![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
aimeekitty"People like you and I, though mortal of course like everyone else, do not grow old no matter how long we live...[We] never cease to stand like curious children before the great mystery into which we were born."
Albert Einstein
"Celebrate your success and find humor in your failures. Don’t take yourself so seriously. Loosen up and everyone around you will loosen up. Have fun and always show enthusiasm. When all else fails, put on a costume and sing a silly song."
-Sam Walton
photos from Advanced Style a great blog about "older" folks with fabulous style.
One of my favorite teachers from Calarts died this month, Mike Mitchell (age 89). My friend, Crisso (who is my dear friend since college) told me while we were walking to lunch. The loss of it didn't hit me then.
He was the most amazing life drawing teacher, I've never seen his equal. He never tried to push you into his style or teach his specific technique... but instead, seemed to be able to sense each student's individual style and push them towards being stronger. When you were feeling it, he'd say "That's the stuff!"
College was the first time where I was really challenged in my art. My thinking was challenged, too... and how I evaluated my artwork. Mike helped me figure out that it was ok that my dark-lined, messy art inclinations were the way they were... he showed me how it could be a strength. Part of this journey was what resulted in my senior student film, My Own Magic.
Incredibly kind, patient and inspiring man. I hope he knew how much he helped people. I took his life drawing class, by choice, all four years of college and would attend as many extra sessions as I could. It seems like such a short time, but his influence meant a lot to me. I'll never forget him.
One of the drawings I did in Mike's class that is indicative of what he helped me find in my own style. It still holds up today, which is more than I can say about many of my old drawings.
students comments about Mike on Cartoon Brew
from the Big Cartoon Forum
"Toronto-born animation artist E. Michael Mitchell, an instructor in the Character Animation program of CalArts, died early Sunday morning. He was 89.
"He was incredibly influential to many now working in the industry," Amir Amidi wrote on the Cartoon Brew site. "Mitchell had worked extensively in animation with many credits."
The Santa Barbara, California resident owed much of his study and work patterns to several memorable teachers with whom he studied in both Canada and New York. A student at Toronto's Royal College of Art, Mitchell served in the faculty at the Royal College of Art in London, England. His painting career eventually lead him into film production design in New York, London, Milan, Rome and Los Angeles, both in animation and live action.
A faculty member at Parsons School of Design in New York, he joined the teaching staff of CalArts in 1994 while continuing in production design.
Often credited as Mike Mitchell, he was a layout artist on the TV series Fabulous Funnies and Tarzan and the Super 7 (both 1978), The New Adventures of Mighty Mouse and Heckle and Jeckle and Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids (both 1979), Flash Gordon (1979-80), as well as the TV specials A Snow White Christmas (1980), Flash Gordon: The Greatest Adventure of All (1982) and Garfield Gets a Life (1991).
Mitchell was a storyboard artist for "Galtar and the Golden Lance" (1985), The Pirates of Dark Water (1991) and 2 Stupid Dogs (1994). As well, he produced models for the 1980 TV shows Thundarr the Barbarian, Heathcliff and The Plastic Man Comedy/Adventure Show.
He was a character designer for the 1990 series Captain N & the Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3. Mitchell served as a production designer and layout supervisor for the 1987 Hanna-Barbera special Rock Odyssey, which has never been aired.
In theatrical films, Michell was a pre-production artist for FernGully: The Last Rainforest (1992), a layout artist for Mighty Mouse in the Great Space Chase (1982), a layout artist for bridging sequences in The Looney, Looney, Looney Bugs Bunny Movie (1981) and Daffy Duck's Movie: Fantastic Island (1983), and a breakdown and inbetween artist for the 1990 Disney featurette The Prince and the Pauper.
He was a visual development artist for Lee McCaulla's multi-award winning 1997 short Loose Tooth, and a designer for the song sequences in the 1989 direct-to-video short The Amazing Children.
"Mike Mitchell was an amazing man, and an amazing instructor," said Neil Graf, assistant retake director for King of the Hill. "He was very encouraging to students, very thoughtful and energetic in his approach to art. I'm so sad to see him go, though he gave so much during his time."
"One time, when I was very frustrated with my drawing, I showed him what I was working on," recalled Benny Zelkowicz, an animator for Robot Chicken and Moral Orel. "I'll never forget his response -- he talked about his perception of me, having watched me teach, and from our discussions, and tried to show me what aspects of me were missing in the drawings. It was deeply inspiring and I try to keep that advice in mind." "
Albert Einstein
"Celebrate your success and find humor in your failures. Don’t take yourself so seriously. Loosen up and everyone around you will loosen up. Have fun and always show enthusiasm. When all else fails, put on a costume and sing a silly song."
-Sam Walton
photos from Advanced Style a great blog about "older" folks with fabulous style.
One of my favorite teachers from Calarts died this month, Mike Mitchell (age 89). My friend, Crisso (who is my dear friend since college) told me while we were walking to lunch. The loss of it didn't hit me then.He was the most amazing life drawing teacher, I've never seen his equal. He never tried to push you into his style or teach his specific technique... but instead, seemed to be able to sense each student's individual style and push them towards being stronger. When you were feeling it, he'd say "That's the stuff!"
College was the first time where I was really challenged in my art. My thinking was challenged, too... and how I evaluated my artwork. Mike helped me figure out that it was ok that my dark-lined, messy art inclinations were the way they were... he showed me how it could be a strength. Part of this journey was what resulted in my senior student film, My Own Magic.
Incredibly kind, patient and inspiring man. I hope he knew how much he helped people. I took his life drawing class, by choice, all four years of college and would attend as many extra sessions as I could. It seems like such a short time, but his influence meant a lot to me. I'll never forget him.
One of the drawings I did in Mike's class that is indicative of what he helped me find in my own style. It still holds up today, which is more than I can say about many of my old drawings.
students comments about Mike on Cartoon Brew
from the Big Cartoon Forum
"Toronto-born animation artist E. Michael Mitchell, an instructor in the Character Animation program of CalArts, died early Sunday morning. He was 89.
"He was incredibly influential to many now working in the industry," Amir Amidi wrote on the Cartoon Brew site. "Mitchell had worked extensively in animation with many credits."
The Santa Barbara, California resident owed much of his study and work patterns to several memorable teachers with whom he studied in both Canada and New York. A student at Toronto's Royal College of Art, Mitchell served in the faculty at the Royal College of Art in London, England. His painting career eventually lead him into film production design in New York, London, Milan, Rome and Los Angeles, both in animation and live action.
A faculty member at Parsons School of Design in New York, he joined the teaching staff of CalArts in 1994 while continuing in production design.
Often credited as Mike Mitchell, he was a layout artist on the TV series Fabulous Funnies and Tarzan and the Super 7 (both 1978), The New Adventures of Mighty Mouse and Heckle and Jeckle and Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids (both 1979), Flash Gordon (1979-80), as well as the TV specials A Snow White Christmas (1980), Flash Gordon: The Greatest Adventure of All (1982) and Garfield Gets a Life (1991).
Mitchell was a storyboard artist for "Galtar and the Golden Lance" (1985), The Pirates of Dark Water (1991) and 2 Stupid Dogs (1994). As well, he produced models for the 1980 TV shows Thundarr the Barbarian, Heathcliff and The Plastic Man Comedy/Adventure Show.
He was a character designer for the 1990 series Captain N & the Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3. Mitchell served as a production designer and layout supervisor for the 1987 Hanna-Barbera special Rock Odyssey, which has never been aired.
In theatrical films, Michell was a pre-production artist for FernGully: The Last Rainforest (1992), a layout artist for Mighty Mouse in the Great Space Chase (1982), a layout artist for bridging sequences in The Looney, Looney, Looney Bugs Bunny Movie (1981) and Daffy Duck's Movie: Fantastic Island (1983), and a breakdown and inbetween artist for the 1990 Disney featurette The Prince and the Pauper.
He was a visual development artist for Lee McCaulla's multi-award winning 1997 short Loose Tooth, and a designer for the song sequences in the 1989 direct-to-video short The Amazing Children.
"Mike Mitchell was an amazing man, and an amazing instructor," said Neil Graf, assistant retake director for King of the Hill. "He was very encouraging to students, very thoughtful and energetic in his approach to art. I'm so sad to see him go, though he gave so much during his time."
"One time, when I was very frustrated with my drawing, I showed him what I was working on," recalled Benny Zelkowicz, an animator for Robot Chicken and Moral Orel. "I'll never forget his response -- he talked about his perception of me, having watched me teach, and from our discussions, and tried to show me what aspects of me were missing in the drawings. It was deeply inspiring and I try to keep that advice in mind." "
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
(no subject)
Date: 2009-09-25 08:56 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-09-25 08:57 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-09-25 09:33 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-09-25 10:01 pm (UTC)i'm sorry to hear about you professor. he seemd like a really great guy. Wish I had known him too! I'm sure he's really proud of all his students right now and still cheering you guys on =)
(no subject)
Date: 2009-09-25 10:20 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-09-25 10:32 pm (UTC)R.I.P. Mike "that's the stuff!" Mitchell.
(no subject)
Date: 2009-09-25 10:36 pm (UTC)There's a life drawing teacher at my school who's been the favourite of many students, though he's been very sick lately and this is most likely going to be his last year teaching. I haven't had him as he's a 4th year teacher and unfortunately I don't have him this year because he's just not able to teach as many classes because of his health. Hearing about it makes me tear up even though I don't know him, death makes me so sad.
(no subject)
Date: 2009-09-25 11:00 pm (UTC)That's a great drawing. He obviously had a big impact on lots of people, and a great influence on you. I wish I'd had an art teacher like that!
(no subject)
Date: 2009-09-25 11:27 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-09-25 11:33 pm (UTC)Fair thee well, sir!
(no subject)
Date: 2009-09-26 04:29 am (UTC)Sad news. I wonder how it would have been to be his student.
(no subject)
Date: 2009-09-26 07:35 am (UTC)One of my classmates who graduated last year made a neat little two-part documentary.. don't know if you've seen it or not- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tsLCAUFToIM