Sunday Sunday


We were invited to a lovely fall picnic complete with roasting pigs, delicious food, a gorgeous fire with a perfect stone fire circle, an interesting group of smart and cool people and then totally artful fireworks. The fireworks were designed and ignited by friends of one of our hostesses--IT/ Computer Science guys who are entertained by this in their spare time. There were screaming squiggles, large evocative puffs that hung in the air and the absolute best, a silver waterfall over a tall stone wall that R claimed all we needed was a heavy metal group to play along with it. Wagging tails and friendly dogs abounded--many of them grinning in their happiness. K. was delighted by the sheer biology and anatomical aspects of the pigs. She marveled at the beasts--pleased by the kidneys, of all things. And she is still happily a carnivore. We were honored to be included in the group as it was a fun time, beautiful time and a chance to be outside in the cold air.

R to paint the outline of the soon to be new driveway. A playing basketball with friends. More laundry to beat the band. I have groceries and cooking and getting ready for next week as my musts.

Memento mori continues. Everlife Memorials gets into the easy listening interpretation of symbols here>> with my favorite reference to dogs saying: "Modern dogs only imply that the master was worth loving." Sad. Nothing more to say about the deceased but that they were worth loving. Pathetic. It is nice that those colonial Americans didn't need to be marketed to. You had some choices, but simple ones unless you were very well to do, and could afford a portrait or something way over the top like the Susanna Jayne headstone/ footstone extravaganza in Marblehead. This baby is a total symbol blowout with a skeleton bust crowned with a laurel wreath, cupids, bats, hourglass and bones, and the cosmic sun and moon. And this is just the headstone. Whoa. The images are whimsical in their expression...friendly and very inviting. Not scary in the least bit. I love the abbreviation of the ribcage and spine...gets the point across without over complicating things.

Worked yesterday on the MM book--socking in copy, modifying some of the spreads. Looking with new eyes at some of the work. Am anxious to work on some frames and borders along with working more closely with the reference as the work is getting a little out there and losing some of the tightness that the earlier stuff had. Am also interested in working on some frames and borders using the imagery and meld it with my impression of hobo art/antiques. The thick shapes might be fun to mix in with it. Also need to cut some more paper. Is a great starting point with the slash interpretations coming out of the cannon.

Colorguard was selling chicken barbeque today with a few girls standing by the road doing cartwheels and twirling their white "guns". Feels like fall. The weatherman suggests there might be frost tonight. Seems a bit early. I hope not.

Notes to me


I was thinking about illustration--hand-drawn, computer generated pros and cons...where they bump up next to each other, where they don't and ways to make the hand-drawn maintain it's integrity once the rigors of the computer bumps up next to it. Arnold Bank's words of advice to keep one's illustration in the same hand and tool as the letterform still holds true--but against the idea that if you draw on paper with a brush, use those same brushes to amend the image in the computer (or at least where it is visible). It's okay to erase, clean up and fiddle with the contast in the computer, but if adding highlights, or adding detail, try and draw them, scan them in and sock them in where you need them because they just won't look or seem natural. The same idea holds when rendering (in my case) in illustrator--you can not comfortably (though with work I think this could be achieved) add a pencil drawing or some inky squiggle and have it work harmoniously in the image. Though for effect, this is a whole different thing. Case in point: I spent some time yesterday creating a track shoe in illustrator. Reduction illustration ( one color, plenty of tiger teeth, plenty of detail left out). Looks fine. However, the wings I want to attach look wierd as they are hand drawn--so the intent will be to bring the sketch into illustrator, render them in the same mode, add tiger teeth for highlight and see what happens. I am sure this is the solution. Another wing approach might be a calligraphic inspired set drawn on tissue, scanned in and then redrawn with the same illustrator tools. We'll see. Tuesday (the deadline) approaches.

I was also thinking about the Memento Mori work. I seem to be getting 3-4 images a day to add to the book. I have since last Monday, been adding them sequentially to the piece as it shows a train of thinking that may be only understood by me, but that works as the end purpose of this sketch process is to create 2-3 volumes that become the platform from which the HAS (Hartford Art School) thesis will be based. I've got 60 pps in the can and figure that we will be closer to 84 or so for the first blush of the first volume. It is strictly images right now...but I am thinking that since I have been writing stream of conscious stuff about my understanding about the topic, the images, technique, conversations with friends, I might cull aspects of the dated writing and cut them into the book as notes etc. Again, more part of the self-discussion--and there might be more there that I cannot see right now that either another reader or me with more time will see. Along with the images and copy, any patterns, shapes, bookplates, dingbats etc that are generated from the sketchbooks will be shoehorned in to add to the dimension. Right now, the process is draw all day, scan at five, sock it into the publicaton at 5:30 and if there is any time, work with the illustrations as scrap to create more images in the formerly "slash" style. So the work begets more work. The spinning prayer wheel of time. The willow sending out more shoots. Ad infinitum. Or at least until I get bored.

I particularly like the willow head of two days ago. I think I may translate it to a piece of crewel work at the same size as the picture. I think the whole texture that the shiny embroidery silks would do something interesting...and we could see if it takes the idea anywhere. Worth the try.

Another idea I need to put down is the lock of hair, hair jewelry and hair art that the victorians created as a way to memorializing those that had gone on. For me, the texture of hair and braids woven(urg) into the work is another element that could evolve with this work. I have been musing about frames and strands either as linear work or in the tigerteeth, lady and skull mode only more formalized. We'll see. I am just putting this down for the minute the well seems to run dry. Also, the brass rubbings have not been fully investigated.

The sketches are also a wonderful wealth of scrap for me. I used two of the illustrations (changed a bit) for wine label proposals for a client. Looks cool...and kind of new for me. I wonder where this illustrator came from?

High on the Plateau


I am "taken" with the willow during the past day. More to come. The willow skull was last night's picture. The willow and urn this morning. Plans to create a bunch of background patterns with the same willow--along with building some more pictures with this linear pattern to fill the space. Plus, I can use the jaggity pattern I used as the main pattern in avian flu as part of the roots... I love the willow as it's florid, leafy and linear and can be rendered graphically in a bunch of ways juxtposed to the root system which can be the counterpoint to what is above ground. I will be socking these into the Lulu book which now verges on 60 pages (not the assigned 8-12 pps). Oops! I cant be flunked for trying a litttle.

Working on some wine labels today. Also, some Cornell thises and thats. Got the LA illos out. Getting NYC out tomorrow (with some printing today). Perfect day. Cool and crisp. Blue skies, olive green leaves and lush grass. More rain expected.

Our friend and neighbor, Joel came over yesterday to tell me about this 5K race the Tburg Rotary is running on October 21st. He (along with those who knew, learned or loved) was mourning the passing of a significant community member, Chris Bond. Chris was a physics teacher in our high school, affecting many, many students--many moving on in their education becoming physicists and scientists due to the teaching, passion and interest their teacher sparked in them. He was instrumental in the soccer program touching other communities of students who might not have been the science types. When people talk about him, they begin to wax about his gifts and spirit in a poetic way.

Christopher H. Bond Obituary from the Ithaca Journal>>

Many tears have been shed as Chris has died from cancer. His memorial service will be at the High School on Saturday.It promised to be another sad day--yet in the same way enlightening as the community really turns out for these services--and the community embrace is something I have never experienced before. It is spiritual in the power of the love and care of our little town and village. To get back to Joel, his race has been renamed and dedicated to Chris Bond--by making it the Chris Bond Tburg Rotary, 5K Run and they need a mark/tee shirt graphic. No problem. Just a question of what. We are on a tight deadline...but that shouldn't stand in the way of getting something good. Happy. Not in the grim mode I am working in.

More later>>

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!