Thursday before a holiday.

Trudoliubivyi medved’. [Diligent bear.] (1868), New York Public LIbrary Digital CollectionsNew York Public Library Digital Files for Lubki is the place! This Diligent Bear is a charming thing. The bear has a sweet, childlike quality with his tools. And the Trees?! Wow. Decorative, Decorative. And check ou the simplicity of the clouds as just a big white space…Somehow it reminds me of a lot of works, but most particularly, The Song of Robin Hood images by the author illustrator, Virginia Lee Burton. Maybe its the line work as the patterning is different..more fraktur-ish. The linear garden/field is a pattern as well. Plate from The Song of Robin Hood, Virginia Lee BurtonNot as crude as I generally love the Lubki. But, charming.

My Garden of Eden (Spade Tree) is going out to ICON (Illustration Conference 6) for July 14-17 show of the Society of Illustrators Los Angeles Show of the award winners (I got a silver this year…a bronze two years ago). So, another placement amongst other illustrators. Unfortunately, its illustrators talking to illustrators (my people) but its not getting in front of a wider audience.

Competition alert! The Pine Leaf Boys, a very fresh zydeco group from SW Lousiana (three time Grammy nominated) are looking for a CD cover. Posted it to Facebook which a friend sent to me. So, I am throwing in on this if I have a chance. Take a listen to their music on their album. the name of the CD is “Back Home”—and I have some houses and home sweet homes in my back pocket…so maybe I can cull something out the mix. I am pondering this right now and am itchy about it…which means a struggle before I get to something.

Its Thursday before a holiday. You know what that means…It means the rush before all my clients go on vacation, and then need to have all their projects on their desks, nice and neat for first thing Tuesday as they come in from a long and charming weekend. That means another grey hair for me. Ah, well. Nothing new…totally nothing new. But like Shady Grove, I always forget and am reminded midstream to plan for this.

It is more graduation parties on top of graduation parties for the youngers. Its been cool to cold here…so early to sleep long and deep in this cold summertime which allows the five a.m. wake up not a jolt but a happy and welcome transition. Hopefully there will be some music, some yardwork and some pizza shell baking this weekend. I have a big hunk of pork in a low and slow oven to have pulled pork for the hot weather we are promised in a few days. Need to roll as the work and deadlines keep coming.