Back in the seat after time at the House of Health watching the rowers, the flying ducks, the fish jump. Overcast, so the water was a remarkable color of green with jade green highlights. Looking over the list of what to do, who to call, what to email etc. and it seems like today isnt going to be a pull your hair out kind of day. Need to call Mr. Hair, our tree guy...as there is work for a man with a chainsaw (and a rotorooter for the roots of the felled trees).

K presented me a beautiful scratchboard illustration of a baby monkey (not cute...intentionally) that she knocked out (gorgeous job---I know, I am her mom--but really remarkable and quite mature). A presented me a drawing of his new favorite technology, which seems to be his mode. One birthday he drew me a picture of his ipod. For Mother's day, he drew me this very Paul Klee-ish picture of his new turntable (to come). R and A got our old reciever and speakers (bought the year we got married...and bought with the intent that these babies were going to last us our entire marriage> and they have and are morphing into hippdom for our boy). They linked A's cd player and his shuffle to the set up...and they were rocking. R scrounged a bookcase for A--and A was methodically putting his CDs, videos and DVDs nicely away. That was a nice thing for a mother to see! Nice that our Boy is getting some passion in his life...I would have loved it to happen earlier--but I will take what I can get...So this is terrific. K. has tons of passions...so we don't worry about her.

Getting rev'ed about the Toivo graphics. Love the idea of going decorative on this. Different from the Choker look...and different from where the Carol Elizabeth work is going (direction shown above)--So in the margins of time, I will need to get this ramped up. I quote from the Marshall Arisman and Steven Heller book, "Inside the Business of Illustration":

From pp.73 "Trend Spotter"
Black and white.
Long a mainstay of illustration, black and white is on the decline as the ability to print unlimited full color has increased in most outlets. The computer has made it easy to transmit color with a level of quality that surpasses black and whtite reproduction. So, for now, black and white, while usually the sina qua non of illustration is on the decline."

Comic Book
Illustrations done with drawn black line are an emerging style. Flat color is added in the computer. Unlike the comic book, subject matter is not superhero-based...."

Something to chew on. Black and White is out. Color is cheap and easy to get....therefore to my thinking...color is not special...Oh, and if it is black and white, try the comic book approach (I have)--and see what happens. And oh, by the way..what are they talking about--just editorial work? or is there any other place that is using illustration? Sorry, I am getting pissy..