I’ll be attending ICON6, the illustration conference, in Pasadena this week from July 14th through the 17th.  I’ll also be participating in the Roadshow on Thursday the 15th, where a select group of illustrators will be showing their work to invited art directors, buyers, and media professionals.  Looking forward to some inspiring workshops and meeting incredibly talented folks!

Hmmm. What would have happened if Saul Bass designed the title sequence for Star Wars way back when? Perhaps you may not recognize the name of Saul Bass, but there is no doubt you have seen his designs in everything from company logos, to children’s books, to album covers, to film title sequences. His work is amazing and he is a design legend.

This beautiful park is just two blocks away from where I live, and a wondrous oasis amidst the hustle and bustle of the Inner Richmond. It’s a wonder there’s a peaceful lake just a stone’s throw away, where you can go and just let your thoughts be for a while. Gulls were abound today, and a few children on the playground. I like the big tree with the sign that greets you when you walk through.

I’m an avid newspaper reader. Waking up early and perusing the articles and photographs every morning with a cup of coffee and a bowl of chunky oatmeal is bliss to me. I always go through the op/ed pages which include the editorial cartoons. And over time, I’ve discovered that the cartoons that stick out to me the most are those by Ann Telnaes.

What I love about her work is the perfect combination of her style that makes such great use of simple shapes and caricature, matched with her searing portrayal of issues that face our country. I think she’s pretty incredible. Her line quality and draftsmanship are inventive and superb, simple and precise. And her clever scenarios are full of bite, wit, and fiery satire. Indelibly, her cartoons leave a lasting impression on my mind.

Looking at her site, I discovered that I’m not alone. Ann has won the Pulitzer Prize for her work in editorial cartoons. Before cartooning, she worked at Disney as a designer, and is a graduate of Cal Arts.

Hrag Vartanian who took the photo above wrote in his blog about the first year anniversary of the assassination of Hrant Dink. Hrag was the last person to interview Hrant before he was killed.

It’s a difficult thing. My background is fully ensconced in what this assassination represents. My Armenian family is from Istanbul, and left the country to flee a kind of persecution that is boiling under a seemingly placid surface, and rears its ugly head in tragic and violent moments like these.

I met Hrant Dink at an Armenian function in San Francisco a year before he was murdered and am outraged that his voice has been silenced. To speak up in Turkey can mean the signing of your own death warrant. But in remaining silent, you die a little each day, allowing the memory of your past to vanish into thin wisps of air.

Here are a couple things I discovered this weekend while visiting home for Christmas. I found my very first record album I ever owned! My parents bought me this It’s a Small World folk song album when I was probably about three years old. I remember listening to this incessantly, and as you can see it’s pretty well worn. A children’s choir sings various folk songs, and of course the theme song is thrown in there. The words to the songs are on the back, so when I was old enough to read, I would sing along with the record.

I also adored the album art as a kid. I loved all the different costumes on all the children, and I remember trying to guess and figure out where each child was from based on what they were wearing. And what do I discover now? This fun and striking art was done by none other than Mary Blair. Signed by her on the lower right corner. Fitting, since she designed the ride at Disneyland!

Also, I came across my maquette for Julius, my character from my animated short Elegy. This was the first sculpture/maquette I ever created, not counting a bust I had to make for a class ages ago. I made this about four years ago with sculpey and painted him with acrylics as part of my pre-production for my animation. There are supposed to be puppets on strings hanging from his hands, but I never had the chance to attach them. I actually had sculpted the little puppets too, but they were reeeaaally clumsy. As is this maquette, but I still find it charming.

Julius holds a special place for me. His character pops up for me now and then, in some form or another. I’m sure you’ve noticed that in his most recent incarnation he’s been enjoying the snow with his red umbrella. He’s become a bit shorter since the making of this maquette and the animation. I liked the soft warm glow of the Christmas tree lights that bathes him here.

Am I allowed to gloat? I got to see the final installment of Lucas’ Star Wars prequel trilogy at Pixar today. And it’s not even out on theatrical release yet! Mmm, digital projection and unbelievable sound… Don’t worry no spoilers here. I was pleasantly surprised with how it turned out, given the results of the previous two films. My only gripe is some rather sappy dialogue, wooden acting, and a few continuity slip-ups. The effects, of course, are stunning. Not a perfect film by any means, but great fun to watch. And may I say that I’m so happy the Wookies make screentime? Chewie was always my favorite!

Look carefully. This could almost be a matte painting. But it just happens to be the sky in that fragile moment in between storms. You can find a moment of clarity and beauty if you only pause, and let yourself notice. Taken from my window…