Long day and even longer night


The flight left an hour plus after the scheduled time. Non eventful...thankfully with an opportunity to snooze a little and work on the Matisse inspired project. It was a one and a half ink cartridge in the fountain pen kind of day. Was seated next to the crew seat--with two of the pilots snoring and another more than happy to talk about his life, his family,his church and his ideas about handguns in the home (you need one loaded and ready to go at all times to get the guys that are going to break into your house). Yikes!! We talked a little politics, a little about the state of being a pilot, and the requisite retirement at 60 and then what? So, that broke things up nicely. We got in an hour late (8 hr. flight) and the fun began. Tons of waiting. Then the lines began with all the US college students coming back from their "SPRING BREAK" in Jamaica etc...all in tank tops and flip flops despite the snow on the ground. Lines up on lines. At least a half an hour waiting to show the passport, a half an hour for the bags, a half an hour waiting for "security" etc. The USAir flight to Ithaca was delayed an hour and a half due to mechanical work being done. Albeit, the flight did go, though I got a pass to the local hotel courtesy of USAir and got scheduled in case they cancelled as they shut down their customer service around 10:30-11:00 and I just didnt want to be stuck, exhausted and meanspirited.

Got on about 12:15. They did take off. Got home to my house by 2:00. However, the luggage all got put on the carousel and no one took anything. All the luggage did not belong to this flight. So, once again, they lost the luggage. Hopefully we will see it in a couple of days.

It's great being back albeit I am operating on sleep fumes. I hope I can make it without conking out unnecessarily today.

More later>>

Richard and Chris had an eventful time in Paris. Got there, saw the sites..some positive, some less so. Found out on Saturday, the day they had planned to shop and take pictures, that the train was not running--so they were bussed to Calais, took the ferry to Dover and then a train ride to London and on to Gatwick. Eleven stinking hours of travel. Makes my time with the flight cancelled seem like an absolute holiday. What was JT thinking when he stated that going to London was the same as San Francisco. Somehow 2 days to get home, the exchange rate and the time difference isnt quite the same. I need to get over it.

Image above from my sketchbook.

Queued Up

Well. First Class is first class. I got to skirt the extrordinarily long line complete with jackasses wearing spandex and wigs and their girlfriends dressed up like fairies--to check in..and to boot a free USAirways club card, and a express pass through security. Free coffee. Free bacon sandwiches. Life doesnt get much better. Plus, they had plum colored peonies in the bathrooms. I am getting ready to go to gate 23 and be there when they load. The duty free is all about WHISKEY. Tons of stores wanting to sell you cheap booze (2 bottles for £15)--but who needs it, and who needs to lug it? The british are drinking champagne in the Club and slopping down full English breakfasts replete with beans, sausages, bacon, tomatoes and undercooked eggs to their delight.

Have been slugging away trying to be the old Matisse on Tom's wine project--so I feel I will have something to gin up on the computer when I get back. They are coming into focus. Loved watching Dame Edna last night. The english love fart, poop,boob etc jokes and Dame Edna was rife with that stuff along with very proper behavior. She reminds me of a Cassetti family friend...in her cheeky cute way of saying slightly off key things. She is the only true british TV worth watching. All other shows are cooking, news and sports...and shows that the audience can phone in to vote for...like singing competitions, people opening boxes to find out how much money they have won etc. Another thing that is odd, is the big magazines actually package things like tote bags, lipsticks, music or film cds with them . One actually had a bracetlet... So for £2 you get a magazine and a treat. Imagine?!

The troops are moving. I should too. Still on with the late flight to Ithaca. Leaves around 1050 or so.

More later>>

SU stuff

The eight of us seem a little deflated. The class behind us is rocky insofar as who will continue. There is a lot of naivete amongst the four of them. Two are still on.... John announced to the group that people should do what they need to do. He promoted Marywood and briefly mentioned Hartford briefly. However, he sometimes speaks without all the backup and was overly positive about credits being picked up by other programs etc. I threw water (sprinkled a little) saying people should ask about transferring credits as part of the questions they ask without assuming anything.

Our class is all finishing their work and will graduate. Richard's work is good and he is moving towards the finalization. Traci is the same. Chris' work has changed and really tightened up to terrific results. We are missing Ross...but he is planning to graduate with us. John asked me if I had any mailing lists for SU. I only have my year, the year behind and in front as that was all Lisa would provide to me as I wanted to start a list to send Christmas cards to them. Apparently, Lisa Ryan was "locked out" of her computer and no one seems to be able to access any of the historic lists to notify those students who hadn't completed their thesis as to the closing of the program and the limited time for those students to complete their work and obtain their degrees. It is no longer an open ended thing. If any of you out there have mailing lists of classmates, could you please forward them to John Thompson as a courtesy to the almost alumni of the SU ISDP Program?

The MFA students that started at the same time as we have are not even focused, let alone progressing on their thesis. It seems an extrordinary amount of time to get an F --being full time students to double the credits we obtain essentially with 4 weeks in class per year for two years. They really don't seem to have much of a flame lit under the keester to get them moving. I guess its a good life anticipating a full time teaching gig that everyone and their brothers want. Too bad they don't learn anything about type while they are in the program.

There was a great deal of melancholy among our class at the end of this trip. We were remembering our friends from the graduating class of 2006 and the fun we had in San Francisco. We were reminiscing about our work, progress and learning while feeling blue about the state of illustration in the UK (bleak) and in the US (not as bleak and def more "blue sky" if you can believe it. It has left me a bit in purgatory--and really do not know what end is up. I will be glad to be back in the saddle on our sunny plateau soon.

SU ISDP News:We will be having Gary Kelly this summer. Our group submitted a list of names of people we would like and John def perked up with one of them. I wont let on until the person has been bidden, and we have him. John's pick for the second week is George Pratt--. Please god...a change. We will see. If we do a London picture, the director of the London studies program would be interested in showing them (maybe?). I will need to move the needle re: my room for this summer when I get back. Preliminary thesis writing due June 1. I would like to take a crack at it and have it to him by April 1...so I can get back to making pictures.

The crowd liked my sketchbook drawings. They like the heavily inked things like the skulls and the mean old bulldog. The new birds were a big hit as they are simple and designed. Gotta build the skulls out to be something.

More later>>

Those Poor Devils at the USAirways Counter

It's six hours later--and the line continues. I feel for all of us put on hold, but those poor attendants behind the USAirways counter have the tough job. I will try back again later. I really thought that they would be done by now. Here is a neat London tip. If you buy an Oyster card (the way to go)--you need to pay £3 to obtain the loadable card. Minimum is £5. We loaded our cards up...and then re-upped as we were using the Underground far more than we had intended. Last night, we turned our cards back in to get the £3 back along with crediting our credit card with the residual money left on the card. So, you aren't stuck--but use exactly what you need--no more, no less.

These internet cafes are a scream. I am currently sitting next to some older (at least in their sixties) women who are planning their trip from the airport...with lots of loud pointing and gesturing in german. There is another guy who is eating over the keyboards...Oh, look...now the older ladies are opening up their changepurses and loading the coinbox with more change to keep going...It's the cyber parking meter! Then, there are the cyberchatterboxes who use skype to "phone home"--for free outside of the cybercafe prices. We really don't have anything quite like this--the public library is the closest--but the library doesnt have a change machine (like the laundromat) or a coke machine with cokes and water. Lots of smoking here. Lots. I might smoke just because the packages are so beautiful.

Was watching some news--very interesting to watch CNN to see that the rest of the world kind of agrees with my politics--a cooking show where they were making a grim, indigestible Saint Patricks Day yum yum, and a music show where everyone looked like Kitty with cool hair, cool tee shirts or the basic "little match girl" fashion. Will walk around a little. The hotel lobby is jammed packed with all of us stray dogs from USAir and it seems a few tour buses.

More later>>

Cancelled!!

I am here at Gatwick at their cheaper internet cafe...after finding out the Philadelphia is iced over and no airplanes went out last night. I am glad I got up with Traci at 4 this morning and caught the Gatwick Express at 6:30--getting into the airport by 7. We waited in a line (thankfully, I was in the first 20 folks) for about a half an hour and then the bedlam began. Philly cancelled. No flights until Monday was passed down the line. I am so happy I had the coupons to go first class, as I will be on the same flight tomorrow morning...with the only available connection to Ithaca being 10:50 p.m. I will check when I get in for a better flight if possible. If not, it will be a long day. Having first class got me to the area they had room...so I am delighted that at least it is not two days. I then checked into the airport Hilton and may spend the day working on my thesis as I have just had enough of all of this. It is too expensive--and I have had an overdose of museums and stuff that it just bounces off my eyeballs. Plus, I am wiped out...

Yesterday, we had a sit down breakfast and met a classmate at the Wallace Collection. What an interesting place. The Wallace is kind of the Frick...only English with wonderful work surrounded by furniture, cracked plaster and peeling ceiling, ormolu vases, aubusson carpets, gilt and glitter. They had the famous picture of Dudley (Elizabeth I's horsemaster), a Franz Hals that inspires in it's brushwork and clarity, and a bunch of frothy Bouchards.Huge collection of armor, daggers(the indian ones are the best as they are the most lethal looking), helmets and shields. They had a little show on a Majolica painter that was fun. I love majolica. The best piece was inspired by the artist that constructed heads from fruit, or musical instruments or or ....this head was constructed out of penises!!
Took a moment for all of us to get it...and then!! The Wallace is a huge facade that is designed to have an open courtyard. They covered the courtyard and added stairs to the basement in a very clean, modern way...and filled the courtyard with a white tablecloth cafe. The ladies bathrooms were individual bathrooms, each with sinks and lovely tilework inside. Very gracious like the Frick.

We proceeded to walk down to Oxford Circus and down Regent Street to get to Carnaby Street. Then off to Covent Gardens. We figured we would look at stores etc. Lots of ideas. Didn't buy anything because of the spanking the dollar is getting. Went into Habitat and saw pretty much high end IKEA stuff. Lots of pink in mens clothing..and Alex, lots of purple too. Bright pink(hot pink) ties on softer pink striped shirts...looks really good. Tons of Quicksilver and Roxy stores. I have seen very elegant and hip guys and gals...all with Billibong and the surf stuff from LA on. AquaVI needs to come here. Their little jackets etc. are PERFECT for the crowd here. We went into a LUSH soap company which is an english venue--with basins of water everywhere and the sales people lathering up their hands and arms with lots of invitations to join in to demonstrate the goods. The soap is cut into blocks from these enormously molded soaps...some like gigantic jellow molds, others like layer cakes. All very gorgeous. They have some soaps on ice that look like pink runny cheese. They have these other soaps that are these very soft, jello like soaps in ceramic dishes that jiggle and wiggle. A block of soap can run you about £7.5. Ouch!!You do the translation into pounds (multiply by 2!). We looked at shoes, bags, stuff, junk jewels, and the big british fab stores like Burberry etc. We went into a couple of vintage places which were highlighting seventies jogging suits (jesus!) and stuff you wish would never surface. However, it makes Justin and Dominica's Potrune look like Madison Avenue for their selection and style. I want to stay open, but we have it pretty good in upstate New York.

The location of Covent Garden is beautiful...but tres tourist trap. Tons of stalls of people selling handmade stuff. The best being totebags constructed out of mens suit jackets with the sleeve with buttons being the flap. Very inspired. I did see some necklaces/rings/hairclip made up of big winky dollbaby eyes...Kitty!!

The British Museum stays open on Thursdays and Fridays--So I went on Thursday--with many of the collections locked down at 5. So, I didnt see the Beatrix Potter--but got a dose of Egypt, Greek and Roman artifacts. There is this wonderful collection that I didnt have the patience to really dig into--that is very Jurassic Museum of Technology. It is a huge space that is covered floor to ceiling with bookcases filled with books, natural history specimens and art about the same matter--ranging from seashells to botantical to maps etc. All tagged and obtuse. There are cases that run down the middle of the room with letters, and coins and more ephemera relating to the subject area you are in.... Pretty great. Should have been the first thing to visit in London when you can take that stuff in. I walked home from the British--not wanting to deal with the crush in the subway and enjoyed seeing the afterwork crowd. Lots of takeaway. The best being a japanese takeaway on Oxford Street called Wasabi which is sushi sold 2 pieces at a time--with them chock a block making a fabulous tessilated pattern featuring rice and nori.

My internet time is running out. I am going now. I will call when I get to Phillie...or if there are changes, I will relate. I miss you all...

xoxo

Didn't ride the slides


The slides were at varied heights--the highest from the tippy-toppiness of the fifth floor. The Tate Modern was surprising as it was a mishmash of MOMA and MOCA--with some great Francis Bacons, Legers, Duchamps, etc. Nice show on covers of a russian magazine called Russian Construction with compositions and photography by the great El Lissistsky and Alexander Rodchenko. Saw some nice collages a la the good ones we saw at the Johnson Museum. Fell in love again with Francis Picabia...need to do some research on him. There was a Diego Rivera pastel that was truly 12 feet tall. The Duchamps was great--in the Philadelphia Museum of Art hand...not as extensive a group...but beautiful in real life.

There was a show of the indian (as in India) artist, Amrita Sher-Gil --an indian version of Freda Kahlo. John Thompson knew all about her from his recent adventures in India where Sher-Gil is lauded as one of the "big" ones. She was turn of the century, and recognized as early as age 19 as a big talent. She was the product of a Sihk (sp) father and a hungarian mother--essentially raised in India but trained in Europe. She was inspired (and its pretty evident in her work) by Gaugain--even mimicing his work, composition and imagery in one of her pictures though her palette is very dour and dark. The image above is during a transition time in her work--and I find it interesting per the Burka images.

My favorite installation was a new piece the Tate has acquired called "Sliding Doors" which would be perfect for CMoG. One approaches the piece which is a wall covered in mirrors with a mirrored sliding door. The door automatically opens and you face another mirrored wall with a sliding door --about 3 strides takes you from one door to the next...and this happens about 7 or 8 times. It is stunning and startling and dizzying. Glass. Mirrors. Motion. Passage. Totally excellent. And, a real crowd pleaser.

Traci rode the slide and bumped her head. She said the slide was not too fun.

Great stuff at the store..but expensive. I was tempted but did not give way on an industrial weight felt bag....but I have enough bags for my life and twenty others...so I resisted. But I did buy some postcards.

The Tate Modern as a building is very cool. Terrific spaces. Tons of escalators. Lots of peeks through to other spaces. Wonderful plantings of very skinny birch trees you have to walk and look through prior to getting to the building. The Tate Modern and Tate Britain run a boat (can you imagine? it is called the Tate Boat) between both locations. It takes twenty minutes...and I love the idea.

Back at the Faraday House after a lunch at Pret as both Traci and I hoped. We will see an illustrator/graphic designer at 2:30 and then have time. I am going to see the Beatrix Potter illustrations at the British Museum.

More later>>

Amrita Sher-Gil
Three Girls, 1935oil on canvas
National Gallery of Modern Art, New Delhi

Tate Modern


So, its the british version of MassMoca today. Am looking forward to it--and right as Rob said, the guy that did the amusement park work has an installation there. Yesterday we trekked out to Clapton to meet with the artist, Francisco Centofani--a young painter trained in Florence (where John Thompson met him). He was busy painting a handrail when we got there so we could see how he paints houses too. He showed us a collection of works--my favorites being essentially portraits of trees. He has worked on some interesting, stripped down paintings in limited palettes of things happening in the night-time. He will paint the paintings and then just paint out some of the picture to a solid--giving it a very graphic and illustratory feel. Not overly inspiring but with everything, there was something to take away.

We got back to London and spend the remander of the day at The National Gallery. Did I say PHENOMENAL? It was like having the dessert cart of the Jansen History of Art brought out and being told to eat the entire thing. One amazing painting after the other. I am fearful Kitty and Alex would HATE it because it is totally all about painting...but if you have to be tortured, this is the place. Arnofini Wedding, tons of Botticellis, Zubarin, Titans, and Holbeins galore.Angels and Marys to beat the band. The tiny Van Eyck portait of himself wearing a rosy, ruby turban.
And the Gainsboros, Reynolds and british portraits in abundance...one better than the next.

It was funny spending time in my world of the early Rennaissance and the Sienese School...To be surrounded by the vast riches the National Gallery offers, I was struck by the brilliant, out of the tube color that radiate from these pictures. I mean the compositions, symbols, stories and artistry is amazing, but the extrodinary color that just bounces off the canvas was amazing. The mannerists were fond of orange and blue bouncing off each other in a very active way. Amazing.

The building is phenomenal..and for you R, it uses a ton of skylights in the galleries and limited lighting. This works far better than the British Museums natural light thing. Back to the National--Huge pots of cream and red amaryllis with greens flanking the doorway. Good free maps. Colored walls in the galleries. No shortage of gold, detail and plasterwork. Not shy. But the collection! and the curatation...Just an example, there are paintings that were done in the Rennaissance for the lids of chests. They are big paintings (the Botticelli above is an example) and they display an actual chest below the painting to make the point.
There were a zillion highschool groups (Kitty, the guys are totally kay ute--with the right haircuts a la MassMoca guy)--from all over Europe being taken through--and the students were focused, polite etc.

I bought postcards (50p each...that is a hair less than a buck a shot)--Their shop was less wonderful...and really limited book selection. They had the appropriate Taschen works...and a gallery guide but that was it.

Had a pub lunch called Speckled Hen...which comprised of sausages and vegetables with an onion gravy in a huge yorkshire pudding...It looked like lunch was in a little nest with the sausages peeking out like eggs. Alex--you would really have loved it. Lots of burgers offered (including Lamb). Lots of italian and middle eastern food in our neighborhood. The food is very good as is the coffee--Starbucks has brought coffee into the twenty first century. The Earl Grey is delicious too.

We had lunch the other day at a chain place called Pret Manger. Take out premade sandwiches that ranged from smoked salmon to bacon all cut into wedges and shown edge side out.Hot wraps. Soup. Gingerbeer, sparkling lemonade, still and sparkling water. It really worked with the folks I was with. I had a lemony salad with prawns and greens that was just enough--but better than anything I have had in a long time. It was about £3.50...

The chocolate makers are very excited about easter and Mothers day (this weekend here) with candies that say I heart MUM and stuff like that. Tons of big filled eggs, marzipan bunnies, chocolate chickens.

I have no patience for this group thing. The folks we are with are embarassing for me--and to be honest, no one knows or is trying to figure out how to do things (like ride the subway--or decide where to have lunch). I am the only one with a map--and a subway map. If I have a chance today, I would like to dump this group. Each of the folks behind us have brought a boyfriend, girlfriend or partner--and that class has not jelled. It is pathetic. They don't talk to each other...or help each other. There just doesnt seem to be any significant effort or understanding around moving their personal needle. I have written off groups in general.

It was good to look at painting with Richard and Chris Williams as they have been around and look at things differently than I do...however, when they started swooning over the Titans, I had to be in my world of the early Rennaissance...and Holbein, a world they cannot bear. Makes me itchy to do a portrait or two.

Had dinner with the Williams brothers. They are off to Paris today. We have the Tate Modern and an illustrator this afternoon. If the British is open, I am going over to see the Beatrix Potter sketches. Maybe the V and A tomorrow. After this week, I won't need to go to museums for at least a month. Overload.

More later>>

Today a painter and the National Gallery


Soane House was all that was promised. It is a fantasy of architecture, art, vision, combined with artfully placed skylights, mirrors and windows that convinces interior and exterior flow...that one really questions where one is. The painting room adorned with Hogarths with the walls that peel away to reveal Soan's personal architectural watercolors was a delight with the little white gloved man, mumbling little obtusenesses...It was a bluesky day with daffodils and flowers on Lincoln Inn Field...so it made the visit even more beautiful.

We then trooped over to a promised treat of an art supply store near the British Museum. Treat it was. Gilding, calligraphic (all the Mitchell pens, wire brushes, custom inks), great pharmacopia jars filled with every imaginable color of pigment, papers, pens, brushes in all shapes and sizes. The whole shot--crammed into this floor to ceiling place with tiny numbered drawers and shelves organizing the maylay into focused British clarity.

After a small purchase, we decided to finish with an hour and a half at the British. We heard massive drumming...insistent for about ten minutes and then saw a wonderful cluster of people surrounding this large, health and charisma bursting man with a robins egg blue tie..He was accompanied by ladies in costumes of kente cloth, numberous men in suits and red military uniforms and the British doing the same with military men and big british ladies a la Camilla--dressed in lilac coats and big brimmed hats with plumes. As they existed the building --the drumming continued...We asked the guard who and what the commotion was all about and he simply stated that that was the President of Guana. I have decided I need a coterie of drummers to accompany me. Maybe not kente cloth...but Rongovian attire.

We had a take out dinner with John Thompson and family over in the Earl's Court area and got home around 11. So. Sleep wasn't an issue.

Good coffee is everywhere. Pashminas are cheap (though I dont see a need...but may reconsider when looking at my packing). There is more similar here to the US than different outside of taste and view. The roses and daffodils that are being sold on the street are perfection and are everywhere. At the Soane house there were cheery bunches of daffodils in many of the living spaces. Did I tell you they had little fans with copy on them for the narrative on each space? That place was definitely the source for many of my new favorites like the Jurrasic and the wackiness of MacKenzie Childs.

More later>>

Back from Angela Barrett


Met with the children's book illustrator, Angela Barrett in her apartment on Old Grey Street. Angela Barrett lives in a kind of eccentric generous one bedroom apartment with violet velvet draperies trimmed in gold, butter yellow wall,needlepoint carpets on top of other carpets, raw wood woodwork in some places and all sorts of photographs of people, family and paintings. Very reminiscent of the old MacKenzie Childs look with more gravity. Lots of books. She is a wonderfully sweet and very English person. Graduate of the Royal College, 1980. Only does book work--detailed, very english palette. Her sketches are very miniscule and Edward Goreyesque. She was very generous and funny telling us tales of her phobias, likes and dislikes, her travels and education. The best was her telling us about this old boys club for artists she is part of called the Artwork Guild. Each member is referred to as bretheren--and they all come from different walks from violin making, gilding, bookbinding, illustration, architecture. They are led by the Master who wears gold chains "its all very old boy, very old fashioned". You get the gist. Angela loves history particularly british history and was filled with all sort of little details she weaves into her discussion. Loved it. Felt very much part of my old history of calligraphy and guilds and structure--and the right way and the wrong way to do things. I feel like I have moved on from that thinking.

Showed the work to John. Merge the birds with the burkas and talk about style. Need to think about it...he acknowledges that its my deal...so we might do both. He was very positive about getting the work "out there".

Off to the Sir John Sloane house this p.m. Dinner at John Thompson's apartment at Earles Court. Need to open the map to figure that one out.

Did I tell you about this pictures Hogarth did that parodied the Masonry? Wow.

More later, hopefully.>>

Detail of illustration by Angela Barrett

Blue Skies ahead


Yesterday was full of activity. We met Russell Cobb, an inspiring, sketch 'n notebook illustrator who is a prolific artist conscious of his image and promotion. He has done a wonderful series of self promotion pieces that have gotten me off my seat...and inspired me to get going. He often works in several notebooks at once--drawing and painting with india ink (again, get going!!) and then working with the art on the computer. He is the president of the AOI (Association of Illustrators) a group of international (mainly British) illustrators who have been around since 1976. They are much like the Illustration Partnership (CF Payne is part of that group)--essentially advocacy, legal aid, lobbying etc. The whole bundle of rights and ownership and pricing. They produce a book annually and a wonderful new magazine call Vroom--def. worth subscribing. His work has kicked me in the booty as is his global/european perspective. Illustration is primordial here--with a focus on childrens books, editorial. The basics. No character design. No graphic novels. No self pubishing. Same sucky pay scale. He told us that the art schools here produce around 3,00 illustration students a year...and only about 3 percent "make it".

We visited the AOI with Russell--a small shared studio space with a group of designers/illustrators/product designers called "Big Orange". Will need to investigate later.

We got tangled up in the underground but inevitably found the Tate Britain. Quickly saw a ton of art with my heart leaping from my chest over the British School work (this is a 16c. group of painters a la Nicholas Hilliard (one of Queen Elizabeth the firsts painters). Some heart stopping John Singer Sargents. But you can keep all the fusty landscapes and Turner. Torture. Saw a huge show on Hogarth. His paintings you can keep, but the engravings with the funny poetry, the morality stories and the comedy he rendered is really fresh and new. Plus, as I looked at the work, the black and while illustrations and books of Maurice Sendak came to mind...I don't know why, but they align nicely. They are theatrical (foreground/background, staged and posed people, humor and funny details, similar use of line and tone). Another interesting thing about the Tate. The curatorial is wierd...and the lighting is non existant. We are so spoiled to have the Met doing a spectacular lighting, curating and staging job with their blockbusters. Hogarth, the work was wonderful, the stories good but the overall WOW of the show was lost.

Dinner and sleep after that.

Sunday, we had a big breakfast in the neighborhood--and we walked down Oxford Street to find the British Museum. What a place!! The siting of the building, the wonderful old pavers and narrow street, the park and seating enclosed within the gates are perfect and perfectly proportioned. Then, to go inside and experience the excellent entry space with the galleries, shops, cafes all nestled and tucked into this expansive, light area that just makes you happy to breathe. We saw the Egyptian stuff and the assyrians just to get our bearings and will come back Friday to see the rest. Their shops are wonderful and before I forget, Rob...the Portland vase is one of their treasures they merchandise. They have ceramic mugs and coasters (all very nicely done and proportioned), a swatch style watch with the figures on the strap, teeshirts (with graphics that bleed...very stylish), and a few books. They take areas of their collections and blow them out accordingly. As an example, they are opening a show on the perception of the British of the New World this week that I hope to see. Again, the tasteful mug, coasters, teeshirt, scarf thing along with these great neckaces and bracelets of drilled beans and corn tied with thin waxed cord. The necklaces are massive (some of just corn, just pinto beans etc) and they are asking 95£ (double it for New World money)--. The British Museum reminds me of the Getty Villa as they are hellbent to do it right...seems less commonplace there.
It is interesting that they open each gallery with their Icon or Blockbuster artifact. For instance, first thing in the Egyptian galleries is the surprisingly enormous Rosetta Stone. Upfront...no question...there it is. Centered above it in the background is a huge egyptian head...Bing Bam Boom.

We then wandered over to Russell Square, and these terrific playing fields nearby--taking in the neighborhood and trying to get situated for yesterday as we had to be prompt. Got our loadable Oyster cards at the Underground station--which was good as it takes some time to get that squared away. Found a store that sold the complete gear for barristers from the wig to the neckerchief to the gown for about £500. I am planning to ebay watch for that....Lots of fabulous hand lettering everywhere.

We see Angela Barrett, a children's book illustrator today. Maybe more museums as our afternoon speaker has bagged as he has had to go to the hospital.

So, I am alive and sleeping. We have had blueskies...and real spring weather. Def worth doing with the kids next spring...so much to do and all closeby.

More later>>

Here I am!

Well. USAirways didnt really tell anyone (no duh given the scrambling dear JetBlue had been suffering with with their snow/scheduling fiasco)--but they were rolling a brand spanking new computer system in place this week with many many mishaps. And they are so damned humorless and self important in all of this it is painful. To start at the beginning....I got into Philadelphia with good time though the flying cigar was packed to the gills and somehow I got stuck with a lunking Ithaca College student who had an enormous electonic thing that he kicked and shoved under the seat...So there was no room to budge. The good part was it was short. The stinky part was that we landed at the East Jesus gates (F and the furthest out) so I had to walk the length of the pavillion and take the suffering BUS to the international terminal (London flight not listed on their boards and it took forever to find a face that might know how to get the information). More mean spiritedness from the staff. Seems the customers are a gigantic pain in the butt.

We loaded for London on time after the hustle to get there (they were calling the flight as I got to the gate). I traded in frequent flier points and rode First Class. Def worth it. Adjustable seats with footrests. TVs built into the seat rests. Nice food (I had an elegant salad with cheese and grapes as I wanted to try for sleep versus the wine and roses, or as Rob called it--the dancing girls etc.)--comfy seats. Most of my fellow spoiled passengers were related to Tony Soprano or were somehow involved in professional sports. And their dollies were...memorable. Lotsa hair. Lotsa extentions. Lace shirts, skin tight pants. Lots of fussiness and fussing. One of the thugs made a big show of taking his wife's zippered high heeled boots off...a la the wedding reception ridiculousness of the garter thing. He and his buddy had lots of yucks over that. They drank a lot.

We left an hour late (credited to the computer issues) but arrived on time due to the amazing winds we had. I took an ambien, thanks to my traveling brother--and really did sleep. It was wonderful. I felt as good as someone does with four hours of sleep...but significantly better than not. So much so--I was able to handle everything else from then on with humor and more happiness. Gatwick is small and nice. The wait for customs was well over an hour in a snaky line rivalling Disneyland (without the distractions Disney provides)but once I got there-- no problem. But no real lighting--greenish and still. Creepy. Waited in line and bought tickets for the Gatwick Express (train to Victoria Station). Note: you can buy the tickets on the train without a penalty.

Figured out the luggage thing and unfortunately, my bags were left in Philly (there were quite a few of us)--so I got the paperwork done with a very accomodating person. Found a banking machine. Got a brewed coffee from Starbucks and got on the train. Nice train. There was a little snack cart a la Harry Potter which the home team would have loved, down to the central casting of the proprietor except it was packaged goods, tea, coffee and plenty of alcoholic drinks. No chocolate frogs.

The countryside was beautiful...with all sorts of horses at the city limits with coats on. People were in these large communal gardens--doing spring stuff. Little patches chock a block--nested above apartment buildings. Very green and at the same time, very brown. Funny, but seeing all the brick and many, simple, nondiscript houses reminded me of Pittsburgh of all things. Everything is very clean, polite and ordinary. I was also shocked at the clear class structure from trains and planes to stores and behaviors.It all trends towards the middle...with no real low (as one sees in NYC, LA) and not a lot of swanky folks either.

Half an hour later, we were in Victoria Station. It was easy to get a cab--and he drove me to our hotel, 10 Manchester Street, which he praised me for such a find. Daffodils galore in the parks. And the clouds cleared. Is there a message here? Will I get my luggage? Checked in and they gave me the room early. Was waiting for my friend, but I think her 9:30 Saturday probably means p.m.... Hotel is nice, small and modest. Bathrooms are nice. Windows open.Very functional, but not unpleasant...and the proximity to everything is great. Quiet side street.

So, I figured I would walk around the neighborhood. Easy. Nice neighborhood. Lots of little restaurants, lots of studenty stuff. There is an accupuncture studio. The Wallace Collection is a block away as is the Courtauld. The Bond Street Station is a hop and a skip. I walked a large part of Oxford Street taking in some sites, getting some underwear and a paperback and getting my bearings. I got a big dose of air and havent yet eaten anything...though this is coming. I saw this internet cafe and bought some time to put this blog entry up to let you know I am still here...This cafe thing is very interesting. Its in the basement of a popular pizza by the slice counter. One buys time (read gittone) and go to the basement with orange signs filled with admonitions about "Watch out for Pickpockets" and "We can't help you". Orange and white signs? Is this Home Depot? Same flavor. Different place. So, you end up in the basement with long rows of computers mounted to a vertical surface and keyboards directly below. There are lots of people here placing phonecalls via Skype so it is the tower of babel with all the languages. There is a couple directly behind me accessing hotwire to find a room. Pretty functional place. Just talk and the clatter of keyboards.

Lots of hotpink and orange. Pashminas on the street are two for 5 pounds. They will put a damned Union Jack on anything and try to sell it...Bras, underwear, wallets, shirts etc. The bras were the best. The scene at H &M was nuts. That is the store where England shops. Tons of thuggy boyfriends standing by the wall chatting into cellphones as they watched their girlfriends pose and pivot in front of all the mirrors in the place. H&M is a pretty good deal too. The money thing is frightful. If I do the math and double it everytime, I won't eat or do anything. So, I am taking it as it comes--being modest but with the dollar's weakness, even a dumb sandwich is about $15/ Only thing that is right is the Starbucks...but hey....they don't count.Thank goodness the art galleries are free.

I am going to log off. Its looking at six and I need to eat. I may try to stay up until around 8 and then have a snooze cruise. Tomorrow I hope to do more walking...maybe up to the park...or even down to Russell Square (where the SU program is) to get the lay of the land. Galleries are open from 10 until around 5--so I will see something. It's just a question of what?!

Will try and give you a holler tomorrow.

Sketches of Queen Victoria




Prissy Queen Victoria with her squinty eyes, tiny crown and huge space between her nose and mouth is everywhere in London. I figured I should get into the swing of things by doing some sketches to warm up and look at her. In the pix, she has tons of jewels and ribbons,bows and lace. But really, she still looks like a bulldog, albeit a well dressed bulldog.

Off tonight with SU to see the sights. No other changes in the schedule. Four illustrators and one painter. I am trying to stay open, get the thesis work confirmed, see some art, go to the Tate Modern and see the slides by the amusement park guy from Mass MOCA, and eat some stilton and drink a ton of tea. I know there will be more, but I am working on the "don't anticipate" model which will always yield something good. Hopefully, I will have a chance to say hi via the blog. If not, I will see you all a week from Saturday.

more anticipating....


grrrrrr. Trying to keep up with the details prior to departing for the United Kingdom.
Am thinking about bulldogs, Queen Victoria and Virginia Woolfe. So, you will see sketches in the next few days. Sorry for my silence. I am multitasking and the blog falls out of the mix. More later.

The more is that the Tburg Pourhouse belated celebrated their first anniversary tonight to great singing and playing of all the local, terrific talent. We were treated to the air raid siren, ducet crooning of Jim Reidy with the pick up version of the Chicken Chokers with funny Chad Crum wearing a wild fur hat that looked like an Andy Warhol extension of what normally grows atop his skull...with great fiddling and howling along with the music. Bill Chaisson was the impressario of the evening, wearing a spangly top hat (a la New Years eve) stuffed with raffle tickets poking out of the bottom. His deep voice faded and boomed with his wonderful ability to put words (particularly big and important words) together in a very terse and descriptive way. It was fun with all the best hits of the locals coming in to wish Liz and her team the best of luck in the coming year.

Here's to the Pourhouse! One Year Old!!

Brrrrrrr.

I am crazy to get an auto rickshaw. I think they are way cool and perfect for tooling around this small town and for jaunts into the countryside. What do you think? Then, to take it further, the indians have auto rickshaw races>>. Dinesh Kini has written a nice synopsis of the wonders of the auto rickshaw. Maybe we could attach a snow plow to the front of it? Just kidding.

School excused today due to windchill. So "hail, hail, the gang's all here"! Am trying to get all the stuff on my desktop to a level I can leave it with Erich for a week--so, am a bit frantic. A surprise project was literally popped on me at 6 p.m. on Friday with the wrong direction from one person (to find out after 6 hours of work) and then the re-do that took until mid Sunday. I was not totally happy. That's done, so we can move on.

Am researching transporation modes, prices etc in London.Feel like I am getting a handle on all of this. The best site is Britain Express that plugs all sorts of deals, and travel opportunities that are not so evident. I have discovered this too late, but for the next time...However, the big "ah ha!" was that most museums do not charge admission. Yay!!

More later.

March


March comes in like a lion and out....

Maybe all of these stock market high jinx are the "coming in like a Lion" thing. But, we will need to wait and see with the weather!

28


Thirty day hath September,

April, June and November.

All the rest have 31....

Except for February,

which has 28!

Celebrating 28 Days!

Steam coming out of my ears


Work continues apace. Setting em up and knocking em down. Hopefully, I will have a stretch of time to start on a 16 pp. pub. I do for the Museum of Glass. Lots of copy, lots of pictures and the whole jigsaw puzzle of fitting them together without it looking like anyone did anything. Now, what is it that you do?

London trip announced--We, the students of Syracuse University ISDP Program (to close in 2008) are going to London 3/12--for our contact period. These contact periods expose us to a range of illustrators and illustration related folks--generally 4 folks a day for 5 days. We also get critiques from the assignments we do, and catch up on the status of our thesis. So, we get this note....4 illustrators and 1 painter. That is all there is lined up. Essentially a days worth of exposure for the cost of a big plane ticket, hotel and food and a weak dollar. Although my plans were to see some museums, I think that has expanded to seeing a lot of museums. Not my plan, and to be honest, not worth the time right now. How can SU think that pulling people out of jobs, billing and paying jobs, for a totally inadequately planned contact period is acceptable. Maybe there is no thinking. Just kind of doing--not real doing...I mean, the V & A have a spectacular collection of childrens books and illustrations--why isnt that planned in? Couldnt we get a meeting with the curator there etc? There isnt anything happening that one couldnt do on their own. The SU connection could open doors that might not open to individuals and it is not being leveraged. There is absolutely nothing special going on here. It reeks of someone wanting and delivering on a family vacation, forgetting the real purpose of the trip to fall by the way side. I could lead a tour of western Massachusetts starting with the Rockwell, the Clark, Mass Moca, the Carle Museum, the Yale Museum and cover more in a week than this is planned. Unacceptable. Absolutely unacceptable. Can you gather, I am pissed?

I just hope there is no trouble with the thesis. I do not want to continue with the burkas--and to be honest, I did them to be game, but not to make this my hook. I could take them further--but I am bored with them...and that isn't something that will get you up in the morning, and grab your entire weekend. Plus, marketing them???
The birds have my attention and interest. I can market them, and they can be leveraged into a bigger world. Carol told me about the Duck Stamp competition. And there are a bunch of wildlife, naturalism galleries that might be interested in this stuff. Plus, the individual reception I have gotten is positive. As Erich says, flowers and/ or birds are classics. Who doesn't love birds? My thoughts exactly.

Richard and I commiserated. He told me all about High Fructose, a new publication in the Juxtapoz mode that is less about graffitti and more about painting. I am good with another entry in that world and am going to seek it out and get back to you.

Am listening to a great audio book (Audible), The Hummingbird's Daughter--an inspired, layered story on a ranch in Mexico. It is very dense--and verbally has similar clues to Pan's Labyrinth and the third Harry Potter. I am only an hour into it--and it is around 15 hrs.--but its great so far.

More later>>