I love this stuff!

I grew up in Pittsburgh--and didn't know such wonderful art existed until I visited and then moved to Upstate New York. All the ice cream companies create these wonderful signs--generally screenprinted on diecut metal of ice cream cones. They are generally pretty graphic, with each iteration of the idea of soft or hard ice cream coming out different depending on the age of the sign or the maker of the ice cream. Most people think of a dark brown, almost eggplant brown package with condensed letters in the most subtle silver--H E R S H E Y--but I flash to ruffly pink ice cream topping a pointy cone made of rust, brown and cream with a glorious blue rectangle saying the same thing. As we drive by these beacons of frosty deliciousness...I try not to wreck the car trying to study the picture. I have wanted to do a small picture...and this is the beginning. Do you like what crazy Gary Baseman does with ice cream cones? I do!

up up up


Need to do some new baseball pix for Syracuse. I did some last summer and they are not so terrific...so...we move on. This is the beginning of one. Scortcher here this weekend. Yes, we had a ton of Cornell Chicken!

Cornell Chicken

In the spirit of summer, I am sharing a great recipe for Cornell Chicken for you to try. Cornell Chicken was developed by Cornell University to promote chicken eating in Upstate New York. If you live around here, every fire department, boy scout troop, baseball team, eighth grade class, fine arts conservatory etc. uses the big chicken barbeque (specifically Cornell Chicken) to raise money. So, it's kind of in our blood. And, as a transplant to this area, it is fabulous and always a surprise because its always so delicious! At the fundraisers, it is often served with another local favorite, salt potatoes with butter and loads of salt, and beans. Forget the beans and potatoes--go for the bird!

Cornell Chicken Marinade

1 egg
1 cup vegetable oil
2 cups cider vinegar (I have substituted fresh lemon juice and its !!)
3 tablespoons salt
1 tablespoon poultry seasoning
1 teaspoon ground black pepper

Put egg and oil in blender, blend to emulsify (the blender is key)- it will have the consistancy of mayonnaise. (Note that if there is any water at all in the blender, this will not happen.) Add vinegar, continuing to blend. Add seasonings and blend until dispersed throughout. Marinate chicken for at least three hours and up to 24. Grill as usual - may also use the marinade as a basting sauce. I put the chicken in a ziplock bag--and then its ready to go with a minimal amount of fuss.

You can use boneless breasts or chicken parts. I have also used boneless chicken thighs to positive results. It's just plain delicious.

The picture is a chicken from Mr Wonderful, Milton Avery.Love the color, the blockiness and the feet!

Friday again?

Whoa. Time has gotten out of hand. Much goings on here. Working on some stuff for a premium crystal company. Some pattern design, some big 3D ideas--Christmas(the dreaded December holiday), animals and some "nostalgic" derived ideas...illustration focused. Should be fun. Have been looking at the work of Milton Avery, poster design in general and asian art. Love Mr. Avery. Big blocky ideas and very beautiful, almost Vuillard type compositions and use of texture/pattern.
He is referred to as the American Matisse, but the whimsy of Matisse's cut paper work--and the total two dimensional approach doesnt really align well with Avery. Mr. Avery will work in these lovely flat areas, dropping in pattern, working the shape as a shape--but rendering each shape as a beautiful object (versus Matisse's almost manic cutting jobs...take a look at how the shapes are chopped out...laid on top of other shapes...adobe illustrator would have been his new tool of choice!)--and sometimes whimsically dropping in a shadow on top of a shoe or something. You could group ole Tom Purvis (British poster designer--did a lot of work for the British Rail System), Matisse, and Mr. Avery together and do a for real compare and contrast and it might be really interesting.

anticipating the December holidays!


Hey all! Have been churning away on these holiday cards. Have been posting the more interesting ones...and probably more to come as we have a little more work this week on these ideas. Was surfing around at 2 a.m. and found some new and wonderful blogs I want to share with you. First off, check out Today's Inspiration (listed at the right). It is an inspiration--with the writer, illustrator, picture lover author--sharing his passions,discoveries, and conversations he is having with illustrators, collecting, and the history of illustration, particularly that of the 40s and 50s. His writing and observations are interesting, humorous, sharp and succinct. After a page of entries, I couldn't wait to see the history of this blog--linked with a great Flick'r representation etc. Reading Today's Inspiration everyday is a happy education with an engaged and fun teacher. Go take a look today!

more from Mr. Hicks




Don't you love George Washington on his noble steed? and the design of the image with the frame, the hand lettering and the righteous majesty of the waterfall and the rational beasts that are imposed on that environment. This guy is our American version of the Sienese painting school. No sense of anything but telling a story in a way that even the simplest of us can surmise the message. Hope the rain stays away today. An ark was looking mighty tempting.

Art History for Middle Schoolers


I am no academe...so I will just yap about this guy. Anyone know him? huh? Okay...if you find him tedious, click on...if not...His name is Edward Hicks. Mid 1700s, Philadelphia area (more particularly, Bucks County), painter, preacher and at one point, coach builder and painter. Mr. Hicks is known for his peaceable kingdoms (one shown above)-- always with this naive animals massed one in front, on top etc of each other--covering about 2/3 of the canvas, and the other part showing Mr. William Penn convening with the Native Americans to create a treaty. He loved this topic. Loved. I love the way the illustrations are so naive...the animals really colorized/dimensionalized images you find of woodcuts and engravings of the time. Even merry-go-rounds (Watch Hill, Rhode Island), decorative arts and signage all are part of his look and feel...and I think, this is unintentional...as I think this work sprang from the environment Mr. Hicks existed in. Afterall, he did paint carriages....which means good lettering with good shadows and pictures that somehow explained the owner or added cache to the vehicle.

We like sheep


You know the part in Handel's Messiah that starts "We like sheep"? If you don't, its worth listening to all one hundred hours of the Messiah to get this part...quite cute and funny. You can hum it to this picture.

Another Blue Sky Day!

Perfection here. Had a nice dinner with our friend Paula...visiting and talking about gardens,plants, monuments and those sorts of things. Inspiring. Did some research on New Zealand yesterday and am inspired by the concept of tiki (something you wear around your neck), the Maori tattoos and weavings and patterns. There might be a New Zealand project in the offing..and I want to be ready for it when it comes!

Wish things looked this good all the time!

Another beauty! Working on thises and thats. Some of it is torture work that isn't going anywhere. Raining like crazy this weekend. Taughannock creek was swollen like we have never seen...torrents. And the waterfall was spewing with an amazing spray that caused the trees at the bottom of the waterfall to blow as if there was a windstorm. Water is good..and we missed the "April Showers" for Mayflowers.... so, perhaps this is a tick in the right column for our friends the farmers. Our irises are popping. The hosta I put in last fall is blowing out (the size they were last fall with the hopes of tropical gigantism--). No peonies here though the neighborhood is blooming. Azaleas, Rhodies...all coming in. No significant humidity. Pretty perfect here.

Love 'em


Rob and I were talking about some interesting opportunities we have with a client to do some speculative design for a series of objects, objects with engravings and the idea of giraffes surfaced(they want african themed animals for one instance). Did a little looking about on Wiki, Shutterstock and the general google images and got a nice handful of reference. Also am looking into (urg) angels (the funny thing I have found on angels is that they are beautifully portrayed by my faves in the Sienese School and also by the Victorian (in cemetary monunments) and the Mormons (with the big and fabulous Angel Moroni). All other angels are either new age-y, manga or otherwise pretty trashy. The struggle begins....trashy but they sell...trashy but it pays. Dilemna surfaces. Also looking into nautical knots, elves, and the ever favorite Partridge in the damn pear tree. If you wiki Partridge, can you guess what comes up first....? You guessed it. The Partridge Family...who in my book really is better left unspoken about.

We were at the Pourhouse listening to Jim Reidy and his pals (UpSouth) play--and while Rob visited all sorts of people, your friend, the pill sat and drew this. I had a wonderful time. I hope Rob did.

a beauty


isnt this a beauty. Love the color, love the shadows....feels fresh. Designed by an artist named Bland. Somehow the name doesnt suit. I am searching posters online, so you may become a recient of this. Feeling a bit stale...

The Sultan's Elephant

I was surfing around on the web and went to the sketch crawl site (to the right) and then went to Ronnie Del Carmen site. He posted a bit on the Sultan's Elephant and away I went to learn more. The Sultan's Elephant is a presentation on a grand scale that was recently (early May) given over the course of two days in London...and it is travelling to Antwerp, Belgium in early July. It was presented by Artichoke, a company that believes art should be on the street...in collaboration with the french acting and production company, Royal de Luxe...(brilliant street theatre group!). The story is essentially one of a little girl that comes to earth in a spaceship and intereacts with an elephant and actors--all on a huge scale. The pictures tell the story. Flickr has some unbelievable images. The music is available on itunes (UK) and def worth hearing. I tell you, it is worth thinking about collecting all the dresser change you have to go see this in July. Inspiring that cool stuff like this happens because it can. Forget funding wars. Fund joy.