Oklahoma Party a seeming success

After 4 sheetpizzas were consumed with one 5 gallon container of ice cream, numerous bags of chips and junk, 3 packages of twizzlers and no end of Jolly Rancher candies devoured along with the endless plates of mom-provided baked goods--the party for 60 Charles O. Dickerson High School's cast, crew and pit band was acknowledged (at least by Kitty) as a success during our post party wrap-up. We had a room with sofas and strobe lights with a "plug your ipod into these speakers" place that Kitty referred to as the "Rave Room". The front living room was where another group gathered and then the dining room featured the groaning board of processed food, white flour and white sugar configured into endless carbohydrate laden delights. We had dancing and gathering and eating. Everyone came on time and left on time. The parents came early to pick up the kids and we had a nice time getting to know them. Next year, we are doing it again (if they will have us) along with a space (away from the kids) to congregate with the parents too.

This week is the push for the Russell Doig Middle School's production of Peter Pan. We have the costume, the make up, the rehearsals and on Wednesday, the gigantic pot of chili for the pre-show pot-luck for the students. I am sure there is a push for more baked goods for Sunday's cast party at the Middle School gym. And then, we will be done. At least for that.

Onward!

FreeRange 2005 Bordeaux Selected in Judging!

Remember FreeRange??

FreeRange 2005 Bordeaux Selected as One of Bordeaux's
Affordable Wines in 2007

Here is some good news:
(excerpted from 3.20.07 Press Release)
Manchester, MA – JuiceBox Wine Company’s 2005 FreeRange Red Bordeaux has been selected as one of the best affordable Bordeaux wines in 2007. The 2005 FreeRange Red Bordeaux was selected in a blind tasting by an independent jury of recognized experts from among hundreds of Bordeaux wines selling for the equivalent of $8 to $25 per bottle. JuiceBox’s 2005 Red Bordeaux is a blend of 60% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Cabernet Franc and is packaged in an innovative three liter bag-in-box. The2005 FreeRange Red Bordeaux has been added to the 2007 list of “Today’s Bordeaux: 100 Classic, Contemporary, Affordable Wines”.

“We’re thrilled that our Red Bordeaux has been recognized as an outstanding wine and particularly since it was the only boxed wine selected in a blind tasting against hundreds of other bottled wines,” indicated Jonathan Barry, one of JuiceBox Wine Company’s founders. “Not only is this great wine for a great value, but it comes our convenient 4BottleBoxTM, which holds the equivalent of four 750ml bottles of wine and keeps the wine fresh for six weeks after opening,” Barry added.

The 2007 jury for Today’s Bordeaux consisted of Paul Chaconas, Bordeaux Category Director for Total Wines & More, the nation’s largest chain of fine wine stores; Cat Silirie, Wine Director for Boston’s No.9 Park restaurant group; and Mark Oldman, author of the best selling Mark Oldman’s Guide to Outsmarting Wne. The Today’s Bordeaux program is sponsored by the Conseil Interprofessionnel du Vin de Bordeaux (CIVB), which represents more than 10,000 Bordeaux producers and 400 négociants.

JuiceBox’s 2005 FreeRange Red Bordeaux will be showcased along with other Bordeaux wines recognized in Today’s Bordeaux in trade and media tastings in May in Washington, DC, New York City, and Boston.

Isn't this great? Tom and Jonathan are thrilled with with this cudos and the new venues the wine is being showcased in--things are def. on the upswing to all of our delight. It is a great Red Bordeaux, and the packaging stellar in it's design, function and recyclability. Aren't I vain? Curiously, when I was in London, I dragged poor Traci into a grocery store, Sainsbury, to see what was there in the wine world. They did have boxed wines--at a low pricepoint--more like the suitcase wine we see around here. And the packaging did not rock either. Interestingly, a lot of Banrock Station. The look and feel for the wines was very conventional and expected. No Yellow Tail positioning--and the world of the critters didn't exist either. Check out their other press and web recognition at their site>>

Ink


I have been working with fountain pens recently which has been fun and illuminating. The trick for me is the ink. Most fountain pens use cartridges (god knows what kind of ink is in the cartridge) or has a cartridge converter, or in the case of older pens, a bladder system that allows the user to fill the pen with ink of his /her choice. I was using cartridges just for the plain stupidity of it...but found that the blacks were anemic and thin...not the macho black that I strive to use. Now, I am filling the pen with a converter--and have, over the course of the week filled it daily with india ink starting with Koh-i-noor's Encre a Dessin. It works but towards the end of the day, it gets a little techhie and begins to slow up flowing so I find myself grinding the pen into the paper just to keep the pen going. Not good. So, away to the sink for cleaning.

Then, I filled it with the formerly extolled Dr Martin's Black Star Matte. Same deal...the blacks were gorgeous but about 6 hours into the fun, the pen slows down to the point that even grinding it into the paper is ineffective.

This week, my plan is to mix "Quink" which is the seeming standard for fountain pen ink with the Dr. Martins ( half and half) to weight up the blacks a bit more for the Quink, but allow a little more fluidity. I'll let you know what I find. I did discover this new ink I am itching to try-- Noodler's Bulletproof ink Here is a bit on Noodlers (doesn't this sound like the trick?):

The manufacturer also states that Black has lubricating properties for all pistons and converters -- tested to flow smoothly in all types of feeders! Writes very smoothly in a rich dark black color. This ink is all U.S. made and has Archival, Anti-Forgery and Anti- Feathering features. The ink is described as bulletproof by the manufacturer and is waterproof. The ink is specifically designed for fountain pen use. Noodler's is very proud of the qualities their inks provide. Some of these qualities relate to how Noodler's inks interact with the mechanics of your pen. These inks are designed for use with any fountain pen new or vintage. Any brand of ink can attack pen parts because all inks generally are corrosive agents. Noodler's technology has lessened this factor to protect the value of your writing instruments. For example aluminum has been used in many pen brands over the years and still today. Aluminum is relatively unstable with exposure to many ink brands... Noodler's is friendly to aluminum [and other pen materials]. Test your ink and Noodler's with a piece of aluminum foil leave the ink in contact with the foil overnight and see what the results are. You better replace your ink with Noodler's if your ink eats the aluminum foil (vintage & some European inks currently made are conspicuous culprits).

Noodler's fuses with the cellulose in the paper. One down side I have learned is that if you use their Polar Bulletproof, it stays very wet for a long time and that the plain Bulletproof or Near Bulletproof is much better. Sounds like I have to try this? What do you think?

Under The Sea








These images are handheld shots of a wonderful tessilated Roman floor at the British Museum. I adore these old floors as the design is always terrific, the images communicate far more than the simple pixels that make up the image--often getting highlights, midtones and darks to a good degree of success. There is a lot to learn there for me. Plus, how can you resist the fish? Reminescent of the fish we saw on Redondo beach at Christmas?!!

Click on the shots as they are bigger than they are shown on the blog>>

L. Cornelissen & Son : Artists' Colormen




L. Cornelissen & Son
Artists' Colormen
105 Great Russell Street
London, WC1B 3RY
Phone 020 7636 1045
Fax 020 7636 3655
website>> www.cornelissen.com

These guys are right down the street (2 blocks or so) from the British Museum. They have their own line of oil paints and a collection of gilding supplies and calligraphic pens/inks the like you don't see here in the U.S. You can download their price list etc. from their website. And yes, they fullfill orders and do a direct mail business. I bought 4 small jars of different gold paints (from pale, tinted silver to more rosy red golds) and a calligraphic ink (permanent) which hopefully will work in my fountain pen. I am loading the fountain pen with india ink--which scares me a little that I might wreck the pen...but without a little risk, forward movement is slow. They had nice sketch books and brushes. They have automatic pens, poster nibs, and the entire line of Mitchell pens that you rarely see these days.

The interior of the store was fitted out with worn black painted wood. Lots of shelves with thin drawers underneath or a solid wall of drawers (as in the wall shown above). They carry these enormous apothecary jars filled with every color of pigment imaginable at the top of all the shelves that wrap the small store. Every package is beautifully wrapped up in paper and put into a carry bag. They also have printed lists (same as the pdfs) that you can get directly from them.

The british have a ton of Pilot pens we dont get here--including a weensie fountain pen called the Pixie. Check em out.

First Day of Spring


Imagine! We have lots of crusty snow with no hope of hellebore, primrose or daffodils. But it is, the first day of spring. The first day of spring can either be the 20th or 21st based on when the vernal equinox is.

Well,here is a new thought. I did a little research yesterday after my bags were lost twice and I experienced all sorts of delays, postponements and hassle by the airlines to find out really what the airlines are obliged to do. Each airline is different...so it is best to check your carrier before you leave and (heres the new idea)--output the information to carry with you on your trip. That gives you the ammo to wave at the customer service or gate person who claims they can't or won't do anything for you. Just getting a voucher to spend the night was like pulling teeth for me. And I overheard some poor fellow who got off a delayed flight and missed his connection (a back water like me). The USAirways representative offered him the discount rate they had at a local hotel. Punto. From what I learned, they were good for meal vouchers, transportation (if the hotel didnt offer it) and a room at the Airlines choice and expense. They hide the information-- but worth looking for it. Here are a few that I could dig up. You get the idea:

Here is the USAirways "Customer Service Plan">>

JetBlue's Customer's Bill of Rights>>

Southwest Airlines Customer Service Commitment>>

United Airline's Customer Service>>

Take a look. Get some output.

More later>>

Party planning


We are having the cast and crew from the Charles O Dickerson High School's production of Oklahoma for pizza and shopping cart junk food late on Friday. We are setting up a dance room, a gathering room and an eating room. Should be fun. I have been goading my kids to have a big party and take advantage of this big house...and they have finally decided to take me up on my offer. Should be sixty or so kids...and a goosey mom suggested we might have drunk party crashers. Dim me. We can push them off the porch or better make them talk to me while I stuff them full of food. I pity the fools (to quote Mr. T.). Should be fine. Tburg has great kids.

Had some nice converations about the ISDP/MA Illustration program at Hartford yesterday. Am very serious about doing the "F" in 2008. It would definitely be a good way to cap off this MA--with better critiques, an opportunity to focus down on the work/the style, and new methods of work...and although it is harder, I think I am ready. Hartford is attracting a wonderful group of students...really talented and quite diverse. Seemingly far more serious about the work, and their work to be specific.Having the entrepeneurial push would be good too.

Gotta go to reschedule some teeth appointments due to overscheduling in the p.m. for Mr. Quarrier.>>

Satan in the news


Sometimes the media yields a pearl up on these fallow shores. NPR reported that Procter and Gamble won a lawsuit against some Amway dealers who claimed the P&G logo was satanic--

CINCINNATI: The world's largest consumer products company, Procter & Gamble Co., has won a jury award of $19.25 million (€14.5 million) in a civil lawsuit against four former Amway distributors accused of spreading false rumors linking the company to Satanism.

more on this story from the International Herald Tribune>>
The story details the case including "that Amway Corp. distributors revived those rumors in 1995, using a voice mail system to tell thousands of customers that part of Procter & Gamble profits went to Satanic cults". Don't you love it?
There were a bunch of Urban Legends on this from Snopes>>
Wikipedia details the legend>>

The company received unwanted media publicity in the 1980s when an urban legend spread that their previous corporate logo was a satanic symbol. The accusation is based on a particular passage in the Bible, specifically Revelation 12:1, which states: "And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars." Since P&G's logo consists of a man's face on a moon surrounded by thirteen stars, some have claimed that the logo is a mockery of the heavenly symbol alluded to in the aforementioned verse, and hence the logo is Satanic. Where the beard meets the surrounding circle, a mirror image of 666 can be seen when viewed from inside the logo, and this has been interpreted as the reflected number of the beast, again linked to Satanism. Also, there are two horns like a lamb that are said to represent the false prophet. These interpretations have been denied by company officials, and no evidence linking the company to the Church of Satan or any other occult organization has ever been presented.

As a logo designer...wow. I need to get to work embedding good stuff into my logos...intentionally.

I need to get to work on such important stuff!

More later>>

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