Cranked out a mess of layouts for the new musician I am working with. We are on the fast track to get this package and insert together quicker than quick. The former designer is more of a layout artist--so quick without design is quick. I am pleased with the way the work is going--and we should have something very top drawer, fresh and new which is perfect for her. Its fun, but fast. Its been needles and pins here with clients possibly on, possibly off--and all the sleeplessness of layoffs or not, how to shave the balance sheet. Can I make it work? What goes? Can I cut my salary in half? How can I leverage what I have going on to yield more income? Is there something out there that I can take advantage of--a pocket of preexisting cash--that could be earmarked with my name? I just got a phonecall...deep breath. Over for now...to the affirmative. And the Steuben work apparently is not necessarily done. My contact called and said they are proceeding to sell this job--so there may be 4 + illustrations to do. So plus signs all over.
R in NYC today. K is late with the play. A and I have the early shift. Have been puzzling over the idea of Mis en Place. Mis en Place in the context of cooking are the basics you have around that essentially go into every recipe (olive oil, sea salt, pepper, lemon juice, wine vinegar, chipoltle peppers, parsley, cilantro, onions....basics). Everyone's mis en place have the same core...with variations depending on how they cook, what they cook, what inspires them. I like the idea of illustrators' mis en place. What is your mis en place? Where do you start? Is it the same place all the time? How can you cook italian, mexican, chinese and french--only as an illustrator? What are my mis en place...my sketchbook,ink, pentel brush pen, blue pencil, rotring pen (and odd cartridges that explode in my pockets)? Trace. Pitt pen sharpie and brush. and a ton of books. I really need to keep dogging the sketchbook...it has been invaluable during these speed times for new designs. So, I need to keep the mis en place fresh--and the books ready to go.
How sad about Elliot Spitzer. I bought his squeeky clean thing...silly me. I felt punched in the gut when my accountant told me of it around noon yesterday. Upside is that the deputy governor seems like an interesting guy.
More later