bright day


You know that summer is coming with the bags of Cornell chicken in the fridge...and all the music concerts on the horizon, applications in the mail for this camp or that session. Tonight, big 2300˚/LPGA gig at the Corning Museum of Glass. Worth the trip...that's the tip. Beat the Donkey is the lead band with a bunch of local bands too. Local food and wine tasting. Hot Glass, high energy and fun is promised (and will be available). Still working on the dachshund and need to finalize soon for the animal client. Should be cute with a bow around it's midsection. Struggling a little with the highlights...but it coming along. I just seem to be cutting away, cutting away and breaking up the big shapes. I like the way the feet and nails have been resolved...and his eyes are sweet. After sleeping a while on the other Christmas card...I think I am on to a few ideas.

Last night was the undergraduate awards for the HS. It was nice as it wasnt the parade of geniuses. They also recognized the person who drove and organized the Year Book, the person who worked like a devil in math despite her bad grades, etc. It was encouraging as the spectrum was recognized and praised. It was hot and the sports boosters were selling fans with school graphics on them for fanning oneself. Last year's music concert featured 3 kids under the hot lights fainting and falling off the stage. Yay for the fans. One could say I am a fan about fans.

Client meeting in another 20 minutes. Coffee is brewing. Lawn is cut. Poor E. is not feeling well...and going to take some time to rest. Will knock a few down today.

More later, I know it.

Nice mention

FreeRange was received well at the Nantucket Wine Festival>>
From Wine Festival draws those seeking adventure from the Cape Cod Times:

Besides the superb pinot noirs, other wines showcased were all generally terrific. This is "the golden age of wine", claim winemakers. The overall quality of wine in the market these days is exceptional and there were certainly no clunkers at the festival, although few good bargain wines. At the grand tasting, which featured 150 wineries, most wines retailed for $18 to $20, with some in the $35 to $50 range.

Ironically, there was one surprise. It was an unlikely selection at a wine festival of this caliber where wines hail from century-old rootstocks and some of the world's greatest wine producing regions.

It was wine in a box.

Yes, six refreshing types, including chardonnay, merlot and sauvignon blanc blended by a French oenologist. The wines, called FREERANGE, are cleverly presented in different crayon-colored boxes. It's not wine to applaud but neither to sneer at. In fact, their Red Bordeaux made the top 100 list of affordable Bordeaux wines, a list compiled by the Bordeaux Wine Bureau.

Yay! It is getting some steam!

Getting it together


Gotta start thinking about the weekend. It is, after all, Memorial Day, the kick off to summer time and--as usual, I am clueless about all of this. Some year, I will have this whole thing figured out, pencilled in, planned to the enth degree, and life will be beautiful. My guess is that I will have that nailed just as the people I need to plan for graduate from college. Do you think I could rent my skills to the parent of say, a first grader so they could benefit from me getting my sh*t in gear? So. The chatter at the baseball field was what to eat for Memorial Day. Our new friend Toni was extolling the deliciousness of Whoopie Pies>>which was causing my giant son to salivate and begin to beg. I know we are in trouble when they begin to beg--so I guess a double order of whoopie pies will be on the agenda for this weekend along with finishing the thesis so I can get on with my life in the world of illustration. Cornell chicken? Dreams of fresh green beans, tomatoes and summer squash? Basil by the bagful! Fresh iced tea in the sunlight with the fan blowing.

On the drawing board today, specimen bags for Quest Diagnostics. Team design, team decisionmaking--the challenge is>> can it look good? We will see. The animal book is finally at press, and we should be printing mid next week! We will see chromlins tomorrow with bluelines....and away we go. Designed a cutesy envelope for them that should garner some funds just in the sheer cuteness of it.

I have the Christmas card projects back that I need to focus on. It is all too much. Maybe old man Matisse will need to design some cards? What do you think? We could keep it secular with a Miami Beach palette? I need to get really caffeinated to get going on this as it is such a wringer to get a design through the process as the criteria about what means holiday shifts as the designs are circulated throughout the company. As much as I gripe about it,this is a big challenge and they always need to pick a card. It is just the process--which I wish was more intuitive--is sometimes circuitous.

I was thinking about how to describe my current pictures (outside the line work) and they really have evolved to being portraits...flower portraits, bird portraits, dog portraits, ladies in burkas portraits. They are quiet and focused. They are pared down. They are studies? or are they? More to ponder.

The photo is the last of the very fragrant daffodil mix and the first of the lilacs.

The bad tenants

Called the Picture Salon folks earlier today to very, very positive results. I spoke to Barbara, the lead manager there at length about billing, process, shipping and the way they do business. Was intrigued to find out they do work (the giclees that are stretched versions of works they have in their collections) for the Art Institute of Chicago for their store and catalog sales. We had a good talk about working with museums, the opportunities and demands of filling catalog orders etc. Then, thinking on my feet, I asked Barbara if she knew anything about giclees and the whole edition thing which she waxed quiet expertly on how a variety of folks identify giclees in the digital world from the omni-present and omni-rich Thomas Kincaide to "just folks" (with integrity--my bias, not hers). Fascinating. Would like to find out more before I blab on about it with you all.

I have a feeling with the care and schmartz our friends at Picture Salon have about the work, I may be uploading my thesis with them (and they will keep the files should I need reprints!!). It all seems a little too easy. I am looking for the catch. We will see. Lets reconfirm: easy and smart (check), can do my sizes with ease and at a fab price(check), like illustrators and photographers= used to high picky factor (check), will store my files for later(check)-- Now all we have to see is the actual print and we are rollin'.

Daffodils still coming on. Allium on the verge of popping. Lilacs still tight. Atnd the blowout we call hosta are jynormous right now even in their nascent spring state. I could split many of them 3 times over and have gigantic plants. So, perhaps a little switching around of the nursery might happen this weekend before the walnut trees bud--and the dynamic of the "no deer" beds change. Starlilngs and squirrels attacking the bird feeders. Fighting and quarreling groundhogs woke me up last night having a couples spat. They live under the front porch and from time to time reminded me who is the real tenent (I am). They have chased me down the walk with their frighteningly big nails and their skittering ways. Ugly sound to wake to. Even uglier as it switched that funny little switch that caused me to want to solve the worlds problems all by my lonesome. Its a tiresome place..to be. Damned chattering rodents! I think another dose of polluted cat litter down their stinkin' holes might remind them who is paying the bills! They are not good tenants.

The picture above are of the groundhogs that fight in front of our house. No...not really, they are courtesy of Minckler at Flickr. My art director mentioned that I should do a picture of the quibbling groundhogs, and in search of some reference, I found this perfect image. They are from a castle in Japan where the japanese have trained and dressed these beasts for the entertainment of their guests. Minckler poses the question about what the two of them are talking about. My guess, she is reminding him that he is wrong...just like they were last night.

News from the Academy of Fine Arts


The Rongovian Academy of Fine Arts is delighted to be part of the Delightful Blogs directory under the Art designation. Delightful Blogs is a fun, edited site filled with all sorts of fun blogs that one might never bang into--but would love it if you did. I saw some cool retail links yesterday and a nice blog put out by a husband and wife team, The Wiebners--and their travels and photos for weddings, families etc. Their work is clean and happy...maybe a little too happy for this art director, but the folks that hire them must be absolutely delighted with the work they get. If K was getting married, I would def. call them. The Academy values all work. The shopping sites look like a fun time during some down time.

Working away on work. Updates to come on FreeRange and their "world tour">>
More later>>

Armin Hofmann




I have been cruising some vintage poster sites to find the right example of a point I want to make and buzzed through these wonderful Armin Hofmann posters. Don't you love the type (I think it is hand lettering)-- and the bold images? I do. Very period. very swiss. But, love it.

And before I forget it...I havent extolled my favorite of all favorite digital art suppply folks...Digital Art Supply>>. These guys are great. They have a wide range of papers (I like their "brand" of Epson Enhanced Matte called DAS matte paper). They have great prices on the big Epson (220 ml) cartridges...so good that even though it smarts when you do it...it is still possible to keep a set in the closet while you are working off a set). They offer courses, technical help beyond the terrific product they are offer. I am testing a little roll (5") of a cranes paper which cost around $13. for a little test balloon.
Love these guys. Give em a holler.

Meet our new Minister!


We now have a Minister of Thread! Hilary Gifford, the celebrated fiber artist and all round big thinker has been appointed to represent the Royal Court of Rongovia as it's Minister of Free Flowing Thread! Our new minister has established her offices in the newly formed "Upstairs Artists" Space on Main Street across from the Rongovian Embassy so she will have access to the Ambassador and all the Rongovian notables as they visit our small hamlet. Minister Gifford makes wonderful things. See her work here>> Hilary and her partner, Ben, have rennovated the upstairs space above Holton Pharmacy to be studios and a gallery with a wide diversity of work and media. There is even a person creating natural cosmetics etc. They offer some great courses and will be a significant addition to our little plateau. Downstairs is being renovated into two nice shops--one being a used bookstore and the other an optometrist. More to stay home for!

Onward!

Thesis back to the mat. Scrapped 80% of it and back at it with a vengance. Nixed about 1/2 of the reference materials...and found out how we need to label and describe each image from our fearless leader (with a sharp stick poking him to get some understanding).Feel like I might be onto it. A note to all students, graduate, undergraduate and otherwise...It IS your job to ask all the questions. If you don't, you won't get the answers and therefore somehow, you will do the work in the wrong format, with the wrong direction etc. Teachers are notorious for not being specific. I guess, that is why they are so hallowed...as they are inscrutable or pre-alzheimers. Or both. Never giving. Only giving if poked hard. So, fellow students...start poking.The sooner this is done, the sooner I can make more pictures. I have a zillion birds and dogs and a budgie in the works..Was a dreary day on the lake. Saw a huge, great blue heron taking in the sights --and then lift off...they are so primoridal. Can't there be a link from the pterodactyl to the great blue heron? If the scientists can't do it...maybe we can create a little "six degrees of separation" diagram??

The daffodils have all gone. The peonies promise. The apple trees are fully in bloom. Shady was "playing" with a baby rabbit until K. had to separate them. Our six bird feeders were emptied in one week. Those damned birds are going to send me to the poorhouse....particularly a chubby grackle...and bluejay.

Sunny Saturday


The Rongovian Pound is beginning to fill up. Have been working on this poochie (to have a mistletoe ball when finished--(a xmas card for my doggie client) and I did something new today...(another duh! moment). I made a print of the file and started to work with a ballpoint on top to work into the color to reduce the big splotches of color prior to picking up the wacom pen and impulsively going at it. You know, plan your work, work your plan. Duh!

Beautiful day today. Coach Nick has the travel team out in the sunshine. We had 3 13 yr. old guys here flipping skateboards and making a racket early this a.m. They are gone after vaccum cleaning the cupboards.

The groundhogs are not happy as we have inaugurated the pour the litter box down the holes program to see if that drives them away. It would, me.

Nice Pie!

go here>>

"One of the Italian professors took care of ordering all the pizzas and one-by-one they came to our table. First to arrive was tomato, olive and feta, followed by sausage, ham, mushroom and mozzarella. Next came eggplant, ham, and mozzarella, then spinach, tomato and mozzarella, and finally a vegan pizza, which featured a number of vegetables and no cheese. I did my best to sample as many of the pizzas as I could and found that each had a unique flavor and was extremely delicious. It was as if we were no longer in dreary upstate New York, and instead had been transported across the ocean. I know New York Pizzeria is a bit far to go for a slice, especially with Collegetown Pizza right around the corner, but if you ever find yourself in Trumansburg or just want to go on a road trip, make the stop and try this pizza. You won’t be disappointed."

From "A Little Taste of Sicily in Our Background"
by Alissa Auerbach
May 3, 2007

The Lord of Beginnings


Ganesha, from Wikipedia is:
is one of the best-known and beloved representations of divinity in Hinduism.[1] Although he is known by many other attributes, Ganesha's elephant head makes him easy to identify.[2] Several texts relate mythological anecdotes associated with his birth and exploits, and explain his distinct iconography. Ganesha is worshipped as the lord of beginnings, the lord of obstacles (Vighnesha),[3] patron of arts and sciences, and the god of intellect and wisdom.[4] He is honoured with affection at the start of any ritual or ceremony and invoked as the "Patron of Letters" at the beginning of any writing.

I love this guy. Saw a wonderful book at Barnes and Noble that was exclusively about Ganesha and his myths and outcomes. He is very tangible and a friend. Its good to know that Ganesha is out there. Plus, who cannot adore this sort of art.

Duking it out


The thesis is on the mat. I've got 90% of the examples in place. This gathering and arranging surprisingly takes a ton of time. I've got 3 tables of marketing information/direction (much of it in implementation). And, if I actually spread the copy out the "right way" (that is, by the silver book of how to write everything--from a length standpoint, I am there. So, today is cutting time and writing time with a whisper and hope that I can get this out tomorrow via Fed Ex to John prior to his going on vacation. Once that is done, I can get to the business of filling up the pound with dogs. Dogs with butterflies, dogs catching stuff, dogs showing their teeth, dogs smiling. Should be a ton of fun between now and August. Maybe I will even complete the turkey and do the hooded merganser for cash (ie showing to Sheldrake Point and seeing if they want to sell some).

More later>>breakfast und kinder await.

Back again while the coffee brews...now where was I?

Oh. So, it's been fascinating to look at the resources I have referenced and the string of influences I have cruised through in the last 18 months or so to see where I have ended up. Pretty much a refined path from the New York City images I did with a crude portrait of Henry Hudson and some very simple pigeons to the place I am today. The needle has moved. And, upon looking at the "slash" work, it was good..but very simple and almost naive in it's approach. It might be interesting to do a few now to see if just in the making of any picture, this new maturity would pull through with that technique. Somehow, I think it would.

The day awaits. Driving to Hungerford Hill to take the Baker folks another round of corrections and off to the marine tailor to see how bad the damage would be to slipcover some cushions for the neighbor's patio. Some interesting wine opportunities for me to tell you about...but not for now.

Springing


I want to sing the praises of a new website/community called Illosaurus. This is how they describe themselves: illosaurus aims to offer the illustration community a single point of reference for all its business needs. The site encompasses a unique list of resources and recommendations aimed at the freelance professional artist: everything from useful tools for self-promotion and workflow through to advice on tax and copyright.

And, though they are new and growing-- it feels as if illosaurus will be a great resource for all of us who love illustration and the world that surrounds it from the profession to the cool stuff we get to buy to do our work. The illosauri are looking for links to resources you have used or know of in categories from art supplies to type and much more. Stop by, say hi and leave a little calling card or a resource.

I figure anything the great Ape (the ape leader of The Little Chimp Society) is involved in will have good energy and be a fun place to visit.

Good response to the work in progress with the dogs. Psyched. Maybe something will evolve. Two clients are already talking about Christmas cards. Imagine. More good news--the presskit we designed for the Corning Museum of Glass for their new summer show, Botanical Wonders: The Story of the Harvard Glass Flowers won a first place in the Press Kit category for the AAM (American Association of Museums). The pullout copy on the AAM site said:

"The folder has a texture and pattern repeated throught. They thought through the branding from the inserts to the CD lagel to the postioning of the business cards. It has simple but beautiful packaging. We thought they were real--not glass--flowers."

Whoa. To think they could be so nice. That presskit was a real toughy as there initially were not many pictures and a bunch of drawings the Blashka's did in preparation and design of the pieces before the lampworking began. So, with a hodge podge of stuff...we took a scan of an ratty old piece of paper and began to start layering, sihouetting and moving the pieces all around to get the general look. The idea to continue the show brand to the enclosed CD and print pieces was obvious. Its always an interesting process as the presskit needs to be designed at least six months before the show opens and the Museum team is pushing ideas around..but there is no single image to work with. The presskit is the kickstart to the visual clues we will be working with in the pubs etc.

More later>>

Mother's Day Blueberry Muffins


Okay. Okay !I've only given you one recipe before, that of the everwonderful Cornell Chicken as it is part of the local culture. Here is another local culture thing. We take baked goods to any event imaginable from bake sales to school plays, to civic meeting to great big feedings (NYSMMA last weekend we fed around 1500 kids!!jeez!). Here is a good one for the masses out there and for the home team close by.

Blueberry Muffins
Makes 6 gigantic ones (I often double or triple the recipe)

No stick vegetable spray for prepping pan
2 large eggs at room temperature
1/2 c. plus 2 Tbsps milk
1/4 cup melted unsalted butter or canola oil
2 cups unsifted all purpose flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 fresh blueberries (picked over, rinsed and blotted dry) or whole, frozen unthawed berries( I use teeny,weeny frozen or even wild, canned berries)
1 Tbsp finely grated lemon peel

topping
Granulated sugar

Position rack in the center of the oven and preheat it to 400˚F. Coat the muffin cups with cooking spray or shortening.

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk and melted butter (or canola oil). Place a sifter or sieve over the bowl and measure the flower, baking power, salt and sugar. Stir/sift the dry ingredients onto the wet. Stir just to blend; don't overbeat. Gently fold in the berries and grated lemon peel.

Divide the baatter among the muffin cups, filling nearly full. Generously sprinkle granulated sugar over the top. Bake 20-25 minutes (in the case of the monster muffins--35 minutes), until the muffins rise and are golden brown on top, a cake tester inserted in te center should come out clean. Cool muffins on a wire rack. Serve warm.

Summer is coming and so are the berries!

Let's turn it on it's ear


I love that phrase. So wierd. What does "turning something on it's ear" come from? What took it from an eccentric phrase to something eeeeeeveryone uses without context etc.

Let's turn Mother's Day on it's ear. Make the moms lay some guilt or thank their kids for letting them be mothers.

Here's a card. Imagine a robust mom with grey meat hair (the frightening perms that make your hair look like the swirly ground round you can see in trays at the butcher counter at your grocery store...in our case, Wegmans or the Tburg Shur Save). This mom with the hair has some poor Dennis the Menace kid smothered in her chest. The poem might read:

The Pill, Hysterectomies and in Vitro Fertilization,
I am sure glad you are my self- realization!

Thanks for letting me be your mom.

Think of the poems with smothering, hovering etc. Or the ever popular ditties on driving carpools or waiting up late for the phone to ring. The favorites around nagging and "you wouldnt be passing English if it weren't for me". Or the old song around picking up, laundry and the world of "your room". Imagine the possibilities.

----
Enough of this silliness. Worked on the marketing of the thesis work...all in a Microsoft table which in 10 pt. takes up a full page plus...and I am not done. But closing in on all fronts.
___
I am celebrating Mother's day working on my thesis and made some pretty photoshooty blueberry muffins as a quiet way to say that I am glad I am K and A's mom. They, of course, will not get it. But, because of them, I am a pretty good bake sale queen. Who would have thunk?

Very cool idea....


You all know how much I admire Steve Brodner. He is a very smart, well read and wonderful illustrator whose work is best recognized in the New Yorker for his very schmarty pants pictures he does focusing on the home team in Washington. He is also the author of the book, Freedom Fries,an overview of his work and viewpoint. He spoke to the SU folks in NYC--and I must admit, he was one of the singular people who spoke and dissected his approach to his content and work. He actually reads and outlines the galleys that are presented to him before working on the image. Imagine! I would say rare. And, he has a point of view. No kidding. He is also a teacher and discussed his techniques of communicating the import of sketching and drawing, essentially talking to yourself prior to submitting a sketch to the client. He does a version of the CF Payne, Teacup/Teapot project...only his is with the three bears and Goldilocks. So, get to the point, Q...!

So, Steve Brodner has on his Drawger homepage, a place to click to sign up for his "person of the day" (which he does anyway). It takes you to a Constant Contact page that you enroll on. Essentially, he is sending emailers daily to an established and growing list. He is creating his own new list and he is getting his work out for between $15-$50 bucks a month depending on how big his list is. Plus, the dude already does the picture daily anyway. Cut, paste, click, touch the customer or other illustrators daily. DAILY. This might be an approach the Academy of Fine Arts may want to employ on a monthly basis...too easy.

From April 12,2007 Steve Brodner on Drawger--Caption reading:
MARINE GENERAL JACK SHEEHAN. At least three candidates have turned down the White House as it searches for a “war czar” (as, I suppose, Bush, Cheney and Gates are otherwise occupied). One of the three, Gen. Sheehan said, “The very fundamental issue is, they don’t know where the hell they’re going. So rather than go over there and develop an ulcer and eventually leave, I said, “No thanks”.”

Back to the Doghouse


This Boston Terrier is the beginning of a new body of work on dogs. Happy dogs, leaping and snarling dogs, play on words dogs, playful dogs, faithful friends. Canine confusion. Canine cacaphony. There is a world of opportunity to this content and I am psyched. This head is from a dog I am working 24' x 36" and found I was getting way too tight. This final image is 13" x 19" with the detail still holding. I started with black and worked in the midtones and highlights and have questioned this approach, but I like how the black makes a lot of decisions for me...and I can really block and tackle with the highlights and midtones in a very simple way. So...you will see this evolve. There will be a sidebar blog to the Rongovian Academy of Fine Arts relating to this body of work...showing work in progress. Look for A Pound of Rongovia to see the work progress.

Clicked to this interesting site from The Little Chimp Society called Illosaurus. This is a british site whic is "the brand new listings and information portal for illustrators, cartoonists and image makers". There are links to AOI (Association of Illustrators) and other big british sites for illustration, cartooning etc. They have some sketchy vendor lists (feels brand new--I am hopeful this will expand)-- with a cool link to a teeshirt vendor in California, Ape Do-Good Printing. Not clear on the printing but they talk about Pantone colors, special colors and have templates in Adobe Illustrator to download to comp the designs for designers. Very proactive. They also print posters. I will call to find out if the posters are screenprinted etc. Right attitude. Right tools. Cool blog to point to their cool friends and customers.Could be a nice supplier for all of us to have.

Just got a postcard from City Colors(??anyone know them)who are big and cheeeeeeeeeeeeeap. Here's a "for instance"--500 postcards, 4/0 ($45), 500 postcards 4/1 ($50). These are good prices. I will need to get a business card printed from them (4/0) 500 qty for (yes, folks, what's wrong with this equation) $15. So, I owe you something on that.

We had the happy Festival of Flowers today in Tburg. Visited the new Main Street Art Pharm, a group of artists who have studio space and a shared gallery with an enterprising woman who makes lovely natural cosmetics. Best wishes to all of these engaged artists. Rumor has it that the old Holton pharmacy space is being divided to be a used bookstore and in the other half, an optician with glasses. So, more services and more retail on Main Street. Volume Records, our used and new music store has moved down to the Commons in Ithaca--and that space is being taken by a sweet shop. More novelty. Ran into all sorts of fun people in my travels. It was energizing to be amongst the tribe.