Horrendous Fiasco

Good bye 2011

2011-12-31T09:00:00.000-07:00

2011 was the busiest year I have encountered in a long time, filled with graduate school and work. Some work was awesome and some work was horrific. I was littered with some tough personal issues, including the death of my Mother-In-Law, Carole and the illness and death of a new friend, Dave Prifti, a talented and highly regarded local photographer. It was the year of, "It is what it is" and ushers in the year of "What it will be." I look forward to 2012, regardless of what the Mayans think. Look forward to the road ahead, and lots more posting.

Racing Moth Cody

2011-12-04T17:40:00.001-07:00

Prelim Comps

Racing Moths Annie

2011-12-04T16:23:00.001-07:00

Prelim finals, feedback will help focus these in.

Sketches

2011-11-15T13:27:00.001-07:00

Illustrations for a SCAD assignment, on characters at Comic Con.

Close up of Jane

2011-10-29T06:58:00.001-07:00

Fun with Jane Jetson, again

2011-10-23T08:32:00.001-07:00

Racing Moth Cody

2011-10-19T10:36:00.002-07:00

More Racing Moth

2011-10-19T05:47:00.001-07:00

Self Portrait

2011-10-17T08:59:00.000-07:00

New Designs for Jimmy and Racing Moth

2011-10-12T10:56:00.002-07:00

Sketch of the Gav

2011-10-11T09:47:00.000-07:00

T-Shirt design for Jimmy

2011-10-05T08:32:00.000-07:00

My great friend Jim May asked me to whip up a T-shirt design for his band. I didn't have a ton of time to get-er done but was happy with the result.

A Drawing

2011-10-05T08:21:00.001-07:00

This is kind of weird but I am taking a Drawing class and haven't done traditional still life drawing for almost 30 years. It was a good lesson in little patience, and will see where it goes from here. It will hopefully improve my technique which has gotten a little rough over the years of animating.

And another

2011-09-06T12:42:00.002-07:00

Another version but not Final

2011-09-06T12:41:00.002-07:00

Working on a image for Jimmy

2011-09-05T07:52:00.000-07:00

My good friend Jimmy May (musician extraordinaire) asked me to Photoshop up a CD cover for his band. Here is an initial comp. We were going to include the other band members into the distance but decided to create images for each. Updates to follow.

Presently in Tax hell

2011-08-24T03:52:00.001-07:00

Like all blogger's there are occasions where it is difficult to post, this is one of them. Most of the projects I am working on I cannot share and yes, I am also doing my yearly accounting. Yikes

Request

2011-08-19T13:50:00.001-07:00

Out there in cyberspace, I have had a request to post, "Where There is Smoke...There is Bob", the second pilot of the "Longhair and Doubledome" series. I just found the Master and will try to get a quicktime made soon. Sorry for the delay, at first I thought I had it somewhere, but it doesn't look that way, hope to have it up in a couple of weeks. Thanks

Back home

2011-08-13T13:27:00.001-07:00

Passed my graduate review so all is good in the pursuit of a terminal degree, love the sound of that. Did have the usual trip around from Savannah to Cleveland to see my Dad, play some golf with my buddies and then back to Boston. Tough getting back home. My ailing Mother-In-Law passed away yesterday, August 12th. We are hanging in there.

Review

2011-08-04T03:12:00.000-07:00

Had my 15 hour Graduate review at Savannah College of Art and Design. Here is a couple of samples of the work.

2011-07-22T13:30:00.001-07:00

Gavrilo Gnatovich
Artist Statement

We cherish pictures of our lives, we create images in an attempt to remember our stories which soon become myths regardless of pictorial record. Our memories obscured by emotion, clouded as time passes become preciously fragile and if it were not for the image remembered or recorded would fall victim to the forgotten.
My work has always been time based. It addresses this through motion and stillness, a cerebral film of perception that registers my experience and tells my life’s narrative. It is recorded through film and photography and painted to memorialize the moment, instance or history. My work refers to the illusion of representation, yet embraces an indistinguishable instant at the speed of recognition. It explores the paradox of an object in constant motion that can be stilled in a single picture frame and that a single frame can create a flood of memory and response shared.

A drawer full of ME!

2011-07-02T12:50:00.000-07:00

Haven't done any meaningful printmaking since my college days, the techniques have changed quite a bit but I am enjoying the tactile after drawing on a tablet for the past year. Great to work with paper and paint, make real mistakes that cannot be undone.

Breathe

2011-06-29T14:44:00.000-07:00

It has only been three days of classes and I am all ready swamped under a rogue wave of confusion and work. The confusion comes from my own nervous energy and a rack of pointed questions concerning my work. I am quickly tap dancing and running my brain overtime. So far no overheating.

In Savannah

2011-06-27T03:45:00.000-07:00

I have arrived and settled in to Savannah. Today is the first day of classes, should be interesting and I look forward to creating my artwork again. It has been a long time since I have had the time to sit down and do a whole bunch of stuff. Feel like I am breathing again.

Been a long time

2011-06-21T04:44:00.000-07:00

This year has been a whirlwind, a crazy ass levy breaking flood of activity. Plenty of animation work coupled with going to Grad School has left me dizzy at best. I have worked on so many project that it is hard to keep them apart in the thickness between my ears. I am about to leave for Savannah for the SCAD limited residency painting extravaganza part II. It seems like a welcome break in the action although I know I may be busier than ever. I do plan on accomplishing a lot and this blog will become very active again. Stay tuned.

A tad more but still unfinished.

2011-05-26T10:34:00.000-07:00

Two paintings (incomplete)

2011-05-08T15:05:00.000-07:00

Leslie Ortiz

2011-04-24T05:52:00.002-07:00

http://montoyaortizsculpture.blogspot.com

Leslie and I went to Boston University together and have remained good friends. She, along with Luis Montoya, creates of some fantastic images and sculpture. Check it out.

Art takes a long walk off my short pier.

2011-04-21T15:35:00.000-07:00

It is a remarkable moment in my life. I have seen traditional 2d animation change into a form I hardly recognize. It is no longer a film, cell, paint, and pencil that produces it, it is now designated to a tablet, computer and program. The art form that I had become so in love was no longer, dead, swept away by a wave of technology. I now am on several paths, still animating, but also studying feverishly for my Masters Degree in Painting.

What I have found is that while I was busy creating funny drawings in motion, inking, painting and filming the cells on a down shooter, the art world has changed enormously. I have been studying History, Theory, Process, Concept, and Critical thought and am about to take my overfilled brain and finally begin to paint in earnest again after 30 some years. YIKES.

The Animation Game has to change.

2011-04-06T03:42:00.000-07:00

I don't know if anyone has noticed but we as an animated society is shrinking fast. Expertise is getting ignored and forgotten. Quality hasn't seen the light of day for quite a while in the 2 dimensional realm of Cartoon making. In most cases the lunatics are running the asylum. Animation is getting faster and cheaper and not better.

I have worked with a lot of new young talent, and there is a lot of potential but you have to innovate. You have to push the envelope not in terms of content and fart jokes but in terms of image and style. Is the last true interesting development going to remain UPA design? C'mon man.

More from Alex the Bear

2011-03-29T07:59:00.003-07:00

Now winner of
***Winner of 3 bronze Telly Awards (Children's Audience, Sound Design, Not-For-Profit)

Along with the Addy! Raking in the awards. HA!

Just informed-Addy winner

2011-03-16T04:21:00.000-07:00

I have been doing a lot of freelance in and around the Boston. I directed "Alex the Bear" for Soup2Nuts Productions here in beautiful downtown Watertown and we won an ADDY for "Alex the Bear". It has been a long time since I last received or been a part of an award. WOOHOO. (I think the last time was when I was honored as best animation from Women in Communications (I think they thought "Gavrilo" was a woman's name.) Working with Soup was a great pleasure. Dave Trexler is an excellent producer, Joe Boyle an excellent animator and Jody Snyder, head of new business is tops in my book. Great place, give them more work world and maybe I can work there again and win more stuff.

It's another Jane thing

2011-03-16T04:12:00.000-07:00

I am still using Jane Jetson as my muse...what is wrong with me?

John Wayne

2011-03-09T14:33:00.000-07:00

Learning new techniques here and there. I am starting to get the hang of this one, a CF Payne technique, will eventually have the confidence in it to push the palette.

Mr. Lincoln for President's day

2011-02-22T04:36:00.000-07:00

Lincoln design

Leaf Grid is aging.

2011-02-18T04:38:00.000-07:00

This is kind of cool. I did this leaf grid a couple months ago. The first pic is of this leafy composition is quite bright, the second pic displays how it looks today. The latter has gotten a nice rich earthy tone. I have always wondered where I will go with this. I think it depends on how well I can preserve the color and the leaves.

Bear character

2011-02-16T13:00:00.000-07:00

Mad Cow Illustration

2011-02-16T12:59:00.000-07:00

Another grad school gig.

Cave Rooster and Cracked Trojan Rooster

2011-02-10T07:59:00.000-07:00

More Illustration stuff

Illustration

2011-02-07T09:50:00.000-07:00

Here is a fun illustration I am working on for SCAD. Yes, still going to school for my Master's Degree.

Some images from work

2010-12-23T14:53:00.000-07:00

I have been working at Soup 2 Nuts here in Boston and having a great time. I have worked on several projects over the past few months and thought I would share some images. These images are for an animate storybook called, "Alex the Bear". Not your typical Gav fare but I enjoyed the change. Hey, I can do cute.

Combat Jane

2010-12-21T03:51:00.001-07:00

Just a painting I started over the summer. I have a ways to go on it but since I had this photograph from my painting "crit" at SCAD, I thought I would share.

The Move

2010-12-15T03:27:00.002-07:00

Well the move to Boston has been a very good thing so far. Working on several projects and being busy again is a pleasure, especially around the holidays. Working mostly with a "commando" laptop where I invade various studios and set up my "Black OPs" animation.

Angry Man Sketch

2010-11-27T08:34:00.000-07:00

Fooling around with Sketchbook Pro for the first time. Play time.

Tablet Sketch

2010-11-24T09:22:00.000-07:00

This is for a character design project for a friend of mine. Getting used to sketching with a tablet, but it still feels otherworldly.

Graduate Painting Stuff

2010-11-19T13:25:00.000-07:00

Thought I would share a piece from my Theories and Processes class from Grad School. If you are wondering what the hell it is, it is an appropriation piece. I took a photo of Andy Goldsworthy's "Rowan Leaves" and blew it up until pixillated. I then took leaves, cut them into squares and emulated the pixillated section, I had highlighted.

Coming up for air

2010-11-11T03:51:00.000-07:00

After landing in Boston, I immediately jumped into a life of 2 jobs and Graduate school. I am looking forward to getting back to my world, and my stuff. This blog has been more of a blob lately. I have to stop working on stuff I can' t post. Non-disclosure stuff. Sheesh

Screwing around with a Wacom

2010-09-08T10:12:00.002-07:00

Never been much for using a tablet, but it is time I learned. Here is a quick sketch to get my feet wet. Yucky wet feet, and one drawing.

It's now just around the corner.

2010-08-23T04:53:00.000-07:00

Wow. Boston again. I have waited for this day for a long time. It has been a crazy summer. It all started June 14th with a drive from Tucson to Savannah, Georgia, 5 weeks in Savannah going to Grad school at SCAD (Savannah College of Art and Design). A trip to Cleveland to visit my Dad. Off to Boston to work on the new house and look for work. Fly back to Tucson and pack like a maniac, and then drive cross country with the family to my brother's house in Lexington and slowly but surely move into out new home in Concord. Now all I need to do is find the screws to my animation table and I am in business.

All my stuff

2010-08-17T16:09:00.000-07:00

The journey is almost over. I have been working tirelessly on the new house and waiting for the moving truck to arrive with all the stuff. Hopefully Friday the truck arrives and we start setting up and unpacking. I hope to start posting in a week or so.

Getting settled

2010-08-14T17:25:00.000-07:00

Arrived in Boston a couple of days ago and am remarkably busy setting up the new house. Have an acre of land and I have to cut down tons of brush and clear out some old landscaping. I look forward to doing some art again one of these days.

Making progress

2010-08-09T06:35:00.000-07:00

Driving through Iowa presently. I will be in Cleveland tonight, and then on to Boston. Can't wait to get on the other side of this move. Thank you for all your well wishes.

On my way

2010-08-05T17:56:00.000-07:00

Truck comes tomorrow and I am moving to Boston. Should be there in a week or so. Hope to make it to Las Cruces, NM late, Denver the next day, Des Moines, and Cleveland (city of light, city of magic) and then finally to the town of Beans. Felling great to get out of the Witless Protection Program.

Still in the process of getting my life settled

2010-07-27T18:03:00.000-07:00

Hey all,

Sorry it has been so long since my last post. My camera was stolen at SCAD and it made it a little difficult to take pictures without it. Once I get settled into Boston, my new location I should be okay and posting again.

Jane Jetson

2010-06-29T15:03:00.000-07:00

I have never done a series on any character other than mine. It is going to be an interesting process, no doubt. Jane is the perfect muse for me.

Drawings_1st Assignment

2010-06-22T14:04:00.000-07:00

I am presently going to Graduate School at SCAD, not only to focus my talents but to gain a degree (MFA) that I have always desired. The following are 3 of four drawings each dealing with a different phrase. The only phrase missing from a piece is the drawing on toned paper. "Tis an ill wind that blows no minds." Having fun.

I will be back

2010-06-15T17:00:00.000-07:00

I am presently trekking across the country so it has been difficult to post anything to any blog, anywhere. Before packing the car and driving like an idiot, I was busy packing my studio in Tucson for the "Big Move 2010". I am relocating back to Boston, full circle and I am looking forward to it. I am going to get busy very soon and will post it up side the blog head.

Niki's nurse

2010-05-14T16:27:00.002-07:00

My daughter wanted a drawing of a nurse for her nursing buddies. Here it is.

Portfolio on the Web

2010-05-06T18:39:00.002-07:00

Hopefully, I will have my portfolio up and running on the web soon. I feel terrible for my web developer, Mike Parker, of Chicago who is always in charge of finding where I screwed up especially in regards to actionscript and code. Luckily, he is not only well schooled, he is patient as hell with me. Thanks Mike.

Sketches

2010-05-03T11:12:00.000-07:00

Couple of sketches from a recent board.

Sorry folks

2010-04-27T17:50:00.000-07:00

Just busy as all get out! Hope to be back to this blog at the end of this week.

Creationist Fun

2010-04-12T16:37:00.000-07:00

Playing around with gouache.

Character Design for Cookie Cupboard

2010-04-05T17:54:00.000-07:00

New Directions

2010-04-01T05:23:00.002-07:00

With the animation world being squeezed into a corner, I am turning toward nontraditional uses for animation. Although there is a bit of risk going this
route it does allow for greater control of the product and its content. The
problem is finding the niche.

Can you call in sick on a blog?

2010-03-23T16:11:00.002-07:00

Been sick for the past week, although still working. Can't show what I have been working on just yet, but will. Just wanted to give anyone out there a little tidbit of an update, or in my case an up chuck. Ach.

Final Big Bro Facebook Designs

2010-03-16T05:45:00.002-07:00

The last of Big Bros.

Adjusted

2010-03-08T17:09:00.001-07:00

Just didn't like the red eye, works for Obama but not the Rock.

Another Facebook Portrait for the Big

2010-03-08T16:40:00.003-07:00

Big Bro as Obama. Probably still needs an adjustment or two.

Another Profile Pic for the Big

2010-03-03T14:45:00.002-07:00

Another Facebook portrait for the Rock.

Quickie Design

2010-03-01T12:44:00.002-07:00

a fun little ditty for failhair.com

Facebook Portrait for the Big

2010-02-26T14:54:00.003-07:00

Doing a portrait in Illustrator for my big brother. It's not complete, still tweaking color levels and creating a few more shapes. Probably work on it again later in the weekend, it always good to step back, before going forward.

A Fun Section

2010-02-20T07:40:00.002-07:00

Here is a small section of a website I have recently finished. I will post the entire design when the site is launched. It was a fun process and hopefully what will be perceived by "me public" as a fun design.

Couple Sketches

2010-02-19T15:39:00.002-07:00

Change of Pace

2010-02-18T17:03:00.003-07:00

Well, I am winding down the whole painting thing, although I will still tweak a few that are close to completion and I have to start an Elvgren copy for my daughter. She's just got to have one (a great endorsement of my art, wait, I mean Gil Elvgren's art. Oh well, so much for impressing my daughter with what I personally do.) At any rate, I do have some web stuff to design and that includes a replacing a couple of "construction" pages on my website. I will be posting some new images over the weekend. Cartoony and fun, hopefully.

Progress

2010-02-11T16:46:00.003-07:00

Here is some of the recent painting progress. It was a great process for a month and a half, finished seven paintings and started a bunch as well. I am on to other things for a while but I look forward to getting back.

So What's on the Agenda.

2010-02-07T11:37:00.003-07:00

I should be finishing up my painting portfolio (for Grad School) this week. Many of the paintings remain "Works in Progress", but I have to move on to other things. Most of the endeavors up ahead are victim of the artistically postponed from the end of last year before the painting like a madman tour began. I have some web projects on tap both professional and personal including getting another page or two up on the Horrendous Fiasco Website, including an expanded Gallery Page (Sketches, Design, Paintings, Flash, and Animation Stills) and the Hula girl home page animation. I will continue painting periodically until the 15 canvas goal for 2010 is complete. 7 complete, 8 to go. But now It's Super Bowl time.

Painting Progress

2010-02-05T14:42:00.005-07:00

Here is my progress on "Contractor_1". Trying some different things, think I am going to push the color, but that is today. See what happens when I pick up the brush tomorrow.

Another Oldie

2010-02-02T03:48:00.003-07:00

I painted this for my Big Bro 15 years ago. I had him take a picture of it for me because I thought I might use it for my portfolio. It is always a little strange to revisit art that you have seen in a long time. Probably won't be using it, not because I hate it or anything, I just like what I am doing now better. This is too derivative of the illustrator Doug Fraser. I am still trying to find my inner Gav painting wise, wish me luck.

Waiter

2010-01-23T08:18:00.003-07:00

This is an illustration I did years ago, but since I am putting together my painting portfolio, I thought I would share.

New Paintings

2010-01-20T17:06:00.002-07:00

In progress, regress, however you see it. Except for "Bikini" all of these are underpaintings or starts. I probably will be taking a break from the painting for a week or so, tax time. Yuck. It's always good to step back, to go forward.

More Paintings

2010-01-13T13:11:00.003-07:00

Just painting away. Coming close to finishing a couple canvases. It feels good to see these half finished paintings lying around my studio get some attention.

Gav (Film Noir)

2010-01-11T14:26:00.003-07:00

I do enjoy old film noir posters. I thought it might be fun to paint "Gav and the Animation Disc of Death." Needs another session or two, but it's getting there.

Bang Bang

2010-01-10T14:18:00.004-07:00

Another pass on a painting. Again, pretty close to completion. I am enjoying the process of painting again. Be nice if I had a consistent vision, but that will take painting consistently. The good news is that I am exploring many creative methods and techniques in a variety of images.

Monsters

2010-01-08T16:16:00.005-07:00

I started this painting about a year ago and thought I might just finish it. Still has a session left but it's pretty much there. It is always a little difficult to pick up a painting after a year. It is so easy to think you are beyond it, that you are somehow better, more informed, that this is the kind of art you used to do. All I knew when I picked it up is that it wasn't finished. It has always been my philosophy that if you want to get "beyond" it, you have to complete it first. Otherwise, it just hangs there in art limbo, not good or bad, just undecided.

Painting like a fiend

2010-01-07T14:44:00.002-07:00

Here is a new painting. Almost finished. Needs a couple glazes and then I can wrap it. Trying a couple techniques, but mostly working wet in wet.

Paintings

2010-01-06T16:11:00.003-07:00

Working on my painting portfolio for many reasons, one of which is that I love to paint especially in oil. Will eventually get my Gallery Page up on my Horrendous Fiasco Cartoons website and you will probably see some of these samples.

Tough Ink

2010-01-01T16:56:00.001-07:00

Another Pen and ink. Tough Guy

Another Sketch

2009-12-31T17:24:00.002-07:00

Last post of 2009. Just another ink study. (some white acrylic mixed in)

Happy New Year All

2009-12-31T17:22:00.004-07:00

Let's hope that 2010 is better than 2009. That really shouldn't be too difficult.

INK STUDIES

2009-12-30T13:23:00.003-07:00

Decided to do some exercises since I am beginning to work on my portfolio. None of these will make the cut, they are just good practice. Haven't worked with Pen and Ink in quite a long time. Good to be using a brush instead of a mouse.

Time for a New Beginning

2009-12-29T19:46:00.001-07:00

I am not finished.

Rock out the Yard

2009-12-28T10:09:00.003-07:00

Here in the witness protection program, you rarely lay down sod or plant grass. The Tucson alternative to soft green grass is rock, colored pea stone. I decided to take my rock to a slightly higher level. So here is a rock snake, a Mommy lizard and a baby lizard that reside just outside my house. It is better than raking the dirt, believe it or not some people do that out here.

Elvgren study

2009-12-25T07:31:00.004-07:00

Completed a study of a Gil Elvgren painting for my daughter, Niki. I will probably do more. It has been a long time since I have copied someone's technique; very interesting exercise as always. Will be painting it up in the coming weeks, building my painting portfolio.

Design

2009-12-24T08:48:00.005-07:00

I did a quick comp for a client who wanted an image that denoted "Better, Smarter". Here were some of the options.

Sketchbook

2009-12-16T16:34:00.001-07:00

Contact Page

2009-12-14T18:27:00.002-07:00

Wow, I even wrote actionscript for this page on my website and it actually worked. Now you can e-mail me, go to my Facebook page and become my friend, and even "Leave a Blurb". WOOO-frickidy-HOOO.

Oh Happy Day.

2009-12-11T11:16:00.003-07:00

The Horrendous Fiasco website is finally up. Dec 9th to be exact. It is not yet finished and I am still trudging along trying to find the time to work on the other pages, but it is running. Many thanks to Mike Parker who helped get this site up and for his expertise in making this "flash" site run so well. Thanks to my very talented friend, Jim May who provided so many of the soundtracks for the site, several that will see the light of day soon. And thanks to Tom de Boor and Donna Grillo who proofread the text so I do not look like a moron. Updates to the site are in the works and will hopefully be a part of the experience soon. Oh and my friend Sue just got a role as a mosquito for Disney Playhouse. That's also good.

Progress on Rorshach

2009-12-07T09:43:00.002-07:00

Rorshach Gav (in progress)

2009-12-04T12:41:00.001-07:00

Movie page redo

2009-11-29T17:52:00.003-07:00

So the embarrassment of not having my website up has not stopped me (at least) from putting up some of the redone pages. The web developer changed how we were going about things on my movie page. I like this better so now it's just a matter of time, right? I figure the website should be up sometime before I die.