Base14

I can’t help it, I have to give in to my feminine instincts every once in a while. So in honor of the holiday that celebrates everything girly and eeewy gewy cutesy in this world, I give you the ‘kissy kiss’ necklace. That’s right! What is more absolutely precious than these two little cherubicly plump figures smooching on a necklace? (Except for maybe this.) Either way, there’s no debate about it. This one’s a keeper.

All the charms were handmade and hand-painted by yours truly, as per usual. You might be asking, “Where can I buy it?” And your answer is: You can buy it in a beautiful dream world where I have enough time to mass produce these gorgeous pieces instead of memorizing the differences between various types of togas.

Duck Heart Teslacoil has been chosen as one of the featured films of the “Best of Animation Block Party” traveling showcase! The next stop is Los Angeles, California at the New Beverly Cinema on Thursday February 18, 2010 at 7:30pm and 10:00pm. The New Beverly Cinema is located at 7165 West Beverly Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90036. Anyone that’s out in L.A. and hasn’t had the chance to witness the film on the big screen yet,
be sure to get out there and see it!

Over the weekend, Duck Heart Teslacoil won two honors at the Smogdance Film Festival. “Don’t you mean Sundance, Tyler?” you’re probably asking. No. I mean Smogdance. It’s a tiny bit lower key but with just as much heart, as far as I’m concerned. We received the Honorary Mention for Student Animation and the Saturday Audience Choice Award for Animation. And this one actually includes some prize money, for a change. Nicely done, DHT!

It’s that time of year again; time to sacrifice every available moment to the fashion gods. But the good news is I get the exciting pleasure of introducing you to the new line I am working on this year.

The concept was conceived last August and is now finally becoming a reality. Inspired by the Australian artist Ghostpatrol, this line maintains a bittersweet mood. Appropriately for a spring fashion show, this is a fall/winter line for 2010. (Coming to an imaginary store near you!) Fabrics include felted wool, heavy sweatshirt knits, flannels, heavy denims, twills and corduroys. They reminisce of classic winter clothing. Patches and layering give the look that the pieces have been worked and reworked. In addition to the garments, this collection features hand-knitted accessories and handmade jewelry.

Though I have designed a full line, the size of our fashion show unfortunately limits me to only three models. Keep a lookout for more pictures as the garments are completed.

There is something so absolutely charming about textiles. They seem the have endless possibilities and yet their tactile qualities make them so easy to relate to and enjoy. Yet as much as I admire the art form, I still have a lot to learn.

My most recent piece is an attempt to further familiarize myself with applique and embroidery. I have recently been fascinated with topography so I based this piece off of aerial views of Indiana. I hand dyed all of the fabrics to achieve color consistency and pattern diversity. I attempted to build up multiple layers through the combination of applique and reverse applique techniques. I accented the piece with charming emroidery stitches that reminisce of a sweet and simple rural life. (See closeup)

If you want something done right sometimes you don’t (necessarily) have to do it yourself. Here at Base14 we are very luckily acquainted with a skilled craftsman who can turn all of our furniture dreams into a reality. John Kupferer (a family affair) specializes in one of a kind pieces. His work was “green” long before it became trendy, using antique and reclaimed wood whenever possible. The coffee table and futon below are my most personally beloved pieces (especially since I fleshed out the original designs.) Also pictured is the ingenious book/staircase that was designed for me my freshman year of college.

These are just a few of the pieces from this under-appreciated craftsman. Needless to say, his endless patience with my many crazy furniture ideas and his skill in turning my cardboard models and sparse dimensional diagrams into beautiful, functional pieces of furniture continues to amaze me.

Not to mention the fact that they all dissasemble for easy moving.

Happy Holidays from all of us at Base14! As a special gift to our Internet friends, I’ve created something special for anyone stuck at home this season in need of something to do. Why not brush up on your After Effects skills? Presenting the latest Base14 Tutorial: “2D Animation Compositing in After Effects.”

» Download the tutorial files right here.

This is a popular tutorial I have done for some workshops at SCAD and I have been getting requests on my YouTube Channel for some sort of follow-up to my 2D Character Animation tutorials. This video goes into detail on how to properly export character animation from Flash and import it into After Effects to combine with background and foreground elements. It also gives a handy trick of how to duplicate a character animation clip to make a convincing shadow.

Anyone who’s interested in digital animation should find it useful. Enjoy!