TV & Film
Paintings for “Rhyme Time Town”
I almost never get to post my animation design work, because it is typically tied up in NDA’s.
I’m so happy I can share a few of the MANY backgrounds I painted for the DreamWorks production “Rhyme Time Town” (airing on Netflix)! I have worked in animation for over ten years, and this was probably my favourite property to paint on. Every background was like a new children’s book illustration! Catch all the beautiful episodes on Netflix! Especially if you have toddlers. I love my job 🙂
(BG Design by Rod Filbrandt, BG Paint by me)
Oscar Poster Designs 2021
I just concluded my Oscar poster design series for this year by watching the Best Picture winner last night, “Nomadland”. Oof, that film will stick with me for a while. What an amazing reminder of the beauty and fragility of life. My other favs out of the ones I watched were “Soul” (animation, obv), and “My Octopus Teacher”. Watch them, I mean it! Here’s my eight designs for this year.
See ya next Oscar season!
“Schitt’s Creek” Paper Doll Set
We are finally making our way through all the seasons of the genius comedy that is “Schitt’s Creek”. (Yes I know we are late to the party – YOU try watching TV with toddlers!)
This show is getting ALL the acclaim everywhere, and I just absolutely love it, because it’s just SO. CANADIAN. I grew up watching Eugene Levy on SCTV at the edge of my parents bed, not fully getting the sketches, but loving the wild antics. “Schitt’s Creek” was developed by Eugene Levy and his son, Dan Levy. Add on legend Catherine O’Hara and COME ON you can’t even go wrong.
Anyway, anyway, I love all of David’s sweaters, and I thought it would be SO FUN to have a paper doll set of some of his best. It would be fun to do a doll set of all the characters – we’ll see if I have time for that! Until then, here’s David’s! This is was an illegal amount of fun to draw.
Buy art for Christmas!
Whew, this year is gonna be a liiiiiittle different for Christmas shopping, amiright?? Or maybe you already did all your shopping online, so no change for you.
Either way, it’s my artist duty to remind you that art makes a nice gift! I have a bunch of my original illustrations and poster designs up for sale on my Etsy shop. I sign every print, and include a handwritten note with every purchase as well. Because I love seeing written notes on paper – it’s so rare these days!
I just added this sunflower illustration I did recently, but if you are looking for Christmas-related prints, I also added my “A Christmas Story” character designs as well.
My biggest seller so far is my minimalist poster design for the film “Carol” (2015). As far as LGBTQ films with amazing acting go – it’s pretty high on the list!
Bly Manor paint studies.
I’m not one to gravitate towards “horror” TV/films, but I love creepy, suspense stuff. Especially during the month of October, bring it on! (Otherwise I just watch “Hocus Pocus” on repeat, guys.)
We discovered “The Haunting of Hill House”, and I enjoyed it with many screams and a pillow in front of my face. “The Haunting of Bly Manor” is the follow-up series, and I really, really enjoyed it.
It was it filmed in Vancouver, so I recognized a bunch of locations right away, which is always fun! Gastown (where I worked for years) is always great to double as England. This series was less horror, more creepy, and – BONUS – there was a lovely lesbian relationship at the heart of it. Oof, Dani & Jamie got me in the yearning feels…..
ANYWAY anyway, the cinematography and colour palette they chose was incredible all the way through. My only appropriate response was to do speed painting studies of some of my fav scenes. I tried to keep these each to 20 minutes and not get caught up in detail, just mood, composition and lighting. I did five, but I might go back do more Dani/Jamie scenes cuz well, sigh. Feels.
My Octopus Teacher.
Wow.
Have you seen this stunning film?
Wow.
I have always been enraptured by the beauty and mystery of everything under water. The impossibly saturated colours of all that swims, the astounding design of the creatures. I have always felt more connected to my own life, somehow, when I’m under water. Which is why I love swimming so much. Time seems to slow, things become clearer. Watching this film, it made me catch my breath. And yes, I cried (a lot) over an octopus.
What a profound reminder that life is precious, breathtaking and utterly fascinating. (Like COME ON, that pile of shells it made as a disguise?!) We are all truly connected – human and creature. After many months of feeling heavy and sad with *everything* going on, this film provided a fresh breath of curiosity and hope.
I had to put some of my inspiration into a quick sketch.
If you want to learn more, watch the film and visit Sea Change Project. We have to work hard to protect all of this beauty, like all our lives depend on it. (They do.)
From the Archives: “Tah-Dah”!
Upon graduating from Sheridan College in 2009, I completed my thesis animated short film entitled “Tah-Dah”. It ended up making it into over 40 film festivals and winning two awards in filmmaking! I went to LA twice for festivals, and to Hawaii & Maryland to teach animation workshops. I sure squeezed a lot out of my little 2-minute film! 🙂
*Original music for “Tah-Dah” composed by Corey Wallace
I was going through my own archives, realizing it was over 10 years ago (!!) and found it neat to discover some old interviews. What would I have told myself ten years ago about my life now? And where will I be ten years from now…? I have to say, I am pretty proud with how hard I have been chasing my dreams.
Here’s a short radio interview I did with CBC in 2010 in Winnipeg – I remember going down to their studios very early one morning. What a fun experience chatting with them!
Here’s a little interview I did on the red carpet at Feel Good Film Fest I went to in LA – they screened the films at the iconic Egyptian Theater – such a surreal experience to see my film play there!
Here’s a newspaper I was featured in Maryland for their International Film Fest – I was lucky enough to go down and teach a series of animation workshops to kids there. SO much fun, and the people there were so incredibly hospitable & wonderful!
Thanks for all the fun & memories, “Tah-Dah”! I can’t wait to see what the next ten years bring.
Schitt’s Creek fanart
I know I am late to the fanart train for this show, but I have loved this clearly Canadian classic since it started airing here – well before it got wider acclaim!
I grew up in Winnipeg watching Eugene Levy & Catherine O’Hara and their amazingly brilliant antics on SCTV. I would curl up at the foot of my parents bed and laugh, even though I’m sure I had no idea what most of the skits were about. The costumes and funny voices were enough for me! I was in awe – they were like Canadian Carol Burnett’s!
“Schitt’s Creek” is genius, hilarious, heartwarming and groundbreaking. I want to do so SO much more fanart for it, but SIGH, I am overloaded with projects. So here is one sketch for now – available on my Etsy store if you want to buy a signed print. 🙂 I am filled with glee whenever I can get back to drawing on paper, so I hope to do more soon.
DreamWorks “Rhyme Time Town” premieres June 19th!
At the tail end of 2018, I joined the amazingly talented and tiny crew at Doberman Pictures in Vancouver, to work on this adorable DreamWorks preschool show, “Rhyme Time Town”. I threw myself headfirst into the beautiful-ness of this little show, and ever since then, I have painted my heart out on all the various locations. (Many of which are in this trailer – please, I beg of you, pause it on that town overview map, just to acknowledge my many hours?! I promise I will feel it, haha.)
I think this is the 13th or 14th show I have worked on – I think after ten you just stop counting, right? But this production may be the most beautiful one yet. I’m really proud of all my brushstrokes (that will be onscreen for 0.4 of a second, oof), and to work alongside this incredible crew.
It premieres on Netflix June 19th, and if you have or know any toddler-like or preschool children, I promise they will like it! And maybe, just for me, can you notice how carefully the trees were painted?!
So proud to have my name in the credits among this amazingly talented crew! 😀
Oscar Posters 2020
It’s my fav time of year! I have loved the Academy Awards since I was a little kid, and my love of film has only grown since then. A few years ago, I decided to do a poster for any of the nominated films that I managed to see. I don’t get to use my graphic design skills as much anymore working in animation, so this is just a fun exercise to stretch those muscles. I will keep adding the ones I do for 2020 as I do them.
*See below for a gallery of past years posters!
Previous years 2016 – 2019:
