Green Man 10,, Q. Cassetti, 2011,pen and inkI feel like I might just get there. I am working away on a project that is all about the details—the illustration details that have to be able to be reduced down to a very very small size. I have been wrestling with this— working big, reducing smaller, looking at positive approaches, then reversed approaches. I think I have finally clicked my brain into where this needs to go—and I feel that I might be able to square away the changes on this project today. Then on to amending the fun distillery project which has grown some legs, and is ready for phase two work. I have two new black and white (and greys) portraits due by the end of September-so the decks need to be cleared before getting into that and a few other things.

Green men continue as the pen moves. I need to do an illustration of an owl (with book and or a birthday cake) for the Ulysses Philomathic Library’s bicentenial party in October. Heather Christ Hallagan is busy making a chic and fun event, so helping out with a poster is the least I can do. The only request from the board was to have an owl and to make sure it is “cheerful” I love it…cheerful! I think I can do that…not sure, but I can try.

Wiki How actually has an article on how to be cheerful. Only seven simple steps! And here are some simple tips to be cheerful:

Don’t be negative, cynical, or deceitful.
Always be sure to smile. It’ll make everyone around you feel good!
Get out of the house. Sometimes being alone is good but loneliness can consume you. Take a bike ride in the sun or ask a friend out for coffee.
Say hi to people, not just the same people every day but let others know that your willing to be friends with everyone.
Listen to your mind some of the time, and your heart all of the time.

I had a client once who was the queen of requesting cheerfulness as part of anything we would do for her (in addition to her desire for us to use red as it too, is cheery and helps create that cheerful condition). This cheerful request was as confounding to me as requests from clients for things to be “unique” or even better’ “creative”. I guess this charge for cheeriness means that they would not be receptive to something black and white with the content including death references or the german wonderfisch. Onward to trying to be cute. Now there’s a challenge!

We are having a crew of our fellow CMU alumni at the end of the month. Could be as many as 20 that we need to entertain, feed and house (as many as we can budge up to make room for). So, I need to think about things I can make in advance for breakfast (freeze a few coffee cakes? cook sausage for strata and freeze? prep some dips? make some peach freezer jam from Sunday’s gleanings?). I am twitchy about beds and towels, pillows and blankets—but we have our new and wonderful cots that will help to move the needle.

It is a nice rainy day for work. Rob is home normal time. Kitty and Alex are home. Jacob and E. are back from their performance last night. Maybe Mr. Houseworth will get the water issue taken care of so we can lake tonight. Even in the rain, it is a delight.