Scherenschnitte 4, Advent Day Three, Q. Cassetti, 2011, pen and ink on watercolor paper“Joy is the true gift of Christmas, not the expensive gifts that call for time and money. We can communicate this joy simply: with a smile, a kind gesture, a little help, forgiveness. And the joy we give will certainly come back to us.…Let us pray that this presence of the liberating joy of God shines forth in our lives.”
Pope Benedict XVI (12/2005)
Green Man 12, Q. Cassetti, 2011, pen and ink.The hosta have their huge white trumpets pointing to the sky, fragrant and rich, ready to beckon autumn. We always have them for Alex’s birthday—just on the front end of school starting.It is hard to imagine that summer is on the downside—and that change is in the air—back to school, back to college, finding colleges, finding programs, Thanksgiving and Columbus Day weekends all in eyeshot. I really just want to freeze this time of cool breezes, dramatic clouds on the horizon, the purple/paines grey and pink evenings, and the mesmerizing sleep we all are granted in our lakeside bower. Doesn’t get much better than this.
It is a quieter week on the work front. My client is taking her well deserved holiday so we have a bit of space to finish up some loose ends. I hope I can break through some of the more rigid things and have projects moving again. It would be great.
The freezer jam I made from some of the peaches we picked is half done (home team say yum yum)…and I made another dose last night. Quick and so easy…and all about the fruit. Next step, no sugar and maybe some fresh lemon peel…or peaches and raspberries? Oy. More raspberries concurrent with the Hector National Forest Saturday drop offs for Alex to do Cross Country training….He needs a pick up and delivery…so I can pick in the three hours in between. Divine!
I started a poster for the Library anniversary and surprisingly, I think the vector is too staid for the event, so I am going to draw this one. Needs to be more whimsical and illustrative. A portrait is not the right family/fun message I think they are looking for. I have 2 vector portraits on board too…so I have a bit of everything.`
Bunny Matchup, 2011, Q. Cassetti, pen and inkMore tedious drawings of bunnies manipulated in photoshop. I am coloring this one as I like the rope heart and the challenge of pastels. I need to better understand this lighter palette and thus the coloring. Black to grey or tan, no white…less harsh.
The Yearbooks are done! Hangar is back with changes…so that gets fit in by end of day today. I have a brochure that is a field guide to glass patterns and some illustration for the big client (a continuous line illo which can be hard to do, but entertaining in the puzzle like aspect. There are lots of random thises and thats, alterations of the food illustration and others. Need to start setting up appointments for Kitty and Alex this summer…check ups and dentals.
Nice chat with Kitty last evening. She has her birthday to look forward to—with contradancing as the cupcake with candles for her. I put her little somthingsomthins in the mail…which should make the day a bit brighter. Her first birthday away from us. Another first.
But, she is worrying her classes, full on angst and sadness around what she didnt get out of an art class…full of anger and misunderstanding that this emotion is actually part of the learning. Learning comes in all ways…and she seems to have learned a lot about what she doesnt like. We will have a lot of talking to do over the summer.
Alex and I figured out the tuxedo dilemma. We measured him according to the directions we found on the web, consulted all the sizing on the site and then printed the buy button. Its a simple tuxedo with notched lapels, and plain (not pleated) pants. Alex gravitated to the style along with picking out a cotton pique, wing collared shirt. No cummerbund. Black silk bow tie. He will be perfect (at least to his mother’s satisfaction and his…I hope). We should have it by Monday.
Perplexed Rabbits, Q. Cassetti, 2011, pen and ink.Alex and I huddled in the basement last night (and identified new things to be fixed!) for the 15 minutes that the big Tornado was supposed to whirl through Tburg. Rob got our neighbors to move into their laundry room (no windows). I couldn’t find our flashlights in prep (along with filling water bottles) so off I went to the dollar store to see what there was to add to the collection. Now we have an extrodinary collection along with batteries to boot. The lightening was brilliant blue white without any thunder, just barometric rage, wind and persistent rain.
Lots of rain so the the buds on the trees are really coming on. My lovely $5. rosebushes from the drugstore are leggy with greenery. Tons of things to do outside too from raking to planting, pruning (my fave). Speaking of my fave, Mr. Hair is coming today to do a walkthrough with me around all the downed trees, things in need of help etc. Time spent with Mr. Hair (along with $) gives us the wonder of going through these big windy storms without a big tree across the road or on the house. Time well spent.
The work list continues. Lots of thises and thats along with some leviathan scaled projects that are all ticking against the same “need it tomorrow” deadline. Looks like Saturday is a workday.
I plan on a royal bunny to celebrate the wedding tomorrow. I got up for Diana..but these two do not rock my world though the horses (plumed destriers) might prompt me to plunk myself in front of the tube. We’ll see.