Day Two: Hartford in Dallas: James Tennison

Today we had James Tennison, Don Ivan Punchaz and Jose Cruz. Everyone is settling into a rhythm. I guess the universality of being drenched by the rain--leveled everyone. It is cool...my guess, cold for Texans (55˚). So we northerners pulled out the layers of wool and scarves. And so, we began with James Tennison.

James Tennison
James is a very skilled, elegant man who is well suited to his profession and will continue to grow and achieve as his work and his personality are so perfectly joined. He has a gentle spirit with a nice sense of humor and an ability to clearly sum up his work, impressions and ideas in a way that is not artsy or scarey--but appropriate and right. He is inspired by some of the best, yesterdays Bart Forbes and Joe Bowler in his work. He has a fairy godfather, Tom Beard, who has made opportunities happen and has coached and encouraged James in his work. But James is also very salient in his saying "Mothers talk" referencing the strength of the personal commendation in his portraiture. I think that goes beyond the portraits and may pertain to all of his work. He gives everyone their due, but it is his work and his sheer pleasure in the entire process around the development of the image, meeting of his subjects and the actual putting paint on canvas--it is a delight to him, and it shows.

A Face the Launched A Thousand Portraits
Joe Bowler told James Tennison that he "needed a picture of a little girl in a white dress"...."that would keep him busy". Tennison credits this picture as the picture that launched his portrait career. He has done lots of little girls in white dresses, their moms in black dresses, curates in ecclesiastical robes, important men and one woman governor, Ann Richards(see below). James was very funny in talking about the fun working with Ann Richards saying " with Ann Richards...in Austin...its like you are with Elvis". Richards sat for his portrait and photographs as well as for a color study (which Tennison does both with portraits but also landscapes as he feels it allows him to more genuinely feel/ know the image which I can understand...it personalizes it and to me, gives it more heart). The former governor offhandly said that now that George Bush had won the election, she had plenty of time to sit for the artist.

Every opportunity for James Tennison is a chance to make a contact, a friend and connect with the next painting. He completed a wonderful job from a picture of a young man in an airplane hanger with a fighter plane (jet/stinger maybe(?) with lots of grit and dust realizing that the requestor was connected to a strong and wealthy family that could create more opportunities for paintings, people and relationships. He is very smart with these connections and seems to have a great deal of discretion relative to privacy etc. He also has a "tipping point" contact in Tom Beard--someone who knows a range of people and connects people with opportunities. "Vinnie" as Beard calls Tennison (after Vincent Van Goph) is being connected with people here and Europe. Beard has hired him for personal portraits of his family and his delightfully painted bulldog (see below)--How supremely english is this picture?! I love it.

James Tennison balances his portrait work with subjects that speak to his pleasure in architecture and landscapes. "I love white". "If I can capture sunlight, I am perfectly happy with that."

I think that James Tennison is a kind and lovely man and his work reflects his clearsighted ability to visualize his subjects with integrity, honesty and for the good.

talking with M.

"It is possible that illustration and art may one day merge, at some vanishing point in history, but for the moment their aims and purposes are quite different. It seems to be the function of the artist to produce art. The illustrator may use the ideas of the contemporary painter; but it is communication that is his ultimate goal."
Robert Weaver

Leif Peng's blog, Today's Inspiration mentioned of Murray as a change agent while he was at Cooper Studios--inspiring his fellow illustrators to think a bit differently (which he continues to do today)--in a series of articles on art and the avant guard as it relates to illustration.

"I kind of credit Murray with ruining the Cooper Studio, because he got those guys dissatisfied with what they were doing... they just weren't happy doing illustrations any more. They all wanted to be fine artists."Don Crowley

Murray told us about that period of time. He had joined the Cooper Studio as a decorative illustrator, not a boy/girl, romantic painter. He was also taking classes with the man who taught him everything about teaching, about critiquing--the man that formed the younger Murray into the tiger we know today. His friends, compatriots and beyond peers, people who, as Murray gestured, were a lot like what's going on here (the great converging of students where we all grow from each other--energy that is consuming)--came to visit Murray in his studio. These are guys that could make the beautiful illustrations of luscious women, or the "here's a very handsome young man (show him), who surprised the light his life (show her) etc. These were the guys who made romance even more romantic...and there was Murray, in his off time, making abstract expressionist paintings that were being shown at major galleries in NYC. And so it began. Then they all started taking classes with Murray's teacher. They started talking the talk. Hanging out at certain bars looking to bump into the real thing, the real abstract expressionists--like DeKooning.They started painting with broader, more energetic (not tight and controlled) brush strokes. Those beautiful lips that these skilled men painted, the lips of angels, became a slash of red. At that same time, there was a migration of illustrators from San Francisco and the midwest. The Cooper Studio style of telling the story literally with illustration changed with the advent of these new adds to the NYC community. What became hip at that time was more conceptual, less literal illustration-- Robert Weaver being one of these new illustrators.

More later>>


Reuben Tam
"Off Lobster Cove"
(cassein on paper, 8.5" x 11.25", signed lower right and dated '57—1957 Downtown Gallery label verso)

4:30 p.m Aside:
Murray clarified that his teacher was Reuben Tam (1916-1911)--who taught at the Brooklyn Museum of Art. Mr. Tam was kind of in the middle of the spectrum of painters at the time with his landscape work. He really did not gain much recognition for his work. However, he taught and influenced as we learn--a wide stripe of people who did gain recognition as artists and illustrators. The River Gallery recognizes him this way:

Reuben Tam, a native of Hawaii, has been called a "man of two islands." He trained originally in Hawii, but lived in Manhattan and summered fro many years on Monhegan Island. He exhibited quite extensively throughout the U.S. at major museums and galleries, including VMFA, CI, Corcoran Gallery, LACMA, AIC, MMA, and the Downtown Gallery. He won numerous awards, and his work has been acquired by institutions such as MOMA, MMA, BM, and the NYPL.

Wikipedia says>>

More (I hope)..

Day One: Fort Worth/Dallas: Hartford

And so it begins...this week of illustration and illustrators. I had coffee with my mentor and was introduced to a very interesting and smart folks (but of course!) who made me feel very welcome to the group. They all couldn't have been kinder. It's great to see team Tinkleman up front and in control. We had a nice intro from Carol and Murray, a lead in/reminder session from the thesis advisor, Doug Anderson. Thesis for this year's graduates is due June 1st--paper and work. The paper, according to the ladies I had lunch with, had to be 50 pps or so (including reference, all references etc.). The students hang their own show (unlike SU) so i should consider that as I go and keep my eyes open for the options (and take notes this summer). Some of the up and coming graduates (2008) have readjusted their thesis and/or may not even be clear now about what they are doing which is of great relief to me as this isn't the centerpiece of the program but more an outflow of the work completed. So, relative to what I need to worry about is doing the work, changing and evolving and the thesis work will come. So try it all...and keep it fluid for a while. No need to rush anything. Only thing to do is to get to work...any work...and try a lot of stuff.

Phew!

Dorit Rabinovitch, Canadian born illustrator who spent at least 20 years in Israel and then moved to the US in 1989--Dallas specifically, was our first speaker. She is a self supporting illustrator who will do what she can to continue making her living as an illustrator from doing pencil portraits at resorts in Israel to storyboards, sketch concepts and full blown illustrations for advertising agencies. She found as Corel Painter came on--that she had an intuition with this program and took to it--dropping her work in traditional media to shifting her entire work to digital. She admitted (quite honestly) that her initial digital work was not so good (and she was blind to it)--losing her customers. But her skills and abilities have improved and she seemed to have a real ability to deliver a quality illustration electronically. She is currently teaching herself Flash and feels there are opportunities to grow her work through this program.

I had a lovely lunch with a crowd of women (imagine!--not SU) who were all interesting, outspoken and very steady. It was great hearing about the Hartford program from their lens...with their focus on many of the details that I would normally being concerned about which they are all over. I cannot say enough about how wonderful it is to have this program organized, really organized with a schedule, a place and a person who actively is concerned about the fluidity of the program. I have no complaints. From what my lunchmates have mentioned...it all sounds pretty divine. I am psyched.

Bart Forbes was our next speaker. Bart Forbes was trained in art at the University of North Carolina and proceeded post military service, at Art Center for illustration classes. He left Art Center--not finishing, and moved to Dallas (in place of NYC) to polish his work. And he stayed. Bart's work is extrordinary--media aside (using watercolor and morphing to oil paints/ and oil washes) His work is clear as a bell, beautifully designed and blocked using light, shape and shadow to do the heavy lifting. I was thrilled to hear that he did not lay down a midtone and work lighter and darker but instead, after his pencil work, he puts in the darkest darks and works his way up. His work is very graphic--allowing shapes to build the image.



Mr Entrepeneur:
When Forbes saw that the phone stopped ringing during a financial downturn (much like now), he took a long look at opportunities that might pay well and appreciate the work he does. Editorial just doesnt pay. He cited that editorial work today pays a percentage of what it paid during his prime. He focused on golf. He contacted the PGA and got a list of all the tournaments they had. He got to work and starting chipping at these tournaments to see if they wanted him to cover their annual events. And so, the golf niche became his niche.However, a golf painting could make him upwards to $10,000--but he would sell out the rights as well. And he has done a lot of it.

Sports Illustrated was a magazine he wanted to be seen in--not necessarily for covering the sports, but for the exposure he would get, and the work evolved from there. He has covered the Olympics for the Olympic committee. He has done sports in stamps. He has done baseball work for Sports Illustration, for Boys Life and even in the Atlanta Braves' Clubhouse (2-4 paintings annually for their Hall of Fame). So, Bart has made it work for him.


His colors glow. His work is dignified in it's simplicity and confidence. There is an american-ness of his style, his imagery, and after 40 years at it--fresh as the moment the paint has dried. He does not lament that the world of illustration has changed with the advent of the digital media and digital delivery.He doesn't shake his head and long for the good old days of lots of editorial work that many of his peers are like to do, waxing on about this publication and that publication (many that are defunct). Bart Forbes controlled his paint with skill and understanding in the same way he approached his career and business--with a calm, steady intelligence that surrounds him. If the world turned on it's end, I know that Bart Forbes would take his skill and business intuition and spin another opportunity to work, live and grow. He is a man that looks for opportunities and not bemoans what was.

So, he knows what he knows...and to me, that is just fine because his work and thinking are timeless--a true inspiration.

" I still love what I do....I look forward to the next painting".

More later>>

Listen to the Mockingbird




The bridge above this is right outside the hotel--with a long flat expanse of water. Quite pretty. I decided to take a stroll to see what was about, and what was to eat. I saw a bazillion mockingbirds with their loud song, somehow amplified and quite caustic. I think they were courting because the brown and black girls were elsewhere and there was lots of preening and odd body contortions. Its funny, but I saw an audubon of these birds in a thorny bush with yellow blossoms tangling with, yes, a rather fabulous rattlesnake with his jaws open so wide they actually formed a vertical line. And now, here is one of the snaps I took of the same. I have to collect more. Further down the street was a swanky shopping plaza with an Origins store, Talbots, Ann Taylor,  Williams Sonoma and so on. I love the skulls which ornamented capitals and there was of course, the lone star being celebrated in stone.

I have a salad and the pillow is looking very tempting. I did lose an hour in the time change.

Fort Worth in all it's flatness






Never count your chickens before they are hatched. Remember the bouncing between gates? That spoke to what happened next. The "equipment" was in, but he crew was still in D.C. so we were delayed an hour and a half--with my chair partners being a grumpy grampa and granny who bitched and moaned about the state of the world and where it was going. We inevitably got on and off on our way. Packed flight. They were offering coupons for people to get off--however, the next flight was 4 hours later...and who knew if it was booked or not. I was slightly tempted...but not enough to drive me to it. The flight was long. I sat next to a very interesting person who does consulting in the banking industry, but his heart is in his work with the Cooperative Fund of New England and his work with affordable housing. The Cooperative Fund provides loans to any type of coop--from food, to day care, to businesses or galleries (he cited Handwork). There are lobster coops, fishing coops, cheese and dairy coops-- you get the idea. Pretty cool. And it was yack yack yack until we got into Dallas Fort Worth. It was pretty chop chop with the bags and getting the cab...but wow. This place is flat, beige and Christian!. I am still gnashing my teeth over not having my camera out and poised when we drove by this supersized white flag with the word J E S U S emblazoned in red on it. Fabulous times ten. Lots of "baobab-bby " types of trees a la Le Petit Prince. Tons of supersized churches, chain restaurants, plazas. Lots of cars. Lots of train cars. Everything has a definite beginning and end. No blurred edges here. Everything is big big big just like my hunger! I think I need to run out and see if there is something I can gnaw on.

>>more later

Philadephia--waiting for flight 3223

The Ithaca flight took off early. The flight attendant as an aside, told us that they were transporting something for an eye transplant. I would assume that was an eye. A flying eye. An airborn eye. How do you pack it to keep it steady? So, a packed flight and an eye landed early getting us into the gate earlier which gave me time to pickup a cord that will patch my phone to my computer for charging. After my flight changed gates 3 times in 15 minutes we now have an illuminated sign to prove that its for real. Phillie and the tedious B10 shuttle program can always be improved with the bus driver politely indicating your new gates (terminals ABC) as "awlgates" which none of us understood. I asked for clarification...and got it...the same. But, I am here.. and on my way.

got some coffee and after one sip, I had to toss it. Man, am I spoiled with the local brew.

weary

Well, here I am. At the airport. Waiting after the shuffle with the homeland security cha cha and before we get to walk out on the tarmac and climb onto the flying pencil they call an airplane. Here's the good news--its daylight savings time so by the time we take off, there will be a bit of sunlight, and having the security stuff done here in the elite, weensy Ithaca airport--it takes the stress out of the big crunches that the big, urban airports impose with the zigzaggy lines, the waits, the shoes off shoes on, stuff. I packed and then repacked. I decided to bring my powerbook for work and for my reading audience. I know there are going to be good things--and they just seem fresher and more important with immediate posts versus waiting. So, we should have some fun between us.

We saw a fox and a raccoon on the way which was cool. Foxes rarely let themselves be seen. Speaking of seen...the meat headed turkey vultures are back. They were circling last weekend over our side yard--and K and I saw one perched nonchalantly on a highway guardrail. Just as cool as could be with his bright red head, and brilliant chrome yellow beak. It really feels like spring. For real spring. We might get another dose of snow...but that will be the last. We all are ready despite it being a fairly mild and unremarkable winter excepting the snow.

On the homefront, K was just in a wonderful production of Studs Turkel's "Working", a musical. The Charles O Dickerman High School Drama Club did themselves proud--with many of the leads filled by new people and every student valued whether they be a lead or part of the ensemble. K was great--really projecting with great animation and verve. Plus, after seeing the costumes she put together from her own clothes, I have discovered that that is what she is about fashion...Her closet is a costume closet--so sometimes we get gangsta K or little match girl K, or "nerdy" K--its all about personna and costumes. So, as a biker chick, a cleaning lady, a street urchin or an office worker, she was very much in her element. It was great seeing it twice to really be able to enjoy the hard work and the excellence of their performance. We are all (everyone in the audience) very proud. We are going to host the cast party next Sat. in the evening. Get out the sheet pizzas and lets pop some popcorn!

More later>>

running to get it together


Organize. Organize. Get money. Go to the post office. Schedule the High School Cast Party for the group. Pack? What to pack? Hot or cold? could be both. Or Not. Confirm with Hotwire. Send notes to E. for the work for next week. Get stuff into the common drop box. Pack? Wash? Unpack? not unwash. Charge the ipod. Charge the phone. Disconnect the powerbook. Pull the random papers out of my sketchbook. Weed down the pens (from a million to a half a million). Ibuprophen? Celdane? Confirm flight. Confirm room. Confirm hotel can do the shuttle. Pack.

As you guessed it. I am running around like a chicken with it's head cut off. However, I do have an interesting  think...for my thesis perhaps I will illustrate and design 12 CDs of For Real projects for Old Time music. It would give me a chance to use my computer technique and my drawing technique and create a library of imagery around "what is Old Time" and fuse it with my work--almost a momento mori moment, but pointed at this Old Time world. I have had success with the Chokers and I hope, soon with my new artist, Carol Elizabeth Jones...so having a body of work focused on this one area where no one spends any creative focus could be cool. It would allow me to spend some time figuring out imagery that says old time like houses, woodcut inspired stuff, wheat, flowers, clouds, snakes but not fish, more birds and chickens, songbirds, butterflies etc. Plus the idea of illustrations with complementary patterns and stuff could be a great resource as well. Maybe? Will need to talk to my Mentor about this. We'll see.I did give up MM for a while (and it has been a good thing)--and R seems to think this new idea has traction. Do you?
Just a thought.
Gotta go.

IF: Heavy (doorway to life)


You must not for one instant give up the effort to build new lives for yourselves. Creativity means to push open the heavy, groaning doorway to life. This is not an easy struggle. Indeed, it may be the most difficult task in the world, for opening the door to your own life is, in the end, more difficult than opening the doors to the mysteries of the universe.
Daisaku Ikeda

Not too heavy, eh? Find that door handle  and get pushing. What's a little living without a little struggle. The state of stunned confusion is where I find myself--dazed and confused at the effort and it's manifestations. You?

gotta run!


Work happening under the stairs. A new bathroom off the front hall! Dust, dust and more dust! but soon, a new bathroom which will be very nice and very elegant as the current one (the remodelling of the former owners in the mid seventies on a tiny budget--yuck) is ready to go away and become part of the back concourse. But, my eyes are itchy and the floor is dusty...and spring cannot come soon enough so as to have the doors open when this sort of thing is happening.

Grinding out this old time thing. We have it in a place it can hold while I am out with the Hartford Illos Group with Mentor Murray and the hardest working gal in the Illos biz, Carol. We are off to Dallas/Fort Worth to see rodeos and line dancing along with James Tennison, Ray Mel Cornelious, Gary Myrick, Dorit Rabinovitch, Jack Unruh, Phil Boatright, Don Punchatz, Real and Muff Musgrave, Bart Forbes, Jose Cruz and more. I leave on Sunday and come back the following Saturday to snow and the Cast Party for Working chez us. So, it should be a busy one--but fun as I will have a preview of all the interesting folks I will be spending two weeks this summer with (in addition to the new group coming in "year one" with me. I am puzzling over clothes as right now I have multiple layers, my new wool boots and no end to things to wrap around my neck, head etc. And they are not doing that in Texas.

gotta go. Am running late today.

March madness?


Long day today. Pretty much 3 evenings finishing late for the CD project I am working on. Today I completed a portrait (from a less than satisfactory image) to make it jive with the bird from yesterday, while bridging the floral on the inside ( the portrait has a wreathe of flowers around the bottom...). Had a nice talk with the manager of this project--and he was helpful re the context of this artist (he didnt come outright and say she is big, but she is big)), the desire to attract a new group of old time music fans (not to be confused with the existing fans). This is what I have been prodding--which is, what is good, great, excellent for this new audience? What are they looking for? What have they responded to? or will respond to? I am sticking with clean with the imagery being fresh, open window simple--but not pictures of mountains and lakes, not pictures of simple landscapes or tablescapes, nothing that feels quilty or cross stitchy. But we are making good progress. Maybe I could become the oldtime music diva that commands attention in that quirky little world. The people are really nice, very earnest, and serious. When they get good work, they can't believe how lucky they are. Talk about payout.

The pool was delightfullly quiet recieving the troubles so peacefully and acceptingly. My arms tell me it was effective. It was a nice back and forth, contemplating Old time music imagery and how to make it, keep it simple-- how to establish a look and feel that everyone wants. The end is near in the basketball tournaments, and play front. R. is late tonight working on a tv commercial. The ice is still here. The village picked up our major pile of logs that fell out of the trees (to our delight and surprise).

Had a nice lunch with my client who was bedecked in hot pink rubber wellies, a kiwi cashmere sweater, a necklace filled with dog charms, and a silver pocketbook to beat the band. She is a "burg girl, so we have lots of laughs and fun. She loves dessert and talking about how delicious everything is as she eats it. She eats life with gusto surrounded by a wild menagerie of animals and her darling, ever patient, ever giving beau who we both secretly think is perfect. She is a bit like Eloise--and would skitter with the turtle if she had one. We had a nice chat, a this and that--and then focused down on our publication which is moving along quietly. Its going to be nice.

late now. must say good night.

Notches in the totem pole


Cranked out a mess of layouts for the new musician I am working with. We are on the fast track to get this package and insert together quicker than quick. The former designer is more of a layout artist--so quick without design is quick. I am pleased with the way the work is going--and we should have something very top drawer, fresh and new which is perfect for her. Its fun, but fast. Its been needles and pins here with clients possibly on, possibly off--and all the sleeplessness of layoffs or not, how to shave the balance sheet. Can I make it work? What goes? Can I cut my salary in half? How can I leverage what I have going on to yield more income? Is there something out there that I can take advantage of--a pocket of preexisting cash--that could be earmarked with my name? I just got a phonecall...deep breath. Over for now...to the affirmative. And the Steuben work apparently is not necessarily done. My contact called and said they are proceeding to sell this job--so there may be 4 + illustrations to do. So plus signs all over.

R in NYC today. K is late with the play. A and I have the early shift. Have been puzzling over the idea of Mis en Place. Mis en Place in the context of cooking are the basics you have around that essentially go into every recipe (olive oil, sea salt, pepper, lemon juice, wine vinegar, chipoltle peppers, parsley, cilantro, onions....basics). Everyone's mis en place have the same core...with variations depending on how they cook, what they cook, what inspires them. I like the idea of illustrators' mis en place. What is your mis en place? Where do you start? Is it the same place all the time? How can you cook italian, mexican, chinese and french--only as an illustrator? What are my mis en place...my sketchbook,ink, pentel brush pen, blue pencil, rotring pen (and odd cartridges that explode in my pockets)? Trace. Pitt pen sharpie and brush. and a ton of books. I really need to keep dogging the sketchbook...it has been invaluable during these speed times for new designs. So, I need to keep the mis en place fresh--and the books ready to go.

How sad about Elliot Spitzer. I bought his squeeky clean thing...silly me. I felt punched in the gut when my accountant told me of it around noon yesterday. Upside is that the deputy governor seems like an interesting guy.

More later

Ice, any way you slice it.



More ice. More branches. More icy branches encasing beautiful, plump, rosy buds. I figured I would give you different ice than the glassy trees we have as I have marvelled at them. We went to Ithaca yesterday to have lunch (tous en famille) at Shortstop (key learning: 1, buy the super big one for a crowd...cheaper by miles, 2. always get the cheap drinks, 3. when travelling with teens, plan on them eating a full 12" sub in a manner that resembles a vaccum cleaner). They loved it. The ice cream picture and the typography from the ice machine is thanks to Shortstop.Then off for 2 pairs of gourmet track shoes for the oncoming season (both kids), and to TJ Maxx for teeshirts, shorts and warm ups. A bit of a financial smarting...but I am recovering. Signed up for 2 weeks of sports fun at Cornell this summer. Am working on K's activity with more choices thanks to my talking to the guidance counselor and reading the posters they have up in the hallways in the high school. We made a huge pile of the branches (some of them as big as trees) in front of the house--and shook all the evergreen's branches which made a tinkling clink clink to loosen up the ice and unburden the weight. More snow today. Hopefully in the 40s later this week.

Pool was perfect. Every shape and size were there. Need to finish my pix and start one of a waterfall. It never ends.
More later>>

something for the armchair

Before the listmaking and planning happens for today, I just wanted to suggest that on this "day of rest" you consider a book I am reading, absorbing and frankly am shouting "right on!" about every other line. It is a very short book, more like an essay, that is a small (in size and page count) and through Audible.com, an hour's listen. It is Sam Harris' "Letter to a Christian Nation". Harris slowly, and simply, starts with those things we all assume are part of the"Judeo Christian tradition" and takes them apart referencing scripture etc. He states facts to the reader he addresses as a Christian (as in right) and peels away all of these righteous approaches to our culture along with the same with Muslims etc. Harris' book makes you think. He makes us consider and weigh our mass think--and really points up traditions and philosophies that really are more moral and balanced. It is worth an hour of listening or a few of reading to shift your thinking during this time of amoral behavior at the highest places--and our lives day to day.

>>Sam Harris, Letter to a Christian Nation
If anything, read the comments left on the page on Amazon. The readers nail it...and present a fairly wide swathe of the thinking around Harris' work.

A breath of fresh fire." —Wall Street Journal

“I dare you to read this book...it will not leave you unchanged. Read it if it is the last thing you do.” —Richard Dawkins, author of The Selfish Gene and The God Delusion

“It’s a shame that not everyone in this country will read Sam Harris’ marvelous little book Letter to a Christian Nation. They won’t but they should.”
—Leonard Susskind, Felix Bloch Professor in theoretical physics, Stanford University

bowing trees


Slow morning here. Had big, wet flakes piling up all last night and the trees that had shed the heavy ice are now laden with snow, pushing their branches down, down down to the ground. The scavenging deer adore this as they don't have to struggle to eat all of the evergreens (that are promoted to be deer resistant. Do not believe this deer resistant thing. The only resistance/ hindrance for this monsters is a jolt of clean and unadulterated electricity. And even that, they forget over time. Hello Reddy Kilowatt( one of my all time favorite characters. I need to go find one for those of you that were not raised with him!). Meet the Bucholic Deer Family. Deer meet Reddy--he's unforgettable. I need to stop. I may launch into a rant. The deer family is not top of my hit parade (or maybe they are). I did hit one....

I had a nice meeting at the Lab of O Library. Amazing, luxurious place. First off, the building is nice--situated on a piece of property that is soggy and attracts birds (part of Sapsucker Woods). There are handmade chairs in the lobby with scopes on wheels that one can use while viewing the wildlife in the yard/pond in front of the building or all over the plethora of feeders they have suspended artfully. There is a lovely bird shop from smart books to baseball caps to anything avian. Hung throughout the lobbies are bird paintings and prints galore with a focus on Audubon, Fuertez (the avian pride of Ithaca), Charlie Harper. As an aside, Fuertes spent his summers in the playhouse (behind the Luckystone Lodge) in Sheldrake. He is (I think) buried in the tiny, messy cemetery in Sheldrake as well. So...its a bit personal with me.

As you wend your way to the second floor, there is a charming library with windows overlooking the protected pond and feeders, a fireplace, more Audubons (each with a story), and books galore. What a resource! I have got to get there and spend time. The Librarian and my pal Matt, inspired Registrar at the Johnson Museum chatted about all these new worlds like the ephemera collection at the Krock Library and the Uris and and and. Matt hopes to be a bit entrepeneurial in mounting tiny little shows in the niches and corners of Cornell to share the work and collection for the Johnson and other libraries and collections throughout Cornell. There is a tremendous wealth of work, art, words, documents...I feel a frisson emerging! More to discover. There is hope that I may have a little show at the Library in October linking it to the Ithaca Art Trail..but we will see. There was also interest in my avian flu pix. We'll see.

On the way home, my stomach started eating itself. I had to stop. I had to eat. I had an epiphany. I would eat a hot truck sandwich--celebrated in Gourmet Magazine...the Primanti's of Ithaca. I had to have this--and really get down to what helps to define Ithaca. Jane and Michael Stern, the wonderful food writers say:

The wildly popular Hot Truck mobile eatery in Ithaca, New York has a language all its own that's used when ordering one of their fantastic French bread pizza subs. Order yours "high carbon, G and G" and it will come extra crispy with mayo and lettuce (grease and garden.)

While the Hot Truck itself appears on the campus of Cornell University only during the school year (it arrives every night at 10:30 weekdays, 11:00 on weekends), you can get the subs year round at the Shortstop Deli, an establishment given the thumbs up by the Hot Truck itself.

Hot Truck
Parks at 635 Stewart Avenue
West Campus, Cornell University
Ithaca, NY
607-273-1111

Shortstop Deli
204 West Seneca Street
Ithaca, NY
607-273-1030

You can listen to their feature here>>
It was luscious. Delicious. Hot and crunchy--it was a big messy experience that kept getting better and better. How have I not discovered this? Why have I satisfied myself with healthy salads, whole wheat confections and sprouts when there was this local delicacy available either at the Truck or Shortstop. I had only, until yesterday, had ordered coffee at Shortstop. Never again. I am going to be going to Shortstop for their pizza subs. How can I make it stylish enough to take my clients? Buy them in advance and take the goods to their offices? There is no "dining experience" at the home of the hot truck. It was too cold to sit outside on the window ledge as Short Stop as there is only standing space with no seating...just manic sandwich ordering and coffees, sodas, ice cream treats.

It was very much a coded experience. You know, the gettoni experience (the whole deal in Italy that every food experience has some sort of code around ordering and around making change...particularly in the bar/tabbaci set ups--you know, you buy a ticket for the coffee and paste that you want and then wait in line to fullfill your order--or they make change and give you candy instead of money--and this code is surprising or sometimes shocking unless you know it) The gettoni refers to change made with the coin one uses to make phone calls with--and are not easy to acquire. Don't get me going about how hard it used to be to make phone calls in Europe in the good old days...Back to the code-- The code for hot truck sandwiches is the orderform--orange, red or blue. Sauces, Veggies and Meats? Name? cheaper soda? You can fill out your order either on paper or computers in the place. So, I rushed to the warmth of the new and improved Wonderbus and scarfed a small size wgg...and could have gone back in for another 10. But the Wonderbus insisted there was work to do--but promised another visit. We have guests coming soon---maybe a platter of SUI subs? SS does do platters. Makes a girl dream....

Megan and Judson, two Cornell PhDs, on their wedding blog references the Shortstop as a place for their guests to get good eats, They explain the names...and the essence of the wonderfulness. They recommend:

The Shortstop Deli is the only place where you can get world-famous Hot Truck pizza subs at a decent hour. These subs have been featured in Gourmet Magazine, and there's just something addictive about them. Megan's parents insist that we give people insider information about the pizza subs, so here it comes. You want the "sui" (short for suicide). You want to add truck sauce. I cannot under-emphasize the importance of the truck sauce. This delicious, mysterious orange substance is what makes the pizza sub really special. Pizza subs are extremely addictive! Consider yourself warned. If you can look past the pizza subs, the deli also offers a variety of standard cold- and hot-subs. And we have recently discovered that their breakfast selection is also delicious. The Shortstop is a bit of an Ithacan institution, so you should do your best to have a sub there. They are quite proud of their "Ithaca-style" sandwiches. This is a good place to get a relatively inexpensive, filling meal. Ordering subs at the Shortstop is based on a color-coded order slip system. You want a slip with red text for pizza subs; orange for regular subs; and blue (I think) for breakfast/bagel subs. Fill out the slip, separate the parts, and hand the top (white) slip to the guys making the sandwiches. Then get your $0.10 or $0.25 drink and bring that and your remaining (yellow) slip to the cash register to pay. Subs cost around $5. The Shortstop can be found on Rte. 79W (Seneca St.).

Need to get back to reality. The cat picture is "up"--and the new CD needs sketches.
More later>>

Ice box





Look at Shady Grove. Look at how red she gets in the snow...! She normally reads as black with some purple hints...but look at what the camera sees. And, the ICE! Just wanted to share with you.

Mixed bag



A sparkling day. Hard diamond trees, glittering, glazed and brilliant. As you can see --our willow was glazed while Shady Grove collected pinecones and frolicked in the snow. The snow geese were thick this morning in the sky.It was a beautiful drive to the wonderful pool of dilemmas. Had a great call with an old time musician who needs a CD image and brand. Her desires are good and my wheels are rolling. We are going to be working in black and red on white--with florals, birds etc. My only fear is not enough time to do a bang up job...but...I am going to do the best I can do for the time we have. Tissues are happening. Left Foot, Right Foot.

Big News about Steuben. Steuben Glass to close if it is not sold>> Sad, but not surprising. It's been a long time of touch and go...plus the funds it takes to drive that business against the cost of goods, overhead and expectations could be put to funding profitable and more core businesses for the new Corning Incorporated. Corning Incorporated emerged from Corning Glass Works....but they are not the same company. Corning is a technology company not a Glass (capital G) company. Not to say that Corning is not totally amazing in their understanding of glass, glass the material and the manufacturing. But Glass does not drive the train but is integrated in the entire technology story. Corning says that its not a fit...which given the divestiture of all direct to consumer businesses (Housewares (Corelle, Corningware, Pyrex brands), Sunglasses (Serengeti brand), to name the most prominent businesses except (until now) Steuben--it makes sense. They are no longer supporting design centers. When I started there almost 30 yrs ago there were six design centers within Corning committed to excellence in design (Science Products, Steuben, Consumer Products, Architecture, Corporate Design, Corporate Exhibits) with design and production services. Now there is just Steuben. And that, is going too. It will be interesting to see how it evolves. I am sad as it represents a chapter, an aspect of our lives (R and me) that has woven in and out of our careers with interesting travel, design and wonderful people. Plus, the american-ness of the product and how fashionable it was--is sad to see it change. But, change can be good.

>>Here's what the Corning Leader says>>

Having a meeting at the Lab of O (as the locals call Cornell's Laboratory of Ornithology) for a teensy show of birds. That should happen in a week or so. Slugging away on the horse...so as to be able to do a cat so as to finish my woodduck. Yipes! And, there will be a Texas picture on the horizon for the U of Hartford.

YES! Neigh!