NETWORKING

Side One:
My passion is storytelling. I like to tell stories and build worlds; lately this has been in the form of 3-Dimensional model-making. I make a lot of models/puppets/dolls, each one with its own character and personality. I enjoy the process of making and building things with my hands. I want to continue sculpting and bringing my characters to life, possibly working closely with animators to create stop-motion productions.
My work is usually intended for an audience of children, since it is playful and charming.
I want to continue applying my illustrations to real-life contexts in publishing (editorial, children's books).

Slide Two:
This slide documents my two main areas of interest: children's publishing and puppet animation. The two cross over when it comes to character and narrative. Both of these visual media tell stories and capture characters.
Since I am interested in 70's puppet animation for television, a lot of the creatives I admire are no longer around or practising anymore. Jim Henson, Oliver Postgate and Peter Firmin are among these practitioners.
Companies I would like to work with include The Henson Company (puppet design/construction), LAIKA (art direction/model-making for stop-motion), Mckinnon and Saunders (puppet department) and children's publishers Nosy Crow and Nobrow/Flying Eye Books.

Slide Three: 
A practitioner I would really like to contact would be Chris Sickels. Sickels works in a similar medium to myself, creating 3-Dimensional scenes/models and photographing them/combining them with hand-drawn illustration.
I would like to ask Sickels about his studio. I already know where it is, but I want to know more about his working day/week. How long does he work for? Is it just him in the studio? Does he get bored/lonely/trapped? How long does it take to make each model?
I want to ask him about clients. He's worked in editorial illustration - do the clients give him longer deadlines than a practitioner who draws? Does he get paid the same amount as a traditional illustrator would? How many jobs does he get a week/month/year?
What kind of camera does he use - does he take the photos?