#or rather Dave Maclean inspired!

[the-cloudy-dreamer]

"You know me. We've met before. I have many names. I am the King of Dreams and Nightmares: I am Morpheus, Dream of the Endless"

( can you tell I ran out of clever captions? anyway I think this concludes my nightmare dream era for now! this was my own fun art exercise and I'm happy with the results! if you missed the other two illustrations here's the first one and here's the other one! )

[handmedownillustrations]

24/10/2019 - MFA Design

It has been a fortnight since my initial post and a lot has happened over the course of those two weeks. The main focus of my practical work having been an introductory brief titled Breaking News. 

Breaking News

The goal of this project was to follow a piece of news over the course of several days and create an illustrated chapbook to represent the story. Since I had already been tuning in to the new Shane Dawson documentary following Jeffree Star and highlighting the inside secrets of the beauty world I thought it apt to focus on that topic for my project. 

This allowed me to think of strong and eyecatching designs for the graphics of the piece to draw the audience in while providing clearly recognisable logos and figures to pique the interest of individuals who may be familiar with the people involved in the news story.

The design of this project allowed me to branch out and explore areas I had wanted to gain more experience in such as;

Graphic Design (i.e. Colour Palette, Layout, Drawing the Readers Eye)

Photoshop Techniques (i.e. Creating Spiral / Neon Effects)

Semi Realistic Digital Painting (i.e. Anatomy, Facial Planes, Skin Tones)

I am rather happy with the portraits that I ended up with as a first attempt and am interested in studying the forms, colours, lighting and the makeup of facial anatomy, alongside my other current anatomy studies of the body. As advised by my tutors I think that these studies will be completed in a more traditional medium, to begin with, but I feel the lessons I have learned on these digital pieces will be equally applicable to a traditional medium. 

Project Discussion

Another focus of the past two weeks has been on coming up with an Action Plan - as this course is 4 semesters long I am currently in a phase of exploration and enquiry (or in other terms the discovery phase of the Double Diamond design process) but it is always good, even at the beginning of this process, to keep in mind the big picture so that the exploration and research that I do will benefit my final projects.

Over the course of discussions I’ve had with tutors, I believe the focus for my project will most potentially be narrative based in some form but with a major focus on single piece illustrations and cover work. I intend over the next few weeks to put together an experimental short comic that allows me to play with and explore ways to visually represent a narrative and while doing so also research into other artists, outside my current inspirational references, that have done similar things. Looking into how they break from common conventions to spectacular effect. 

I have already acquired a collection of books from various artists and authors that I have never previously looked at before, the collection contains work from both renowned artists that I have yet to study and of artists recommended by other readers who suggested I look at these works when asked which comic artists have been most striking to them. 

This collection contains artists such as Alan Moore, Chris Riddell, Andrew MacLean, Lee Bermejo, Dave McKean and more. Over the next few weeks, I intend to make a further post with a breakdown of my opinions on their work, what I believe they’ve done well, along with the opinions of others and key images that stood out to me. 

This will hopefully help me with my exploration into the narrative phase of my study and provide me with a good base of knowledge before I move on to more focused and singular illustrative work, for which I will also explore a broader spectrum of examples in the art world to help build up a wider visual portfolio than I currently possess. 

[nickmacleanjazz]

I’m taking on new students!

Are you a beginner picking up the piano for the first time or an intermediate/advanced level player looking to upgrade your skills? My name is Nick Maclean and I am a multi-award winning jazz musician who’s performed on stages across the country and internationally with over 20 years of experience on my instrument. As an educator my aim is to give my students the skills and knowledge they need to accomplish whatever goals they have whether it’s preparing for a university audition, for the stage, or just developing a new skill for the fun of it. In lessons I work with my students’ strengths and help to address their weaknesses in a targeted, personalized approach. I aim to demystify the learning process in order to make my students more effective problem solvers while giving them the tools to grow more independently in whatever direction they want to go. For more information go to www.NicholasMaclean.com/Teaching

Video Lessons (What are they like?)

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic all of my lessons are being conducted online through video streaming meet ups. I used to exclusively do in-person lessons and was skeptical about the potential limitations of the video medium, but I've actually been really surprised (pleasantly) with its versatility. I've found there is very little that we would do in person that we're not able to do over video and a few of my students have even grown to prefer the video lessons. To get a real taste for what video lessons with me are like watch this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wmXWV_nMNzU

How to Book

If you'd like to book a lesson with me or if you have any questions send me an email at NickMaclean251@gmail.com. I offer a free half hour trial lesson to all of my new students so we can get acquainted and so you can get a good sense of my teaching style.

Testimonial from Students/Press:

"I took piano lessons for fifteen years, from childhood to early adulthood, and then, like many of us do, stopped playing almost entirely. I missed it and thought that taking a few lessons would get me back on track, and then I would "teach myself". After a few lessons with Nick, I knew I wanted to continue on an ongoing basis. Not only is taking lessons more fun, but Nick was able to give me exercises and tools that are helping me to rebuild the skills that had faded and build a proper musical foundation that, turns out, I was missing this whole time. After just ten weeks, I'm noticeably better in terms of rhythm, melody, and improvisation, and have renewed motivation to keep going. Thanks, Nick!" -- Hilary Johnston, student "I did four lessons with Nick and not only was he patient and great at explaining concepts that I was struggling with, he was there on email to help when I felt stuck. We got straight to work on the stuff that I said I wanted to start developing in our “trial lesson” which was also great. I feel I made real progress in both musical theory knowledge and practical application of said knowledge with only a few lessons. Will definitely buy more and highly recommend! In regards to the online, video chat necessity of our times now, they were just as good as in person!" -- Mitchel Reed, student "Nick Maclean is an exceptional teacher. There has never been a question he hasn’t been able to answer. He always gets to the root cause of my struggles and improves my playing from the ground up. He is sensitive to my particular needs and learning style. His experience in the professional world is extremely helpful for anyone looking to take piano seriously, but his teaching talents will work wonders for a student of any level. Despite learning being our top priority, I’ve never left one of Nick’s lessons without having had fun." -- Phil Jimenez, student "Nick’s approach to teaching has kept me motivated and committed to learning how to play the piano.  I feel the lessons are well structured, challenging and fun.  In addition to piano technique, Nick’s expertise in theory helps his students become better musicians overall.  I am very happy with my progress on the piano and I would highly recommend Nick as your instructor." -- Bryant Meyer, student “Nick’s instruction combines a deep musical knowledge with some very effective pedagogy. As a teacher, he is great at quickly identifying the student’s core areas that need improvement and finding effective methods for addressing those needs. In just a few classes he has already helped me address musical issues I’ve carried with me for years and has also answered theoretical questions I’ve always had trouble understanding. Whatever your musical goals may be, Nick will do an amazing job helping you to achieve them!” -- Stephen Keller, student “Nick is a phenomenal teacher. He is able to accurately assess his students’ wants and needs. He also has the unique talent to deliver lessons and exercises which push the boundaries of the students’ abilities and knowledge without being overwhelming. For me, the result of taking lessons with Nick has been a steady and palpable increase in my piano playing proficiency. I’ve greatly enjoyed my lessons with Nick and look forward to continuing working with him.” -- Justin Tanas, student "Maclean’s creative mind and aesthetics are obvious in every aspect of this album, his piano solos both lyrical and invigorating, supported by a stellar rhythm section." -- Ivana Popovic, The WholeNote (Toronto, Canada) - See full article "A young lion piano man you can't argue with, it doesn't take any thought to do a tribute to Herbie Hancock set but it does take being an old soul to it like he was there when things older than him were created. A well deserved award winner in many jazz and music circles, Maclean leads his crew into the untamed wilds of really doing right rather than just showing up. A smoking set that sounds and feels like the real thing, this forward into the past set -- where most of the songs are originals -- is a first class doozy. Killer stuff throughout." -- Chris Spector, The Midwest Record (Illinois, USA) - See full article

"Pianist and composer Nick Maclean, 26 years old at the time of this recording, is in very much the spirit of Hancock, which is to say that this album is very much about Maclean's artistic voice (and those of his carefully chosen colleagues)... inspired by Hancock while also presenting a highly individual and distinct evolution from the source material." -- Dave Restivo, Canadian Jazz piano giant (Toronto, Canada)

About NICK MACLEAN

Born in Ottawa, NICK MACLEAN is “one of the most gifted young Toronto pianists to come along in the last few years ” (Adrean Farrugia, Juno winning jazz pianist) and has quickly become one of the most in demand 20-something piano players in that city’s bustling jazz scene. Nick received his Bachelors of Music from Humber College in 2013, having studied with David Restivo, Bernie Senensky and Nancy Walker. He then went on to do a Masters in Jazz Performance at the University of Toronto researching synthesizer pedagogy while studying under David Occhipinti, Andrew Downing, Chris Donnelly and David Braid. Braid in particular had an enormous influence on how Maclean approaches playing and composing. From Miles Davis & Herbie Hancock to Weather Report & Snarky Puppy, Maclean’s musical influences are diverse. Nick leads the hard-swinging NYC-style jazz ensemble the NICK MACLEAN QUARTET. Formed in 2016, Maclean’s foursome delivers jazz between the two poles of thoughtful introspection and powerhouse conveyance, taking influences from Herbie Hancock’s primordial 1960’s Blue Note era recordings, while paying tribute to some of the greatest improvisers in jazz history. The group released their debut album RITES OF ASCENSION in November 2017 which was featured as one of the Global Music Award's 'Top 5 Albums of Spring 2018', was nominated for CJSF's 'Julian Award of Excellence' and won a 'Gold' Global Music Award in the 'Jazz' category. Maclean also leads the multi award-winning, groove-based, electric jazz project SNAGGLE, a group with a fearlessly muscular yet introspective sound likened to a cross between 'electric-era Miles Davis' and 'Rage Against The Machine'. SNAGGLE's uniquely brash and infectious brand of jazz-funk is a melodically driven sound which incorporates primal groove qualities more commonly associated with pop and rock, swinging their live show from quietly contemplative all the way to explosively fierce - sometimes all within the same tune. Their latest release THE LONG SLOG was awarded a 'Gold' Global Music Award, a Toronto Independent Music Award and a nomination in the international Independent Music Awards for 'Best jazz/funk/fusion Album of the Year'. Both of Maclean’s groups feature the internationally acclaimed jazz-trumpet iconoclast BROWNMAN ALI and are signed to BROWNTASAURAS RECORDS, a Toronto-based independent record label widely regarded as a vanguard for Canadian, forward-thinking jazz, and where Maclean works as a label manager. www.NicholasMaclean.com ---- Click here to hear an interview with Nick Maclean, detailing his history, influences & musical ideologies.

Click here to read the Waterloo Record's profile on the Nick Maclean Quartet and their latest release RITES OF ASCENSION.