Jack Turnbull: Illustrator

ATTENTION

2010-03-29T19:12:00.000-07:00

Hi there:

Just an FYI, this blog has ended and has been reborn at www.jackturnbullstudios.blogspot.com ... it's just a minor name change as I didn't want to pigeon hole my label as JUST an illustrator (I also make comic books! :-) ... and write essays, occasionally play music, etc. etc.) ...

Thanks!

ETSY STORE/BROOKLYN COMICS FESTIVAL/ILLUSTRATIONS

2009-12-07T16:50:00.000-08:00

It's been too long without a blog post and a lot has happened.

First off, please review my ETSY PAGE where I've got all 3 Invasive Exotics for sale!

I debuted Invasive Exotics #3 at the brooklyn comics and graphics festival. It was a stormy day, but ironically I think it made the show even more busy because nobody wanted to leave and go out in the snow! Thanks to everyone who came out, I did pretty well, reconnected with some good friends and made some new ones as well.

Invasive Exotics #4 will be out in the beginning of 2010 and then I'm going to focus on living a little bit. My next story arch is entitled "Suburban Cyclops Hunters" ... nuff said!

2009-10-17T07:38:00.000-07:00

Painting for Cake Shop Show curated by Carly James: "DEAD PIZZA PARTY"

OPENING INFO:

CMJ 2009

DAED PIZZA PARTY

Saturday, October 24^th, 2009

Bands & DJs include:
UUVVWWZ

Coin Under Tongue

MKNGFRNDZ

Love or Perish

Anamanaguchi

Noon to 6

FREE

All-ages

Cake Shop | LES | NYC

I'm going to try and make it. Hope to see you there!

Etsy Store Now Open

2009-10-05T17:16:00.000-07:00

Etsy Store is now open! The Invasive Exotics Act 1 and Act 2 are now for sale!

http://www.jackturnbull.etsy.com

You can also buy Acts 1 and 2 at the following Stores:
Forbidden Planet, Union Square, NYC
Desert Island, Lorimer Stop, Williamsburg Brooklyn
Million Year Picnic, Harvard Square, Cambridge
New England Comics, Harvard Square, Cambridge
(more stores to come!)
$6 each

I've had some tough breaks lately, I'm not sure how to speak publicly about it on a blog. In any case, I've relocated back to the Boston area and am getting to experience the New England autumn foliage. I've grown up with this phenomenon, but having been removed from it for a few years, it's nice to know you're from somewhere.

The above illustration was for SO Rhode Island Magazine illustrating a Cajun styled soup. Special thanks to Alli Coate and Allison Cole.

THE INVASIVE EXOTICS - SNEAK PREVIEW pt. 2

2009-09-03T18:02:00.000-07:00

Some Recent Work

2009-09-03T12:57:00.000-07:00

Clients: WBGO and SO Rhode Island Magazine.

For the past couple of months I've been working on a graphic novel. I go back and forth about the idea of web comics over printed matter; there is a lot more one can do with a web comic, but then again I hardly read anything online as it's straining on the eyes. Amazon.com, Microsoft and countless other corporations continuously attempt to put out digital readers, but from what I can see and understand they aren't catching on like Ipods or Iphones. I love the feel of paper and the book as an art form presents countless design opportunities for experimentation. Look no further than Chris Ware, or even go far back to Windsor McCay and you and me and everyone we know know how satisfying a hardcover can be.

But with this said, I've worked in black and white for almost 3 months because printing in color is too darn expensive. The above color illustration (the last one of the junk pile ant hills) was made simply because I miss color as a design element; color is extremely tricky - balancing warms and cools is only the beginning. In all honesty, this illustration I find to be a monstrosity as far as color goes, but give me a break, I just got back into the color game. I see it as a formal exercise.

Coming up on this blog is another preview of the Invasive Exotics. My due date is September 30th and things are on schedule for publication.

Reading List:

* "Akira" by Katsuhiro Otomo: A Japanesse cultural anomoly that is a metaphor for Hiroshima. The book's audience is clear; it is geared towards testosterone filled adolescents and repressed buisnessmen. It isn't for everybody because somebody implodes or gets run over on basically EVERY page (not to mention future Neo-Tokyo EXPLODES). With this said, Otomo is THE master of creating envirornment. His architectural drawing is flawless and if a cartoonist wants to know how to use a setting as a character, this is the series for them. I'd love to get a discussion going somewhere based on how spaztic the sequencing in this book is in comparison to something like Jimmy Corrigan or Tintin; I read it OK, but I can see how someone who didn't grow up reading comic books would have trouble figuring out what the hell was going on.

"Tintin and the Secret of Literature" by Tom McCarthy: A phonominal disection of Herge's classic series, this book is an essential to anyone enthusiastic about the Adventures of Tintin. McCarthy explores not only how the Tintin series breaks down story structure to bare elements, but also the dualistic nature of Herge the man. In the end, Tintin is THE series if one wants to understand a 20th century European male worldview.

"The Gift" by Lewis Hyde: I'm still digesting this one, but basically it's about the difference between a capitalistic society versus a gift exchange society. I'll write more when I'm done reading it ...

2009-06-07T09:45:00.000-07:00

MOCCA FESTIVAL WAS FUN! IT'S GOING TO TAKE A WHILE TO UPLOAD THE GRAPHIC NOVEL/ZINE SECTION OF MY WEBSITE, SO FOR ALL THE OLD FRIENDS I SAW AT MOCCA TODAY WHO DIDN'T PICK UP A SNEAK PREVIEW OF "THE INVASIVE EXOTICS", HERE IS JANE EASEWELL, OUR STORY'S PROTAGANIST, BREAKING INTO AN ICE CREAM FACTORY. COMING OUT 2010, 80+ pages.

2009-05-12T13:15:00.000-07:00

Big thanks to Allison Cole; art direction. For SO Rhode Island Magazine.

MOTHER'S DAY POST (FROM THE FAR REACHES OF THE UNIVERSE)

2009-05-10T17:38:00.000-07:00

Hey! The new Star Trek movie is out; I'm so glad it's gotten good reviews and generally everyone I've spoken to has said good things. I grew up on TNG (reference picture above*) and since it's mother's day, I have a very special story about growing up Trek with my mom.

I think it was the winter of 1992 or 1993; living right in between Boston and New Hampshire, you didn't go out a whole lot in the dead of winter. Winter in this area of the world means lots of dirty snow covered in street salt that never goes away because it never gets warm enough to melt.

You find yourself staying in a whole lot. Luckily for the Turnbull family, WNDS 50, "The Winds of New England" ... the station located in Portsmouth, N.H., had just the cure for the snowy prime time blues. 2 repeat episodes of "The Simpsons" followed by an episode of "Star Trek: The Next Generation".

The combination was perfect; 2 comedies and a drama. The Simpsons supplied us with a satrical whit, pop culture maxims and dark humor while Star Trek lifted our souls and let us imagine about a future better than the ones we were in; ones with Klingon, Vulcans and other cultures yet to even be discovered. And the most surreal part?

This guy was the weather man in between the Simpsons and Star Trek and if you watch this video you'll know he's total viral video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nplpiNH5Nqw&feature=related ... this video is a bit bland (even though he has the best New Hampshire accent ever) but when this guy was younger he was SO PUMPED on doing the weather.

It wasn't like we were obsessed; it was a dark time for the Celtics in 92/93 (Bird started having back problems, Reggie Lewis DIED) and this seemed to be the only other family friendly 2 hour pack for family bonding, since the Family Channel, as we all agreed, was weird.

But we started really getting into it. So when we started channel surfing between it and the two weeks of the Winter Olympics, it got a little discombobulating.

We knew it was time to take a TV break when my mother said, "Why, this downhill skiing event really doesn't represent anyone! Where are the Klingon, where are the Romulians?"

I've never told my mom this, but I was right there with her in the fantasy. For a moment, I logically paused and thought "The Romulans are not a part of the Federation, mom."

But at around the exact same time, we both came to our senses and realized we had become, if we wanted to believe it or not, Trekkies. We turned off the Television, I retreated into my room to doodle space ships and I suspect my mother did a cross word puzzle.

Happy Mother's Day, everyone!

**********

I just watched this video above and thought to myself; this is what mom must have felt when the Beatles started dressing in bright colors and traveling to India.

This band plays pop songs that sound so familiar and from so many different histories. I hear the beach boys, Paul Simon's "graceland", house and afrobeats, maybe even chanting(and scatting? - What do you call what Avey Tare is doing with his voice?) ... and the lyrics re-enforce the nostalgic themes; the song references wearing summertime clothes and taking off your socks - a poetic visual both mundane and sublime. Mundane because it is a logical solution to the weather, sublime in the erotic undertones. A perfect pop song: made for the season, just a little dirty and just weird and psychedelic enough to be appealing to just about anyone whose got a lil' freak in them.

* Note scene is of Lt. Commander Geordi LaForge's mandolin being taken away by Lt. Commander Worf. They are dressed in Robin Hood attire in an extended space of reality by the cosmic trouble maker "Q". This is the famous episode where Worf insists to Captain Picard that he is "Not a merry man."

2009-04-16T19:00:00.000-07:00

Dropping in MAY!

2009-04-15T19:25:00.000-07:00

Hey hey hey! Jack Turnbull reporting from Bedstuy. The weather today was non-descript and ever changing; rainy at times but the day ending out with a rainbow (I didn't see it, but I'm sure it must of happened at some point). I only got outside to deliver a changing table to a lady in an amazing residential spot around north 11th.

I keep seeing all these luxury lofts being put up all around Brooklyn and I wonder if anyone is going to move in sometimes...

Up top: New Southern Rhode Island Magazine illustration. Once again a big thanks out to Allison Cole, art director and so much more.

THEN!!! ----> Coming out soonish (gimmie time, I'm about 1/3 done and 30 pages deep) THE INVASIVE EXOTICS!!!!

PS ---

I knew the above image was missing something! Meditative textile patterns loosely based on totem poles; of course, duh.

Moving Right Along

2009-03-26T05:54:00.000-07:00

So the back of my computer has sort of imploted (?!?!?!) but the good news is that I have moved ... AGAIN ... but it's all for the best. The place is cheaper, closer to work, lots of more sunshine and more space. My roommates are Cooper Union seniors so that should be interesting.

Here are some before and after photos.

PLUS: My Xeric grant dreams have not fizzled into bitterness. I'm Still going strong on this story and it feels like old times when I used to put out zines.

Oh yeah! I got to do an illustration for the John Beard awards! For those who don't know ... the John Beard awards are kinda like the Oscars of cooking. Yay!

---Jack

Thanks for coming to Junto

2009-03-06T02:48:00.000-08:00

Big thanks to all those who came out to the Collorgy show at the Junto Gallery last weekend. I was at first a bit dubious due to the scope of the show (about 13 artists show, a couple of bands performing, 2 stand up comedians, a Street Fighter tournament and then an all night dance party) ... but it went together VERY well and I think those who were there had a blast.

I was also fortunate enough to have the opening slot with my max/msp looping set. I seriously need to figure out a better system for putting this music online. Myspace doesn't allow me to update my ... space ... so I suppose straight up MP3s on Jack Turnbull.com may be the solution. That's something to look forward to. I've come a long way from endlessly looping the intro to Star Trek the Next Generation.

Pictured is about half of the work I showed (more was added later).

I have a few illustration gigs in the works ... I'll post as they come through.

Oh yeah ... happy March ... have some snow.

<3,
Jack

2009-02-12T06:35:00.000-08:00

Here's a greeting card I've done for mini jake ... and just for laughs the Orange Dinosaur of Route 1, Saugus Mass.

Soup

2009-02-07T06:52:00.001-08:00

Soup illustration ...

SIAFU OF BUSHWICK PAGES 3-4 1/22/09

2009-01-22T07:00:00.000-08:00

SIAFU OF BUSHWICK page 1 page 2 spread 1/20/09

2009-01-20T17:50:00.000-08:00

2009-01-16T17:30:00.000-08:00

Ugh ... day 3 of not being able to eat anything other than bread, rice and Pepto-Bismol. This blows! Think of all the things I could have gotten done!

Here's a Valentine illustration done recently for Southern RI magazine ... if you'll notice, I used a very bright "opera" pink that scanned out white; a good note to myself I suppose.

CREATIVE PROCESS POST

2009-01-07T21:22:00.001-08:00

Hello friends, fans, true believers and family! Jack Turnbull reporting from my green dungeon at the corners of Bushwick and Ridgewood. I wish you all a happy new year and I think I speak for just about everyone when I say "see you in hell 2008". What a rollercoaster, huh? ... I've never refreshed CNN, Drudge Report and the New York Times website so much. At least we have someone who can speak English properly in office whose heart is in the right place, right?

Before I continue the small chat, above are two illustrations I've done for the best art director in the world, Allison Cole ... the Ocean State Swordfish Burger and holiday pies! Next up: wine and chocolate.

I brought in the New Years in style at Austins ... covered in Champagne and confetti. I intend to celebrate each day because it's been a whole year here in New York City and I finally feel I am in a confident, comfortable mental state to let my creative juices flow.

Above is a page of Issue #0 of "Siafu of Bushwick", a prelude to my new comic book saga. I am going to apply for a Xeric Grant with this and if I don't win it ... I'm just going to put it out myself.

You can get a copy of it at Desert Island of the Lorimer stop on the L train, at Potion Cafe Saturday the 10th for Morgan Blair's opening that I'll be DJing Hypomixes. Here's an awesome interview with Morgan. She is awesome.

By the way ... I just want to quote Morgan from this interview because I share a similar sentiment ... even if there is no money, there is passion and hope.

SZ: What's coming up in 2009?
MB: Obama, and a weird feeling of optimism. Hopefully snow. New shoes. I have a show called HELLO BUSHWICK at AKA Potion Cafe at the McKibbin Lofts in Brooklyn. The opening is next Saturday, January 10th (7 - 9pm). I've been working on a series of new pieces about converging triangles (Venn-Diamond-Gram!), so those will be there along with some other work. I will also have a couple small pieces in the OCHO group show in Barcelona, which will go from March to May 2009, and there's a massive book as part of the same project that I will be featured in along with all the other participating artists. I'm beyond excited about that. That's all I can think of... oh yeah I've been doing drawings for the Newport Mercury and I'm still looking for a stupid part-time job. But hopefully I can just freelance a lot more.

View more of Morgan's work at MorganBlair.com, and if you're in NYC, go check out her show on Saturday.

2008-12-09T19:43:00.000-08:00

So instead of drawing, exercising, socializing, ... I have spent my spare time making hypnotic jams such as the one available above. Looping loops over loops over loops and adding vocal loops I find myself going into a meditative trance making and listening to this music. There are moments that don't work; my files aren't organized enough to know when specific moments hit when. But when this works it is heavenly.

I want to make images and stories that possess the feeling of experimentation and ecstasy I feel when I am making this music. I am interested in the aesthetics of still scenes. I ask myself ... is this music file time based on static? How can I get to that place of meditation via 2 dimensional work?

Where is the meditation in narrative?

HYPNOMIX Jam #1

Overachiever

2008-11-19T06:58:00.001-08:00

2008-11-17T18:21:00.000-08:00

Me and Morgan Lappin are making some t-shirt designs ... Here's a sample ... hitting the market around Christmas time ... !!!

Jamal the Squid

2008-11-17T17:20:00.000-08:00

Jamal the squid wasn't buying JJ's "free hot tub" story ...

2008-10-23T18:25:00.001-07:00

Curtains for McCain

November Illustration

2008-10-01T06:04:00.000-07:00

New illustration for Southern Rhode Island magazine.

2008-09-28T15:07:00.001-07:00

Have it be known by day I am a proud salesman of MiniJake; a baby furniture and toy store located in the heart of Williamsburg. While most of my duties include sharing information about high tech baby strollers, keeping invoices in order and assembling Brio products, I am asked from time to time to do a little design work! Above is a sign I made for our store's ball pit. We carry from Crocodile Creek, which makes awesome products. Check 'um out!

Crocodile Creek
Minijake

2008-09-03T19:55:00.000-07:00

Thank you JB Winter!

2008-09-01T11:24:00.001-07:00

Much thanks to JB Winter for letting me contribute to his 50 state comic book jam! If you want a copy, check out his blog.

http://www.jbwinter.com/

Go Izzy Go!

LECTURE NOTES FOUND!!!

2008-08-16T18:56:00.000-07:00

BIG BIG BIG shout out to my boy back in New England Greg Cook for taking down lecture notes from the 2006 Gary Panter lecture at RISD. Thanks Greg! I thought these were lost.

http://gregcookland.com/journal/2008/05/gary-panter-talk-at-risd-in-2006.html

Clamcakes

2008-08-11T07:45:00.000-07:00

Illustration for clamcakes.

Pictures of the new place coming soon.

<3

2008-07-07T11:28:00.001-07:00

Another illustration for Southern Rhode Island Magazine (Thanks Allison Cole, art director). This one's on bread.

Inner Beast

2008-06-24T07:38:00.000-07:00

Virtual Studio Visit!

2008-06-23T09:08:00.001-07:00

Check out the new work! Here's about half a year's worth of plastic color, subway scenes and human clusters ... also a big dinosaur with a coke can I need to finish.

2008-06-15T14:39:00.000-07:00

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=110262485764

GO CELTS!

2008-06-12T06:01:00.000-07:00

2008-06-12T05:36:00.000-07:00

2008-06-12T05:26:00.000-07:00

Pirate

2008-06-12T05:21:00.000-07:00

2008-06-12T05:15:00.000-07:00

2008-06-10T13:24:00.000-07:00

Space Burger 1

2008-06-05T12:14:00.000-07:00

Put It Together

2008-06-03T14:04:00.000-07:00

Half Way Point

2008-06-02T19:21:00.001-07:00

Here I am at halfway; new illustration.

2008-06-02T05:29:00.000-07:00

Summer Surprise (3/4th finished painting; little bit of build up left and gloss)

Sunset Mike

2008-06-01T19:00:00.000-07:00

Sunset Mike

2008-06-01T18:58:00.000-07:00

Subway Sneeze.

2008-05-05T14:20:00.000-07:00

To appear in SO Rhode Island Magazine; Thanks once again to the lovely art director Allison Cole! Check out her art at www.comicsoflove.com

2008-04-03T15:19:00.000-07:00

So...

where have I been?

Without internet mostly. You might as well be dead without it in this fast pace art world. But luckily there are afterhours at work.

Well, I've done some freelance jobs here and there, but most notably here is something thanks to art directory Alison Cole. It'll appear in a Providence magazine next monthish.

New clients:

Geovision
David Sears (Author ... forget the name of his publisher)
Providence Monthly

Still haven't gone into full throttle freelance mode (although I am accepting offers). Still saving up money ... I'm getting there ...
<3,
Jack

2008-02-19T16:37:00.000-08:00

Better photos.

Saipan

2008-02-17T07:56:00.000-08:00

I'm working on some maps for the author/historian David Sears. These will appear in a book about the last great naval battle of WWII.

ALSO...

This is the only thing I want for Christmas.

http://www.garypanterbook.com/

2008-02-01T05:59:00.000-08:00

Seadog and Scuttlebutt.

Character sketch for upcoming children's book.

New painting and sketches next week.

Time for a Dog

2008-01-26T20:51:00.000-08:00

I'm thinking of purchasing a dog.

I may be ready for one.

2008-01-20T18:42:00.000-08:00

Pirates and motorcycle gangs, outlaws and animals of men.

I've been plastering my walls with inspiration men and I'm reading about dastardly devils. The Boston Celtics Big Three stand tall and proud on the cover of sports illustrated above my bed and on my bedside table are two books; Hunter S. Thompson's non-fiction masterpiece recounting the Hell's Angels and "The Republic of Pirates" by Colin Woodard; a historically accurate account of the golden age of piracy (the one that Johnny Depp is supposedly in; not the current state of piracy that involves machine guns, human cargo and other massively sketchy things).

As a young man in the midst of his own fruitful career, I seem to be having a duelistic persona influenced by these two different groups. At work, I try to see myself as Kevin Garrnett. The guy who is just going to work his ass off and not think about tomorrow ... just think about getting the job done.

And at home I'm seeing myself as the Hell's Angel; scratching away at sketches and paintings.

I'm working on a children's book with David Sears. We're going to pitch it to publishers once the sketches are completed and the text is fully realized.

Once I put it all in writing, I feel like life is just where it aught to be. I've had some unpleasantries at work along with some misunderstandings ... but now, starting on my 4th week there, I feel like I can get the job done and pump out quality product (as long as my computer can keep up ... I hate load time!).

And even if it doesn't go too well and come March they give me the boot, I can always return home to my parent's studio where I can keep building my portfolio which is becoming more and more defined.

New York City is cold today. It was a good day spent indoors ... When I look at what I got done today drawing I feel I lacked a bit, but it was also laundry day and a list of other tasks were in front of me. Plus, I was recovering from Mission of Burma from last night. Why did they have to be SO LOUD?

I leave you with a sketch of Mr. Sear's proposed idea. I'm pretty proud of this one ... my personal work seems to be going somewhere pleasant.

And when the world goes to shit, at least I always have Biggie on the ipod. Hell, I have an ipod shuffle. I live like a king.

Peace and love,
Jack

Christmas Card

2008-01-01T16:27:00.000-08:00

For some reason, Blogger inverts my artwork for some reason. I have no reason why. So just imagine this with normal colors.

New Work

2008-01-01T16:22:00.000-08:00

Hope everyone had a great holiday season! Here is some new work.

HOW DO PEOPLE PHOTOGRAPH PAINTINGS?! ARGH, so frustrating. I will pay someone to photograph my paintings.

2007-11-11T05:42:00.000-08:00

I've been hanging out in the woods a lot.

Once again, need new scanner.

Listening to Battles. This sounds like it's from the future. I think they're a bunch of time travelers from an optimistic 2439 ... where subtraction is the new addition and respect is used as currency. Everything's free and someone resembling Jean Luc Picard is prime minister of the Earth League Alliance (or ELA).

Shout out to CF's new book POWR MASTRS. I've been following his zines for a while and this long awaited book is the most intriguing and unique comic I have seen in a long while. He is a solitary voice and an individual power ... in a school of his own, making it Ok to make comics with a pencil. http://www.pictureboxinc.com/product/id/126/

I don't think this guy even owns a computer.

So no excuses for the rest of us, Ok? Follow your fucking dreams.

Pre Thanksgiving art

2007-11-07T06:03:00.001-08:00

Hmm ... so if I'm ever going to look legit online I think I'm going to have to plead for a new scanner and a personal photography assistant for Christmas. My scanner, while it was free in the Brown University dumpster, is really meant for sending faxes and printing out term papers. It's not meant for large scale illustrations.

And while 4.0 mega pixels on a camera sounds impressive, it doesn't do too well when attempting to show detail in painting.

But I suppose the important thing is that the artwork is done and is in existence.

I am working on a new comic which will be a series of short stories in a final collection called
"A Town Called Orange". Each issue will have a painted cover that will be color photocopied. The first story is about space exploration in the suburbs. I'm trying to make the Twilight Zone for Kids ... a surrealist's view of suburbs. The next story is about a boy with a talking guitar ... an all night video arcade by the coast ... the champion of Candlepin Bowling ... and feeling abandon and escape while deep sea fishing.

This will probably be the end my comics being set in suburbs. Once they are completed, I think it's time to move on.

Birdwatchers!

2007-10-11T15:49:00.000-07:00

Big update!

I had my first fallen through assignment! After over 20 sketches, the client turned them down (first I was too cartoony ... then I was too generic? I am what I am, guess it wasn't good enough). At least they'll always be here in cyberspace. I'm posting some of the best ones ...

On a more positive note, I'm meeting with Geo Vision tomorrow to potentially make comic books on the subject of substance abuse.

I have also made a painting that is the first in a series. It's 18 inches by 22 inches ... acrylic, gouche and oil. You saw it here first on my blog!

The Devil and Daniel Johnston

2007-09-27T10:16:00.000-07:00

Daniel Johnston is irrational, irresponsible and at times violent due to his manic depressive condition. In the course of his life he seriously threatened the lives of three people; his former manager, an elderly woman and his own father. Footage of Johnston in this film contains scenes where he thinks he is a ghost of himself, casually describing demons as real, breaking down in the middle of an identity crisis and preaching to an audience of NYC noise hipsters about the dangers of Satan.
But when Johnston is on stage with a guitar in hand, all one can see and feel is bliss. The fragility of Johnston's off key singing voice is so enduring you can't believe that it is coming form an over-weight chain smoker wearing sweatpants. The lyrics sound as if they could have been from an era far gone; Leadbelly and early Bob Dylan comes to mind. And somehow Johnston can make Casper the Friendly Ghost seem ACTUALLY haunting with his words.
Here in lies the paradox of Johnston's life. Within him is both a saint and the devil. Through the movie he is never interviewed in the present moment, but there really isn't any need for this sense he recorded himself talking through most of his adult life. We can hear primary sources of documentation from him. Everyone else, his parents and siblings, his closest friends, seem to be much closer to the audience. Not only are they being interviewed in the present day, but they're really the only ones you can relate to since Johnston's personality is so unique. It doesn't take long to realize that they are the heroes of the story.
I was particularly impressed with Johnston's parents. Unlike Johnston's many managers or even a few of his closer musical friends, Johnston's parents are only concerned with Johnston's happiness. Their tolerance and acceptance of Johnston is unbelievable.

So when I came to the end of "The Devil and Daniel Johnston", I really wasn't sure what to think. On the one hand, Johnston has inspired an era of singer/songwriters, from Kurt Cobain to Conor Oberst, while still remaining in a league and category of his own. His music will be remembered dozens of years from now the same way we remember Leadbelly.

But on the other hand, how much can one contribute this to Daniel Johnston himself? If it wasn't for the love of his parents and patrons who broke their backs in order for him to simply function, would Johnston have burned out years ago? There are so many close calls in his life. Johnston only survives because there are people who care and can bail him out.

The movie's moral is that in order for an artist to succeed, he needs to be able to function. Johnston can do everything else but function, so a fair amount of his work can be attributed to the people who find him dear.

Charade

2007-09-26T07:12:00.000-07:00

Charade

Take two parts Alfred Hitchcock and mix it with one part Wes Anderson. Make sure the plot's multiple genres blend well and you've got Audrey Hepburn and Cary Grant in "Charade". What's noteworthy about this movie is always subtle; it's either Hepburn's impeccable taste for clothes, the director's aesthetic decision to concentrate on objects, or Grant's dry and charming humor.
But what is impressive is that the director manages to tell a story one part comedy, one part thriller and one part romance and keeps it feeling natural. The jokes are good, the Hepburn/Cary chemistry is real and the thrills do scare.

I couldn't decide which illustration looked better above, so if anyone had any comments, it would be appreciated.

2007-08-31T13:25:00.000-07:00

This is the first drawing in a new promotional flyer zine (see www.tedmcgrath.com for where I got the idea for the booklet layout) entitled "Bond". It will include portraits of three James Bond actors plus a large Bond montage illustration inside.

With this zine I'm also planning on making a 1986 Boston Celtics zine in support of my favorite team who have recently aquired Kevin Garrnett (DYNASTY in 2008?). It will include Celtics of the past (most likely the big three, Bird, Parish and McCale) plus another zine with Pierrce, Garrnett and a third player to be determined.

Art Directors ... you have been warned.

2007-08-29T11:54:00.000-07:00

In the old days they had been called Mysians,**212 but later their name was changed to its present form. They live in all countries divided from the Roman Empire by the River Ister (Danube). Suddenly they left these districts and emigrated to our side of the river. This movement areas caused by the activities of the Getae, their neighbors, who by their plundering and ravaging compelled them to abandon their own homes and seek new ones. So, at a time when the Ister was frozen over, they crossed as though on dry land [242] and emigrated from the Trans-danubian territories to our province. The whole nation was transported, bag and baggage, over our borders, incapable of living at peace themselves, and bound to spread consternation among their former neighbors. More than other nations they are difficult to fight and hard to subdue. They are neither vigorous of body, nor brave in spirit. They wear no breastplates, put on no greaves, and no helmets protect their heads. They carry no shields of any kind whatsoever, neither the long sort like those traditionally borne by the Argives, nor the round shield, nor do they gird on swords. The only weapon they carry in their hands is the spear, their sole defensive armour. They are not divided up by battalions, and when they go to war they have no strategic plan to guide them. The terms 'vanguard', 'left wing', 'right flank' mean nothing to them. They build no palisades for their own protection, and they are unacquainted with the idea of defensive ditches on the perimeter of their camps. In one mass, close-packed and pell-mell, fortified by sheer desperation, they emit loud war-cries, and so fall upon their adversaries. If they succeed in pushing them back, they dash against them in solid blocks, like towers, pursuing and slaying without mercy. On the other hand, if the opposing force withstands their assault and if their ranks preserve an unbroken line in face of the barbarian onslaught, the latter forthwith turn about and seek safety in flight. But there is no order in their retreat. They scatter in all directions, in small groups. One hurls himself into a river, and either swims to land or is engulfed in its eddies and sinks; another goes of into a thick wood and so becomes invisible to his pursuers; a third escapes in some other way. They all disperse at the same moment, but later, in some strange fashion, they meet again, one coming down from a mountain, another from some ravine, another from a river, all from different hiding-places. When they are thirsty, if they find water, either from springs or in the streams, they at once throw themselves down into it and gulp it up; if there is no water, each man dismounts from his horse, opens its veins with a knife, and drinks the blood. So they quench their thirst by substituting blood for water. After that they cut up the fattest of the horses, set fire to whatever wood they find ready to hand, and having slightly warmed the chopped limbs of the horse there on the spot, they gorge themselves on the meat, blood and all. The refreshment over, they hurry [243] back to their Primitive huts and lurk, like snakes, in the deep gullies and precipitous cliffs which serve as their walls. Taken in the mass, this is a nation to be feared, and a treacherous one. Treaties of friendship exercise no restraining influence over these barbarians, and even oaths sworn over their sacrifices are not respected, for they reverence no deity at all, not to speak of God. To them all things are the result of chance, and death they believe to be the end of everything. For these reasons they make peace with great alacrity and then, when they find it necessary to resort to war, they at once violate the terms of their treaty. If you conquer them in war, they invoke a second treaty of friendship; if it is they who win the combat, they massacre some of their captives and hold a magnificent sale of the rest. For the rich prisoners they fix the price high, and if they fail to get ransom, they kill them.

2007-08-29T09:30:00.000-07:00

I've been cleaning up my room in an attempt to make it somewhat studio-ish as there isnt' any space in our house. My parent's are building an addition (including a huge studio I'll get to share with my mom for a little while!) but in the meantime things are cramped.

As I was cleaning up I came across this ... a piece I made sophtimore year that I really like. There's a lot of energy in it. What happened to that energy in me? I'm going to try and "tap back into it" this year as I pursue freelance illustration, comics ... all that stuff ... I guess just trying to figure it all out.

New Painting

2007-08-18T07:26:00.000-07:00

I've been working and putzing around with some paintings this summer just trying to figure everything out. I've finally made one that responds. I like this lil' guy and I think it's the next logical step to that wedding commission I did in June.

I have the week off from my dayjob next week and I'm going to be trying to work on that horse commission I got plus a painting a day. I'll be working around the clock!

Also, I think it's time for me to make a global warming awareness cartoon using Max/MSP. Load that up to youtube and try to save the world.

2007-08-16T17:46:00.000-07:00

Making friends online.

http://blackmoth.livejournal.com/

The new max/msp video should be up ASAP.

2007-08-15T15:47:00.000-07:00

More max/msp mayhem. I'm pretty amateur at this, but that should never stop anyone (plus, they honestly don't take too long and I have a lot of sitting to do during my gallery shift).

Expect more of these shorts.

2007-08-14T08:10:00.000-07:00

I've also been keeping up with Max/MSP. Here is a new Pop meditation with guitar (unfiltered) and animated RPG characters. All done in max/msp and imove HD.

End of Summer Update

2007-08-14T07:09:00.000-07:00

Hey Bloggers,

I've been pretty busy this summer ... and NOT just making sandwiches.

I've started a series of portrait paintings of people of not much personal significance; people I see on the street, imaginary people and the like. I've also gotten a huge illustration assignment to illustrate 12 greeting cards for WYO-Cowgirl.

I made some samples of what the product could look like. My art director and I have talked about it and they'll be changed, but this work is still worthy I believe on posting here.

I'm slowly drifting into a polished style. I don't think I'm fully there just yet, but progress is gradually being made.

I will post paintings when I get back to Providence (in a couple days, I've been home dealing with family matters).
<3,
Jack

PS-
I'll be on the cover of Watershed this fall!

2007-07-02T07:56:00.001-07:00

Recently I had a wedding commission to make a painted family tree. The groom was Indian and the bride Italian-American, so thus explains Gandhi, Ellis Island, the elephant and the pilgrams (well, that doesn't explain the pilgrams. There's a lil' of that in her, too).

So ta da ... a month's painting. I'm happy with the result and I learned from the process. I think I am done with museum board and am going to go back to gessoboard as my surface. I am DEFINATELY continuing with the acrylic gouache with a final layer of oil.

Update

2007-05-23T12:24:00.000-07:00

It's the end of the school year and like everyone else, I'm busy. There was a gallery over in Pawtucket a few days back, I'm trying to move out of the old apartment, I have a few freelance jobs lined up and through it all I'm finding time to paint and getting a handle of acryla gouache, paint medium of the gods.

I've limited my pallet to the following colors below and the effect is really exciting. They're sort of Santa Fe looking ... I'm trying to throw out earthy tones because I see enough of those as is (maybe I'll go back to terra verte and burnt sienna someday).

So below is a picture of the opening I had at the sight of sound and my pallot!

Happy summer guys!

Alright!

2007-05-20T15:30:00.000-07:00

http://www.jackturnbull.com

Ready to rock and roll.
Still some kinks to work out on the links page and you have to access my resume through the biography page, but it's all there now!

2007-05-14T12:12:00.000-07:00

Working on a new piece and adapting a more painterly style. I am using Acrlya gouche and oils and applying it to board in a manner similar to Rebecca Guay, who came to RISD a few weeks ago to do a painting demonstration. Here it is ...

PIRATES

2007-04-17T21:23:00.000-07:00

New pirate illustration that may potentially go in Plansponsor magazine. I'm up against my classmates, who are all VERY talented, so it's a longshot this will get in, but ... let's just say if this was "Project Runway", I'd definately not be getting kicked off on tonight's episode.

OH YEAH ... I have a gallery up at Carr Haus. You should come. Pictures soon.

Star Wars

2007-03-21T22:10:00.000-07:00

Here's the newest portfolio piece. It still has some things to be worked out, but once again I'm going with this ink/acrylic painting/mono printing photoshop collage technique. I'm thinking of replacing the princess with a princess Leia from an old Star Wars comic I found at the Rhode Island Mall (Jennie and I stopped by chance to see if we could get our photos taken with a supposed Leprecon, but as it turned out, you had to BRING a Leprecon, AKA a baby, which we lucky don't have).

I also feel that the monoprinting in it is a bit understated ... I really wanted to have it be a main part of the piece.

I'll run it by Robert tommorrow and get feedback. Night everyone.

Oh yeah, and here's some process paintings that didn't make the final cut. (Sigh)

Promotional piece

2007-03-18T21:25:00.000-07:00

I'm designing a postcard to send out to magazines, newspapers and potential clients. This is a "first draft". I'm going to add gouache text for jackturnbull.com (which I SERIOUSLY need to update, geez!).

Check it out...

The circles on the right are going to be tennis balls. So ... yeah ... text and tennis balls and I'm going to turn it in as assingnment.

Here's hoping.

March Gallery

2007-03-18T11:32:00.000-07:00

Well, my senior show came and went. I was too busy running around and socializing to take photos by myself, but fortunately my mom was there to step in. There aren't too many great photos of "Bad Guy", one of my favorite pieces, but I'm going to start putting up my portfolio pieces up here anyway.

Enjoy!

More updates coming up.

New Old Illustrations

2007-02-19T16:53:00.000-08:00

Here is my finals from last semester's "digital illustration" class ... cowboys and western related illustrations. My personal fav is "tex" but my teacher prefered Cowboy Curtis.

For some really WEIRD reason, when I upload the first illustration it comes out in reverse color. So, to put it simply, it is BLUE ... when it should be Yellow. I guess google is still working out the kinks for their blog system. Oh well, I just want this stuff up. I'll post a REAL version later.

Comic book class tommorrow. Exciting.

Final Essay; Electronic KnickKnacks '07

2007-02-15T11:26:00.000-08:00

My final project for Electronic Knickknacks came in two parts; the "Silent Running" installation and then "The Sound of Form". For a detailed description of "Silent Running" , please read the prior post. It also makes note of my motivation for making it.

As for my analysis for how successful it was, most of it's shortcomings were due to lack of resources and time. While I find that the thrown together quality and the "outside" installation did well at proving my point that man's simulated nature can never truly rival what is organically around us, I wanted some of my Max patches to be more illustrative and some of my footage to be more clean. I had the most problems with my deerskin patch.

While the peacock and the clams were simple equations in Max, the deer fur came out just looking like screen saver lines. It looked contemporary and "hip" as opposed to majestic and foreign like an actual deer. Still, I am happy with my descition to just let it be and continue going on with the project.

I am pleased with Silent Running. I successfully conveyed a theory using programs that were very new to me. While I am not an expert at MAX/MSP by a long shot, I do sense my considerable growth in being fluent in the program and am going to be purchasing the student $50 nine month package form Cycling '74.

I made the Sound of Form because I wanted to work with audio (Silent Running is ... Silent) but still have a final piece that connected with my background as an illustration/2D artist. Seeing that I already had interesting shapes, I did the most logical thing I could think; put the two together.
The Sound of Form makes synthesizer (cycle to be exact) bleeps for each rendered line segment or oval. When the cycle is put on random for one part of a value of a line segment, the notes are random too. I made a clam for one of the sounds and the end result is a frequency constantly getting higher and higher. It sort of sounds like a bomb about to go off.
The end result is fairly comical as the line segments and ovals gain a personality. It is also musical and could be interpreted as two instruments playing in a single song.
I was proud of the Sound of Form as it was a very simply patch that had a interesting visual effect.
Once again, I simply wish I had more time to investigate the program further. The instruments were rather primitive. I want to make shapes and pictures that correspond not randomly, but give a sense of melody.
Although the final piece was primitive, I still find that, conceptually, it was successful.

Class Essay:

Learning new "languages" has never been easy for me. In fact, I have almost always been pretty downright awful at learning foreign languages. Had I stayed back one more year in French class, I would have been in the same class as my little sister. It's because of dyslexia and hearing problems.
So when I came into one of the first classes of Electronic Knickknacks and realized I was going to have to memorize patterns, symbols and their meanings and code, I was intimidated. From the start I knew I wasn't going to make a groundbreaking, earth shattering Max patch. Then again, who can in six weeks?
With this in mind, I really, really enjoyed this class. As we got more into it, I learned that Max was a lot more forgiving then something like French. There was the max window who would always let you know if something was wrong, there was audio and visual that would always let you know if something wasn't working and there were never snobby advanced placement students who would snicker at my Max "pronunciation". And the help menus are a godsend! Overall, I found Max/MSP to be very user friendly.
I was never once frustrated. Well, maybe that's not true. I was frustrated on occasion, but I never lost hope. I felt like I could always make things work as long as I didn't bite off more then I could chew.
I think what I got mostly out of the class was to be patient with process when making art. In max, you can make incredibly beautiful images and sounds. But it requires patience; patience and failure. You have to take baby steps. My work is always very instant. I crave instant gradification. There is no such thing as instant gradifiation with Max/MSP. Thus, I had to "dig" and make little progress every day. My entire artistic process slowed down as a result.
I might never use Max again (I hope this isn't the case) but I do think I will take more time and be more patient with my illustrations.
The teaching was fantastic. Peter was super patient and was always supportive. He realized that everyone was at a different stage with the program and everyone had different goals. I really do hope he pursues teaching as he is a person people want to be around. He is calm, funny, intelligent and warm hearted.
His teaching could improve, but considering how little time he had, I can't really complain. I would have loved to just continuously see more and more artists who use max. I cannot stress how important exposure is enough. Perhaps if each class opened with an artist who uses Max?

I'm going to miss the Digital Media department ... onto the final semester of RISD.

SILENT RUNNING Installation complete

2007-02-08T07:44:00.000-08:00

Silent Running

Silent Running is an investigation of the patterns that occur organically and biologically in nature. It is also a comment on man's depiction of nature, what man longs for and is allured to in nature and man's desire to emulate it to the point of complete control.

Some patterns are technical, such as the Max/MSP patches that simulate clams, deer fur and peacocks by using simple equations on the television screens. Some are conceptual like the connection between butterflies fluttering around flowers for food and fish swimming around coral reef for protection and food. Also shown is shoot footage of India Point Park, Providence, that is put in the loop in the videos so the viewer has "down time" to digest what he/she is seeing.

There is an irony in the installation. The "outside" is fake. All the flowers were bought at a Michael's craft store in Warwick along with a 3" by 12" spray painted astro turf rug. But the televisions (often associated with just showing projections and thus, ultimately false images) are the only devices showing scenes that are real; fish, landscapes, equations. This illustrates my own person disconnect with nature.

As the class comes to a close and my installation is over (are these things ever over?) I want to offer the class a few questions on "Silent Running":

1. What is the most beautiful "scene" (be it on a television or in the installation itself) in the installation?
2. Are the butterflies beautiful or crappy?
3. When was the last time you had an experience/run in with nature? Does this installation emulate a pastoral scene or a meadow?
4. What is missing, aesthetically, from nature that is not illustrated in the installation?

Here are some links to artists who inspired this project.

http://www.wernerherzog.com - Werner Herzog grew up on a remote village in Bavaria. He never watched movies, television and hardly ever listened to recorded music. He made his first phone call at the age of 17. As a result, he is a cultural "outsider" film maker (although he went to an academy) with strong connections and ties with nature. I was influenced by his cinematic landscape shots.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silent_Running - The film in which this project takes it's name from. Silent Running is a 1972 low budget science fiction film that aesthetically may be the polar opposite to a Herzog film. It is the story of an ecologist on a space ship attempting to save the only remaining plant life in existance. I was turned out by the film maker's "winging it" approach to special effects, such as putting amputees inside robots to save some cash. Conceptually the movie inspired me as well as aesthetically.

http://www.geartekcorporation.com/dailyphoto/dailyphoto.html - Kevin Bewersdorf's photos are not afraid to the "craptastic". He is interested with fake lawns, paint ball guns, shopping malls, American houses that were built to only last fifty years and essentially just investigating the current day American human condition. Like my installation, his gear tek corporation project investigates what happens when people do a low budget job to try and make something look pretty.

http://www.philipkdick.com/ : One day, ostridges will be more expensive then Picasso's.

process photos:

peacock drawing: Painted with gauche, put into photoshop, overlayed with finalcut on Max/msp patch.
deer drawing: ditto.

2007-02-05T10:02:00.000-08:00

I'm still searching around for the CD of my most recent digital illustrations, which concerns me, but not too much. My priority right now is finishing up my final for both my Max/MSP class, Electronic Knick-Knacks", as well as the final for my Digitalia .
The concept is to simulate nature; one part using a high technology, Max/MSP, as well as low technology, fabric and materials bought at AC Moore's, in an attempt to obtain a higher understanding for it's form. In the instance of the high technology, I have summed up the form of a clam into a delicate equation ... similarly I have minimized peacock feathers to simple coordinate decisions. I'm doing math, which is refreshing and something I never thought I'd do here at RISD.

Here are some photos from the AC Moore part. I have a ways to go before it starts resembling a forest, but it's a fun process.

Updates coming up.

2007-02-01T07:34:00.000-08:00

I think I have this blog thing down now. Truth be told, I'm still working out the kinks; I have no blog friends just yet, haven't really posted any photos, etc., etc., but let's put it this way, logging in is a breeze.

Somehow the aesthetic and design of this forum is so classy, I feel as if posts can only and should only be career/art oriented (plus just neat finds on the internet here and there). So that's what it'll be.

I'll update you with what's gone on. I did an illustration for OPM, the glass gallery downtown. A real quick job for easy money, but fun none the less. My client wanted a parody of those Charles Atlas ads from back in the day. Being very familiar with Charles Atlas the illustration was a walk in the park. Let's see if I can find the work ... it's on a CD somewhere in my room ... oh yeah! Here it is ...

Hmmm ... can't seem to find them. Must be in my studio down the street. I'll show them next post.

In the meantime, here are my Max/MSP screen shots. I worked for a good solid four hours getting the stills JUST right in order to make these pyschodelic clams. Making art with Max and Jitter is making me actually enjoy math. Pretty crazy.

2007-01-31T07:40:00.000-08:00

Testing, testing ... testing ... Ok ... new blog. Playing show on Tuesday, the 6th at Mathewson street. life is good. Learning Max/MSP. Did an illustration for OPM glass gallery. Saw a flyer with illustration at Nice Slice. It was satisfying. Sweet.