Columbus Day


R. thought that today was a certified day off. His assistant called about something and he curiously asked why she was there...no day off. Whoops! The cranky slob I call my boss (aka me) didn't give us the time off.

We have spent the past few days working on the moving of our house renters, the sorting and moving of my office and the prep for Ithaca Art Trail. I have been picking though all the excess prints that I have, the random picture frames I have lying around, and the cards and miscellany I want to sell...and in the tradition of Estee Lauder, creating little collections and stories to frame groupings of this work around. I am anxious to get my lulu book as I want to see the proof prior to selling. Its been less than a week but its hard to wait. It would be a nice thing to offer. I had my sketchbook at the Pourhouse and the proprietress whisked it off to look at the work. I was flattered. And others who saw the work wanted more than one copy of the Lulu book to give for xmas etc. Imagine?! Independant publishing could yield a little turn in profits?

The State of the Art Gallery review show of the Artists on the Art Trail was very positive. A person called asking if I did freelance work? Would I consider a portrait of their pet...? and then they went about telling me all the things they like about my boston terrier image I posted for the show. Hum.... This is the second time. As Long as I own the image, I might be able to do it affordably...and part of the bigger body of dogs for the possible dog cookbook etc. All good.

Did a very quick job for Steuben. My pal needed a little ground for a piece he was working on...bringing me a tremendously high bar to match or be inspired by, the ever wonderful Rockwell Kent. Man. Can that guy work in black and white. He totally owns it. And his grounds and textures!! It would take decades to get close. I plan on scanning some images just for reference to even trace just to learn what he was doing. As I learned in the time spent with the MA, tracing is legit, honest and okay to do. Bring it on. And with this Steuben job, a few hours will yield money in the bank of goodwill, and a little in the bank proper to pay for the 5 Montval all media Field sketchbooks whisking their way here to the Academy.

It has been summer here. The grass is lush, the leaves finally turning. We haven't had a frost yet. Pumpkins are plentiful and cheap. Need to buy a load for the Wonderbus to put on the front steps of the Academy to jazz things up for the trail.

More later>>

Extolling my tools


As you all know, when it comes to art supplies I can get a little crazy. When I love something, I really love it--and make these mini proclamations to myself such as " I will use these tools until I die", or " I wil never change from these tools". These are always idle threats because (as I always forget) there is something better or different on the horizon, or (god forbid), I change. I was just declaring true love to the new group of tools and thought I should be a little more out about my love and devotion to the current infatuation.

First off, the Pentel Pocket Brush Pen. I bought my first one as a whim at Cornelissen & Son (in London>>see to the right for link). Cornelissen is reason to go to London. It is a panelled store, all painted in a great matte black, with turnings and shelves and niches filled with predominantly things to paint with and/or do book binding with. Pharmacopia type jars line the room at the top of the casework filled with pigments--and the complete spectrum in every color, hue and saturation is there. I had to buy something...and this little pen seemed the ticket. First, it was not too expensive. Second, it was a portable brush. Third, it has and uses cartridges. I worked with it in my moleskines and it was a nice think to block in blacks. However the minute I started working with my second infatuation, the world stopped. I gasped. It was perfect. Nice matte blacks. Solids like you wouldnt believe and oh, no doing it a second time. Now, I burn through at least a cartridge a day and have 2 brush pens in my Captain Kangaroo pockets ready to go. Only place to get these brushes and cartridges is through "Wet Paint" (http://www.wetpaintart.com". All you need is a credit card and you will be blissful too.

Second infatuation: the Canson Montval Field All Media Book. Utrecht (one of the few who carry it) says:

"This Canson montval all-media book is bound with extra-wide rings so the pages lie flat. This black hard-cover sketchbook contains all-purpose 90 lb sized, cold Presseded, acid-free paper. 50 sheets.

An Excellent surface for watercolor, pencil, pen and charcoal."

Its the cold press...see. Terrific hand. Rich. Not too bumpy. And it takes the ink like no ones business. Plus as it is 90 lb paper, you can torture it with pencil and eraser forever. Only downside is not to torture the ink with an eraser too much (just a little, and only a white one) as the ink will muddy and or erase off (which can be good). It is so nice, doing work on the backside of the paper is not a problem. Only problem might be that you do something good on both sides and then you want to frame each one. So, new strategy is to work on the front with images, back with stuff having to do with patterns, frames, borders, typography as they are okay to have on the back of something...as you might not frame that stuff.

The thin Shaedler pens or the thin Pitt Pens have great longeviety and complement this set. I also love the Pilot V-5 (a staple from Staples or your corner mongo-pharmacy--as its pretty commonplace).

This is the stuff that is making me hum these days.

IF: Open (to Grow)


More from the Memento Mori work. Open to grow. From the dormant comes growth and harvest and then back to dormant or dead. This life cycle is part of our seasons, our lives and the world we inhabit. It is something we cannot change. To that, we need to be open to grow and change, to live and then finally die in order to be fully complete.

No legs?


Finalized with Lulu. Definitely have some questions regarding bleed and formatting--as I am submitting files with all pictures, crossovers, bleeds...all the things that nice book folks flee from. Need to contact them today to get some clarity before the second tome begins. Have a mess of new images in the canson book--more realistic skulls (a bit more going on than the abbreviated, tombstone inspired skulls). Funny thing--I was talking to R. about the "legs" that this project might have...my projecting in my typical positive (not!) manner, proclaiming where in the world would this stuff land? And low and behold, I got an email from a former client who may need some decoration/illustration for some products that may go to the funerary industry. I asked if he knew about my new entertainment and illustration subject...and he didn't. A co-inky-dink (as K sez!). Funny when you don't think something has any place, it does?!

Beautiful and warm here. Poor Shady Grove is at the vets all day--as she is in the surgical line-up to get her cast changed. What a look she gave me prior to being sadly led away by the vet. Nearly broke my heart.We should see her around 3 this afternoon.

Tomorrow is a day off for the kinder...a tag into the Columbus day weekend. Hopefully, it will be quiet. Going down to Cornell for a meeting first thing. Friends from out of state dropping by on Sunday with their teens in hand. We haven't seen these guys since our kids were in training shoes. And now, we all have kids with adult teeth, adult shoes and hormones. Need to think about the quantities of food that will be needed.

May have some work with Steuben--I think illustration stuff. Will be having a casual meeting with them today.

More later>>

Glorious Bones


Yesterday, I crossed the threshold and turned fifty. It was a peaceful day...and perfect to my thinking with cards made by the home team, some funny and useful presents and not a big deal. Phew! That is exactly what I wanted. Onward with the next half century. Onward with the visual midlife crisis.

R.gave me two ceramic rabbits painted in blue with slightly different patterns and solids. Each rabbit was the same form with hand painted, almost majolica style painting (all the same blue). They are great...and R's idea is that I get some plates (when things have evolved) and I do some hand painting on the mommy style "paint your own" style china...creating some plates (I am thinking platters) that use the Memento Mori imagery as the starting place. Picasso did a ton of this...why not me? Mommy Mori?

Today is day one of the next Memento Mori book. I closed out the illustrations and are in the process of tweaking the layout and copy--and hope to finish it up with that today.

More later>>

New Career: Spiritualist?


We were talking this morning about my first gleanings on the spiritualist world. I have done a little work and reading on
--but the new discovery, The Temple of Truth (unbelievable name, isn't it) makes me quake. Lilydale is a little community near the Chautauqua Institution in way Western New York, known for it's spiritualist community...and spiritual hotspots that mediums use to have easier access to those they communicate with. The hotels, to date, warn that seances are inappropriate and forbidden in the lobbies. Here's what they say about themselves (http://www.lilydaleassembly.com):

Since it was established in 1879, Lily Dale has been the world's largest center for spiritual development and the practice of the Spiritualist religion. For nearly 130 years, Lily Dale has offered a world-renowned summer program of lectures, workshops and other activities featuring best-selling authors, leaders in academic and scientific research into psychic phenomena, as well as the world's most powerful mediums, teachers and healers. Lily Dale is widely known as a place where knowledge and enlightenment converge in ways that deepen faith and heighten awareness. The energy of the universal life force can be felt, experienced and developed here in this serene 19th century lakeside community surrounded by towering, old-growth forest.

The heart of the Lily Dale year is our summer season, from late June through the first Sunday in September, when tens of thousands of visitors attend the wide array of programs offered on the grounds. A full schedule of workshops and seminars is highlighted by special events featuring some of the leading names in spirituality. Daily and weekly activities, mediumship demonstrations, healing services, evening entertainment, and a variety of attractions throughout the grounds will make your visit to Lily Dale uplifting and renewing. Accommodations at either of our historic hotels, campgrounds, or in one of several private guest homes make taking in all that Lily Dale has to offer relaxing and even more enjoyable.

But your spiritual journey needn't end with the summer season. There are an increasing number of opportunities offered off season in Lily Dale through the Church of the Living Spirit and the Lily Dale Spiritualist Church, as well as through the growing network of Spiritualist churches, schools and camps throughout the United States and Canada.
____

On spiritual healing at Lily Dale, From Abundance Magazine, the writer,Mindy Sommers recounts their experience at the "Inspiration Stump":

Inspiration Stump, one of Lily Dale's most famous landmarks, is where registered mediums (and nervous mediums-in-training) "give back to spirit" by offering free readings to those visitors assembled. Inspiration Stump is actually a huge tree stump in the middle of a dense forest at the end of a long and narrow footpath. After you walk for about a quarter mile, the forest opens up to a clearing where there are dozens of benches assembled, facing the five or six foot wide stump. Medium after medium stands or paces in front of the stump, getting impressions from those assembled, and when one is to receive a message, they will say, "May I speak to you?" or "Can spirit speak with you?" Most of the mediums are female, but the one who embarrassed my husband out of his private reverie was male. "Sir, may spirit speak with you?" We were sitting all the way in the back, and Glen was jerked out of his daydreaming but managed to answer "yes" in a strong voice. For some reason, everybody turned to look at him, which was unusual. The medium's staccato bursts of information were unusual, too. His rhythm had changed. He spoke louder and more strongly, and was more specific with Glen than he had been with the others he had read. It came like machine-gun fire. "A death of someone from your past is near, you will be asked to speak at his funeral." Bang. "You are a preacher, or could have been one if you chose, and you have a preacher in your family." Bang. "You are a landlord." Bang. "You will go to Fort Lauderdale." Bang. Glen's father was a preacher. We have rented an apartment in our home. I can't vouch for the other stuff, not yet anyway. But the man's change in tone and force struck us both, as did his specific references. Glen, who usually walks around with a slightly cynical smile, was shaken a bit.


a sample of automatic writing the caption reading "Copy of original automatic writing from Jesus
THE ONLY PRAYER THAT IS NECESSARY"

So in the spirit of Memento Mori, automatic writing and the thinking around remembering death, remembering our mortality...I think this sidebar into spiritualism might be a nice rich add to this mix as it is dealing with death in an interesting way--as the mediums are the thin scrim between those living and those on the spiritual plane--acting as the voice and hands of those that have passed on. And, to that, reinterpreting death to those that believe, proving in a way, that life continues beyond the grave, giving comfort and better health to the living. Also, to my labyrinthine thinking, the link to the NYState burn out zone amazingness, that time of spiritual fervor, consciousness of individuals, and the emergent religions and cults stemming from eccentric and amazing personalities that lead people to follow and believe. Lets recall Joseph Smith and his magic seer stone (the stone he placed in a hat with some of the golden plates within which he placed his face to read the plates); The fervor of Susan B Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Fredrick Douglas; the sacred passions of Mr Humphries and the Oneida Community; of course, the Fox Sisters and the establishment of commerce, growth and expansionism with the construction of the Erie Canal and all the smaller connecting canals and lakes that made this wilderness accessible to all creating a link to the sea via the Hudson River. Remember, Samuel Clemens spent summers here, and the world came to Trumansburg and Sheldrake for their health and rest on boats and trains...bringing culture to the locals.I havent really overlapped the dates, by to my thinking, this truly was an amazing time. Rich and wierd.

The shakers were inspired by the rapping that the Fox sisters translated--and participated in that. A group of Shakers established a community on Sodus Bay (outside of Rochester) in the 1820s--so they could have been influenced. According to the page www.spirithistory.com, there was a period of time that is termed " A Manifestation of Spirit presence" among the
Shakers from 1837-1847:

"Their visions never came from any active, religious thought, nor from any prayerful anxiety of the mind. Neither was it from any educational lessons by which pious teachers were [4] trying to make little angels of them before the proper time. Visions were not the order of the day any more than were the spirit rappings before the appearance of the Fox children.

The origin of spiritualism with this family was through the medium of obscure and simple rappings and were as foreign to the mind as were the visions among the children of the several Communities. The whole affair, of both parties, at first seemed very childish and hardly worth the serious attention of more mature age. But the intelligent taps that were heard by the little Fox girls have made themselves heard throughout the whole earth, and thousands of believers in spiritualism have been blest through this simple medium."

"...These little girls were moved with singular [57] operations, as shaking, dancing and whirling. Sometimes they were prostrated upon the floor and would remain in an unconscious state for several hours. At other times they would be conversing with unseen friends whom they frequently designated by name."

From these trances and spiritual manifestations came the inspiration for music (many of their hymns) and automatic drawings (think the wonderful tree of life illustration that is signature Shaker).

More links to the life beyond. As we think about remembering our death, should we be thinking (or at least illustrating regardless of what we think) about communicating with those beyond. Who-whee...

More later>>

Tully burger?


Is Tully the home of the local favorite, the Tully Burger? A Tully Burger is essentially a hamburger with lettuce, tomato, onion and cheese--a dressed burger as the New Yorkers say. We will never know...but the Tully Invitational Race was exciting...blue skies, low humidity, good loud music, and tons and tons of running kids. A. came in 10th and got a golden teeshirt and a pink ribbon. Once again. Not top 5 but for the first season and his third week into it...not too bad. Form looked good. Attitude was good. The girls are all over him. Do you think he might think this is a good thing. It's the teenage version of a cocktail party--where they all mingle, eat, chat and mix it up. I think it is actually on par or could be better than the socializing and party that the ski bus and skiing provides. Either way...who thought you could have so much fun with a sport and have cute girls cheering you on and hanging on you every broken sentence. Let the good times keep coming.

The Tully-ites were wonderful selling really good pizza to the kids, and had a huge, farm style crate on piece of wood to keep it off the ground for everyone to help themselves to the local specialty of the week, macintosh apples...all cold,crisp and wet...We each had one to our delight. Heaven. The school was beautiful with a brand new everything from greenhouse and track to the lineup of perfect schoolbuses K exclaimed over.

The drive over was okay..but the drive back was filled with all sorts of fun. First, outside of Homer NY is a wonderful barbeque call Bobs. It's an open air operation offering pulled pork, barbequed brisket or the NYS classic, halfs and whole chickens. No fried food. Just a good slaw, some beans (I don't get it), salt potatoes (another local favorite) with a load of pie offerings (sweet potatoe, raspberry, blueberry, fresh peach, and the "creams" (you can guess)). We sat outside at picnic tables and took in the perfection of the mowed grass, the mulched to the nines trees and these engineered plantings. It was the best of Central New York. It is a must! They close at the end of October and open in May...so make your plans soon or pencil it in for next spring...Worth it if you are in the area.

Then, on through Homer, which was beautiful with a wonderful Main Street with truly perfect and magnificent houses with the best of the lot being over the top Victorians that have been maintained and restored to perfection. Then on to Cortland and a drive through SUNY Cortland which is a very pretty campus on top of a hill...Everything seemed very spit and polish, very maintained and clean. Seemed very, very, nice. Put SUNY Cortland on the college list (either to pursue for teaching or sending kids as an option).

We then went on to discover a place that somehow exists near a black hole. Freeville, NY or if K. had her way with the naming, it would be Free(k)ville. R. claimed it was a trip to recognize an early birthday. Whatever it was, it was wonderfully wierd. Once you near the town of Freeville, the fields get very tidy and maintained. Lots of horses. Beautiful buildings, old--but with good paint on them etc. with worlds on them like "Massachusetts" or "Cabinet Shop" and you are in the world of the George Junior Republic. Impressive facilities and scale. Money is being poured into it. In the spirit of the former millenium, read a bit of what George Junior is all about>>. It emerges and one is submerged in an almost antique feeling of community and then, you turn the corner and its vanished. But wait, there's more. Around the Corner was a stark, handlettered sign announcing another millenial community, the Temple of Truth, a spiritualist and healing community. I will put images up tomorrow just to show you what's what. It is very odd--lots of small single room, wooden structures clustered together with an odd fountain constructed of brick with an afro spray of water. There was an old 1970s style, brown bus shelter in the middle, off the single lane road that had signs designating qualified/certified healers and spirituals as the only pros that could practice on the grounds. There is a tiny building designated as the gift shop and another tiny building for rest rooms. K. likened the whole feeling and look of the place to a movie she saw on nudist colonies. Succinct. That's our girl. I am imagining a Sunday at 11:30 in the summer with the tiny church filled with seeing and healing, the gift shop rockin and people sitting on the linear benches not looking at each other, but out at the passing parade. Wierd city.. or do I just need to say Free(k)ville? Need to learn more.

One blog entry on Freeville:
There are several communities of Spiritualist mediums in the US. In NY (where I am from) there are two of them, Freeville and Lily Dale. (These are small communities...Freeville is 2 blocks long and 2 blocks wide, with maybe 20 houses, Lily Dale is 8 blocks long and 4 blocks wide with maybe 200 houses.) There are about a dozen mediums who live in Freeville and about 3 dozen in Lily Dale. In addition, there are hundreds of other working mediums who are spread out from one end of NY to the other. Most bigger cities have one or more Spiritualist churches (Buffalo, NYC, Rochester, Syracuse). I know that there are similar set ups in Ohio and Florida. (from beliefnet.com)

From the National Spiritualist Association of Churches the Temple of Truth is affiliated with--their description of what their mission/vision/values are:

NSAC …The object of this Society is to effect a complete organization of the Spiritualists of the United States of America into one general association … for the advancement of those purposes, undertakings and enterprises germane to the study of the phenomena, the promotion of the Science, and the promulgation of the Philosophy and Religion of Spiritualism.

Spiritualism is the Science, Philosophy, and Religion of continuous life, based upon the demonstrated fact of communication, by means of mediumship, with those who live in the Spirit World.

Spiritualism is founded upon a Declaration of Principles, nine in number, received from the Spirit World by means of mediumship. They provide a firm and tangible foundation on which to base the knowledge of Spiritualism.

Here is the history (abbreviated) by the NSAC (http://www.nsac.org/history.htm). Fascinating--that the Fox sisters were first.
Read on, dear readers. This is more "live from the burn-out zone"...

Then on the mundane:to Staples to buy stuff for the Ithaca Art Trail, and get Rob a haircut by the best barbers in Ithaca (Pesco in the Chinese Dollar Store Plaza, next to the Salvation Army Thrift Store).

We are back. I am sorting through the piles in my office to figure out what goes, what stays, what is stored, what is shelved. You get the idea. Working through the pile. Need to call Picture Salon to get some status on my cards. Holiday cards are all printed and boxed (thanks to the sleeves and boxes I got for this sort of thing from Clear Bag>>see list). Lulu book goes out early next week.

Rob put forth an amazing idea for the Betsy and Ted Lewin Book for UH next year. Need to incubate the idea...Its a winner.

Got my diploma in the mail yesterday from SU. I guess I done matriculated. And, it's finally paid for too!

I will upload the pix a little later!

(picture above is of the famous Fox sisters--downloaded from Wiki entry on spiritualism)..

IF: Melancholia: The Blue Demon


This was done during a weeklong project with the esteemed Gary Kelley, recipient of the Hamilton King Award for Illustration, wonderful inspiring man, inquisitive brain and all round terrific person from Iowa. Sigmund Freud was the first person to really put a name to that blue feeling that folks from Ancient Rome forward would talk about, but not capture as a true state. This illo is a portrait of Freud with one of those blue demons curled around his shoulders, speaking in his ear.

Printer antics


Got a handful of good alternatives for the holiday card out last evening. Fell back on a few calligraphic inspired images (which is a nice thing to have in the back pocket) that turned out nicely...Even a multi-lingual "Peace" layout which can be so predictable turned out to be fun...and look good. Got a nice new font, "Jupiter" with a bunch of different variations, small caps, and a few dozen nice ligature sets. So fiddling with that was nice too.

A. ran in another local race. Came in third. He is thrilled with his ability to place. I hope he doesnt push it too much and blow out his knees etc. He is growing so much...I worry. Maybe I should call the doctor and be worried with him...versus imposing on poor A. I am pushing calcium and protein--so we will see.

Working on frames and urns on Memento Mori. R. took a look at them and remarked they looked very Mary Blair. Not intentional...but a compliment nonetheless. The urns are beginning to look a little more finished and almost logo like. Do I want things to tighten up this much? or is that good? For me, its good as long as I manage it. I could put an image like this in front of a client when I need to do logotypes/ or symbols...and I would have never in recent past, presented a hand drawn image for a logo...only cranked up on the computer, totally finished and finalized. I might not have that need now.

The lulu book is going out early next week. I have also made up an 8 panel, accordian folded piece with some of the Memento Mori images that I am stuggling to have the silly epson switch to the roll paper (roll media). If it looks good...there might be some mileage in this format. Now, I need to press erase buttons, pat the top of the printer, turn it on and off, resave the piece and resend it. And then, curiously, it sometimes decides to behave. Urg.

More later

Midweek jazz


Churning on the whimsies of the holidays. Worried about getting off the blocks on this one...and somehow have jumped on the wheel and are getting someplace...phew! Working with the pentel and getting some nice scrubby lines...and going to put some stuff together with photoshop. Speaking of photoshop, I am psyched as I just ordered a new edition of Adobe CS3. Should be fun to see the new features especially in illustrator.

Am going to finish up on the first Memento Mori book this weekend. Am also thinking of doing some long output, and doing a few accordian paneled pieces to offer up for sale. I will have the complete book for sale as well. I have 3 cards that I will offer--all for the Art Trail. Am thinking of grouping all of the skull stuff from Syracuse and the complete Memento Mori (to date) in one space...kind of merchandising it all together. I will get my anatomic skull out and also offer a free postcard for taking.

Working on some borders and frames re MM. Also intrigued with the flipped image idea. Need to seriously design one prior to scaling up the sketch. Also, need more patterns (willow, basket, woven) to incorporate in the work. Need more cut shapes. Like whats happening with the urns. Was looking at a plaster mirror frame we have that is in black and old gold...very empire...could really work with this stuff.

I was thumbing through one of the many house magazines we had lying about and ran across a wonderful article on transferware (which I totally adore). There is a nice memento mori hook with this...and would be intrigued about taking a picture of some white china...and merging my illustrations with the shape...or applying illustration to it...as part of either the sketch process or part of the finalization. Let's think, china decoration, skateboards, tattoos, hooked rugs? The Memento Mori lifestyle? Must force orange, lime green and magenta into the designs...

More later.

Queen of Time


Inspired by the Queen of Hearts. New adds to the qcassetti.com website--a little Memento Mori grouping. Looks strong. Had a good chat with Jim Carson about possible work together, about Hartford and the SU program. He is a delight. It would be great to work together.

Had a nice lunch with a Tburg pal who seems to have the pulse on everything. She spoke eloquently about loons and their lifestyle...(the babies ride on their backs!) and the work she needs to engage in for a local project on loons.

Holiday cards in the works. I worry about just doing the work...there isnt a lot of heart in it...

more later

Another perfect plateau day


We watched the first segment of Ken Burns' Second World War production. I am dragging around this morning...but well worth the fatigue as Ken Burns' always can galvanize a topic whether you like it or not...and make it the most bittersweet, turbulent and fascinating topic imaginable. And this war doesnt need any help. Well worth the watching...plan it if you can.

Shady, regardless of her limping condition with a cast, was wildly chasing squirrels this morning. What a good sport.

Need to roll into some work...and will try and say something a little later. This is a new memento mori photoshop image...using all hand generated images and fused together...using the best "paste into" feature.

Huh!

Hilary, a new gal pal of mine, is an inspired fiber artist, teacher and mentor to many. She knows a lot of stuff about everything--and seems to have a beat on the right thing to do. She is very community driven and is beginning to be active with the positioning and thinking around her studio building (on our little old Main Street) and the visual arts community in Tburg. She wants to partner with the Art Trail Tburgers--and will be mounting a parallel show during those weekends around the idea of harvest and bounty (as evidenced in our fields and vineyards) this fall. We had lunch last week to chew the fat and both gripe about our experiences at Syracuse. Her roots go much deeper as her father was a professor, her brother involved in sports, and she got her undergraduate (and I think graduate) from SU. She has taught there--so she wears many, many hats. I was down on my thesis experience--and her response was for me to give her the paper and we would do our own review. Huh!

While we dug into lunch, she asked me some very pointed questions about where did my work come from, and from there, could we begin to peek into where it is going. Huh, again. I explained that my experience as a graphic designer was to create clean canvases, with ordered content and essentially creating windows to showcase visual content such as photography, graphics, or illustration. My job was to listen to what the client was really saying (not with their mouth) but often with things they point to or in the round about way that stories are told with messages and orientation. I view my presence as a designer essentially as the conductor. When one listens to a piece of music, one doesn't (unless you are very astute) immediately say, "Damn, what a conductor!". You are more likely to admire the showmanship or dexterity of the musicians, the interpretation of the music, or just hear the piece without question. I think this is true with my graphic design work. My clients don't immediately say "Damn, what a designer!". They are more likely to like how simple the piece is, easy to read, the type is elegant and legible, there is a flow with breaks and surprises, beautifully printed, gorgeous photography. But, as the conductor--I made all those choices--and put them together. Gorgeous photography badly printed or overlaid with a nasty palette of colors, horsy type or something over the top stylin' results in a collision, a visual car wreck. For me, not good design. So, I like to essentially be invisible--the silent one moving the needle, showcasing all the other talent--the copywriter, the client, the photographer--and making it all sing together as if it was intended to be.

I take great pleasure in that process, and gain a great deal in the relationships I build with my clients who become friends--and the synergy of a long term relationship grows as each project progresses. This is the best kind of work.

Now, along comes this illustration thing. I am no longer invisible. I am one of those folks that I like to create clean canvases for. It is my viewpoint, my image, my visual decisions that are out there...open for ridicule, open for critique, open to show really, truly what I think...not a processed version built on consensus with the client, the client's client and all the other parties that filter into the mix as a designer. I know that I can be quite outspoken as an individual...and I think there is a lot of fear in me to hide behind what's safe versus trying to put something more original, more me out there. It is a very brave thing. None of us like rejection--and that is the place I immediately go versus having the confidence to move forward. Why isn't my thinking and opinion as valid as the next guys?

perfect Sunday


High blue skies. No clouds. Wind is up giving us a little whitecap action on the water surges towards us with the wind being distinctly from the North. Same olive leaves. Tinges on color on the edges, but not much. It is very much the tail end of summer--with no autumn in sight.

Started in on the baskets of tomatoes this morning. Endless amounts of leeks, carrots, tomatoes, carrots, garlic, pepper, salt, parsley and basil stewing down to nothingness (or at least my hope). It should be a couple of days to get this going...but now thinking about it...a few pots on the stove versus one might help. The lady at the Kingtown Road apple stand says that this is the season that her Nesco (an enormous, church supper style slow cooker) comes in handy. I Now....can understand. I've always wanted to have a reason to own a Nesco....and it might be within our sights. We'll see.

Poor Shady with her cast was the talk of the cross country meet. Everyone had the universal opinion and remarks...with all of our hearts touched in her sweet demeanor, trying hard to be a good sport and amble along on three legs versus her full set. Lots of positive reinforcement for A. and his good time and placement. He is on top of the world. He is reading a book (!! not something that he often puts forth as an option) right now and is planning an afternoon with friends.

There is the lawn and some trumpet vine management for his parents. The fragrant hosta have died down. The second generation of day lilies are coming up.

Memento mori marches forward. It is interesting to look at William Morris more closely. He is very good at moving the forms into the foreground and background--forcing leaves to bend and have a plane in front and back. He has a little signature curly shape/tube that he uses as fill from the big plants he imposes on the canvas. The color is linear or blocked in...allowing overlap and shapes (a la the tiger teeth) to give the viewer another color in that transition. Color helps his illustrations, enlivens them--but relative to the composition, seems almost incidental. I am going to work with these ideas a bit. Maybe not Now, now. But soon.

So, the book finishing on October 1 will be all black and white. I think the next one will be the same...and then a slow introduction of color if it feels right. I like having these self-imposed guidelines on the work as there is so much in each space, that some constraints force me back into the image and hand without color, the sword of Damocles, hanging over my head. The work seems better/ tighter with limitations on topic , color and size. I will continue to use this wonderful Canson paper (Montval Field Sketch book) but will only use one side of the paper as R and I concurrently came to the conclusion that the work may want to be removed from the books without worrying about what's on the back. Using that think, it is a dilemma about what to show, what to remove etc. Though there are scans, there is a liveliness to the real ink on paper. The real thing.

Priced a 128 page book (black and white text, color color, perfect bound) with a limited quantity being 35 books, and it figured at $5.92. If I boost my quantity to 50--they figure in at $5.47. And at 100 pcs it goes to $4.93. So, even doing 50 will not break the bank. Full color doesnt cost much more than black and white.The other cost is the gorgeous epson print for the cover and ribbon...but even at $2. a pop...how bad is that for cost of goods? or cost of promotion?

Another thought, take the patterns that are evolving in this process and create a separate publication for them. The thing that would take this one step further is to include a cd of these files (in illustrator or in a vector format) and include the art as part of the pub. allowing whoever purchased the piece to have a library of scrap they can utilize. It goes against the exclusivity thing, but could be a nice extra particularly if it had borders and frames? Another way to get the work out there...and if the Roger DeMuth "I can easily do 700 of them in a week" holds true...there are plenty of patterns where they have come from... Thoughts?

More later>>

Image above:
William Morris, "Brer Rabbit" block printed furnishing cotton, manufactured by Morris & Co., 1882, England, Fashion Institute of Technology, NYC.

Keeping up


Just got back from Auburn because a big cross country event was there that A was in. He came in 7th of 75 kids--and this is his second week training and doing this sport. He looks very strong and solid as he runs...and between us, I think he is a natural.

Bought two huge wooden baskets of roma tomatoes ($4 @) and am gearing up to do the cooking down and freezing thing. R. has been in the thrall of a book, The Omnivore's Dilemma, which details the ever present use of corn, and corn syrup thoughout our diets--something that is the demon. We try to eat simply--not processed--and our intent now is whenever possible, eat locally, buy from the farms things are grown--especially patronizing the amish here as it is totally low carbon--and about as organic as it gets. We are going to try to buy as much meat/poultry that we can get locally that is wild, or free range/grassfed as possible. This may change the mix on the plate, but so much the better for all of us. We will bend seasonally , as May-November here promises good things...but being eye to eye with another hubbard squash come February 28th is daunting. But, we will not buy asparagus and peaches that have been flown half way around the world to grace our tables during those dreary months. We are pretty much on track with this stuff--it just means tweaking the meat. And soda, we are stopping all soda except for those products with cane sugar (Jones for an instance)--as this is the biggest user of corn syrup and to be honest, where is it getting anyone? So, there is my puritanical rant.

Had a great chat with Carol about Hartford yesterday. So much so, I woke up at 2 a.m. and solved the world's problems, and mapped out some strategies for her that I am anxious to put on paper. I am looking forward to Hartford, but am happy I didn't double up this summer. First, my business would have suffered and second--I might not have gotten the learning in such a full measure if it was so much. Now, I can revel in my little projects, and think about the next chapter with a little more space.

Re: Memento Mori. The book is around 96 pps. I have come to an executive decision. I am going to finish the first book on my birthday, October 1. Seems somehow appropriate. I am going to fire it off to Lulu for one copy to check on the crossovers (its perfect bound), and how close they come with the trimming. If that is good, I am going to do an edition of somewhere between 35-50 (printing 25 now) and make it a limited edition. The limited edition of 50 is good as it squeeks me into the SOI show for the next year--as that is the minimum. I am going to output a lovely big cover on my epson...with a ribbon and have a few for the Ithaca Art Trail to sell, a few to sell from my blog and a few to use as self promotion to my clients and friends. This new progression with the floral images has been fun and probably will preoccupy me until the first. I am liking the black and white balance, the ability to crank up the volume either on the skull or on the flowers and obscure one with another...R. thinks there are tattoos and Georg Jensen style jewelry in the future. I am thinking skateboards and books. A gamely proposed if I designed a good tattoo, he might get one...That is enough to have me run for the hills.

Have been looking at William Morris and Will Bradley's illustrations for insight and inspiration on how they handle the black and white thing. Need to get a little closer to this. Their balance of black and white, their energy of line and pattern is extrordinary. I feel there is something relative to the use of line and in the case of Morris, how he handles color and type that could serve as an inspiration on this Memento Mori project.

Beautiful and warm here in Sheldrake. Low 80s. I am tired due to solving the world's problems but think a total submersion might do the trick--albeit it might be a bit brisk.