SHOW DON’T TELL.
SHOW DON’T TELL is an animation truism Jason learned over 25 years ago, and one he put to work as a writer, animator, director, story artist and designer. Each and every one of his keynotes, coaching and workshops uses drawing as a learning tool that flexes the creative muscle. He still works in the film/tv/video game world and his illustration and design work has told stories in hotels, coffee shops, museums and stores across the country. Sometimes a drawing really can say a thousand words.
YWCA Brand story
Owning Your Story isn’t easy. It’s a process that involves first FINDING it, then CREATING it and then SHARING it. Over 18 months I worked with the great team at the Y and Stormy Lake Consulting to re-imagine their brand and develop their brand story. Part of the project included creating one image that visualized the brand journey. I designed and illustrated that journey in the image below, drawing inspiration in the three act story structure I teach and the mountains the YWCA calls home.
The dorothy motel Story
“We’d like to celebrate women in mountain based activities in the 1950’s. Can you create something?” That was the brief Jason received for a project with the Dorothy Motel in Banff. After over 20 hours of interviews with women and families in the Bow Valley, Jason created stunning 3 foot x 6 foot illustrations filled with stories of the women who fished, hiked, canoed, camped, climbed and created the vibrant mountain life that inspires visitors today. Come and visit the Dorothy Motel and see the murals and create your stories.
FISHING WITH GRIZZLIES
A fishing buddy is a treasured part of a day by the water but for Dorothy (last name) that buddy happened to be a grizzly who patiently waited for her to catch a fish before snapping it off the line and enjoying a free lunch.
TOUGH AS NAILS
When (name) was hiking deep in the back country she tripped on a root, breaking her ankle. Not wanting to be late for work she hobbled 10km on one leg to her car and then drove straight to work!
As canadian as it gets
Canoes and moose are two of the most common icons of Canada and (name) combined them both at once as she dozed off and drifted right under (so the story goes) a full grown bull moose feeding on reeds.
CLIMBING FOR EQUALITY
In the 1920’s women had to wear skirts while climbing (a serious hazard). (Name) had enough stashed her clothes while borrowing her husbands pants, then used lemon juice to clean her dirty white gloves.
A UNIQUE DRYING RACK
While living in Windy Cabin way out in the back country, Dorothy was shocked one afternoon to see her line of clothes running past her window. It seems a bull elk snagged the drying garments while snacking on the potato peels she used to scatter for local neighbours.
A HISTORY OF ART
Women in the Bow Valley were some of the first and continue to be leaders in writing, photography and film, continuing a legacy first started by (name) Whyte who painted and detailed many of the previously unknown wild flowers of the area. She and her husband later founded the Whyte Museum, a popular attraction in Banff still to this day.
THE STORY OF A COFFEE SHOP
The best coffee shops have a personality, a feeling when you walk into them that provokes conversation. When I was approached by the Little Wild Coffee shop in Banff about re-branding the store I immediately knew we had to make the local animals the main characters. My water colour caricatures were the inspiration for the re-brand which included writing partly true and party made-up stories about each animal that has proven to be the most popular aspect of the experience. Story wins again.
I was delighted when the great people from Arctos & Bird (owners of the coffee shop) asked if I could create a visual story to support their launch of two bespoke coffee flavours, with the design and illustration of their coffee bags. Once again I drew inspiration from nature filling the bags with summer and winter based mountain activities that adorn the sides. A limited colour palette kept the images fresh and clean and the bags eye catching on display.
The Stanley dynamic STORY
My sketchblog The Art of Dad, inspired a television director who asked if I would help him bring an animation/live action production to life. I jumped at the opportunity to complement my years of animation with a production working with real actors. The Stanley Dynamic would become an award winning children’s program with over 52 episodes. I was the animation consultant and head designer, creating the designs for the animated Luke who lived with his real-life family. Each episode had one comic strip that accompanied it (the dad was Lane Stanley, a comic artist), that I created. The show was an absolute gift and the stories exist in live-action, animation and cartoon strip form.
