rain, finally


The mist is rising off the lake after a nice, long downpour that was promised, and we were fearful would not be delivered upon. Had a trip up to SUNY Brockport to cast our eyes on the campus to see what it looked like and how it would work for K and the NYSSSA program she has been accepted into. It seems very nice within the context of the SUNY campuses...and a big building for the arts right on the canal. Bicycle might be in order. We also, enroute, visited the Apple store in Rochester and fooled around with all the cool offerings. I foresee a nice big monitor coming my way as it is so nice and sharp and bright that these old eyes might benefit from the out of focus LaCie monitor I have been operating with for the past 4 years...and was purchased because it was cheap etc. Time to move a little on up. Route 20 was beautiful with amish farms and farmers, the produce markets and wonderful old trees that point towards the cobblestone farms and farm surrounds. The cobble buildings are exclusive to that area as the stones were salvaged from the diggging of the canal system that went "....from All-ban-ee to-o Buff-al-ooooooo" with the Erie being the big one and all the feeder canals going as far south as the Chemung Canal going into Elmira through the small towns like Montour Falls where the architecture and buildings pointed to the commerce these canals produced. Even here in Sheldrake, there were canals off Cayuga Lake taking boats and provisions off to storehouses off the lake. What an amazing time that must have been.

We had lunch at Connie's in Waterloo, self-described as the place Memorial Day was invented. There were lots of old cars parked down the street with lots of promise for a bang-up Memorial Day parade--but we fortunately, missed it.

Tomorrow, K plays in the Memorial Day parade and my hope is a little more weed pulling and some relaxing...maybe. I have been doing a lot of thinking about illustration and how to structure it against my design work or with it...with some interesting results. As soon as it is cooked, I'll give you a peek.

tooling around

Trip to the Ithaca Farmers Market was a nice way intro to summer. Tons of plants for sale, lilac bushes, basil and herbs and all sorts of perennials and annuals. Big tubs of hosta and tiny containers of exotic mints. Art galore. Samosas and our new fave, the woodfired pizza and foccacia. Lovely baked goods. Macro Mama with the beaming Amy Glicklich serving up trays of peanut lime noodles to those waiting in line for that wonderfulness. Silk Oak was there with a new line of cute stuff for the summer including an inspired "Ithaca" graphic of a cabbage and ear of corn.They have a nice and inspiring crow on shirts etc. Makes a certain illustrator you all know think about doing a 3 color crow for shirts or whatever to be screenprinted. Or something else along that line. Gimme! is there. And the big news is that the Ithaca Trail now has a trailhead with benches and brick etc all polished and finished to integrate the Farmer's Market in with all the other fun that comprises the trail.

Then, off of Greenstar to see if we could get the missing ingredients for the promised whoopie pies as a form of treasure hunt and a way to avoid Wegmans during a busy Cornell graduation weekend. And yes, we did find Marshmallow Fluff*!(albeit made from a rice based sugar) along with other delicious things such as fiddlehead ferns (for dinner tonight) and leeks, and cocoa powder and nice salad dressing. Another off the beaten track shopping spree. As R. says, definitely all line of sight...and tons of local groceries which we all must support. Less carbon and feeing funds back into the local community. Its all good.

Whoopie pies in the oven. Enormous gauging by the recipe. Lilacs and wisteria out. Did some remedial weed pulling and small tree cutting this morning to make room for the plants I actually want..not the ones that have decided to take over. The hosta are gorgous...and there were some splits and replants too.

Gotta go.

*Director's note: The rice fluff isnt the same. Runnier and beige (imagine!)--so the icing was runny...but nothing that a half a block of cream cheese didn't remedy. Not all fluff is the same...no matter how vegan it is. However, the fiddleheads sauteed in olive oil and garlic transports one to the gates of paradise. A taste of spring like asparagus and strawberries.

The Honorable Director of Art, Dibbles and Terrabits


I am a horrified and a little bit awed that I have, over the course of a year, maxed out a 500GB LaCie ancillary hard drive. Maxed! I have been wildly smooshing files, getting rid of dupes, and compressing the finished work to still be operating on digital fumes. So, in the spirit of progress (I guess, I am trying to not shrink) I have ordered TWO single terrabit hard drives to do as one of my digital mentors does. Operate out of one, use the other to back it up, and then take the other and put it in a safety deposit box...and swap out weekly. A bit of discipline, but after the partridge in the pear tree of storage...from syquests > diskettes > zip drives > jazz drives > tape backup > to the hard drive solution (which has been supplemental throughout this whole process) I am sorely tired of the changing solutions and none o them really working. I have stacks of DVDs I have burned to back up with in addition to backing up to the LaCie...with Apples Backup software...and to be honest, if I had to restore my work...it would be close to impossible. We need a better solution...and to be honest, I would pay anything for something that was simple, direct and failsafe. I want the corporate IT department where its pretty much "fiddle dee dee--I trust corporate IT" versus the byte monkey I sometimes have to be. I wish I could back up to the web using the celebrated Carbonitebut they do not dig the MacNation. Poop. We will see. But for now, I pin my new acolade on my beribboned front for honorary events (like the Memorial Day parade?) here in Rongovia...proclaiming my place in Terrabitdom.

Update on Picture Salon

Love. Total love. Got the big sample print back. Perfect! Packaged well and respectfully. Spoke to one of the owners on the phone--very smart, knowledgable about giclees and the world they live in. She gave me a very succinct analysis on how giclees and electronic files are made into editions to my delight (I think I told you about that)--but the product is perfect. Uploaded 7 more images for the thesis Body of Work today and should see them in a week or so. Give em a holler. They are great.

Now, everyone cross their fingers. This is BIG wine weekend. We want to send the positive mojo to our pals at Juicebox Wine company and their wonderful (and wonderfully packaged!!) wines. Lets hope that everyone is swept off their feet with the offerings and their thoughts float to frosty glasses of nonwoody chardonnay and a crisp, sauvignon blanc, or a light and tasty white bordeaux. We need to really start our year with the launch of summer.

Skol and cin cin!

Gotta go.

bright day


You know that summer is coming with the bags of Cornell chicken in the fridge...and all the music concerts on the horizon, applications in the mail for this camp or that session. Tonight, big 2300˚/LPGA gig at the Corning Museum of Glass. Worth the trip...that's the tip. Beat the Donkey is the lead band with a bunch of local bands too. Local food and wine tasting. Hot Glass, high energy and fun is promised (and will be available). Still working on the dachshund and need to finalize soon for the animal client. Should be cute with a bow around it's midsection. Struggling a little with the highlights...but it coming along. I just seem to be cutting away, cutting away and breaking up the big shapes. I like the way the feet and nails have been resolved...and his eyes are sweet. After sleeping a while on the other Christmas card...I think I am on to a few ideas.

Last night was the undergraduate awards for the HS. It was nice as it wasnt the parade of geniuses. They also recognized the person who drove and organized the Year Book, the person who worked like a devil in math despite her bad grades, etc. It was encouraging as the spectrum was recognized and praised. It was hot and the sports boosters were selling fans with school graphics on them for fanning oneself. Last year's music concert featured 3 kids under the hot lights fainting and falling off the stage. Yay for the fans. One could say I am a fan about fans.

Client meeting in another 20 minutes. Coffee is brewing. Lawn is cut. Poor E. is not feeling well...and going to take some time to rest. Will knock a few down today.

More later, I know it.

Nice mention

FreeRange was received well at the Nantucket Wine Festival>>
From Wine Festival draws those seeking adventure from the Cape Cod Times:

Besides the superb pinot noirs, other wines showcased were all generally terrific. This is "the golden age of wine", claim winemakers. The overall quality of wine in the market these days is exceptional and there were certainly no clunkers at the festival, although few good bargain wines. At the grand tasting, which featured 150 wineries, most wines retailed for $18 to $20, with some in the $35 to $50 range.

Ironically, there was one surprise. It was an unlikely selection at a wine festival of this caliber where wines hail from century-old rootstocks and some of the world's greatest wine producing regions.

It was wine in a box.

Yes, six refreshing types, including chardonnay, merlot and sauvignon blanc blended by a French oenologist. The wines, called FREERANGE, are cleverly presented in different crayon-colored boxes. It's not wine to applaud but neither to sneer at. In fact, their Red Bordeaux made the top 100 list of affordable Bordeaux wines, a list compiled by the Bordeaux Wine Bureau.

Yay! It is getting some steam!

Getting it together


Gotta start thinking about the weekend. It is, after all, Memorial Day, the kick off to summer time and--as usual, I am clueless about all of this. Some year, I will have this whole thing figured out, pencilled in, planned to the enth degree, and life will be beautiful. My guess is that I will have that nailed just as the people I need to plan for graduate from college. Do you think I could rent my skills to the parent of say, a first grader so they could benefit from me getting my sh*t in gear? So. The chatter at the baseball field was what to eat for Memorial Day. Our new friend Toni was extolling the deliciousness of Whoopie Pies>>which was causing my giant son to salivate and begin to beg. I know we are in trouble when they begin to beg--so I guess a double order of whoopie pies will be on the agenda for this weekend along with finishing the thesis so I can get on with my life in the world of illustration. Cornell chicken? Dreams of fresh green beans, tomatoes and summer squash? Basil by the bagful! Fresh iced tea in the sunlight with the fan blowing.

On the drawing board today, specimen bags for Quest Diagnostics. Team design, team decisionmaking--the challenge is>> can it look good? We will see. The animal book is finally at press, and we should be printing mid next week! We will see chromlins tomorrow with bluelines....and away we go. Designed a cutesy envelope for them that should garner some funds just in the sheer cuteness of it.

I have the Christmas card projects back that I need to focus on. It is all too much. Maybe old man Matisse will need to design some cards? What do you think? We could keep it secular with a Miami Beach palette? I need to get really caffeinated to get going on this as it is such a wringer to get a design through the process as the criteria about what means holiday shifts as the designs are circulated throughout the company. As much as I gripe about it,this is a big challenge and they always need to pick a card. It is just the process--which I wish was more intuitive--is sometimes circuitous.

I was thinking about how to describe my current pictures (outside the line work) and they really have evolved to being portraits...flower portraits, bird portraits, dog portraits, ladies in burkas portraits. They are quiet and focused. They are pared down. They are studies? or are they? More to ponder.

The photo is the last of the very fragrant daffodil mix and the first of the lilacs.

The bad tenants

Called the Picture Salon folks earlier today to very, very positive results. I spoke to Barbara, the lead manager there at length about billing, process, shipping and the way they do business. Was intrigued to find out they do work (the giclees that are stretched versions of works they have in their collections) for the Art Institute of Chicago for their store and catalog sales. We had a good talk about working with museums, the opportunities and demands of filling catalog orders etc. Then, thinking on my feet, I asked Barbara if she knew anything about giclees and the whole edition thing which she waxed quiet expertly on how a variety of folks identify giclees in the digital world from the omni-present and omni-rich Thomas Kincaide to "just folks" (with integrity--my bias, not hers). Fascinating. Would like to find out more before I blab on about it with you all.

I have a feeling with the care and schmartz our friends at Picture Salon have about the work, I may be uploading my thesis with them (and they will keep the files should I need reprints!!). It all seems a little too easy. I am looking for the catch. We will see. Lets reconfirm: easy and smart (check), can do my sizes with ease and at a fab price(check), like illustrators and photographers= used to high picky factor (check), will store my files for later(check)-- Now all we have to see is the actual print and we are rollin'.

Daffodils still coming on. Allium on the verge of popping. Lilacs still tight. Atnd the blowout we call hosta are jynormous right now even in their nascent spring state. I could split many of them 3 times over and have gigantic plants. So, perhaps a little switching around of the nursery might happen this weekend before the walnut trees bud--and the dynamic of the "no deer" beds change. Starlilngs and squirrels attacking the bird feeders. Fighting and quarreling groundhogs woke me up last night having a couples spat. They live under the front porch and from time to time reminded me who is the real tenent (I am). They have chased me down the walk with their frighteningly big nails and their skittering ways. Ugly sound to wake to. Even uglier as it switched that funny little switch that caused me to want to solve the worlds problems all by my lonesome. Its a tiresome place..to be. Damned chattering rodents! I think another dose of polluted cat litter down their stinkin' holes might remind them who is paying the bills! They are not good tenants.

The picture above are of the groundhogs that fight in front of our house. No...not really, they are courtesy of Minckler at Flickr. My art director mentioned that I should do a picture of the quibbling groundhogs, and in search of some reference, I found this perfect image. They are from a castle in Japan where the japanese have trained and dressed these beasts for the entertainment of their guests. Minckler poses the question about what the two of them are talking about. My guess, she is reminding him that he is wrong...just like they were last night.

News from the Academy of Fine Arts


The Rongovian Academy of Fine Arts is delighted to be part of the Delightful Blogs directory under the Art designation. Delightful Blogs is a fun, edited site filled with all sorts of fun blogs that one might never bang into--but would love it if you did. I saw some cool retail links yesterday and a nice blog put out by a husband and wife team, The Wiebners--and their travels and photos for weddings, families etc. Their work is clean and happy...maybe a little too happy for this art director, but the folks that hire them must be absolutely delighted with the work they get. If K was getting married, I would def. call them. The Academy values all work. The shopping sites look like a fun time during some down time.

Working away on work. Updates to come on FreeRange and their "world tour">>
More later>>

Armin Hofmann




I have been cruising some vintage poster sites to find the right example of a point I want to make and buzzed through these wonderful Armin Hofmann posters. Don't you love the type (I think it is hand lettering)-- and the bold images? I do. Very period. very swiss. But, love it.

And before I forget it...I havent extolled my favorite of all favorite digital art suppply folks...Digital Art Supply>>. These guys are great. They have a wide range of papers (I like their "brand" of Epson Enhanced Matte called DAS matte paper). They have great prices on the big Epson (220 ml) cartridges...so good that even though it smarts when you do it...it is still possible to keep a set in the closet while you are working off a set). They offer courses, technical help beyond the terrific product they are offer. I am testing a little roll (5") of a cranes paper which cost around $13. for a little test balloon.
Love these guys. Give em a holler.

Meet our new Minister!


We now have a Minister of Thread! Hilary Gifford, the celebrated fiber artist and all round big thinker has been appointed to represent the Royal Court of Rongovia as it's Minister of Free Flowing Thread! Our new minister has established her offices in the newly formed "Upstairs Artists" Space on Main Street across from the Rongovian Embassy so she will have access to the Ambassador and all the Rongovian notables as they visit our small hamlet. Minister Gifford makes wonderful things. See her work here>> Hilary and her partner, Ben, have rennovated the upstairs space above Holton Pharmacy to be studios and a gallery with a wide diversity of work and media. There is even a person creating natural cosmetics etc. They offer some great courses and will be a significant addition to our little plateau. Downstairs is being renovated into two nice shops--one being a used bookstore and the other an optometrist. More to stay home for!

Onward!

Thesis back to the mat. Scrapped 80% of it and back at it with a vengance. Nixed about 1/2 of the reference materials...and found out how we need to label and describe each image from our fearless leader (with a sharp stick poking him to get some understanding).Feel like I might be onto it. A note to all students, graduate, undergraduate and otherwise...It IS your job to ask all the questions. If you don't, you won't get the answers and therefore somehow, you will do the work in the wrong format, with the wrong direction etc. Teachers are notorious for not being specific. I guess, that is why they are so hallowed...as they are inscrutable or pre-alzheimers. Or both. Never giving. Only giving if poked hard. So, fellow students...start poking.The sooner this is done, the sooner I can make more pictures. I have a zillion birds and dogs and a budgie in the works..Was a dreary day on the lake. Saw a huge, great blue heron taking in the sights --and then lift off...they are so primoridal. Can't there be a link from the pterodactyl to the great blue heron? If the scientists can't do it...maybe we can create a little "six degrees of separation" diagram??

The daffodils have all gone. The peonies promise. The apple trees are fully in bloom. Shady was "playing" with a baby rabbit until K. had to separate them. Our six bird feeders were emptied in one week. Those damned birds are going to send me to the poorhouse....particularly a chubby grackle...and bluejay.

Sunny Saturday


The Rongovian Pound is beginning to fill up. Have been working on this poochie (to have a mistletoe ball when finished--(a xmas card for my doggie client) and I did something new today...(another duh! moment). I made a print of the file and started to work with a ballpoint on top to work into the color to reduce the big splotches of color prior to picking up the wacom pen and impulsively going at it. You know, plan your work, work your plan. Duh!

Beautiful day today. Coach Nick has the travel team out in the sunshine. We had 3 13 yr. old guys here flipping skateboards and making a racket early this a.m. They are gone after vaccum cleaning the cupboards.

The groundhogs are not happy as we have inaugurated the pour the litter box down the holes program to see if that drives them away. It would, me.

Nice Pie!

go here>>

"One of the Italian professors took care of ordering all the pizzas and one-by-one they came to our table. First to arrive was tomato, olive and feta, followed by sausage, ham, mushroom and mozzarella. Next came eggplant, ham, and mozzarella, then spinach, tomato and mozzarella, and finally a vegan pizza, which featured a number of vegetables and no cheese. I did my best to sample as many of the pizzas as I could and found that each had a unique flavor and was extremely delicious. It was as if we were no longer in dreary upstate New York, and instead had been transported across the ocean. I know New York Pizzeria is a bit far to go for a slice, especially with Collegetown Pizza right around the corner, but if you ever find yourself in Trumansburg or just want to go on a road trip, make the stop and try this pizza. You won’t be disappointed."

From "A Little Taste of Sicily in Our Background"
by Alissa Auerbach
May 3, 2007

The Lord of Beginnings


Ganesha, from Wikipedia is:
is one of the best-known and beloved representations of divinity in Hinduism.[1] Although he is known by many other attributes, Ganesha's elephant head makes him easy to identify.[2] Several texts relate mythological anecdotes associated with his birth and exploits, and explain his distinct iconography. Ganesha is worshipped as the lord of beginnings, the lord of obstacles (Vighnesha),[3] patron of arts and sciences, and the god of intellect and wisdom.[4] He is honoured with affection at the start of any ritual or ceremony and invoked as the "Patron of Letters" at the beginning of any writing.

I love this guy. Saw a wonderful book at Barnes and Noble that was exclusively about Ganesha and his myths and outcomes. He is very tangible and a friend. Its good to know that Ganesha is out there. Plus, who cannot adore this sort of art.

Duking it out


The thesis is on the mat. I've got 90% of the examples in place. This gathering and arranging surprisingly takes a ton of time. I've got 3 tables of marketing information/direction (much of it in implementation). And, if I actually spread the copy out the "right way" (that is, by the silver book of how to write everything--from a length standpoint, I am there. So, today is cutting time and writing time with a whisper and hope that I can get this out tomorrow via Fed Ex to John prior to his going on vacation. Once that is done, I can get to the business of filling up the pound with dogs. Dogs with butterflies, dogs catching stuff, dogs showing their teeth, dogs smiling. Should be a ton of fun between now and August. Maybe I will even complete the turkey and do the hooded merganser for cash (ie showing to Sheldrake Point and seeing if they want to sell some).

More later>>breakfast und kinder await.

Back again while the coffee brews...now where was I?

Oh. So, it's been fascinating to look at the resources I have referenced and the string of influences I have cruised through in the last 18 months or so to see where I have ended up. Pretty much a refined path from the New York City images I did with a crude portrait of Henry Hudson and some very simple pigeons to the place I am today. The needle has moved. And, upon looking at the "slash" work, it was good..but very simple and almost naive in it's approach. It might be interesting to do a few now to see if just in the making of any picture, this new maturity would pull through with that technique. Somehow, I think it would.

The day awaits. Driving to Hungerford Hill to take the Baker folks another round of corrections and off to the marine tailor to see how bad the damage would be to slipcover some cushions for the neighbor's patio. Some interesting wine opportunities for me to tell you about...but not for now.

Springing


I want to sing the praises of a new website/community called Illosaurus. This is how they describe themselves: illosaurus aims to offer the illustration community a single point of reference for all its business needs. The site encompasses a unique list of resources and recommendations aimed at the freelance professional artist: everything from useful tools for self-promotion and workflow through to advice on tax and copyright.

And, though they are new and growing-- it feels as if illosaurus will be a great resource for all of us who love illustration and the world that surrounds it from the profession to the cool stuff we get to buy to do our work. The illosauri are looking for links to resources you have used or know of in categories from art supplies to type and much more. Stop by, say hi and leave a little calling card or a resource.

I figure anything the great Ape (the ape leader of The Little Chimp Society) is involved in will have good energy and be a fun place to visit.

Good response to the work in progress with the dogs. Psyched. Maybe something will evolve. Two clients are already talking about Christmas cards. Imagine. More good news--the presskit we designed for the Corning Museum of Glass for their new summer show, Botanical Wonders: The Story of the Harvard Glass Flowers won a first place in the Press Kit category for the AAM (American Association of Museums). The pullout copy on the AAM site said:

"The folder has a texture and pattern repeated throught. They thought through the branding from the inserts to the CD lagel to the postioning of the business cards. It has simple but beautiful packaging. We thought they were real--not glass--flowers."

Whoa. To think they could be so nice. That presskit was a real toughy as there initially were not many pictures and a bunch of drawings the Blashka's did in preparation and design of the pieces before the lampworking began. So, with a hodge podge of stuff...we took a scan of an ratty old piece of paper and began to start layering, sihouetting and moving the pieces all around to get the general look. The idea to continue the show brand to the enclosed CD and print pieces was obvious. Its always an interesting process as the presskit needs to be designed at least six months before the show opens and the Museum team is pushing ideas around..but there is no single image to work with. The presskit is the kickstart to the visual clues we will be working with in the pubs etc.

More later>>

Mother's Day Blueberry Muffins


Okay. Okay !I've only given you one recipe before, that of the everwonderful Cornell Chicken as it is part of the local culture. Here is another local culture thing. We take baked goods to any event imaginable from bake sales to school plays, to civic meeting to great big feedings (NYSMMA last weekend we fed around 1500 kids!!jeez!). Here is a good one for the masses out there and for the home team close by.

Blueberry Muffins
Makes 6 gigantic ones (I often double or triple the recipe)

No stick vegetable spray for prepping pan
2 large eggs at room temperature
1/2 c. plus 2 Tbsps milk
1/4 cup melted unsalted butter or canola oil
2 cups unsifted all purpose flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 fresh blueberries (picked over, rinsed and blotted dry) or whole, frozen unthawed berries( I use teeny,weeny frozen or even wild, canned berries)
1 Tbsp finely grated lemon peel

topping
Granulated sugar

Position rack in the center of the oven and preheat it to 400˚F. Coat the muffin cups with cooking spray or shortening.

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk and melted butter (or canola oil). Place a sifter or sieve over the bowl and measure the flower, baking power, salt and sugar. Stir/sift the dry ingredients onto the wet. Stir just to blend; don't overbeat. Gently fold in the berries and grated lemon peel.

Divide the baatter among the muffin cups, filling nearly full. Generously sprinkle granulated sugar over the top. Bake 20-25 minutes (in the case of the monster muffins--35 minutes), until the muffins rise and are golden brown on top, a cake tester inserted in te center should come out clean. Cool muffins on a wire rack. Serve warm.

Summer is coming and so are the berries!

Let's turn it on it's ear


I love that phrase. So wierd. What does "turning something on it's ear" come from? What took it from an eccentric phrase to something eeeeeeveryone uses without context etc.

Let's turn Mother's Day on it's ear. Make the moms lay some guilt or thank their kids for letting them be mothers.

Here's a card. Imagine a robust mom with grey meat hair (the frightening perms that make your hair look like the swirly ground round you can see in trays at the butcher counter at your grocery store...in our case, Wegmans or the Tburg Shur Save). This mom with the hair has some poor Dennis the Menace kid smothered in her chest. The poem might read:

The Pill, Hysterectomies and in Vitro Fertilization,
I am sure glad you are my self- realization!

Thanks for letting me be your mom.

Think of the poems with smothering, hovering etc. Or the ever popular ditties on driving carpools or waiting up late for the phone to ring. The favorites around nagging and "you wouldnt be passing English if it weren't for me". Or the old song around picking up, laundry and the world of "your room". Imagine the possibilities.

----
Enough of this silliness. Worked on the marketing of the thesis work...all in a Microsoft table which in 10 pt. takes up a full page plus...and I am not done. But closing in on all fronts.
___
I am celebrating Mother's day working on my thesis and made some pretty photoshooty blueberry muffins as a quiet way to say that I am glad I am K and A's mom. They, of course, will not get it. But, because of them, I am a pretty good bake sale queen. Who would have thunk?