The morning officially started when R. pulled out a new shirt out of his suitcase from his recent trip to Seattle (and Nordstroms) and I flipped. It is a shirt by Robert Graham, with embroidery, embroidered ribbon, and a strong stripe that is smartly considered when it comes to detail...often truncating in a 90 degree angle to create these interesting corners in the design. The insanity of yesterday with it's rollercoaster of projects, information and getting about was smoothed over in the aura of this wonderful shirt. So, of course I am googling away as we speak to learn more, see where the deals are and what else the divine Mr. Graham has for my boy's wardrobe.
Our neighbors here at the lake had some unwelcome visitors over the winter--a combination of squirrels (probably the most obscene, the red squirrel) and racoons. And they are capable of a lot of destruction particularly as they can't open doors...so they try to chew their way out (we had a squirrel who gnawed an entire windowsill trying to get through to open the window). They make holes in the walls and really party. So, I feel for these folks who spend a large part of the year in England to come home to their country bower to be shocked by the mayhem.
The plates still continue to spin. I am getting things done...amending work that needs to be done and trying to set things up for Erich to be in charge while I worry about illustration for the next week. I hope the illustration thing is not so much a worry as a plunge into a deep pool that I can swim in. I always get nervous despite the recent recognition in 3x3, CA, SOI, SILA and Ill46.That should be some reinforcement that I am not shitty all the time. I really would like to see where this line work could go...or even just a drawn approach. To that, Mentor Murray sent me to an entry on Today's Inspiration , a wonderful blog written and researched by a Canadian illustrator, Leif Peng--on Art Seiden, a decorative illustrator who was central to the development of the Storybook style of illustration in the 50's/60's. For me, Seiden's work recalls all sorts of illustrators I love like Mary Blair (designer illustrator of the famed Small World exhibition/ride, Golden Books illustrator and advertising illustrator);Garth Williams, Richard Scarry--they all seem to peek out of this style.
However, as I was googling away, I ran into the work of Evaline Ness, former wife of Elliot Ness, who at around the age of 50 decided to be a children's book writer and illustrator. Yes, she worked in a storybook style...but took it to this strong, two color work that introduced found textures to produce some pretty sophisticated, strong imagery. I will post some other images later today as I really want to save them out, share them with you and also have them in one place so that I can stare at them for reference. I really am quite taken with them...the line work, the use of color and texture. She can do the sweeter stuff, but this is the stuff that resonates with me.
As I mentioned before, Today IS the National Day for iPhones. So, instead of spending the night in front of the At&T store, I will take a spin down there this a.m. around 10:30 to see if they have any left. If not, then I am coming back and we will do this tomorrow/Sunday. I am psyched. However, I jinxed myself with the iDvd thing. I keep trying to burn a CD from the Keynote file translated for iDVD and it keeps printing the thing backwards...and I have spent hours trying to make it work to no avail. I could Scream. Maybe I need to get some reading on this despite the chat rooms and valuable online help that's out there.
The big boy A is downstairs in his new pants looking handsome. He really had a good time in Miami and described every thing in every store, every bite and sip devoured, the marvel of the world of spanish speaking people, the different pace and way people look and live. It was a very inspiring couple of days for him. Hopefully, some time on the golf course today.
Gotta go>>the day, packing, and working>> awaits.