It's a Big Thing - Macquette

My final project last semester was my first attempt at 3D minatures since the tipi and longhouse I made in Grade 5. It's the 3D version of this drawing. It's meant to be seen in the dark - it has LEDs in the background and in the little lamps. I also made an experimental short stop motion animation using the set and figures (see below). 

Dark Documentation:

Light Documentation:

The Stop Motion Animation:


It's a Big Thing Stop Motion from Toby Pikelin on Vimeo.

Process Work:

BIG small

Finally, another short comedy by Jacqueline and I. You could say this is the prequel to 'Golden Wedding'.

BIG small from Toby Pikelin on Vimeo.

It's a Big Thing

Big things happen in Prince Edward County.

Saludos (Greetings)

Finally I put these guys up in Montreal one fine spring night. They're in an alley off of St. Viateur. Thanks to my two friends that helped.

Eyes up here

I get really sad whenever I take the metro and see everyone absorbed in their smart phones and completely shut off to any random interaction. My favorite was this one couple who were linked arms around a subway pole - like when you cross drinking glasses - gazing longingly into each other's smart phones. When the guy put his away - maybe after my unconscious look of disgust - the woman kept on flipping through her selfies or something.

Apricot/Epiphany #1

This is an idea I've had stewing for over 4 years now and I finally figured out how to represent it properly and made it happen. It's an exaggeration of something that actually happened to me and the friends depicted in the piece that blew my little mind. This was my first time doing any sort of work like this, and I'm pretty happy with the results. It's 2-D and 3-D simultaneously and is meant to be seen in dim lighting so the LEDs show up but it still looks good in daylight. The LEDs even have switches! The foreground and background are screen printed. I presented it as my final project in my MFA this year. In these photos it's actually lit up with a light box I covered with the cape my self portrait is wearing in the illustration.I got the cape in Grade 1 for my birthday from a Waldorf friend. This is pretty hard to document, so I hope it makes sense what is going on.

This last one is with the light on.

Acrylic Ink Training

I'm learning to use yet another kind of paint: colour acrylic inks are the flavour of the semester. I made these paintings to try and learn to use them. I digitized all my family videos in January so I decided to make use of that colossal procrastination and paint stills from them. The background is the wallpaper we had in our kitchen. Robyn was just a baby on the fateful day the rest of us sat on that kitchen floor, so this is her on her 3rd Birthday. I did her last so she is the best and the most her likeness.

The real thing:

Dollhouse

Hello. And welcome to the guided tour of my dollhouse.
I recently helped with the sets, props and a bit of costumes for a music video for a Montreal/Swedish band, Thus Owls (I think my official title was Assistant Art Director). It was the best! I was put in charge of making a dollhouse for the head of the lead singer, Erika. It took me 4 days and at least 48 hours. I might have gone a little overboard. Please excuse the mediocre photos, the lighting in my apartment is terrible. I'm going to take better photos when it's nice out.

Erika Angell of Thus Owls in the How in My Bones music video

 Full house. Keep in mind: insert head.

Side house. Note shingle job, and flower box.

Top Floor dream bedroom. 

Bottom two floors. Note: yes, that is stucco.

I put a red LED in the tiny lamp for the video.

Bedroom detail. Note: family portrait, bed skirt, tiny pillows.

Kitchen detail. Note: tiny faucet, linoleum counter, stained stove.

Burned curtain.

Landscape painting.

Tiny little footprints. Note: I screen printed the wood floors.

Here is the music video: