Elizabeth Hobbs, The Emperor, 2000
"The is a clear connection between the production of artists books and animation film, the joy of working in a time-based medium is the drama of screening the film to an audience. I also enjoy animated film, in particular I value the experimental films of Robert Breer, the invention of Caroline Leaf and the legacy of Norman McLaren." -Eliabeth Hobbs
"I used wet watercolour on paper as part of my ongoing exploration into directly bringing a drawing or painting to life. I used a smooth-surfaced print-making paper of 220gsm in weight so that it would endure the multiple applications of paint. Using one sheet for each shot, the background was painted in watercolour and left to dry. The animated elements were then painted, filmed whilst still wet and then lifted off the page and repainted in their next position. The technique is fast to execute, though over the production period each shot might be filmed many times to get it right." -Elisabeth Hobbs
Hobbs sees an intrinsic link between the technique employed and the narrative themes and issues she wishes to explore. It is important to note that this deliberate engagement with technique as an expressive methodology should be understood as a model of applied research, and usually comes out of an on-going engagement with a core aesthetic principle or thematic concern. Hobbs has been continually preoccupied with the notion of 'fine art motion' and the ways in which a drawing or painting may be best represented as such through the animated medium. (The Fundermentals of Animation, Paul Wells)
