Matriarchy

1. A social system in which the mother is head of the family. 2. A family, community, or society based on this system or governed by women. In both senses also called matriarchate.

My cousin Liz called last night about a memorial dinner she is having to celebrate the life and spirit of my Aunt Jean, my father's sister, who died on the verge of cousin Liz's daughter's wedding. So, the family postponed Jean's gathering to her birthday in April for the appropriate send off. Interestingly, the wedding was a bit of a tribute to Jean, her humor, her love of all things common in Pittsburgh, her edge and bite...so this memorial dinner seems like the other bookend in this experience. Tribute and Memorial. They are really two different things. One is a salute, the other wrapped in memory of things past, a life lived.

In that spirit, I have been thinking. Liz said that there would be speechifying (no pressure but somehow as the group is going to be small...) and I was musing in that zone between awake and actively awake. We are as a family, on my father's side, a very matriarchal group. We have, in each little sector, little subgroup, an organizing, opinionated woman making plans for the larger group. I don't know how it happens, but it does. One becomes the matriarch. In my subgroup, and that of my husband's family, I am a matriarch. I make plans. I cook dinners (and serve them). I make holidays (when I can't avoid them with holiday travels etc.). And when I flex my muscles, some people wince (including me)--so I keep that rare and brief. I didnt get voted into this job--it just happened with a significant funeral, wedding, party, holiday--and everyone calls you. "What's happening?" etc. and surprisingly, a ton centers around food, eating and more food. And often, it is a now thing. Not a lot of planning--but 24 are coming for dinner--you fire up the engines, chop everything in sight, get out every plate in the house and start backing a plan out of what is hot, what is not, wha is for the vegetarians, the heart unhealthy, the picky and the foodies. When is the food on? Who sits next to who? Who can I rely on to be pleasant? fussy? prickly? And where does everyone sleep? Breakfast? Decaf or Caf. And then there are the rules and rulings that real matriarchs make. I have yet to do that. Judgement for others is rancorous...that maybe this matriarch will shrug it off.

Liz is an impressive matriarch...one I bow to. She is a planner, organizer extrordinaire with tact, taste and style that existed (from her Mother) wayyyyy before that upstart, social climbing Martha Stewart made an empire from her matriarchy.Liz is kind. She listens and hears. She weighs and balances. She knows she might step on toes and yet in her sheer worry, makes everyone understand none of this is easy and is taken lightly. She is considerate and funny. She is someone I respect and wish to emulate...though, I fear, I am meaner than. Don't get me wrong...Liz has an edge...but it is softened with love. Jean, Liz's mom, was a matriarch...but not to the degree Liz is as she was the child of the Queen of our Matriarchy Clan, Grammy. If Grammy was a viking, her name might have been Jean, the Emasculator. She was matchless in her terror. It took a generation for the tribe to calm down from her. And now, her granddaughters have taken up the scepters and are wielding them in their respective clans.

Jean was often referred to as a bad child. I have always been bothered by that. Bad in opposed to good. I would like to think of her not as bad, but as strong minded, singular maybe a bit willful. And she grew up strong minded, singular, and a bit willful.And, that is what we loved. She was a women with her own mind--not giving a hoot for what other people thought, for social conventions that were so important in Pittsburgh (of the time and currently). She liked to smoke, drink coffee, speak her mind in a very forthright way and live on klondikes (an ice cream confection made by Isleys in Pittsburgh)--waking up late, and going to bed very late amusing herself with crossword puzzles and talk shows. She fiercely loved her children...and those she hand selected. Fiercely. And in that close group, the prickles on this rose unfurled to show us the beautiful bloom that this willful, stubborn child grew to. She allowed all of us to be a bit stubborn, a bit singular and a bit ourselves...and held up a mirror to encourage us to continue on that path. She laughed a lot...and told stories with sharp insights and messages...with absolutely no candy coating. She too, had great style from her backhanded, eccentric handwriting, to perfectly wrapped packages at Christmas that looked like a professional did it. Small details were her gig...and she was excellent at it. And, you know, Liz is focusing on the details to make her memorial just perfect.

IF: Multiple [Multiply]


Philosophers multiply our general nouns and verbs; they give fresh sense to stale terms; “man” and “nature” are their characters; while novelists toil at filling in the blanks in proper names and at creating other singular affairs. A novelist may pin a rose to its stem as you might paper a tail to its donkey, the rose may blush at his command, but the philosopher can elevate that reddening from an act of simple verbal predication to an angel-like ingression, ennobling it among Beings. The soul, we must remember is the philosopher’s invention, as thrilling a creation as, for instance, Madame Bovary.

William Gass (b. 1924)
U.S. critic, philosopher(1971).

The philosopher's invention is the soul...and how is it manifested? realized? If the philosopher invents the soul, is it our challenge to define, refine and see that invention? If we choose not to agree with the philosopher, does that then keep us from the soul? our soul? Is philosophy the key to understanding the next chapter, our progression beyond this plain? or is it our faith and belief founded in nature?

The questions multiply. The answers are scarce.

Heavy stuff for such a cold, bleak day.

bowing down


Murray saw book two and related to Carol who related to me that it needed some space. I totally agree with this. The spreads are crowded with images and sketches...without breathing. The intent of these paperback Memento Mori books is to show the range of sketches...and in the case of this second volume, not to lift from this blog or from the world to spin more messaging. However, three will have that. Then after all the sketch books are finished, a big edit would happen and a 36-48 pp book would be designed (real spreads etc) --and produced. But, I am proceeding with three and will add space as I go on this one. I can redesign later with two and one. Murray is dead on...and I bow to him...and will listen. I am a bit wild these days with work..so I feel a bit like being on a Catherine Wheel. WHeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

Up to my elbows with webpage redesigns and revisions. Yesterday was a head splitter...but I am thrilled to have gotten the work on for PR. I want to talk to you a bit about something Richard surfaced in our conversation. Its a bit soapboxy-but I need to talk about it.

Later

lunar eclipse @ 10 p.m.


Off the front porch of our house--there was a wonderful lunar eclipse all orangey red and glowy that these pictures don't even begin to capture...but this is hand held with the new and very focusy Canon Powershot 720 sans flash...leaning up against the house.
Imagine!

What is echo, what are light and shade, day and night, ocean and stars, earthquake and eclipse, there? The works of man are everywhere swallowed up in the immensity of nature.
Henry David Thoreau.

eye on you


My head is splitting. I entered Communications Arts, Print Magazine, The Schweinfurth Made in NY 2008 show and prepped for the American Illustration/ American Photography--which is an online entry. Also entered and R got the art to the Kitchen Theatre for an art auction and art auction website going up in March. Each show was different, with different rates, expectations etc. I hope its worth the effort! It generally is try try try and you are out out out. But, who knows. If you throw enough seed, maybe some birds will circle...and if you are lucky, one might land to eat.

Had a lively chat with the cute Murray Tinkelman this morning. He was full of all sorts of news, ideas, thoughts. He wants me to give Memento Mori a break as it might not be the right project for my thesis. I will give over and see what happens. There is a wealth of stuff to do--and this work is not for naught as my hand has freed up; I am working positive/negative, negative/positive again; and I am taken with the content regardless of the final. Maybe something having to do with Hindu mythology? Likenesses? Images from the Pool of Dilemma? The Chinese signs of the zodiac. Murray hinted at more than a single potato from a composition standpoint. That's what I do...a potato...thats it. So maybe layouts with two potatoes, three potatoes and a radish, four potatoes, a radish and a daisy? If this thing doesn't push me, then what sort of educational bang for my buck will I see? So, now I have something new to worry in the timecracks during the day.Lucky you. You get to go up and down the rollercoaster with me while I piddle my way through all of this.

The eye is the graphic for a possible 1" button for the Chicken Chokers (along with some copy? some color treatments of the Chicken etc.)? Should be fun. The buttons are really cheap (500 pieces for $65).

Spoke to the fabulous Richard Williams. He is teaching everywhere--but on a class by class assignment which sounds like lots of time in the car. It sounds like he is getting worn out. We talked about possible other ideas for bodies of work that might really get him noticed....and he seemed excited about one in general. It would be cool if he pursued it...as he truly has the skills to do it...just the push to make it happen and do a bang up job would get it noticed for the content alone. If it starts happening...I will give you a peek under the tent. Also heard from Ross Hogin, SU classmate and Art Director extrordinaire, who is painting up a storm in Seattle. I betcha he is getting traction...as there was tremendous promise in the paintings he did while he was with us at Syracuse. Maybe I should beg for a jpg?

Gotta go. Mike Callahan, a friend that goes way back with us, is playing at the Pour house.

A domani.

Honk for Service


Guess where the Wonderbus is? Right! at the House of Service at Ithaca Honda (with an interesting waterfall, yes, Taughannock Falls from Tburg, as their logotype). Hopefully, we will have a functioning sliding door (which hasnt worked since day one)--and which, we have tried more than two times to get fixed. Always an issue--a part, a this, a that. I am optimistic. They say third time is the charm. I am hoping.

New CD pack designed for the Chokers along with a sticker (from Sticker Guy) and possibly some collectable pins too. They are doing a "repressing" which is exciting as they have sold out of their stock. Jim Reidy has mentioned that there is another CD in production from old performances possibly coming out in the next year. I will, of course, update you all as we go. Chokers to play with the Toughcats this Saturday at Castaways. Chad Crumm and Friends are playing at Felicias from 5:30-8:30 this Friday. So--amusement galore.

Got the samples of the Memento Mori Vol2 in the mail. Overall, the square format is working, bigger type is working and the brevity of copy is a nice change. However, there were some fingerprinty types of white marks in the luscious blacks that I need to check the files to see if they somehow are there. It looked like a onesie...but, it was marked the same way in all 3 books. Wierd. Will amend and then do the first printing. Movement.

Another bit of Memento Mori news: Amanda! Amanda, our gal Friday and future Cornell student (we hope) has tattoos. Yesterday, she asked if she could use one of the illustrations from the Memento Mori Vol1 book to be tattooed on her upper arm. She is going to get the"deco" area (I hope) and we will revise accordingly (adding another thistle etc.). So, that will go in the thesis as well as the other random stuff that has been falling out of this sketch process. How does one work the rights? I guess its a one time use?!

More later>>

Big melt





The thermometer on the wonderbus read 41 degrees this morning after the vigil at the House of Health. Every teacher who has the day off today was there...happily doing their own thing, talking smartly and acting efficiently making the regular attendants (me) feel like maybe staying in bed was a def. option. However, after slugging it out--I gave myself a treat and drove the long way home through Taughannock State Park on beautiful Cayuga Lake. There were three of us entralled with Taughannock Falls and the tremendous volume of water streaming from the top. The bowl of stone surrounding the falls still was covered in ice, snow and spray--but it was so wonderful I had to dig out the little picture machine and take these for you. Every little fall, little creek and stream were raging this morning--and with snow and ice back on the schedule for later this week are trying to become one in the lake...with more water promised later. I would like a mess of snow though. Grass seed (another favorite of mine) becomes an option on fluky days like this.

Got all my stuff done for Hartford. Room scheduled, slides collected, little "this and that" about me, etc. All I need is to get my physical done, with the requisite paperwork completed. Soon.

Choker mini poster done. Same with the Sticker. Need to call and confirm the sticker. Toughcats playing with the Chokers this week. More later on that.

Keith Frank played at the Rongo last night...to a huge audience. Its great that the Embassy got a good group and could be vital. Gal Pal Amanda said it was an impressive show.

Gotta go. Work awaits. More later>>

Good stuff

Esquire recognizes the best sandwiches>> and guess what? Primantis in Pgh. ranked! No surprise here... Here is what they say:

Ham and Cheese
Primanti Bros., Pittsburgh

A relic of Pittsburgh’s steel days, this sandwich was made for steelworkers who had to eat fast. Everything that typically comes with a sandwich comes on it: meat cooked hot, bacon, tomato, provolone, pickles, slaw, an egg for fifty cents extra, even fries. Shove it in your lunch box. (46 Eighteenth Street; 412-263-2142)

So when down in Burg...do what the locals do...chow down on one of these goodies.

tburg dim sum


Yesterday was back to back fun. We took a carload of teenage boys (stony silence peppered with the twing of their cellphones texting them from the random slew of girls) out to Dryden for a scrimmage with other guys the same age. We took the queen of fun, K...so we were bound to have a lot of laughs and talk around the "seriousness" of our sport. So after dropping these guys off for a half an hour of warm ups--and skittled off to Cortland for lunch at Doug's Fish Fry (another part of the Skaneateles Doug's empire). We had an engaging conversation about "America's New Top Model"--and it rang bells for me about how huge this is for the teen set. Can you say Ca-ching? How do you play this out further? Magazines? Websites? Its a lifestyle thing for this group of teen girls. Even the most sensible, Queen of Fun, is crazy in love with this stuff.

The drive to Dryden was beautiful. High blue skies, lovely blue shadows on the sculpted snow. Days like this makes you love winter for the color, shape and liveliness outside. Growing up in Pittsburgh, winter was always grey. Blue skies were not an option.

We took the troop of boys out for a big mexican food lunch which they vaccuumed into their gullets (continuing the stony silence with the bleeping texting)-- with K playing solitaire while we waited for the consumption to finish. It was a speedy time with the significant caloric input. Amazing.

Then home to buy a case of vitamin water type stuff at the Cheap Store (Shop +Save) for skiing on Sunday. R. was busy splitting wood into little pieces for the cricket on the hearth, the Jotul 602. Shady met us with a pinecone in her mouth for us to toss for her. I grabbed it from her and looked in my hand. No pinecone! YUCK! IT was a deer hoof and first(short) little bone to the first bone all nice and freezy with hair and the whole works. A perfect specimen of deercicle. And Shady was so pleased with herself.

We had a a nice hot fire in the Jotul--which R exclaims " you know, I haven't yet had to shovel out the ashes" (meaning it burns hot and completely). We now have shortie logs (poplar, walnut, oak) which is tailor cut ( bespoke?) for this great stove. If you are thinking a little wood boost for your house, this is the stove for you.

Had a nice time Friday night getting a pile of stuff ready for Hartford. Am a bit twitchy about it...but have focused the thesis to being 12 illustrations derived from the sketchbooks...in color and black and white. Plus, if there is time, I would develop the illustrations into 6 products/housewares/etc. and have comps made. Those might include a skateboard, a pillow/purse thing, a quilt, glass bottles/rondelles, a brooch?

Am immersing myself into the world of Jim Flora for now. He is sooo good. So original. So happy. I am trying to understand his design and thinking to see if I can learn something from him. Working on an illustrator silhouette--for an idea or two. Also want to cut a few animals to test out an idea as it could really work for a client's holiday card coming up this spring.

More later.

IF: Theory


What has any poet to trust
more than the feel of the thing?
Theory concerns him only
until he picks up his pen,
and it begins to concern him
again as soon as
he lays it down.

John Ciardi, poet
Recalled on his death, NY Times 2 Apr 86

I love this quote and how it relates to those of us who are maker doers--makers of images and art. Theory gets the artist to to the process of rendering the image and picks up as the pen is returned to it's stand. The artist is no longer theoretical when he acts and renders the reality of the image. It is sad to think that we then need theory to justify or define this product of action and not thought.

White out


Have I praised the wisdom, wit and teaching of the Business of Illustration guru, Jim Carson? I am so thrilled I am re-upping with him at Hartford as his class alone, has been worth the price of admission. I just had a wibbly wobbly with a client who might be wanting to fiddle with an illustration I have done, and because of my class with Jim, I have the confidence (and language) to stand up for my rights, what surrounds those rights and what I plan to do. Prior to my new life as an illustrator, I would have fumed and whined and not been effective...plus, I would have given away the store. Now, like the Lion, Tin Man and Scarecrow, I have a cerficate that affirms that I know something...and it has given my the push I need to move forward positively.

Snowing steadily--hasn't ceased since early this morning. I think it might mount up. Shady Grove is delighted. She loves snow more than anything...and sets about making snow angels, digging up pinecones and overall leaping and frolicing in the whiteness. A is home with the stomach/head thing. K. has been going full force with the fetal pig project. R had a successful day in NYC getting everything done despite the early shuttle home (schedule moved due to the predicted bad weather).

Need to get down to business. Had 3 hours at the school to be the parent rep for the Committee for Special Education (thought it was an hour...but it wasn't). As usual, it was educational and fascinating to peer into that silo of life...and hope there was something we did would help these kids learn and build their lives into something that gives them happiness. These are all good kids that just learn differently and have different abilities. My heart is lightened with these meetings as I know we can help.

More later>>

Tuesday morning


Snow on hand today and tomorrow. R. to NYC today after his car didn't start in the lot last night (I am thinking tooooo cold to turn over though he has other ideas). K had a real growing experience with being pushed out of her corner to be the hands to perform the fetal pig laboratory in Biology. She had been worrying it for weeks (we had hints but not a direct confirmation that this was going on)--and had all the workarounds and thinking all worked out. A. is busy with basketball and friends. Not much bugging him these days other than there aren't enough girls or time for those girls. I, had the deer incident... but was really productive (with more today).

Spent an hour hunting down eccentric Caslon fonts yesterday. Am working on a logotype for a show for the Corning Museum of Glass based on antique bookplates and handbills. I have some caslon...but the italic is blimpy and round...not pointy and eccentric with whack ligatures. Found a handful and today I will need to buy one or two. The type is good for this Museum piece...and we are building some funkiness into the look.

Talked with my mother who hates my memento mori work.She doesn't get it...and making no bones or attempts to understand it. She was poo pooing the first book and hoped that would stop with the first batch of images. The fact there was a second book on the way, the body of pictures and that this was the basis of my thesis work really didn't work for her. Then, when I told her that the work was a treasure trove for a series of illustrations for the the Steuben funeral, memorial program they are developing. Even linking a dollar sign to this obscene work didn't legitimize the work, the thinking, the pursuit. I am not waiting for any sort of approval or I wouldn't do anything at all. Come to think of it, this headset would only be happy if the work served her and the "small season" of entertainments and friends that she has embraced. So, acceptable work needs to be lightweight from the content standpoint and "pretty". However, it does point up that I need to distill what this work is, what it is about, where the themes and content flows from, where the technique and style comes from etc. Sounds like I need to do some writing to give me an "elevator speech" (a distilled mission/vision) on this work.

Are you ready for valentines day? Amazon awaits!

potpourri


The Democrats came, drank coffee and red wine, ate boxed cookies and speechified to all of our delight. There were an amazing group of people--all very bright exuding excellence and inspired. These are giving people who give to their community who are working to preserve and intelligently develop a strategy and plan around how our little village and slightly bigger town can grow and change. We had a great time learning about the projects, efforts and thinking of this small group of excellent people. Had a great talk with Jules Burgevin about Memento Mori. Turns out, that Jules was teaching at Ithaca College taught on death to a group of 250 students for a semester. We should get together get a glimpse of his thinking and impressions. Jules is the personification of effusiveness...he is lovely (as is his wife who fell in love with a heron I had illustrated)...and would inspire more thinking. He wears a coat with patches of all the fire departments he volunteered for with the words, (in all caps in an arc) TREMENDOUSBURG shouting out how he feels about our little hamlet.

Carol Tinkelman sent a totally excellent schedule for the up and coming trip to Ft. Worth...with a great lineup of illustrators and sight seeing. She is so amazing and through...I cannot believe it...from what we are doing, when and where to the hotels etc unlike my former program which I found part of the degree was to be a travel agent as well. We are so lucky to have her smart brain, her unparalleled organizing skills, and her focus on doing things the right way. I feel absolutely privileged in having her as the iron behind the program.I am psyched. Am trying to sum up what my thesis is...and will try to see someone about the idea and where it could go. It will be good to see where the current second/going to third year students are...their thinking, the breadth of the work etc. to gauge where I could go.James Tennison, Ray-Mel Cornelius, Gary Myrick, Dorit Rabinovitch, Jack Unruh, Phil Boatright, Don Punchatz, Real and Muff Musgrave, Bart Fobes, Jose Cruz are some of the illustrators we are going to see. We are also going to Billy Bob's and the Rodeo as part of the fun.

On the way to the Pool of Dilemmas, I was slowed down and driving the speed limit in Jacksonville (40 mph) and clipped a deer who approached the car from my blind spot. Scary. I am okay...It cracked part of my bumper (bummer) but all else seems okay. I did swim (thank goodness) and worked to a normal state. Still am a little rattled as you never want to do that.

Need to go. Work continues on.
Later

Gerlof Smit





Amazing, amazing work. Gerlof Smit is a wonderful artist--who stretches the idea of silhouettes to a new, fresh place. He infuses them with a new vision, a modern image--mixing them with photography, or using them in a way to build a community, express a couple's life through a distinct portrait. He cut an entire village's portrait, "Everyone from Schingen"--of each and every person--Here is what he says about that:

Last year I spent quite some time on a bus to San Francisco and waxed lyrical about all the different silhouettes around me. Capturing it all is hard when you're sitting on a bus, but I live in Holland where I'm also surrounded by lots of beautiful silhouettes. So why not make cut-outs of everyone from Schingen, the village where I have lived for about 30 years? In mid-June I dropped a letter in everyone's mailbox. In this letter I explained what I was planning to do, and a week later I rang the doorbells of all the scattered houses and farms, drank many a cup of coffee, and took digital photos of every single inhabitant. I started working on the cut-outs for the Schingen project around mid-September. When you cut out a portrait in A4 size, the hair really shows up in the silhouette and you can easily spend two hours on the portrait. But it does give you the opportunity to become fully absorbed in a person's portrait. You notice that the person grows on you and becomes increasingly nicer. Each time I finished a few portraits I put them on my website and the subjects of the portrait could see themselves on the internet. By early November, everyone was cut out and I invited the entire village into the recently restored church of Schingen. I had a 30 ft. long table set up in the church. All the silhouettes were displayed on the table in three neat rows and everyone was able to see their silhouette in the original for the first time. The cut-outs were exhibited in the church on two weekends. I had already announced in a letter that everyone would receive their own silhouette as a gift. After the close of the exhibition, all Schingen inhabitants took their own silhouette home with them, during which the village surprised me with a few original gifts. Giving away these portraits was a small happening, and the responses were overwhelming, and sometimes even emotional. All the silhouettes can still be viewed on my site: www.gerlofsmit.com. You can also see what everyone's name is, where they were born and how long they've been living in Schingen (the youngest inhabitant is 0 years old, the oldest is 81-year-old Ale, who has also lived in Schingen for 81 years).

Smit tried to cut the entire night staff of a McDonalds in Texas and was stopped. The work he did was sublime. What I like about this work is that his cutting reminds me of the work I do in illustrator, the cutting of hair, the curves and interpretation that happens when one is drawing with vectors. But, his work is inspired and fresh. I think he is now one of my new heros. Move aside Shepard Fairey!

black paper





Have been doing a little survey of silhouettes--both american vintage silhouettes, english silhouettes, german and dutch ones. I love the mexican cut paper decorations (and bought quite a mini collection on Olivera Street in LA over the holidays), and the chinese decorative ones. But these American/and European ones are thought provoking relative to Memento Mori. Many are actually concurrent with the puritan community represented in Allan Ludwig's Graven book. Can I mesh them together? Do they jive (I think they do as they fit the whole "big black shapes" search, there can be some whimsy brought with them...and to be honest, I want to fiddle with them!). There are three different kinds of silhouettes--cut paper, cut and paste and the final, inked. So, it fits with the technology practiced here...along with some of the random "hobo" style, klutzy frames I have cut for MM. Keep going...keep seeking.

Here is a great link that can take you around the world with paper cutting>>

I am loving the old stuff and the new twist...is very cool.

Memento Mori Vol2 is done! Uploaded! Sample Ordered! Yippee!!

Democrats coming here tomorrow. Yipes!

IF: Choose [choice]


We do not choose the day of our birth nor may we choose the day of our death, yet choice is the sovereign faculty of the mind.
Thornton Wilder
The Eighth Day Harper & Row 67

Choice rules! Our lives are filled with opportunites to choose from the ordinary to the extrodinary, from what's for dinner to what will I do with my life. Those choices can change and bend around other choices--but we must own these choices, taking responsibility for that moment of decision.

from the desktop


Steady and slow. Wet snow with big big snowflakes. Winter is back. Slugging away on project work. Touching everything, moving things left foot/right foot forward. Need to go deep and look at a bunch of different (more historical reference) Caslon fonts this p.m. to tune up and funkify a mark for the new show at the Corning Museum of Glass, Glass of the Alchemists. Need to make some changes to a big trifold for the Museum on the soon to open show, Reflecting Antiquities. Moving and grooving.

Schedule it in: ICON 5

ICON 5
July 2-5,2008
New York City
(a block of rooms are available at the Roosevelt Hotel)
The Icon Blog>>on the doings of the conference.

Whitney Sherman, inspirer, innovator, illustrator and educator, is heading up the conference. I wish there was a bit more on the plans etc. but, it will be a fun time...and a real charge. I wish I could fit it in--but with Hartford starting a few weeks later, I will have work to get in front of prior to the two weeks doing full time illustration. If I wasn't doing the education thing, ICON would def fill the brain juice department. Think about it. Will be fun and rewarding.

Working on a bunch of corner and border elements as it relates to Memento Mori today. Am blocking more solids in and not slashing in as many highlights and saw tooth shapes in as much just to see how it looks and balances out.

More later>>