the 2012 Big Sky Doc Film Fest Trailer

The 2012 Big Sky Documentary Film Festival Trailer

the artist is present kicks off the Big Sky Doc Film Fest

Remember my post, the body as medium, Abramovic with a clip from the documentary about the artist, Marina Abramovic?

It plays for FREE (sponsored by HBO), TONIGHT at 6:30 PM at the Wilma Theater in Missoula, Montana and blazes the trail for a fantastic line-up of films at this year's Big Sky Documentary Film Festival.

I'll be posting a few of my own picks on salty snack studios' Facebook page and on Twitter (@TonetteTime) as the fest progresses.

See the schedule (click here) and GO.  You won't regret it. 

just ask love's; the movie

Happy Valentine's from salty snack studios 

a short movie by our fabulous intern from the University of Montana, 

Cassandra James.

fantastic flying books

App on Tap:

If you have fears and concerns with digital technology destroying the book, creativity and any art of the hand, you must spend some time with The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore on the iPad. The creators call it an 'interactive storybook,' that also fits into a fast growing trend called enhanced books.  This one, though, absolutely leads in raising the bar for interactivity and art direction in apps.  It's visually stunning for starters.  And it's creatively inspiring. 

The app-book evolved in conjunction with a short animated movie by the same creative team, Moonbot Studios.  Morris Lessmore is "Inspired in equal measures, by Hurricane Katrina, Buster Keaton, The Wizard of Oz, and a love for books, "Morris Lessmore" is a story of people who devote their lives to books and books who return the favor."   Once you have the app, be sure to watch the 'Making Of' video to get a glimpse into some details and concepts of the craftsmen behind the finished work, including the 1/6 and 1/12 scaled sets.  Morris Lessmore is the vision of a passionate collaboration of artists, indeed.

And the film?  The short animated film is also a warm, elegant tribute to culture and humanity. They'll get my standing ovation when William Joyce and Moonbot Studios takes home an Oscar for outstanding achievements in animated shorts this year!  Bravo! 


Here's a video clip of the iPad app.

To get the app, it costs US$4.99 (click here).

The HD short movie is currently free through iTunes or Vimeo.

remember your 8 track iPhone case from 1972?

We remembered ours!

Last weekend we went to the Missoula Art Museum's Annual Benefit Auction.  It's MAM's 40th anniversary, so the party was 70s themed.  

Here we are decked out in polyester with our friend and Brink gallery owner, Jenn Leutzinger.  The 70s Maxi dress fashion is nothing if it isn't comfortable!

We both carried custom 8 Track iPhone Cases, handmade by Bruce.  

Here's mine:

The Osmonds Phase III 8 Track iPhone Case by Bruce Tribbensee

The Osmonds Phase III 8 Track iPhone Case by Bruce Tribbensee

He had a different Donny and Marie case.  Sing along if you like, "I'm a little bit country.  And I'm a little bit ..."

This year's event was a huge success and our props were the best accessories ever! Some fangirls were trying to get Bruce to sell the cases on Etsy but he's way too busy with writing code these days.  

Maybe in the Spring!

fluke the whale

I had a whale of a dream.  Literally.  I'll spare you any play-by-play recount of the dream (so I'm not one of those people), but I'll have you know that glorious creepy adventure in my sleep made a deep impression on my conscious self.  Since I woke up I haven't stopped thinking about it.  I've been trying to replicate the main character, a cartoon baby whale, in drawings but I just can't. I can still picture him standing on a dock, but he's un-drawable. What I dreamt and what I draw can never match.  

It's just how it is.  

Fine, I say. It hasn't stopped me from making my wonderful whale friend more tangible for myself anyway.  I've reinvented him, see:

Dream Whale © Toni Matlock 2012

With such a boxy head, apparently he's a Sperm Whale.  I can't decide if he should be blue, yellow or green.  In the dream, he was a rich glowing polychrome, but I don't feel my cartoon of him needs to be.  I'm leaning toward green at the moment.  What do you think?

Oh, and in case you are dying with curiosity for some details of the dream, let me just say it ended with a bumpy treacherous drive in the water's edge along a narrow strip of beach with people leaping out of the way (my brakes had gone out) until I hit a rock and came to a stop.  When I opened my car door, I felt a huge pang of fear that people were hurt, but everyone was gone. Then a big beach towel unfolded like a magic carpet in the sand in front of me with a spread of all different kinds of chocolate bars.  No doubt melted in their wrappers as hot and sunny as it was.  A happy ending nonetheless.

I'm not sure where my cartoons of Fluke the Whale (yes, I even named him) will lead, if anywhere, but like my dream, I'll keep watching and see.