Dislikes on YouTube

The Waltzing Matilda panorama has been up for a little over a month now and has 350 views of which it has generated 3 dislikes.

Obviously due to the poor quality of the video, recorded on a hand held mobile with no editing (Meaning background noise of traffic), dislikes are to be expected.

The question is if there is more to the dislikes than the editing issues?

Perhaps they don’t like the subject matter of the ballad…

Maybe the fact that the words do not match the song…

The style of drawing…

Or it could be the simple fact that it is a video of a drawing rather than someone singing/reading the ballad.

Hard to say.

Really need to work out how to edit video and at the very least, remove the background noise if nothing else.

Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras page on Google+

Now that Google+ has implemented pages, I went ahead and created a page for the “A History of the Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras” panorama to determine what the differences are between Google+ and Facebook.

So far the biggest difference is in image size.

I uploaded a larger image of the panorama to provide people a better viewing option. As it turns out, due to the overall length of the image, Facebook displays an image not much larger than the original thumbnail I uploaded. Google+ on the other hand, while also reducing the image, does provide a greater length allowance.

Just need to see how traffic compares.

With Facebook on 11 likes and Google+ on 0, they are more or less on even footing. Though Facebook does have the advantage of being linked to my Facebook public page which has over 600 likes so Google+ has an uphill battle on that front.

Beyond that, I am still looking into the best options for my use of Google+

re: The Rats of Tobruk

Ok, lets see if we can sort out a couple of things…

My panoramas (for the most part) are based on history and my aim is to portray said history as accurately as I can based on the information I have on the subject I choose to depict. “artistic license” may come into play.

In the case of “THE RATS OF TOBRUK”

The Rats of Tobruk were Australian soldiers who defended Tobruk against German forces in Africa.

In depicting them, I had to factor in several important aspects as follows…

German Radio Propaganda (“Lord Haw Haw”) stated that the Australians should give up and surrender to the superior German forces because the Australians were “TRAPPED LIKE RATS IN A CAGE”

The first swastika is incorporated in this piece of the panorama in the form of the specific medal that “Lord Haw Haw” received from Adolf Hitler (The highest honour a civilian could recieve in Germany), demonstrating the value the German High Command (and Adolf Hitler specifically) placed in the actions of “Lord Haw Haw” to undermine the moral of allied forces.

“Lord Haw Haw” radio propaganda was broadcast across Europe and reached as far as the USA.

Now, up the other end of the panorama is the second swastika…on the tail of a downed German bomber which is missing some sheets of metal.

When the Australians heard that they should give up like rats caught in a cage, did they give up and cower in fear from the “superior” German forces? No, they took issue with the statement…and they (apparently) stripped the metal from the downed German bomber which they melted down and made their own badges stating that they were THE RATS OF TOBRUK, using the desert rat as their mascot.

Back up the other end near “Lord Haw Haw” is my depiction of Romel, the famous German Tank Commander who (from my understanding) was undefeated until he encountered the Australian soldiers (THE RATS OF TOBRUK) who kept his forces at bay.

The third swastika in the middle of the panorama which is on a crate located in the Australian trenches sits near a crate with the Italian flag.

When the Australians successfully forced the enemy (The German or Italian forces) to retreat, the Rats of Tobruk would capture supplies (Weapons, Equipment & Food) to reinforce their defence of Tobruk against the enemy, using the enemies own weaponry against them.

The Germans are shown in uniform, the Australians are shown very casual, shirts off, in an unkempt fashion as they settled in for the long haul.

The Australians survived due to their extensive trench and tunnel networks, allowing them to ambush the enemy and survive German bomber attacks.

All during this, the Rats of Tobruk even got in a game of cricket versus the English where the rules that were put into play demonstrate a distinct cavalier approach to the war…

And this is why there is a single Australian soldier mooning the enemy as a German panzer tank & fighter look on…as his mates look on in disbelief, one motioning that he is crazy while another is taking bets as to when he will get his bottom shot off for his audacity.

—

The Rats of Tobruk have earned their place in history because they chose to stand on their own two feet, refused to “know their place” and forced the enemy to prove themselves.

The Australians were a bunch of larrikens (Based on information I read), they were loud, arrogant individuals who chose to show the world that they mattered, that they stood for something even when they were being told they didn’t.

The Rats of Tobruk were heroes…Australia’s heroes.

Held high in the hearts of the Australian public during World War 2, just as the ANZACs at Galipolli in World War 1 were

If telling their story offends some…then so be it.

—

By all means, I could ignore parts of history so others can feel comfortable, but I would also have to live with the lie of omission…

History is a warts and all issue…

We may not like what we see, but we should not ignore it…

If you find fault without understanding what it is you are looking at, then it is not I at fault but the viewer.

You have all the information you need to learn more…

For example, one individual I ran into had no idea as to who The Rats of Tobruk were, but when he saw a documentary on them was on, he tuned in and he said he had a greater understanding of what I was depicting once he understood their history.

The fact that the individual then chose to inform me of this fact demonstrates that he at least, found value in what I did…and that in and of itself is pretty awesome.

Some may well be offended at some of what I choose to do, but if I lived to avoid offending people, then I may as well abandon history because someone is always going to find offense.

In the end, I am seeking to depict history as best I can with the obvious limitation that my own bias comes into play.

A Matter of Perspective

Over the past several months, I have been lucky enough to touch a cord with the public. People stopping to enjoy the imagery I present for their viewing pleasure, going so far as to personally thank me for choosing to show off my work.

Today I was informed by an individual that she had got goose bumps looking at the two pieces currently on display (The Bondi Surf Bathers’ Life Saving Club …&… “Waltzing Matilda” by Banjo Patterson)

The idea that someone has had a physical reaction towards my drawings is just that little bit startling to say the least (and a massive compliment). Of course the question then becomes, can my work affect others in a similar fashion or was this a simple once off occurrence?

My skill is constantly improving as I continue to put pen to paper, so the future looks good on that front. But while one can always improve on their technique, to be able to connect with your audience is another matter entirely.

The common response as dictated by the corporate sector would be to analyze what I am doing and replicate…and yet, to pursue such an option would be counter to why I have somehow managed to forge a connection.

The only smart option then, is to continue with my delusion that simply going with the flow is the way to go.

It has worked so far, so here is hoping my arrogance won’t be my downfall.

Kind of hard to get lost when the simple rule is me simply enjoying what I do.

Waltzing Matilda is nearing completion, so I begin focusing on the next panorama in my growing collection…

1. Ned Kelly
2. Eureka Stockade
3. Christmas
4. Aust. Royal Flying Doctors
5. Captain Cook
6. Mardi Gras
7. Year of the Rabbit
8. ANZAC
9. Sydney Harbour Bridge
10. “Said Hanrahan” by John o’Brien
11. Draconic Wrath
12. The Necronomicon
13. Sir Charles Kingsford-Smith
14. Bondi Surf Bathers’ Life Saving Club
15. “Waltzing Matilda” by Banjo Patterson

…fifteen (about to be) under my belt with the 16th soon to begin.

It will be interesting to see how people respond.

Panorama Update

It was a little over 14 or so months ago I took up busking as a means to survive, and perhaps 9+ months ago since I expanded my drawing efforts to include my 16′ long panoramas.

Never having taken backgrounds seriously, my initial fears were founded around my lack of experience. Or more to the point, a failure on my part to free up my imagination and embrace my personal way of doing things.

Since the first panorama those many months ago, I have seen my technique improve to such a level that if you were to compare my first panorama (Ned Kelly) to that of my current (Waltzing Matilda), the differences between the two are obvious.

I am still happy with my initial efforts, but wonder where I will be this time next year. I know I have much yet to improve upon, but bit by bit I find myself aiming higher. To say I am intrigued at the possabilities is an understatement, but then at the same time I have to weigh up my choices of realism versus the simple joys of artistic licence.

I may never be an artist in the eyes of some, but in the end that doesn’t matter. I am on the verge of completing my 15th panorama with ideas for at least another dozen I want to tackle.

I have yet to solve my roadblocks regarding the production of the banner prints I wish to produce, but have some leads on that front which I will need to review at some point.

The sooner, the better as this ties into my eventual goals of exhibiting my work.

And of course the eventual charity pieces I want to do.

So many plans…so many dreams.

I look forward to the future.

See you all in my nightmares.

Public page on Facebook updated

Till now, to view the thumbnails of my artwork, you needed to “friend” me on Facebook. This apparently has the draw back that there is eventually a cutoff point where Facebook no longer allows additional friends.

Of course, I have also slowly been adding the thumbnails here at the blog for those not even on Facebook.

Today, this issue has been resolved by way of adding the thumbnails to my public page on Facebook which is accessible via…

fb.jameskite.com

…this allows people to “like” my page at their own discretion conditional to their having a Facebook profile and those not on Facebook to visit without penalty.

The panoramas (11 so far while I near the completion of the 12th) can also be found on the public page.

Of course, the thumbnails will continue to be added to the blog.

The big goal though, will be the eventual re-build of the website at some time in the future.

Preperation to Detonation

Friday, the opening day of Supanova (Sydney) has arrived, least in so far as Supa Fan Passholders are concerned. Again, no idea as to what this actually means…

We know that there are events on for those who invested in a weekend pass, but does that mean the retailers are up and running? Or artists alley? Information is hard to come by not having been to the preview night before (should have asked “Kings Comics” these things, but only thought of that while typing this up)

We assume yes…

So the goal is to meet up at Central with Catbirds about 4 in the afternoon and head over to Supanova to set up. Shouldn’t take long, so if artists alley is a go, we will be on hand, and if not, at least we will be set up and ready for Saturday.

When people comment on their blogs and websites about how behind they are on preparing for such events, how there is always something your still working hard to get ready … the same thing here.

The problem comes from two fronts…

The first big problem is the simple uncertainty of what we are getting in to and how best to promote ourselves to ensure we benefit not only while attending, but by way of building awareness of who we are.

To deal with this issue, I have a sign being printed (still to pick up) and have arranged some business cards (which I picked up yesterday). Any other options will need to go into the “future event” category once we get this first foray done.

The second is what to sell to cover costs of attending Supanova…and this is a far bigger problem due to cost. As the saying goes, it takes money to make money which can be a bit of an issue.

In fact, it was an area I only tackled in the last few days so as not to tie up what resources I do have…the past week of rain not really helping cover costs either, though allowing me time to work on preperation.

72 hours of working on the panoramas I got scanned, stitching the individual scans together and then evaluating my chances of getting them printed.

Very little sleep and food not really the best approach to the problem, but can’t be helped. Besides, I can sleep afterwards. Food on the other hand is something I should pay greater attention to. Some how, I do not think a $2 box of biscuits equates to a balanced diet for a day.

So, in the madness of preparation, what will we be offering the public at Supanova?

Catbirds will be showing off her hand crafted cards featuring (obviously) catbirds, along with the possibility of other strange creatures.

I on the other hand, will be bringing a range of prints, including a small selection of A5 and A3 sized images for the publics enjoyment.

And, for the first time ever, I have arranged a limited quantity of panoramas to be printed. Six in all…

1. Ned Kelly: Last Man Standing

2. A History of the Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras

3. ANZAC (Australian New Zealand Army Corps)

4. A History of the Sydney Harbour Bridge

5. Said Hanrahan by John o’Brien

6. Draconic Wrath

…each panorama is A5 size in height and around 7 feet in length (with a 6 foot table…displaying them will not be an easy option)

Now that the panoramas have been scanned, I am also looking into options regarding high quality prints to be done up as limited editions and am waiting on an idea of costs to produce such.

These initial six are only the beginning though, as I currently have eleven panoramas. More to come as I continue to make my living busking.

If not for the continued support of friends and family, I wouldn’t be attending Supanova … and if not for the public choosing to embrace me, constantly telling me I need to keep drawing … I would have failed months before reaching this opportunity.

Thank you.

I look forward to this weekend and learning from the experience.

But this is only the beginning, and if Supanova works out, both Catbirds and myself are already looking forward to the next event with plans to improve on what we do.

So stay tuned, because as nervouse as I am about the next couple of days…I am excited about the possibilities the future holds for us.

Ned Kelly: Last Man Standing

Depending on who you talk to, Ned Kelly was either a criminal or a hero (and as likely to be both). However you look at him, the simple fact is that he is probably Australia’s most famous bushranger (outlaw for those not familiar with the term) best known for the armor he and his gang wore during their exploits.

Born in 1854 in Beveridge, Ned would become an athletic youth known for his bravery (at the age of 11 having saved Richard Shelton from drowning at Hughes Creek, Avenel). However, by fifteen years of age, Ned would face charges of assault against Ah Fook (a fowl and pig dealer) as well as aiding the bushranger Harry Power. Though the charges failed to hold up, later that year, he would face 6 months hard labour due to charges of assault and indecent behavior (brought about by a prank by a family friend)

As if that wasn’t bad enough, within three weeks of his release, Ned would be arrested for possession of a stolen horse. Though innocent of the theft and unaware of the true ownership of the horse, the law would see Ned Kelly facing five years hard labour as a result (he would be released earlier from Pentridge Goal)

At the age of nineteen, Ned was a far more serious individual upon his release, hardened from the experience of prison life. Discovering 31 of his 32 horses had been stolen by the local constabulary was not something that he was prepared to overlook after initially trying to keep his nose clean (for three years). With one thing leading to another, the Kelly family would begin large scale reprisals against those they believed were involved in their persecution.

It was in April (1878) that Ned Kelly would be accused of attempted murder by Constable Alexander Fitzpatrick after the Constable went to the Kelly home to arrest Dan Kelly. Fitzpatrick’s true motives revolved around an interest in Kate Kelly, apparently leading to an assault on her which was fended off by way of a fry pan causing injury to his hand (which he claimed was injured when Ned “shot” him … never mind Ned was elsewhere at the time)

The following period would see the formation of “The Kelly Gang” when Ned Kelly, Dan Kelly, Joe Byrne & Steve Hart would be involved in the murder of three police officers (Sgt Kennedy, Constables Lonigan and Scanlon) and follow through on two bank robberies (Euroa Bank in Victoria and Jerilderie Bank in NSW). Aaron Sherritt would be killed by his best friend Joe Byrne after the gang was convinced Aaron had been working with the police.

The final stand of the Kelly gang would be at Glenrowan where they prepared to take on the police special train by tearing up the tracks. A plan that would fall apart when they released Thomas Curnow who would warn the train of the impending ambush. constable Bracken who had managed to escape, would then lead the police from the train to Glenrowan Inn where a gunfight would see the deaths of three of the Kelly Gang (reposted by possible suicide when police set fire to the inn). Nedmanaged to escape the Inn, though he was badly wounded, he would attempt to return to the Inn to rescue his brother Dan and Steve Hart, resulting in a final gunfight with police that would see his capture.

There would be a petition of over 30,000 signatures calling for leniency from the governor after a rushed trial that took 2 days to sentence Ned Kelly to die by the noose.

Ned Kelly would be Hung 11th November 1880 with his final words commonly viewed as being…

“Such is life”

———-

The first panoramic I would draw to replace my work on “The Dragon” would be Ned Kelly and his gang’s last stand at Glenrowan. A fairly easy idea faced with the simple issue that I had never really done anything like it. This would be my first attempt at a range of things.

The first thing to consider would be size and in this case I came to the conclusion that sixteen A3 pages wide would be a good workable number to go with.

The panoramic depicts one of the Kelly gang on the toilet to represent the fact that they were caught with their pants down at the time. Three of them are without their helmets as they died during the conflict.

During the battle at Glenrowan, the police would only suffer one minor wound, that caused to Superintendent Francis Hare who would flee the battle, later resulting in his dismissal. To represent that, not only is there an officer crouched behind a tree, there are two rabbits hiding behind the water trough.

Finally, as the history of the Kelly gang was in fact a result of larger issues of the day, there are the outlines of a pig, bird and fish in the rocks to represent that issues revolving around land ownership played an integral part to the overall history.

My First Baby Steps…

Now needing a new “crowd pleaser” to grab the attention of the public (like 230 A5 prints were not enough), I figured my best approach due to size constraints would be panoramics inspired by Australian history. The concept was simple enough, however, never having really done backgrounds before in any serious manner (only having dabbled with the occasional feature previously) this would be a bit of a first for me on many levels.

In some cases the learning curve would be a steep one.

The first problem I faced was a simple one … what on earth was I going to draw? To pick Australian history was all well and good, but what was there to choose?

The Olympic Games?

America’s Cup?

Football?

Not exactly my cup of tea, after all, I’m not a sports fan and I really wanted to find something that would interest me while I developed my skills before tackling any such subjects. But nothing sprang to mind … Australian history was apparently dry and desolate.

Then I thought of convicts … a little dull, perhaps something to follow through on at a later date.

Ned Kelly!

That was the one to start with … but first I had to see if I could capture the character. Last thing I wanted to do was draw up a lame duck of such an infamous (and much loved) icon, and so I would put pen to paper to draw up two test images with partial background to see how I would do.

Research was minimal, the idea being to create my own version based on my recollections of his history (something I would be told off for by one person a few months later. From his perspective, art should be 100% accurate down to the smallest bolt … but what fun would that be? I wasn’t aiming for historically accurate but to present my own view)

Artistic license is a phrase commonly used as an excuse for inaccuracies within any artwork … but let’s face it, without it, art would simply be boring (besides, my view on a subject is probably different to your view and that keeps things interesting)

As it turned out, the first image was one I was fairly happy with, though one or two aspects needed some working in the overall scheme of things. So it was that I would opt for a second attempt.

Just as a side note, though little to see, the second image has a wanted poster behind the character with the hint of a box Ned Kelly. This is meant as a nod to Sidney Nolan (the famous Australian artist)

ANZAC (Australian New Zealand Army Corps)

In 1915, both Australia and New Zealand would send troops to assist in the war that would come to be known as The Great War (or in turn World War One). Together they would form the ANZACs (Australian New Zealand Army Corps), a force that was initially destined for Europe. A change of plans would see them diverted to Egypt for training and head for Gallipoli and a  legend uniting both countries would be born on the field of battle as common everyday men would be called on to perform the impossible.

Winston Churchill (First Lord of the Admiralty) proposed to send troops as part of a naval assault on the Dardanelles, the eventual goal to be the capture of Constantinople rather than attack German forces directly in Europe. The initial assault by the Navy suffered unacceptable losses in the eyes of the commanding officers and the fleet was withdrawn to plan for the inclusion of ground forces, a decision that would provide the Ottoman Empire a chance to reinforce their troops in the area who had come close to losing due to a shortage of ammunition at the time.

The ANZACs were to land on the Aegean coast, north of Gaba Tepe as the 29th Division was to land at the tip of the peninsula at Helles (25th April 1915). The ANZACs would find themselves on the wrong beach, facing steep slopes and cliff faces and the opposition of Turkish forces would hold them on the beach for the next several months, both sides suffering massive losses as they struggled for dominance.

Lieutenant-Colonel Mustafa Kemal (the commander of the 19th Division of the Ottoman forces) would see the ANZACs forced back onto the beaches. Fighting with bare hands and bayonets as Turkish troops ran out of ammunition, the 57th Infantry Regiment would be ordered to sacrifice themselves for their own country with the famous order issued by Mustafa Kemal…

“I do not expect you to attack, I order you to die. In the time which passes until we die, other troops and commanders can come forward and take our places.”

…the Ottoman 57th Infantry Regiment would be wiped out to a man performing their duty to hold the area till reinforcements could arrive.

Errors on both sides of the battle for the area would see a stalemate resulting in massive losses of troops at Gallipoli (a total of 130,784 troops of which an estimated 86,692 belonged to the Ottoman empire. The wounded would number 261,554 in total),  the Allies would finally decide to withdraw with the last troops leaving before dawn on the 20th December 1915, a decision that was expected to result in a 50% loss of troops, but due to several clever ruses (such as William Surry’s self-firing rifle), the evacuation would be the single biggest success of the entire campaign with only 2 casualties during the withdrawal (The last British troops departed from Lancashire Landing on 9 January 1916)

Australia and New Zealand would  suffer 35,623 casualties between them during the campaign. The deaths of 8,709 Australians and 2,721 New Zealanders would unite both countries as ANZAC Day (25th April) would become a day of remembrance for those who had made the ultimate sacrifice for their countries during a military action.

__________

The image depicted is aimed at showing the ANZACs were just normal everyday people, full of life, tall tales and simple mateship. The background depicts the ANZACs facing a wall of opposition (with faces and hands raised against them contained in the cliff face) By some accounts they were rude and crude, but they stood their ground and fought for what they believed in.

They were little people who would face horrific odds and prove themselves to be giants with their sacrifices.

They gave their lives and should be remembered, not only for what they did, but for who they were.

War is horrific, there is no doubt of that. It takes the lives of loved ones, destroys things most valued and causes untold harm on many … but those that stand firm in friendship (on either side of a battle) who fight not for the whims of their leaders, but for the lives of their mates … it is these people that should never be forgotten for it is these people who make the ultimate sacrifice in the end.

The ANZAC panoramic would take approximately two and a half weeks to complete while busking on the streets of Sydney. It would be walked on by approx. 20+ people (only 4 of which would be children), the single largest number to walk on my artwork while displayed in public during the same time period … at least half of which clearly saw the artwork and chose to simply not care and rather than walk 3 feet to either side, would barrel ahead. One individual would narrowly miss running into a guy standing with a cup of hot coffee next to a child as he ran across the street while it was raining, try to jump the drawings on display and land on the ANZAC piece (Thoughts of what could have happened if he had collided with the guy drinking coffee are just a bit of a concern all things considered)

I was interviewed by Vu Nguyen (James Cook News Network [student site]) while I was working on the piece. The video can be found here (15 minutes edited down to just over a minute)

It is the first panoramic that I aimed to complete prior to the event it was created for with the aim of displaying it on the lead up to ANZAC Day itself (Primarily in Martin Place, the Queen Victoria Building and near Event Cinemas on George St) and is the eighth to be completed.

Without any real expectation of success, I also offered the Sydney Morning Herald the opportunity to reproduce the piece. But lets face it, until such time as I become famous (if ever) such an offer was destined to fail from the outset, so no real surprise that there was no interest on that front.

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For more information regarding the Gallipoli campaign, you may wish to visit the following government websites…

• Australia: www.anzacsite.gov.au
• New Zealand: www.anzac.govt.nz

• City of Sydney: ANZAC War Memorial