Tim Burton's Imagination

Enter into the fantastical horror filled mind of Tim Burton. He is probably the first artist to inspire me, besides my Mother. My brother and I used to rent A Nightmare Before Christmas (produced by Burton), over and over again from the local video rental store. There was a gap in time when I had forgotten about the movie, and when I re-watched it, I couldn't believe that I hadn't been scared of the characters. They were fabulously terrifying, yet welcoming.  Over the years, I've been enthralled with his artwork. Not only his movies and short films, but also his drawings and other personal art. 

Tim Burton

Timothy Walter Burton was born in Burbank, California on August 25, 1958. He grew up being inspired by horror films of Roger Corman, many featuring the well known on-screen villain Vincent Price. He enrolled in the California Institute of Arts, majoring in animation. He graduated in 1980. He worked for Walt Disney Studios for less than a year and stuck out on his own. In 1982 he released his award winning short, Vincent, which was a tribute to his childhood idol. Burton currently resides in London with Helena Bonham Carter and their two children.

Victor and Sparky

His second popular short was entitled Frankenweenie, a twist on the classic Frankenstein. Frankenweenie  is now a full length movie, released in 2012. After he left Disney, Warner Brothers Pictures decided to have him direct Pee-Wee's Big Adventure.  Burton went on to other well known films such as Beetlejuice (1988), Edward Scissorhands (1990), and Batman (1989). 

Beetlejuice with an upset stomach.

He's had a tremendous amount of success in many of his movies. He also tends to work with some of the same people in many of his works. Not because he is using favorites, but because their skills fit with Burton's works at the time. Danny Elfman, an American composer, has music in many of Burton's films. Helena Bonham Carter is also the chosen actress in several films. Probably the most associated actor in Burton's films is Johnny Depp. Although some people criticize him for the recurring actors and composer, I feel that it works well for his work.

Teenager: an awkward period of life.

His website  begins with his character, Stain Boy, in which you use the arrow keys to explore the site. He has a public gallery of works as well as a private gallery. To access the private gallery, one must enter an email address to receive updates.

Stain Boy

Throughout his artwork there is a deep sense of horror and fantasy. The sketchy quality of his works on paper makes them childlike. He was known to convey that people only stop being artists when they start expecting something. His instructors at the Institute told him that "if you like to draw, just draw." This is something I can relate to, since I've been drawing since I could hold a crayon. Even if your stuff doesn't turn out the way you wanted, or you hate it when it's done, the point is to do what you like to do.

Burton has also written a handful of poems, the most famous one entitled Victor, which is about a little boy named Victor Malloy whom wishes to be like Vincent Price. He has turned it into an animated short narrated by Vincent Price, himself. Be has also has several books published, one being

Time Burton married a German artist in 1989 named Lena Gieseke. They split shortly after the filming of Batman Returns. He was then left her for Lisa Marie whom he dated for a few years and placed in four of his films. During the production of Planet of the Apes, he met Helena Bonham Carter. Burton resides in London with Bonham Carter and their two children. They have been involved since 2001, and their son and daughter were born in 2003 and 2007, respectively.

Helena Bonham Carter, Nell Burton, Billy Raymond Burton, Tim Burton

To keep an updated tab on Tim Burton and his works. you can find most of it on the Tim Burton Collective.

*I do NOT own any of the above images*

Gublernation!

Matthew Gray Gubler is on my list of people I would love to meet. He is well known for acting as Dr. Spencer Reid in the CBS television show Criminal Minds. He was born on March 9, 1980 in Las Vegas, Nevada to an attorney father and a rancher/politician mother. He attended the Las Vegas Academy of International Studies, Performing and Visual Arts where he majored in drama. He never imagined he would end up with a career in acting, he simply thought it was fun and that it would help him succeed in other areas, especially public speaking. 

Right after graduating New York University's Tisch School of the Arts, he was approached by a modeling agent on the street. According to Gubler, the agent only saw potential because of the emaciated looking male models in fashion magazines. He accepted and quickly became one of the most sought after male models in New York City. He noted posing for ads and participating in runway shows for designers such as Marc Jacobs, Lois Vuitton, and Tommie Hilfiger. 

Gubler was always focused on making films, and in 2004 he took an internship with Wes Anderson. He was then cast in The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou as Intern #1 and right after, he was cast as Dr. Spencer Reid, whom is a genius FBI BAU (Federal Bureau of Investigation Behavioral Analysis Unit) agent with three Ph.D. degrees in his twenties. Gubler has also had several other movie roles.

Matthew Gray Gubler has also directed multiple episodes of Criminal Minds, including Mosley Lane, Heathridge Manor, and The Lesson. He has also directed and written Claude: A Symphony of Horror, The Cactus That Looked Just Like a Man, and MGG: The Unauthorized Documentary. Many of these and a few more can be found on his YouTube channel.
 

The "Gub" as he is sometimes called, has stated that he shares a few things with his character Dr. Reid. He is quick-witted, slightly OCD, and interested in odd things, but Gub doesn't have the eidetic memory of Dr. Reid.

Why would I write about an actor in an arts blog? Not only is a model, actor, writer, and director, he also draws. Mostly caricatures and self-portraits, but also some monsters.

He has a multilayered website entitled Gublerland, which is the universe in which his creations reside. It is packed with doodles and drawings and fun things to do. Urban Dictionary describes Gublerland as the "all-amazing, fascinating land where you, an intense fan of MGG can live your wonderful all-around-Mr. Gubler life."

In this wonderful land, one can get their own passport to be a well rounded citizen of Gublerland and explore all its wonders. You can write letters in which Geeselund the Mail Monster of Gublerland may respond to you per The Gub's request since he is a busy, busy man. From here you can access his photographs, finger puppets/small creations, and his art on his webpage. In which has an audio of him reciting Annabel Lee by Edgar Allen Poe.

Kermit and Vincent Price by MGG

Matthew Gray Gubler has a magic touch with a magic smile. I am enchanted each time I see his picture, not just because of his dashing good looks, but the genuineness behind them. He has many talents and his thankful for them and his fans.

The mustache isn't so bad.

*all images were taken from the internet. I DO NOT own any of them*

Pardee and his Monsters

Alex Pardee is one of my personal favorite artists. He was born in Antioch, California on February 5, 1976. (According to Wikipedia, anyway) The first piece of his artwork I saw was the artwork for THE USED's album, "In Love and Death," they also happen to be my favorite band. I adored the art and looked into the artist and as I browsed more of his art, I fell in love. My favorite band + my favorite artist = my heaven.

"In Love and Death" by The Used; Art by Alex Pardee

He spent years fighting depression and anxiety, but dominated it with his love for art and creation. He also writes and loves to watch movies. His main medium is pen and ink, but also used markers, watercolors, and much more. In many of the interviews, bio's, and 'about me' sections, he says he loves you. Very much. That makes me glad because I love his art, and him too. He sounds awesome.

Owlex by Pardee

He has also done more album art for THE USED, as well as AIDEN, IN FLAMES, STREET DRUM CORP, and others. His experience expands to include music videos, comics, calendars, and art for Warner Bros' motion picture SUCKER PUNCH. He has worked for Hurley International and Twenty Twenty Skateboards. He also worked on the WB's web series "Chadam," where there are ten webisodes. Chadam was also featured on THE USED's album "Lies for the Liars."

Concept art for Sucker Punch by Pardee

Pardee's concept  and figurine

Pardee is listed as a freelance artist, clothing designer, and comics creator. He claims to have been artistically influenced by The Maxx, The Garbage Pail Kids, Spawn, and Tales from the Crypt, while being overly influenced by 80's horror flicks, pop art, graffiti, and gangster rap.

live action Chadam and friends, by Pardee

He has his own art and clothing label called Zerofriends, which includes a couple other artists and a store in Oakland, CA. If I ever visit Cali, that's the first place I'll go...maybe only place. I won't have any money left after I leave the building.

Monster Urkel by Pardee

Alex Pardee's blog, EyeSuckInk, where he talks about his stuff, stuff he likes, and random stuff. It's full of neat stuff. Once in a while he'll mention his girlfriend, Chloe Rice, whom also has a blog. It's like everyone has a blog these days, sheesh.

Pardee has a small series of drawings and toys called Bunnywith. They consist of bunnies with something attached, wrong, controlling, or otherwise disturbing about them.

Bunnywith Intro 

One of the Bunnywith plushies

Pardee also creates parodies of characters, (the Urkel image above), along with many, many, many original monsters. It has been difficult to write this because I keep getting distracted looking at the art and learning about him. It's been hard to choose what goes into this blog, I think it's all so fantastic and inspiring.

Here is a wonderful interview between Lloyd Harvey and Alex Pardee that I was fond of and needed to share.

**The links may not be the official site, but it is further referencing the art or music.**
**I do NOT own any of the above images**