Coffee Talk

Over 100 people got up from their cozy beds on a Saturday morning and started the new day with a delicious hot cup of coffee and enjoyed some tantalizingly new artwork at the Chuck Jones Center in Costa Mesa July 6, 2013 from 9:30 to 11:30 AM. The staff served 3 new piping hot pieces that I hope didn't curb anyone's caffeine craving and as my butterfingers framers say, were good to the last drop. 

I shared some funny anecdotes about my 40 years of daily grind in the wacky world of animation from animated commercial breaks for the local television station WKRG Channel 5  in the early 1970s to working on some very beloved full length animated features and television series for all of the major studios from Disney to Warner Brothers (even a brief stint working with Chuck on a Bugs Bunny film) and a few stops in between. In other words in coffee-speak II was "spilling the beans" coffee beans that is!

A nice big group showed up for the talk

For these illustrations, I wanted a kind of whimsical retro throw back using a limited color scheme that one might see in the great WPA posters of the 1930s and 1940s. By the way, Coyote and Road Runner was actually painted with a little coffee mixed into the gouache and Taz had a spot of tea infused with gouache.  The group really enjoyed the pieces and I found myself signing prints immediately after the talk was done.

The Coffee was MUCH easier to paint with than the tea which took many and I mean MANY layers to even show up. The nice folks who purchased these prints really got a kick out of it and I enjoyed the opportunity to paint with such a unique type of "watercolor". Afterwards I did some embellishment by way of small paintings at the bottom done in what else? Pure Coffee for the Coyote and Road Runner, and likewise-  Tea for Taz (... and Taz for Tea... you and me... sorry I'm musically inclined). The extra embellishments were a hit and the collectors let me know it which certainly made my day.


It was a mighty delicious morning to spend with so many friends old and new, and I enjoyed every minute of it. Now it's time to head on back to the old desk and get back to drawing.

Well maybe just one last cup...  oh waitress?