red Bull.  With that in mind, the unicorn sets out to discover the truth behind the butterfly’s words.  On her quest, the unicorn is eventually accompanied by Schmendrick, a trying magician, and Molly Grue, a woman who has dreamed all her life to see a unicorn. Their journey leads them further and further away from home. They travel so far, all the way to the castle of King Haggard.

Irra Verbitsky shares her talent as an animation teacher at the School of Visual Arts in New York City.  Her excitement for the arts shines through her teaching and encourages her students to be as playful and thoughtful when creating moving pictures!

Flashbacks From My Past: "Departure" by Irra Verbitsky

Scribble Town (ST): Hi Elisa! I can’t wait to show everybody your artwork that is based on videogames!  But first can you please let us know a bit about yourself.

Okamiden by Elisa Di Fiore

Elisa Di Fiore (EDF): My name is Elisa and I’m originally from Italy. I moved to the US in 2006, then recently moved back to Europe. I live in Finland now, but I’m always visiting new places. I can do this because I work from home –I work in videogame localization, translating games from English into Italian.

ST: When did you start getting into the game industry and how has that made an impact on your knits?

EDF: I’ve always liked videogames, but being a child in Italy I was supposed to play with dolls. My grandma wanted me to be a “proper” young lady, so she tought me to cross-stitch when I was about ten years old. I loved it, but I eventually grew tired of stitching endless flowers and kittens, which were the only patterns I could find at the time. A few years ago, when I was already working in the videogame industry, I had the brilliant idea of cross-stitching Super Mario characters from the old 8-bit games. After all, pixels look a lot like stitches, right? Well, the result was amazing and I haven’t stopped since.

Baby Peach Bib by Elisa Di Fiore

ST:  I bet you were always really talented when it comes to working with your hands!  Is there a certain place you like to be in when you are creating?

EDF: Home is the best place, of course, especially when it’s snowing outside and I can cozy up with a cup of tea and Doctor Who on TV. But I also enjoy meeting up with fellow knitters at one of the quaint cafés here in Helsinki –there’s an entire community of Americans knitting all over the city!

ST: What other forms of art do you practice?  What are your favorite tools you use to create?

EDF: I started knitting a couple of years ago and I’m enjoying it immensely here in Finland, where I can actually wear what I make. Before, when I lived in California, it was too warm to wear any wool! I also like sewing, quilting and perler beading, but really the best thing for me is just using my needle and embroidery floss anywhere I am. They’re practical and don’t take up any space.

ST: It does make a difference when you can use the art you make! That’s one motivation to create.  Are there any others?

Mario Bookmark by Elisa Di Fiore

EDF: I’m an active member of an online community called SpriteStitch.com. There’s a blog with inspiring craft ideas and a forum where we share patterns, tips and accomplishments. We also collaborate every year to put together a videogame-themed quilt that gets auctioned to fund Child’s Play, a charity that helps kids in hospitals all over the world.

I’ve included a simple cross-stitch pattern I designed some time ago, based on the cat Jiji from the animated movie Kiki’s Delivery Service. It should be easy enough to try for any wannabe cross-stitcher!

ST: Thanks Elisa!  From games to knits you really know how to make things come alive.  Already you have given so many pieces of inspiration- from bookmarks to bibs, anything is possible! For more information on Elisa’s Jiji cross-stitch pattern please go to

Mario Sampler by Elisa Di Fiore

Scribble Town (ST): Hi Ernest! To me, your work is very playful so I wonder how do you describe your own artwork.  Especially in the portrait of you I can see the play oozing out of you as you play at work on your One Cloud painting (see below)!

Ernest Concepcion (EC): Hi! My name is Ernest Concepcion. I’m a Filipino visual artist and currently live in Brooklyn, NY. My works usually depict opposing forces engaged in ridiculous battle based on the nostalgic references of childhood and adolescence.

One Cloud, work in progress by Ernest Concepcion

ST: From the Philippines all the way to Brooklyn, where are you and what are you up to these days?

EC: I still live in Brooklyn, and have been here since moving from the Philippines in 2002. I do go back often to my home city of Manila and was just there for 6 months last year. It was probably my most productive trip so far. I was only scheduled for 1 solo show and then when my friends found out I was coming home, they invited me over to participate for more shows. In half a year, from February till August 2012, I ended up having 2 solo shows and 4 group shows, including exhibiting at a prominent museum in Manila. It was pretty crazy.

Gerana (The Wrath Of), ink, acrylic and colored pencil on paper by Ernest Concepcion

All the works were made there. For the first three months I was cranking it up doing 6 x 4 feet paintings. My sleeping habits changed. I started doing the UBERMAN cycle. Have you ever heard of that? You’re basically awake and work for 4 hours then take powernaps for 30 minutes to an hour and then work again for 4 hours and so forth. I tried it – I wasn’t exactly successful. Haha. Nah, I took it easy and still hung out with friends. I found out it’s better that way. But when I do work at the studio, I’m like an unstoppable freight train. I’m going back this year on August 2013 for more art projects.

ST: Your friends sound so great! So supportive of you and your art. I’m sure they were also just so happy to have you back home. When did you start drawing?

EC: I would say I started drawing when I was real young mostly because I was inspired by my older brother. He would draw these fantastic cars based on the 80’s movie Mad Max and I totally got into and started copying him. Later on I started drawing my own little stories with pictures on notebooks similar to the CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURES books. Comicbooks and Saturday morning cartoons have been a major influence as well. Come to think of it, my drawing style has not changed much at all. It probably has changed technique-wise in terms of perspective, anatomy, linework – but I would say it has retained its childlike qualities that harkens back to young Ernest. I was trying to think if art school changed my drawing style at all, but I think not that much. Undergrad in the Philippines was more about theory for me and my drawing process went into a dormant state because I got heavily into conceptual art and video. But when I moved to New York, it almost seems like that hibernating child-general woke up all of a sudden ready for action.

Life In A Hidden Valley by Ernest Concepcion

ST: Between all the traveling, is there a favorite place you like to create?

EC: Well, I currently work from home and do my oil paintings in my own apartment. Oftentimes I couldn’t believe how I managed to do this but I guess I was able to adapt and develop my organizational skills in paintings. So I would say this is my favorite place right now. I did have a studio in Gowanus, Brooklyn for 3 years and that used to be my favorite place to work. I would spend countless hours there and was able to produce a ton of work. But alas, I had to move out in 2009. However, when I fly back to Manila I work at Mom’s house and she has prepared a space for me to work there, which I would say is probably the best. Its right beside her garden and there’s a sense of calm and serenity in the studio – a perfect contrast to my conflict-ridden works. I’m not exactly the type who draws in the subway, in a café, etc. I don’t usually carry a sketchpad at all even. Just a notebook to jot down ideas and that’s it. I make art at the studio. When I’m at a café, I drink coffee.

Queens 2020, Ernest Concepcion

ST: What other forms of art do you practice? What are your favorite tools you use to create?

EC: I also practice installation art and I collaborate murals with my friend Mike Estabrook as the Shining Mantis. I’ve been getting more and more into comicbook making and that’s definitely something I would like to develop soon. I was a big fan of the Sharpie for my drawings, I still am! But I’m totally getting into drawing with a brush these days and India ink tends to stay longer and seem more vibrant in the long run. Also, I could make entire fields of black with an ink-filled brush and that saves a lot of time.

ST: I’m seeing and hearing a theme of childhood in your artwork, but is there something in particular you want to say with your art?

EC: In my works, I would like to express what it’s like to be a kid again. The joy of expressing relentlessly.

ST: Is there a piece of art that speaks to you?

EC: There are so much art that speaks to me, but the ones I really appreciate are the works that I could feel express a certain vibe of ferocious expression – I don’t know, I can’t explain it too well.

Pajama People vs. Apparitions, ink on acetate, watercolor on paper by Ernest Concepcion

ST: Where do you get your inspiration from and who inspires you?

EC: Right now I’m getting a lot of inspiration from independent game designers. Haha. Seriously. I’m an avid gamer and seeing the works of most indie game developers and feel the years they spent on coding, designing, beta testing and perfecting these games via patches and downloadable content never fail to inspire me. I recently attended a festival about Andy Kaufman and it ran for 2 weeks. I was there almost every day! It was amazing. For me he’s a real inspiration, and he’s true to his craft. And when I mean ‘true’, I meant he doesn’t care what he was doing really, he was totally just having so much fun at the moment. And to me that’s awesome.

Kangarok 1 and 10th, Ernest Concepcion

ST: Your work does look fun and Ernest, you have done so much!  Any tips for us?

EC: I would advice to everyone to just keep making work and expressing without boundaries. I am also an art teacher myself to kids and I have always been open in encouraging my students to constantly experiment and explore. Breaking rules are great, but it will be futile if you don’t know the rules first. So learn the basics, the parameters, the limitations, the rules, and then transcend them.

ST: Thank you Ernest for sharing so much with us!  And don’t forget to play Ernest’s Shooting Stars game, http://www.scribbleshop.com/content/play-shooting-stars-game-ernest-concepcion

Kangarok III

Scribble Town (ST): From afar and up close, Erin Schmidt’s cross stitching is magnificent!  Erin is drawing with needle and thread!  Erin lives in Hudson, OH, which is outside of Akron/Cleveland.   Her family moved here from the St. Louis suburbs back in 2011.  Not only is she a cross stitching extraordinaire, she is also an attorney.  Erin, what is your favorite thing to create?

The Fairy Moon by Erin Schmidt

Erin Schmidt (ES): I think my favorite thing to create is a little bit of magic and the emotions that surround the work.  It is capturing something beautiful and preserving it for time.  Sometimes it is the picture as a whole that catches my interest, and sometimes it is just a color.  But often it is the emotional response.  Not only does this come from the finished project, but also all the work that goes into it.

The Fairy Moon (close up) by Erin Schmidt

ST: I like how you create magic  What other forms of art do you practice?

ES: Besides cross stitching, I also do crocheting and some photography.

ST: Both are very expressive mediums in very different ways.  Is there something you want to say with your art?

ES:It depends on the form.  My cross stitch evokes a lot of emotion for me.  It can be used to memorialize events in your life, which I have done.  But I tend to lean towards patterns that invoke a more elegant or magical age.  Which is why  you will see lots of ball gowns, faeries, and a lot of detailed use of specialty threads and beads.  I love the artwork of Nene Thomas and I have several of her prints in my house and have started gathering others in the form of cross stitch patterns.

The Fairy Queen (in progress) by Erin Schmidt

When it comes to crochet, it is all about home and comfort.  These are much more for everyday usage, and a daily reminder of the person who made it for them.

Photography, like cross stitching, I like to capture a simplistic beauty.  I live near a National Park so I do a lot of scenery and wildlife pictures.

All of these activities I find rather relaxing, even when I mess them up or become frustrated with them.

ST: It’s great when we can relax even when we mess up.  Thanks for reminding us about that!  Where do you get your inspiration from and who inspires you?

ES:Part of my inspiration is just a need to relax and allow myself to drift off to another place.    With Cross Stitch, we get the luxury of being able to do just about any drawing, painting, or picture that catches your eye to recreate into multi textural work.  The best part of the art I like to do is that anyone can do them, even younger kids.   Cross stitch patterns come in many sizes, from projects with very few stitches to the ones I do with 60,000-100,000 stitches.  I started cross stitching at age 7 with simple Christmas ornaments that I gave to relatives.

ST: Thank you Erin for sharing you artwork with us.  We all need to relax and let ourselves get swooped up by the activities we enjoy.  You have found your magic!  To start your own magic you can go to Scribble Shop Blog and see the Box Stitch activity Erin has created for you:
http://www.scribbleshop.com/content/box-stitching-erin-schmidt

Sabrina by Erin Schmidt

Scribble Town (ST): From the looks of Chris Reed’s self portrait I think it’s safe to say he’s a very talented illustrator and designer.  Chris, I like your portrait!  Where are you and what are you up to these days?

Portrait of Chris Reed

Chris Reed (CR):  I work from my home studio in New Jersey and I love creating art every single day! I have been a professional Artist for about 25 years so I have had a chance to work on lots of different types of projects.

ST: It’s amazing when you find something you love to do and it just never gets old!  In fact, that’s when it gets more exciting  How old were you when you first started making art and who encouraged you to create?

CR: I was always interested in drawing pictures, and I got lots of encouragement from my family and my teachers. Drawing was always just a hobby until I finally realized that there were actually people whose job it was to design and draw pictures. I wanted to be one of those people, so I moved to New York City and went to art school.

Chris Reed's Illustrative Samples

CR: My advice to kids who like to create art is to find a way make it fun. Make your own comic strip, paint a crazy swirly picture, or create a character for your favorite video game. The more you paint or draw or whatever, the better you will get!

ST: Thank you Chris!  Your passion for art and drawing shine even through your words.  Many smiles have formed from looking at your pictures so I think you are doing what you should be!  I smile every time I look at this sledding penguin Weeeee.

Penguin Sledder by Chris Reed