"Red and Blue" is the story of two male Betta (Siamese Fighting Fish) who are placed in the same bowl by their loving but uninformed care taker. The film is completely hand drawn in a playful style and includes limited use of dialogue, so can be enjoyed by people of any language.

It is a comedy for both children and adults that is also meant to educate. It's a great film for all ages. Younger children will be entertained by the story and characters while subconsciously absorbing the message of tolerance and forgiveness. My hope is that adults will also relate the film to their own lives and experiences with other people. I have found that two people forced to co-habitat are very likely to fight, but may ultimately learn to live together peacefully. Although the characters in "Red and Blue" appear as fish, to me they are people. They have character flaws and have hurt each other, but they put aside their pride and forgive. To me this is an important message to communicate to adults especially, and my language is animation.

My main source of inspiration for my work comes from animals. I am especially passionate about fish keeping and the proper care of aquatic creatures. I have kept fish for many years and pride myself on their health and long lives. I feel that most people who own fish do not know the proper needs of their pets or have the attitude that fish are only ornaments whose life or comfort is irrelevant. But fish, like all animals, are individuals with needs. Animals are all so quirky and each has their own personality, just like people. They can be funny but they also deserve our respect, and that's what I try to capture in my work. My hope is that viewers will take a second look at how they treat their pets.

I am inspired by many great animators like Don Bluth, John Kricfalusi, Joanna Quinn and Daniel Guyonnet. In fact it was Bluth's work that first inspired me to become an animator years ago. My earliest artworks were graphite and charcoal drawings. I love the feel and smell of pencils of all types, it just feels right to hold one. I chose to create "Red and Blue" using classical hand drawn techniques to emphasize a loose and hand-crafted feel. I used a lot of digital effects for "Red and Blue", but I also want the viewers to know that every frame, every image that they see on the screen was created by me and touched by my hands. I wanted to enjoy the act of animating and all its subtle nuances. Animation can envelop an artist and cause them to become lost in it, it's really amazing.

See it for yourself! DVD's are available for $15 and posters for $10 (shipping is extra). All prices are in Canadian dollars. Email me for your copies, Katie@RandomTabby.com