Chuck Redux

The Red Dot Auction: Silent Auction Artwork Sneak Peak!

Who is the artist?

Which artist's work will I go home with tonight?

The answer to those questions and many more can be found at The Red Dot Auction: Silent Auction Artwork!  Haven't RSVP'd?  Not to worry!  Call Pamela Marsden at 949-660-7791 to secure your place at the Chuck Jones Center for Creativity's Spring fund-raiser, The Red Dot Auction, on Saturday, May 14th beginning at 6:30 PM.  

Tickets available online at: http://blog.chuckjones.com/chuck_redux/red_dot.html.  

The Red Dot Auction: Press Release

For Immediate Release:

Contact:  Tracy Tanner: TTanner@chuckjonescenter.org 

               Cheryl Posner: Cheryl@ChuckJonesCenter.org

               949.660.7793

The Red Dot Auction

Which Artist’s Work Will You Take Home Tonight?

Spring Gala Fund-raiser Announced for

Chuck Jones Center for Creativity

Orange, CA:  The Chuck Jones Center for Creativity announced today plans for their spring fund-raising gala, The Red Dot Auction, to be held Saturday, May 14^th from 6:30 to 9:30 PM at the Center’s studio space in old town Orange, 131 W. Chapman Avenue.

The Red Dot Auction was conceived as a fund-raising opportunity for the Chuck Jones Center for Creativity, a 501(c) 3 organization.  The Center, dedicated as it is to inspiring creativity in all people, but particularly in children, was founded in 1999 by animation legend and four-time Academy Award recipient, Chuck Jones.  

What differentiates The Red Dot Auction is that all of the artists have signed the works on the reverse.  Consequently donors and patrons of the Center will not know who the artist is when bidding, they’ll only have their heart to follow.  “We wanted to create a fun, engaging silent auction, and to further the suspense of not knowing which work belongs to which artist, each artist received a 10” square stretched canvas upon which to create their work of art,” noted Tracy Tanner, President of the Council for Creativity, the volunteer arm of the Center. 

“The artists who are participating come from all levels of notoriety, skill and accomplishment, from students to emerging to established artists; we reached out around the world hoping to capture the imagination and appreciation of these artists.  We are so thankful that they were willing to help us achieve our goal of promoting creativity by providing a nurturing environment, without prejudice, where it may grow and blossom,” said Cheryl Posner, Executive Director for the Center.

Participating artists include “Dora the Explorer” producer and director Jeff DeGrandis; James Coleman, the legendary background designer and matte painter for Walt Disney Studios; Academy Award-winning animated film director, producer and author, John Canemaker; the brilliant young L.A. society artist, Jess Black; sculptor and painter, Lawrence Noble, whose work graces the Lucasfilm campus in San Francisco along with Kelly Asbury (Director of the recent hit animated film, “Gnomeo and Juliet”,) Eric Goldberg (longtime Disney animator and director,) Marian Jones, photographer, author and Chuck Jones’ wife; and many others. 

The Red Dot Auction will  include a live auction of items unique to the Center such as a Chuck Jones Film Festival for your business, school or organization or a private tour of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences.  

Tickets to the event are available for $70.00 each or $150.00 for two by calling Pamela Marsden at 949-660-7793 or online at http://blog.chuckjones.com/chuck_redux/red_dot.html. 

Images of the artwork for The Red Dot Auction are available upon request.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chuck Jones' Letters to His Daughter, Linda (Redux)

[If you've not read Chuck Jones' letters to his daughter while she was at boarding school in Arizona, they're certainly worth your time.  Just click on the appropriate category on the left side of this page.  --ed.]

# 5 Post:

Wednesday…September 24, 1952

Dearest Linda;

Another day, another letter and my damned typewriting doesn’t seem to improve.  The two initial fingers of my right hand do all the work and others just go along for the ride.  The index finger of my left hand pushes the shift key.  I suppose it thinks it’s earning its keep.  It just pointed out to me by doing so that it also returns the carriage.  Big deal!!  Do you know I used a typewriter for about six years before I discovered what the tabular key is for?  I felt like I’d just invented it.

I’m on a diet.  I found to my horror Sunday morning that I weighed 194 pounds.  Pure flab.  So when Donn  came over I challenged him to a two-week diet: no sugars, sweets, starches, breads, potatoes, butter, milk, salad dressings or etcetera.  No beer!  We agreed on a $50.00 penalty if either broke it, so I think I’ll go through with it.  What a dreadful thing it is to have no will power.

I saw [two of your friends] last evening.  They came tripping past the house, giggling and gabbling.  They were in bathing suits, had just been swimming.  They want you to write to them.  Write to me instead, hm?

Has the Senator Nixon controversy struck the school?  I hope not.  It’s a hopeless sort of argument.  Had to do, as I suppose you know, as to whether he should gave accepted $18,000 as a sort of expense fund to help his income.  In my opinion he is, at best, naive, and dammit, I don’t want a naïve vice-president.  My advice to you, if you need it, is, while over there, to indulge in political controversies sparingly.  You’re probably in a nest of children from Republican families so you won’t win many converts to the Democratic Party.  

  ‘Bye for now.

Linda Jones at her boarding school in Arizona.  

 

How to Talk to Children: Chuck Jones Video of the Day

Chuck Jones writes in Chuck Reducks how he learned from his Uncle Lynn the best way to talk to children: as you would anyone you encountered, with grace, humility, interest and understanding. 

He writes, "Never in all the years I knew him did Uncle Lynn ever muss my hair or thump my head.  If he had something to say to me when I was half his height, he would sit casually down in a chair, to be level with me.  He never squatted to communicate with me or any child--a demeaning gesture defining the difference in relative statuses.  He never talked down, physically or philosophically, to any human being, any dog, cat, or housefly.  He is the only person I ever knew who would talk to caterpillars, reassuring them of their thrilling future as butterflies.

Another problem with Uncle Lynn was that he made you think.  Most other adults told you what to think, which of course wasn't thinking at all."  

In the video below, Chris Scardino, one of our volunteer Teaching Artists at the Chuck Jones Center for Creativity, discusses how he integrates Chuck's philosophies into the classes he leads at the Center.  (Video courtesy Nicholas W. Snyder of Chapman University, Orange, California.) 

Exercise no. 4: Monologue Verite from Nicholas W. Snyder on Vimeo.

The Dover Boys Decamp to Culver City, Part Two

The amazing Dave Lowenstein (what can be said about him that hasn't been said already?  Let me try:  Dave is a gracious and gregarious host, a raconteur extraordinaire, a passionate collector & an all-around-fun guy) hosted a wonderful evening for the Chuck Jones Center for Creativity last night at his home (filled from floor to ceiling, corner to corner with an astounding collection of the art of the animated film.)

Dave Lowenstein (2nd from left) flanked by Cheryl Posner & Pamela Marsden (l to r) Executive Director & Program Director, respectively, of the Chuck Jones Center for Creativity and at far right, artist Sonny Dolberg, at last night's fund-raising event for the Center.

Craig Kausen, far right, grandson of Chuck Jones and Chairman of the Board of Trustees for the Center guffaws (and we might add, that image is the perfect visual description of the word 'guffaw') at the bons mots dropping like a hard rain from the Dover Boys, from left, Rob Minkoff, Kelly Asbury, Chris Bailey and Jeff DeGrandis. 

These "Dover Boys" were so named by Linda Jones Clough, Chuck's daughter, after they started hanging out with Chuck in the early 1980s while they were students at CalArts in Valencia.  Linda, center below, is shown with, from left, Kelly Asbury, Rob Minkoff, Clough, Chris Bailey and Jeff DeGrandis.

Want to know more about these amazing animation directors and producers?  Read the first part of this article, by clicking here.

Kelly Asbury, director of the hit animated film, "Gnomeo & Juliet" brought a roll of movie posters which he graciously signed for attendees at last night's evening get-together for the Chuck Jones Center for Creativity.

Linda Jones Clough, Chuck Jones' daughter (and only child) shares a laugh with the very funny Emmy Award-winning animation director & producer, Bob Kurtz. (All photos courtesy Stephen Russo.)

"I'm in the Money" -- Chuck Jones Image of the Day

Daffy Duck doesn’t just do rich; he does ‘comfortably well-off!’  “I’m in the Money” depicts this despot of ducks drowning in ducats and buckets of lucre.  Talk about bling.

Daffy Duck doesn’t want to share and says so.  Reminiscing about his childhood once, Chuck Jones spoke about how we learn to be socially acceptable by telling the story of a birthday party given for his 6^th or 7^th year.  A beautiful cake had been lovingly prepared by his mother and when he, presented with the cake and a knife with which to cut slices for the other celebrants, stated “I won’t be needing the knife as I don’t plan on sharing the cake with anyone,” and was then quickly whisked away from the table and spent the rest of his birthday alone in his room contemplating the difference between what we really want and what is considered acceptable behavior in polite society. 

“It is never a struggle for [Daffy] to determine his priorities.  Daffy does what we would like to do if we had the guts. 

"Good comedy arises from the ability to bring to the surface, without shame, parts of yourself you would rather keep hidden.  A character such as Daffy can act out things that you are not particularly interested in having anyone associate with you, but that you are perfectly willing to associate with someone you draw.

"He is so honest that it hurts.  Underlying his avariciousness, sneakiness, and selfishness is an admirable will to survive.”  Chuck Jones, Chuck Reducks 

“I’m in the Money” is a limited edition fine art reproduction on canvas and has been lovingly created from an original oil painting by Chuck Jones (pictured on page 146 of Chuck Reducks, Drawing from the Fun Side of Life and on page 81 of Stroke of Genius: A Collection of Paintings and Musings on Life, Love and Art by Chuck Jones.)  

"Abominable Snow Rabbit" -- Chuck Jones Image of the Day

"The Abominable Snow Rabbit" shoveled its way into theaters on May 20, 1961.  Directed by Chuck Jones (and co-directed by Maurice Noble) the cartoon finds our intrepid heroes (Bugs Bunny & Daffy Duck) on their way to Palm Springs, which is all fine and well, except they took that wrong turn at _________ (according to Daffy they should've turned west at East St. Louis,) whatever, (have you ever noticed that Bugs's sense of direction is, well, a bit off, especially when he's tunneling underground?   This is hardly the first time such a 'wrong turn at __________' has thrown our man in Havana -- excuse me -- our rabbit in the Himalayas off course.)  

But I digress.  The drawing above is a rough layout drawing by Chuck Jones of Daffy Duck when first introduced to the Abominable Snowman.  It is graphite on 12 field animation paper and if you watch this clip carefully you will see how closely Chuck's animators (for this film: Ken Harris, Richard Thompson, Bob Bransford, and Tom Ray) hew to his layouts.