Take aways


1. Frame as much stuff as you can afford. People will buy unframed stuff...but the appeal of "instant art" is very much in evidence.

2. Keep the stuff interesting but not tons of unique stuff (like the accordion folded pieces on death that I offered). The death stuff was good as a book and as framed stuff, but an odd format doesnt leap off the shelf.

3. As much as I was told cards don't sell...they do. Just be selective about what and the collections (6 cards, 3 designs sort of thing).

4. Merchandise like crazy. Be a display queen. Labels and tags are key.

5. Talk a lot.

6. Banana bread was successful. Candy as well (except for people who brought teenies with them who thought the world had turned upside down in the sheer joy of so much sugar).

7. You shouldnt have to sell--really sell the stuff. Make options available and step away. The attitute of we have this one or that one...but no...let me see how I can make this more perfect for you is ridiculous.

8. Hire as many teenagers pre-event as you can to do the collating and mixing and filling and bagging. They somehow think its a treat...and it reduces the torture for you as the great artist.

9. Listen to what people like, want and hate. Adjust if it feels right. I am going to work on a bumblebee based on a request. Would love to do it...so why not take the prod.

10. Continue to do the art trail as it sets a deadline, gives great exposure, and you meet people on your own turf. All round good match with the goal to "get out there".

A new blog from the suburbs of Rongovia

From the edge of Rongovia is a small village, Ithaca--that boasts a new blogger with a great idea--talking about local food, wine, restaurants with recipes and much more. The author of Finger Lakes Feasting visited Rongovia for the Art Trail and was spreading the good news. Her recipe for tomato filo pizza looks great and easy enough to do...

hmmmmmm...maybe tonight?

Check it out.

Perfect day on our plateau


The community turned out in force for the Chris Bond 5K this morning. It was a perfect day for running. Low humidity. No clouds. Brilliant trees. Very convivial and fun. A. and his friend Phil ran...and they seemed to be in the groove. This is an event I hope isn't the end, but the beginning of a string of positive Tburg fun fund raisers.

Again, here we are at ten minutes before the last day of Art Trail. More banana bread in the oven (all the bananas that were on the edge are gone...yeah!). Hopefully we will get a nice crowd today. Yesterday felt slower than the first weekend, but no time to sit down the entire day...so not that slow. I need to focus on chickens, water fowl, and domestic geese and ducks. Maybe even take them on as personal assignments to get the wheels moving. A body of work on chickens could be good.

However, the Syracuse Seminar (a one hour chat with seniors in illustration, graphic design and advertising design) awaits. I have been marinating in this to figure out the top 3 things I want to say...and I am still scrambled. Need to get R. to help me sort it out. I want to write the entire thing and then fill in the pics etc. versus where I was going which was to get a zillion images together and then figure out what to say. A bit backwards--wouldn't you say?

two hours post art trail


Banana bread is demolished. Chocolate cake on the roster for tomorrow. Sold quite a few pieces (smaller, framed) which I think the new "totally finished art" approach is what the crowd is looking for. Lots of questions about editions etc. which I haven't thought about doing. I pursued this earlier this year...and really do not want to commit to an edition considering the very fair prices I am offering. If I had more lake birds (loons, ducks, blue herons etc.)--I could sell them. Chickens, hands down, are big too. My guess pigs and cows would go to.

More Memento Mori books selling. Those who are buying really are interested in the topic and where the work is going. I don't know, and they seem good with that. They also seem good with my neurosis around the topic.

Going to the Pourhouse for dinner...and for a break as we are back on at 11 tomorrow.

Ten minutes to Art Trail


The massive sculptural banana bread has been baked and cut. The postcards collated and packaged. The Art Trail Mix stirred and packaged. Around 12 new pieces framed (man, does a frame make the difference or what?). Have sold around 8 of the Memento Mori books. Last evening, one of the buyers of the said book came by to pick it up...delighted! He is wanting to buy the whole set. Imagine. Old girl neurosis turning a profit. Or is it a prophet? More books in the future?

I decided to layout more sketchbooks as they captured the imagination of the group. I just hope no one walks with them. I am missing one...and hope it is under a pile and not under someone's coat. There are more sketches in me, it was just that that book was a good one.

A. is off running across the country. R. is back from LA with new business suits and a new slant on how they are doing things at CMoG (not too bad)..

gotta go... I hear people.

IF: Growth


Willows are used as symbols of regrowth, regeneration, continual life. These trees send out branches that grow downward to touch the ground. These branches take root and establish new trees and so on. They are a living testament to life continuing beyond the original. The old New England gravestones use the willow sometimes by itself, sometimes with urns but not in this configuration. To me, there are a wealth of images in this beautiful tree. This image is from my Memento Mori studies. For more Memento Mori images, go here>>

beautiful day

Warm here. Mid 70s. Shady Grove lost her cast, had confirming xrays and is free from more vet visits. She will just need to stay relatively quiet for the next month to let her foot entirely heal. Poor thing, I think she thought I wouldn't be back to get her. Her entire body, tail and head were wiggling and wagging just to let me know that she was delighted I showed up.

I saw a complete field filled with these elegant wild turkeys amongst the evaporating dew, misty. Long and tall...quiet and still. It was a golden snapshot. The apple trees are laden here. We really haven't gotten a hard frost---so the color is soft, apples are still hanging on and there is tons of produce (tomatoes and basil still) packing the stands nearby and on Route 79 into Ithaca.

Just made 80 packs of cards for the weekend. Also made 10 packs of Ithaca Art Trail Mix (chocolate chips, peanuts, sunflower seeds, raisins, craisins and apricots) all from wonderful goods from the Mecklenburg Mercantile. I love this store. The Mercantile is run by a pair of sister in laws who buy wonderful food things from the Regional Access and break the cases down and sell plastic bags (a la bulk) filled with all sorts of things that are high quality and really affordable. And they carry eggs from Happy Hens(organic from Interlaken), organic butter and milk. You can go into the Merchantile with $20. and leave with two big bags of great stuff. Another local jewel.

Trouble with A. and antics with highschoolers. There may be some detention or something along that line. Lesson has def been learned. Urg.

R winging his way back to us tomorrow.

Thursday Thursday


Birthday presents to buy today as K has three parties this weekend. We raided the present closet and found two of the three...but not a good fit for the third birthday recipient. I know the closet drives poor R. crazy but it is truly a savior 90% of the time with my last minute child. We will be full bore on Ithaca Art Trail. Today, the trail mix needs to happen. The postcards collated. More stuff to be framed. I hope we have a big turnout. Keeps things exciting.

Have been cutting paper like crazy and the india ink is open and in use. It was interesting last weekend to hear a german lady saying she liked the Memento Mori work as it looked like Scherenschnitte (a german art of papercutting). Another person liked the work as it looked like energized Mexican work. So, an opening party to show the work might definitely have beer, but sauerkraut and tacos might not be a fit. I have been merging the cut work with drawn images etc. Its interesting as the hand cut thing is far more random looking than cut in illustrator. Big question is how do I make the work in illustrator look as fresh has handcut? or do I handcut and then either hand draw or use the trace feature and work into it? Need to try both.

Plugging away


Three days and round two of the Ithaca Art Trail going to happen again. Things to accomplish in the next few days:

--make and package Ithaca Art Trail Mix. Make a cute label.
--make new cover/or belly band for the new Lulu offering.
--make up 75 more postcard packs (10 cards in a polka dot envelope)
--check on the holiday cards. If need to, package more.
--print and frame images to fill in the gaps missing.
--buy some choker shirts for my own giving for xmas.

Saw Alice Gant today. She was watering her rainbow of flowers, getting ready for her second weekend on the trail. She was optimistic about the experience--and interested in seeing what happens this weekend and then via phone before Christmas. Interesting. I am curious to see if there is spin from last weekend--you know, friends bringing friends, watercooler recommendations etc. If the weather is good, apparently the traffic tends to be better than on dreary grey days. We'll see.

My friend, Paula Horrigan, who is a landscape architect, artist and art bookmaker saw the new Lulu book and was effusive about it--pushing me to get it to Dia Books in NYC as she feels there is a market there for this thing. Paula buys handmade books and collects them--so she is def. the customer and will know the places that might be interested in these things. I need to do a little research around this. It is exciting to get this sort of response which was more than the positive vibes that a friend would politely effuse. I was so charged up, I worked until close to midnight on the second book--working with my images, the new cut paper frames and photoshop. Started making some little helmet skulls, and some line drawings with inked backgrounds (that will be fused in photoshop) inspired by fabric I found on the internet. Paula went further about fabrics and home furnishings that her friend reps that are embracing this imagery.

I really want to get going on embroidering one of the images. Also, I am itching to get some really thick, all wool felt to make some felted images too. Felt, blanket stitching, even some buttons. Even buttons in the mode of those English mummers that had their complete set of clothes covered in buttons. Some of the Pacific Northwest native americans also do some of this too.

171 Cedar Street is having a holiday sale starting in mid November which I think I will send cards, books and prints (framed ones left over from the Art Trail Weekends). I am flattered to be invited. It may yield some sales--and def. increase exposure down in the Corning area. I have two holiday cards and am thinking about maybe printing one more design...Maybe? Boy, I really need to pencil in some time starting in May to prep for October, November sales. This could be something to plan, design and develop.

Erich located these cool heavy duty gold frames that the Chemung River School painters use. Am psyched. They have gorpy times ten.

Revisions on the holiday cards for clients. I hope we are close.

Funerary Violin


Book to Read:

An Incomplete History of the Art of the Funerary Violin
by Rohan Kriwaczek

Reviewed at NPR (http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6202644)

"If you believe Rohan Kriwaczek, author of An Incomplete History of the Art of the Funerary Violin, funerary violin is a previously unknown musical genre that was virtually extinguished by the mid-19th century in the Great Funerary Purges, said to be ordered by the Vatican.

But as first reported in The New York Times, violin dealers, string-instrument publications and other experts say there is no evidence of the funerary violin genre, forgotten or otherwise.

Despite the questions of authenticity, the book's U.S. publisher, Overlook Press, still plans to release the book, which includes pictures of legendary funerary violin composers like Hieronymous Gratchenfleiss, musical scores and information on the Guild of Funerary Violinists."

What do you think?

Lookee Here


I was thumbing through an old (June 2007) House and Garden magazine and discovered this idea. A decorator covered a chair in funerary drapery (!). Need to search this out. However, can you see pillows, limited fabric output from the computer and a chair covered as part of the final thesis along with pictures, skateboards, china? This thing can go go go.

Sunday Review for the Ithaca Art Trail

More neighbors and less new folks yesterday...but it was solid until way after the 5:00 closing time (even had someone show up around 6:30 who I showed around tersely).Some bigger pieces went--and it was great to know they are going to houses of cool folks...and they will be appreciated. I think I have sold/saved out about 7 Memento Mori books (which is remarkable). When asking one person why they liked it...the person waxed on about how the topic speaks to him and reminds him of New Orleans.
Cool.

One more weekend (next). And I am kicked in the ass to keep it coming. The bodies of work (5+pieces) really work in this environment. You almost need a bunch of them to hang the one-sy , two-sies off. So, I am going to expand the dogs...as there is mileage way beyond the prints. Also, create a body of work on chickens (I already have 3--so I could do easily 3 more--and get on a roll). The chicken love thing is out there...and I might as well jump on board with this. A Cornell professor and his wife collect chickens all over the world for their chicken and spoke of a chicken skeleton sculpture that really struck my fancy. Need to make a picture.

The postcards were a big hit. We took all of my promotional cards and filled a polka dot envelope with 10 postcards and gave them to everyone that came through. You know, the old gift with purchase thing that is so easy to do...and everyone adores. Lots of mileage and I wanted to move them so I could get new cards. Holiday cards are selling...and the smaller prints. Albeit, we sold a pumpkin picture, a skull picture and a mess of chickens. The crowd seemed to really like the set up with signage and work merchandised together.... I know artists aren't supposed to talk that way...but why not think about the way images and stuff is juxtaposed in order to make a good impression. Maybe we as artists shouldnt care. I do.

Sat Art Trail quick review


It was great yesterday. The house looked good and the work good too. We had a steady stream of people who came, looked and wanted to talk about all and everything on the walls and tables. Great response to the birds and dogs. Memento Mori has it's fans with at least 3 people who want the first book when it comes out. Cards sold and smaller/less expensive giclees. Lots of interest. Couple of people want me to do portraits of their dogs. The really nice thing is there were a lot of very smart, articulate and people who are from "our tribe". So, there even may be some new best friends in the group. I almost wanted to have a church supper style chafing dish lasagne party for all of them as there was that type of linger longer crowd.

They ate all the candy and brownies. More candy in order today. Price point is KEY. The big pictures for under $200. seems too high for this crowd. Interesting.

Statement for the Art Trail

R. encouraged me to make a printed artists statement for the Art Trail. So, I did. Thought I could store it here...and if you are interested, here goes. If not, breeze on by. My feelings will definitely NOT be hurt.

I never thought I could do this sort of stuff. You know, make pictures. Seriously make pictures. I can make logotypes, lay out books, art direct very expensive photographers, create boxes, labels and bottles to make things to eat, spray or goop look appealing and good. But pictures seemed out of the mix.

However, in the spirit of change (and maybe midlife crisis), I decided that maybe picture making was exactly the thing I needed to do. Needed to do, not had to do. And so I have.

I am making pictures either with the graphic design tools I know (Adobe Illustrator and Adobe Photoshop) but intentionally making them look un-digital. Meaning: not the “look I can put my head on a cat’s body” or “I have all these electronic tools and I can really make people see how cool I am with every filter imaginable” kind of thing. I want my work to look as if a hand touched it--resembling a screenprint or a woodcut. This is
one approach.

The other approach shown are hand-drawn images with pen and brush focusing on the Memento Mori, Remembering our Death or Remembering our Mortality.This Memento Mori project is a nine month sketch project with a published sketchbook every two months with the end result being as series of applications from tattoos to skateboards to china and glass designs. This work is taking me down avenues in content and style that are tapping deep wells of inspiration and drawing I didn’t know was in me. Everything you see with Memento Mori is work from August 15th to October 1, 2007. I am now in another phase of the drawing process. Take a look at my sketchbook. More to come.

Everything you see today has been created in the last two years as either assignments or assignments that blossomed into mini bodies of work.

You can follow my progress at my blog: The Rongovian Academy of Fine Arts (www.qcassetti.blogspot.com) or to see more finished work, my illustration website: http://www.qcassetti.com. Or if you are interested in graphic design, logos and branding, lets have coffee and I will show you a portfolio.

Thank you for visiting us during this busy Art Trail Weekend. It means the world to me.

Sat Art Trail


Art Trail today. Spent the better part of last night prepping, making new pictures, dropping things into frames, creating signage and with the help of the best display guy in Central New York (R), making the house look good...and residentially retail. We used little frames for our signs, made groupings and it looks good and promising. Things are priced to sell. We just opened and I need to go.

Later>>

IF: Extremes: a happy view of death


Do you love Jim Flora? How 'bout those wonderful Paul Klee paintings? I have been working on the Memento Mori project and yesterday decided to do a "happy" one. I thought I would pretend I was Jim Flora and fiddle around with these happy totem poles using the sad symbols like skulls, the snake biting his tail (on New England gravestones representing the cycle of life, and of life eternal), bones, flames and then the little cutie winged cupids that peek out of the top to these same stones.

Dreary day here, but the excitement of Illustration Friday and the opportunity to make more totem poles today makes the sun shine from inside.

lots of excitement


Lots of PR. Radio, the Ticket section of the newspaper, posters, brochures, postcards, emailers. Ithaca Art Trail this weekend and next. We have framed stuff, giclees, cards, collections of postcards,and next weekend we will have Memento Mori Vol.1 book as well. I have candy and will have cider and apples. I am pretty nervous. Nervous to almost being frozen. I have no expectations and lots of nerves. I have a brand new tax number, too. (and an accounting strategy as well). There is a show running parallel at the Second Story Gallery on Main Street. Wonderful Alice Gant has her cute house overflowing with pots of color and lush flowers. Her work is wonderful and worth seeing when you are here in Tburg. You can spend the night at Rose and Roman's Gothic Eves if you are coming in from out of town. And there are snacks, drinks and light dinners at the Pourhouse after the trail. And, if you are famished and looking for a more elegant dinner, there is Hazelnut Kitchen. Deborah Jones is showing her work in Perry City on the way to going to Duran Van Doren's forge. Gunther Keil, toymaker is just around the corner makes well designed wooden toys that double as beautiful tabletop sculpture. Plenty to do and see, good things to eat, and hear...so visit Tburg this weekend and next to get a bit of local art. Worth the trip.

Am putting together a sampler book for Lulu with different fonts, different color, vector illustration, photography and imagery to see how this whole thing fleshes out in color at 8.5" x 11". They do have an interesting size, I think they call it Coronet--that I may start working in. Its a bit wider and deeper...than the 6" x 9" which feels very tight when you begin to understand the live area, the bleed and all the do nots that are offered up in the technical notes on the Lulu site.

It is a dark, humid and cold day. Am trying to make headway with all my projects...two steps forward, one and a half back.
You get the idea.

Got it!!


Lulu book in my hands. Now the amendments happen. The blacks are really nice and rich (probably as it is designed for the all text books)...almost matte. The tones hold up if they happen in photoshop. If there are tones created in InDesign--they are a soft black but certainly not the specific tones that are in the art. I am glad I did this sample as it shows me which crossovers work, what truly is the "active area", and an opportunity to check the sizes of things. Overall, it looks great, but I need to size down several of the images, plan in more black pages (in the next book), more linework and diversity of images, Plans in place to run the job twice the next time as a sample...one as a full color black and white, the other in this black and white mode. Another plan is to create a sample book using a variety of images, crops, placements, type and size to really understand the medium better. Even with clean inked drawings, because this is digital output --there is a tiny jagginess visible (if you really scrutinize) which might go with the territory and may work better with pictures or images that are not so stark and singular as black and white line work.

Don't get me wrong. I am thrilled with all of this. Just need to better understand all of this.

dreary day


Maybe it will rain. Its been hot, humid and very different for us. I will not credit it directly or immediately to global warming as according to weather.com, it is not the max temperatures that have happened during this time. But it is a little shocking.
I am hoping for a big thunderboomer that blows the pictures off the walls (happened this weekend!) and gives us a little more rain as it is good for the batches of daffodils A. is patiently digging (he is getting paid, that's his incentive) in. There are another 300 bulbs from our friends at Van Englund...and it is such a huge treat in the cold spring to have handfuls of flowers to pick versus the parsimony we had two years ago.


More on Memento Mori
Am working with shapes of coffins and tombstones as vehicles to hold images. The headstones and footstones have a real vocabulary --the general shape and then these nice engraved typographic frames that are a subset of the design. Elegant without the type and pictures...Just a new little tangent for the study. Have also been drawing with a little more reference versus letting the good times roll and getting into trouble.

While searching coffins in the cybersphere, some very odd photos surfaced of gang members posing with their fellow gang member, upright in a coffin that is upright and sandwiched between the living. I had heard that there are some interesting rituals that are observed within the gangs and figure this type of photograph may capture some of that. I really had to look at it twice as it was so reminiscent of the victorian photographs of the dead, propped and dressed that were the last image of the person. Disturbing and yet I guess, comforting for those who need this type of finality. Is this final photograph a way of showing a group of friends in their last gathering, their final conversation before disbanding.

Isn't this image curious, with all of the men's heads on the same line and their hands doing the same. I am intrigued by the living hands on the white fabric surround, nearly touching the white gloved, folded hands of their friend. Once I started looking at the hands, I couldn't see the picture anymore. Somehow striking for me.