Advent Day 6: Full Swing Holiday

Lacy Angel v.1, Q. Cassetti, 2010, sharpie from the second advent projectThe Studio sale was great. I picked up a bunch of drinking glasses and goblets on the dollar table and then went to the high priced, cooler stuff. I got a few lattecino patterned vases, a bracelet, and a few cool little bowls (for me). So, there is cool stuff to give to local friends, and a few great things for us. It was nice to see a bunch of old Corning friends and to see the Museum bursting with their holiday open house.

Then, it was off to Sams Club (I thought they might have swags and wreaths which they did). It has been years since I have been in a warehouse club, and it was great…particularly as Rob didn’t let me go full bore into the thises and thats. We got the swags and wreaths (making the wonderbus particularly fabulously deliciously scented), some new sharpie brand pens (ultra thin), some printable postcards and some cheese for pasta. I also got a huge box of oatmeal for granola making. Thinking of granola, I think that might be my version of the Christmas cookie this year. It looks good in the container; I have the wintery stickers; and folks tend to love it…and its a tad bit healthier than cookies. I think I will be doing some dog biscuits though. Really fun and the poochitas love them.

Collection of Holiday headwear from the web.A note: Going to Corning is a bit like going to another universe. People just do things a bit differently than we do here on our plateau. The general populace’s sense of public humor, their favorite restaurants and stores, what they do in their spare time, what they value is a bit different and to me, interesting. Where is she going with this one? Well, I was horrified and at the same time amused by the passigiata of people at the Studio sale (particularly) casually strolling about with their holiday Santa Hats. First it was a middle aged mom type with fuzzy boots on and a big, pink, fluffy santa hat with a big embroidered patch in the front saying “Princess”. After her was a little girl wearing the same pink hat with a crown sewn into the fluffy white band. It was also branded as “Princess”. Then a rather sloppy man, calmly sported a Vikings Santa hat (purple and white and big graphics just like the Eagles one above). Another nonchalant man had the traditional Santa hat with Mickey Mouse ears (a holiday classic). While we were prepping to exit Sams, I looked across to the car facing us in the lot, and there was a skinny, runty guy with his gold and black Steelers hat!. I think there is a market there. How about some really deviant ones? Like Masonic Santa Hats with an all seeing eye on the top? Krampus Santa hats? Or Santa hats with cool words like “Stupid” or the novel word, “Dank”? Need to work on that. Big money potential. Very funny to me.

There were holiday sweaters galore. Everyone had something with holly or candycanes printed on them from belts to shirts. It all was very “festive” and it frightened me to death. Need to do some more scary illustrations.

Onward to more Advent calendar images. I am vascillating between all sorts of things..and am getting charged up for a new body of work inspired by my friend Peter suggesting I work on a green man image. I am loving what I am learning. Could be the bees for the winter for me. I knew something would pop up if I just kept at it…yay.

Tom Buechner leaves us all.

From the Corning Leader (06/14/2010)
By The Leader Staff, Corning Leader
Posted Jun 14, 2010 @ 12:36 AM
Corning, N.Y. —

Renowned artist Thomas Buechner died Sunday in his home.
According to the biography on his website, Buechner, who was born in New York City in 1926, was the first director of the Corning Museum of Glass from 1950-1960 before becoming the director of the Brooklyn Museum from 1960-1971.
In 1972 Buechner became the president of Steuben Glass, chairman of the Corning Glass Works Foundation and president of the Corning Museum of Glass.
He also helped establish the Rockwell Museum in 1976 and served as its president for 10 years.

In 1985 Buechner became a vice president of Corning Glass Works.

Buechner wrote the glass section for the Encyclopedia Britannica and founded both the Journal of Glass Studies and the New Glass Review.

He also wrote “Norman Rockwell, Artist and Illustrator”, in 1971, and, in 2000, “How I Paint”. His most recent book, “Seeing A Life”, was published by the Arnot Art Museum in Elmira, New York in 2007.
Painting full time since 1986, Buechner was an established portrait, landscape and still life painter. He had many one-man exhibitions in New York City, throughout this country and in Germany and Japan.

Buechner is survived by his wife, Mary, and three children, Bohn Whitaker, Thomas Buechner III and Matthew Buechner.