FieldJournal – DYCP

In August 2021 I was awarded an Arts Council England – Developing Your Creative Practice Grant. I have just finished the project so here’s a round up blog…

Blue circular logo with bird skull character sketch across a distresses sepia brown and orange background. The black text says FieldJournal by Kim McDermottroe. The Arts Council England Logo is at the bottom centre of the image.
Blue circular logo with bird skull character sketch across a distresses sepia brown and orange background. The black text says FieldJournal by Kim McDermottroe. The Arts Council England Logo is at the bottom centre of the image.

It’s quite long this because it’s been a long project yet so much has happened it feels impossible to have fit it all in. If nothing else, please see the film at the end. It took ages as I have never edited a video before, I was learning on the job!

On the 26th of May 2021 I submitted my Developing Your Creative Practice funding application to Arts Council England. It had been a challenging day but I was determined to get it in with the view (if successful), to bring my sketchbook characters off the page. My sketchbook has been my passion since 2017.

It’s not enough to see my character on the page, I want to bring them to life, animate them, hold them, meet them proper

Double page spread of sepia brown sketchbook pages with character illustrations like tree roots with eyes, juggling white spheres.
Double page spread of sepia brown sketchbook pages with character illustrations like tree roots with eyes, juggling white spheres.

Angela Martin was giving me access support to write the bid, we had little time and lots of determination. Emails were sent for letter of recommendation and replies came super quick. The bid went in. Then it’s quite a long wait. August 4th I found out the application was successful!

It’s been an absolutely amazing opportunity to learn animation techniques alongside story writing. Something I really struggle with despite knowing how to develop the characters themselves.

I have been mentored by Paul Miller from Rory Studio and Natalie Scott writer. We did the sessions over zoom and in between times I had homework. I tried out animation suggestions and worked on story techniques.

I confirmed things I already knew like, I learn best visually and by doing and I know I am particular. But I learned that I can write a story. Sometimes stories only need a few words or perhaps no words at all because the visuals speak for themselves.

Sepia brown sketchbook pages with illustrations in black fine liner pen of roses growing downwards off the top of the page. the biggest rose is framed be a red circle with hair coming off it. The text in capitals reads UPSIDE DOWN BUT STILL THEY GREW
Sepia brown sketchbook pages with illustrations in black fine liner pen of roses growing downwards off the top of the page. the biggest rose is framed be a red circle with hair coming off it. The text in capitals reads UPSIDE DOWN BUT STILL THEY GREW.

Paul was teaching me how to time myself doing movements to know how many animation frames I need, he gave software advice and practical suggestions on how to create different effects such as creating animated bubbles, how to get a piece of paper to scroll out, he showed me his character sketches and gave me advice on how to use the green screen. I’ll talk about that in a bit.

Photograph of a hand holding a technical pencil on top of sepia brown note book pages marked out with storyboard boxes. Top left of the page the note stuck on the page says STORYBOARD.

Nat helped me realise I already had the basics of a story. We played with story arcs, I conducted a character interview with the puppet, we looked at when to introduce characters, when to play with the narrative changing up the sequence of events, different ways to find the best words, or how to decide when words aren’t needed because the visuals give all the information needed. I became more confident with my story and Nat suggested I make contact with some authors.

Angela Martin came back on board as access support for the project and with her help I was in touch with Shaun Tan and contacted David Oumiet two author/illustrators who’s work really appeals to me because of the layers, the illustration styles, the way they choose the least and very best words. The themes that resonate with me in ways that might be totally different to how they resonate with others. Like all good books do, I guess. Sometimes stories get a little deeper under your skin though don’t they.  

I’ve enjoyed looking at your work and am sure your unique imagination will be well appreciated by others, and interesting to see how you work across different disciplines, all of which I can see relating well to animation.

Shaun Tan

I also had some consultation with Tom from BiggerHouse Film. He was super enthusiastic, giving me practical tips from asset-based set building to lighting techniques. We are going to chat some more.

A 2D illustrated red and sepia brown fish against a green screen background.
A 2D illustrated red and sepia brown fish against a green screen background.

I got new equipment and was trying out the green screen. Everyone knows how much I LOVE green things. It is the best colour so I’m lucky it’s my favourite too. But you know what, it betrayed me. I became unwell through the LED lights I needed for green screening. Technically the lights and not the green I suppose. Anyway, it was giving me really bad migraine.

I got an eye test but they couldn’t tell me which filters would work. I tried different coloured glasses but I still felt unwell. I managed to do some anyway and found smaller sessions helped. I learn how to key out the green which was really cool and also complicated to get it all to key out without getting the lighting just right.

Green screen backdrop with various cardboard and plastic glasses with various coloured lenses on top in a bit of a mess. Toward the back, black tripod legs can be seen.
Green screen backdrop with various cardboard and plastic glasses with various coloured lenses on top in a bit of a mess. Toward the back, black tripod legs can be seen.

After lots of learning, I then moved onto animating the puppets with alternative backgrounds and environments. This really helped.

In the meantime, I visited London and looked at skeletons and natural world specimens in the Grant Museum of Zoology, the Natural History Museum and I visited the Beatrix potter exhibition at the V&A. I took stacks of photos and subsequently reached the 100th page milestone in my sketchbook.

Sepia brown sketchbook page showing a bent over skeleton character holding onto a staff and a fish character looking up at the skeleton.
Sepia brown sketchbook page showing a bent over skeleton character holding onto a staff and a fish character looking up at the skeleton.

I made 3 puppets. The LockDown Easter Bunny (Lockie for short), The Toadstool and Moth who is actually a Fish.

The Toadstool had some happy accidents along the way. The eye wasn’t big enough to start with and the cavity was huge. I found a way round this with some thermo plastic and I reckon the outcome was so much better than planned. This taught me that sometimes I should just do a thing and not overthink it. I’ll be honest, I won’t change and I will always overthink. But maybe I have learnt to trust myself a little more.

This puppet has limited movement for animation so it was interesting to experiment with expression when all you have to really work with is a singular eye.

Progress photograph of a hand holding the Toadstool stop motion puppet's red cap showing underside with white eyeball in it's socket.
Progress photograph of a hand holding the Toadstool stop motion puppet’s red cap showing underside with white eyeball in it’s socket.
Photograph of The Toadstool stop motion puppet by Kev Howard with sepia brown stem and red cap with white lumpy dots. 1 single eye looks out from under the cap.
Photograph of The Toadstool stop motion puppet by Kev Howard with sepia brown stem and red cap with white lumpy dots. 1 single eye looks out from under the cap.

While I was making  Lockie and the toadstool, I released sneaky peeks on social media. However, alongside these, I was busy making Moth the fish. This puppet is part of the story I have been developing. I have done the most work on this out of all the puppets and hope to develop it further.

Progress of a hand with green sleeve and yellow and white sleeve underneath holding up an unfinished fish stop motion puppet. The background is green.
Progress of a hand with green sleeve and yellow and white sleeve underneath holding up an unfinished fish stop motion puppet. The background is green.
Photo of a desk with a foil covered egg in the foreground. the midground has 2 sculpted beaks covered in white and rusty paint. The background has illustrations of a red and sepia brown fish.
Photo of a desk with a foil covered egg in the foreground. the midground has 2 sculpted beaks covered in white and rusty paint. The background has illustrations of a red and sepia brown fish.
Sepia brown sketchbook page with line sketches of fins and possible mechanisms. The fins are painted with white ink.
Profile photograph by Kev Howard of Moth the fish puppet who is blue and sepia brown. The background is very black.
Profile photograph by Kev Howard of Moth the fish puppet who is blue and sepia brown. The background is very black.

Once Lockie escaped his egg on Easter Sunday, I have been taking him out and about. The animations I have done with him explore movement with a fully articulated puppet. Completely the opposite of the Toadstool. He’s had a go at Moonwalking and loves stimming. I have observed his movements over time and I think I know him quite well now.

Photograph of a puppet's brown fabric "skin" getting sewn onto the foot. a needle is sticking out with brown matching thread.
Photograph of a puppet’s brown fabric “skin” getting sewn onto the foot. a needle is sticking out with brown matching thread.
Progress photo of a hare stop motion puppet head with taped up plague mask and temporary wire holding the head "skin" in place round the neck.
Progress photo of a hare stop motion puppet head with taped up plague mask and temporary wire holding the head “skin” in place round the neck.
Lockie the brown Hare stop motion puppet sitting in the sun on board Highlights PR boat at Newcastle Quayside.
Lockie the brown Hare stop motion puppet sitting in the sun on board Highlights PR boat at Newcastle Quayside.

He came to be interviewed on the Highlights PR boat at Newcastle Quayside I had some vertigo for the first time ever that morning and got a train to Newcastle on my own so he was good company for the journey to meet Polly Brennan from Adventurous Coaching (who had set up the interview for me and arranged any access I needed to get there with Newcastle Train Station) and then Keith. My friend Ali was WhatsApp messaging me from Albania to make sure I got there safe.

My mam thinks Lockie is her Grandchild. He’s currently sat on my parent’s fire place and I’m not sure I can get him to leave.

Thing is, he has somewhere important to be.

He is going to be exhibited with the other two at Arts centre Washington form 28th July to 27th August 2022. My first solo exhibition! I’m excited and nervous at the same time. More info here…https://sunderlandculture.org.uk/events/fieldjournal-kim-mcdermottroe/

Graphic advertising my exhibition at Arts Centre Washington. . The FieldJournal blue logo with bird skull character is on the left overlapping some of my sketches. Lockie the hare stop motion puppet is leaning in on the left and the text in the middle reads FieldJournal by Kim McDermottroe - EXHIBITION - Arts Centre Washington - 28th July - 27th August 2022. there are logos across the bottom for Arts Council england, Arts Centre Washington, Sunderland City Council and Sunderland Culture. the website beneath reads www.greenerlavelle.co.uk
Graphic advertising my exhibition at Arts Centre Washington. . The FieldJournal blue logo with bird skull character is on the left overlapping some of my sketches. Lockie the hare stop motion puppet is leaning in on the left and the text in the middle reads FieldJournal by Kim McDermottroe – EXHIBITION – Arts Centre Washington – 28th July – 27th August 2022. there are logos across the bottom for Arts Council england, Arts Centre Washington, Sunderland City Council and Sunderland Culture. the website beneath reads www.greenerlavelle.co.uk
Short film showing WIP and experiments in stop motion animation from my Arts Council England – Developing Your Creative Practice (DYCP) grant project. The film has no sound.
Photograph by Kev Howard of Kim, a white woman with freckles and mousy brown hair, blue eyes and a green shirt holding up Lockie the stop motion puppet to the camera. Lockie is in sharp focus and Kim isn’t. The background is very black.

With the DYCP grant I got to bring some of my characters off the page, I got to meet them proper.

I have loads of people to thank who have supported this journey.

Of course, Arts council England for the opportunity. Such a gift to focus on my own work, Something I usually do between commissions. Having funding to experiment and grow is invaluable.

Angela (who I met through Mike at DASH) for believing in me not only to write the bid but also for coming on board as access support for the project, for keeping epic notes and helping me manage the project and use Grantium.

Thanks to Robin Paley-Yorke for suggesting a DYCP in the first place and putting me in touch with Mike.

Mentors Natalie and Paul for getting behind the project, believing in me and for all the encouragement and skills they passed on.

Tom too for his enthusiasm, problem solving and tips and tricks.

Miranda Thain at Hullabaloo, Juliet Hardy at SIRF, Lucy Adlington at History Wardrobe and Laura Degnan at Writers Block North East for amazing letters of recommendation with short notice too.

Polly Brennan for access support, arranging interviews, making introductions, general check ins and all-round incredible support. She believed in me enough for both of us, encouraging me whenever I doubted myself .

David Wilson for his practical support in wiring the vintage switchboard, picking up and putting the porthole together, helping with building puppets and providing access support for the trip to London Also he has put up with the house being more messy than usual as the project developed.

Tina Frank for believing in me and letting me go on endlessly about my work and characters. For loving them as much as I do (ok, maybe slightly less but still, a LOT) and for helping me focus. She got in on a bit of green screen action too.

Chloe Lawrence form ARC for application support and for looking at holding an exhibition in the venue.

Anna Marshall from Hull Maritime for giving me loads of marketing advice, helping me do write ups, prioritise and focus.

Kev Howard for the epic photography he did of the puppets. I told him to treat them as people. Photograph them in the same way. He really got it, understood the characters and spent hours getting everything just right for me. We are hoping to keep working together.

Karen Holmes from Refrill for gorgeous Vintage bits and bobs. She knows about presentation being 9/10th of the law and knows what I like.

Kirsten Luckins for access support and setting up meetings about exhibitions.

Matt Blyth and Arts Centre Washington for hosting my 1st solo exhibition.

Keith Newman for the interview to promote my exhibition.

Ali Goldfinch (Latham) for checking I am drinking enough water, for the daily bird pictures and continuous encouragement.

Laura Degnan for checking my film was without glitches. It was my first ever time editing a film together so I needed a professional eye over the final cut. And most importantly for setting off the whole thing back in 2017 by asking me to illustrate 3x double pages of a book for a short film.

Mam and Dad for supporting me to do what I love. For being honest and keeping my feet on the ground.

I’m totally bound to have missed people. I will update.

If you’ve got this far, flipping heck, you probably need a screen break. Thanks for reading mind.

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