Throwback Thursday - Punch Buggy, No Returns!

July 11, 2019

Yesterday was the final day of production for the iconic Volkswagen Beetle. The Beetle was originally meant to fulfill Hitler’s vision of the ‘people’s car’ and later adopted by hippies around the world. I remember driving around in my uncle’s Bug and thinking it was so bizarre that it had a tiny little flower vase built into the dashboard… What a strange little car. Whether you love it or hate it, it’s probably one of the most recognizable cars of all time.

In honour of this odd automobile reaching the end of the road here is an old VW Bug I spotted off the side of a dirt road near Winnipeg, Manitoba. These images were used in a feature I shot for Global News a few years back.

Farewell to the Beetle!

POTD 04.07.19 - Elephant Rush

July 4, 2019

While I was in Sri Lanka I went on few safari tours through Udawalawe National Park. Before this I had never seen elephants in their natural habitat, nor had I been on a safari, so this was a pretty special experience for me. On my last tour through the park we were really lucky because we were with one of the most experienced guides and drivers in the park. It was just my girlfriend and I with them on this particular tour. We rolled into the park as the sun was just peaking over the horizon. The park was blanketed in a thick fog— not the most ideal conditions for spotting animals however, judging by how keen of an eye our guide had in previous days we knew we were in good hands. We entered the park and made our way down the red dirt roads and within minutes we approached a silhouette of an elephant off in the distance. We pulled up close enough to see the elephant in the mist, but far enough away to not bother the massive mammal. The driver turned off the ignition. Our guide quietly let us know that this was a male bull elephant in heat. We observed the elephant for a minute or two and he observed us… Eventually the elephant began to turn towards us and slowly make it’s way in our general direction. For an animal so large it was amazing how little noise they make as they move around. Eventually this enormous male was a stones throw away and he was continuing to make his way even closer to us. At this point our guide pulled out his phone to shoot this encounter and the driver turned our vehicle back on. Before I could even process what exactly was happening our driver began to peel out and this elephant began to chase us. Our guide yelled at the elephant in hopes to deter it from hitting our vehicle. It chased us for a few seconds before stopping and disappearing into the bush. I guess we weren’t worth the hassle. Luckily for us this was just a bluff charge. Our guide let us know that the males can sometimes be a little aggressive when they are in heat.

Our guide had the wherewithal to shoot video of this event unfolding and I was also able to grab a couple stills as well. This was one of my favourite moments in Sri Lanka and I’m glad we were able to capture it.

SKETCH OF THE DAY 03.07.19 - PokéFusion

July 3, 2019

I’ve recently been messing around with my girl’s new iPad. There is a really fun illustration app on there called ProCreate. I was a big fan of this app the moment I started using it. I’ve always enjoyed drawing, but never really did anything more than notebook doodles. With ProCreate I’ve been able to breathe life into this sketches. My desire to draw has been rekindled! I’ve been trying to get a little drawing time in everyday.

Lately I’ve been seeing this old PokéFusion website trending again on twitter. I thought it might be fun to illustrate my PokéFusion dream team. So here are my top six PokéFusion Pokémon. I hope you enjoy them. I had a lot of fun making them. Click to see these PokéFusions in all their glory.

I’m not too sure if I should be mixing these illustrations into my photo/video website, but hey, it’s my website so I’ll do what I want! Expect to see more ProCreate illustrations in the future. I plan on creating a website logo and I’ll be sharing my first commissioned piece very soon.