Swirly scribble

decorative banner1, Q. Cassetti, 2011, vectorCruising. The work is coming and I seem to be keeping more on top of it versus swamped. Moved the big rocks before Sagamore so the leaves that are landing (the light projects that pile up) and I am able to move them without the mental burden that there were significant things that needed to be done. I have the holiday card on my desktop and am working away with lines/vectors and the wonderful live paint feature which is perfection for this project. I had to get my how to book out and between the switching of my glasses and the youtube videos—I think have a handle on this.

I am enjoying this work with images and logotypes. I am working on a logotype for a local distillery—and have been revelling in the shapes, the images, the barley stems and a scandia chic typography which is a real break with the woodtype/ antique image that this already branded farm has. It was fun to let it flow…and just to tweak and tune. All of this has helped me (along with two days of sleeping and stupidity) to really look at my work and how I spend my 40 hrs (+) a week. if I could squeeze more illustration and logo design (illustration that you can charge for)—it would really balance out the work/happiness factor more. If I took the logos and promoted them like I am promoting illustration, would I get a little more action? If I called the big logo shops in NYC and suggested I act as a stringer for them….would there be a bit more action? if I participated more actively in the world of logotypes online…would there be a bit more action?

The big fat pen is poised to move today on some swirly scribble.  Lets see what happens. 

Motors running

Vector Messing around, Q. Cassetti.Working away. Sending all sorts of illustration derivative projects out…they come back, I amend, they go out again, I amend, they go out, they come back…you get the idea. And, inch by inch, sketch by sketch, we get closer and closer to finish! Now, to the holday card that is not “holiday”, a portrait and a pile of thises and thats.

Having a little time to be stupid has lasting postitive effects. I am feeling energetic and “can do” unlike the last 3 months. Time off is no longer a “nice” but a necessity. A day or two more would have erased my brain enough that I might be able to think in a fresh manner again. Just when I was so stunned, I thought I would never be jazzed up again, I cracked open this book yesterday…and away we go.

I am looking at the work of David Lance Goines (b.1945) ( David Lance Goines Posters 1970-1994 from Ten Speed Press) and am challenged and excited by his work. I think we graphic designers claim Goines more than the illustration community…so as hybrid to hybrid, I am happy to wallow through his enormous body of posters with his lovely, bibliophile inspired layouts and colorways, and the pile of work that he cranked out on a regular and consistent basis. Goines came to posters through publishing, running his own letterpress shop (waaaay before it was as chic as it is now)—Saint Hieronymus Press (1968) and getting into poster making to showcase his loves and passions in the most exquisite way. My attraction comes from his deep understanding of classic page design, typography and form that is the quiet underpinnings to his elegant work. To see some examples>> I love his link and gifts of image to Alice Waters and her Chez Panisse Restaurant. Goines put a face on that extrordinary enterprise…crafted as finely as her cuisine. Another prompt to keep working with the local food producer community here…it DOES add up.

A great article featuring Mr. Goines: Collectors Weekly, Featured Interview: An Interview with Poster Designer David Lance Goines by Maribeth Keane, Collectors Weekly Staff

People for the Ethical Treatment of Typography (July 29, 2009) surfaces some lovely text and images>

I am working with a big fat pen, a big juicy pentel whiteout pen (Presto!) and seeing how fast, how bold, how graphic I can go…could be fun. Maybe some barley, some grains…Maybe some florals and birds. Little miss fluffybug. That’s me. Line work and flat color…really basic stuff would be cool. Need a little illo vacation..a style change might do the trick.

Rain promises. Rob is in Toledo. Alex will be running. The CSA promises tiny turnips, carrots and lettuce. I think I might cook a bit (and freeze a bit) tonight. I am feeling the energy.

Together

09.24.2011, Baldwinsville, New York: TBXC Varsity (left to right) Ben Maracle, Alex Cassetti, Cal Randle, Tyler Sutherland, Alex Kenny, Steven Dunn, Kevin VanDeldenWe went up to Baldwinsville yesterday for the annual Bee Ville XC meet. Always a favorite for the team but also as a parent as the course is so beautiful and the anniversary quality that this meet evokes. We have been going to BeeVille since Alex was in seventh grade with the little modified runners, so this being his senior year, we have been able to compare from year to year to measure his growth as an athlete, as an individual and as our boy. How wonderful and bittersweet. Tyler Sutherland was, to use Alex’s phrase “killing it”—bringing home a very good time and finish being the first of the group of varsity runners. The shorter guys in the middle of the shot were the lead dogs in this race. Double excellent as they are sophomores and juniors—so the team has some terrific horsepower for a couple more seasons!  They all seemed to have a jolly time with good results and great comraderie amongst themselves. So, the season is on, the season of brotherly love and friendship, hard races but good times. Sweetness on the edge of frost. The dualities are remarkable.

I guess I was wiped out. We got home and I decided to take a nap as I was winking out on the drive home. And so I did. I napped and then read a junky book. It got darker and darker until it was time to get out of my nest to see if there was another place to plop down. And so I did. Alex came home from a movie date. Rob went to a funeral and was back late…and then it was time to sleep again. I am still wiped out. I am gauging it my my impatience for stuff that normally doesnt drive me crazy, but I can push to the side of my perifery and disengage. I am all loose ends and frazzled. So, instead of attending Porch Fest all day, I think I will catch up with some email, do a bit of reading and maybe close my eyes again. I am just feeling so strung out. I need to get myself back to the point where I do not have to leave the room to prevent a rude outburst on my part or some sort of physical nastiness.

I just finished the book The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot and enjoyed it immensely despite the sadness of the story and the end result to the family of Mrs. Lacks. I was stunned to read about scientific experiments performed on the poor in recent history—mad scientists gone wild that rivelled some of the antics of the German scientists during WWII. We should be teaching this stuff to our kids…that this sort of inconvievable behavior and treatment of others happened right here in our happy little big island…and not just “over there”. Additionally, it pointed up the import of HIPAA and the rights and privacies we are guaranteed with our medical information and data. However, how are our personal cells and tissue material tracked. Do we have the right to that material and how it is used? or once blood is drawn, or a specimen taken, or birth is given—all of those byproducts we no longer have a right to? Though we are much further ahead than the mid-fifties—there are miles to go to better understand our rights to our own cells and the information they hold about us. One of the big take aways from the HeLa cell book was the gift Mrs Lacks gave (unknown to her, her family) to better mankind— through the truly immortal HeLa cells—was an singular one. Why her family was never notified, were treated badly and stupidly by doctors (all horrible communicators and frankly thoughtless people), and were unable to be treated or helped medically as they could not even afford health insurance while big Pharma made money (millions) due to the work they had done with their mother’s cell. This is just wrong all around.

I loved The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks so much, that I am now on a path for more of that sort of reading. I have The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer by Siddhartha Mukherjee. This book started as a blog or diary of a young doctor and his fellowship focusing on oncology. From that pretext, Dr. Mukherjee begins to simply tell the story of cancer to laymen. I have just started but am engaged and intrigued by the elegant way the writer is peeling away the complexity of the ideas—and making them pristine and memorable. He presents cancer as a character—the hero and villain—a character of great stealth, dimension and scope. I am looking foward to diving into this.

I am beginning to get more than stupid right now. I hear the siren song of my pillow.

How wonderful!

Blue Mountain Lake, Q. Cassetti, 2011We got up to Sagamore just a minute before the dinner bell rang yesterday. It was a wonderful drive—albeit a bit new for us as we missed a turn, so “Talkin’ Tina” our GPS took us through the italian section of Rome, NY to see the wonders (and italian delis) of that little industrial town prior to meeting up with the great northern way that took us to Old Forge. What a fun drive with my boyfriend seeing new sights, talking about this and that…and knowing that we had a few days to decompress a bit.

Rob needed sweaters and I needed a raincoat so we stopped at the Gillinghams type emporium in Old Forge for both. Gillinghams, for the record, is one of my most favorite stores in the United States of America. It is located in Woodstock, VT and they have everything from nutcrackers to cheese, shoes to salad bowls, organic hand balm to penny candy—a veritable yankee’s version of Aladdin’s cave. I always burn through a bunch of money there and never regret my purchase. The Old Forge version had just what we were looking for at a good (not great) price. We were sure that if we had bought sweaters and a raincoat, it would guarantee perfect warm weather during our short stay at the utopia in the Adirondacks, The Great Camp Sagamore. And outside of the small, violent downpours today, we have had that.

We were granted the best room in the Main lodge. Our room has a huge stone fireplace along with a bathroom we do not have to share. We even have a fan (brilliant Rob even brought one along for a just in case). It is lovely and we are so delighted for the extra treat.

My random chit chat about this and that went over well after Elizabeth Buchinger charmed and delighted the room into thinking about image, brand, and focus around how to be successful with lots of pushing the people into groups to figure it out as teams. I had some good questions (about copyright, about creative commons) and I think if I didn’t put them to sleep, mesmerize them—they at least were courteous and nice not to go to sleep. A lovely young woman who works at a historic house in the NYC area greeted me with tears saying that I confirmed that one should pursue your passion…and I guess she needed to hear that today. It was quite heartening though I must admit, I was a bit on autopilot, so goodness knows what I said that struck that amazing chord. I am happy that the crew got something to take home and think about.

I am loving the people here and cannot say enough about them. The Sagamore meeting always affirms to me what is good and great about New York State. Strong and smart people from the Hanford Mills Museum, to the witty museum professional from NYC, to the shrewd manager of a Historic House Museum— they all have chops, confidence and a bushytailed aspect of learning and growing from each other. This is an amazing event that happens quietly, annually in these historic woods, and it changes lives. How often does that happen. I am blessed to have been included.

Lunch was packed at breakfast time, so we went off to have lunch at Uncas, the other Great Camp just “down the driveway” from Sagamore. It was wonderful to be in that lovely space again amongst the heavy wrought iron, the stones and wood, the ancient taxidermy and the adorable little lake that lapped up on the beach close to the house. The entire architecture as it interfaces nature is perfection there…and as Beverly told us, it was because it was sited by the original architect of this camp—not a wealthy patron who was in the chain of those who acquired the property and the magic that comes with it. I love how livable Uncas is—with space to stretch out to read, to think, to be one with the elements. The amazing Uncas fireplace complete with the original ironwork (with turtles and the word Uncas in the designs) has an inglenood…and again according to Beverly, is one of the largest fireplaces in the string of famous Adirondack camps.

We had a nice discussion this afternoon about public programming and then off to the Adirondack Museum to hang out and smell the flowers (and see the exhibits). I was stunned by the pink hydrangeas and the masses of Japanese anemones growing upward and outward with deep purple buds covered by small bees trying to get the last bits of yumminess before the frosts begin. The mists were covering the tops of the mountain right above us on Blue Mountain Lake— and I took great delicious breaths of air and tried to print it all on my small brain. We had a fun chat with a new friend on beekeeping, on collections. on Vermont and on Cooperstown, and with another on Antarctica, on fund raising, on national press and on dreams. all of this with the changing skycap over Blue Mountain Lake below us—going from stormy, to cloudy to clear…all over the twinking water and evergreen backdrop.  My head needs to stop ticking…it is great stuff.

I bought balsam in a bag… so I can bring that Adirondack scent home with me.

And now my obligations are complete. I can take tomorrow off perhaps to dream and draw albeit today’s drawings were of trees for my client’s holiday cards. Maybe my pictures will happen tomorrow.

still here...barely.

Team Captains: Mom and Dad!Just back from the xc meet at the school. This is an annual event that always has been a beautiful early evening….always. But the dark skies and promise of rain in the morning, it seemed impossible that this iconic fall day which we always have was within reach. And then after all the flurry and rage of the day— a culmination of days and weekends of work, the skies cleared and we had blue skies, red trees and all the glorious kids running and eating with happy gabbing parents on the sidelines. It was so lovely…and as it has been Alex’s 6th year (since 7th grade) and bittersweet seeing the little seventh graders so ardently running with the new parents not seeing the path they are on. It is our last year and it doesn’t seem like the end of the time with our boy. When my pal Paul B. reacted to Alex’s interest in XC as the sport that is great and for the whole family, and he has been so, so right. I feel I am blessed.

The fun today came from the xc event with Alex and friends and the divine Charlotte (I promise, I will post pix) to picking up our share at Sweetland, visiting with a wonderful inspired friend who suggested we cook together (she is a rockstar so its a bit paralyzing…but a gigantic complement). It was a welcome break to commune with the broccoli, the smooshy onions, basil, parsley, and carrots (to my delight…these carrots are sensational). When things free up, hello basil picking and raspberries. My cool friend has been making beans with dill to her delight and pleasure. She was very directive about going out into the bed s and picking the youngest and finest kale…tender and sublime. Between my friend and the amazing Anna Root (bentobymom.com)…the interpretation of how to access and use our CSA changes and evolves as I engage in the world of our CSA.

I am crazy with vectors. I have been trying to do some very grown up work on a project…and driving myself crazy reading Von Glitscka’s Vector BootCamp, watching videos on how to use the arc and spiral tools, and the methodology that is not as impulsive and insane my go to place is. So, new notebook, new mechanical pencil and eraser signifies that I am trying. It is not simple to make the perfect compound curve let alone, see them. However…when it all works…wow.

Titania of XCTomorrow, Rob and I go off to Sagamore. I have the rough presentation in the computer. We need a bit of time away from the melee to really help the ideas to gel. I really do not want to come back to Tburg with a fully loaded schedule of all the things I need to do, and when I need to do it. It has truly been the week of do one thing, send it out, do a noter thing, send it out, correct the first version, correct the second version, send them out…and then it continues. There has been about 10 project in the mix-spinning like plates in a chinese acrobatic act. I hope that as we have been pushing out the iterations…maybe we can retire a few of these projects.

Gloria is here in a few weeks. Mary and Ron have guests that will be in the guest room. Jacob K. from the summer came back for Sunday dinner which was lovely and flattering as he said that the time we spent together really did change him. That time, those intense conversations really did make the difference— and he continues to share, think and talk with us. How lucky are we??

Our comfy sleep awaits. Just wanted to say I am still here…barely.

 

 

Sunshine Award: from Peg Nocciolino, Grafikmuse

Peg passed along a little honor, a little sunshine to me from the blogosphere and I wanted to thank her for the recognition and notice. Her blog, Grafikmuse is a gentle and lovely piece filled with Peg’s lyrical and poetic work, her vision as an illustrator/designer, her travels, her vision and world. I love visiting Grafikmuse as its a vacation for the shortest moment—to live in the studio with Peg. So, thank you so much for your bow…and I hail you back!

The rules for receiving the award:
- Thank the person who gave you the award.
- Write a post about it.
- Answer the questions below.
- Pass it on to 10 bloggers who you think really deserve it and send them a message to let them know.

My answers to the questions:
01. My favorite color:  black and white
02. My favorite animal: dog
03. My favorite number: seven
04. My favorite non-alcoholic drink:  seltzer water with lime or brewed iced tea.
05. Facebook or Twitter? both
06. My passion: making pictures
07. Getting or giving presents? giving presents definitely
08. My favorite pattern: tigerstripes
09. My favorite day of the week: Sunday
10. My favorite flower: peonies

Ten Inspiring Blogs

Digby’s Hullabaloo

Leif Peng’s Today’s Inspiration

Bento by Mom from Anna Root

Morbid Anatomy

Bibliodyssey

Amy Brill/Totally Brill

50 Watts

Paul Zdepski’s Zillustration Studio News

Ursula Roma’s Odds+ Ends

Squint: The Hartford Art School MFA in Illustration Blog

catch up a little.

Quiet. I am sorry I have been quite quiet. Monday was an up and back to Rochester for an appointment for Alex which was interesting and surprisingly draining for all of us. I was zonked. We have another session with this professional who may be able to help us understand a few things so as to be more effective and focused in the future. I am optimistic…but it is hard work for us all.I got back to the office and got back to doing work. Got some good/ interesting news on a project that they may do a little more than we had projected in the beginning. It could be great…but I am not holding my breath. Left foot, right foot.

No big computer still…it may deliver today. The computer definitely has decided to collect unemployment.

Yesterday, it was an appointment for me—and then the afternoon to catch up, do paperwork and planning for Sagamore. I am in the process of putting up a “Resources + Ideas” section (at the top) to share some of my ideas, vendors, resources etc. I will not have it all done by next Wednesday, but I will have enough. I want to put up links to all my favorite free, digital libraries— I am also making a slide show of stuff and hopefully, the more I push on this thing, the more focused it will be.

There has been no reading or drawing. I am right up against it…and need a moment to slow my thinking down.

green to olive

Rob came home yesterday with tales of wonder from Miami particularly those of the amazing Standard: Lido Spa Hotel (right off the Venetian Causeway). There are DIY mudbaths by the sea, frigid plunge pools, an enormous infinity pool that goes from 0 feet to 8….a water gradient…and as expected a magnificent styling bow to a time we do not hold fondly, the seventies. Hilarious but not to be revered (down to wide wale corderoy sectionals and oak diagonal siding (ouch!). We all have a thing for the Standard, so a new one to add to the pearls of wonder is a treasure. Seems like they got it right one more time. I will have to visit with the team to give you a full report—but, from what I hear, worth the try if you are going to be in Miami in the near future. I am looking forward to that. His trip was fun and quite productive. It was nice to see him back home with spring in his step.

I was almost late to the cross-country breakfast I was sponsoring. So, thanks to the coaching from Alex and Rob, it was simple—and all wrapped up on platters and bowls in the back of my station wagon. I pulled up to my spot, popped the back and away we went. Loved the way that worked. And, thanks to the coaching, all the food and drink were consumed. Happily. We got back to 2 Camp, and I fell apart—literally unable to string ideas together and getting mad about small stuff (like the raccoons who invaded the garbage room and shredding and spewing all the trash about) as a starter. Alex was pretty much feeling the same…so we both wished each other a nice nap and settled in. I was pretty much a zombie from the time I woke up until bed. However, I processed a bunch of chicken stock (separating the fat off the top and straining it), and pitted, peeled and chopped a basket of peaches (now frozen with lemon juice and a little bit of sugar) for either a pie or freezer jam when I am feeling a bit more spry.

I made a peach pie this week using a recipe that had cardamon which was luscious. Peaches can be spiced with all sorts of things to make a lovely change. Ginger is great…and now cardamon.

Tomorrow we go to Rochester to do some future related things with Alex. The week is getting smaller and smaller with all the meetings, travel and plans in place that planning is going to have to happen this evening so as not to totally fry by Friday. I am getting some thinking around my Sagamore talk…and instead of making it outward, telling folks what they should do, I should talk about what I know—getting my work out there, getting noticed and how I do it on a shoestring. Things like staying relevant, trying to stay abreast of trends and web happenings, the power of sites like Kickstarter, and the power of friends. That could fill a nonpreachy hour. Now, to write the outline.

The osage oranges are huge. The lake is really high-and quite impressive. The grass is thick and green thanks to the weather and rain. The trees green have morphed to olive and then we know what is next. We are getting the chimneys cleaned and readied for fall and winter.
Rob is getting ready to tell me his schedule for the week—and I need to attend.

The Hand of the Mysteries

The Hand Of The Mysteries
Artist Augustus Knapp

Redrawn from an early 18th century watercolor. (Artist Unknown.)The original drawings from which this plate was taken is designated the hand of the philosopher which is extended to those who enter into the mysteries. When the disciple of the Great Art first beholds this hand, it is closed, and he must discover a method of opening it before the mysteries contained therein may be revealed. In alchemy the hand signifies the formula for the preparation of the tincture physicorum. The fish is mercury and the flame-bounded sea in which it swims is sulfur, while each of the fingers bears the emblem of a Divine Agent through the combined operations of which the great work is accomplished. The unknown artist says of the diagram: “The wise take their oath by this hand that they will not teach the Art without parables.” To the Qabbalist the figure signifies the operation of the One Power [the crowded thumb] in the four worlds (the fingers with their emblems).
Besides its alchemical and Qabbalistic meanings, the figure symbolizes the hand of a Master Mason with which he “raises” the martyred Builder of the Divine House. Philosophically, the key represents the Mysteries themselves, without whose aid man cannot unlock the numerous chambers of his own being. The lantern is human knowledge, for it is a spark of the Universal Fire captured in a man-made vessel; it is the light of those who dwell in the inferior universe and with the aid of which theyseek to follow in the footsteps of Truth. The sun, which may be termed the ” light of the world,” represents the luminescence of creation through which man may learn the mystery of all creatures which express through form and number. The star is the
Universal Light which reveals cosmic and celestial verities. The crown is Absolute Light— unknown and unrevealed—whose power shines through all the lesser lights that are but sparks of this Eternal Effulgence. Thus is set forth the right hand, or active principle, of Deity, whose works are all contained within the” hollow of His hand.

(From the Secret Teachings of All Ages) 

Afloat

English 

“Eternal Father, strong to save,
Whose arm hath bound the restless wave,
Who bidst the mighty ocean deep
Its own appointed limits keep;
O, hear us when we cry to Thee
For those in peril on the sea!”


Noah was surely contemplating the ark last night.  Solid rain, solidly coming down through to this morning. So much so, the creeks, rivers and lakes have risen to make the roads scary so school was cancelled today throughout Central New York. Any opportunity to reference Noah is my idea of heaven.

I participated in Benjamin Britton’s Noye’s Fludde in Middle School—and loved the music, and the whole medieval quality of this operetta. So, when things get soggy, I find myself humming the small snippet of Noah talking to his wife about getting their act together because he could feel the structure move. So beautiful and singable….and so Churgh of Englandy…with recorders and handbells, soaring voices and crazy simple props and scenes.

Erich was busy bailing water but Rob got off to sunnier climes at 5 a.m. So, we have boys playing drums and music…a bit of clatter. I hope to heaven no one calls to hear this crap of high hat and drums that is soooo marching band. A bit tedious.

I am doing surgery via the phone on the tower….which is not bad…but the paperwork is certainly not as good or descriptive as that of IKEA. Maybe today I can either have the computer work or wipe the whole magilla and get going. I am tired of the lack of productivity I am experiencing. I just want my big employee that plugs in—back. It’s looking like this machine could sign up for unemployment if it doesn’t start up any sooner. Please,no more wasted days.

I am tired and cranky. I feel like we have been going solid…and I would love a chance to have a break. No weekends for two weekends…

 

Harumph.

Ithaca Grafitti, Q. Cassetti, 2011First day of Yearbook today. Nice crew of kids. Mainly girls, but some old friends from last year have signed on again—which is terrific. There are some chatty girls with ideas—so that should be good if we can harness them. I have hope that this year may not be the hump that it was last year to make the book happen. 

Today is one of those rainy days that begs for stock making…and so I am with lovely celery from Sweet Land CSA that I got yesterday. My, when you don’t buy celery, elegant grocery store green stalks, but get it new from the farm, it has all the parts that I love—all the loveagy leaves to roast with the parts, the carrots, onions and leek parts my mother in law leaves for me (she only uses the tip/ the white part). I will take any part of any leek and save it for my roasty stock. Bring on more turnips and carrots for my soup. And, inspired by the amazing Anna Root, stockmaker to the stars, all the greens and ends I should gather and combine to enrich the whole thing. Now that I am in my tower, shivering with wool on—the stock season is at hand.

My computer is acting up again. Making me crazy. However, now that I have my friends at Baka, I can call and they can confirm that no, I am not crazy, and yes, we will have to wipe the darned hard-drive. Jeez. Its never easy. I just hate loading new software, finding old software, the fonts the fonts the fonts….and then all the add-ons that I have in symbols and brush libraries. Oh, how I hate it. And it seems like this is my only option. Tedious, tedious, tedious.

I took a brief tutorial on Lynda.com on how to make fancy swirls using the swirl shape—and how to manipulate the tool to make it do more than it appears to be able to do. Love Deke McClellan and how clear he made the process. I just wish the computer would work so I could try all this stuff out. Yes, I have the miraculous powerbook—but its not the same as the big operation.

Rob leaves us tomorrow for Miami. Lucky duck. Alex and I will have some nice bro time together.

little chrysalis

Kitty and Robbie at the Haunt, July, 2011, Q. CassettiWell, the new year according to the Empire of Q. started this morning with a Shaggin’ Wagon dead battery—key in, no results. But, Alex got to school on time, empty bookbag, gym clothes, a check for lunch and his favorite greasy breakfast (at school). Mr. K from AAA came before 9. to give me a jump and I did a bit of driving over to Peach Orchard on Seneca Lake to get some peaches to peel and freeze, to make a cobbler, and to make more peach/ginger jam (freezer jam).

We got off around noon on Sunday to get to Amherst around 6. We stopped at Kitty’s new abode and ran into a bunch of her friends. So, we left her to catch up and did a little tootling around with Alex to see what was new and where we might have dinner (Mission Cantina, a new Mexican place on West Street—just steps from Hampshire). We then got Kitty and a friend and had a nice dinner watching Alex reel from the great music they were playing on the overhead combined with a double love of fresh fish tacos that he consumed happily (in hindsight, we should have ordered him two plates…he loved them soooo much). Then, off to the hotel for sleeping before a big day on Sunday of moving Kitty in, going to Target to get stuff to make her life a bit more liveable and then back home in the afternoon.

It sure felt like the brave new world. Kitty was ready to shoo us out the door when we  started getting in her space trying to help but making her crazy. I am the queen of noodlers, so I fear I made her the craziest. So, going to the store to buy olive oil, honey and peaches, fresh tomatoes and bread got me out of her space but alllowing me to show the love as the pseudo italian housewife I am. She is in an onward and upward mode versus the poor little lonely girl we left—a girl filled with fear and trepidation. We left  a far more confident young women this year with more of a grasp on what she is about, what she loves, where she is pointed. Her work this summer along with living in the house of the Lost Boys give her a boost that was happily unexpected—along with the mental and emotional sorting that coming home often initiates. After she showed us all around to the wonderful round room in the center of her Greenwich mod to the other mod with the cutest little student run library—I feel that this year our little chrysalis  may begin to notice her wings this year with new friends and acquaintances, new opportunities and studies, new learning around how to live on your own and with friends, and the raft of other things that just happen in college. I am not sulking and mooning over my little girl albeit she is on my mind as we had such a treasured time this summer. She is back with her tribe—with a desire to learn more about fashion, clothing, sewing, decorative arts and fashion.

So, it really wasnt much of a weekend….but the beginning of the new year for all. Rob is off to Miami later this week/ back Saturday—so I will be handling the XC breakfast solo. which is no biggie. I will be making little Granola/yogurt and fruit parfaits (so peeling and prepping the fruit will happen Friday night (more peach use). I am going to do a Tuesday pick up at the CSA now that school is back in session. Oh my.

Alex is back to running full time. We have so much to do with him!

 

new year blessings

Yesterday for me was a full study hall. I completed a publication layout that was kind of fun, taking all the parts and trying to fit it all together, while adding some design editorial by blowing up some images, laying somethings behind the text, modifying some of the typography (sounds only a dog can hear…) but neatly wrapped up as closed to finished as I can do so now. I also took the opportunity to read the image requirements for both the Society of Illustrators NY and the Society of Illustrators LA annual shows. I made a list of the images I plan to submit and quickly went through and saved the files out (different requirements per show) to separate folders. So, now I am ready to do the electronic paperwork to make that happen. I can stage it all by the end of September, and be efficient at posting all the above. It did make me relook at last week’s portrait and decide to modify it…just so slightly… and maybe to shake the copy off the Tim Pinckney poster for the Hangar—to see if the crew would like a really graphic illustration.

Interestingly, this review was a great thing to do. I really hadn’t critically looked at the body of work from the past year— kind of afraid that there wasn’t much there. There have been so many little random projects from the Farmers Market, Advent Calendar 2010, india inspired work, portraits, logotypes with illustration, that there hasn’t been much cohesiveness to the work—and thus, I sold myself short. Honestly, it isn’t that the work has been skimpy—just slightly more untraditional explorations into style/ styling/ line and topics derivative of the content (india, russian dolls, leaves, vegetables). I guess as the topics have not cleanly flowed from one to the next, it turned out be little plates of dim sum and not a sumptuous feast. Lesson learned: keep going….most important thing is not to put the pen down. Just stay on it…even when it might be a bit boring because when it gets boring, sometimes that the moment when something interesting happens. You know, the unexpected…the ringer.

Kitty is packed. The wonder bus is packed. Alex’s paper is written and printed. Litter box is clean. Rob is listening to the radio and getting ready to finish cutting the lawn. So we go off with neatness and planning. A beautiful thing.

Time to wrangle the cats.
Time to move to the next chapter…I hope I can be ready for all it entails.

ps. if I were to rule the universe, the Empire of Q., I would make the first day of school, the first day of the new year. So much hope. So much anticipation. So much fear and expectation. So much promise.

To quote Alex, “Peace Out”.

 

Laboring Days

Owl Study, Q. Cassetti, 2011Last day before we load up the wonderbus and take Kitty back to the Pioneer Valley and happiness amongst her friends, her soon to be new friends, contradancing and new studies and focus.

Its all ramping up for the schoolyear here. Yearbook has been scheduled. Alex’s classes are good. Rob has been remarkable, coaching Alex to be a better and more focused writing. This writing process has been quite remarkable to watch. Cross Country is in full bore with breakfast for 30 for next Saturday. I think I will make yogurt and granola and fruit sundaes with bagels and juice.  Sounds like granola batching this week. Then the next due date is my Sagamore presentation that I need to get charged about. We are having a group here this Wednesday for a project we are calling the Tripych.

Essentially, the Triptych project is going to be a topic we as a group will pick (the group is comprised of writers, visual artists, musicians)…and brainstorm. The next time we meet, we will all have 3 “takes” on the topic using the same media or different, same channel or mixing writing and drawing or writing and photography, photography and drawing….you get the idea. This is a group of great people who have a high quality level, and thinkers. Should be fun doing the work and getting to know the group. If we all agree, we will post a “carnival”(according to Amelia) which is that each of us post a list of links of all the respective participants.

I am chugging away on a publications project that is a stopper in the works. I figured if I would free up the space, things will flow more smoothly….next week—the short week. So onward from dawdling with you.

More finish.

Finished, I think, Q. Cassetti, 2011, Adobe Illustrator CS5So, First portrait is done. Need to chip away at the publication for now…and then back at the other portrait. The process was pretty fun yesterday—and as you can see, the work tighened up and was a bit more designed from the show and tell last night with the client.  The image came together pretty quickly (considering other images I have done)—so the quickies earlier this summer had some value in getting my “eye in”. Then, it gets married to some type.

It was announced that Steuben Glass, a former client of mine, is closing it’s doors, it’s factory—and letting it’s employees go.

Ben Dobbin, an AP Reporter says:

Luxury crystal maker Steuben closes NY factory

ROCHESTER, N.Y. (AP) — The Ohio owner of Steuben Glass, the company still making luxury lead crystal by hand in the United States, said Wednesday that it plans to end production after 108 years.

Schottenstein Stores Corp. of Columbus, Ohio, which bought the business from longtime owner Corning Inc. in 2008, said declining sales in the choppy economy have been eroding Steuben Glass’ profitability.

Steuben’s sole factory, which employs 60 people making everything from wine glasses to art objects in the small city of Corning in western New York, is set to close Nov. 29.

When the factory opened in 1903, founder and designer Frederick Carder’s richly hued creations turned him into a giant of the glass arts scene alongside Louis Comfort Tiffany and Rene Lalique.

The Steuben Glass store in New York City will remain open until its inventory sells, while the shop at the Corning Museum of Glass will close in November, Schottenstein spokesman Ron Sykes said.

Before its sale to Schottenstein, the crystal maker had been unprofitable for a decade. It had lost $30 million over the previous five years, and its sales had shrunk to $25 million a year, company officials at Corning said.

Steuben Glass artwork can cost tens of thousands of dollars. Its wine glasses start at $75 apiece. For more of this article>>

The Elmira Star Gazette reports.

Crystal Biscuit, Steuben GlassHow sad this all is. Steuben Glass has been part of my history and that of my husband and his family. This American Tradition of giving and receiving the finest crystal in the world we share the love of with our friends who are designers, craftsmen and top managment of this concern with threads of knowledge and design reaching down to the former generations of designers and craftsmen. This remarkable company provided gifts of state and gifts to friends for 108 years presenting bowls for Buckingham Palace to candlesticks for the dining room table from grandmother, to mother to daughter. This is a company we all talked about, stretched to understand, reached to grow, and lean into to showcase the best of the best. (the example to the right is an example of where they have gone….a personalized glass dog biscuit…from the pinnacle that created and produced many magical pieces from James Houston (to name one), creating and producing Sydney Waugh’s Gazelle Bowl (1935) in the Metropolitan Museum of Art (see the bowl)

Steuben was the pride of the Corning valley. It embraced families of glassmakers, copper wheel engravers, design cutters, glass cleaners, glass craftsmen, gaffers, gatherers, and teams. Everyone had even a small piece in the requisite knick knack cabinet, a “dust collector” (as I called them)—with company gifts, personal gifts, momentos given and displayed. It is a sad day for the valley…and a sad day for the company. I have many happy memories of the company with the grey linen box.

Today is my dear son’s birthday. Happy Day to Alex. Speaking as someone who was at the original Birthday, he is as adorable as the small Alexander Commander who arrived on the scene on time, as predicted—sweet and burrowing into our hearts. We will have dinner out at a splashy restaurant tonight. I bought him a used electric guitar which is his present from me. Gotta go.

 

More miracles

Portrait in progress, step one, Q. Cassetti, 2011, Adobe Illustrator CS5

I have two portraits to do by the end of September. I got a crack at one of them yesterday and delighted in creating the silhouette and beginning to digitally cut the highlights out of that shape. I hope the mid tones and darks will go in today. I am always, without a doubt, nervous when I square up the paper and start these thing—asking myself if I can do it this time…as I rarely have much confidence in the reference combined with shaky personal confidence. Just picking up the pen, taking a deep breath and then the focused chipping away often checking every decision takes the time. When I have a half dozen highlights in, I know this is going to work or not….and my optimism can rise. Its a nice charge to drive the work forward. Then, I give myself a little permission to go a bit rogue with some manufactured highlights and shadows. I am optimistic I can give my client a pair of portraits that will work complete with working a hand with a smoking pipe into one of them as the pipe was so iconic with this particular artist.

Have you heard about Wacom’s newest offering, the Inkling? I discovered this wonder yesterday and currently I am transfixed and cannot wait until mid September. The Inkling is essentially, a ballpoint pen that records your hand drawing and transfers that work to digital. You use their pen, and your own notebook. I am wondering how it translates your drawing to make it better than a high res scan. Its too cool…but now that I think about it…unless it saves it to vectors or layers or provides me more than a scan, I am trying to figure out whether this is more of a toy than a real work tool. Maybe if there is a chance today, I will do a little reading on this.

From EverythingUSB.com:

“Finally this fantastic pen interface technology has made it to where it belongs, Wacom Inkling Smart Pen. The Inkling Smart Pen is a 2 part device that transfers handwriting strokes to a digital format. The technology is quite clever and extremely energy efficient which is what gives it such great potential. The base unit uses 2 microphones that give it the sound version of stereoscopic ‘vision’, allowing it to hear where the pen is moving.The pen emits a completely inaudible pulse helping the base unit track location and pen pressure. The datagrams on these coordinates are tiny allowing for cheap storage of many pages. The pen is normal sized thanks to only needing to make its silent ping while the base unit listens and records. Other competitors in the space require a hot-dog sized pen to hold all the electronics. Some of those require special paper as well, where none is needed by the Inkling.

The touch of a button on the base tells the device to start using storing the pen strokes in a different ‘page’ and it can store dozens if not hundreds of pages. An internal battery in the base is recharged by USB and the pen only needs inexpensive watch batteries. This technology has been hopping from company to company for some time now, A-open and IOGear to name a few. Both have products based on this technology but no one does pens like Wacom. We’re looking forward to see how much they’ve improved upon it while unfortunately upping the prior incarnation’s MSRP. Wacoms plan to release the Inkling Smart Pen at $199 later this year. Being able to import directly into Illustrator is probably worth double that for any serious artists.”

OH MY. v e c t o r

I wonder if one will be enough!

It was study hall yesterday at the office. It just dawned on Alex that maybe, just maybe he needed to get to work on the paper he has due next week for his environmental science class. This has a lot of research and processing of information which my son thought he could dash off….NOT. So, I made him sit with me all day to work on this paper. Unfortunately, he is busy counting words versus focusing on truly delivering on the paper’s content and requirements. I think I am going to throw the role of the heavy to Rob as I am making him sit and focus. I hope there is more we will learn about Alex from the testing we will be starting in a week or so. He just focuses on the oddest things and doesn’t really understand where he should be tracking. If I can talk him through, sometimes it hits. Sometimes he is there with me. More study hall today.

I have a meeting in a few and need to get the already foley-ed tomato sauce on the stove to simmer for a few hours to get the water out. I am a sauce making machine. I feel like there may be a few more pots out there. Loving it.