mired in words

Halloween Warmup, Q. Cassetti, 2011, Adobe Illustrator CS5Rob coming back today. Its a dreary, rainy day with golden leaves sparkling in the grey. I am cold….freezing to be exact. I should kick the hearter on…Alex and I had a nice chat about this and that…about funny things at school and the conflict of school play and a XC race. Alarm didnt go off this a.m….so we were rushing around a bit.

I am enjoying drilling into some Halloween imagery—done quickly (new one to the left)— with a crow today…all in one color. Not the most creative, but fun and at least I am doing stuff. I think the creative jangle, the emotional push is somehow related interestingly (for me) with the seasons…and those shoulder seasons can stymie me. I need to pay better attention to this, and have some strategies (maybe working in this vector mode) around how to keep going…and not fall off the illustration train…I must keep learning and doing…so an approach is key.

I just read a wonderful young adult fiction book, Chime by Franny Billingsley. It is a very graphic book both from the storytelling, but also very visual and suggestive. Really good. A new friend is interested in my taking on making some image from this story…which I am stewing on.

I also just finished listening to a really good, really inviting book Inside Scientology by Janet Reitman. I heard a very good interview on a podcast with Janet Reitman. She was so engaging and smart, I downloaded the book from Audible and have been fascinated with all the detail and explanation of this community/ cult/ religion (?)/ tax dodge. The whole world of Scientology from cradle to grave— from their schools, to their hotels and cruise ships, their own military based organization, to Golden Era Productions, their production/film/ design operation is a contained community—with some very odd rules, lifestyle etc. that is based on the writings and thoughts of a science fiction writer. Kooky…but the book is well worth the time as it is so informative and illuminating.  It feels somehow apropos with Scientology in the news these days.

Gloria update: Leaving Lexington KY and getting to Georgetown KY for tonight.

Need to get rolling. Tons of thises and thats piling up.

vernal snowy day

Inspired by Ganga Devi, Q. Cassetti, 2011, sharpies and moleskine40 degrees and melting. Mild. Feels like Spring. The birds think its coming. Shady doesnt care as the top surface of the snow is icy and hard…her favorite for the wiggle dance she does in the snow spa jiggling and twitching, licking the snow and snapping up little crunchy cold bits. There will be ice chopping after lunch today to get the big chunks under the eaves broken up to melt (with a little salt to help).

Baked up a mess of granola last night. The sight of an empty granola cannister is enough to bring me to tears as this is the “go to” for the boys for late night, after school etc. No granola is another sign of my crummy mother and wifedom. We are back in business today, thank goodness. We whip through oatmeal like nobody’s business. I am always surprised by the sheer volume of this stuff and how it goes.

Things are setting down to ramp up at work…with new learning and quizzing about image bank services our client has, and how to tag, set up folders and the like. We are going to run at this…the kind of project management which is one step at a time. I can still breathe, but it feels like we could have some “moments” between now and the end of March.

Had a nice chat with two of the NYFood partners, Dan and Dean. They are so fabulous. I love this alternative, localvore, meet the farmer life….it really connects so much for me. I am always inspired by their concerns, interests, and work. To hear them talk about the farms, the earth, their families, their animals—it is a poem of love and of live. Each one has a different poem, but the tone and messages are always the same. It is a rich thing.

Great news. Did I mention that Charles Hively is putting me in his next 3x3 with an article, pictures, and of course illustrations. Ursula Roma wrote an amazing piece with Jason Koski doing the photography. I am filling in details with the photos…and am finalizing now. Charles asked if I would do the cover! So, wow. Am a bit stunned by that….now the question is what! I got a sneak peek of the Computer Arts article (UK magazine) on folk art and several illustrators who work in this mode. Tremendous!

Has anyone out there used TAXI? Looks good. However, the recent new folks I am working with came from a  search of the illustrator /designer, Alexander Girard.  Remember my phase last summer with Christmas angels, doves and the like? That was the work that the wonderful googlebot found, ranked and hooked me up with this good design firm in NYC.

The other is just a recommend. So, what help are all these random portfolio sites? How many do I need to have, to update etc? Behance has been great for waving the flag to say to the world, hey, I am here….but do I need more than the Directory of Illustration, Behance, my own sites, Society of Illustrators LA? Any ideas, insights?