Dawdling

Whenever possible, delay. Put off, procrastinate, dawdle (like I am now), consciously ignore those deadline driven things until the pain or lack of sleep drives you to them. I have a paper due on the 15th of December. Christmas is half wrapped. Cards are ordered. Lists need to be updated (maybe the teenagers can help with the list updating for cash). Thanksgiving was pushed off to today (I must admit, everything is done except the turkey breasts (4--3 to serve, one for show), the gravy, snipping off the ends of the green beans and peeling potatoes (I have teenagers--they are getting pressed into the peeling and snipping brigade if I offer them delights for lunch or scones for tea?).

Must buckle down in the next few days and shed some of this personally driven stuff. Another looming deadline is the ever fun, end of year, prep for taxes, project end of year sales, losses etc. And did I mention the push pull of what transfers to the next year and what doesn't? Should we lease a piece of equipment December 24th or January 2? And, I almost forgot, sign up for the SATs in Biology and French for K. Oh, and what about long term care insurance? Need to get on that too. Tick Tock it gets more expensive as we wait. Get on it, girl.

So,if I can knock off the paper (and edit next week) that would be great. Also, with Christmas half wrapped, I can finish that Sunday and get in the mail. Work is ramping up with end of year "whoops, it's December" or "we need this first week of January" (forgetting the printing world stops around December 15th)--that sort of shenanigans.

But, the frivolity continues. I am off to Miami this Thursday through Monday to go to Art Basel Miami and Design Miami. I am, of course, Mrs. Cassetti (wife of Mr. Cassetti, who is with the Corning Museum of Glass). The Museum is involved in a project with friends from the Vitra Design Museum, in developing an interest in designing, using and helping leading edge designers get comfortable in the world of hot glass and hot glass making. This project is called GlassLab (logotype designed by yours truly). The Museum takes their portable shop down to Art Basel Miami(and has done the Sofa Show in Chicago, Art Basel as well as the Vitra Museum, the Design program at Boisbuchet etc), they set up the stop, put up the fly/tent and work with some of the leading lights (young and old) to bring glass to the forefront as a wonderful material to work with.

Here is what the Museum says about GlassLab along with their schedule:

GlassLab @ Design Miami/Art Basel Miami
Oak Plaza, across from the Design Miami Pavilion
December 3 – 6, 2008

GlassLab is an innovative program from The Corning Museum of Glass that pairs the Museum’s master glassmakers with some of the most creative minds in design, using a unique mobile hot glass studio.

Schedule of Design Performances

Tuesday, December 2
1:00 p.m. – 3:15 p.m. Michele Oka Doner
4:00 p.m. – 6:15 p.m. Ladd Brothers
7:00 p.m. – 9:15 p.m. Tim Dubitsky

Wednesday, December 3
11:00 a.m. – 1:15 p.m. Miami Design and Architecture Senior High
2:00 p.m. – 4:15 p.m. Tim Dubitsky
5:00 p.m. – 7:15 p.m. Guest Artist (TBD)

Thursday, December 4
11:00 a.m. – 1:15 p.m. Michele Oka Doner
2:00 p.m. – 4:15 p.m. Ladd Brothers
5:00 p.m. – 7:15 p.m. Yves Béhar

Friday, December 5
11:00 a.m. – 1:15 p.m.
2:00 p.m. – 4:15 p.m. Ladd Brothers
5:00 p.m. – 7:15 p.m. Tim Dubitsky

Saturday, December 6
11:00 a.m. – 1:15 p.m. Yves Béhar
2:00 p.m. – 4:15 p.m. Michele Oka Doner
5:00 p.m. – 7:15 p.m. Guest Artist (TBD)

----
So, there will be art and illustration (posing as art) to be seen. Mark Murphy has a space in one of the smaller venues and has a show he has developed and curated, "KNOW" exhibition. Here is what Mark says about his show:

“KNOW” featured at this year’s Gen Art Vanguard Fair is an exhibition comprised of many inspired artisans that represent a diverse cross section of the fine art world. All of the work has been created specifically for the “KNOW” exhibition and hopes to introduce you to emerging and known talent who have no fear when incorporating digital painting, mixed media, comics, traditional painting, rendering and photographic styles into their work.

I made a point to see Mark last year and was surprised at the smallness of the works but the extrordinary quality of the paintings all at a very reasonable price.

I hope to visit Aqua, a very funny and cute, totally Miami Beach hotel which (as many of these quirky places have happen) have the rooms emptied, and galleries move their work into each room and set up shop. Aqua often has some nice, Juxtapos-y type galleries with often interesting new artists (check out the link--I see that Billy Shire from Culver City will be there...and actually, Aqua was where, last December, I saw Adam Baumgold Gallery (he reps Chris Ware, Steinberg, Charles Burns, Jules Feiffer etc. check him out) I adore going to the Convention Center which is jammed with galleries with everything from Picassos to films, from works on paper to works on canvas. Enormous C prints. An installation of enormous foil wrapped santa chocolates (real chocolate and everything). Funny made over cars, furniture and interesting lighting. Buildings made out of guide wires and agricultural fiberglass panels. Free drinks to get you to try certain liquors or wine. Maybe we will have the time to really go deep in the Taschen Store. Or sit in on some of the "Art Conversations" which are engrossing conversations that an artist and interviewer have on a topic. And, as I am Mrs. Cassetti, free passes into the VIP cool places. As you know, I will have my camera and the silver powerbook. Minime is staying home as I can park the computer and do not need to schlep it. So, maybe, just maybe, there might be some undercover photographs posted just for us.

So, it will be fun. Really fun. There will be swimming, art and hanging out with the glass guys (home team is the best) along with packing a bunch of stuff into the grey matter and seeing what sticks. Something better. I cannot wait!

Time to stop procrastinating.

Later!

Drink deep: Mark Shaw, photographer

When I hung up the phone with Murray with the fashionable butterfly girl image, I was stuck. I needed a deep drink of stylishness --just because. Murray, with his ebullient encouragement--made me retreat. Rethink and try to not be fearful of this image. You know, I have been getting scared by my pictures and get stunned into not moving on it. Not being all impulsive and fearless. I get frozen, which needs to STOP. Enough of that aside, I then started googling fashion photography just to get my head back into frivolity, beauty and excited versus frozen and afraid. I discovered Mark Shaw, fashion photographer and chronicler of the Kennedy Family. This seems to be a great review of his work and chronology. He died at 47 to all of our loss.

I hope this jazzes you up the way it does me. Mark Shaw is brilliant.

Numbers

I was struggling with numbers this morning as every story has a metric attached. So much money being spent on "saving" the banking community and the billions anticipated that we will continue to spend. I dont know about you, but imagining billions is impossible, and millions a close second. So, I figured would start at the top:

> How many people in the US: 305,747,119
> What is the world population: 6,739,478,266
> How many houses projected to go into foreclosure (US) in the next year: over 6,000,000
> Average cost of a single family house in US: $264,000 (in October)
> Median Income (2007) per household $50,233.00
> Number of jobs lost this last month (nonfarm payroll for October alone in US) 240,000

And now we can begin. What is frightening is based on 305 million population, 6 million houses in foreclosure represents how many families? what percentage of the pie? How can a famiily making around $50,000. afford a $250,000 house? How can that family afford a downpayment of 20% and the month payments/ taxes/ maintenance? How could we even fantasize that is something that is even in the realm of possibilities? Based on the loss of jobs for October, what does that mean to Medicare, to food stamps to the rolling trend of people not purchasing, not saving which then results in more job losses, more escalation in services, less state taxes, less money for schools...and the spin cycle that seems to be on the horizon that for me, has no tooth until I can better understand it. More on this rant as you well know.

Multitaskability

Its that time of the year, the day before the day before a holiday. Always that moment, that day when the corporate world explodes/implodes and we are there with open phone lines, sharp pencils and multitaskability to help them all to get out of the office for their breaks which sometimes manifests itself in my not having a very happy holiday (read working). We are holding steady. Eleventh hour, we need to see this, then, now...and then...A bit of hair ripping. But, I am typing this while the postscript files are saved out.

Had a mind bending conversation (all positive) with mentor Murray. He got on the phone and had all sorts of ideas, input and excitement around the image that was posted last Friday ("IF: [Homer's] Opinion).He was so encouraging, so positive, so delighted with this piece--suggesting I get paints out and tint output on watercolor paper. It was such a blast of postivity, my hair hasn't flattened out yet...and I am a bit stunned...trying to get some time tomorrow to output the image and play with color a bit..He wants a bit more of this...and I have been working on the Genesis stuff with a whale that is moving someplace...so it sounds like parallel universes with genesis and fluffy ladies. I have the genesis corrections from NYC (eliminating the goofy white lines that separate the tree from the background, the owl from the background and shifting the background color) and now I need to go here too. No problem. Every step Murray pulls me forward--and the work improves and I keep learning. I keep taking in the conventions as I look and listen to this wonderful educator, kind man and incisive art director and guide. My hubbie is pretty good at this too. But I fight R. I am not allowed to fight Murray (I have almost given up--what will he do?) and each and every thing has value to me. I suggested Dennis Nolan's palette and he suggested John Alcorn's palette. So, Alcorn it is. We will see what happens.

I have been looking at Leo and Diane Dillon's Bradley, Will Bradley, William Morris and Walter Crane. There are some other conventions that come out about illustrating--the ones Murray has pointed up are, to refresh myself:

> women have light and delicate features. minimize or eliminate shadows.
> women have light mouths--do not draw the bottom lip, but suggest it with the shadow under the lip.
> all elements that move away from a trunk or a torso taper (read, arms/legs or branches or octopus tentacles even flower stems...its a good one)
> new understandings:
--sometimes women have tiny, bitsy hands and feet.
--sometimes the figures are almost graphic shapes with the background and foliage doing all the business with the detail insanity. The sheer relief of the plain figure is remarkable and becomes the first thing the eye sees.
--edit while you draw. More is less.
--keep the pen moving and if you worry, photoshop also can erase and edit..
--think dark and light with the page patterning with figures and foliage.
--faces are always almost calligraphic in simplicity. No need to whale on it. Brief for male faces, scanty with women.

Gotta go. Some postscript files are crying.

looking at John Alcorn

Murray suggested I look at John Alcorn's palette. So, I did here>> at Evolution by Design
a tremendous resource highlighting 300 images from Alcorn's portfolio. John Alcorn(2.10.1935 ~ 1.27.1992) was a less known member of Push Pin Studios with a distinct decorative style that I think rocks.

I forgot the kibble

It was a whirl until I put my head down on the soft pillow and started to fade last night. Kitty and I bought Thanksgiving, Day after Thanksgiving Thanksgiving and the baby shower food all in one swoop on Saturday afternoon (and, of course, forgot the kibble for the kittens).We shopped and shopped from the traditional stuff like potatoes to our favorite things in the Indian Food section like Swad Coriander Chutney (always buy 3 jars as it is the basis of all things good) and Indian garlic (finely chopped, no bitter aftertaste, smooth as butter), to the household stuff we always forget (like the kibble!).

Two grey cats were not happy. Not at all. Didn't even pretend to put a brave face on it. Lots of angry tail switching and sidelong glances. Lots of showing me the claws they were planning to sink into my leg when I least expected it. No kibble. No excuses.

We unloaded our goodies and then started in on organizing and wrapping Christmas. We have the cards ordered for the business and personal, and my hope is to have Christmas figured out and shopped for by the end of the Thanksgiving weekend, so I can get the boxes in the mail by the first week of December. And, I think this is achieveable. I have a a lunch scheduled with some of K's senior friends so we can start a tradition of having lunch over the holidays when eveyone goes back to school and comes home. Its important to establish these things early, so everyone (except the planner) thinks this is the most natural thing in the world. I have discovered that if you do something more than twice, it becomes a tradition which is either pooh poohed or adored. I am hoping this will work. So we wrapped and wrapped and listened to a book on tape of the new Phenom, Twilight, a total piece of idotic trash. I mean, if you want good girl trash, this is not it...its mall literature...with not much story and characters I personally do not care a whisker about. I mean...I do not get it. Trash and not the good kind. I do not think I can spend a minute more listening to this stuff. However, this unleashed a real comedy commentary from K. who rolled her eyes, translated and then overlaid her own emo track on top of this stuff, so it made the time speed by.

We had the baby shower. Girls, Boys, children, littlelittles. Very nice--for everyone. It was worth the effort as it was fun and I think the new growing family liked it too.

This week is a short week with the kids out Wednesday, and my taking Wed. p.m. off. I would like some time to draw beyond the doodles on the top of the stove while K and A eat their breakfast. I got to the House of Health today and elliptical beckoned. Not too cruel, and I didnt fall off...So we are up on that.

There was a line that went down the block by the local Methodist Church this morning with people lined up with wagons, carts and cars filling them with food they got from the folding tables set up in the parking lot of potatoes, yams, turkeys, iced carrot cakes and the like. We are talking topped off cart...so many tables will be groaning from the food which made me pause and thank goodness for the local food bank that we have in Central New York. The folks in line needed the help. The Food Bank is a group I really believe in as they help those in need in a very respectful, generous way. They help out at the schools, providing filled backpacks with food and snacks for kids in need who might not eat over the weekends. They supplement those who are in a place that this makes the difference. They take produce grown at the Cornell farms and process it/sort it to go to those in the area. So the Ag school helps too. I did a little volunteer work for them and feel that if there is any charity needing an arm up today, tomorrow and particularly in the near term future, it is the foodbank. We should all give a bit and help out. It is direct aid..and as necessary as air for any human being. So often we give to those charities that effect education, quality of life, the environment--and I feel they all have value. But to see those who are extremely needy getting a bit of help...for me, it transcends all else.

Must go and do something with the rest of the day. Time's a ticking.

Parsnips, Turnips and chevre

It's winter. The snow is sticking to the ground and staying there. Word is that we are getting inches (upward to 8 or so) this weekend, so the promise of the never ending indian summer has now, officially, ended. It was great while it lasted.

One of my boyfriends at the local grocery store, Shure Save showed me his most proud moment of the last few weeks. He flipped open his cell phone and showed me the corpse of a 6 point buck while animatedly telling me of the other bucks this guy was travelling with and how he was going to get a few more. He is a bow hunter with his own stands all over the place in his neighborhood and is counting down the days that bow hunting is allowed again. He has 2 deer already (one given to him by a relative) and he figures one or two more for fun and eating and he is set. This is the same guy, who when told he couldnt leave the house during deer season because of his need to recover from heart surgery, opened the kitchen door in his jimmy jammies and felled a deer in the backyard from the doorway. "Never left the house" he said with a wink.

We are having 40 for a baby shower tomorrow. So, I need to rush off to the store and stock up on things to eat (it is dish to pass, but we need to be prepared). Need the green disposable paper goods (the mother to be is insistent). I need to sell the local teen squad that they are on the hook for short term babysitting (yes, for pay) and get my head into this. Should be fun. We can get the fake coal stove cranked and get some good music going and have a short nice time (2-5 p.m.).

Lists are squared away for our Thanksgiving the Day After (dinner on Black Friday). Will swing by Wegmans for a couple of organic turkey breasts, bread and cheese (we always have a cheese course-- a tradition I made up a few years ago as an excuse to get the junior part of the clan to stretch a bit insofar as their tastes), green beans (fresh to steam), and some organic greens. Up in the air about soup...(don't adore a ton of squash anything...maybe we can forego along with sweet potatoes?). I guess as I am chief chopper and chef, I get to pick what we eat. I read about this great savory bread pudding made with guyere that I thought might fill the stuffing slot, but baby A, insisted my stuffing with cornbread, italian sausage, leeks etc. was what we had to have. Oh well.

Off to the store. More later. Want to talk about a mini illustration idea/epiphany. Nothing worth losing sleep over...but novel for one person in this universe, selfish old me!

Picture from my sketchbook. Seems like I may be wishing for butterflies despite the snow.

IF: [Homer's] Opinion

Thus has Homer proved his opinion of our poor sex—that the love of beauty is our most prevailing passion. It really grieves me to think that there certainly must be reason for the insignificant opinion the greatest men have of women—at least I fear there must.—But I don’t in fact believe it—thank God!

Frances Burney (1752–1840), British author

I adore William Morris.

Know Exhibition

"Know" featured at this year's Gen Art Vanguard Fair is going to happen real soon. Mark Murphy, Murphy Fine Art Editions is working hard to post information prior to the show dates of December 4th through the 7th. Syracuse Alumni, Don Kilpatrick is one of the artists in this show. To find out more, here it is from Mark Murphy's Scribble 08 Blog>>

> Image is Don Kilpatrick's entry for the Know show.

processing

Lots of things come out of the time we spend together as a group with the Hartford Limited Residency MFA in Illustration program listening, talking, and gathering all that is thrown our way. There were some very strong messages sent out to those of us who could hear them (as an aside, I am a believer that we all hear different things as we are all on different paths and as in the game of telephone--it is all in the translation, and that is why it is good we all talk so much amongst ourselves). Some I picked up were:

> Do your own thing and sell it. To quote Murray who is often quoted by Dennis Detrick "Imagine it, Draw it, Sell it". Exactly. To that, Zina Saunders is dead on with her New York portraits and her wonderfully funny political work. Also, Cheryl Philips charge to be a licensor (make that old work live again...imagine and research the market, marry it to the work and sell it). And, in creating that work, protect yourself through registration. Even Brodner and Ciardello were on that same track. Either it's age or time or both, it works for me. Take risks. The bigger the risk, the bigger the payout. work on what you like/love. There will be a home for it.

My case in point was the work I did around Memento Mori at the advent of my fiftieth birthday. Yes, it was obsessive. Yes, it was me going totally off the tracks. Yes, there was reading and odd thinking that became pictures, but I did it for me to understand what I was thinking about and as a way to process the idea and information in a way that I could fully integrate that concept of memory, remembrance, mortality and death. But guess what? I have sold illustrations from that collections of neurotic images along with having applied as a tattoo to a friend, sold mini books on the idea and used it as a personal brand for the short term. I did the work for me, about me and it was saleable and done. I have a feeling this work will give in the land of licensing as well. So, pursue your neurosis, your dreams, your nightmares, your ideas to the places you can take them...and there will be a home in the marketplace for them. This is a bit different than editorial work or art directed work. When it's done, its a different thing. You may do some tweaks--but not much more than that.

> Register your work. Protect yourself. It is beyond creativity. This is business. To that point, I was doing my daily web wandering and got the the Copyright Office page. On the eCo Online Page they are pitching why filing your work online is great(which totally works for me)>>

> Lower filing fee of $35 for a basic claim (for online filings only)
> Fastest processing time
> Online status tracking
> secure payment by credit or debit card, electronic check, or Copyright Office deposit account
>the ability to upload certain categories of deposits directly into eCO as electronic files

It seems (we can hope) to be pretty staight forward along with all sorts of FAQs, tutorials either in powerpoint or pdfs. So, within the next few weeks, we are reading and getting going on this. I can get girl Friday, Ms. Amanda to help me with the scans etc. and we can get ourselves up to date so we can systematize this as we move forward. I was thinking that we should tie the upload with the payment of our Quarterly taxes as a way of getting real and having Barbara come at be and push me to get real. Love that.

I have just begun to get a bit deeper with this content and my head is beginning to spin. Here is what's nice though, it's in layman's English so that it is perceivable...just tough going...(reading out loud for understanding as a way to go..?)but worth it. Take a look. Join me in this fun!

Stocking up

Leo and Diane Dillon

Well, thanks to Joe Ciardello and others, I ordered up a stack of Arches 140 Hot Press and a fist of tubes of watercolor (per the palette recommended by the ever amazing painter, Dennis Nolan). I was stunned and drooling after I had a chance to hold Ciardello's beautiful illustrations--with the paper being luscious and had great hand...a great surface that takes the ink. I also loved his hand ripped/deckled edges that I think could be part of my illustration... taking the hand drawn thing further making it toothier. I had to get some...no choice. I also got some watercolor frisket as well as I adore the little graphic characters that the Dillons use...and the graphic illustration from the Illustration House (at left) that really got me charged up to try this approach. I love the simplicity and whimsey of this image and how all the parts are really working. Breathlessly inspiring.

Doug Andersen nipped at my heels suggesting scratchboard and watercolors, hand tinting prints etc and you know, I am going to take the challenge along with scratchboard (and a technique that Chad Grohman is going to explain to me having to do with a fake woodcut approach). I also dialed up a holiday card with various inserts for this year versus stacks of prints for everyone. Probably prints for clients...but not the entire list as the supplies are not cheap and I want to say hi to a lot of people. So, the list gets parsed--the Hi list and the print/gift list. More letters the better...but with a little thinking around them. Plus, the postage is pricy on the big prints...so change is in order. And, appropriate too given the state of the state of the state.

Speaking of inspiring--this image is a knockout from the Dillons. I love how Will Bradley it is...the line work, the sheer texture of the plants below (along with the demon who is hidden), and then the simple figures who draw your eye. I am very taken with this, the color, the composition, and the linear forest (remember this Q.) used to build the image and set an environment for the story. Lots to see here.

Rob was so kind while we were in Fort Lauderdale, pulling off the street and allowing me to scramble around the car to take snapshots of the wonderful plants and palms that spring up in every patch of dirt in front of everything. So, I have great resources along with my new used books from Alibris on Indian Painting. Am getting charged up again.

Gotta go, work awaits.

making sense of life

“Writing is making sense of life. You work your whole life and perhaps you've made sense of one small area.”
Nadine Gordimer

Murray was quoting Dorothy Parker last week--about her vision of writing (the process) and writing (the finished piece) which was intriguing for me to think about two things. Read a bit about what writers say about their work, their craft, their vision, their final opus. And then, see how it applies to illustration, graphic design, and how I speak to myself and to my world. Additionally, the quote he cited (which I dogged today and could not find) was all about the final work being important but how some of us wallow and thrill in the actual making/doing to get there. For me, it is the entire package--not just the thumbnailing to admire and then the final frozen moment of wonder when the illustration is done, and we can all admire it. I love the sharpening of the blue pencil, the loading my sailor brush pen with glorious, glorious Borealis black ink, the patting of the paper, the tracing and filling, the scanning and the correcting. The whole process is very happy, very relaxing and a form of meditation for me. It is me, talking to me...listening to the radiators hissing, Shady Grove scratching and enjoying the day as it is. Then, the pleasure is in the final work after the tweaking and cleaning, changing and modifying. So, I get a double dip. And, surprisingly, not everyone laps up every part of the illustration process. So artists create, plow through the making and enjoy the final piece. I cannot even begin to try to live in those shoes. The whole thing for me is so luscious and lovely, I cannot even begin to imagine the loss of pleasure in the doing just for a wonderful end piece.

What a wonderful thing Murray gave to us in citing that sharp witted Dorothy Parker and making me think. Another reason why he is so adoreable.

Hartford Art School: Vin DiFate Crit

In NYC last week, we had a really great crit with Vin DiFate who had meaningful and valuable things to say about each piece so that not only did the artist take something away, but those of us in the room who need to listen and learn did too. Vin and Murray were gentle and yet directive--and I know I got a lot from the review. Additionally, Vin took a bit of time to talk about composition showing images and how they were composed, talking about the relationships of the objects, and how the composition made the image. I loved his chat about the Arnolfini Wedding...and how it worked as a design. Imagine, it made me think! Some of the fuzzy pictures above are details of fellow student's work (forgive me, this is all hand held, point and shoot photography)>>Top: Jackie Decker, Second from Top: Anthony Accardo, Third from Top Ron Spears and Final: Chuck Primeau.

Celebrity Solstice: Friends and Frosty Fun

Top group is the most important. They are the spine and soul of the Hot Glass Stage on the newest ship for Celebrity, the Solstice. They are (from left to right) Steve Gibbs, Lewis Olsen, Carl Siglin and Annette Sheppard. Look for more on them.

Second from top is a cross section of part of the Solstice with the Martini Bar at the bottom and all the people and light. I like this image as its decorative (as in decorative illustration) and yet gives some verve of the moment.

Third image is a broad look at the Grand Epernay, designed by Adam Tihany. The jewel studded (or seemingly so) ceiling is baroque in it's expression and feel. The color (blue this day) changes throughout the room's uses.

Fourth image shows detail of the Martini Bar which has the ability to ice up quite thickly (think Zamboni and ice hockey games) having a chilly surface to place your drink. Things could get very dangerous this way.

Fifth image shows a pull back of the same Martini Bar. Like the vibe of this one too.

For more images, visit my Flickr site>>

Celebrity Solstice: a watery view

Up in Blue

I like it that the word blue has taken on meanings these days. Very hip…or maybe just that I have been a consumer of the blue brands in the past few days. JetBlue, BlueStudio, et cetera having to do with skies or seas. Regardless, I like blue despite that fact that most clients want blue logos so they can take fewer risks and to some degree, fit in when standing out is more the place we should want them to be.

We got up early and are on JetBlue winging our way back to white (snow) in Syracuse which we should have the pleasure of encountering around noon thirty today. We spent an evening in Fort Lauderdale in the Courtyard by Marriott across the street from the National Swimming Hall of Fame (a very prime example of Post Modern architecture which R. surmises is an Architectonica design given it’s lovely whimsy and crappy construction—a winning and yet recognizable style). Abutting the National Swimming Hall of Fame is the Fort Lauderdale Swimming Club with many pools cordoned off for lap swimming that could easily accommodate hundreds of swimmers going back and forth finding either sport or focus in that lovely repetition of strokes, walls and markings on the pool.

We did a walk on the beach to see the rosy sunset, and to our surprise, there was the Celebrity Solstice going out for a bit of a spin for the evening. I took pictures of the palm trees (many and varied), the palm fronds and of course many green coconuts which seemed to be quite abundant on the beach. We passed a tree that we always qualify as a bird tree. You can have bird trees anywhere…and this bird tree was thunderous with the chirping and singing that emanated from its leafy branches. We caught a glance at boat tailed grackles (identified over the phone by Princess Kitty) who were happily gobbling up the fruit and beckoning their friends to come and join them. We saw pelicans and parrots –who cawed raucously as they flew by. I love the flora and fauna that seem to be so regular in South Florida. Granted, I love the flora and fauna regardless of where we go, but what with brilliant purple foliage and exotic birds, South Florida has much of the world by the tail.

We also walked down the River Walk in Fort Lauderdale which is a lovely park that follows the river. The river activity is wild with these enormous yachts and sea taxis steaming down the water, maneuvering some quick turns and narrow spaces as equally large yachts lined either side of the aqueous street, parked and waiting. The River walk was lined with a great selection of palms and plants one might see up north in shopping malls or tropical plant stores –great purple leaves, some polka dotted bright pink or green leaves, frosty blue round palm leaves etc. River Walk is very Fort Lauderdale and well worth the visit.

R took me to a wonderful place for dinner, the 15th Street Fisheries. There is an upstairs with fancier menus and downstairs, more bar and casual food. There is outside sitting and inside. But, beyond the yummy sandwiches with seafood, they have cut holes in the floor of the restaurant which is suspended over the river, and there right in front of you are scads of fish—flounder and other fish, in a silvery dance in the illuminated green water. They had pictures of people on the outside of the building feeding buckets of fish/chum to these enormous, big jawed tarpons. Primordial fish. One definitely felt on the top of the food chain as I glanced down at the frisky flounder and then at my hot plate filled with dinner. The 15thStreet Fisheries is situated in a boatyard, so we got an eyeful of all sorts of Boston Whalers—center console, ocean going etc. Loved it.

Onward to home. Onward to our dear ones who need us. K had a series of interviews with art schools over the weekend at SUNY Purchase (which she quickly labeled as a prison for art), and had negative responses to her work with Fine Arts departments (which she thought was where she was interested) with input such as “do you want to be an illustrator and do things like Hallmark Cards or Children’s books?”). So, poor K got the first taste of the Fine Arts sneer at illustration. It was a bit of a shock, tip of the lash for her as she didn’t see it coming. She is quite disheartened as am I as her work is beautiful, genuinely good, and as she is just on the front end of this process, it is (as we all know) hard to scrape yourself off the floor, sew your ego back in place, pick up the portfolio and proceed. But, we will get her all put back together again. A. seems lonely—and needs some hugging. Shady Grove is mope-y so she will need time hugging us and taking a deep doggy deep breath.

This coming weekend is a baby shower we are doing with friends…so I will need to engage in this. We have Christmas to start focusing on, Thanksgiving to plan along with the writing of our papers for Hartford and getting back on track with the project work. Need to check on ski bus before it is too late. And of course, it’s the last quarter of the year, so the business needs a bit of TLC along with the steady stream of work we have the opportunity to do. So, back to the whirl at Two Camp Street.

Winter awaits in Syracuse.

More later>>

Standing Still and Moving Forward

Our cruise was not really cruising. We went out a bit and then sat…with the stabilizers and motors on to keep us in one place. Even a big boat drifts, which gave the impression we were moving when really, the skyline of Miami stayed pretty much in the same place all day. It was a beautiful puffy cloud day, with clouds that would shame baroque painters all sculpted, grey and gold, cream and white, paynes gray and blue. With the breeze blowing, it was a perfect moment.

Steve Gibbs, Annette Sheppard, Lewis Olsen (note rave about Lew at Art Basel Miami last December), and Kurt all put on some amazing glass demonstrations throughout the day from making an enormous conch shell to a delicate, orange footed vase with bits and applied decoration to an off hand, blue crab with wit and gesture. They drew good crowds of people—many coming back for each show—with cheering and questions and real curiousity about the medium and the making. I like that, medium and the making—save that idea for later. The set up for the show is on the 15th floor of the ship. The tippy top, next to the lawn club where Celebrity’s Richard Fain insisted there would be grass…and there was. So, glass and grass. There was an overspill of people..which may suggest a slightly different programming for the future vessels (next one to launch next year. The Solstice is the first of five of this class of ship…and the glass show goes with this class. I was very proud of the home team from the Museum of Glass. They gave a good presentation with solid messages that linked the vision of the Solstice to that of the Museum.

I did a bit of hopping around and chatting with people yesterday. I walked the shops which could be tweaked to my thinking insofar as product mix. Celebrity knows their customers…but the low end tees and visors flanking conservative high end necklaces and bracelets along with a liquor store seemed to be the mix. Not many paperbacks, nor mid range art objects to reinforce the art experience this ship offers. I think they may be missing some easy money. But hey, thankfully I do not run the universe.

I had a nice chat with the person who runs their art enterprise. Solstice has a new vendor for art—a gallery that has Dale Chihuly glass and drawings, some interesting glass artists represented, painters, digital artists and some encaustic works (works in wax). They are a bit flashy, but the real deal –and new, contemporary practicing artists. It was disconcerting to me in our former cruising experience to see tons of Leroy Neimans and painters of that ilk showcased along with uncertified, real Rembrandt and Chagall prints/etchings etc. It seemed like art that was good for you, not necessarily art that spoke to you, that you want to live with, that makes you happy. This new gallery seems to understand this and appeals to a wide range of people without dumbing the assortment down—respectfully showing work that is affordable for collectors, easy to get into, and guides that person to select something to remember their trip that has artistic integrity and merit which matches with their experience aboard the Solstice.

We got off the ship after meeting a bit with the team, and ended up in Fort Lauderdale which is very small townish, nice with beautiful beaches, great tropical plants and trees (took a bunch of reference for my garden of Eden work), with pink sidewalks, parrots flying and screeching, bird trees filled with birds eating plump fruit. We walked down the beach and saw the Solstice steaming out of Port Everglades with another load of guest for another two night tour to sharpen up the staff prior to their first paying gig, thanksgiving week. She was elegant and to our happiness and delight, we saw the hot glass glory hole on the 15th floor at a distance...the brightest light on the ship. And to my thinking, the Museum is a bright light for this new class of ships. We are very excited about the future.

Pepper on the Port Side

I got to Fort Lauderdale with time to spare and got off the plane to balmy,hot and humid weather that only South Florida can produce. There on the horizon, in the Port of the Everglades was the gigantic, shiny, white Celebrity Solstice, our treat for the next two nights and three days. We rushed around to get pressure bracelets, sun screen and lightweight shorts prior to embarking on the ship. Once on board, the whole pace and pitch changed. First off, the Solstice is a remarkable vessel. You can read about it…but to experience it is another thing. We were shown to our room ( a cozy space with duvets and cotton bedding, iTV, and a balcony overlooking the sea. The bathrooms are bigger, and nicely appointed, there are plugs where you need them, nice bedside lights and side tables. As always, the storage and closets are beautifully thought out, with places for shoes, hanging space, a flip down for your suitcase—everything to make travelling easier and fun.

We toured the ship from the AquaSpa with tiled steam rooms with reclining benches (images in the next post) with tiled floral patterns—large scale. We admired the hot pink beauty salon, the natural products boutique, the amazing gym with equipment galore and plenty of it. I treated myself to a facial which was a wonderful experience, allowing your brain to turn off and float on a pink cloud—while a lovely girl massaged by arms as well as putting masks and gels on my face with a lovely aromatic, herbal smell. The massage table was heated and calming. I can see how one could get into this treat. My only criticism is being called “dearie” by a waifish Irish girl. But it was endearing in a way too.

There is a pool outside with high tech cabanas integrated into a series of tent structures. There is also an indoor pool with big basket chairs for at least two, with drapery and a light waterfall on the backwall that changes color above a water installation (also on the outside) with water and color play by Wet, the same group in California that created a water event for the Museum of Glass as well as tour de force fountains in resorts and entertainment centers throughout the world. And, despite my words which could sound just this side of over the top, its not. It is beautiful and memorable. I love the outside showers and foot showers which had photographs of feet above them to “sign” the activity. Lots of teak…everywhere. I adore it. And they are not shy using lots of it with linen, canvas and the homerun color combination (cobalt blue and white).

The dining spaces are beautiful and not overtly glitzy—just nice—with different food pods versus the amazingly long lines that we experienced on the Century. There is the traditional food enhanced by lots of fruit and vegetables with an asian offering (and an asian breakfast), and a brazillian offering as well (which is very Miami and very fab). The desserts are small with lots of ice cream offered on every level. And there are always lines for the confections. There is the large Adam Tihany dining space called the Grand Epernay which is very swanky with white leatherette chairs, white table cloths, lots of drapery and sparkly lights. It is tasteful—but big living in a sort of Las Vegas aesthetic. I originally thought the Grand Epernay was more about chandeliers--at least that was the first impression, but upon the second visit,the sparkly ceiling felt like a crown for the new Queen of the Celebrity line, chock full of sparkle and reflection, light and texture..a diamond encrusted topper to go with the dining experience.

There are several special dining rooms that you need to be invited to partake of (I am assuming that these are for the big time cruisers, and VIPS on their cruises)—or maybe just for this inaugural cruise. There is the Tuscan grille, a steakhouse, Silk Harvest, Asian Fusion, Blu (part of the AquaClass suites, clean cuisine), Murano, described as having a classic and modern Continental Cuisine along with iced cream and pastry shops, a creperie, coffee bars, bars, and burgers. Tihany designed many of these spaces which are whimsical, interesting colorways, use of dark woods with silver highlights, interesting draperies and patterns. There are bars everywhere you turn…with the best being a Martini Bar that actually freezes with ice on the top to keep everything nice and chill along with trenches dug down through the bar chocked full of ice with bottles of flavored vodkas nestled in. I am disappointed, however, that there is no significant watermelon carving that we experienced on the Century. We were amused by our museum friends who are members of the Solstice Crew that the pepper is always put on the port side. Why? We asked—well…just because. It’s a Celebrity thing.

We had dinner last night with all of the Corning Museum representatives and fun glass team at the large Grand Epernay dining room. It was delicious and not too much. We were offered sea bass or lamb, a beautiful salad or a seafood bisque (hold the cream), and tiny little pastries good for a bite or two. There must have been well over a dozen of us around the table with lots of laughter and talk. I don’t know how I got to be so lucky, but I sat with Carl and Lewis Olsen (see blog) who are part of the team who knew the ropes to how to do things on the ship as they ordered one of everything while they told me of their one plate rule. Only one plate…no second go rounds etc. They are wild men…who go to the discos and clubs and have a lovely time along with long days demonstrating glassmaking, making huge shells and vases, mugs and candlesticks. It was great fun.

Prior to dinner, we had the treat to go to the Naming Ceremony in the Solstice Theater. There were bagpipes and scotch drummers with the swinging of the drumsticks and carrying of flags. There was a string quartet. Singing of the Greek and American anthem. Speechifying and recognition of all the people who made this happen.

And, interestingly enough, the description and presentation of the ship’s Godmother, a tradition of bringing good luck to the ship. Celebrity selected Professor Sharon L. Smith, a biological oceanographer who studies ecosystems and zooplankton, the biggest source of protein in the oceans. Sharon served 15 years at the Brookhaven National Laboratory. In 11993, she joined the University of Miami’s Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science as professor of marine biology and fisheries. In addition to her professional achievements, Sharon has conquered cancer twice.

Godmother Smith spoke movingly about her delight in being honored by her being the Godmother of this magnificent ship and broke into tears over the collaboration of Celebrity and the National Cancer Society to generate over a hundred thousand dollars to pay for mammograms for needy women. She is a remarkable woman who is a perfect fit with a company who live what they believe.

There was a ribbon cutting with acrobats a la Cirque Du Soleil bringing the ribbon in through the top of the theatre with all sorts of twisting and flipping in painted costumes, bringing it to Chairman Richard Fein and Sharon Smith to cut. At the cutting, the blue magnum bottle made by the Corning Museum of Glass team, was smashed against the hull of the ship.

After dinner, R and I went to look at the retail areas and bumped into the Steuben Glass pieces—with several he had designed and one that I provided an illustration for. We introduced ourselves to the staff manning that gallery and offered to sign any piece we had designed if they sold anything over the weekend. It was fun to see these sweet girls light up as we talked about some of the pieces they have, which ones sell better than others…and tell them little tales about the glass.

I could go on and on…and will, but need to sign off with my schedule of being Mrs. Cassetti is encroaching. I need to meet R. at the hot glass stage and onwards to another appointment. Dinner with a team from Celebrity and maybe some carousing with our fellow glass folks.

More later>>

Day Four: HAS: NYC

Yesterday was chock a block--and for me, all in, the most thought provoking time during our encampment in New York. We started the day with Zina Saunders, who is an electric person, filled with passion, intelligence, wit and artistry. She lives her life weaving her thoughts, her amazing perceptions and insights with her art with a seeming endless fount of energy and spirit. Can you imagine, I was blown off my cotton-pickin' chair and found her speech riveting, inspirational, and insightful.

I have a new hero in my pantheon of heros.

Zina stood up, and in her upfront, no frills way, detailed how she came to illustration through her father, the late, Norman Saunders, known for his pulp and sci-fi illustration. Zina was influenced by her father to get into the business and still paints in details and concepts that are homage to his work and humor (a nice example was in the Calamity Sarah picture she shows on Drawger, Sarah Palin is holding the reins of the bucking bronco between her teeth--referencing Zina's memory of the delight her father had in western movies when the cowboy was riding a horse, guns a blazin' with the reins of the horse in his teeth. This, Norman Saunders declared, was something the cowboy would only do once as he would no longer have any teeth after the first go round). And, as Zina has herself, made a career of illustration--doing everything from licensing jobs (books about Sponge Bob, Blues Clues and Dora the Explorer), she has transcended illustration and has fused it with her curiosity of life, the people she lives with in that small town called Manhattan, her energy and her passion to grow and develop completely as a person, an artist and a spirit.

She is a witty and opinionated person who not only says laugh out loud funny stuff, but she uses her lithe and willowy person to accentuate and to some degree, illustrate the commentary, her tales, her insights. She is a complete package with her public speaking. She also is not afraid to teach and share, talking about her transition from a pure traditional media person to all digital with the making of custom brushes, and her desire to paint just as she had before in a new environment, using healthier materials abut with the same vision, same brain and same hands as she had in the more conventional methods. Zina takes up challenges whether it be the white lie to a client that yes indeed, she had done thus and so type of work in thus and so type of media to the current challenge laid down by Nancy Stahl on the Drawger site, challenging the women to do political work. This, Zina Saunders picked up with a zeal that manifested itself in the most amazing collection of images about John McCain and Caribou Barbie--their relationship and all the funny juxtapositions that occurred_ during the short campaign. Zina really found a groove with this--allowing her room to joke and yet bring her formidable talent and skills as an illustrator to deliver the goods. You should really check it out She would often, during this time, get up at three in the morning to create her illustration (she is fast) and have a low res jpg in the mailboxes of the major papers by early morning before the editors even had their coffee. From this resulted phone calls and requests for high res jpgs of the same files...and she was off to the races. She got in front of being tweaked and pinched by the art directors due to the freshness of the art..the Now-ness...and in so doing, created a wonderful body of work which should spin all sorts of other projects.

This entrepeneurial spirit manifested in this political work stemmed from her independent work on the unknown New York and on a women bicycle messenger from Zimbabwe. Zina independently started making pictures of the men who had these wonderful hybrid bikes she used to admire growing up on 104th Street. These vehicles are remarkable, strange, contraptions which, it turns out has a following, a club of people who make and ride them. Zina got friendly with one guy, did an illustration of him a week later and then presented him with the work. One picture a week, a new guy, a new bike--burgeoning to a collection of images that include people that raise bees in the city, raise racing pigeons etc. Wonderful people with passion gave to Zina and she, in turn, gave back to them, and to us, enriching her vision and ours, of the world, of Manhattan. And, this work has been picked up and printed...so once again, her passion and vision has driven a body of work which has had a payout for all of us.

Something to remember and think about.

We had Joe Ciardello speak about his work, his engagement in fusing his interest in music with that of illustration. His work is beautiful and inspiring in his use of line and color--muscular despite it's seeming delicacy. He works on a hot press watercolor paper I need to get my hands on as it took the water and paint beautifully. He too, is developing personal work which is becoming paying work with his aspirations for the near future being around some personal publishing work much like Zina's new book from Blurb of the McCain Palin project, The Party's Over.

We had Cheryl Phelps come and talk about licensing, her quick chat about it (you can have her coach you), the complexities of the deal and contracts, how to "find the bachelors", how do develop a portfolio with templates for the market segment you want to focus your illustrations for, and the ways to get your work out there from tradeshows, publications, advertising etc. With her matter of fact discussion, her depth of knowledge and her gentle humor, it was very exciting and for me, a definite opportunity as I know about markets and market driven work, the bodies of work I currently do, throw off illustrations and patterns, and I know how to present ideas in a format to sell. I know how to comp a product. I know production methods. I know how to put a tradeshow together. I can sell. And, aligned with my desire to create alternative cash streams that can spin the green stuff, this fits in perfectly. So, def on the trip to Surtex..and more.

We then went down to the Illustration House to see the work and hear Walt Reed and his son Roger tell us about the work, the up and coming auction and their insights about the work and artists they represent. I had a chance to spend a little time with Walt to ask him about how he got into this business that he virtually created. Walt is an illustrator, who, while he was in Westport, CT was part of the illustration whirl,meeing with friends, going to parties, mixing with some of the phenomenal talent that filled the editorial and magazine pages of the time. He said that at the time, at one of the Westport Art Club meetings one of the members stood up and informed the group that they should all go home and destroy their archives of work as their families would be taxed on the work (as a part of their estates) at a very high level. And many illustrators took his word immediately. Walt had been (as many illustrators do today) swapped illustrations with his friends so he offered to take the pictures off these worried illustrators at that time. From that moment, he was in the business. It moved from Connecticut to New York in several locations to the place they are today on 25th Street. Walt and Roger were part of the unfolding of the Rockwell forgery that was in the press in the last year or so and were the people to inform the family of it's illegitimacy. After he told the family, the family went looking for original and as the story unfolded, they found it hidden in the attic (if my mind serves me, it was hidden because of a divorce or some other split in the family). When asked where illustration was going, and what was going to be in his gallery in ten years, Walt seemed unsure. He mourns the moment of painting--seemingly not recognizing digital media as an option. I find it curious as illustration, as it was practiced in the 50s through the 80s really does not exist in the same places. It is purchased and infused into other aspects of our lives. It is not dead. Illustration doesn't sell Cream of Wheat in an idealized way any more...but to my pleasure, Washington Mutual and their heavy advertising (with illustration) in the New Yorker points to something happening--maybe for novelty or maybe for the illlustrative context of the publication. Maybe what is old will become new...like the chicness of pinhole cameras (Bill K. cited the interest at Pratt), and turntables (like Mr.A's interest in that and "vinyl"). Who knows? The greening of the wold makes used and old, new and fab. We can hope...but not wait.

my roommates from Left to Right:
Jackie Decker, Lori Ann Levy Holm, Linda Tajirian all looking at Grey's Anatomy on TV.
Lotsa laughs with this crew.