hairhopper, Q. Cassetti, 2012, pen and inkCold and hard as diamonds this morning as we got Alex off to the ski bus before 8. He was dead tired as he had the Snowball at school last night until midnight, and as is his tradition, he stays up until 3 a.m. His loss. His fatigue. The snow is fresh, so get out there and hit the slopes. The patterns on our old windows were quite spectacular and in one instance it was if jack frost was working with lines as well, giving us drawings that were Mucha-esque in their expression.
Elly came over with her hawk yesterday to hunt on our property. Tucker, her hawk was a bit thinner than usual and I guess that was the trick. Elly and Alex went out into the back 40 and let Tucker fly. They saw a few squirrels who were scrambling about, so they beat the trees to get the squirrels going—and get Tucker to get the idea. And he did! This is the biggest trophy he has landed to Alex and Elly’s grinning delight. He had a terrific feast and all was well with the world (except for all of Ellly’s apologizing for Tucker making a mess?). Not your usual teen sport.
I am fighting off some sort of stuff, so I have been feeling tired and spent the day quietly with a few friends dropping by to chat and my pen filling the page with more hair. I am so in love with these lines that it is pretty addictive just letting your arm move over the page and see what evolves once the big shapes are roughed in in blue pencil. Speaking of blue pencil, I was trolling my most fabulous, most favorite site for all things in the graphic media department, JetPens to discover I am not the only fiend for non-photo blue pencils. They have a whole gosh darn section devoted to them>>from mechanical pencil leads (!) to gel pens. I also delighted in their white pens some of which were being postitioned to be as good or better than white out pens (my favorite being the Pentel Presto). I was also intrigued by the variety of black inks available thanks to the Manga artists out there. Deleter Inks have six different black inks (matte/waterproof, drawing and painting, waterproof and extra dark, fast drying, eraser safe, and glossy). And again thanks to Manga—pen nibs and holders are no longer the rarity that they were until recently. Phew! And if you want to really go deep, their “asian office supplies” are for the stout of heart…and can make some people run screaming into the night (my husband, for one). But, if you are patient, here are some shining examples of the jewels>> here>> and here>> and oops here>>. You get the idea. And I have saved some of the best for you to discover. Relish the idea that yes, this stuff is sold, that someone may actually buy this stuff to USE and that it all might end up in the garbage…. But, if you love brush pens (as I soooo do), this is the supermarket for brush pens that you can shop until you drop—and use until the brush falters, splays or dies due to over use. JetPens, the best.
Today Rob and I are going to Famous Brands in Watkins Glen to get Rob a pair of stylish, and yet so functional, steel toed shoes (necessary for the site visits that he will make on his new project). I hope to use our new grill (recently hooked up!!). And maybe more lounging…and political mastication TV. I am loving this Republican fun—with all the pundits and faux pas. The roster of candidates is so perfect, I am puzzling over who did the casting? We have Captain OOps! and the odd Mr. Paul (always surrounded by his family—a visual display on how crazy the looks got with the DNA), Rick Santimonious (as someone from the Keystone State, this man is too righteous and sanctimonious…but def. is a character study). Poor Mitt is a ticking timebomb ready to go off. Too much stuff to be “disclosed”— and if anyone really gets a whiff at the Mormon stuff (Terrestial/ Celestial kingdoms, celestial babies, baptizing the dead through surrogates, the temple garments)—the “American” people will go apeshit.
And now we have Newt center stage with Callista (with the most bionic hair in the universe—and her mean, thin, wrong red mouth)—the ‘bullyboy” getting ready to take on our gentleman in the White House. Such bluster, such presence…almost victorian/ Boss Tweed style antics (or so I could imagine). Newt and the missus are so Thomas Nast-ian characters, the illlustrations are going to be SWEET.
Steve Broder is on it>> “Suicidal Person of the Day”>> Zina Saunders is dead on too, (see her recent image of Newt on Cartoon Movement>>)
The only thing that might make it better is to have either Herman Cain (my absolute favorite—the “Herman Cain Art Project” as the brilliantly funny Rachel Maddow delighted in embroidering on) or Sarah Palin join the fray. President Obama will need to take the gloves off with this blowhard. No gentlemanly sparring with this new crew. And just one question as the bombs are being launched—and the dirty laundry being airred, “Where is the former (or is he still) leader of the party, George Bush?”. Is this his legacy? Shameful and pathetic.
Enough of my preaching and art supply talk. Need to move forward.