My pencils and ink, tracing paper and bumwad, bristol and wacom are all packed and ready to go. Teeshirts and sneakers--and a hairbrush, an ipod with my new junkie audio book. It promises to be in the 80s for the week (not the smothering 90s in studios with windows that dont work with tiny fans). Tomorrow is day one of the last contact period with Syracuse. I have my thesis defense on Tuesday and have been told not to be nervous. I wish I knew what to be nervous about because I would easily oblige. Still churning away on the Portraits book and feel I have a handle on it. Will be showing up late to spend some time with Kitty. We also plan to see the Ithaca Art Market at the Farmers Market today to check on the work, the pricing etc. to best gauge what to expect with the Art Trail.

Art Trail Show with the SPCA is happening first week of September. Above, you will find one of my two entries for the show entitled : Best Friends: Twelve Artists Celebrate their Pets. So,upfront and personal is Miss Shady Grove, celebrated in song and story amongst the old time musicians and on Camp Street. R. challenged me to view the making of a picture of Shady as the true Masters Degree as she closely resembles a black Swiffer. And so, my second thesis is done for R. I wonder what the defense of this will be?