Postcards

Headers

Design Inspirations

I love everything Lois Van Baarle does. Her site layouts, blog designs, etc. are my favorites.

http://www.loish.net/

Inventory

Here is a current inventory of the things I'm considering posting to my site, in no real order other than illustration, then animation.

Illustration

Hoodoo - February 2009

(Photoshop 7.0)

Character design/Commission

Poni - April, 2009

(Photoshop 7.0)

Commission

Comfort - April, 2009

(Photoshop 7.0)

Personal work

Hyenaz - June, 2010

(Photoshop 7.0)

Design collaboration with D. Downs

Tumble Lina - May, 2010

(Photoshop 7.0)

Personal work

Underwear - April, 2010

(Photoshop 7.0)

Personal work

Pogo - February, 2011

(Photoshop CS5)

Digital painting of the musician Pogo

Mixed Media

Inner Beauty - March, 2010

(Mirror, faux flowers, doilies, spray paint, acrylic)

This was a representation of my displeasure with my appearance and the resulting frustration.

Self Portrait - March 2010

(Paper, glue, egg)

This was a self portrait. The little window revealed a hidden egg inside the structure.

Animation

Bouncing Ball from Christen Mazurak-Fike on Vimeo.
(Traditional hand drawn)


Walking With Character from Christen Mazurak-Fike on Vimeo.
(Traditional hand drawn)


Sequences from Christen Mazurak-Fike on Vimeo.
(Drawn and painted on 3x5 notecards with ink, prisma color marker and water color, in combination with found objects)


Elements from Christen Mazurak-Fike on Vimeo.
(Hand drawn, marker, chalk)


Fall 2010 Final from Christen Mazurak-Fike on Vimeo.
(Traditional hand drawn, final)

Objectives

I hope to someday be inspiring to other people. I want them to know that the things they have felt have been shared by someone else, that the world is more connected than we might believe and that essentially, we are all very similar. Through my site I would like to direct people to the work I have done in the hopes of sharing my experiences with them.

I would like my work to be easily accessible to everyone. I would like to create a site that features all of my work, instead of multiple galleries with no real rhyme or reason. I want to document my growth as an artist as well as highlight my flexibility.

Artist Statement

My work currently documents my exploration in both narrative and time. I am very interested in the way animation can warp time, as well as the way it can approach subjects that are hard to address in other forms. I'm fascinated by how flexible the medium is, and I intend to explore all the possibilities it has to offer.

I am exploring the ways in which both hand drawn and stop motion techniques can fulfill unique purpose, and more than anything I am learning the best ways to translate my thoughts into moving works. Through observation and experimentation I am finding my niche and producing works that address my own personal interests.

I spent the greater part of my childhood surrounding myself with animated films, from Disney to Krecik, and I feel it's only natural for me to pursue such an avenue. I'd like to explore the synthesis of illustrative work and stop motion animation, and push the limits of emotion in my work. I'd like to retell my life experiences, good and bad, through my animations, to find relief in my life today.

short bio

Hi. My name is Christen Mazurak-Fike. I am a sophomore in Animation at KCAI. I am 20 years old. I was born in Lee's Summit, Missouri. I love dogs, bunnies, and naps. I am constantly going through phases. I wish I could wear heels for extended periods of time, but I cannot. I went to El Dorado Springs High School. I never want to go back. I live in Kansas City with my dog, Mysty. I hate drinking water because it has no flavor. I love drinking coffee but it doesn't wake me up at all. I was raised vegetarian, but I now eat salmon and shrimp when it is offered to me. I live on mostly pasta. I hope to become a better artist and more competent world citizen. Someday I would like to live in Seattle.

In the future I would enjoy working for an animation studio of some sort. I'd like to keep my options open because it is so early in my educational career, and I don't want to get too focused too soon. I am very interested in all kinds of animation, stop motion, 3-D, 2-D and even hand drawn. I want to see how I grow over the next few years and then go where the wind takes me.