Hope or Status Quo?


Well, here we are. SHrillery is on her way out...taking her marbles and her bossy, chiding way away from all of us. Thank goodness. Shrillery may have had good thing to say, but the whole "mommy", "nag" and image that she projected in voice and message became, for me too much. I know that I will be labelled as anti woman (albeit I voted for her), anti progress with these snippy comments, but in the world of politics--her tone, her link to Bill, her naggy, harsh delivery to messages that were sometimes lies, truth stretching etc--but she did not project confidence, control,a thoughtful perspective. She wears an imaginary apron and wields a spoon--pointing out what right and wrong is...in a harsh way. And, my emotional reaction to her is always one of anger and lack of comfort. I was never in her court the way she handled the health care project in Bill's White House, the unpleasant way of "not making cookies", and her lack of public anger and seeming acceptance of Bill's picadillos. If this campaign with the prize being the presidency was the payout for his ridiculous behavior--then payback is complete. I am happy she is out....albeit always with the last laugh--insisting that she would consider being a running mate which would have little traction for Obama...with quips behind the hand saying all she wants is to be asked...so she can refuse.

Now we have two candidates. Both of them viable. One with age and experience who embraces the Bush doctrine, who supports the war to indicate it will be one hundred years...etc. The other is untried and seemingly a bit lightweight. He represents hope, and change. Essentially, anti- status Quo. The hamburger is getting ready to be thrown for the two of them to fight over the prize...throwing ugliness,unfairly accusing each other with the spinmeisters creating issues and drawing relationships where they might not be anything at all. Yawn. Let's see what happens.

I am happy at least we have resolution.

Got the Toivo CD and package done yesterday. Rich Koski, the heart of the group and a two row diatonic button accordianist, was the Performer of the Year by the Finlandia Foundation National, 2004. Rich told me that with some of the proceeds from the touring he did with this award, he accumulated money to buy an accordian that he travelled to a small town in Italy that had over 50 family run accordian factories that sounded like bliss for someone of his recognition and ability. The graphics incorporate an illustration by Annie Campbell as requested by Rich...with blocks of color and a ton of copy. Looks nice...clean...friendly like the music.

Am noodling with a bunch of stuff. I am making myself nuts with the dream project. Thought I might do a half dozen hair pictures (using the quicky Marie Antoinette as the jumping off point) with Marie Antoinette, Louis Quatorze, George Washington, Andy Warhol, a flippy fifties (Marilyn? Doris Day?), Custer? or Buffalo Bill? Maybe? or florals>? just going down the lane with that? New deadline. Not to actively think about it and just go into making/doing until mid June and then focus. Need to contact Bunny Carter about the level of tightness she means when she talks about thumbnails...Mini pictures? or loosy goosie?

More later. Sorry for my miss yesterday. Just was swamped.

Maudlin Monday


Have been futzing with pictures of Marie Antoinette and the hairdos current in her court. It is all about rats and about comb overs with bit pieces of padding underneath...with feathers, jaunty hats, flowers, and endless strings of pearls or jewels to hold the whole look together. So, I have been messing around in my sketchbook about this...with the lady shown above as the best of the bad selections. It is interesting that the drawn image is quick, and then I take it into the CS suite and add highlights, clean up a bit etc. Interesting approach. Lots of need to work it out beyond the limited stuff you see above.

We had a nice visit at Bakers Acres--buying all sorts of annuals (lobelia, hot pink geraniums, nicotiana, pansies) and perennials (monardia--13 plants). It was a very happy day there as we had not patronized the Acres for a while as our work on the house and house projects held us back as it was and still remains left foot right foot. With the Carriage House and the drive way all in an almost finished mode, it becomes easier to concieve of frills such as plants and the color and scent they give us.

We heard Eilen Jewell at the Rongo the other night. R. went inside...it was lovely outside, cool and comfortable. So, I hung outside with my friends and caught up with all sorts of people, meeting new people saying hi to older friends. It was very nice and collegial, very Tburg with the luscious music spilling out onto the street. With their sets being finished, Eilen and her band made themselves comfortable on the street, sitting on the walls of the Children's Garden confirming the grassroots efforts folks are making around making Main STreet nice. It was wonderful talking about the world with musicians, people who see their world through their ears...(not eyes like me)--and when you focus in on that, how is it that they stud their stories, language and sound with music references.

Swept a bunch off the desk today. All of CE Jones. Done. Also, a business card for the Chokers (48hr print)--mini postcard size. They loved it last week (the yumbo sized card...they all want them!). More later.

More on GlassLab


Nice story from Dwell Magazine>>

from the Cooper-Hewitt:

The Boyms on their MySpace said about the GlassLab:

Sunday, June 01, 2008

Nailed it at GlassLab on Friday!

GlassLab. Unpredictable. Our last session was on Friday the 30th, and it was by far the best we've had in our two residencies (Miami Art Basel + Cooper Hewitt New York City). The weather was PERFECT in the beautiful garden of the CH...but that was not only the case...

Working with glass, you learn to accept being in the moment. The material is subject to the weather, the gaffers (master glassblowers, all), and the design. Constantin and I were trying to develop a concept of a bouquet in a vase, made of glass, where real flowers could be dispursed among the fake ones--to stunning effect. Our first session was spent making canes (glass rods for the "stems") and developing a connection detail that would attach the "stems" to the glass vase. We developed this technical detail with the unparallelled Eric Meek and hoped we would gain traction from there.

Before the second session, Constantin and I worked out the proportions and details--down to meaurements and connections. We had a new team to work with, and despite their best efforts, every single piece we made blew up after we got it off the punty (the stick you blow glass on).

Luckily on Friday, Eric was back working with us and we made two beautiful pieces together. I'll post the images here on Monday. GlassLab Closes Today---Don't miss it!

Like the yellow and white logotype? I did it!

IF: Baby


Baby, they were plenty smart when they made you beautiful.
James Gleason (1886–1959), U.S. screenwriter, and Norman Houston. Hank (Bessie Love), The Broadway Melody, to Queenie (Anita Page), who has typically said something dopey (1929).

back from my minitrip.


Back! Lovely drive. Absolutely lovely. Bunny route the whole way. This little town, that little town, fields of groomed cows, fields of grazing goats. Stone houses, funny singage--hills and vales, shadows and shade. It was (believe it) relaxing and almost meditative. We had great meetings with hopes that this job will hit...
more later>>

onward!


From TS White's Bestiary

I've been up since five...theoretically lining up my pencils, stuffing my bag with old work, looking at random maps and then looking at MapQuest and back again. I have to get K's lunch done and get her up. Then it's gas and go. Looks like my drive to Central PA will be peaceful and nice--back roads, clear skies and cold still (frost warnings until 8 a.m. today). Chet the Lawnmower man was here and made our verdant grass look like combed velvet. Mandy moved all the "blue" hosta to the front of the house and made us a gift of a mammoth blue one which she split into four and socked in with our small offerings that we have been "cultivating" here and there on the property.

I am nuts for my tree peonies that are about a week away from the big fat buds blowing out into enormous fluffy flowers. I have put tree peonies all over the place too...and as they get bigger and woodier and able to take the deer mano a mano...I think they will be able to survive their nibbling torture. Nothing is quite like what they have at the Cornell Plantations, but we aspire...can't we? We have doubled our monarda (bee balm) as the scent (bergamot...something in Earl Grey tea) is not apppealing to the deer...and they have a nice show or red or purple (in our case) without any interruption.

K and I had a nice dinner talking about her favorite topics: boys, teenage social networkings, biology and art.The collisions of those topics are amusing and it is fun to see K. pick her way through that. I always have such a nice time with her...finding out her passion for chunks in soup, that if reincarnated--she would come back as a cockroach and so on. I came back and finished the last gasp for Carol Elizabeth, so we can have a package done by the end of the week. The night before was late because of the animal client...so a break in the wall of work is opening so we can catch our breaths before the next enslaught.

gotta go.

Journey to the West


Journey to the West (traditional Chinese: 西遊記; simplified Chinese: 西游记; pinyin: Xīyóujì; Wade-Giles: Hsiyu-chi) is one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. Originally published anonymously in the 1590s during the Ming Dynasty, and even though no direct evidence of its authorship survives, it has been ascribed to the scholar Wú Chéng'ēn since the 20th century.

In western countries, the tale is also often known simply as Monkey. This was one title used for a popular, abridged translation by Arthur Waley. The Waley translation has also been published as Adventures of the Monkey God; and Monkey: [A] Folk Novel of China; and The Adventures of Monkey.

The novel is a fictionalized account of the legends around the Buddhist monk Xuánzàng's pilgrimage to India during the Táng dynasty in order to obtain Buddhist religious texts called sutras. The Bodhisattva Guānyīn, on instruction from the Buddha, gives this task to the monk and his three protectors in the form of disciples — namely Sūn Wùkōng, Zhū Bājiè and Shā Wùjìng — together with a dragon prince who acts as Xuánzàng's horse mount. These four characters have agreed to help Xuánzàng as an atonement for past sins.

Some scholars propose that the book satirises the effete Chinese government at the time. Journey to the West has a strong background in Chinese folk religion, Chinese mythology and value systems; the pantheon of Taoist immortals and Buddhist bodhisattvas is still reflective of Chinese folk religious beliefs today.

Part of the novel's enduring popularity comes from the fact that it works on multiple levels: it is a first-rate adventure story, a dispenser of spiritual insight, and an extended allegory in which the group of pilgrims journeying toward India stands for the individual journeying toward enlightenment>> More>>

Sūn Wùkōng is the name given to this character by his teacher, Patriarch Subhuti, and means "the one who has Achieved the Perfect Comprehension of the Extinction of both Emptiness and non-Emptiness"; he is called Monkey King or simply Monkey Emperor in English.

He was born out of a rock that had been dormant for ages in Flower Fruit Mountain that was inhabited/weathered by the sun and moon until a monkey sprang forth. He first distinguished himself by bravely entering the Cave of Water Curtains (pinyin:Shuǐlián-dòng) at the Mountains of Flowers and Fruits (Huāguǒ-shān); for this feat, his monkey tribe gave him the title of Měi-hóuwáng ("handsome monkey-king"). Later, he started making trouble in Heaven and defeated an army of 100,000 celestial soldiers, led by the Four Heavenly Kings, Erlang Shen, and Nezha. Eventually, the Jade Emperor appealed to Buddha, who subdued and trapped Wukong under a mountain. He was only saved when Xuanzang came by him on his pilgrimage and accepted him as a disciple.

His primary weapon is the rúyì-jīngū-bàng ("will-following golden-banded staff"), which he can shrink down to the size of a needle and keep behind his ear, as well as expand it to gigantic proportions (hence the "will-following" part of the name). The staff, originally a pillar supporting the undersea palace of the East Sea Dragon King, weighs 13,500 pounds, which he pulled out of its support and swung with ease. The Dragon King, not wanting him to cause any trouble, also gave him a suit of golden armor. These gifts, combined with his devouring of the peaches of immortality and three jars of immortality pills while in Heaven, plus his ordeal in an eight-trigram furnace (which gave him a steel-hard body and fiery golden eyes), makes Wukong the strongest member by far of the pilgrimage. Besides these abilities, he can also pull hairs from his body and blow on them to transform them into whatever he wishes (usually clones of himself to gain a numerical advantage in battle). Although he has mastered seventy-two methods of transformations, it does not mean that he is restricted to seventy-two different forms. He can also do a jīndǒuyún ("cloud somersault"), enabling him to travel vast distances in a single leap. Wukong uses his talents to fight demons and play pranks. However, his behavior is checked by a band placed around his head by Guanyin, which cannot be removed by Wukong himself until the journey's end. Xuanzang can tighten this band by chanting the Tightening-Crown spell (taught to him by Guanyin) whenever he needs to chastise him. The spell is referred to by Xuanzang's disciples as the "Headache Sutra", and is as follows:- "Oh-munney pud-meyon", which is spoken quickly and repeatedly.

Wukong's child-like playfulness is a huge contrast to his cunning mind. This, coupled with his acrobatic skills, makes him a likeable hero, though not necessarily a good role model. His antics present a lighter side in what proposes to be a long and dangerous trip into the unknown.

Itchy


The Chinese Zodiac animal signs are a 12-year cycle used for dating the years. Rather than the Western concept of time which is more linear, each represent a cyclical concept of time.

Each year also has a Element distinction that decides more specifically your chinese zodiac sign.

Making the Chinese Lunar Calendar a sixty year cycle and is made up of five repetetive cycles of 12 years each.

In the Chinese Zodiac there are five basic elements of which all things are made of. Metal, Water, Wood, Fire and Earth. These are combined with the twelve animal signs of Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Lamb, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig to form the sixty year cycle.

When Buddha was leaving earth, he summoned all the animals to come to him. Legand has it that only twelve animals came to bid him farewell. As a reward he named a year in the Chinese Zodiac after each one in the order that it arrived.

____
I could pursue the Chinese Zodiac symbols done in the hand drawn/computer manipulated mode. Here are some more things"

>>Garden of Eden (definition of perfection as a place, a place or state of purity, could be aligned with the idea of heaven) which could allow me a chance to work with florals, trees, animals.
>> Six Chicken pictures

>> Clips from the Monkey King story, otherwise referred to as Sun Wukong/ from Wiki
Sun Wukong possesses incredible strength, being able to lift his 13,500 jīn (8,100 kg) Ruyi Jingu Bang with ease. He also has superb speed, traveling 108,000 li (54,000 kilometers) in one somersault. Sun knows 72 transformations, which allows him to transform into various animals and objects (however, he is shown with slight problems transforming into other people, since he is unable to complete the transformation of his tail). He is a skilled fighter, capable of holding his own against the best generals in heaven. His hairs also contain magical properties, each capable of transforming into a clone of the Monkey King himself, as well as various weapons, animals, and other objects. He also knows various spells in order to command wind, part water, conjure protective circles against demons, freeze humans, demons, and gods alike, to name a few. Unlike most gods, he earned his immortality through fighting against both heaven and earth

>> Or take the reduction thing out a bit with the computer. One and two color application to animals, florals etc. Choker mode...new raven mode...Really focus on the graphic development of an image. I am thinking this is the approach I take with the local illustrations (Dallas/Ft Worth, NYC, San Francisco) at Hartford to build a parallel body of work. This is the place I have a bit more confidence...and would like to have the same confidence with the more decorative illustration.
___
A is gone. Very exciting. Big red and white buses with all these big kids trying very hard to be cool...and not listen to the chattering of their parents. I asked for a good bye bus from the boy. He offered me the cheek as a way of presenting me the honor...while trying to be cool. Not exactly warm and friendly. Speaking of warm and friendly, Made a tube of cinnamon rolls for K. when she wakes up.

harumph. umph.


I guess if you aren't struggling...you aren't living. Well, its arm to arm combat with me and my dream project. Jeez. I am trying to get the flywheel going, to get the momentum in place and just as it begins to slowly move, to flicker with motion...it winds down.I am now on round two...and the mythological creatures that I was sketching...easily having my 6 thumbnails that I was then turning over...with a relook and relook again...to find out that it was too thin a topic. I love this stuff, but after going to a bunch of online Bestiaries to read definitions and see where the limitations were/are to discover that there was something to take out a bit...not seeing the concept deflate before it even began. So, I am starting again.

The Old Time music idea was too complicated...too hard to really understand as it's roots are varied and hard to make a simple image from. Plus,unless its a map project with portraits, it gets pretty linear looking. Avian Flu was fun...but it was pretty much here is a chicken, here is a skull, here are chickens and skulls, eggs and nests, gritty color. Memento mori had tooth...and it doesnt need to be as long a sketch project, but with all the terrific interpretations of others, of poetic writing that speaks to something that is irreversible, immobile and abstract. I liked being able to think about the ideas, about the pre-existing symbols and begin to fuse them together. One thing I know, I would like to work with my drawn approach as a counterpoint to the Syracuse thesis which was all about the computer. It is a fallback--but I do not have the confidence with the drawn stuff...adding detail and cleaning up/coloring in the computer..so time spent on that would be valuable. If I can find another idea like this, it would be great. Other ideas were:

>> Symbols and images from Freemasonry: Status: toast.done.
>> Old Time Music--images from those roots: Status: Toast. done.
>> Physical stunts from historical sideshows: toast. done.
>> Six zoomorphic or anthromorphic creatures (mermaid, harpy,sphinx,basilisk,medusa,minotaur)
>> Visions of Heaven, Visions of Hell: up for consideration
>> Images from Americana inspired by woodcuts/chap books: up for consideration
>> A collection of monkeys...maybe something like Man/Monkey inspired by Chinoiserie, by the Walton Ford monkeys, by the Marie Antoinette monkeys, Monkeys in stillives (which would let me do some floral stuff too). Status: up for consideration...am whirling on this...but who knows. I do love them...and they are really tweakable...
>> Of course, a collection of chickens (I love chickens a ton) or broaden it to farm animals...but...I can do that on my own.
>> The different manifestations of Zeus during his abductions/seductions of all the mothers of his children......mmmmmmmm. no.

More later. If anyone has any suggestions to kick this thinking out of idle...please talk to me. I am in pain.

Entered a bunch of stuff in the Communications Arts Magazine Design competition as I am a designer too. I figured I might have a chance with the Chokers stuff...I got shady into the illustration show. It would be cool to do two CA shows in a year. Only risk is being rejected...and I am used to that. Its the getting in that is a bit dumbfounding. A goes to DC tomorrow. We packed and got the bags to school for tomorrow's early morning send off.

A quiet day






There couldn't have been more than a hundred people at the parade. There was plenty of room for everyone, plenty of friendly dogs and kids, and plenty of things to sit upon. The wonderful ladies from Word of Mouth Catering had their friends and family (see top) amassed around them, bringing great cheer and neighborliness that was so nice. There were cub scouts, brownies, boy scouts and the VFW marching. There were the requisite old cars and convertibles shuttling the VIPs from the VFW around. The Trumansburg Fire and Ambulance Departments were there in force. And the High School band (not a marching band) marched. I think there is more here. There should be the Tburg stuff like Citizens Action Committees, representatives of the various bars and clubs, and of course representative bloggers, artists and musicians. We need an Old Time Float. The Art Collective should collect. And the Conservatory of the Arts should have those Irish Step Dancers Stepping. A little more..zip! And with that, the Rotarians could be selling the crap out of the ever popular, Chicken Barbeque. Now, the only question remains, do I want to do this? Hmmmmm.

Let me think.

No.

yap yap yapping.



See what I mean about the wisteria(top)? I saw a pot of these surreal pansies and shot this picture. I think I may use this as reference to create a vector image...that could become a pattern, end papers or just plain scrap for the next vernal job that comes my way.

The boys went off to the LPGA. K watched movies and I spent 4 hours on my animal client and the annual report/ year in review that we do...amending images, retouching, cutting in new copy, reviewing the rags, seeing what works, what doesnt. It was pleasant, almost serene to have the time to putz away on this. The week gets so harried from one identity crisis to another, from one "whoopsie daisy"--rush to the next--that a little buffer of time with no expectation was vacation for me.

I am reading the Dummys book on Wordpress. Wordpress is a blogging environment that I think will be the next step for me. You can host with Wordpress or host at your own ISP. You can set up community sites, or single authored sites. There are a zillion free templates with all the coding all ready done...that a header can be stripped into--and with the right color and type manipulation done with CSS, a relatively fresh looking blog can be created, controlled and modified as we go. Plus, as a bonus, I can port my Blogspot blog from Blogspot to Wordpress and allow me to control my fate, how its saved etc.--essentially not feeling somehow burdened by the who what why and ownership related to the Blogspot empire. And, to reinforce this, I can put my own graphics on the top. Not someone elses. Somehow inheriting a grid with some masterpage stuff is fine as there are a ton of choices and its the content, isn't it? Plus, the other piece is adding widgets to allow the reader's interface to be smoother, more interesting, more responsive, is another component where there are a ton of them that you can strip into your blog and have it operable. I know a tiny bit of HTML, and I am good with looking for bits of code to amend with color binhex numbers, and the flow diagram on fonts--which doesn't in anyway make me any kind of pro--but I can limp along. Lesson from the Vertical Response time this week setting up an emailer, the tools are familiar, the grids simple and when the color wouldn't change to my liking, I went into the code, found the color and typed in what I wanted..and it worked...affirms my thinking.

My thinking on web communications and how one delivers content is...keep it clean, keep it changeable, keep it VERY current and leave it at that. No one is coming to see the most "bent pinky" approach to the typography or the most elegant and stylish treatment of the white space--they are coming for the rant, for the picture, for the link, for the opinion or joke. Good design can be for the less flexible, the website, that adores flash and elegance...and might be a tad lighter weight in the fresh content. They both have a role, the blog and the website--how does a good communicator have them work for and with each other? And then, throw in the emailer? Wow.

So, essentially, its a way to put together blogs in a way that allows the designer a lot more visual, functional and organizational choices that can be delivered via the WordPress site, your own internet service provider that is either for individual authors or communitities. And, oh by the way, did I mention that it's mostly free? Now, all I have to do is read the book and give it a try. Worth it, eh?

snapshots from Cornell's Plantations





The peonies are coming on, the rhododendrons, in their garish profusion are blowing out at the Cornell Plantations. Cornell is having it's graduation today, a day as clear as a bell with low humidity and cool. We are in Sheldrake, loving the tight lilacs and the new wisteria --which is blooming despite the hard cutting back I gave it last year. It seems the meaner you treat the wisteria, the happier it is. Same with the trumpet vine which I love to hate...with the only payout being the visits from the timely hummingbirds all summer.

We bought a turntable for A. Used, of course--but a range of choices for cheap. R got his haircut to find out that the wonderful barbers, the Pescos (father and son) are opening up a shop on Main Street in Trumansburg! This is wonderful news. Absolutely wonderful because now good haircuts are within walking distance.

More later...the tribe is moving and I need to shut down. I want to exclaim over Wordpress~!

IF: [Not to] Worry


A gulf profound as that Serbonian bog
Betwixt Damiata and Mount Casius old,
Where armies whole have sunk: the parching air
Burns frore, and cold performs th’ effect of fire.
Thither by harpy-footed Furies hal’d,
At certain revolutions all the damn’d
Are brought, and feel by turns the bitter change
Of fierce extremes,—extremes by change more fierce;
From beds of raging fire to starve in ice
Their soft ethereal warmth, and there to pine
Immovable, infix’d, and frozen round,
Periods of time; thence hurried back to fire.

John Milton(1608–1674)
Paradise Lost. Book ii. Line 592.

Its 43 degrees today


Crazy here. Three hours (1 down, 1 back and one in the chair) for the dentist, and 1.5 hrs with K at the doctor getting ready for camp. Wrote a bio today (long time since doing this)--which was interesting in the context of where I am today, the work the illustration. I am rolling on the Harpy sketches--and really feel its going to take the month to make it happen. I am thrilled to be back in the saddle. I think I will always need a project like Memento Mori and now this one to sharpen and focus the work.

I bought a pair of reading glasses so now I am officially a 6 eyed girl as makeshift bifocals as I cannot read a darned thing. Now, I look more odd than usual, but the focus is much better and I can read these books that we need to devour by mid July for Hartford.

Enormous surprise last night. While I was at the eighth grade trip meeting, R was at the High School awards ceremony. K swept the event--first, HIGH honor roll (we knew it wasnt even any placement there), second, Most improved musician in the band and third, the ONLY English award with a list of thirty superlatives to describe her. WE are all floating on clouds! Amazing. Absolutely amazing. She is such a nice person...and I have (as you know) been blowing the roof off the house on the school stuff...so. wow. I missed it to talk about the prevention of "your children" vomiting on the bus, how all the kids need "street smarts" and how cellphones are bad. Lots of talk about water bottles and whether to fill them before or during the trip. It is always pretty obtuse and in an oblique way, funny.

More later.

on the edges


I love the concept of marginalia. Wikipedia, the source I turn to when I just want a quick answer says about marginalia:

".. is the general term for notes, scribbles, and editorial comments made in the margin of a book. The term is also used to describe drawings and flourishes in medieval illuminated manuscripts. True marginalia is not to be confused with reader's signs, marks (e.g. stars, crosses, fists) or doodles in books. The formal way of adding descriptive notes to a document is called annotation.

The scholia on classical manuscripts are the earliest known form of marginalia. Fermat's last theorem is probably the most famous historical marginal note.

The term was coined by Samuel T. Coleridge who did extensive in margin notes in almost all the books that he read. Five volumes of just his marginalia have been published."

So, its not an ancient word--its one of those add alia,etta,ino, orum ville, or town, or whatever to the end to make a new jumble word that folks understand but somehow explains an approach, an eccentricity to those in the know. What I love about marginalia is this is kind of where authors or artists or illuminators really let their hair down about what reallywas going down in their thinking, or their opinion/orientation.

My life right now comprises of a lot of marginalia--Yes, there is that pedantic race of time that one addresses "A" and ends up at "J" (on a good day) by lunch and to "N" by the time it's dark and one's eyes are shut. Rarely does one get through the entire race--sometimes trying harder than others, sometimes thrown off the sequence by other things or the impinging marginalia that twists and decorates the predictable pace of the daily sequence. These flourishes, exclamations, these seemingly frilly decorations is what separates day one from day two--These are the flavorings that add depth and complication to the norm. Yes, I am a designer and an illustrator. Sometimes paying the bills or having tight deadlines all the way around takes what often is the flourish, the marginalia where I can think and cast about about "what if" and smashes into a form that can be processed through the daily mechanism of doing and finishing--that task driven,results oriented strain that is required in work.

I am privileged to be in control of a very flexible and more dynamic situation--but personally, as I get older, the idea of being introverted and living amongst the marginalia seems pretty sweet to me. A digital monk--with a small circle of those I love in this small town seems pretty okay. Its harder to deal with the crisis of the world, the financial pace of this recession, the shock and tragedy of this war and the stupidity of our people in embracing this "made for TV" "reality programming" that IS reality to most. The insincere world of air kisses and fabulousness without plan, strategies or work. This life of girl fights and shopping. No planning, no thinking, no pushing the boundaries as we are so content to live in our mansionettes with trips to the mall and electronics stores to expand our clean little worlds. I cannot begin to wrap my mind and arms around all that saddens me, and deadens my life and day. But marginalia is an aether I can live in, understand and know that in my detail, there are no boundaries.

here and there


I learned a lot doing my "due diligence" research on the circus idea. I learned a lot about interesting people--some with abilities to deceive, some with abilities to sell, some with great slight of hand and fakery, and some with sad physcial conditions that this was the way to have a life, to get about and to exist. I learned about Melvin Burkhart, the first human block head, who perfected this idea of pounding nails into his head (working on the concept that one's nasal cavities actually instead of going up, go back--and identifying where this cavity is...would allow him to place a nail in it). Of Dolly Dimples and Baby Ruth, two fat ladies who were always posed like little babies...with frilly, silly dresses, big bows in their hair and these simpering, coy expressions on their faces. Or of Sword Swallowers, of which there are many (as noted on a website committed to their history and for the current practitioners of this activity). I even found an xray of a sword swallower--a clear picture of how they do it. I love the analogy of sword swallowing--as its not about a freak of nature, or intelligence of any kind(maybe lack thereof?) but of a knowledge of technique/skill and how it is then rendered, not to fool--but to present a fearful thing--that is a considered feat.

This stuff could be infectious. But, it did not force me to open my notebook and start running ink all over the pages. However, my creatures already are in sketch phase with over a dozen mermaids and a few harpies to get going. I also love my list as there are earth, fire, water and air creatures...so the elements could fold into this along with my desire to do patterning in the background that could be inspired from this...moving the look and feel from Memento Mori, combined with some of the stuff that is coming on with the Carol Elizabeth work, and my adoration of medieval/manuscript (even Islamic art) detail and orientation. This is getting me jazzed. So, a swan dive into decorative illustration. Here we go.

I did find a cool manuscript online:
the Aberdeen Bestiary>> (1542)--with some nice images and content on phoenixes, basilisks, dragons and nice marginalia. They show the small paintings up big and often reference the page to see how it sits within the copy, the marginalia and detail that surround them for fun. Take a look. Its nice to go back into this stuff. Roots, you know.

Monday monday


Great success with the party. It was very Louisa May Alcott with games outside with sticks and balls, word and pantomime games inside along with someone playing the piano with everyone singing in HARMONY? They ate and drank everything. It all worked. The big surprise was the ease of fresh lemonade (reconsitituted frozen juice and simple syrup) and with the make it up as you need it...totally eliminated waste. Same goes for the pasta with pesto. We had leftovers that are in the freezer--and are eminently usable. K was delighted and delightful. There were presents and the right oohs and ahhs over the petit fours. I would be happy to have this group on a regular basis. So easy. And they all seemed to have a great time.

R is in Ft. Lauderdale. We miss him. We went to Ironman yesterday. K and I loved it with A and his friend Noah less so. It was a real treat. On the margins, I was researching my dream project-- which is derivative of the submitted requirements.

I was going down the path of 6 images of famous circus people--Blockhead (Melvin Burkhart), PT Barnum, Zippy the Pinhead or the Aztecs, Dolly Dimples or Baby Ruth (these ridiculously dressed fat ladies), The King of Albinos--Charles Price, a fireeater, Ajax the King of Sword Swallowing, A Snake Enchantress, Professor Hechler and his Flea Circus. And then some. I was looking at scary clowns and contortionists....so this thing can have legs. I could get excited about this...but to be honest, I dont know if it can be as whimsical and patterny as I would like to go. They are all portraits...which isnt the first thing I want to do...however, it might be good. So, this is option one.

However, I got up this a.m. with something fresh. In the tradition of going back to what you like--I have always loved mythology etc. and it would be great (I am itching to get going on this...so I think this is even better) to do a series of anthropomorphic creatures: Mermaid, Satyr, Griffin, Sphimx, Harpie, Minotaur, Chimera and a few more. These could be great and big...work em up in black and white with pen...and bring in color....So...I am going to research this today. I do like the circus idea...but not for now. This could be fun and I could really take this out a bit. And, I am feeling a bit better about all of this. I was cranky and withdrawn with the circus stuff...post the old time music thing. Old Time died after talking with Jim Reidy on Saturday--and the work was fuzzy and out there. It is hard to get hooks into a specific with Old Time Music. Too many things going on.

Gotta go. Its a good cold day with a dark sky (43 degrees). Sitting outside and swimming in the ocean in Florida is not happening here. We have layers on and have cold noses.

On the list for today


Up early to get going. Meeting with members of Toivo soon to talk about their up and coming CD and how I can help them. It may be a graphic design project, or on the off chance, an illustration job. Jim Reidy wanted me to show them the deck I did for the CD currently in the works--to show the ideation, how I walk a concept around, look at the type etc. in a more finished, more complete way than they are used to. I think its a good idea as it could be the "teaching moment" of the relationship should it go forward, and why not...it can only better the conversation anyway.

K and I picked up the little cakes to her absolute pleasure yesterday. We picked up hot pink plates, napkins and the new version of Cranium with the design and illustration done by Gary Baseman.. albeit .a clean Gary Baseman. Gary links to Sketch Theatre, a series of YouTube Clips of different artists sketching in their sketchbooks..>> Here they are on YouTube>>Interesting to see how they develop a picture...like the wonderful Brodner does with his New Yorker clips....I am puzzling over who would think this is fascinating. But hey, there is something for everyone. But Sketchtheatre is about the bad boy/ Juxtapoz school of illustrators/artists . Of course, there are teeshirts...but they are cool. Worth a click over there. Back to Cranium, we tried it out...and you can have a ton of people play it...so I think this is going to be our alternative to egg races and pinatas (its going to rain..plus, the pinatas were all spiderman busts...nothing pink).

Great platters of pesto pasta with tomatoes, asparagus, bread, fruit and little cakes are on the menu. There will be music (and I am sure with a group of 50 teens--making out). There is Cranium and conviviality. So, we need to straighten and get ready.

R is in NYC today coming back from an overnight. Tomorrow, he is off to Ft Lauderdale then to NYC (the Roadshow is at the Cooper Hewitt for any of you who live in NYC and hopefully back here on Tuesday.

Coffee awaits. More later>>