A CREATURE A THOUSAND MILES LONG
/
CRANE SARRIS
TABLE OF CONTENTS
5
COMIC PAGES A select selection of narrative illustrations
13
CONCEPTUAL ILLUSTRATIONS
25
FINE ILLUSTRATION
35
ARCHITECTURAL SKETCHES
45
GRAPHIC DESIGN
An odd arrangement of various characters and beasts.
An accumulated selection of fine nature illustrations.
A precise portrayal of architectural projects.
A curated collection of graphic posters.
This is a book of STORIES. A Creature a Thousand Miles Long, stands as a physical manifestation of the experiences, random meetings, and quiet moments that have defined my experience. This object uses space to make the INTANGIBLE tangible, and, by doing so, tell a story - my journey - a strange and absurd little tale, one that has taken me from red, shifting sands to cold, salty seas; from eating fresh lemons, to drinking floral green tea; a journey that may - or may not - have seen me purchase several goldfish.
/
I AM, AT HEART, A STORYTELLER. / Through writing, art, and design, I seek to tell stories that challenge one’s perception of their surroundings and question their paradigms,
to,
ultimately,
let
one
EXPERIENCE
something
NEW.
Without experiences, we would never know HOW to interact with our worlds, WHY we seek to interact with our surroundings, or, perhaps most importantly, WHAT to do when we are present in them. By
constructing
stories
and
spaces,
we
can
create
experiences that some might never have had before, or EVER have at all - experiences that open one’s eyes to the world around them and to the possibilities of the worlds silently present in their imaginations.
NARRATIVE WORK
/
COMIC PAGES
The following pages detail my forays into narrative exploration. Centering around two unrelated comic works - both of which are still under development - this section seeks to illustrate my ongoing experiments that flirt precipitously between narrative storytelling and illustrative craft.
Comic books are visual stories. Regardless of plot, characters, or stylistic choices, they fundamentally take the viewer through tangible cinematic experiences. Marrying narrative progression, action, and dialogue with imagery, graphic novels represent the liminal transition between film and literature. It is in this respect, perhaps more than others, that the medium of the graphic novel has been grossly under-explored. Here, my love of film and cinematography collide head on with my love for literary narratives. In these works I utilise illustration and paneling to generate a more cinematic experience in the reader. By focusing on environmental elements, full landscapes, and character movement, I aim to create a more immersive and synesthetic experience for a potential reader.
5
SELF PORTRAIT OF A SAD BOY
Page 1 Pencil on paper
12in x 18in
6
SELF PORTRAIT OF A SAD BOY
Page 2 Pencil on paper
12in x 18in
7
FINDING THE ASTRID
Page 1 Pencil on paper
12in x 18in
8
FINDING THE ASTRID
Page 2 Pencil on paper
12in x 18in
9
FINDING THE ASTRID
Page 3 Pencil on paper
12in x 18in
10
THE TREE IN THE SUN
Pencil on paper
11
NARRATIVE WORK
\
CONCEPTUAL ILLUSTRATIONS
The following conceptual illustrations represent snippets into the characters and beasties that occupy my head-space. From creatures a thousand miles long, to kite flying monks, the illustrations here detail snippets into the worlds of polytheistic gods, wind-swept fields of green and stone, and forgotten creatures of the sun.
Conceptual works, whether small or large, represent the fundamental constituents of worlds. Through the construction of worlds and their contextual inhabitants, designers are responsible for creating the atmosphere and tone of a work; without the creation of immersive worlds, narratives will fail in giving the viewer a memorable experience. Thus it is with the characters, creatures, and environments, that designers and artists create immersive experiences that ensnare the hearts and imaginations of those who stumble upon the story. Each character or scene shown offers a glimpse into stories, worlds, and concepts not fully revealed but hinted at - tales of joy, or isolation. Tales that have yet to take material form, but are implied through the tangible imagery.
13
14
THE GALAXY FISH
Pencil on Paper
12in x 18in
15
There is a boy - the last of his kind it is true - who does nothing but wander the mountain at the end, and does nothing but w What a life it mu
16
fields in the wild lands. They say he wears a hat and carries a stick with a piece of ribbion watch the spirits and read the wind. ust be to be so free!
17
Pencil on paper
KAZU
12in x 18in
18
Digital Painting
KAZU IN PAINT
12in x 18in
19
Pencil on paper
CLOTHTRD
12in x 18in
20
THE GODDESS OF
Pencil on paper
DEATH
3in x 4in
21
Photoshop painting
SKADAU
12in x 18in
22
DURANIA POETA THE GODDESS OF THE HEAVENS
Pencil on paper
12in x 8in
23
ILLUSTRATIVE WORK
/
FINE ILLUSTRATIONS
The process of illustration is that of creating visual stories. Coalesced around my love of nature, adventure, old places and forgotten things, this series of illustrations embody my creative inspirations and artistic philosophy: that nothing beautiful can exist without a gentle touch of melancholy.
Each work presented in this section is accompanied by a short story that was written as the works were drawn, and that informed the works while they were written. Through my illustrations I seek to highlight the delicate profundity of nature; to visually represent all the subtleties that one can find in the world around them, and poetically tell stories through a still medium. It is my hope that these works transport the viewer to fog covered mountains, to awkward dinner parties, and to rainy seas. To posit in the observer a feeling of escape: a fleeting moment of returning to a world lost in the digital age.
25
THE TALE OF THE GODFISH
Pencil on paper
4ft x 5ft
26
THE FATE OF THE UNIVERSE
Pencil on Paper
3ft x 4ft
27
It is within the cold waves of the sea that one can b
28
become lost, and in doing so, find other odd lost things.
29
“It was but a rainy day that I stumbled upon a dead pine while hiking. It stood clearly in a field of broken rock. Like a lonely vanguard standing resolute, its solemn silhouette pierced the grey sky. Captivated by the melancholic object, I ventured to it, the repetitive pitter patter of the rain broken only by the muffled groan of thunder - itself a legacy of lightning that had long since been forgotten by my eyes. As I stood under the husk of the tree, its monumental mass pressing down upon my shoulders like layers of sand accumulated by time, I contemplated all that it had seen, all that it had heard, and all that it had weathered. I supposed that none of that mattered now, for it had long since bowed to the weight of time and stood as the sole vestige of a forest that once was. In this moment I looked up to bid my new partner goodbye, only to have the rain fall in my eyes and render me momentarily blind.�
30
Pencil on paper
RAIN TREE
4ft x 5ft
31
THE
Pencil on Paper
DESERT TREE
4ft x 5ft
32
“In my youth I had an acute bout of restlessness - a need to escape the place I knew and so very much loved. A calling too strong for any one person to ignore. So I ventured to the end of the earth. I went to where the dust blew strong and hot, and nights revealed oceans of bioluminescent stars. I saw things that seldom would believe outside of folk stories and fairy tales - lands so flat they bled into the sky, storms that brewed with such intensity that it would rain for days, and beasts of such stature that it was as if mountains were slowly crawling over the horizon. The most curious and profound of all, however, wasn’t that of storms, skies, nor beasts: it was that of a lonely tree growing out of a barren landscape and consuming the protective hut that gave it life.”
/ This work was predicated upon an experience I had with a tree in the wilderness of Australia. Growing out of a seemingly inhospitable environment, its resilience was profound when backdropped against a landscape in which all else gave up.
33
ILLUSTRATIVE WORK
\
ARCHITECTURAL ILLUSTRATIONS
This heavily curated section details architectural illustrations and observational landscapes that I spied or imagined while wandering around the wild places of the world. Through these works I hope to illustrate the narrative capacity of space and its ability to generate tales without the use of individual characters.
These works represent ongoing studies of architectural origin that inform my creative eye and imaginative capacity. Here I have taken landscapes, moods, and inspiration from music to create spaces that tell tales and invite imaginative exploration. Through the construction of space in a 2D format, the viewer is inherently invited to imagine it in a greater dimensionality, and thus the observer becomes an active participant in the creation of a greater 3D environment.
35
-CONCEPTUAL DESIGN FO
36
R A BEACH INSTILLATION-
37
To walk though this public instillation is to take a meditative path that le beautifully 38
eads, not only to the sea, but to a deeper appreciation of a landscape it so y obscures. 39
Pencil on Paper
SOLOPSISM
40
ATMOSPHERIC SKETCH OF ACME KNOSSOS‘S LIBRARY
Pencil on paper
2in x 4in
41
-STUDY INTO MOVEMENT THROUGH A
Photoshop
42
TREE -LINED MEDITATIVE CORRIDOOR-
p painting.
43
GRAPHIC WORK
/
ASSORTED POSTERS
In my hands I held an object. It wasn’t large - in fact, it was quite small - and was decorated in a thousand different colours and shapes. Written perfectly, as if the writing had been birthed with the object, were the words ‘Don’t forget to Swallow the Stars.’ I knew at that point that this simple item, his object that was perhaps completely unremarkable, took me on a journey that I hadn’t even realised I was traveling. Such is the power of imagery, I thought.
This section includes a selection of my posters for various Colorado College academic and administrative departments that I completed during my time as a designer at the letterpress of Colorado College. To complete these projects, I utilised analogue letterpress skills to design posters, books, and collateral for various on-campus events, programs, and organisations, that emphasised good illustration, colour theory, and design, while following themes and prompts. Paramount in these works is the ability to tell a complicated story through the use of simple imagery and lyrical wit.
45
-THE STATE OF THE
Linoleum, lead type, w and oil ink
46
E ROCKIES SERIES-
wood type, rubber ink, k on paper.
47
Linoleum, lead type, wood type, rubber ink, and oil ink on paper.
THE POETRY OF THE WILDERNESS
25in x 5in
48
Linoleum, lead type, wood type, rubber ink, and oil ink on paper.
NOT ANYONE‘S ANYTHING
18in x 7in
49
Linoleum, lead type, wood type, rubber ink, and oil ink on paper.
AN ASSORTED ACCUMULATION OF VARIOUS BOTANICALS
18 x 7in
50
/ CRANE SARRIS / EDUCATION
Colorado College - Colorado Springs, CO B.A. in Ecological and Environmental Architecture / Independently Designed Major GPA 3.94 -
Dec. 2014 - 2017
Graduated with High Distinction: Magna Cum Laude
Harvard University - Cambridge, MA Graduate School of Design: Career Discovery Graduate / Architecture Track
Jun. - Jul. 2017
Colorado Outward Bound School - Moab, UT Outdoor Semester Graduate EMPLOYMENT
Sep. - Nov. 2013
Lonely Bird Press - Fiction Writer and illustrator - Adelaide, SA // Chicago, IL
Jul. 2016 - Present
Write literary fiction for publication, and take written and illustrative commissions for various projects. Write and illustrate graphic novels for publication work for which includes, but is not limited to: scriptwriting, narrative storyboarding, designing characters, structures, and the aesthetic qualities of the world, and illustration and page formatting.
CC Printing Press - Graphic Designer - Colorado Springs, CO
Aug. 2015 - Dec. 2017
Utilized analogue letter-press skills to design posters, books, and collateral for various on-campus events, programs, individual clients, and organizations that emphasized good illustration, color theory, and design.
State of the Rockies Initiative - Lead Designer - Colorado Springs, CO
Aug. 2016 - Dec. 2017
Designed, organized, and produced all promotive prints for the Colorado College State of the Rockies Initiative in the 2016 - 2017 academic year. Utilized both analogue, and Adobe Il skills to create designs that popped. This role saw me collaborate with event staff to best represent an event and illustrate complex narratives through visual formats.
Coburn Gallery - Curator - Colorado Springs, CO
Nov. - Dec. 2017
Curated senior thesis art shows. Saw me arrange lighting, organize soundscapes, and curate the progression of work to create unique experiences that personified each artist’s philosophy, and created a unique journey for the viewer.
Kym Abrams Design - Graphic Design Intern - Chicago, IL
Jul. - Aug. 2017
Responsible for emailing clientele, organizing in-studio events, creating mock-ups and presentations for clients in Adobe Id and Ps, and images and logos for small branding in for print in Il and Id. SKILLS
Personal and Interpersonal work skills: ++
Extremely personable and energetic, I bring dynamism and energy to any cooperative environment.
++
Extremely motivated, hardworking, and organized. I am an incredibly efficient and detailed worker.
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Able to work extremely well under pressure and on tight deadlines.
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Have had extensive experience with managing groups of individuals with varying levels of interest, skills, and ideas.
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Able to focus and work hard even after experiencing setbacks to produce high quality content.
Creative and Design skills: ++
Excellent Academic Writer. I have seen wide success with grant proposals, research papers, and analytical essays.
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Am a meticulous and detailed editor, and have a strong understanding of grammar, syntax, and punctuation.
++
Am an excellent storyteller and creative writer.
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Highly proficient in Adobe creative software including Ps, Id, Il, and in Microsoft Word and Powerpoint.
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Highly developed and nuanced visual eye. Particularly strong at environmental, character, and architectual design, compositional arrangement, curation, and narrative storyboarding.
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Extensive graphic design, and letterpress printing and book binding experience. Have been trained in both Vandercook and Asbern presses.
EXPERIENCES
CC Men’s Swimming and Diving - Student Athlete - Colorado Springs, CO
Jan. 2014 - Mar. 2017
Captain of the Colorado College Men’s Swimming and Diving team in 2015-2016, where I was responsible for in-team dynamics, relationships between coaching staff and athletes, and fostering a constructive team environment.
Colorado College Biology Department - Student Researcher - Ecuador, S.A.
Jul. - Aug. 2016
Researched pollenation dynamics between invertibrate and avian vectors in the Ecuadorian Andes and Amazon while simultaneoulsy studying tropical rainforest ecology.
Student Athletic Advisory Committee - Student Representative - Colorado Springs, CO
2015 - 2017
Worked with the Colorado College Athletic Committee to represent Colorado College’s student athlete body on administrative and academic matters pertaining to service and community engagement.
Academic Events Committee - Student Representative - Colorado Springs, CO
Aug. 2016 - 2017
Worked with Colorado College staff and administration to create academic events, vote on honourary degrees, and represent the student body for academic administrative issues.
HONOURS
Member of the Mortar Board Honor Society and Blue Key Honor Society
2015 - 2017
+ Was the president of the Blue Key Honor Society in 2015-2016. Both Societies require high distinctions in studies and emphasize community service. MVP for Colorado College’s Men’s Swimming and Diving Five-time SCAC Student-Athlete Academic Honor Roll Recipient CoSIDA Academic All-District at Large Award Recipient CoSIDA Academic First Team Recipient
2015 - 2016 2014, 2015, 2016 2015 - 2016 2015 - 2016, 2016 - 2017
Keller Family Venture Grant Recipient
2015 - 2016, 2017
+ Awarded a research scholarship to study and illustrative the unique ecological landscape of Australia, and how it defines the Australian narrative. Recipient of the John B. Harcourt Scholarship for the Humanities, Arts, and Sciences 2014 Nominated for a position as a student Writing Center Tutor at Colorado College 2014, 2015, 2016
PUBLICATIONS
REFERENCES
Cipher Magazine / annual publication
2014, 2015, 2016
The Leviathan / annual publication
2015 - 2016
The Casserole / limited publication
2015 - 2016
Aaron Cohick Director of The Press at Colorado College Colorado Springs, Co. / Aaron.Cohick@coloradocollege.edu
Susan Ashley Professor of History at Colorado College Colorado Springs, Co. / (719) 389-6529 / sashley@coloradocollege.edu
Carly Gertler Co-founder of Dotan--Gertler Studio and Architect at Hertzog & De Meuron New York, NY. / (775) 813-2616 / carly@dotangertlerstudio.com
Anne Goodman-James Head Coach of Colorado College Swimming and Diving Colorado Springs, Co. / (719) 389-6486 / Anne.Goodmanjames@coloradocollege.edu
cranesarris.wixsite.com/portfolio cranesarris@gmail.com
(c) + 1 (719) 373 0932