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Sunday, July 30, 2006
© Copyright 2015 Gwinnett Daily Post
LAWRENCEVILLE - A few years ago Carol Cousins was living in a nightmare of her mind's own creation - one in which a CIA agent was stalking her.The 35-year-old, who now resides in Duluth, had spiraled into a world of paranoid delusions and anxiety. Diagnosed with bipolar disorder and depression, Cousins believed a male CIA agent had released poisonous gas inside her South Carolina home and was trying to communicate with her through songs on the radio. She drove to Washington, D.C., in 2003, seeking help from the FBI, but wound up being arrested several times by local police. The first arrest occurred because a couple thought Cousins was following their vehicle on the highway. It turned out to be a misunderstanding. Cousins mistakenly thought she was following a different couple who had helped her earlier that day. However, when Cousins told police about her CIA agent delusions, they detained her for two days in jail before a judge ordered them to free her. Two weeks later, Cousins was pulled over again by police for driving the wrong way on a street she was unfamiliar with. A check of her driver's license revealed her father had reported her missing and flagged her as a mentally ill person. She was arrested and held until her father could pick her up. Cousins now leads a stable life because of medication and treatment. She even runs a support group in Lawrenceville for bipolar disorder and has a master's degree in psychology. Research shows that, like Cousins, about 80 percent of people suffering from mental illness can be successfully treated and function normally in society. But finding the right medication or therapy is often a long, tortuous journey for them and their loved ones. Antipsychotic and antidepressant drugs often make people feel bad, so they quit taking them. Or prescription drugs may be too expensive or unavailable, causing a large number of mentally ill people to self-medicate with alcohol and illegal narcotics. Often it takes years for someone to admit they need long-term medical intervention to stabilize their emotional and mental state. But Cousins was actually one of the lucky ones - a person with mental illness who has learned to cope and stay out of prison. Many other people with mental illness become locked in a never-ending cycle of incarceration, national statistics show. The prison system in the United States has taken the place of government-funded asylums ever since the deinstitutionalization movement of the 1960s, according to the nonprofit Treatment Advocacy Center. Prisons providing mental health care In 1965, Congress ceased funding state psychiatric hospitals through Medicaid. Federal officials intended to implement a system of community mental health centers to replace the state psychiatric hospital systems. However, as a result of that decision, most patients were discharged onto the streets. Hundreds of thousands of patients became homeless with no access to medication or treatment and were incarcerated. In the past four decades, America has lost effectively 93 percent of its state psychiatric hospital beds, resulting in increased rates of homelessness, incarceration, suicide, victimization and violence, according to the Treatment Advocacy Center. The largest mental health facility in the country is now the Los Angeles County jail. "There is no system for people in crisis, so police are the ones that end up responding to these people," said Ron Honberg, legal director for the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). "Most of these people are not doing anything terrible, maybe something unusual or unlawful, but often not violent. We basically stand around and let people reach the point where they are engaging in criminal behavior before we do anything." The federal Bureau of Justice Statistics estimates there are 283,800 mentally ill offenders in jails and prisons in the United States. An additional 547,800 are on probation. About 16 percent of those in state and local jails are mentally ill. Georgia prisons are on par with national statistics. Roughly 7,700 of 46,600 state inmates were receiving mental health services in June 2006, or about 16 percent, according to an independent audit of the Georgia Department of Corrections. The budget for the Georgia prison system's mental health care in 2005 was more than $29 million. Caring for just one mentally ill state inmate costs a whopping $4,025 per year. Alarmingly, while the number of inmates being treated for mental illness has increased 73.4 percent between 1999 and 2006, the number of psychiatry hours decreased by 31.8 percent and psychology hours decreased by 24.6 percent, according to the independent audit. Picking up the slack are full-time counselors, whose staffing levels increased by 43.2 percent. The independent auditor for the Georgia Department of Corrections, Jeffrey Metzner, said in his findings the increase in counselor positions was "encouraging," but said the majority were unlicensed counselors. This increase in unlicensed counselors and decrease in psychologists and psychiatrists was causing "a significant supervision problem," Metzner said. The public information office of the Georgia Department of Corrections initially granted a request by the Gwinnett Daily Post to tour facilities for the mentally ill at Phillips State Prison in Buford. However, several days before the tour was to take place, it was canceled without explanation. Yolanda Thompson, spokeswoman for the Georgia Department of Corrections, said other unnamed officials had reviewed the request and would not be able to schedule a tour "at this time." She declined to reschedule the tour. Dr. Dana Tatum supervises the mental health care for 268 chronically mentally ill inmates in the Gwinnett County Detention Center. About 200 of them are on antidepressant or antipsychotic medication. He said when the Georgia Mental Health Institute on Briarcliff Road in Atlanta closed in the late 1990s, the jail's population of inmates with mental illness increased dramatically. "The schizophrenic and chronically ill mental population just exploded and we found ourselves being the hospital," Tatum said. That prompted jail officials to open "H Pod" at the Gwinnett jail in 1998, a housing unit specifically designed for patients suffering from severe mental illness. As of Monday, there were 29 inmates in H Pod. The detention center employs six full-time counselors and one part-time counselor. Last month alone, those counselors had more than 1,650 patient contacts, Tatum said. "We are not a treatment facility, yet if you have a mentally ill spouse or loved one, this a good place to be," Tatum said. "We have individual counseling, emergent care, psychiatry on call 24/7 and group therapy. We are taking care of these people because it's the right thing to do and also because we are the hospital now." Changing directions Government officials and mental health advocates seem to agree that more nonviolent inmates from jails and prisons should be diverted into treatment programs. Advocates for the mentally ill said government should fund mental health care in jails, but more money needs to be provided for outpatient treatment, job placement, housing assistance and access to medication. An up-front investment to help people with mental illness function in society would prevent taxpayers from the shouldering the end costs of incarceration. "NAMI believes the majority of people with mental illness, if they receive appropriate services, can live in the community," Honberg said. A statewide effort is under way to teach police officers how to recognize symptoms of mental illness and de-escalate crisis situations. Since the first Crisis Intervention Training program was taught in December 2004, 75 law enforcement agencies across the state have participated, including Lawrenceville Police, Gwinnett County Police and the Gwinnett County Sheriff's Department. Crisis Intervention Training brings together police, mental health providers and consumers to determine what alternatives to incarceration are available in the community. The program was funded by a $450,000 grant from the Georgia Department of Human Resources. Janet Oliva of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation helped get the curriculum off the ground. Oliva said the state's goal is to train 20 percent of each law enforcement agency by 2007. Officers receive 30 hours of classroom instruction on mental health topics and 10 hours of crisis de-escalation skills. "We don't want the officer to get hurt, or the consumer or any bystander or family member," Oliva said. "This helps weed out persons that don't need to be in jail. Also it's a huge liability decrease, because if you respond safely and effectively to a crisis, no one gets hurt unnecessarily." Mental health advocates strongly advocate CIT. "Since police are the ones getting there first, we feel very strongly that they need to be properly trained to know how to respond to people in a way that calms the person down and de-escalates the crisis," Honberg said. Lawrenceville Police Capt. Greg Vaughn said he has tried the tactics taught in CIT several times and found them effective. "I believe in it," Vaughn said. "We're not asking officers to drop their guard. But when you've got a mental person in a crisis, sometimes you have to listen to them, try to convince them that you want to help them and not arrest them." Another state-funded program working to rescue people suffering from mental illness from the cycle of imprisonment is called Transitional Aftercare for Probationers and Parolees (TAP). The program's focus is to have a case manager begin assisting mentally ill and mentally retarded inmates prior to being released on probation with resources they need to reintegrate into society, said Bill Kissell, director of the office of quality and evaluation for the mental health division of Georgia Department of Human Resources. A case manager meets with prison mental health staff to determine the needs of the inmate prior to their discharge from prison. The case manager helps the inmate find a residential program if they haven't already found somewhere to live, and assists with vocational planning or employment placement. Courts take initiative Another option to divert nonviolent offenders with mental illness out of jail is mental health court. Much like the drug and DUI courts already operating in Gwinnett County, a mental health court involves closer monitoring and intensive treatment for offenders instead of jail time. Hall County Superior Court has operated a mental health court, called Health, Empowerment, Linkage and Possibilities (HELP), for the past two years with some success. There have been 32 participants, and only four were terminated from the program for failing to comply with standards. An independent evaluation of the Hall County mental health court by Georgia State University published in June 2006 found clients in the program had greater psychological and emotional stability. However, more resources were needed for residential placement, job opportunities and staffing of case managers, the evaluation stated. "We wanted to develop a program we could grow from," Kissell said. "We think there are some serious successes with HELP." The Hall County program was funded through fiscal year 2006 by the Governor's Criminal Justice Coordinating Council, but because of federal cuts, the funds may no longer be available. The court is seeking alternate funding through state grants to continue its operation, said HELP case manager Melin Foscue.
More like this story
- Files show past arrests, reprimands ( January 22, 2006 )
- Two jail staffers left after inmate death ( January 21, 2006 )
- Inmate dies from blood infection ( May 3, 2006 )
- Jail health supervisor leaves post ( April 21, 2006 )
- Commission keeps jail health care provider ( October 4, 2006 )


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SNELLVILLE, Ga. -- Gwinnett County Police say they deal with road rage cases all the time, but rarely does one escalate to this level.
Saturday afternoon, police arrested Thomas Burt for aggravated assault and terroristic threats, among other charges.
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According to police, Burt believed another driver cut him off in traffic and began swearing at him. Witnesses say he then grabbed a handgun and fired it into the car, hitting the driver.
The gun turned out to be a pepper ball gun, which is a cross between pepper spray and a paintball gun.
But police say that at a stoplight, Burt jumped out of his truck and shot at the driver with a real gun. He then pistol-whipped the victim, causing injuries to his face.
Burt is being held in the Gwinnett County Jail.


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Got a question on rule clarification, comments on rule enforcements or some memorable NHL stories? Kerry Fraser wants to answer your emails at firstname.lastname@example.com!
The New York Rangers find themselves in a do or die situation tonight in Game 6 back in "The Rock."
Some of us can't help but throw around comparisons to 1994, 18 years ago to the day to be exact, when the Rangers found themselves in the identical situation. That Ranger team had played to taunting chants of 1940 (the length of the Rangers Cup drought) throughout that series. The taunting would continue until it the naysayers were hushed forever when the Stanley Cup was paraded around Madison Square Garden ice by Captain Mark Messier and his teammates following a 3-2 Game 7 win over the Vancouver Canucks.
It was a thrilling Cup Final to say the least, but the NY Rangers encountered a huge mountain to climb in the form of Martin Brodeur and the NJ Devils before they could hope to compete for Lord Stanley's hardware. With their backs against the wall, the Rangers travelled through the Lincoln Tunnel to the 'Swamp' of the Meadowlands where the New Jersey Devils flourished. Captain Mark Messier called his shot by guaranteeing a victory that would send the series back to Madison Square Garden for Game 7. It was a bold move by the man that became known as Captain Courageous and arguably the greatest leader in the history of the game.
While the situation that the Rangers (and Devils) find themselves in tonight is exactly the same as it was 18 years ago to the day, almost everything else is different. I say "almost" because Martin Brodeur has been down this road before. He was terrific in the 1994 series but beaten by a superior Ranger team at the time. His level of play has been equally outstanding throughout this series and is just one win away from returning to the Stanley Cup Final for the fifth time.
While Mark Messier is sure to be in the Prudential Center tonight, it will not be the Moose that Martin Brodeur and the Devils will have to contend with but a much different NY Ranger team. There will be no guarantees tonight from anyone even though those are the things that folklore is made of. I remember it well because I was the referee assigned to Game 6 in the Meadowlands this day in 1994 when Messier took the game on his back and made good on his guarantee.
This is my account from on the ice and in the official's dressing room of Game 6 in '94 as I wrote it in The Final Call.
"To their credit the Ranger fans suffered from the same frustration as the players and deserved full marks for loyalty. The Islander dynasty years added salt to the wounds caused by the Ranger Cup drought since 1940. The Rangers dust bowl draught finally ended in the form of a rainmaker by the name of Mark Messier, one the greatest leaders the game has ever known. On the verge of elimination at the hands of the NJ Devils on the day of Game 6 of the '94 Eastern Conference Finals the Ranger captain boldly promised a victory. The headline, "We'll Win Tonight" in the New York papers that day documented Messier's claim.
At the end of the second period I also made a bold prediction, not issued to the world through the media but to my linesmen, Pat Dapuzzo and Gerard Gauthier in the privacy of the officials' dressing room. I said stick a fork in them - this Ranger team is done. The first and second periods were all New Jersey. Martin Brodeur looked unbeatable until Alex Kovalev found a minor chink in the Devils' goalie armor with just 1:41 left in the second period. I didn't think the Rangers would solve him beyond that nor did I believe they had enough gas left in the tank to pull this one out on the road. They would start the third period on the penalty kill with Esa Tikkanen in the box for kneeing Stephane Richer with 1:09 remaining in the second period. It would be the last time I would ever doubt the words of Mark Messier.
Mark Messier took the game on his back and tied it up as he slid a backhander past Brodeur just 2:48 into the third. Just five minutes into the period the Rangers had outshot the Devils 6-2. We had a new game going! Mess scored the go ahead goal by pouncing on a rebound at 12:12 and the Rangers wouldn't look back from that point. With 2:49 left in the third, Glenn Anderson of the Rangers two handed Bernie Nichols and took a slashing penalty. With 1:53 left in the period and 1:04 remaining on the power play, Jacques Lemaire called a timeout with a faceoff in the Ranger zone to the right of Mike Richter. Messier drew the puck back to his defenseman at the bottom of the faceoff circle who moved the puck behind the goal to the other corner. John McLean of the Devils got to the puck first and tried to center a pass to the front of the net but it went through the intended target and right onto Messier's stick in the slot. 'Mess' turned with the puck and fired a shot right into the heart of the Devils' unguarded cage. Mark Messier made good on his "called shot" by scoring his first hat trick as a NY Ranger (a natural one at that) to force game seven two nights later back in Madison Square Garden. Mark Messier's feat in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Final has been described as one of the greatest individual efforts in the history of the game. Witnessing the herculean effort put forth by 'Captain Courageous' that night certainly made a believer out of me when only 20 minutes before I had all but written them off.
Back in Madison Square Garden two nights later, the NY Rangers advanced to the Stanley Cup Final on the strength of Stephane Matteau's goal scored in double overtime. The Ranger would have an opportunity to silence the chants of "1940" once and for all."
There will be no guarantees coming from Mark Messier or any of the current Ranger players tonight in the Prudential Center. 'The Rock' that the NY Rangers have to climb will be in the form of 40 year old future Hockey Hall of Fame goalkeeper Martin Brodeur and a very committed team of Devils in front of him. I will be watching with interest to see if one of the Ranger players provides the leadership or takes the game on his back the way the Captain did in '94.
Tonight, the outcome is too unpredictable for anyone to guarantee.
For a personally autographed copy of Final Call from TSN hockey analyst and former NHL referee Kerry Fraser, visit The Book Keeper website.
For a regular copy of Final Call from TSN hockey analyst and former NHL referee Kerry Fraser, visit here.
Kerry Fraser is an analyst for the NHL on TSN and That's Hockey 2Nite on TSN2. As one of the league's most recognizable senior referees, he's worked 1,904 NHL regular season games and 261 playoff games during his 37-year career.
Got a question on rule clarification, comments on rule enforcements or some memorable NHL stories? Kerry wants to answer your emails at firstname.lastname@example.com!
You can also follow Kerry Fraser on Twitter at @kfraserthecall!
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Follow Bliss: Lack of Passion is Fatal. ~ Miciah Bennett
A lack of passion is the worst thing we can endure in life.
If we have no aim, no fire, no tapas (passion), we are living an unfulfilled life.
In "Light On Yoga," B.K.S. Iyengar said that tapas is the "burning" will that allows us to achieve. Tapas, according to Iyengar, is taken from the root word "tap," which means to "blaze, burn, shine, suffer pain or consume by heat:"
"The whole science of character building may be regarded as a practice of tapas. Tapas is the conscious effort to achieve ultimate union with the Divine and to burn up all desires which stand in the way of this goal. A worthy aim makes life illumined, pure and divine. Without such an aim, action and prayer have no value. Life without tapas, is like a heart without love."
You can be passionate about one thing and one thing only (and it doesn't have to be your day job). No matter what it is, no matter how long it takes to find it, keep searching. When you find it, do it with all fierceness.
Your dream life is on the other side of the fire.
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Ed: Sara Crolick
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{Waylon H. Lewis C Enterprises 2015: Use Rights in perpetuity. Ownership remains with author.}


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I'm going to take my time here, so I'll put the summary first:
Drawn to Life: 20 Golden Years of Disney Master Classes, Volume 1: The Walt Stanchfield Lectures
Drawn to Life: 20 Golden Years of Disney Master Classes, Volume 2: The Walt Stanchfield Lectures
Ok, now for the long version…
In 1994, during my first week as an intern at Disney, everything was magic to me. They had a shelf full of fresh (and expensive) animation paper for anyone to use. Draw through your stack? Take some more! Unfathomable. The pencil supply shelf was like a treasure chest. I figured that these must be the most popular pencil choices of hundreds of the greatest artists from over decades of use. I took one of each to figure out which one would be the key to unlocking my latent drawing virtuosity. (None of them worked.) There were drawing classes every lunch hour – with food provided! Was this heaven? I was so wide-eyed and for years I saved every scrap of paper that came across my desk because I just knew that when I am 87 years old, I'll spend my hours going through dusty old boxes, reading memos reminiscing how great life was.
The weekly newsletter was a treat. It was called The Twilight Bark, after the way dogs sent news in 101 Dalmatians. On Monday mornings a copy would be waiting at your desk. Reading it made me feel like I had been given access to an exclusive club (which, I guess, I had). On my second Monday, the newsletter ended with a few pages of advice on drawing with examples of quick sketch gesture drawings. At the end of the typewritten pages was the handwritten signature 'Walt.' I assumed it was an old memo from Walt Disney, but I never knew he did any sort of instruction like that. Well, he didn't (except for a few memos that float around).
The Walt, I soon learned, was Walt Stanchfield. Walt had retired from animation production, and he was at least in his seventies at the time, but once a month he returned to the studio to teach for two lunches. That's when he would drop off the pages for his latest newsletter and it would appear in The Twilight Bark to the benefit of the entire studio the following week. That was REAL magic.
Walt had the most joyful, energetic spirit I have ever known. Yes, his classes were about drawing, but they were also about seeing, judging, storytelling, passion, life, creation, sports, clarity, art. "Live life dammit!" is something he would say. He'd tell us to ignore all that garbage we learned in anatomy class. He wanted us to make decisions in the drawings and tell a story through the image. If we drew the model exactly, he'd show us how more interesting it would be if we pushed the pose, moved the hand out here for clarity, tilt the chin to direct the viewer's eye to where we want them to focus. He didn't want us to draw what we saw, he wanted us to take in the idea and power it on to the page with verve and directness. He was so hooked on creativity. He'd sometimes share his latest drawings that he made while driving down the freeway from his home near Solvang!
When anyone asks about what type of drawing classes to take, there are two answers I always give: figure drawing and Walt Stanchfield style gesture drawing. Walt's drawing is a unique brand that isn't taught very often. Luckily, some of the people I took Walt's classes with have carried on the tradition and are teaching what Walt taught them. Tom Gately works and teaches at Pixar and Dave Pimentel works and teaches at Dreamworks. I'm working on some unsuspecting souls to teach at Disney right now. The reason I give for recommending the Stanchfield style of drawing is that it is what I use most in my daily work. Doing CG doesn't demand much drawing from me, but when I'm planning out my shots in thumbnails, I'm using everything I can remember from Walt's classes and his handouts to find clarity, directness, and entertainment in my poses.
After all these years, I've given or thrown away most of the things I saved those first few years, but not the Walt Stanchfield notes. Those are more valuable to me than anything I have collected from the studio. They're just a stack of photocopies, but they are a symbol of Walt's passion for life, and his constant search for inspiration that he translated into ways to inspire us. They remind me of the times when the model was stuck in traffic and he would get up and pose – he was the best model we ever had. They remind me of how he'd lean over my shoulder with his coffee breath to correct a drawing, then ask to have it. That meant it would probably show up in the next handout as an example of what NOT to do. He'd pat me on the shoulder and say, "Don't worry, I won't use any names." I miss that coffee breath. They also remind me of the few times that he used a drawing I did as a good example. I can't tell you how proud I was to be "published" in Walt's "Words of Wisom." It meant I had actually done a drawing that was good enough to possible inspire someone else. I'm sure he knew that helped students like me far more than any readers.
Last year, I heard that Don Hahn, of Disney Producer fame, was working with Walt's widow to take the years of typewritten, photocopied handouts and compile them in to books so that anyone can have beautiful copies of this inspiring collection. Well, the time is upon us. Next month, the books will be released. I found out because I was contacted by Don to tell me that one of my drawings is included. Even after life, Walt has once again provided me one of my proudest moments in animation.
So if you can't tell, I am giving these books the highest recommendation. The "Words of Wisdom" are that and much more. They are filled with fantastic examples of how to clearly draw, fresh perspectives (even after decades) of how to look at life and creativity, and tons of quotes and references to books and artists that will keep you searching out new avenues of inspiration, just as Walt Stanchfield did. Get these books.
For some more one Walt and his "Words of Wisom"…
See the trailer:
at Don Hahn's website
Read about Walt and the books (with sample pages):
on Mark Kennedy's blog
on Hans Bacher's blog
Fantastic article.
I spotted these books a few months ago and realized that they are only for pre-order. I'm really excited for their release and I'll be the first in line at Borders when the are. Thanks for sharing your experiences with Walt with us. It was a great read.
I saw them too as a pre-order item on Amazon. Actually, I was already looking forward to getting them, but after this little post of yours, I think they'll become one of the best items in my book collection.
Animation Meat had these online for awhile, but of course took them down out of respect for the Stanchfield family. These notes are nothing less than GOLD and a must buy!
I don't think these book will be available for another month or so, but after seeing this post, I think I had better reserve mine now.
I'm sure everyone is going to be fighting to be first in line for these books.
I too spotted these on amazon, and have placed them on my wish list for when the arrive!! Can't wait looks great!
Thanks so much for this notice!!
I heard about these books from a CalArts student this last summer, and now they're finally here! Pure treasure. I'll be sure to order these.
When you know, you should let us know which drawing in the book is yours, Clay!
Any reason to buy these if we already have all the AnimationMeat notes?
Thanks for the heads up Clay.
Ive been looking forward to this release, i too have the notes in pdf form but loose notes are always awkward, and having them in a nicely printed book all organized and clear would be a welcome addition to any animators collection
Good times for learning animation with all of this information becoming available.
I have the Animation Meat notes, as well as the "book" that someone pulled together and offered up on the web, and I'll be ordering both these volumes. The information is gold, and I'm sure the print quality far outstrips what my pathetic little printer was capable of. Can't wait!
Thanks for the heads up, I hadn't heard of these books before now. I will DEFINITELY be buying these.
Clay have you ever checked out Mike Mattesi's book on force and dynamic life drawing? I had the extreme pleasure of taking his class not long after his time at Disney, it was a big eye opener. His book is kind of a condensed down version of the class.
Man, I've had my eye on these since they were announced. I can't wait!
Wow, thanks for all the extra info Clay, it's fascinating & makes me jealous beyond reason!
Like others have said, once I saw the announcement that Walt's notes would be collected in a book I've been sat eagerly waiting their arrival. I pre-ordered them the instant they popped up on Amazon.
If I ever meet you Clay, you have to promise to point out & sign that drawing you made… Well, unless it's one of the 'What NOT to do' 😀
Very well put CLAY! Your stories take me back to the days when we used to hang with the man, the myth, the legend! ill be proud to see these books out for all to learn.
Wow, it´s very nice to know that Walt´s book is finally out.
I had gathered all the notes that was available online, I read a little bit on them, but after knowing it would turn into a book, I stopped and decided to wait for the book, since it would be more organized and contain the rest of the notes and the missing ones.
Being an student of animation, I´m very jealous to read these stories of people that worked with or studied with those Disney masters.
hey clay
im planning on going to sheridan in their bachelor of applied arts animation program, but after listining to the andreas deja interview again he said disney was purely looking for artists with life drawing, and he got in to disney through an arts school. should i go into a program thats just life drawing then?
Mmm – I've put these on pre-order at amazon – seem like amazing value!
Any inidication of when the next podcast is going to happen? – or have they all become Animation Mentor exclusives LOL!? Its been 5 months and I'm gagging Clay!!!!!
A-I'm jealous of your experience.
B-I'm going to buy the book.
C-I second the notion of letting us know which drawing is yours!
thanks Clay!
I just got volume 2 in the mail today. Volume 1 looks like it is on its way now. I'm overwhelmed! After reading just one section of the notes ("Look at Me! Look at Me!" poses), I am already rethinking the way that I approach life drawing. How lucky you were to have met and worked with such an inspirational artist! I can't wait to go through these books.
I remember getting copies of these notes from one of my instructors while I was still in college. It was in a fat binder that was practically falling apart and by the time he passed them on to us, the pages had been through countless generations of photocopies. HE talked about Walt's class like it was the best thing ever. So when I heard on Animation Meat that Dee (walt's wife) was going to publish them soon, I pre-ordered them as soon as I could get to a computer! I wish I would've had the chance to meet the man himself, but he has left behind such an inspiring legacy, its as if he's still here. Thanks for helping keep his teachings alive!
Tomorrow the books will release in Germany, I'm so curious about it! For five years I try to learn anything about animation, but I can't study animation yet, because I'm still in High School. Now 800 pages of Walt Stanchfield are available and I can't believe it! But I think it is a little unfair that you in America have the chance to read it one month earlier 😉
I am SO much loving reading Walt Stanchfeld's "Drawn to Life".
It's like reading a companion or sequel to "The Illusion of Life".
I entered the internship program in the Fall of 93 and had xeroxes of Stanchfield's notes after leaving Disney. ( I worked in FL not CA )I am very pleased that Focal printed all of his works…a must for any artist, specifically animators.
Hi Clay ,
From the day when i studied his "Gesture Drawing For Animation" book , i'm searching for essence of pose.
I just want to share the most important belief i learned ,
Get the " first impression " (Like Ahaa moment), capture the essence of pose, with minimum lines (quick sketch may be)… let the right brain do his job …:)
I wish , but i cant buy his book …… ..
still i learned so many things from his Gesture Drawing book , literally freed me from drawing problems, gave the right direction to look for motion, tension, balancing, stretch and uniqueness in the gestures…
I've read volume 1, now I'm on volume 2, and God, they're amazing! It's the best guide I could ever ask for. That man was (and is!) so good at motivating people to search for the pose and draw better… I never get tired of reading it (and drawing, haha.) A toast to Walt Stanchfield!
wow what a great review! i'll really have to pick these up soon, thanks!
Bought these books and met Don Hahn too! He was very passionate speaking to a group of animation students, like myself mostly in the room, about these books. They are an amazing collection. I'm glad that I bought these!
Tom Catley teaches Gesture Drawing at Animation Collaborative http://www.animationcollaborative.com. I feel very honored to be able to attend his classes. Tom is awesome teacher! And with each class the importance of gesture and figure drawing for any serious animator is so evident. I enjoy classes very much and pleased to see how my skills are dramatically change with each passing week!


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Hoisted onto his linemen's shoulders, Josh Heupel took a ride across Orange Bowl sod and into Sooner Nation lore.
It's been almost a decade since that night in South Florida, and yet, the image of the former Oklahoma quarterback pumping his fists into the confetti-filled air has become iconic. A sign that the Sooners were back. A start of an era of dominance.


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NW Logie Trail Road Closed Due to Icy Conditions
Written by Jeremy Scott on December 12, 2013
PORTLAND — Icy conditions on Northwest Logie Trail Road have caused a closure near Skyline Boulevard that will last through the weekend. A utility truck went off the road, crashed into a wooded area and caught fire on Thursday just before noon.
The driver jumped out of the flaming truck and escaped injury just moments before it slid into a ravine.
There have been several accidents on the steep, windy road that runs between Highway 30 and Skyline. The best detour is Cornelius Pass.
Multnomah County closed the road so crews could get their sanding truck up there. Logie Trail is closed until at least Monday morning.


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Vigo 59-inch Espresso Matte Black Double Bathroom Vanity with Mirror and Shelf
Mirrors and Shelves Included
Available in a Set only
Weekly Deal: $1169.91
List Price: $2529.00, You Save: 54%, No Sales Tax, Except CT
Product Reviews
Vigo 59-inch Double Bathroom Vanity with Mirrors and Shelves features two large double doors with storage compartments and three center sliding drawer compartments all made with soft closing hardware. Cabinet is made of engineered wood, with wood veneers in espresso matte black finish. Made with an anti-scratch paint surface for enhanced durability and frequent use. Ships via Truck.
(W = side to side) (D = front to back) (H = top to bottom)
Cabinet measures (with sink): 59" W x 19-1/2" D x 22" H
Mirror dimensions: 35-3/8" W x 55-1/8" H
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120 Hospital Drive, Bennington, VT 05201
Phone: (802) 447-5087
Office Hours
Monday: 8 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
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Our allergy specialists provide diagnosis and treatment of all allergies, including seasonal allergies (hayfever), allergies to food, molds, pets, plants, and other substances. Using a full range of diagnostic testing, we help adults and children figure out what's causing their allergy symptoms (such as itchy eyes, sneezing, coughing, wheezing, and even rashes). Then we have host of proven treatments from antihistamines to immune system training to help them find relief.
Physician services are provided in collaboration with Dartmouth Hitchcock Putnam Physicians
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items tagged with Two and a Half Men
Written By: Mike Schulz
Section: Movies
Category: Reviews
2014-02-02 21:13:59
Continuing to earn cool points following their November booking of Enough Said – a marvelous movie that finally landed in our area several months after its initial national release – schedulers for Moline's Nova 6 Cinemas have done it again with the booking of All Is Lost, another critically acclaimed title that managed to bypass the Quad Cities' first-run cineplexes. And given the overall strength of writer/director J.C. Chandor's achievement, I couldn't be happier about its arrival, late though it may be. (Not too late, however, for those of us wanting to catch as many Oscar-nominated films as possible prior to the March 2 ceremony. Chandor's follow-up to 2011's exquisite Margin Call – which also made its local debut at Nova 6 – is nominated for Best Sound Editing.) You may have heard about the film: It's the one in which a lone sailor played by Robert Redford has to contend with a slowly sinking ship while adrift in the Indian Ocean, and with the exception of roughly 50 words, it's as lacking in dialogue as The Artist. It's also, for the majority of its 100 minutes, both wrenching and exhilarating.
Read More About There'S A Hole In Your Vessel, Dear Redford, Dear Redford … : "All Is Lost" And "That Awkward Moment"...
Written By: Mike Schulz
Section: Movies
Category: Reviews
2008-04-30 08:06:08
Despite its sunny, friendly veneer, there's a rather scrappy little war being waged within writer/director Michael McCullers' Baby Mama - one between a lighthearted, pleasant sitcom and a sharper, smarter, more cynical sitcom. (Two and a Half Men versus 30 Rock, as it were.) The former wins, and we could have predicted as much, but the best parts of this engaging buddy flick suggest the truly sparkling comedy it might have been, if only it weren't so eager to be ... well, lighthearted and pleasant.
Read More About Fun In The Oven: "Baby Mama," "The Forbidden Kingdom," And "Deception"...
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Russia's role in world politics
Pub Date: May 23, 2013 - 6:45 pm
Under the second Putin presidency, the Russian government seems to have become even harder to deal with, be it in seeking to forge international agreement on Syria, spy scandals, energy diplomacy, or neighbourhood diplomacy. Charles Clover, Moscow bureau chief, and James Blitz, diplomatic editor, join Gideon Rachman to discuss the best ways to understand the Russian government.
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With three unreleased tracks surfacing from Lana Del Rey just a few days ago, it looks like fans are going to continue to be treated with more music as yet another unreleased tune from the songstress hits the web. Titled "Big Bad Wolf," the track seems to be from Lana's earlier days, and comes as an unfinished piece. No words in regards to if any of these leaked songs will be remastered and end up on her upcoming reissued version of Born To Die, but for now you can stream the song down below.
Lana Del Rey – Big Bad Wolf


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Country music star Toby Keith's bar in Syracuse, New York needs to start paying taxes, because New York state finally wants the bar to pay up.
Toby Keith's I Love this Bar & Grill at the destiny USA shopping mall in Syracuse is facing a new tax warrant from the state, which is looking for over $107,000 in unpaid taxes. According to Syracuse.com, the taxes are due from the fourth quarter of 2013 profits.
The restaurant also failed to pay up over $145,000 in sales taxes from the second and third quarters of 2013. They have paid some of that back, but the overall total Toby Keith's owes the government is up to $250,000.
While it has been rumored that the location may be shutting down, its website shows several more events scheduled, including concerts. The location only opened last year after an expansion to Destiny USA was built in 2012. It takes up a 20,000 square feet space.
According to the Associated Press, the chain is based in Phoenix and has 16 locations across the country. It is named after a Keith hit and features guitar-shaped bars and southern food. Five more locations are being planned.
image courtesy of INFphoto.com