Society of Illustrators Los Angeles: Illustration West 50, Accepted!

I was delighted to see that no, I hadn’t missed this one…and that the pieces above and to the right have been accepted into the Society of Illustrators Los Angeles Illustration West 50 Show. The portrait is of Domenic Labino for the Corning Museum of Glass’ Masters of Studio Glass Exhibition for Labino. Top beehive is a personal image. The Wheatman is from my Greenman series. The image to the right is from my Ganga Devi inspired whimsical illustrations (yay!).

I am delighted with this selection as it is a push to keep going. Each of these images talk to a different hand I have been working on, and two of them representative of two of my little imaginary worlds I find myself floating in.

Thank you Society of Illustrators LA and the judges that selected these images. You make today an even sunnier one!

Divine Devi

Ganga Devi, Museum of New Delhi, 1989, muralCow work yesterday. We had a mini SooperBowl party with all sorts of junky food, teenaged boys jumping up and shaking their fists at the tv screen, great ads and fun. Everyone stayed until around 10:30 when it was time to turn off the tube and quiet down for the night.
It was cows yesterday and the other project Saturday….Did a little somethin’ sompthin’ to the Squint blog yesterday to tie the headers more closely to the new website to be launched in April. Need to get work done today along with finalizing the panels for the Library exhibit.

Ganga Devi drawingDon’t you love this picture from my new Ganga Devi book to the left? (Ganga Devi, Tradition and Expression in Mithila Painting by Jyotindra Jain). This image is a detail of wall paintings of kohbar-ghar  (marriage ritual in Madhubari). Look at the color, the floral/lotus trim, the curlydoodles on the edge of her veil? And then to remind us that its a Mithila/Madhubani painting, there are fish and birds (parrots) even in the brilliant yellow fabric of her sari. And what about the image on the right with the fish, turtles, crab, frog and snail…with the swirly water… Another poem to nature from that wonderful Ms. Devi.

 

TCB

Inspired by Ganga Devi, Q. Cassetti,2011, moleskine and sharpies.\I love it that Elvis gave his band members his favorite insider initials: TCB (taking care of business) belt buckles and all sorts of other stuff with those initials on it. Today is a TCB day. We were up early to get Alex to the bus for a track meet. Then it was getting to the desk (for me) to kick it into gear for this new small client, fast job. I am a bit paniced (like I normally am with someone I do not know)… but what is coming off the wacom is good… solid… not high risk, but easily something to show to a client pretty immediately.

As an interesting aside, this client was googling Alexander Girard and found me in that search online. Remember the Girard jag for a short time last summer. I guess these sidebar jags are not a waste of time as sometimes they are beckons for new work. I love the way this cyber info world works.

Another something to better understand is Dribbble (three bs please). You know that I am a fan of Behance as it is a visual arts networking site where one can post portfolios, projects etc and get direct feedback. Behance has gotten me in front of all sorts of people who might not run across my work. It has gotten me noticed and recognition has come my way from that. Dribbble is another site I think that has promise. Dribbble says this about themselves” “Dribbble is show and tell for creatives. Designers, developers and other creatives shareshots—small screenshots of the designs and applications they are working on.” You are nominated to be a player on Dribbble by either other players or by one’s involvement with the site. I like it that its simple onesie screen shots…and a way to share. Cool. I hope I can become a player (for real)….Take a look. Your thinking?

My valentines showed up from the wonderful Pioneer Printing (Lodi). I have a gold foil stamped smooth card (one side) with a kraft envelope with teensy bodoni centered on the square flap. Rob wanted to know what I thought of my card, curious as this one is a bit sweeter than I usually do. I will be curious to know from those of you on my list, as to whether it is too sweet or not… I am pleased with the stamping, but this job points up the need to do much simpler work, or even smaller on the page as the foil really is quite commanding. I stuffed some of them last night with more tonight, and then labelling during the Superior Bowl. I guess I will not be cooking but ordering a pizza for the boys to keep pup with the stuff that needs to be done.

Tonight is the Snowball at the High School. Alex and date are going to dinner (we pick up and deliver)..and then the dance. Tomorrow Alex has skiing. Rob has work. I have more design work…dig in…and get in front of it for the next week.

More later, I hope.

snow watch

Study after Ganga Devi, Q. Cassetti, 2010, sharpies on moleskine.Rumor has it that we are getting a pile coming our way. The white stuff that is. Shady Grove is psyched. Deeper coldness to dive into, in search of the frozen cones. A divine place to plunge her muzzle deep and frosty to sniff and sniff for the divine pine. And there is the hope that springs in having a snow day, an unplanned day of sleep and cocoa and all the Xfiles one chooses to devour. Who knows, like an unbidden holiday, we never  know until the school closings are called…A,B,C…..South Seneca….T…..?

Got a ton done today. Bunch of things to look at and remark on. Bunch of people to talk to. New understandings about projects. Boxes off to Kitty Cat with stuff for artclasses and fashion to help make valentines day more wonderful.

Had a good chat with the school about Alex and his abilities and how to assess them. I feel that I was not only heard but understood and communicated with. This is always reassuring as, as always, I am not on my own on this one.

A. has play practice this evening, so because I was busy getting stuff out today, I do not have time to chat with you about the Banksey movie we saw yesterday (“Exit Through The Gift Shop”) or other mental ephemera that is floating through my thin skulll. An early dinner needs to be cooked to my lovely boy so he can go to sing and dance and hang out with beautiful and talented teens.

Onward for tomorrow. Turn your jimmy jammies inside out..and cross your fingers for snow. I am.

Looking at the weekend, already!

Indian Garden, Q. Cassetti, 2011, sharpieToday is a brilliant, blue sky day with sun beaming down on the back forty, casting long purple shadows on the walnut trees that I can see from my perch.

Speaking of perch, Rob and Mandy put together the absolutely gorgeous Martha Stewart “Craft Room” flat flies from Home Depot’s Home Decorator site>> I got three, pale warm grey “three drawer flat files” (which are subdivided drawers that you can customize the compartment shape). I know I promoted this last week, but now that we have the real thing in hand, I am even more enthusiastic. The quality is beautiful though its like IKEA times ten to put together….but if you are looking to equip a studio or need flat files (the metal ones will really set you back a pretty penny)…and you can look real, and functional without it looking industrial. Take a look. I now have a real live orderly place to put my things and try to keep my work in some semblance of normalcy. I think, I hope, I am on the edge of knowing that life is going to be more sane with this.

Yearbook was great today. The team has figured out the software and they are absolutely diving into it. I need to work with Victor on the cover as he has some high expectations with gradients and masks and stuff. Will need to see what we can do.

Need to dive into the workload. There are some things to critique. Things to specify. Some calls to make.