Thursday, January 18, 2007

Magical illustrator!


Chris Buzelli brings a very interesting twist to all his illustrations.

24 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi Sawsee!
I like this guys work. On his blogspot he shows his rough sketches and alternate ideas and gives a little backstory. I've always loved to hear about people's thought processes when creating. And seeing the different routes they could've gone with their ideas is very interesting.
JDH

Sawsee said...

Hi JDH! Welcome back!
I'll have to spend a bit more time checking out his process.
I really like the illustrator, Mark Ryden, that you recommended too!

Anonymous said...

Hi Sawsee!
We were hit pretty hard by the ice and snow storm, we've been without power for over a week (here in the US midwest). Our neighbors are still without power. We live in an older subdivision with huge old trees. The ice and freezing rain was just devastating, breaking limbs and downing powerlines. It looks like a tornado hit the entire area but only damaging the trees. Huge majestic oak trees snapped like toothpicks. Really sad.
JDH

Sawsee said...

JDH! That's too bad! We had a few trees down and lost power for about 6 hours one day. Vancouver and other parts of Vancouver Island lost thousands of trees. Stanley Park lost about 3,000; many were over 300 years old.
It's always a bit sobering to see the power of Mother Nature!

Anonymous said...

"Stanley Park lost about 3,000; many were over 300 years old."
Wow! That's terrible.

And Chris Buzelli really reminds me of Mark Ryden. I wonder if there are names for Illustration Genres.

Ryden adds those numbers and stuff, like there is something archaic and secret or hidden knowledge in his illustrations - this is something I find in LOST. The Mural, the Lockdown Door Map, the numbers, the orientation films, and the 6 degrees of separation of the characters in the past.
JDH

Sawsee said...

JDH: It's interesting what you say about 'hidden messages' or 'secrets' imbedded into a scene. Maybe it's like a 'treasure map for our brains': the seeking is more powerful when the 'treasure' is only implied and imagined.

I checked out Buzelli's process and alternative ideas; very cool!

Did you check out the Picasso link?

Anonymous said...

The Picasso link was very cool. I really liked watching the bull's head change shape and then the application of color.
JDH

Sawsee said...

JDH: Many people never knew that Picasso was a very realistic painter before entering into the phase that he's known for.

I thought that was really cool too, how the bull's head changed shape.

How's your 'notebook' project coming along?

Anonymous said...

I put it on hold. We're going to try to sell our house this May, so I have to finish all the remodeling projects I've started.
Hopefully, after we build our new house I can committ to all the projects I'd like to do.

JDH

Sawsee said...

JDH: I fully understand about priorities. Are you building your new house yourself? There is a cool book called 'permaculture, a designer's manual'. There are a few pictures of how they plan a new house: position towards the sun; angle of the winter sun; additions of mudrooms, etc. The book is really about maximizing nature's resources while limiting our 'footprint'. I'm sure you could borrow it from your library. The few pictures of home layouts with gardens are really eye-opening.

Anonymous said...

Hey Sawsee!
I'll definitely check out that book. Any other advice or recommendations.

I think I'll only do the woodworking - kitchen cabinets, trim and molding and bookcases and such.

We're building as "green" as possible and as we can afford it. Collecting and reusing greywater for toliet tanks and yard irrigation. Geothermal Exchange Heat Pump for heating and cooling. Photovoltaic panels. The house will set long ways east to west, with larger and more windows on the southside and smaller and fewer windows on the northside. The house will be partial in ground.
We're working with an architect to design a house inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright prairie house style.
We'll be on well water and septic tank. I'm planning on doing large sections of the land has native grasses or native prairie. And a lot of landscaping to cut down on mowing.
Probably more than you wanted to know.
JDH

Sawsee said...

JDH! I am totally blown away with your plans! What you are describing is my mantra! You will love the concept of Permaculture; it was developed in Australia so conservation of water and proper methods of using and purifying greywater is very much a part of it.
We are on a well and have a septic field. It is my dream to plan a home, maximizing efficiencies and integrating green methods. How big of lot will you have?

Did you see the documentary called 'Living off the grid'?

Sawsee said...

JDH: Here is another source of info: The LEEDS program with numerous interesting links to other sites.
http://www.usgbc.org/DisplayPage.aspx?CMSPageID=76&

http://www.amazon.com/PERMACULTURE-Designers-Manual-Bill-Mollison/dp/0908228015/sr=1-2/qid=1169871132/ref=sr_1_2/103-5655728-9982248?ie=UTF8&s=books

Sawsee said...

more...

check out some of the books within this search:

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=sr_pg_1/103-5655728-9982248?ie=UTF8&keywords=permaculture%20%2B%20mollison&rh=n%3A1000%2Ck%3Apermaculture%20%2B%20mollison&page=1

I am learning about companion planting. If you are planning to convert areas into natural grasses, 'Lasgna Gardening' has a very easy technique to follow; very similar to Permaculture. We are trying to form an eco system; encouraging birds, frogs, snakes, worms, etc. We don't use any pesticides.

Anonymous said...

Hi Sawsee!
I have to tell you that almost from the start (EW Lost board and finding your Blogspot) I felt like I met a kindred spirit.

Our lot of land is 3.75 acres. It is the perfect distance outside the city. Remote enough, but everything is still accessible.
The entrance to the land is really (& will be) magical. The drive curves around under a canopy of trees and the view of the land is blocked by those trees. Then the drive S's around and opens up to the property.

I haven't seen Living Off The Grid, I'll check it out. That is what we would like to be. Using photovoltaic panels and flourescent bulbs and skylights and such.

I haven't even told you the half of it. We're trying to design the house/rooms to utilitze exiting lengths of lumber, to greatly minimize lumber waste. 2x6 exterior walls, vaulted ceilings (roof 4 in 12 pitch), concrete slab floor and spray-in expanding foam for insulation. Metal roof (fake copper look and DIY), radiant flooring (the boiler works off the geothermal exchange heat pump) and hot water on demand. We are really concerned about budget and affordability though.
I'm also really into composting, worm composting and landscaping. I love planting trees. We had to have a pre-existing structure removed and I kept the slab it was on intact, I'd like to build a greenhouse on it.
I'm concerned about pesticides and fertilizers that have been used in the area. We are switching to all green eco-friendly cleaning products and detergents. I'm not up on my knowledge of wells and filters and such. Any advice?
Sorry.
I could go on and on.
JDH

Anonymous said...

http://www.texasgreenhouse.com/Showcase/

Check out the first image of the red brick greenhouse, Kinda classy looking (kinda looks British in a way). That's what I'd like to build. DIY project. With a row of composts and vermiposts (sp?) on the slab to the side of the greenhouse.

http://www.invisiblestructures.com/GP2/grasspave.htm

This is what I'd like our driveway to be constructed of, I really like the idea behind it. No concrete or asphalt. We'll see.
JDH

Sawsee said...

JDH! I'm not too sure where to start! Our property is 4.2 acres; the entrance is obscurred with large trees, only revealing part of the property as you drive in along the 400 ft. driveway. The previous owner put over half in grass and we've been slowly converting the lawn into garden areas.
I'm totally into composting! In fact, we've created communication materials to educate the public on how to compost.
The brick greenhouse is awesome!!! I saw one design where they have a solid brick wall on the north side of the greenhouse. The bricks absorb the heat, keeping it cooler in the summer and releasing heat in the cooler months. A 'waterjacket', collecting rainwater, was built into the north wall. The water helps moderate the heat; gives easy access to water; and increases the humidity.

Sawsee said...

JDH: The grasspave material is very interesting. Our driveway is currently gravel, with lots of potholes and a grass centre. This material would be great. Our neighbour is planning on putting blacktop on theirs; unfortunately it is an oil product and does not look very 'natural'. Our well is only 25 feet deep; we do not have a filter but the water is a bit high in iron. Therefore we have not needed a filter. Our neighbour excavated around his, causing more surface water to flow towards his well. This has caused him to put in 4 filters as the tannins in the surrounding area contaminates his water. I believe a well needs to be at least 300 feet from a septic field. There's lots of info on the web about better methods of dealing with greywater and septic. Your place sounds very cool! What 'zone' are you in? We are zone 8. I collect rainwater too!

Sawsee said...

We have 6 compost devices; having acreage does produce a lot of debris which we convert to compost. I use heavy guage fencing wire that I construct wire bins which I use for my grass cuttings, leaves, weeds, straw and sticks. The Permaculture books recommends designing a yard based on frequency of visits. e.g. A herb garden may be right outside of the house, as would high maintenance plants/shrubs like roses.

Anonymous said...

I'm going to use the idea of the solid brick wall at the back of the greenhouse, and have the back wall to the northside.
On our house we have now I have four rain barrels to collect rainwater.
When we move into our new home I plan to mow using a reel push mower. Gas mowers create a lot of pollution, I just learned about that doing all the Green research for our house.
We're in zone 6 (or 6b).
Some of the trees I like are autum blaze Maple, clump river Birch, coral bark Green Japanese Maple and Red Japanese Maple. During the ice storm the birch trees just bent over without snapping from all the weight of ice and snow.
Do you have a pond? I'm going to construct one to help control water run-off and I think it would be a nice landscaping feature. There's a natural low area where the water drains to and thru a culvert and floods our closest neighbor's land.
JDH

Sawsee said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Sawsee said...

Hey JDH!
We are building a pond too! I love Japanese maples; we have about 5 'Big leaf' maples, a few japanese maples; loads of fir, evergreen; 10 apple trees; 12 blueberry bushes; 3 rows of raspberries; 2- 30 foot rows of strawberries; about 20 veggie plots. I use raised areas, no-till style. Growing comfrey for compost; trying to grow millot and amyranth; grow winter rye, buckwheat, and vetch for green crops. And yes, I have dug holes for ponds. Last year, we were delighted to see frog eggs throughout the ponds. And then we were delighted to see ducks! The ducks ate 90% of the frog eggs! We 'rescued' the remaining and 'grew' frogs

Anonymous said...

Why did you ask about zone? I've come across some plants/trees that I'd like to have, but wouldn't survive in our zone.
There is a tree, that was found in Australia, that was around during the time of the dinosaurs. The
Wollemi Pine is available through National Geographic and they are trying to help the species survive.
JDH

Sawsee said...

JDH! I'll know what to recommend if I know your zone. We have lots of blueberries bushes which would do well in your zone. That's cool about the ancient Pine tree. It reminds of a very spiritual and rare Golden Spruce which was cut down by a protester; much to the chagrin of the First Nations.
Many scientists are trying to reproduce it to save the species.