High blue sky


Beautiful, cool, bluesky day. K. had a snow jacket and hat on that I had to coax her not to tote to school as it will hopefully warm up a bit. Spending time prepping my files and filling in paperwork for the Society of Illustrators Annual Show (due 10.01) and the Society of Illustrators/ Los Angeles Show (due 09.17). Chokers CD, new Baker dog card, and some burka pieces are going out. Maybe the new logotype for the Museum of Glass (the Myers Weinstein logotype) or the pumpkin>? Dunno. I like having a little window of time to think about it instead of the traditional throw it out the door.

Epson was funky and not laying the color down...everything looking chalky. So, after a bunch of powercleaning, a turning the paper and checking regularly, I was able to get that right and tight. My powerbook was freaking out--that we couldnt fix with the folks online--so Apple is sending me a box to ship it off to the big repair studio in the sky. All their expense. Thank goodness for Apple Care. The first time pays for the entire subscription. If you don't have it, I swear that though it's a pinch when you buy the equipment--which you do not remember when the computer freaks and misbehaves. So, the powerbook goes on vacation for ten days or so.

New wine opportunities with Juice Box Wines. New varietals soon to come (yeah!). Last year's issues have been resolved and paid for and we truly move forward. I am excited about the future for this little company.

Working on more Memento Mori pix. Working on some half rounds like at the top, some skull/willow combos, and some women/skull or urn combos. Pulled a few images into photoshop and did some little mixes a la the slash stuff in black and white. Will post a few later just to keep you posted. I am socking these images into an InDesign book as we go--looking at the spreads and tones. Am up to 60 pps...and if this continues through the end of October, this will be quite a volume. As it goes, I will put them into spreads sequentially--mixing stuff into other spreads as it goes. Burning through pentel cartridges.

Chet the lawnmower man hard at work given the buckets of rain (weathermen called it a "soak") we have had. Computer to go out. Bags to Sals. Bags of books to the library for the Fall sale.

Gotta go.

Memento: Remember


Another milestone year. It feels like yesterday that the horrors of 9/11 happened and yet, where are we as a people, as individuals as a country? Not much has changed except we are hemorrhaging money in the Middle East with no end in sight, not building better countries but acting the know-it-all bullies who have something to prove, some mission to be carried out,under the banner of "God is on our side". And this all needs to stop.

Have we "gotten even" with the terrorists? Have we gotten "the bad guys"? And what does all of this effort have to do with the fantasy proclamation of the "War on Terror"? I think we are the lead terrorists.

I don't need to hear some hopeful crumbs from an ambassador or general to know this is going nowhere. It has been going nowhere since we sent bombers instead of talkers over to Afghanistan way back when and it hasn't improved since. This is not an issue of whether we like our troops or not, it is a question of leadership and all that entails. It means having a vision, a creative approach to achieving the vision and teamwork at the highest levels to accomplish the layers of goals in cooperation with those receiving the "gifts" of our attention. It means being a role model--a vision of what true democracy looks like, smells like and acts like versus the autocratic mess we are in--with every decision not weighed and measured but directed in a singular, confrontational way.

Who knows if our losses and expenditures are a "gift"? to these people? Who knows if anyone wanted to be a democracy? Who knows if it is a solution versus an imposition? It smacks of the Spanish missionaries and military coming to Mexico and bringing the "wisdom" and mission of the church in exchange for ruling this people and inevitably bringing the gift of disease and death (which to some of these native people might have been a blessing to get away from this cultural imposition). Is God really just on our side? And to further the idea of the Spanish missionaries--it is interesting to think that once again it is religion and might linked together to somehow justify a horrifying consequence such as the situation we are in.

And what are the solutions? What are the plans for the future? And what are the pullout plans that were not defined prior to going into this mess? And what are the plans and actions in place beyond the talk to support our troops, truly support them when they come back? Are there plans? Who is accountable? Or is the machine so large that no one can own the problem or solve the problem or get in front of these significant issues? Or is stupidity a thick slice down the middle...and everyone hides under their desks and points to the next guy?

I cannot even fathom who our next leader will be as it is the same group of faceless talkers, all with no vision, all with no planning, all with covert teams of spinmeisters and pundits truly not caring but looking real good on tv. We are not any better than we were six years ago with no end in sight.

We need to remember the dead. We need to remember our innocence in pretending that no foreign agency could attack us on our big island. We need to remember our childhood of wanting the best for all people and working in partnerships with others.

Is there any hope? Is there any vision or high point we can see a better world?

Dreary Monday


K told me that today is "national hug day". Essentially, it is always the day before 9/11 and everyone hugs as much as possible. Where she got this nugget is beyond me, nonetheless, she is celebrating it today.

Cranked out around ten pictures this weekend (and had time for other stuff) using our small salad plates at the lake as a circle template for fun. While I was musing on what was evolving...I thought of other things that work in this vocabulary beyond the colonial tombstones (still my favorite driver), the wings and simplicity of bas relief and paintings from the Byzantine empire to another old favorite...english brass and incised panel rubbings. So, I buzzed around the web and found some nice brass rubbing imagery to stick in my files for reference--along with some fairly wonderful and poinant text from these antique memorials. Will surface some images for you to give you some context later today.

Just discovered this cool site "The Farber Gravestone Collection" from the American Antiquariean Society that will prove to be a great resource. Check it out.

My current thinking on this Memento Mori project is the following:

>Sketch until October 30. Create the initial book to have to Lulu by Friday of the first week of November. Get a copy to Whitney for the SU work. Refine the book and finalize. Reprint a few more for files. Continue sketching.

> Continue drawing from October 30- February 28. Create a second volume of sketches.
See what happens. See if there are legs to this work. If so, begin to build a book strictly of references. Print both at Lulu.

> Take this sketch process and begin to think about applications/ finalizing 12-18 pieces. This would be the basis of the thesis for the HAS "Dream Project" or the children's book project. Evolve both?

> Go to HAS with 3 finished Lulu sketch books filled with my drawings, my reference etc and really customize those books into something special. This prework becomes part of the bigger thesis which would make the prework as part of the final resolution and definition.

> Continue to work in theses styles creating simple illustration, typography,borders and frames. Begin to start integrating these elements when it feels right. Continue to research different fields of reference

Dreary Sunday


Tuned to you tube last night. Bruce took me on a tour of old Beatles videos, tribute videos, videos of friends of his that are artists, and videos of folks like Patti Smith, Billy Preston, George Harrrison. A great survey I might not have tapped. I can see how K and A are into it. Its TV without tv.

Bruce is doing some interesting things--like supporting a bunch of designers in his studio building in Baltimore. He is doing nice web work working with the same designers and others. He is developing a former classmate who lives down south to use him as a support service (I mean, we all can live in one place and work in others!! what with fed ex, web ex, faxes, emails etc--anything is possible!). I am impressed with his viewpoint on all of this and his ambition to make all of these plates spin harmoniously. I am inspired.

Plans for illustration, track shoes and prepping for next week for K and A today. Rainy here. I am sitting on the porch with the rain, drinking in the high hosta, lily scent. We saw a pair of hummingbirds up close yesterday. We also have had a big collection of "leaf" bugs this fall. I hope we can swim next weekend.

>>Later>>
Absolute downpour this afternoon. We have two new pairs of high top, Converse Chuck Taylors, several pairs of no see-em socks, a sweater, some boys underwear and a pair of puma track shoes everyone is simply delighted with. We also bought some plain colored english teapots and three cup/and teapot singletons for giving away for Christmas.Goal again for this year is Christmas done by 11/11 and wrapped and boxed for shipping by Thanksgiving. This is very achievable.

Back chez Camp for drawing, signing papers for school, packing lunches and making dinner in a civilized fashion in prep for the first full week of school. Oh, and did I say listmaking? Listmaking, too.

The folly above is constructed from drawing and rough inking a quarter of the image. Might make an interesting bookplate or even frame to hold an illustration. Time to expand this idea. It "goes" with a pattern I worked up in the Moleskine...I dont know how truly Memento Mori it is...but spiritually it is as it is part of the flow of work. I need to get the scanner cranked up as there are some nice images from yesterday. more for this week. I am still loving this stuff.

Up, Up and Away!


R. is speeding towards France as we speak. Boissbuchet awaits along with cheese, lavender and art. I am a tad bit jealous. We are lakeside with the wind whipping the water up (thankfully we had our paddling twice before). A front is moving in...and the humidity is going down. Spent some time looking at my big book on Byzantine art...which is a nice reinforcement to the Marblehead images for the sketch process for Memento Mori. They have simplified things in a very similar way...I found a tremendous lion and doubleheaded eagle bas reliefs that are good reference with semi-nutty faces and nice simple wingsl Still doing 3 plus images a day. The evolution has been interesting.

I am working exclusively with a fine pitt pen and a pentel pocket brush pens on a bristol board which takes the ink gorgeously.
Matte, black. One shot. I just seem to be burning through the cartridges. Perhaps tomorrow, I will open a bottle of the star matte and see what I can do with a real brush.

Tomorrow we get track shoes for A. He is digging being a member of the cross country team (it's co-ed!). We have our friend Bruce here. It is nice to have a chance to talk with him about our respective aging, his continual love of eccentric cars, his fondness for photos and music. Plenty to talk about...plus, he wants to save the world like we all do. His strategies are enlightening.

We miss R. already.

IF: Momentum (on Memento Mori)


This is the recent illustration that is part of a larger body of work that celebrates the concept of Memento Mori ("Remember your Death" or "Remember your Mortality"). This is a two and a half month sketch process to see what evolves in my sketchbook. From that collection, I am producing a lulu book to celebrate the ideas...and then start anew with the same topic for another 4 months. I am using images from the Old Burial Grounds in Marblehead, Massachusetts as puritanical and colonial prompts when things get slow.There is a real wealth of historic reference (visual, text, music etc) that are goads that many of us like to spin on this topic.

click on the image for a bigger view>>


Setting em up, knocking em down today. A friend from Baltimore is coming up today to visit and attend the vintage car races and events in the Glen tomorrow.

R. came home talking about Second Life.Wiki says:
Second Life (abbreviated as SL) is an Internet-based virtual world launched in 2003, developed by Linden Research, Inc (commonly referred to as Linden Lab), which came to international attention via mainstream news media in late 2006 and early 2007.[4][5] A downloadable client program called the Second Life Viewer enables its users, called "Residents", to interact with each other through motional avatars, providing an advanced level of a social network service combined with general aspects of a metaverse. Residents can explore, meet other Residents, socialize, participate in individual and group activities, create and trade items (virtual property) and services from one another.

Second Life is one of several virtual worlds that have been inspired by the cyberpunk literary movement, and particularly by Neal Stephenson's novel Snow Crash. The stated goal of Linden Lab is to create a world like the Metaverse described by Stephenson, a user-defined world of general use in which people can interact, play, do business, and otherwise communicate.[6] Second Life's virtual currency is the Linden Dollar (Linden, or L$) and is exchangeable for US Dollars in a marketplace consisting of residents, Linden Lab and real life companies.

While Second Life is sometimes referred to as a game, this description is disputed. It does not have points, scores, winners or losers, levels, an end-strategy, or most of the other characteristics of games, though it can be thought of as a game on a more basic level. It is a semi-structured virtual environment where characters undertake activities for the purpose of personal enjoyment.

In all, more than 8.9 million accounts have been registered, although many are inactive, some Residents have multiple accounts, and there are no reliable figures for actual long term consistent usage. Despite its prominence, Second Life has notable competitors, including There, Active Worlds, and the more "mature" themed Red Light Center.

Do any of you participate in this community? Apparently some significant cultural institutions are going into development to promote events and shows within this context. I registered and got an account to find out what this is all about....for me and to be more educated with the museum clients.

--illustration from the sketchbook--as part of the collection of the Memento Mori work.

first day of school


Good progression. SU posted my credits on Aug 29...so the transcript is available. Will get all of that behind me by the end of September.So,the Hartford file will be more complete very soon.

Ordered some boxes for my holiday cards yesterday. Need to order the dog cards--but the honcho from the Art Trail says that cards don't sell. I am not sure. My cards are pretty nice and I am pricing them to sell.

Got a bunch of the plates spinning from the list yesterday. Having lunch at Dijon, a new french place down off RT 13 near the DMV--with a client and possible new writer who I am very enthusiastic about.

First day of school. A is happy. K is not. After all the time and definitive discussion with K's counselor it was as if we that meeting never happened. So, an email is in the hopper--and the phone call is going to happen tomorrow. We will need to see some change here.

Perfect day here. Clear skies. Lush grass. Seems too early for school to start.

The urn above is a calligraphic exercise. Working on some other images using tombstone images with the skateboard skulls.

framed


I was messing around with a more linear approach and decided to use the ideas of the cowrie shells for eyes that is sometimes used in african art. Here is one of the ideas.

Potpourri


Wrapping up the weekend.Luncheon went over nicely. Lots of swimming, lots of talk about manuscripts becoming Lulu books. Lots of interest there. The Cornell Chicken was great...new approach versus the hot hot grill...low heat, slower time...better, much better results. Every bit was devoured. I guess that would be qualified as success. Trying to get all the bits and pieces together to migrate to Tburg for the next few days as commuting and the first day of school doesnt make sense. But, next week it might! We bobbed in the waves yesterday after 6 p.m. and had a nice time...it was brisk but does wonders for the sleeping. The spa effect erased our brains...which is one of the many reasons we love Sheldrake.

Hopes for today:
--hassle Syracuse for the transcript. Called before. No results. Called our contact in the deans office..."its all "over there'". Now is the time to be the electric drill. I plan on calling daily for the next few days...and then crank it up to twice daily (with a contact name etc to make the pain more delightful).
--visit with my former employee, KD and her husband Dan here from Oregon.
--think out the future AR for my Animal client
--release the Memorial Gifts pub. for the Animal client to the printer
--order clear bags for the Holiday cards for sale during Art Trail weekends
--order a few sets of the dog cards (sets of 6 different each) from the ever fabulous Picture Salon. That means prep the files
--think about the Alchemy show and the Ancient Glass showbrands.
--finalize the 2300˚ postcards for the Museum

This might be hopes for the week!

We saw the Harvard Flowers exhibition at the Corning Museum of Glass on Sunday evening. It was wonderful. I had totally missed a very interesting point. Not only were plants entirely rendered in glass (to size) but, the Blaskas then exploded the view and took details or parts and rendered them at wellover 1000% of the original size. So, this small bud on a branch was expoded to show the same bud huge (as big as two fists put together)--but with a bumblebee within the cut-away--showing how the pollen is released onto the bee. To tell the bee story, the cut away flower was rendered four times with the bee's position and shape changing within the context of the flower. My absolute favorite big and small plant was a moldy pear and leaf...absolutely frighening...with the exploded view being this wigged out , "under the microscope" rendering of the mold magnified to being essentially a 12"x 12"x 12" view of the spores up close. It was striking. Memorable. The museum did a nice job of telling the people story of the father son team (Blaskas), and the individuals at Harvard who were instrumental to this singular collection being established, funded and collected. It is a shame that Harvard does not fully understand the import of this collection and focus on maintaining, conserving and showing this teaching tool to it's best. It transcends the Natural History vibe and goes to the world of art and materials. If you have a chance...please visit the show. It is memorable and might change the way you think about plants.


Kitty and I picked out several glass pumpkins for our dining room table and a few others. I have a friend and a second cousin who are going to be proud recipients. We had fun trolling the Corning Museum GlassMarket which truly is a treasure trove of things worth bringing home. We held tight to our wallets...buying only a small pumpkin patch!

In between


In between the cooking for our Labor Day, Birthday with Grandparents lunch, I figured I would log in to say hi. I had a happy trip to the amish stand this morning spending 10 dollars on a huge box of tomatoes ($3.00), 3 fresh onions, a small basket of the noteworthy blackberries, and green and yellow beans (around 7" long each). I have roasted a half dozen red peppers, shucked and prepped corn, washed the berries, set the table, cut the wonderful Ithaca Bakery cheddar/corn/jalapeno bread, blanched greenbeans, cut tomatoes and feta and currently have the chicken on the grill. Guests expected at 12:30. Lunch on the table at 12:45. Hopefully this will be quick so I can get back to being a sloth and reading my new book "Octavian Nothing" a very off kilter, "young adult" fiction about a boy raised by a philosophical society in pre-revolutionary Boston. Odd and thought provoking. Have waiting: the MOMA show catalog on Picasso and a book about Edward Gorey--which includes articles about him, his illustrations and some transcribed interviews. Odd mix...but goood. I got away from the weekly pilgrimage to the library...and It is going to be part of the new structure as I have missed the mix of reading that the library affords.

Have to go flip the birds.

Willows

I was talking with my friend Paula the other day about my findings, discoveries and amazing stuff I am learning and observing during this Memento Mori study. Paula, who is a visual poet, landscape architect and teacher at Cornell had her own observations and interest in this same topic. She set her landscape architecture students a semester long project of drawing graves at the biggest, oldest cemetery in Ithaca. She was intrigued by the stones that said Mother, Father, Sister and Brother...and how that language set up an interesting rhythm--a Philip Glassian, mantra that continued on and on...Paula, upon hearing about Lulu books plans on doing a photographic journal just on that. This prompted us to talk about what about Mother/Father/Sister/Brother...and when those people are gone, and those that carry their memory are gone...are they dead? is memory living? and if you are held in other's memory--either directly or through the puritanical genealogy that is drubbed into us by our parents--is that a way of justifying our own memories or establishing a structure we as descendants are hung from?

Is memory the afterlife beyond own own personal understanding, our personal religious beliefs, our faith?

We then spoke about willows and how they are rightful symbols to life everlasting. Paula drew this wonderful line drawing of how the willows grow, sending suckers down to root in the ground. The new tree grows and evolves--also sending suckers down..and so on. As long as there is plenty of light and even more water, the willows continue. So the victorian image of the weeping tree, or the leafy version done in New England--represents a natural idea that supports this endless cycle of life. Nice to think about as we speed down the Central New York road--seeing willow upon willow, the green fountains of life, and leaves.

Another perfect day. A little cool to swim...but I think we may make the attempt. School starts Wednesday. A's grandparent birthday is tomorrow. The baseball game was fun...Redwings lost to the Buffalo Bisons. Nice crowd of people...with our row mates offering us candy from their huge bags of twizzlers etc. and a silly man called "the Wing Nut" blowing a whistle continually and ringing two cow bells. Fall doesnt seem to far away.

Tonight, R has to be Manager on Duty at the Museum (which is until 8)--so the home team will join him to see the Harvard Flowers Show, buy the cheap glass pumpkins and amuse ourselves until he can go. Should be fun.

More later>>

One more day

LACDA (Los Angeles Center for Digital Arts) has an open call for entries (through 09/02/07) for a show called "Snap to Grid".
Here are some links to cut into your browser:

LACDA: http://www.lacda.com/

SNAP TO GRID
the UN-Juried Un-Competition

September 13-October 4
Opening Reception Thursday September 13, 7-9pm

Deadline for entries: September 2

Description:
LACDA announces an open call for our un-juried show featuring digital art and photography: "Snap to Grid". All entries will be printed (8.5"x11" on epson heavyweight matte paper) and shown in our gallery arranged in a grid. Entrants submit one JPEG file of original work. All styles of artwork and photography where digital processes of any kind were integral to the creation of the images are acceptable. Digital video stills and screen shots of web/new media and digital installation are acceptable. The show will be widely promoted and will include a reception for the artists.

After the exhibition the images and artist information will be available to gallery visitors to view in our artist portfolios. Prints can be made available to buyers on an as needed basis (if there is interest in an art work the artist will be contacted and a price will be determined). Artwork for future exhibits will be selected from the portfolios, and will also be available for review by area gallerists, curators and arts journalists. Participants retain ownership of all intellectual property rights to their artwork and prints are made by permission only.

Location:
This call is international, open to all geographical locations.

Show Dates:
September 13-October 4, 2007

Gallery Statement:
Every year for 50 years the L.A. Municipal Gallery has held its "Open Call" exhibit where any artist can show up with their art and an entry fee (to benefit gallery programs) and the piece is shown. The Los Angeles Center For Digital Art decided to launch an international experiment of the same nature where the artists upload images that are printed and hung by the gallery. The hundreds of works are displayed in a grid like installation (reminiscent of postcard art shows of the 1980's) where every work submitted is exhibited. The usual (less than democratic) selection process where only the precious few are chosen is turned on its head in a curatorial anarchy where everyone gets to participate and the viewer is literally left to be the judge. The show represents a snapshot of a current moment in art history when digital imaging has reached the hands of the many, an age where culture belongs to the "mobblogers" around the globe. From Thailand to Texas, amateur to academic, beautiful to banal and beyond the monumental quantity and variety of "Snap to Grid" becomes an aesthetic experience where each individual piece adds to an agglomerative effect that has a life of its own.

perfect day to turn 14


Today is A's 14th bday. We have had the great presentation of the presents--skaterwear, dvd movies, old cds (ZZTop, Metallica, Bob Marley etc. from half.com), and a camera to his surprise (and I hope happiness). We are finishing a birthday lunch with a lemon poppy seed cake and burgers and preparing for a trip to see the Rochester Red Wings play with hopefully, more of the sicko mascots (Roger Clamson etc.) It is gloriously clear, the wind whipping, sailboats cruising by...but cool enough that sweaters do not seem out of order. After all, it is September...time to get the wool back out of the back of the closet, and back on our backs. Ah, summer. It is amazing that we have had 14 years with this wonderful boy...such a gift from the bony 5 pound, 21" inch smiling infant to the towering young man @ 6", deep voice and winning smile...that are turning girls' heads everywhere he goes. He is loving movies these days citing Quentin Tarentino and Stanley Kubrick as his favorite directors. Metallica, Bob Marley and Jimmy Hendrix on the top of his musical charts. Within this context (re music) it is as if (when we were his age) we were listening happily to music made 40 years ago...taking us to tunes of the 30s. Yipes!

Working away with cut paper and inking shapes. I am on to the death heads on the short cupid style wings from the Marblehead burial ground. Was cutting some urns that could evolve into a border? or a side detail. Passion still there.

Feeling positive about what I am going to say to the Seminar students at Syracuse. The how I got from here to there ending up in Tburg and running my own show is essentially the talk...with some portfolio and illustration....but more about the progression and learning around all the change. Also, would be good for any of the girls in the audience to see how another girl figured it out. There is no clear way to have a job and kids at the same time. The more options they hear about, the more options they will understand versus the learning on your own program I have been through.

Delivered the work to the Community Arts Partnership late Thursday for the opening next Friday. R. to France on Saturday. Lucky duck.

More later. Need to get in front of the lunch dishes and moving the kinder into the wonderbus to get rolling to do a little basketball shoe shopping prior to dinner before the game (maybe the Rochester Dinosaur Barbecue)?