I know, I know. You are tired about hearing this--but did I extol the virtues of Dr. Martin's Black Star Matte Ink recently? It is amazing. Lays down matte and thick...and is just pure sex as it is luscious and rich and....well. I am in love over and over with this ink and the cheap brushes (only the best) to help me work through my issues with my mortality in my monteval all media field sketch books (another find!). I am slugging away with pictures of spirits and had a mini epiphany. As I was looking at the images in Graven--I noticed that the planes of the wings are really just big ole shapes with some linear detail worked in to say "feathers" or "nose and eyes". I figure I should do the same thing. Big planes and maybe create the line work on trace...scan it in and reverse it out of the image. Fast and good. Plus, gives me a chance to work bigger, bolder, and god forbid..more graphic...which, honestly, I have been shying from as it is too easy to do. Cheap trick, I guess. But, nonetheless...it is part of the progression of images and imagery. I was thinking about how this work is furthered beyond manifesting it in other forms (like embroidery, glass etc.)--How does one develop the sketches beyond what is there? Deal with more fears? Like, how do I get over being afraid of color? Or should I embrace my fear of color and stick with more black and white as this pool is something I like to swim in? Is it medium? Technique? Or should I embrace my fear of paint...in the same way? Should I forget all of that and deal with content (which is really interesting) and take a dozen images further--really developing them...running parallel with developing product/fabric/patterns/? Or should I work on a body of images that progress with some sort of personal story? I need to think. And more importantly, I need to keep the work coming.
Two new projects flew in through the window yesterday. Quickies. But..hey. Keeps us busy. The Steuben project has been moved up--and will be shown to someone tomorrow beginning the chain of presentations to sell the job. Am keeping my fingers crossed on this one. Feels like another working Sunday this weekend with the work and the short deadlines--
Got the work to Society of Illustrators LA. Need to get the Print and CA work figured out and done too. Deadlines are more than a month away...but I am likely to flake on this and it would be nice to get something in.
Purple sky this morning has blown through to give us cold, blue skies and an amazing whippy wind which is taking limbs and trees down. Promising a bit of snow...but not much.
Fired up the cricket (Jotul 620) for the second time last night. A gem. I am pleased we have this little woodstove as it will take the sting out of the future new kitchen (which in this 1848 house was the original kitchen...complete with a deep fireplace with iron firebacks, original cranes and iron cooking devices). Our existing kitchen is a 1940s remodel of the old servant's dining room and pantry. It serves as the family entrance of the house now...a crossroads that I happen to cook out of (on an old, early 1950s electric stove that looks like a car and works like a charm...it has convinced me that I don't mind working on an electric stove ), kids do their homework...etc. The current kitchen is going to be converted back into a space that doubles as an entry and passage along with a pantry for the future new (old) kitchen. Plans are afoot for us to get a wood cookstove (as an add...not as the sole cooking tool) for this new passage to provide heat, to cook on and if needed to work as a water heater as a nice add to the house and as a fallback for all of us should we lose power (which really does happen). I like the idea and the challenge of learning to cook on a woodstove...seems somehow cool...even if its soup. I like the added heating option. And the emergency thing I love too. There are too many people (and some of them older) who need support...and this will be a big help. Now, all I need to do is convince the boss that I also want a series of Honda generators...that might take some doing.
But, girls can dream can't they?