WYSIWYG

Cold, Dark Night, Q.Cassetti, 2010, pen and ink/ digitalI love the idea of WYSIWYG. Its a very "my lifetime" phrase. They did not say WYSIWYG in blackletter in church manuscripts from the scriptori, nor did they say WYSWYG  at the advent of handset type. What you see is what you get. Pretty much from my vantage point, a very NOW statement. What you see (right now) is what you get (right now). Not what you might see if you wait. Or what you will see when you get it...or the like. Its two now statements. Pretty much speaks to our culture, our nowness, our immediacy of on-demand everything from television to movies, to printing to food. Its all on demand..and its exactly what you see. No variations, no more thought than making it JIT (just in time), and predictable. Its a problem we have culturally, as many things you cannot see or if you see them, you may not get them. Or if you see them, they may not exist (such as movies such as Lord of the Rings or Avatar or even the hyper realistic games that Alex plays with blood and guts). 

There is so much behind WYSIWYG. A whole system and structure that is invisible and rarely even approached. You buy a loaf of bread at the store and what you see is what you get. A loaf of bread. Do you see if there is local flour there? Could you see if there are preservatives in it? Can you see if the people who make this bread are satisfied with their work? their lives? How did that loaf get from their ovens to your doorstep without being damaged or aged? Do we even think about these things? What are the ramifications of buying a loaf of bread made in your village versus one made in Cinncinnati by an enormous bakery? Do we see a change in our health directly? Does it better our neighbors versus someone elses neighbors? Does it teach us anything about our area? or local culture and expectations? I know I am ranting on about something (WYSIWYG) that  is really more about computers and not really having to learn about code and the like...which is fine by me-- but WYSIWYG is ingrained in the way we think and behave such that if we just started peeling it apart, think of the thoughts, ideas, and passions we could all inspire. Enough of this rambling.

Kids are skiing. It was gorgeous at Greek Peak. Plenty of snow and happy faces all around. We came back to do house projects. I made a "Church Supper Chicken Pie" and cinnamon bread ( both from the highly recommended (I am cooking my way through) The King Arthur Flour Baker's Companion: The All-Purpose Baking Cookbook I am working on some more of these Home Sweet Home pictures and thinking a lot of gingerbread houses and witches. I actually cracked open the brothers Grimm this morning and was pleased with what I saw....plenty to work on.

I Love Fu

I Love Fu, Q. Cassetti, 2009, pen and ink/ digitalLife is good when you have a ten pound bag of flour in it. The possibilities are endless. I have two loaves in their new rising baskets on the second rise. A banana bread in the oven with a cake in the offing. We are having friends of K's for dinner, so we have happy gals with metabolisms coming over giving me the opportunity to crank out more recipes from the new "go to", the King Arthur Flour Baking Book. Nary a bum recipe yet.

Am drawing away. It was fun to have a pen in my hand as we watched the Olympics on tv. I am making more pine trees and houses. I came to the conclusion that I am doing these pictures as a way of exploring borders and frames around a central image. I am kind of done with that and am thinking about either getting back into the Garden of Eden work, or work on some egg-inspired art as it is such a huge symbol imbued with all sorts of imagery, meaning etc. Plus, it would be a fun lenten body of work with Easter being the end date. I enjoyed the whole process of the advent images as it had a start and end date-- a real live start and end date, that puts a bit of pressure on me...so I chase things a bit faster and not get hung up on some thing.

I also want to make some pictures around the the Gingham Dog and the Calico Cat, a poem by Eugene Field. I was inspired by two amazingly whimsical and large ceramic renderings of these creatures (my the deep past, a friend had them in his NYC apartment...very Hilary Knight- esque). I have been inspired by them since--and will need to do something about that. Here's the poem:

The Duel
(The Gingham Dog and the Calico Cat
 by Eugene Field
The gingham dog and the calico cat  
Side by side on the table sat;
'Twas half-past twelve, and (what do you think!)
Nor one nor t'other had slept a wink!
 The old Dutch clock and the Chinese plate
 Appeared to know as sure as fate
There was going to be a terrible spat.
 (I wasn't there; I simply state
 What was told to me by the Chinese plate!)

The gingham dog went " Bow-wow-wow!"
And the calico cat replied "Me-ow!"
The air was littered,an hour or so,
With bits of gingham and calico,
 While the old Dutch clock in the chimney place
 Up with it hands before its face,
For it always dreaded a family row!
 (Now mind: I'm only telling you
 What the old Dutch clock declares is true!)

The Chinese plate looked very blue,
And wailed,"Oh dear! What shall we do!"
But the gingham dog and the calico cat
Wallowed this way and tumbled that,
 Employing every tooth and claw
 In the awfullest way you ever saw-
And oh! how the gingham and calico flew!
 (Don't fancy I exaggerate!
 I got my news from the Chinese plate!)

Next morning where the two had sat
They found no trace of dog or cat;
And some folks think unto this day
That burglars stole the pair away!
 But the truth about the cat and pup
 Is this: they ate each other up!
Now what do you really think of that!
 (The old Dutch clock, it told me so,
 And that is how I came to know.)

Good stuff, eh?

And now for the greetings of the day.

I heart Fu, I love You. Be my virtual valentines!

xoxo