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Red Dot Artist Spotlight--Kelly Light

Long time Chuck Jones Center for Creativity Ambassador, Kelly Light has been contributing her original artwork to the Red Dot Auction since 2015.

Kelly Light is the author/illustrator of the well-loved series Louise Loves Art and has illustrated other series including The Quirks and Elvis and the Underdogs.

Kelly lives in a big creaky old house in Massachusetts and enjoys traveling to other creaky old houses of various sizes around the world.

She grew up on Sunday Funnies and Saturday Morning Cartoons and has spent her life creating characters with those inspirations in mind.

Which artist’s work will you go home with on September 11? Will it be Kelly’s?

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Red Dot Artist Spotlight--Daniel Killen

Today, we shine our spotlight on the immensely talented and very funny, Daniel Killen. Daniel has been creating artwork for the Red Dot Auction for six years and every year his creations astound and delight. This year is no different! To find his artwork—if you can guess which one it is—go to CharityAuction.bid/RedDot11. Register to bid and bid often and bid high. All proceeds go to fund the creativity programs of the Chuck Jones Center for Creativity, a 501(c)3 public charity. The Center focuses on providing programs for children whose schools no longer support the arts, teenagers and young adults on the spectrum, and seniors who see the value in keeping their brains healthy and resilient.

Daniel Killen was born in 1965 and raised along the coast of Southern California, where he still lives and calls home. The youngest of four, Daniel’s family originally immigrated to the United States from Scotland in 1963. Always feeling like an outsider, he began creating and using his imagination to cope with his own shyness.  As a child, Daniel created creatures and worlds out of clay, cardboard, and any other items lying around the house. His love for creating grew to include illustrating and painting all of which set the course for his life’s goal of being an artist.  

His artistic career began creating designs for a t-shirt business, but in his spare time he was working as a freelance artist designing theatrical backdrops and props used in CBS afterschool specials, produced by his Emmy-award winning brother, Michael. He was given the opportunity through a Disney artist to produce clean-up line work for Western Publishing on Walt Disney licensed creations. This included work on Little Golden Books, featuring Mickey Mouse and Goofy, the Pocahontas Giant Activity Book, and The Hunchback of Notre Dame coloring books. Daniel’s work has consistently been accepted into visual design competitions, including the Orange County Fair, where he has won numerous first place awards. Daniel’s latest book illustrations can be found in the 2013 children’s book Lessons from Sarah the Cat for a Southern California Charity, Pathways to Independence.

He studied animation at Roland Animation School in Hacienda, California. Learning the basics of 2D animation principles, Daniel was recruited in mid-1995 by Warner Bros. where he worked in their animation division on Space Jam starring Michael Jordan and Bugs Bunny. Trained primarily in visual effects, he fulfilled a lifelong dream on his first professional Hollywood project by getting to work with all of the classic Looney Tunes characters. Performing tasks as an animator’s assistant, he was given the responsibility of animating certain EFX scenes on his own. These experiences lead to work on eight additional animated feature films over the next eight years for Warner Bros. and DreamWorks SKG Animation Studio. Daniel also created concept and prop designs for Warner Bros. The Iron Giant, directed by Brad Bird, where he designed the giant’s visual readout, including the font design used in all scenes where the giant’s viewfinder was shown. He also was responsible for the creation of other items in the movie as well as the words ATOMIC HOLOCOST, which reads across the main character’s Duck and Cover school safety film.  

His other movies for Warner Bros. were The Quest for Camelot and Osmosis Jones with Bill Murray. DreamWorks SKG projects included working in the EFX department, on Prince of Egypt, The Road to El Dorado, Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron, and Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas. He also did freelance work for Rich Animation’s The King and I. Daniel continued to hone his drawing and painting skills in classes provide by the major studios, as well as the Animators Union.

Daniel now works with the Chuck Jones Gallery bringing to canvas such inspired Warner Bros. properties as The Wizard of Oz, A Christmas Story, The Iron Giant, and the classic Looney Tunes characters Bugs Bunny, Wile E. Coyote, Daffy Duck, and the Road Runner. Greatly influenced by such artistic giants as Norman Rockwell, Edward Hopper, Frank Frazetta, and Chuck Jones, Daniel incorporates sly wit, poetic beauty, and adventurous themes into his work. He brings his whimsical sense of humor, pleasing colors, and clever layout to all his creative endeavors. In 2018, Daniel was chosen by the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta to create the poster for the 2018 Fiesta and to conceptualize and execute the designs for future posters leading up to the 50th Anniversary of the Fiesta in 2021.

Daniel lives by two inspirational quotes from French Director Robert Bresson: “Make visible what, without you, might perhaps never have been seen. “, and “Bring together things that have not yet been brought together and did not seem predisposed to be so.”

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Red Dot Artist Spotlight--Dan Bowden

Dan Bowden submitted his first painting to Red Dot Auction 6 in 2016 and has contributed ever since. The Chuck Jones Gallery loved his first donated work of art so much that they published it as a limited edition that same year. “Me, Myself, and A-i-e-e-e!” launched Dan’s career with the Chuck Jones Gallery and the rest, as they say, is history! We’re delighted to welcome Dan back to this year’s Red Dot Auction!

Dan was born in Chicago, Illinois, the son of an Air Force colonel.  While moving from state to state with his family, he became keenly aware of his artistic abilities at the early age of four, and has been creating artwork in one medium or another since he can remember.  His family’s Air Force life brought him to Southern California in the ‘70s, where he has resided ever since.

Dan is a self-taught artist.  His natural gifts and abilities were recognized early during his school career.  He uses many different mediums, including acrylic, watercolor, pen and ink, pencil renderings, and stained glass.  Dan is thankful to have been born with the unique gift and natural understanding of how paint works; to perfectly blend colors and to be able to create interesting shading, something for which he takes great pride.  In keeping with the times and ever-changing technology, he has even mastered the art of digital painting.

Dan’s path to a career in art got interrupted several times with life’s responsibilities, but he has never quit drawing, painting, and creating while working at his “day jobs” to pay the bills.  Dan thinks of himself as an artist trapped in a deputy sheriff’s body, as described in a 2012 Press-Enterprise article about him entitled, “Sheriff’s Deputy Doubles as Artist.”

Dan grew up reading Mad Magazine.  He enjoys the artwork of Mort Drucker and Jack Davis.  The combination of that art and humor actually inspired Dan to become an avid reader.  He has also been greatly influenced by the masters:  Picasso, Rembrandt, van Gogh, and Gaugin, as well as the great American artists, Norman Rockwell and Frederic Remington.

Like most of us, Dan spent Saturday mornings and after-school TV time enjoying the animated characters created and directed by Chuck Jones. This influence has helped him create his own style and expression of the iconic characters. He is thrilled to have the privilege of drawing those beloved characters known worldwide, bringing joy to millions.

He has donated artwork throughout the years to churches, college jazz band calendars, the Leukemia Foundation, the Juvenile Diabetes Walk, and the Chuck Jones Center for Creativity at its annual Red Dot Auction.

Dan’s passion for art is stronger than ever before, and his commitment to his art has become the very definition of who he is.  He describes it as the driving force which fuels his creativity to new levels each day.  Dan likes to feel that his art inspires peace in a chaotic world, which is why he has chosen to hide the Dove of Peace in every “peace” of art he creates.

The Chuck Jones Gallery is pleased to represent the original and limited edition artwork of Dan Bowden.

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Red Dot Artist Spotlight--Kamila Zmrzla

This is Kamila’s first year donating a work of her art for the Red Dot Auction. We can hardly wait to see what she’ll create!

Kamila Zmrzla is a Brooklyn-based artist whose work explores themes of femininity, motherhood, sexuality and the natural world.  She employs a variety of materials, including oil and acrylic paint, ink, watercolor, wire, textiles and collected objects.

Having studied studio art formally at Hunter College, Zmrzla is primarily self-taught through a lifetime of creative immersion. Her strongest influences are rooted in her upbringing in the former Czechoslovakia, where folklore, politics, traditional costume and her grandfather’s botanical paintings shaped her imagination from an early age. She favors vivid colors, undulating forms and repeating patterns. Her lush compositions evoke nature, fertility and the realm between dreams and reality.  

Recently, she participated in the Black Lives Matter art protest in Soho, NYC, where she painted seven large-scale murals on vacant storefronts invoking the need for equality and social justice. Her painting has been featured in Esquire, Time Out New York, Al Jazeera English, among many other media outlets. She can be found on Instagram @topbunartist

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Chuck Jones Season of Creativity

Chuck Jones: Season of Creativity

The Chuck Jones Center for Creativity is thrilled to partner with the City of Irvine to spotlight artist Chuck Jones and his iconic career through a Great Park Gallery exhibition and interactive programming featuring the Looney Tunes. The community will have opportunities to participate in art and creativity programs, educational lectures, and a film series all inspired by Jones’ work and legacy.

Chuck Jones: Season of Creativity Exhibition

Chuck Jones: Season of Creativity is an exhibition designed to explore the process of animation from script to screen through original art, writing, and other ephemera created by Chuck Jones. Visit the Orange County Great Park Gallery beginning Sunday, July 4, through Sunday, September 12 to learn how Jones helped bring to life some of the most famous Warner Bros. characters including Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Marvin the Martian, Wile E. Coyote, and Road Runner.

The Great Park Gallery is open noon–4 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays and 10 a.m.–4 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. Admission is free. Visit ocgp.org/arts for more information on the exhibition.

Interactive Activities: Join us in a variety of family-friendly activities in cartooning, sewing, crafting, and more celebrating Season of Creativity. Registration is required at yourirvine.org; click the link to sign up for the Center's classes for children and adults: https://www.cityofirvine.org/community.../chuck-jones

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Batter up! Hand-painted cel art editions by Chuck Jones celebrating America’s favorite pastime, baseball.

#Chuck Jones #baseball #Sandlot #Relish #mustard #Bugs Bunny #Daffy Duck #looney tunes #Ralph Wolf #Sam Sheepdot #Wile E. Coyote

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Pepe le Pew Creator Chuck Jones' Daughter Disagrees that Cartoon Character Contributed to Rape Culture

From Linda Jones:

Pepe Le Pew is, I think, more than a Lothario… like many of the other comedic characters, both animated and live, I think the underlying theme is one of exaggerating those characteristics we all (or those of us who are honest) recognize to some degree in ourselves. That’s much of what comedy is…. Let’s not throw the baby out with the bathwater.

If the Pepe cartoons were currently being made, I would say they should and would be considered inappropriate. Whether Warner Bros. decides to shelve the cartoons, as well as the character appearing in new movies, that is a decision they have every right and responsibility to consider… These are changing times and changing mores. Pepe’s pursuit of an unattainable goal was (and still is) a well-used story line…the pursuer, the object and the venue vary, but the underlying idea is classic and will continue to be used and, perhaps, overused.

I don’t know what my father would say about this now…but I know for certain that his career was devoted, entirely and always, to entertainment…to helping us all to laugh. Many have assigned motives and messages to his films…political, societal, even religious. None of them are correct. He was an animated film director and he spent his professional life in the pursuit of entertainment.

There has been reference to these particular cartoons contributing to a “rape culture.” Does this infer that “rape” is a current or recent phenomena? Another discussion for another time, but I have a great deal of difficulty believing that anyone, anywhere was so influenced by watching Pepe Le Pew cartoons that they pursued a life of debauchery. Sorry, it just doesn’t make sense to me. However, as a life-long supporter of women’s rights, I believe it is time to re-visit the past policies, arts, norms, behaviors and make sure we are not making mistakes as we move forward.  

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Additionally, from Chuck Jones himself: "When I was in school, I was 6' 1" and weighed about 125 pounds.  I was sort of transparent and girls could see right through me and see other guys. So it was natural for me to come up with a character like Pepe le Pew who's everything that I would like to have been.  There was absolute certainty and assuredness about his own desirability, which is odd in a skunk to be sure."

#pepe le pew #cancel culture #cartoon character #chuck jones

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Where in the world is Marvin Martian?

What better way to show your love for this 86k strong Chuck Jones Facebook community, than by having fun with Marvin Martian in the World, and giving away Chuck Jones art!

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For your chance to win, all you must do is --

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Go to: bit.ly/MarvinMadness

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Get Marvin AR on your phone

READ THE RULES, EARTHLING!

Make sure you’re following Facebook.com/OfficialChuckJones

Don’t forget to reshare the post on your social pages and use #MarvinMadness2021

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The contest submissions will close at 12 noon PDT on April 09, 2021. The winner will be announced on the Official Chuck Jones Facebook page - https://www.Facebook.com/OfficialChuckJones. Open to U.S. entries. This giveaway is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by or associated with Instagram or Facebook.

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Good Luck!

#MarvinMadness2021 marvinthemartian marvinmartian marvinthemartian ailieninvasion alienspaceship outerspace rocketlaunch whereintheworldisma

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Vaudeville! Slapstick! Banana peels! Exit Stage Left! #chuckjones #celart #originalart #bugsbunny #daffyduck #vaudeville #slapstick https://www.instagram.com/p/CMLQwD0D-Uw/?igshid=wss5obc0umny

#chuckjones #celart #originalart #bugsbunny #daffyduck #vaudeville #slapstick

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How It All Fits Together: The Elements of Art

The last week of February, our donation-based art classes will bring all of the elements of art together! In this self-portrait by Chuck Jones, painted when he was a young man on cardboard with oil paint, he brought together all of the elements of art. You’ll be able to see how they work together in your own artwork this week.

Monday with Ben Olson: The Still Life Grand Compilation—Looney Style

Tuesday with Lee Fairchild: Observational Drawing—Putting It All Together

Wednesday with Darrell Park: Creating Your Master Puzzle Piece

Thursday with Mike Funt: The Comic Through Line—Creating a Whole Sketch or Routine

Friday with Naylene Justis: Putting the Animal All Together

The theme for March will be: Heroine Comic Art! We will be celebrating women artists for Women’s History Month, watch for details next weekend!

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Remembering Chuck Jones -- September 21, 1912 - February 22, 2002. . "The rules are simple. Take your work, but never yourself, seriously. Pour in the love and whatever skill you have, and it will come out." --Chuck Jones . . Photo 1: 1950, Chuck with his two Oscars for “For Scentimental Reasons” and “So Much for So Little”. . Photo 2: 1966, Chuck with his Oscar for “The Dot and the Line”, presented by from left, Elle Sommers, Don Knotts, and with producer Les Goldman. . Photo 3: 1996, Chuck Jones with his Lifetime Achievement Oscar. . . #chuckjones #oscars #creative https://www.instagram.com/p/CLmtg_-DGbN/?igshid=1ikk4mkhp3trj

#chuckjones #oscars #creative

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Chuck Jones in Your Homes: This Week -- VALUE!

The links are live for this coming week's donation-based creativity classes. You'll be learning about VALUE, one of the most important elements of art. It's what gives your subject dimension and space.

As you can see in this watercolor by Chuck Jones, he's used value to not only define the landscape, but to also create a dramatic story arc--one that nature produces 24/7.

Classes begin at 2:30 PM PST and last for an hour; each day's class hosted by one of our talented teaching artists. Join us!

https://www.chuckjonescenter.org/february-2021-back-to...

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New original work from the incomparable Ben Olson!

"Shoot Me Now"-- Dimensions 18" x 36" x .5" deep (painted sides). Oil on canvas, from the series "Wait for It".  "Rabbit Seasoning" and "Rabbit Fire" are two of my all-time favorite Chuck Jones films. The dynamic between the three characters and the way Bugs is constantly able to turn Daffy's ill intent on himself makes me laugh every time. From that moment in "Rabbit Seasoning" where Daffy is full of himself thinking he's got the best of Bugs without realizing what he's just said adamantly to Elmer Fudd "I demand that you shoot me now!" --Ben Olson

"Going Up" --Dimensions 36" x 18" x .5" deep (painted sides). Oil on canvas from the series "Wait for It". "There are so many great gags in every film it's hard to pick just one, so I keep painting more from "Going! Going! Gosh!" where my love for air travel meets Wile E.'s love for odd contraptions that he can't get right. The Wile E. Coyote/Road Runner films are such a brilliant use of slapstick and non-verbal comedy that to this day makes me laugh every time." --Ben Olson

Acquire here: https://www.chuckjonescatalog.com/ben-olson or contact your Chuck Jones Gallery Art Consultant for availability and pricing.

#chuck jones #original art #oil paintngs #ben olson #looney tunes #daffy duck #bugs bunny #wile e. coyote #road runner #anvil #acme corporation

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Join us tomorrow at Facebook.com/OfficialChuckJones for this Creativeside Chat with one of the "Three Tooners", Jerry Eisenberg!

#chuck jones #Jerry Eisenberg #hanna-barbera #Marvel Comics #looney tunes #character designer #storyboard artist

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Chuck Jones in Your Homes: Back to Basics!

WELCOME TO OUR FEBRUARY 2021 THEME MONTH, BACK TO BASICS!

In 1960, Chuck Jones and his wife, Dorothy, traveled to Berlin to visit their daughter, Linda and her husband who were stationed there. Whenever and wherever Chuck traveled, he always took art-making supplies with him; blank-paged journals of various sizes, pencils, pens, watercolors, pastels, oil paint, brushes--well, you get the picture. The watercolor above, titled "Bus Queue--London" was done on this trip to Europe. Can you see how the elements of art work together to make this image so very special?

OUR CLASSES this month will be a mix of subjects that involve working on our fundamental art skills through a variety of exercises and methods.

We are so thankful for all of our students! In order to be able to keep offering these free lessons we are switching to a donation model. We suggest $5-10 per class, but anything you want to give is graciously appreciated. In addition to all of our free classes we are offering both private lessons and semi-private lessons. You can make a donation by clicking here.

Each class line is a link to that event with information on the class and supplies you will need and the Zoom link. Links go live HERE the Sunday or day before the week begins.

"Form" is the first week's theme. This week, each of our teaching artists will explore form as a fundamental basic of art-making. Next week, we'll tackle "Space", then "Value" and the last week in February, we'll put all of the seven elements of art together, exercising your genius!

Click the image or here to view this week's class schedule, zoom links, and the remaining classes scheduled for February.

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The year so far.

Original production cel from "Chariots of Fur", 1994, directed by Chuck Jones for theatrical release. It is the last Wile E. Coyote and Road Runner cartoon directed by Mr. Jones.

#chuck jones #wile e. coyote #homage #chuckjones #artists on tumblr #animated cartoons #spirit animal #acme #classicalanimation