New Images for Upcoming Books

This image is for The Girl from the Moon, produced in tandem with Tiger Dream – a central image depicted below. The Girl from the Moon was inspired by very unique ideas from controversial art historian Alan Gowans. The image below is based on a smaller etching I produced for an international competition to illustrate Yann Martel’s book, The Life of Pi. Tiger Dream features a boy who tells three stories to dissuade a tiger from eating him. This image is from one story, but substantially different from Martel’s telling or the tale that inspired Martel to write his novel – the story called Max and the Cats by Moacyr Scliar about a Jaguar in a boat with a boy. Tiger Dream’s thematic layout and moral underpinnings are also inspired by Alan Gowans – primarily his concepts of art objects revealing a battle to fight or support Heaven to Earth Movements that have shaped humanity since we began to communicate.  Gowans believes the best of popular art fight such movements. 

Christmas with LuAn Mitchell

I was a guest at the “Banff Mansion” over the Christmas holidays with LuAn Mitchell, one of Canada’s most famous entrepreneurs, and one of the top 40 in the world. LuAn and her wonderful children made me feel at home.  This was my first trip to Banff. LuAn is now a writer and speaker who was the owner of Mitchell’s Gourmet Foods. LuAn gives talks and attends events all over the world. She is a philanthropist and donates her time to worthy causes. I had no idea who she was when I asked her out for a coffee in Victoria. We met waiting for an elevator. LuAn has been a great inspiration.

Science Fiction Pilot Images

Actors will be green-screened into these  images created for my brother’s upcoming project, a pilot for a half hour sci-fi comedy series. The image on the left is from a photo of mine taken in the Metropolitan Museum of New York. The Egyption hawk is from the Montreal Museum.  The computer room is from an old collage I did for a literary journal. Bottom left is from an oil painting I did for my poetry book. The ‘Space Dock,’ right, is from a photo of Peel station in Montreal when I lived there. I had to erase all the people standing on the platforms. Planets, actors, spaceships, and backdrops can be added and changed in these scenes and all made to move. These and a couple more images took me 16 hours to produce. 

Northern Writers Festival

 

Me, Steve Heighton, Heather Cariou, David Hayes, John Geddes, Alistair MacLeod

I had the honour of reading before Alistair MacLeod at the ‘Sleeping Giant Writers Festival.’ I read my short story, ‘The Archer.’ Alistair read from his novel, ‘No Great Mischief.’ I sat in on Steve’s great poetry workshop. Heather was full of advice. My workshops were packed with enthusiastic future authors. I wish I had more time to chat up the other authors. Special thanks to the organizers for their invitation.

‘Spacesnake’ and ‘Castle Keep’ at the Thunder Bay Film Festival

Castle Keep, created for the Thunder Bay Police department, is about a family returning to their home to discover they are victims of a break and enter crime. I did the story boards, direction, and images, requiring hundreds of paintings of objects, backgrounds, and characters. Story by Dennis Austin. Spacesnake is the animated version of my book.

Latest Drawing

The surreal backdrop around Steve (www.steveball.com) is my allegorical extension of his music. For me “progressive rock” music often inspires large thematic images and feelings. I have a few more sketches to do for his use.

ART SHOW at the T-Bag

This year, 2008, I had 96 works of art at the Thunder Bay Art Gallery, mostly of from my picture books hung on yellow walls. Adult themed works for my poetry, portraits, and others were hung on white walls.  Above, three people are gathered by my most recent oil painting. Scott Pound, a professor at Lakehead U studies an image in one of my “drop sheets.” 

Kady MacDonald Denton speaks on opening night as we stand in front of my illustrations for Night Wall. Kady’s work for her popular picture book, ‘A Visitor for Bear’ was brilliantly displayed in an adjacent gallery.   

Seattle

Steve Ball with friends Paul O’Rear and Ivan Lee perform in Steve’s studio. The music was amazing! It was a wonderful experience. Steve was an excellent host for a trip that I’ll always remember. 
Steve and his daughter Sophie are my hosts at one of the 85 buildings in Redmond, Seattle. Steve is responsible for sounds and music on Microsoft’s Windows Alta Vista Program. He hired his friend, famed guitarist Robert Fripp of my favourite band King Crimson, to help him out. The modern offices were of average size with nice views of the forested exterior.  There were an incredible number of young people working in these offices, from all over the world – Canada too. They were very personable, bright eyed and eager.

Ceremonies at Rideau Hall for GG Awards

The group photo depicts seven anglophone and seven francophone winners for poetry, fiction, non-fiction, drama, translation, illustration for picture books, and children’s book text. Karen Kain, the head of the Canada Council and famous former ballet dancer is on my right, wearing Red. The Governor General, Her Excellency the Right Honourable Michaëlle Jean and her husband Jean-Daniel Lafond sit in the center. In the second photo I compliment Her Excellency on her choice of format for the dinner after the award ceremony. The format allowed everyone to mingle. I met talented young artists and had great conversations with security staff, military personnel, poets, and many others.
Canadian Poet Don Domanski poses before the award ceremony, claiming to be be very nervous, but looking calm. I stand with French Canadian illustrator Geneviève Côté and her publisher. Karen Kain was all too eager to pose with me and I blushed.

Signing Books in the Parliamentary Library

It was a great honour to sign a copy of my book which would be held in the beautiful parliamentary library. The head librarian, Bill Young stands behind me. Michael Ondaatje, winner of the GG for his novel Divisadero posed for a photo.