Yesterday was back to back fun. We took a carload of teenage boys (stony silence peppered with the twing of their cellphones texting them from the random slew of girls) out to Dryden for a scrimmage with other guys the same age. We took the queen of fun, K...so we were bound to have a lot of laughs and talk around the "seriousness" of our sport. So after dropping these guys off for a half an hour of warm ups--and skittled off to Cortland for lunch at Doug's Fish Fry (another part of the Skaneateles Doug's empire). We had an engaging conversation about "America's New Top Model"--and it rang bells for me about how huge this is for the teen set. Can you say Ca-ching? How do you play this out further? Magazines? Websites? Its a lifestyle thing for this group of teen girls. Even the most sensible, Queen of Fun, is crazy in love with this stuff.
The drive to Dryden was beautiful. High blue skies, lovely blue shadows on the sculpted snow. Days like this makes you love winter for the color, shape and liveliness outside. Growing up in Pittsburgh, winter was always grey. Blue skies were not an option.
We took the troop of boys out for a big mexican food lunch which they vaccuumed into their gullets (continuing the stony silence with the bleeping texting)-- with K playing solitaire while we waited for the consumption to finish. It was a speedy time with the significant caloric input. Amazing.
Then home to buy a case of vitamin water type stuff at the Cheap Store (Shop +Save) for skiing on Sunday. R. was busy splitting wood into little pieces for the cricket on the hearth, the Jotul 602. Shady met us with a pinecone in her mouth for us to toss for her. I grabbed it from her and looked in my hand. No pinecone! YUCK! IT was a deer hoof and first(short) little bone to the first bone all nice and freezy with hair and the whole works. A perfect specimen of deercicle. And Shady was so pleased with herself.
We had a a nice hot fire in the Jotul--which R exclaims " you know, I haven't yet had to shovel out the ashes" (meaning it burns hot and completely). We now have shortie logs (poplar, walnut, oak) which is tailor cut ( bespoke?) for this great stove. If you are thinking a little wood boost for your house, this is the stove for you.
Had a nice time Friday night getting a pile of stuff ready for Hartford. Am a bit twitchy about it...but have focused the thesis to being 12 illustrations derived from the sketchbooks...in color and black and white. Plus, if there is time, I would develop the illustrations into 6 products/housewares/etc. and have comps made. Those might include a skateboard, a pillow/purse thing, a quilt, glass bottles/rondelles, a brooch?
Am immersing myself into the world of Jim Flora for now. He is sooo good. So original. So happy. I am trying to understand his design and thinking to see if I can learn something from him. Working on an illustrator silhouette--for an idea or two. Also want to cut a few animals to test out an idea as it could really work for a client's holiday card coming up this spring.
More later.