Green Man 15, Q. Cassetti, 2011, pen and inkSummer is winding down. Fall is on the horizon. I feel it. It’s not just the weather, it’s going from those indolent days to those that are jammed packed with my own work, other people’s work and needs and then those of the locals who have work and needs. So, I watch these last golden days of summer and reflect on the time, the people and the feeling of those rich days in anticipation and apprehension of the future.
Rob left way too early this morning to catch a plane to spend a day and night in New York on a project. Kitty had a fun day at Petrune modeling clothes for the Etsy website. I will link as soon as it or some of it posts. Alex had meetings and gatherings with friends—playing and listening to music with others. Its great that there is more to do than slothful behavior in the t.v. room. I tidied up some ends, directed few things, made a phone call or three, and started the beginning of a true fall activity, the making of restoration soup.
Restoration soup is soup that is compiled of leftovers that is magically bound by tomatoes and any sort of starch (leftover/ preferably pasta with pesto). All the random little single servings of leftover vegetables are mixed in. Some beans. The odd ear of corn, shucked. Italian Seasoning in the winter. Fresh basil as we speak. Sometimes it goes by Recycled Soup. Others, Garbage Soup. With leftover chicken from the grill, and the random leftover link of sausage I have a terrific starting point for that. Regardless of what goes it, it is surprising that it always turns out well…and is downed immediately while it is cleaning up the clutter in the refrigerator. I also have a pot of carrot soup going…for the ravenous at the lunch table (count ten)…that is on the menu for today’s entertainment and consumption. Kitty, my soup eater, practically dances in anticipation.
Speaking of sausage, Sausage Fest 2011 is planned for Saturday. Sausage Fest is an annual tradition for the Trumansburg Cross Country Team. We invite all the boys and cook sausage. There are tee shirts, games, swimming, and generally bro-ulation. Alex invites the team and many of the Cross Country alumni (that he has run with), so its very convivial and truly is an event that they all look forward to as part of the pre-season entertainment. I don’t know what it is about Cross Country, but it is a sport that is for many, more about the team than it is about the running. Sure, they all run and run hard…but its the cuddly boy thing too. They hug and support each other. It’s very cute and special.
I did something semi intelligent as well. I signed up for a few of the Entourage classes to be better at the Yearbook this year. This is the Last Year of Yearbook—and what with the chops I got with InDesign last year, and hitting the deadlines early, I think it will go swimmingly. Hopefully, we can figure out how to make the technology work so the students can engage more than just taking pictures and retouching them. We have a new powerhouse member of the team who will sell and advertise like no one’s business…so that will be good too. So my goals are—get the work done. Parse it out quickly. Sell the books like crazy. Do not have a big time burden at the end. Hand off the project to either a mom team, the PTA or let the school worry about it. No one seems to care until there are no more books to buy as they did not order them. Time to up the ante.
Good news. Rob has been asked to speak at the Sagamore Museumwise conference too in September. Maybe he can tag team with me? Maybe not. We will be going to Sagamore over a weekend, come back for the only home meet on a Tuesday and then drive back for the remainder of the week. Should be a wild one. It is so beautiful at that time of the year in the Adirondacks and the Museumwise people and participants are so lovely and charged up, that its a treat. I need to get some questions in to better understand my audience. Today.
I entered the current body of Green Men illustration on my Behance page (and Prosite page too)—and was made a featured portfolio on Behance, an editorial decision where they highlight the current images of interest. How nice is that? So I have been getting comments and insights from all over the world—and it is interesting to see what is coming out. Might I consider drawing a tarot deck? This mythological critter thing always has interesting legs. I am not “feeling” the topic as much as others, but it is good to have a process when it is not felt as much just to see if there can be success. Emotional engagement does not have to happen in order to make a picture. Yes, its is more of a personal boost, but certainly not imperative to design and make a good picture. This process has been more about design and figuring out how to do this sort of thing versus the man, the mission, the history, the entity of Green Man-ness.