Half-inked bird frame. This shot has about 120 frames, classically animated. 1/3rd of them are on ones, so thats about 80-90 pages of frames. I'm animating straight ahead with no pencil tests, so it's always a surprise to see how the shots turn out. So far I've only had to fix one. I've been roughing in timing with 3D software, so I know where it's gotta be punchy etc. (Just moving a sphere around in 3d, basically, and referring to it while I animate).

It's getting harder to work on the film now, probably because it's so close to being done and the perfectionist in me starts taking over.

I'm also finding far more enjoyment being outside than inside, even when it's raining. I've been going on huge bushwhacking walks (walking through the bush, not on trails). I'm going further every day and discovering new and wonderful places. I've done a lot of bushwhacking in the past, but for some reason I'm far more adventurous now - more willing to push further, and to take routes that appeal to me even though they look tiring or hard to move through. The rewards are amazing. I'm finding some really special spots, and having some incredible moments of exhausted joy and quiet awe.

Moving through second-growth west coast rainforest is pretty gnarly. Very wet, lots of ups and downs, slippery logs, etc. But I'm already starting to learn some tricks. There's an astonishing amount of game (deer) trails on Vancouver Island, because all the deer's natural predators were killed off long ago (farmers don't like wolves.) Game trails give the quickest route if they're going in your direction, but you often have to get down on all fours and crawl under stuff. Carrying anything, even a small backpack or a camera, just gets in the way. Fallen logs and streams (if you're okay with getting wet) are also good pathways.

I'm not sure if I'll take any photos of the places I'm going, at least not to share on the internet. A photo on a digital camera does nothing to bring across the watery and earthy wonders lurking out there. It almost feels disrespectful.

I may do paintings and drawings instead. By doing that I can try to infuse some of my experiences into the image - some mystery or abstraction or spirit.

(found a good swimming hole today! watch out, summer, here I come!)