noodles

Hairhopper,Q. Cassetti, 2012, pen and ink.I am sniffling and choking and coughing. Not pleasant in the least bit. Its nice that I can sit up here in my princess tower and drink cups of Gypsy cold care and hope that the phone is on the quiet side today. It was just that.

It must be “Get Free Design Services” Day somewhere. They are beating on my door this week and I am starting to say no. If I offer up the design/illustration, that is one thing…however if it comes artdirected and with a deadline…forget it. Lessons from my theatre project. I have to have happiness around this work in order for it to be worth it. 20 hrs on a free, art directed illustration is not how I want to spend my down time for a few weeks. 

Rob is back from the city today. Alex has another day of play practice. I have two roasting chickens in the oven for dinner and then for the bones tomorrow. We need to open the boneyard. We have eaten all the stock this week with our larger than usual lunch crowd (lots of construction happening with the kitchen and interior steps. electricians, painting and sawsalls). Yesterday I made a big ginger, garlic, carrot, potato and one turnip soup (with my stock). Every drop consumed. Today was celeriac, onion, potato, garlic soup (and my stock). Almost daily, an entire loaf of bread is consumed with sandwiches. So we are back to the big feed. Hello winter share from the CSA. We are going full bore into rooty soups.

Finished the delightful Hardboiled Wonderland book. Cannot recommend it enough. Just started the Hunger Games, recommended by a zillion people though the premise did not seem to be as good as the book is developing. Yay!

Not too fascinating

Hairhopper, Q. Cassetti, 2012, pen and inkRaining today. Our little piles of snow are melting to Alex’s chagrin and sadness. We are both praying for another freeze and flakes to help the ski club investment make sense. Just as soon as we think we are good to go, then the rain starts and away we go. Oy.

However, the rain is better to travel in than snow and wind sheers…so we will have Rob home safely (we hope) from Florida via NYC tonight. He is going to be whipped. It will be good to have him home in the frozen north. Next trip is in two weeks to interview at  Landmark College and Hampshire College. Rob is identifying some cool places to stay (one has a salt water lap pool, an outdoor heated (winter) pool and other cool treats like that.

I am having to write a bio for myself which is puzzling. I have been reading the existing bios and getting a feeling for what works, what doesn’ t, but my story is a bit different, and I do not want to  be odd. I think I need to call my contact and suss out better what they are looking for (character count) and in the case of the portrait (urg) file type etc.

Onward.

I have my valentine coming via mail (just checked this a.m)—complete with spot uv. and full color on what is promised to be an interesting board stock. We will see! Also ordered a bunch of tattoo-ey ink drawings as stickers on vinyl from The Sticker Guy—my source where I can pretend I am a radical extreme illustrator/designer and be able to make cool stuff for a low price. I am planning on making sticker sets to sell (Etsy and Grassroots) as well as to send to a select group just to say hi and hello. Coasters will be next on the roster.

I got all my entries submitted to American Illustration (AI) yesterday. Goodness, that takes quite a bit of time—but it is a good show and I am always surprised when I get something in…and those things selected are always the least predictable of the shows I enter. I find that AI can point the way towards work that others may not have paid attention to…and they do. Interesting. I may enter the next Creative Quarterly just for kicks. You never know until you enter!

This is the time of the year for taxes and accounting, contracts and paperwork, files and all things paper. I find myself throwing all sorts of that stuff off. Time consuming and not overly fascinating. I guess the fascinating is in February.

Springlike

Braids 2, Q. Cassetti, 2011, Parker refillable pen with Itoya gel pen refill.Feels like a day in early early spring. The light is low and golden, casting shadows through the trees. As we got the buckets and barrels of recycling down to the curb, the cold air felt great, invigorating, and what with the lovely light filled sky, nothing seems impossible today.

Rob is coming back from NYC after a nice dinner with some old friends from the first renovation of the Museum project. His emails were sunny and chatty. They had a really nice time.

Good news for the Museum of Glass adding more work on Rob. It has been announced the the Museum will be undergoing a $64 million for a new wing at the Museum. They will be working with architect, Thomas Pfifer and Partners NYC. Excerpts from the Evening Tribune article:

”..the project will include a new Contemporary Glass Gallery and a new Hot Glass Stage, the amphitheater-style space where glass artists give demonstrations to tourists and also during events such as 2300 Degrees.”

“…the expansion and renovation will blend with the rest of the CMoG campus and will keep much of the historic Steuben Glass plant’s footprint intact. For example, the plant’s iconic Robertson Ventilator – the strange black structure that towers above the roof – will become part of the future Hot Glass Stage.

Also as part of the project, the area just north of Steuben Glass will add green space and a promenade. The parking lot for CMoG tour buses will be moved to the main lot just off Interstate 86, and a new drop-off area will bring tour buses right to the main entrance.

From there, new circulation flows on the museum floor will bring visitors into the new wing.”

So, you can see, there is plenty to do around these plans…and Rob is one of the players in this scenario. I am very proud of my hubby who has been dogging this for the past six years and finallly got great results and an opportunity to really boost the offering of this amazing museum for all of us who love museums and all they offer. More on this…as the world finds out.

Jacob and E. leave us today. Alex C. has another evening being a star. Alex is to be Prince Dauntless in “Once Upon a Mattress”.  He is as happy as can be. We are delighted for him. We listened to his songs last night on youTube. He has some nice pieces,with nice solos that will push his singing and push his beginning physical comedy.

I got word that I got work into the winner category of Creative Quarterly 26! When I went to the website to see where I fit in, etc. I was stunned (and excited) to see that I also got work into the winner categories for both graphic design and illustration. Feeling much better. The no show this year with the Society (NYC) was disappointing, but these other shows are affirming to keep swinging, and trying for base hits. Fellow Hartfordian, Amy DeVoogd also is in the winner illustration category (Yay!) and Fello Syracuse alum, Mark Bender, amazing Pittsburgh illustrator is in the runners-up category. Congratulations to all. I need to find out which images get in (and I will post) along with getting  a portrait shot. Ey yi yi.