An Evening with Ray Olsen

by Dylan Harrelson

For the June MAPA meeting Raymond Olsen from Substation K stopped by to highlight his experiences in the local KC animation scene. Olsen’s work has spanned from Major League Baseball, Sonic restaurants, Argosy casinos, and Hallmark just to name a few.

Olsen began his career after graduating from the University of Central Missouri, formerly known as CMSU with a degree specializing in screen-printing. He continued his education with a training class in Tennessee that taught him the fundamentals of Maya, after which Olsen landed a job working with FOX4, his first break in the animation scene. Moving forward, Olsen continued his career working for Real Media, DXD (Dimensions X Design), and finally Substation K.

As Ray told of his experiences working in the industry, he made it apparent that jumping into the animation scene can be much easier than in the past. With online training, tutorials and resources readily available online for free or for very affordable rates.

Ray provided many different resources for animators primarily online and free:

http://www.greyscalegorilla.com/
- Cinema4D training and tutorials

http://www.creativecow.net/
- Various trainings, tutorials, resources for multiple programs

http://www.creativeheads.net/
- Online job search tool for creative media professionals

http://www.cgsociety.org/
- Various trainings, tutorials, resources for multiple programs

http://www.crishdesign.com/
- Ray’s personal recommendation for After Effects training.

To see examples of Ray Olsen’s work you can visit http://www.substationk.com/ or http://www.raymondolsen.com/.

Downtown 3rd Art Annual Starts Friday

NATION’S LEADING ARTISTS RETURN TO KANSAS CITY FOR PREMIER SUMMER ART FESTIVAL

Showcasing Eclectic Mix of Unique and Contemporary Art

Featuring Top Local Talent Including Fine Art Photographers Martha Moore and Robert Johnson

WHAT: Downtown 3rd Art Annual

Title Sponsor: Molle Audi of Kansas City

WHEN: Friday, June 25, 5:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Saturday, June 26, 10:00 am – 8:00 pm
Sunday, June 27, 11:00 am – 5:00 pm

WHERE: Power & Light District in Downtown Kansas City - Navigational address: 1370 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64105

WHY: To Support the Arts and Local Economy

ADMISSION: Free and open to the public

WEBSITE: http://www.artfestival.com/

CONTACT INFORMATION: info@artfestival.com or 954-472-3755

Kansas City, MO (June 24, 2010) – The vibrant and colorful art of new and emerging talent as well as established contemporary artists will line the eight city blocks of the Power & Light District when the Downtown 3rd Art Annual returns to Kansas City for its third anniversary, June 25 – 27, 2010. Joining the exhibiting artists are local fine art photographers Martha Moore of Blue Springs and Robert Johnson of Kansas City.

Martha Moore’s mission as a photographer is to raise awareness and enthusiasm for preserving our limited natural treasures. She strives to share her perspective as an artist and her images are taken with the utmost respect and consideration for the animals and their environment. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of her work is donated to several environmental and animal welfare charities including (but not limited to) the World Wildlife Fund, National Wildlife Federation, Best Friends Animal Sanctuary, and the Audubon Society.

Robert Johnson’s journey as a photographer began more than 30 years ago. He has explored and experimented with many different styles and techniques creating art with the goal of producing an image that will move the viewer both visually and emotionally. He is adventurous in his style and enjoys capturing the colors and textures that are often dismissed or ignored.

The Kansas City Power & Light District hosts this three-day juried art event, transforming the Power & Light District into a first-rate outdoor art gallery. Howard Alan Events, the festival’s promoter, stipulates that all artists are required to be on-site for the entire duration of the show. The public can meet and talk with the artists personally about their art and inspiration. The artistic media represented include paintings, sculptures, photos, glass, wood, jewelry, collage, and ceramics.

“The Power & Light District is a vibrant setting for this premier art affair,” says festival promoter Howard Alan. “We are thrilled to bring the nation’s top artists to Kansas City who will be joined by a troupe of the most talented local artists; this is a fabulous opportunity for festival goers to discover quality original works of art by the country’s leading artists.”

Popular 80s-cover, Kansas City-based band, The Zeros, will play live on the KC Live! Stage on Friday, June 25th at 8 p.m. Other local musicians will play throughout the show on Saturday and Sunday.

The Downtown Art Annual makes the arts accessible to a broad audience, attracting locals and tourists alike to this popular retail and dining destination. Prices range from $25 hand-designed earrings to $20,000 metal sculptures. The event appeals to family and friends as a free and fun weekend activity, as well as serious art buyers looking to add to their collections. “Art is a tangible investment that you can enjoy as it appreciates in value,” comments Alan.

Featured Artist: Megan Curtin

Check out the skillfull art of this upcoming artist.  You can see more of her work on her Facebook page.

Megan's work sent her all the way to California this summer to intern with the talented company Encyclopedia Pictura, who recently completed an animated music video for Icelandic pop artist Björk.  The project, called "Wanderlust," included a complex blend of puppetry, themed costumes, scale modeling, stop-motion, CGI and live action.

Congratulations to Megan.  MAPA is honored to have her with us.

The Kansas City Art Institute - NBCActionNews.com

And the Academy Award goes to:

A very special NBC Action News tribute to KCAI Animation, her faculty and all the talented students that make us Proud to Call Kansas City home.

Making the Facebook Transition

As our numbers have grown, we have decided to migrate to our own FB fan page.  The reasons are simple, we can now update club members without copying to our own personal walls, we can have additional apps and add integrate our blog and future site together with greater ease.

You can see the new page here.  You may not even see a change, but there's more horsepower under the hood.