Valentine's Day Eve

Inspired by Ganga Devi, Q. Cassetti, 2011, sharpies on MoleskineIts been busy here. Late nights and then yesterday the prep and provisioning for our Pourhouse Anniversary Party. I got off to the store to buy all sorts of this and that for the party with my dish to pass be 50 hot dogs (which were very well received by the crowd). Rob and team built a bar out of parts from around here—wood and saw horses along with a back bar and a monitor on the fireplace for the unbelieveable slide presentation that Jim Reidy prepared for the event. We had tons of people and it was tremendous fun. I met all sorts of Trumansburg and Ithaca celebrities who are all personalities with opinions, interests and ideas. To put it mildly, lots to talk about with lots of very cool people. Our friends brought dishes to share from a turkey (! perfection), to salad, lots of beautiful bread and oil, cheese and spreads, and some gorgeous desserts. And my hotdogs (which is a great dish to pass…note to remember). The band, Boots and Shorts were great…and not too loud so the music suited the house. Our final guests left at 2:30 a.m. with my getting up at 7 to get Alex to the ski bus for another Sunday of ski club.

I got home and had a nice chat with one of our guests (whose family spent the night here) about food and all things culinary as he is a remarkable chef. At 12:30, I got to work on my rush project which fell into line unlike last weekend. We are all looking at another long week maybe a little less nuts because at least the big party is not on the horizon for this week.

I am very tired, so an early night night is in order.

Oy.

At the wheel first thing this morning. Got the valentines (stamped last night in front of a way junky movie) to the post office. Would love to do more with the valentine thing, but there just isn’t time. I need to find some goodies in the present closet and put bows on things to hand out.

Reread my email to find out that yes, yes in indeedie, its another full tilt work weekend. Amendments to a job by Monday. Need to get some clarification of what, how etc is needed as tomorrow is the Pourhouse celebration here….and I have car chores to do with some provisioning and moving stuff around. Plain and simple, Saturday is out. Sunday, is a full work…but ouch. I am strung out with working late all week and weekend before.

I have been using my new found knowledge of new tools and techniques from Adobe Illustrator CS5 . I am using brushes (newies) and making symbol libraries to put together quick layouts (forgot about the wonder of symbols)—and am feeling pretty glib with these skills.

Gotta go. Have to get ready for a meeting.

 

churning away

Q. Cassetti, 2011, vectorMaking a bunch of vector pix—one after the next…churning away and away. The squirrel to the left is one of the critters coming off the vector pen. I like the way this guy is looking.

Valentines day is on us. I have the envelopes stuffed. Mandy will help sealing them today and I will label and stamp tonight. Joe Sepi did a great job and now that I have lived with the sweetness, I am liking the way these are looking.

Shady is outside celebrating the snow with her friend, the border collie, Elsa. They are romping and rolling…just absorbing the cold, the crispiness, and the sheer wonder of it being morning. Just watching her taking in the moment, makes my heart leap a bit…as she is just happy, genuinely happy taking it all in. So, grey skies go away….and bring Shady more fluffy whiteness to roll and delight in.

I had a wonderful surprise meeting yesterday with a new best friend, Joe  Myer to hear about this new enterprise that is going to happen on our lake. Joe is a member of a family that has been farming the same place for seven generations and who have roots back to the land grant time.  There may be a logo, some packaging and image making with this entity which fits with my love of the localvore, supporting the businesses here, and projecting a world vision on a local level. And Joe is the rennaissance person who paints, is a musician, a cow milker dairyman, and interested in everything who can make this happen. Isn’t it great when you meet someone who shimmers with possibilities? Joe is one of those people. I hope there will be more here for us to share.

Alex is working until 6 on the play. Rob has civic duties until 9. So, I have an evening to get stuff done….and maybe watch a bit of tube. What a treat.

 

Divine Devi

Ganga Devi, Museum of New Delhi, 1989, muralCow work yesterday. We had a mini SooperBowl party with all sorts of junky food, teenaged boys jumping up and shaking their fists at the tv screen, great ads and fun. Everyone stayed until around 10:30 when it was time to turn off the tube and quiet down for the night.
It was cows yesterday and the other project Saturday….Did a little somethin’ sompthin’ to the Squint blog yesterday to tie the headers more closely to the new website to be launched in April. Need to get work done today along with finalizing the panels for the Library exhibit.

Ganga Devi drawingDon’t you love this picture from my new Ganga Devi book to the left? (Ganga Devi, Tradition and Expression in Mithila Painting by Jyotindra Jain). This image is a detail of wall paintings of kohbar-ghar  (marriage ritual in Madhubari). Look at the color, the floral/lotus trim, the curlydoodles on the edge of her veil? And then to remind us that its a Mithila/Madhubani painting, there are fish and birds (parrots) even in the brilliant yellow fabric of her sari. And what about the image on the right with the fish, turtles, crab, frog and snail…with the swirly water… Another poem to nature from that wonderful Ms. Devi.

 

Mooving

Happy Holstein, Q. Cassetti, 2011, Adobe Illustrator CS5Working along on this cow for a potential client. Keeping it to a black, a midtone and white as this will be printed in a limited palette for packaging… I poked it in this frame to bring to you all, but the Art Director has other plans for this. I originally started this at 400% of the size—and as I began to get into it, I found I was losing detail and then, duh…I realized that the work should be done close to 100% to be able to realize the detail…which even at this size might be too fine… and so it goes.

I was on the boards designing yesterday from 10 a.m. until 7. We had dinner at Dorothy’s Music Room to try out the new venue. The music was good. The food was good and the drink selection was good and the pours generous. It is a quieter place…a bit less “scary” seems to be attracting a slightly older group. There were people dancing to the group.  It is a place that one can talk over the music. It is not the Pourhouse, but a more grown up place that has a place here in Tburg.

Tonight is the Superbowl. I will be making pizzas out of garlic bread, putting some shrimp out and making a salad for Alex, his german friends, Bruce, and Rob. Poor Alex, exhausted from the track meet and the dance at the school, was anticipating eating granola for breakfast prior to the ski bus…to find out that we were totally out of this cereal and bread. So, I will be baking another batch of granola for the week ahead.

I am going to tweak this cow for the next half hour before putting it away for today.  There are the valentines to stuff (finalize) so I can have them assessed for postage  and finalize the labelling. And then, I need to ship the projects out to the foks that had me hopping for the past few days.

TCB

Inspired by Ganga Devi, Q. Cassetti,2011, moleskine and sharpies.\I love it that Elvis gave his band members his favorite insider initials: TCB (taking care of business) belt buckles and all sorts of other stuff with those initials on it. Today is a TCB day. We were up early to get Alex to the bus for a track meet. Then it was getting to the desk (for me) to kick it into gear for this new small client, fast job. I am a bit paniced (like I normally am with someone I do not know)… but what is coming off the wacom is good… solid… not high risk, but easily something to show to a client pretty immediately.

As an interesting aside, this client was googling Alexander Girard and found me in that search online. Remember the Girard jag for a short time last summer. I guess these sidebar jags are not a waste of time as sometimes they are beckons for new work. I love the way this cyber info world works.

Another something to better understand is Dribbble (three bs please). You know that I am a fan of Behance as it is a visual arts networking site where one can post portfolios, projects etc and get direct feedback. Behance has gotten me in front of all sorts of people who might not run across my work. It has gotten me noticed and recognition has come my way from that. Dribbble is another site I think that has promise. Dribbble says this about themselves” “Dribbble is show and tell for creatives. Designers, developers and other creatives shareshots—small screenshots of the designs and applications they are working on.” You are nominated to be a player on Dribbble by either other players or by one’s involvement with the site. I like it that its simple onesie screen shots…and a way to share. Cool. I hope I can become a player (for real)….Take a look. Your thinking?

My valentines showed up from the wonderful Pioneer Printing (Lodi). I have a gold foil stamped smooth card (one side) with a kraft envelope with teensy bodoni centered on the square flap. Rob wanted to know what I thought of my card, curious as this one is a bit sweeter than I usually do. I will be curious to know from those of you on my list, as to whether it is too sweet or not… I am pleased with the stamping, but this job points up the need to do much simpler work, or even smaller on the page as the foil really is quite commanding. I stuffed some of them last night with more tonight, and then labelling during the Superior Bowl. I guess I will not be cooking but ordering a pizza for the boys to keep pup with the stuff that needs to be done.

Tonight is the Snowball at the High School. Alex and date are going to dinner (we pick up and deliver)..and then the dance. Tomorrow Alex has skiing. Rob has work. I have more design work…dig in…and get in front of it for the next week.

More later, I hope.

IF: [Postitive +] Reverse

Positive and Reverse, from the body of work inspired by Ganga Devi, Q. Cassetti, moleskine and sharpies, 2011This is a line drawing from my notebook. It is inspired by the Madhubani artist, Ganga Devi, her work, her use of line, and her strong design use of black and white. This was drawn in verithin blue line, then inked in with a sharpie pen on the large format Moleskine book. Then, it is scanned into the computer (600 dpi) and manipulated in photoshop with chunks of reversed out art slid into replacing the positive spaces with dark/reversed shapes.

Yin/Yang

Positive/Reverse

Black/White

Sun Day

Study after Ganga Devi, Q. Cassetti, 2011, sharpies on MoleskineBrilliant day. Cold blue sky with brilliant bounce off the snow with the spiky walnut trees reaching up with dark fingers into the cloudless above. Just looking out the window has made me run to my pocketbook and pull out my camera and pop off some shots as the shadows are truly bright purple and rich lavenders combined with edges of cream. I never believed that shadows could really be purple and blue until living here on our plateau, and there they are…not obsured as they were in the valleys, but out there for all to see. I can be an Upstate impressionist—or at least pretend to be.

The roads are clear so errands will not be frightening as they were the other days. New wonderwagon does not have snowtires…so snow is a bit risky. I should get snowtires as they give me more comfort than not having them.

I had half the panels designed for the Library display and then my illustrator CRASHED. So, hopefully today, I can rejigger and get out as they need to be in the curator’s hands by the 21st. Not a ton of time, but enough for output/mounting and fasteners.

Interesting news….and a reminder that all this social media, networking, Behance etc. pays off. I posted all my vital info (learned from a Twitter colleague) on about.me.com. A little advertisement about.me (here is my page>>). About me is sort of a web business card. It links the viewer to all the outlets you post work/ network/etc. Plus, it has an email button without one having to post your email. So, it makes you accessible without putting all the details really “out there”. Well, back to my story…. I got a note from about me from a really good designer who wants me to work on a really cool project with them…something really up my alley. I am so psyched. I hope this works out. Too cool for school.

Speaking of Behance, I posted a  bunch of these odd illustrations I am doing yesterday calling the body, Embroidered Line. I really do not know where these images are coming from, they are streaming…fed by the work of Ganga Devi. I am surprised by the oddness…weirdness, creepiness…but am just going to let the hand hit the paper to see what happens.

More later.

snowday

Study after Ganga Devi, Q. Cassetti, 2011, sharpies on Moleskine.I do not know where these pictures are coming from. Automatic writing these days. Yes, the trigger was fusing Laylah Ali with the work and spirit of Ganga Devi and this wigged stuff is just emerging. The mean little teeth, the skeptical bigger figure, and the fawning little figures. Looks to me that I need more medication and counseling. What is this all about? I like the pattern, the big shapes, and the grouping of the the heads. So, as my hand keeps moving and I keep making these automatic drawings, we will see what happens. I must admit, once the drawings are done, I do splice pieces of a reversed image of the drawing into the line drawing (in Photoshop) to give the image more weight and interest. I have posted both the plain image and the enhanced here>> So, keep posted. There is more.

Just finished posting work to the 3x3 Professional Show (due March). We will see what happens. I sent a collection of Advent images, Home Sweet Home, a collection of Bees, and some singletons. Now, I need to finalize the article/images etc. for the 3x3 article. I should enter the next Creative Quarterly. I have gotten out of the habit of applying…and its such a beautiful book.

Things are heating up on a big project for my client. We have deadlines within sight..and its getting scary and exciting all at the same time.

Oh, here’s something else. Sticker Guy, is an amazing resource I found in Los Angeles (reading the stickers on dumpsters, no kidding)—as they have really great inexpensive black and white/ or black white and red stickers that the extreme guys use (surf companies, skateboard companies etc) to make a zillion simple stickers to tag the world with. I got their recent offerings and pricing and was blown off my chair. Here it is if you need/want that sort of thing>>

Alex and Rob are home. The whitestuff didn’t drop the way we expected though there is ice and not nice roads. So, we will have a crowd for lunch today.

Whiteout

Study after Ganga Devi, Q. Cassetti, 2011, sharpies on moleskinePowder coming down. Not the big dump as promised tonight. Alex is in school. Rob packed a bag just in case with his trip to Corning. I am a bit worried about Rob and his travels…but he is safety first…so I know he will take his time and use his noodle. Shady is passed out on the carpet after nosing through the snow, playfully digging for frozen pinecones. I am looking out over the frozen tundra to the back of the house making plans for the day, making lists, and having a lovely cup of Gimme! feeling very lucky I do not have any places to travel to. Its messy downtown…

Amanda and I are talking about her planting berries. Elderberries, Gooseberries, Currents…exotics for around here…with her reading and musing over the Miller Nursery catalog (from Canandaigua so we know that it will grow here). White mulberries, persimmons….she muses and has stories. That would be quite the thing for our little Trumansburg Farmers Market. Something wonderful and happy to think about in the snow. I am thinking Montmorency sour cherries and Baldwin apples for the back forty. The tree prices are excellent (compared to the Agway trees at around $40 a pop…$23. looks real good). Imagine.

Need to get 3x3 entered today along with finalizing images to get to Charles H. on the possible article on me. Jason’s photographs are wonderful…and seeing our house and work through is lens is very romantic and looks as if we actually plan the arrangement and curating of our stuff. I may take some snow shots to add to the mix of the look out the studio windows and the view to the back forty.

There is an exhibit at the Tompkins County Library,”Art for Commerce, Graphic Design in Ithaca and Tompkins County” that I have been invited to participate in and need to get two 3’x6’ panels completed. I contacted wonderful Steve Carver about his entry and he has a good supplier in Syracuse who is going to output and mount his panels. I think and hope that I can tag along with him on this. So, I need to prep those panels as well. I think the approach I will take will be to show illustration and logotypes noting those that have gotten national recognition. It will be an interesting process. This show opens March 11, 2011 and runs through the end of May. Maybe the Hangar work, Farmer Ground, Chicken Chokers, Mothers Day for Peace, and the new Wide Awake Bakery (as local work) will be rolled into this as well. Hmmm.

 Time to dig out those files and dive into the mix.

snow watch

Study after Ganga Devi, Q. Cassetti, 2010, sharpies on moleskine.Rumor has it that we are getting a pile coming our way. The white stuff that is. Shady Grove is psyched. Deeper coldness to dive into, in search of the frozen cones. A divine place to plunge her muzzle deep and frosty to sniff and sniff for the divine pine. And there is the hope that springs in having a snow day, an unplanned day of sleep and cocoa and all the Xfiles one chooses to devour. Who knows, like an unbidden holiday, we never  know until the school closings are called…A,B,C…..South Seneca….T…..?

Got a ton done today. Bunch of things to look at and remark on. Bunch of people to talk to. New understandings about projects. Boxes off to Kitty Cat with stuff for artclasses and fashion to help make valentines day more wonderful.

Had a good chat with the school about Alex and his abilities and how to assess them. I feel that I was not only heard but understood and communicated with. This is always reassuring as, as always, I am not on my own on this one.

A. has play practice this evening, so because I was busy getting stuff out today, I do not have time to chat with you about the Banksey movie we saw yesterday (“Exit Through The Gift Shop”) or other mental ephemera that is floating through my thin skulll. An early dinner needs to be cooked to my lovely boy so he can go to sing and dance and hang out with beautiful and talented teens.

Onward for tomorrow. Turn your jimmy jammies inside out..and cross your fingers for snow. I am.

Snowfall

Study after Ganga Devi, Q. Cassetti, 2010, sharpies on MoleskineI picked up Alex at Cornell last night after his run at Barton Hall, the huge indoor track facility with hundreds of running, jumping, vaulting, throwing teenagers actively competing for placement and teams. Facebook told me that Tburg did well for both girls and boys for schools their size (first, I think). The winding dark drive up through the campus and then scooting around to get to route 96 was interesting…but Alex and I got home when Rob did, so we could all go to have dinner at the Rongo. We were delighted to run into a mess of people we knew along with a former classmate of Kitty’s, Josh Head on microphone with a band.

This morning it was quiet. Snow is gently coming down which is pleasant because unlike everyone on the east coast, we have not been socked by the white stuff, so we are still charmed. Its really missing the snow that is more pressing for all of us. All the animals are on their hot spots, immobile and waiting (probably for the tinkling of kibble hitting their bowls). I made three desserts (two to take to an event) and one (a key lime pie) exclusively for my big eating son. It was nice to make these confections with the making almost being rote….after the week of doing and talking.

I am busy looking at QR codes. I havent gotten obsessive about it…but now that they have a name and use, and I have a reader on my phone, I am actively looking for them. If the QR code is not the next wave of sending/relating information bridging print with electronic media, then something like it is on the way. Imagine a QR exhibit with QR codes at every object with either a video, a voice/podcast, or a related object/photograph to broaden the reach and experience at the show. Or, imagine a menu with QR codes for each object which you could access the chef talking about each dish or a list of ingredients for the guest to read. What about  a QR code for your resume…It takes the click out of the equation and instead of remembering long strings of urls, it becomes a point and shoot. The Rongo had a “Google Favorite Places” QR code by the door> More of this on the horizon.

Tomorrow Alex has skiing. Rob and I have study hall.

The Firewood Poem by Celia Congreve

Beechwood fires are bright and clear
If the logs are kept a year,
Chestnut’s only good they say,
If for logs ‘tis laid away.
Make a fire of Elder tree,
Death within your house will be;
But ash new or ash old,
Is fit for a queen with crown of gold

Birch and fir logs burn too fast
Blaze up bright and do not last,
it is by the Irish said
Hawthorn bakes the sweetest bread.
Elm wood burns like churchyard mould,
E’en the very flames are cold
But ash green or ash brown
Is fit for a queen with golden crown

Poplar gives a bitter smoke,
Fills your eyes and makes you choke,
Apple wood will scent your room
Pear wood smells like flowers in bloom
Oaken logs, if dry and old
keep away the winter’s cold
But ash wet or ash dry
a king shall warm his slippers by.
 
The firewood poem was written by Celia Congreve, is believed to be first published in THE TIMES newspaper on March 2nd 1930.

 

 

Wednesday with a pearly sky

After Ganga Devi, Q. Cassetti, 2011, sharpiesWorking away on finalizing the Hangar work—with a portrait of two guys (“Oscar and Felix” as its been positioned to me). New watch words for freebies out there coined by Robbie, “Art not Assignments”. Turns out that despite the words that are put to me about my being able to contribute independently without art directing by the recievers of this work—they cannot hold themselves back. So, lots of direction. Lots of rework…from gift of work to gift of worked work…with no positive flowback to me. So, no more work that is an assignment. If you want a gift of illustration, it will be a gift (the way gifts can be suggested but not mandated), and not an assignment that the nonpaying clients do all but move my hand… Not fun and very time consuming. I only have so much free time, so if the free work isn’t fun, then it isn’t being done. Punto.

So, now that I am done with the griping. Forgive me. Just needed to get it off my mind.

We have a few publications on the boards that we are driving towards completion. The Toots illustration for the museum has changed from a vector illustration to line art…more evocative and less direct where we can focus on the line work of her hair…reflecting the linear, pulled canes that her work is centered around.We were trying to use the Milton Glaser portrait of Dylan as a starting point for this, but our curator thought it wasnt right as a model.

Am puzzling over the new brand we are going to be involved in…thinking about the rabbit holes that have been created for “creative” people to keep the work “creative”. Downside is that the creatives are kind of the inmates we need to protect our client from along with those who make magic with Microsoft Word and Powerpoint (those two “intuitive” layout tools). I think there will be a lot of redo on our parts…of work…peeling apart pdf files in adobe illustrator etc. Hmmm.

Its a cold day today…mild compared to Monday. Shady had a nice romp in the back forty with Elsa (her wonderful border collie friend) and now is conked out under my desk, cuddling with the radiator. The boys are busy finishing the new rooms with Jamie, the electrician, neatly running some new lines for lighting and electrical plug ins.

Rahu, the immortal head, Q. Cassetti, 2011, pen and inkFrom Wikipedia on Rahu:

RahuIn Hindu belief, Rahu is a snake that swallows the sun or the moon causing eclipses. He is depicted in art as a dragon with no body riding a chariot drawn by eight black horses. Rahu is one of the navagrahas (nine planets) in Vedic astrology. The Rahu kala (time of day under the influence of Rahu) is considered inauspicious.

According to legend, during the Samudra manthan, the asura Rahu drank some of the divine nectar. But before the nectar could pass his throat, Mohini (the female avatar of Vishnu) cut off his head. The head, however, remained immortal. It is believed that this immortal head occasionally swallows the sun or the moon, causing eclipses. Then, the sun or moon passes through the opening at the neck, ending the eclipse.

Astronomically, Rahu and Ketu denote the two points of intersection of the paths of the Sun and the Moon as they move around the celestial sphere. Therefore, Rahu and Ketu are respectively called the north and the south lunar nodes. The fact that eclipses occur when Sun and Moon are at one of these points gives rise to the myth of the swallowing of the Sun.

Rahu is a legendary master of deception who signifies cheaters, pleasure seekers, operators in foreign lands, drug dealers, poison dealers, insincere & immoral acts, etc. It is the significator of an irreligious person, an outcast, harsh speech, logical fallacy, falsehoods, uncleanliness, abdominal ulcers, bones, and transmigration. Rahu is instrumental in strengthening one’s power and converting even an enemy into a friend. In Buddhism Rahu is one of the krodhadevatas (terror-inspiring gods).

 

Wait long enough, something will happen

Laylah Ali, Untitled, 2006-7, pen and inkI know this always happens. But everytime I go through this incubation time, it is frustrating and maddening. I wait and look, see and wait, search and try…and nothing moves the needle. It is stale, cold and hopeless. I am thinking something is happening now…and funny how it is all fusing together (and who knows what will happen). It all clicked when I revisited the work of the wonderful artist, Laylah Ali (b. 1968).

I first saw her work at Mass MOCA in an exhibit and I was stunned by her work, her simple vision and the design of her pieces. Since then, I have gravitated towards her images (often in Miami at Art Basel)—finding joy in ther clear perspective, the underlying wit and flow. I remembered her line work last night and it clicked with the work I have been studying of Ganga Devi (1928- 1991). Funny that this wonderful artist who now teaches at Williams College, and this intense Madhubani artist had an overlapping sense of line, of spirit, of design and use of white space. Now, how do I fuse it with what I have —? I love Ali’s closely cropped portraits of these spooky, androgenous people ( I think “creepy” in the good sense might be applied) and the way she allows the lines to define wonderful headdresses, clothes and sometimes even the texture of skin.

Ganga Devi’s work does the same…only she decorates the backgrounds, gives the figures a context and placement, and does more story telling. The connection came for me with my favorite, and the oddest of all of the Devi illustrations shown on Will Schofield’s A Journey Around My Skull>> her image, Naina-jogin (1988-89) (thanks to Will for posting to Flickr so as to be able to see the tons of detail). Look at Devi’s woman, how androgenous, so creepy as well. Same insane patterning and open space. And, in the Naina-jogin image, the figure is independent of context or location. She is the story. 

So, now I have these two guardian angel artists, one on each shoulder, waiting for me to put the pen to moleskine (new book, new size, new opportunities which I think is key to shift out when stuck in the mire) and see what evolves. I know you all have not be on the edge of your chairs over this one, but just saying…

But it feels like a journey is about to begin. I am packing my bags, finding my reference…beginning to think afresh. Who knows. Ganga Devi, Naina-jogin, 1988-89

Wonderful Jason Koski is here taking pictures for 3x3’s article on me, my space, the work etc. He is nicely doing all the pretty work, but a portrait is in the mix, and I hope like blood drawing, it will be quick, and not too memorable. Ursula Roma wrote a wonderful piece(3x3 requests that an illustrator write the article and Ursula is an amazing writer and illustrator…so she was amazingly gracious to do this for me)…. So we are tying up all the loose ends to make this piece happen.

Jason prompts me to get ahold of our friend Chris to see what we can do to move the 10x10 project (a music project with local musicans). Need to send a FB message.

There are phone calls today. Projects to do. The upstairs studio is progressing with the new bathroom and newly configured smaller room getting “mud and tape” today. Mandy is delivering a huge load of thises and thats to the dump…

New codes

Dumbfounded by Madhubari, Q. Cassetti, 2011, sharpieColder than cold. The car themometer read -6 this morning as we rolled out of the drive- way to take Alex to school and make the big purchase of catfood and rice. Freezing the inside of my nose and drying out my hands and face. So, its a good day to stay inside and stay warm.

Yesterday was cleaning up, cooking (lasagne construction for Alex) and attending the Democratic Caucus at the Village Hall. Rob was voted in to be the year long candidate for Village Trustee (representing the Democrats). And I was, out of the blue, voted in to be the secretary of the caucus (complete with a swearing in and a job to do). I didn’t know what they wanted re notes…so I just did “it” and was not happy to be off my game! But it was a small group of mainly friends…so…

Then there was fun with football. Rob and I watch football with Alex and actually like it. Alex makes it fun.

Some things surfaced yesterday I want to share with you. Do you know about QR codes? QR codes are like UPC codes that relate to content on the web (also called mobile tagging). One can take a picture of it with a smart phone (with the right application) and it will take you to something on the web. There was a very clever application of it at Christmas (wrapping paper with 15 different QR codes that took you to 15 cute little animations having to do with the holidays). Q loves QR codes….and found out where to make the codes online and am going to start using them in my work…links for my clients, an application on my my QCards…etc. Wikipedia talks about the QR code this way:

IPhone has a free reader application that seems to be working for me (QR Reader for IPhone) . Kaywa has a nice online code generator (simple as pie). I think that the QR Code is a great way to send your clients or prospectives the rich content we make as designers and illustrators. It gives us a chance to make it easy..a click, and a memorable click for us to share visuals simply….address free.

Today its posters, logos, postcards, programs,..big week.

Gotta go turn up the heat.  Shady and I am shivering.

 

A bit on Mr. Fun, Hanuman

The Five Faces of Hanuman from http://www.exoticindiaart.comFrom:

http://www.dharmathai.com/ramakian/2008/07/hanuman-yes.htmlWednesday, July 16, 2008

Hanuman is a white humanoid monkey (a kind of albino) - he has a very special recognition point; in the middle of the roof of his mouth is a crystal fang.

He has the supernatural ability to change form and have 4 faces and 8 arms.
He can yawn and bark, and starts and moons are ejected. His weapon is the Dtrii Paetch (short trident, which he uses when receiving Yaks of high importance). He is extremely able and agile - he has the ability to disappear. He is the hertbeat of “Kong Grapan” magick, even when he is killed by deadly weapons, after a while he begins to come to his senses and comes back to life.
Hanuman is the Son of the Angelic Deities / Consciousnesses, “Phra Paay, and “Naang Sawaaha”. Naang Sawaaha was cursed by her mother, and was left alone in the barren realm, Phra Isworn (Shiva), ordered Phra Paay to take Phra Isworn’s weapon and throw it into the mouth of Naang sawaaha. Naang Sawaaha became pregnant from this, and gave birth to an albino that flew out of Naang Sawaaha’s mouth and hovered in the air!

He was named “Hanuman”, and it is believed that Phra Paay is his Father, because of this legend.Hanuman was a major character in theRamakian/Ramayana, because of his great self sacrifice in lending his services as monkey general of Phra Ram’s (Rama) Army, and ending the war virtually singlehandedly with all his superhero-like feats.
“ลอยอยู่ตรงพักตร์ ชนนี รัศมีโชติช่วงในเวหามี กุณฑล ขนเพชรอลงการ์ เขี้ยวแก้วแววฟ้า มาลัย หาวเป็นดาวเดือนระวีวร แปดกร สี่หน้าสูงใหญ่ สำแดงแผลงฤทธิ์ เกรียงไกร แล้วลงมาไหว ้พระมารดร”Hanuman is assumed to be immortal and invulnerable (he was resurrected from the dead once in the Ramakian). The reason for his immortality being, that he is the son of Phra Paay (the wind/air God), and so, whenever he is killed and lays dead on the floor, it only requires a breath of wind to blow upon him and he is revived miraculously through the power of his Father “Phra Paay”.

Hanuman is also renowned for his powers of being able to expand his body to giant size, and also to stretch his tail to incredible lengths (like in the story where he uses his tail to bridge the ocean to Langka)

Hanuman’s role in the Ramakian;

Hanuman has many roles and many character traits are displayed in the various stories about this simian superhero, which enthrall, and capture the hearts of his audience.In Hindu India, monkeys are generally revered and respected because of hanuman’s role in the Ramayana, and many “monkey temples” are to be found in every town.Humanoid Monkeys generally tend to play a role as soldiers in Phra Ram’s army, hanuman being Phra ram’s commanding general. Hanuman has been incorporated into various belief systems spreading across the Far East and South East Asia, from India to Bali, over China to Japan.
He is to be found in many myths and legends (apart from Ramakian).

From the Thai point of view, hanuman is a hero figure, brave and able, both clever, and physically agile.
He was used in olden times in Thailand as the mascot of the Gabee Tuch Pennant (ธงกบี่ธึช) when entering into battle.Hanuman is often used in the building of edifices, ad of course, for protection in Sak Yant tattoo.
Especially in the Khone theater, which depicts mostly scenes from ramakian, Hanuman seems to attract more interest than any other character in the story; especially from children! Because Hanuman is a figure with a personality that stands out more than anybody else - he wears white, has white fur - shrugs heavy attacks off with a laugh..absolutely invincible.Hanuman may be really the first Superhero of history.He is a master of the dancing arts, with such a gracious way of behaving and speaking….wherever Hanuman appears, he is center stage.

Five Headed Hanuman from exoticindiaart.comHanuman became Phra Ram’s commanding General, by volunteering for duty and prepared to sacrifice his life, with no expectation of any reward, and no promise from Phra Ram of any recompensation of any sort!Whatever m ission Hanuman recieved from Phra ram, however difficult, tiring or impossible it seemd; whether it was to fly and lift a mountain with herbs on it (needed to heal Phra Laksaman and Phra Ram, or to go steal the chariot of the sun. If you compare Hanuman to other faithful servants of Phra ram, like Pipaek or Sukriip, you will have to admit that Hanuman has to labour more and suffer more toil, especially considering the fact that Phra Ram offered no reward, and that Phra Ram had never helped Hanuman in any way before this time. Hanuman’s greatest toil and strugle, the mission with the most danger, where Hanuman sacrificed his self the most, where he must have felt down the most, was the chapter where “Hanuman offers the Ring”