New additions to the Carl Tait collection

These are two new adds to Mrs. Cassetti’s Carl Tait collection. I just love the Thank You hankie with the French courtiers. The colors are sublime, the red line work, and the corner doodly-doos are worthy of saving for something Mrs. Cassetti fun! And the many ways to say love….? I love love!!

This fall, I plan on scanning all of my Carl Taits and sharing with you. Too much joy. Too much midcentury modernity. Another window on this cool period that illustration popped up in…in interesting places like hankies!

Starting some sketches.

I got a crazy project. Kee RAY Zee…

The way it worked was I got an email from a man who I never had met—for a project I never ever would have thought would cross the transom of my office. But it did. And, I have rearranged my life to do the work. I negotiated a pretty impressive contract (in another language), figured out how to get paid, processes and tools to use to make the project flow be smoother….It is a bit stunning. I still have hair on my head, and can hold a pencil despite the backdraft…but truly it has given me life and a little more spirit than I have had in at least 4 years.

I cannot tell you about the work, but maybe a few snapshots from the sketches will humor you. Things to know are…1. be an expert or known for a subject matter and tag the crap out of the illustrations. 2. own that topic…so that when the topic is searched…your name and images come forth. Truly. That is how this client found me. And the nutty thing is, that it works that I am both a designer and an illustrator for this work—- the discipline and knowledge of how to be “in brand” is lapping over into the illustration work. The client has a very specific palette—very definitive signature elements that they love seeing it surface in the illustrations. That plug and play approach that branding has instilled in my thinking really makes that so easy—and fluid. And for that, I am grateful.

Spring is here. Mitchy is here (and you havent met him)—and life is continuing in a sweeter way. For that, I am thankful and so glad. I am back from a deep dark hole….and so pleased to be back.

The Resistance: Creative Quarterly 49 Winner and 2 Runners Up.

Every week on either Thursday or Friday I post an image to Facebook and to this site that is the singular moment  during this heinous time that crystalizes a moment in the chaos. I get interesting responses and often many thumbs up/likes or shares that reinforce that I am not a lonely person afraid and stunned at the turn that this government has taken but one of many...each of us sending resistbot messages daily, talking and voraciously gobbling up the news so as not to be stunned and shocked on the regular basis that this administration espouses.

Counterpuncher in Chief
Week Twenty Seven of the Resistance
Q.Cassetti 7. 28.2017
Creative Quarterly 49 Runnerup

Poked Bear
Week Five of the Resistance
Q.Cassetti 2.22.2017
Creative Quarterly 49 Runnerup

These resistance pieces are designed to be postcards. I selectively print them with GotPrint.com, and then distribute them for free to anyone who asks, or in the local brochure racks that I place them guerrilla style for the taking. There are women who run postcard writing sessions, and I provide resistance cards as well as valentines to send to those in government who are doing a great thing and deserve kudos. I have put big packs of the cards with my pins into local fundraising auctions (getting a good sum of money for them). I hand them out....and they are getting noticed.

I got bitten by the enameled pin bug. If you go to Etsy and snoop around, you will see lots of fun and cute enameled pins created for the millenials and more. They are cheap and distinctive...and sell for around $10. After a trial balloon project here in the US, I crossed the ocean and have been buying these pins from a resource in China. They are really really nice, and not that expensive, so I carry them in my pocket and hand them out to friends and folks out in the world. I have a "NASTY" pin as well as "PERSIST", "RESIST", "what the fuck' (in Russian), and a new mess of woman related themes. If I sell 20 pins, it will pay for the lot of 200 so its beginning to be a break even proposition.

Week Nine of the Resistance
Q.Cassetti 3.24.2017
Adobe Illustrator
Princess Leia: She Persisted

Week Sixteen of the Resistance
Q.Cassetti 5.12.2017
Sally Yates, former Acting Attorney General: Hope, truth and strength of a woman who does her job.

The National Womens' Hall of Fame will be carrying my pins, a pair of the resistance cards (Sally Yates and Princess Leia), some valentines and stickers. Induction weekend is next week for the Hall...and I hope this will be the beginning of a nice relationship. More on that later.

"Love and Resistance" just came down after a happy summer at Exhibit A in Corning, NY The images were enlarged to 12" x 18" unframed (hung with magnets) prints...in one little room. Quite impressive, quite loud. The opening was really fun with many people thanking me for capturing these moments that give them a moment to stop and reflect.  And--We sold a mess of pins, and a mess of prints. So the work is out there...and there is some chatter that we might do something else before the holidays. Could be really cool.

I think a bit more writing to you will be a good thing to share my thoughts and images during these trying times will be good for both of us. Expect to hear from me soon.

It was the solstice last night. The air was still and cracking with heat with the light lasting well toward 10 p.m. The little bugs were swarming and it would have been, if you were a fish, a feast of buzzing activity. I however, am not a bug, and it was tedious as they crawled en masse all over our glasses and plates as we attempted to have a little porch dinner to try to grab what little breeze there was out there....without much luck. It is an amazing delight, this luminary climb from the depths of December until this brilliant day mid June--brighter and brighter, lighter and lighter, more day and a little less night. More times to lighten the load and brighten your heart. Now we are on the slow decline until October, when the inky dark, long nights seep into our days--and with that crisp cold sleeping, and dark mornings with frosty windows. By then, the bugs are gone, the hummingbirds have moved on, and the dusting of snow and ice promise a long time in front of the fire.

I completed a book of poetry for a family friend--with it delivering after a day of printing and less than a week of standard shipping to everyone's delight. Nice to have that finished. Love Blurb. Love their InDesign app that makes making great publications easy. I used to be a Rah Rah Lulu books advocate, but now that I have sampled the ease and tools of Blurb--this lady is not going back.

I am working on some little houses....a collection of picture building blocks in illustrator . Kind of fun. All black and white...and pretty minimal. All inspired by primitive illustration which I adore and my midcentury illustration friends.

Time to go to the bank and be a grown up.

Eye Candy du jour.

Here's a gumdrop for you. It's sweet. It's little. It's a treat.

As you know, I am a fan of the idea of an artist being able to "do a style" really well, and snapping it to a topic that is au courant--or nerdy. Preferably both. Remember the wonderful images created in the Lubok style by Andrey Kuznetsov? Here is his spiderman image to remind you, and a link to a great collection of images at Pagefiddler.

"SPIDERMAN. ONE HAND FOR EVERY BASIC NEED: GIRLS, BOOZE AND WHATEVER ELSE."

Good stuff? I love this. It refreshes the super hero (or any of the other topics) and brings it a whole different skew. Makes you think. And, its funny. What's  not to love? Okay, one more because I am feeling jolly. This one brings Avatar to light:

"PERKY LITTLE AVATARS!"

So in this tradition of funny reimagining of popular culture, these Ukrainian paintings by Sergei Iukhimov are stellar examples of the fusion of Russian Orthodox iconography and the works of J. R. R. Tolkien.

Here we are again. Bright and fresh--delicious coffee in hand and the fan blowing. It is a lovely spring morning with my peonies at the lake in bloom and the primordial Tulip poplar shedding it's remarkable blooms. So amazing and unexpected.  The sun was shining and it was misty drizzling--a delicious little surprise that the grass has  delighted in. Unfortunately, the vermin deer have gobbled down all the day lily blossoms, so another year of no day lilies. I am not pleased that despite the "kill" in the village to shave our herd from over 100 dear per square mile to 8, they somehow still are devouring MY plants. Not happy.

In the cadence of the rap poet, and hate monger, Donald Trump, how would he convey these thoughts. I think Trump is a scream albeit a nightmare scream given his content--but the way he speaks and delivers a lack of idea is remarkable and worth studying. Great approach for something, I cannot figure out what--but time to put some thought into that.

It is also CSA time of the year (CSA is Community Supported Agriculture). To those not familiar, this is an opportunity to buy a share of the crops from a local farm, Sweetland Farm from early June through to November. One buys a share, goes to the farm once a week and can pick from all the veggies they have (and herbs) and fill a bag. As things roll on, there is the second bag "take as much as you want" with greens etc. along with you pick deliciousness. Flowers are part of the share, so handfuls of zinnias, cosmos etc. go home too. It is Tuesdays or Fridays--and I find the time spent at the farm, in the field so amazing and centering that I am happy its started up again. Through Sweetland, I have learned and cooked many veggies that might not have hit my basket--from kale to all sorts of little japanese turnips, kohlrabi and chard. I love the fresh seasonality and crazy stuff like you pick tomatillos that I have cooked down and turned into lovely slow cooked dinners. I have become a quick pick nut (pickles) and will pickle onions, shaved cukes, red cabbage or beets at a moments notice...and surprisingly, they are eaten very quickly and happily. Another thrill.

Here's a homerun recipe that I make every week during the summer though the limes are not "local" I look the other way as this pickle is served breakfast lunch and dinner. I am sure you can figure out what it would taste good with:

Onion and Cilantro Chutney

Tomorrow is day 2 of the CSA..and I wait impatiently.

Onward to work...but we will talk soon.

Okay. Enough already. The sun is shining and on a day like today, I can believe that happiness is around the corner and the possibilities have gone from zip to Huh...maybe there are some fun aspects of my life. Lets just say its a long climb out of the hole I have been in and a big dose of my dear pal, Prozac, is helping me to smell the peonies and think happy thoughts. Amen to drugs.

©Alexander Cassetti, 2016

So much has happened. Alex Cassetti has graduated from the School of Visual Arts with a BFA in Photography and won the Royal College of Art Scholarship which entitles him to a semester in England at RCA to continue post graduate studies. His work is remarkable (but I am his mom)...you make your own call>> and he is growing by leaps and bounds. Note to any parent who is worried about your child's future: do not even anticipate what the future will hold as it will be something you couldn't even imagine. Trust yourself. More importantly, trust the work you have done with your child and trust that person. It's hard. I know...but you just need to hang on and let time, maturity and the people your child connects with form the person you have raised. When we dropped Alex off at Hofstra the day one of his college experience, with his desire to be involved with music composition--there was no way that we could have even anticipated his explosion into photography, his interest in art and architecture, and his growth personally and spiritually to become the person we know today. No way. No how. And here we are. Formed by SVA. Formed by the remarkable Stephen Frailey, the sage Lyle Rexer and the generous Peter Macgill.  Formed by the University Studies Program at Hofstra. These men, and so many more people have pushed and pulled our boy to think big, work hard and grab it all. And our son, the one who has to work hard for everything-- is doing just that and is so appreciative of all that his community has done for him. Stunning. And it is adding up. I cannot wait for the next chapter.

Did I mention that the graduation was at Radio City Music Hall? Well it was...and it was a lulu complete with gigantic pictures of people from the graduating class (yes, Alex was one). Uncle Miltie (Milton Glaser) was in the house and his touch was there.  It was beautifully done from big projections to secondary screens, Push Pin inspired titles, and everything red/white/pink. The articulate and passionate Carrie Mae Weems spoke. There were selfies on stage. Hugs for everyone and to put a cherry on it, the organ was played and we all delighted in the festivities. It was PERFECT. It was a long day as we moved Alex out of his room/apartment the same day and drove home to Trumansburg. Rob is a saint.

Kitty is crazy busy throwing it all in at her job as a buyer at Eric Winterling working on some fabulous theatrical costume production projects I am not sure I can mention. Let's just say she is touching big big shows and getting some interesting exposure to some of the biggest costume designers out there (folks that get Tonys etc). And she is learning the business-- no magical unicorns and cups of tea. Hard work. Schlepping 4 irons and bolts of fabric. And the mechanics of the process. I cannot say how delighted I am that she is having this remarkable experience. She is also having a lot of fun with her friends--going places, doing things, dancing, experiencing NYC, doing the gallery/show thing. Another blessing. I am awed by her.

We have been to Lake Placid for the Museum Association of New York conference where I was blown away by Museum Hack (for another conversation) and by the beautiful little town of Lake Placid. It was a lovely time.

Work continues apace. Lots of very knit picky stuff. But its paying and I cannot complain. I wait for my mojo to come back with the anticipated happier Q. It will be a welcome change.

More later, my friends. Life is more interesting to me, so I have some great things to share with you beyond my dismay over the world and my disgust of Donald Trump. Later!

Advent 2015: Day Eighteen

Advent 2015: Day Eighteen
Holiday Color
Q. Cassetti 2015
 

Advent 2015: Day Twelve

I believe that if life gives you lemons, you should make lemonade... And try to find somebody whose life has given them vodka, and have a party.

Ron White

Station Break: Creative Quarterly 42

Thank you to Charles Hively and the judges from Creative Quarterly for including my "Collection of Fowl" to their 42nd Quarterly as a runner up. I am honored to be in amazing company.

Advent 2015: Day One

Preface: Advent 2015 Starts Today!
I try to pick a theme that I stick to, or choose to derivate from and this year's theme is Birds, Bees and Big Green Trees. Some of them are Christmassy (sing the carols please) and others are just birds that I admire or think are funny. You can be the judge. Here we go!

Advent 2015: Day One:
Christmas Goose
Q. Cassetti 2015

The sky is falling...

Red Bird
Q. Cassetti 2015
Adobe Illustrator

Say What?

say what?
Q. Cassetti, 2015

"The key to everything is patience. You get the chicken by hatching the egg, not by smashing it."

Arnold H. Glasow