New generation customer service


I just got back from the AT+T store--a twenty minute drive each way. Walked in with credit card and social security number in hand to buy an iPhone. Out. Only 60 were shipped. And, if I wanted to give them my money now, I might, just might have it by next Wednesday. So, I decided that we would hazard getting it at an Apple Store. So, I call Syracuse and ask if it would be worth it for me to make a 2 hour drive to come and get a phone. They couldn't tell me either way. I asked why they couldn't tell me, it was just that they couldn't? Would they have more tomorrow, I asked? They couldn't tell me. What sort of BS is this? I am ready to plunk down hundreds of dollars and they have no answers? I give up.

Ohio Connection: Birth

from http://www.ohiocenterforthebook.org on Evaline Ness (the best bio):

Ness, Evaline Union City
Born: Monday, April 24, 1911

Ohio connection: Birth

Evaline Ness was born Evaline Michelow, daughter of Albert and Myrtle Woods (Carter) Michelow, in 1911 in Union City, Ohio. In her childhood, she developed a great love for art. She attended Ball State Teachers College, 1931-32; Chicago Art Institute, 1933-35; Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., 1943-45; and Accademia de Belle Arti, Rome, 1951-52. She taught children`s art classes at the Corcoran Gallery of Art, 1943-45, and at Parsons School of Design, New York City, 1959-60. She was a fashion illustrator at Saks Fifth Avenue, New York City, 1946-49, and also a magazine and advertising illustrator during the same years. Her first marriage was to a commercial artist simply known as Mac. Dates of the marriage are unknown, and it ended in divorce. She was married to public safety director and former treasury agent Eliot Ness, from 1938 until their divorce in 1946. She married Arnold Bayard in 1959. Evaline Ness was a talented author and illustrator. She specialized in children`s books, illustrating many of her own titles, as well as the works of others. Some of her self-illustrated books are Josefina February; Exactly Alike; Sam, Bangs, and Moonshine; Do You Have Time, Lydia?; Yeck Eck; and Fierce the Lion. She won the Caldecott Medal in 1967 for Sam, Bangs, and Moonshine. She did the illustrations for books by many different children`s authors, including Helen E. Buckley, Virginia Haviland, Lucille Clifton, Margaret Wise Brown, and Lloyd Alexander. Evaline Ness died of a heart attack Tuesday, August 12, 1986 in Kingston, New York.

Awards:
First prize for painting, Corcoran Art Gallery, Washington, DC; American Library Association (ALA) Notable Book, 1958, for The Sherwood Ring; ALA Notable Book and Horn Book honor list citation, both 1962, for Thistle and Thyme: Tales from Scotland; Horn Book honor list citation, 1963, for The Princess and the Lion; Caldecott Honor Book and Horn Book honor list citation, both 1963, for All in the Morning Early; Caldecott Honor Book and Horn Book honor list citation, both 1964, for A Pocketful of Cricket; Caldecott Honor Book and ALA Notable Book, both 1965, for Tom Tit Tot: An English Folk Tale; Horn Book honor list citation, 1966, for Sam, Bangs and Moonshine; Horn Book honor list citation, 1967, for Mr. Miacca: An English Folk Tale; Caldecott Medal, 1967, for Sam, Bangs and Moonshine; Hans Christian Andersen award nomination, 1972; ALA Notable Book and Horn Book honor list citation, both 1972, both for Old Mother Hubbard and Her Dog.

Whirlwind



The morning officially started when R. pulled out a new shirt out of his suitcase from his recent trip to Seattle (and Nordstroms) and I flipped. It is a shirt by Robert Graham, with embroidery, embroidered ribbon, and a strong stripe that is smartly considered when it comes to detail...often truncating in a 90 degree angle to create these interesting corners in the design. The insanity of yesterday with it's rollercoaster of projects, information and getting about was smoothed over in the aura of this wonderful shirt. So, of course I am googling away as we speak to learn more, see where the deals are and what else the divine Mr. Graham has for my boy's wardrobe.

Our neighbors here at the lake had some unwelcome visitors over the winter--a combination of squirrels (probably the most obscene, the red squirrel) and racoons. And they are capable of a lot of destruction particularly as they can't open doors...so they try to chew their way out (we had a squirrel who gnawed an entire windowsill trying to get through to open the window). They make holes in the walls and really party. So, I feel for these folks who spend a large part of the year in England to come home to their country bower to be shocked by the mayhem.

The plates still continue to spin. I am getting things done...amending work that needs to be done and trying to set things up for Erich to be in charge while I worry about illustration for the next week. I hope the illustration thing is not so much a worry as a plunge into a deep pool that I can swim in. I always get nervous despite the recent recognition in 3x3, CA, SOI, SILA and Ill46.That should be some reinforcement that I am not shitty all the time. I really would like to see where this line work could go...or even just a drawn approach. To that, Mentor Murray sent me to an entry on Today's Inspiration , a wonderful blog written and researched by a Canadian illustrator, Leif Peng--on Art Seiden, a decorative illustrator who was central to the development of the Storybook style of illustration in the 50's/60's. For me, Seiden's work recalls all sorts of illustrators I love like Mary Blair (designer illustrator of the famed Small World exhibition/ride, Golden Books illustrator and advertising illustrator);Garth Williams, Richard Scarry--they all seem to peek out of this style.

However, as I was googling away, I ran into the work of Evaline Ness, former wife of Elliot Ness, who at around the age of 50 decided to be a children's book writer and illustrator. Yes, she worked in a storybook style...but took it to this strong, two color work that introduced found textures to produce some pretty sophisticated, strong imagery. I will post some other images later today as I really want to save them out, share them with you and also have them in one place so that I can stare at them for reference. I really am quite taken with them...the line work, the use of color and texture. She can do the sweeter stuff, but this is the stuff that resonates with me.

As I mentioned before, Today IS the National Day for iPhones. So, instead of spending the night in front of the At&T store, I will take a spin down there this a.m. around 10:30 to see if they have any left. If not, then I am coming back and we will do this tomorrow/Sunday. I am psyched. However, I jinxed myself with the iDvd thing. I keep trying to burn a CD from the Keynote file translated for iDVD and it keeps printing the thing backwards...and I have spent hours trying to make it work to no avail. I could Scream. Maybe I need to get some reading on this despite the chat rooms and valuable online help that's out there.

The big boy A is downstairs in his new pants looking handsome. He really had a good time in Miami and described every thing in every store, every bite and sip devoured, the marvel of the world of spanish speaking people, the different pace and way people look and live. It was a very inspiring couple of days for him. Hopefully, some time on the golf course today.

Gotta go>>the day, packing, and working>> awaits.

DooDa!



It's Logo Design Wednesday. I've got a freebie for the local fashion designer. I've piddled around with it...and now I need to focus. She makes cool coats and her new collection is asian inspired using vintage japanese materials and pre-existing coats. Her vision is twinkly and inspired...and the logotype needs to be a bit more grounded as the clothing is not the straight and narrow. Another is a fix with some fairly detailed criteria with an old client. I hope I can bring something to this beyond the tight parameters.

We Tburgers are getting the wheels in motion for another GrassRoots Festival starting next Wednesday. The DooDa Truck will be out, the art for the ArtBarn will be recieved, the tents are going up. R and A are volunteering with the carpenters next week. The carpenters build the stages, build the dance floors and build things for kids that have, in the last two years become part of our little Tburg in front of the laundromat. Little Tburg is a mini park with plants, a sod sofa (totally cute) complete with grass pillows, and two magnificent, beautifully made playhouses--one a library and the other a school with furniture, wooden books, staircases and multiple floors. The buildings are dedicated to community people who have given of themselves and touched the world despite they are not with us anymore. If I were a small person, it would have been heaven.

Today I burn dvds and hopefully out to Murray and Carol as a surprise prevention program. Plus, it will take the pain out of the computer monkey business for the Sunday intro session at Hartford. I am stupid about this stuff, and the last thing I want to do is be stupid for my new best friends at Hartford...on day one! It would be so out of character to not be a total bonehead...at least I can try!

R and A have another day in Miami. A bought $100 "sexy" jeans which flips me out...but he is a glamourpuss...and truly looks great in this stuff. I think its a bit spoiled but he will wear them until they fall off his bony butt. They are eating all sorts of fish and cuban food. They are swimming in the ocean and in the most fab stainless steel pool at the hotel. As an aside, since a friend of ours came back from spending the summer in Germany swimming in stainless steel pools, this has been a high lust for me. I love pools--summer and winter--and the idea of a sleek, streamlined, smooth surfaced pool works. So do black infinity pools too. I know, too predictable, but I love them. I have a lake with fish( that threaten to bite me) and rocks...but total beauty--the pools will just have to wait!

I need to round up the cats, prop open the porch door on the second floor, place a pieplate heaped with yummie bits outside and get Miss Grove in the wonderbus as I need to rally.

More later, I hope>>

editing


Limbs came down last night. More rain expected tonight. The plants are loving it. My 5' monarda (second year) is beginning to blow out...and the astilbe is blissing in the ground. The girls are still engaged in the guarding of the groundhog hole. Its hot here...steamy..and I think a trip to the lake for this evening is in line as I have work for Hartford (tuning some pacing of the slide show) and some graphic work for other clients.

Round two with the Cornell job. Moving forward. There may be a hand drawn holiday card featuring a horse...(I think jumping over a star. Horse may be a swedish horse). So, good progress and closure. The day after I come home from HAS, I have a 2 day pressrun for this book--as its chock a block on one press versus multiples. So, I need to get myself organized for that.

Just got out of the lake all by my lonesome. It was quite extrodinary to be in the water, looking up the lake with no one around. No boats, no sailboats, no people, no kayaks--just me and the girls (Shady Grove and Mei Mei) taking in the quiet, the beautiful monochromatic color and the being one with the water. I have this hypothesis that being in the water does something chemical to you. As we are 90+% water, and being in non treated water without salt...allows the water to go cellular--and that at a moment, I can become one with the water. That is what adds to the lake effect. The only thing I am not with are the fish....and the zebra mussels.

I have (I think) conquered the dragon. I have, step by step--not winging it, brought the Keynote slides (created in powerpoint) into iDVD with all the bells and whistles mac offers, and made it so that I can burn the Hartford show with music...and then have it as a pop and go...and nothing that is dependent on the software, the hardware....all the crap that drives me crazy when all you want to do is be cool, be one with whoever you are talking to, and make the whole conversation be seamless versus the electronic burps and farts that random software/hardware and the humidity, the day of the week, your middle name, when the solstice falls. But, I speak out of turn. I do not want to jinx this...but I did follow the recipe exactly, added the baking powder, and it feels like it might work. I am impressed that you can send slideshows from keynote directly to YouTube...which opens up the possibility of portfolios>? or reference? I might make one up of all the historic Marie Antoinette stuff...and see if it works...could be a cool reference tool... who knows.

Phone rang today from someone I spoke to a couple of weeks ago who does very high end work and subcontacts high end art for huge interiors projects. Elegant, splashy spaces. Art deco was mentioned. We will talk soon. This could be very cool. Illustration/art that is not for the editorial world, the book world, even the design world...another planet...an entirely different world than we normally talk about. We'll see. First glass illustration and work for CDs and now this. Certainly projects I would have NEVER been considered for prior to the illustration mojo. And, a ton more fun!

I am in the 3x3 Showcase which seems (as it is done by a polyglot person--illustrator, designer, manager...what else did I read he has done> photographer, creative director, agency founder....Charles Hively (AIGA has a nice interview with Steve Heller>> and am blowing my annual budget on a spread...and then some...but I think the magazine has merit, reach and the quality that is worth it. Still waiting to hear what got into the show. You will know as soon as I do.

there is a lot of stuff out there, that if it hits, I might have to give up sleep. Might be worth it.

Gotta wrap up this incessant editing of the slides...I am worked up on making it good and more perfect than thrown together--and that take time. Six minutes of grey hair. But, as my brave and valiant husband, the man who the Myers-Briggs has identified as a mystic, a person who can see into the future said..."you need to learn these tools and use them"--and though I fight...he is always, ALWAYS right ( I was right one or two times...but nothing given his batting average).

Gotta sleep. The thing is done.

(picture is Kay Nielsen--a honey--love the texture and the treatment of the ground)

work on a show logotype for CMoG



Click for detail. This baby is going to enlarge to 8' tall. Need to tweak and add type..may even look at color for kicks a la Philip Burke!

We are having thunder and as the local serious gardeners say, "a soaking rain". I am trying to figure out when to take Miss Grove out for her walk. She is still in attendance on the Groundhogs. Maybe leave a calling card?

moving forward


R and A jetted off to Miami for a few days of business (with A tagging along). A. just called from the rented Saturn saying they had just landed and they were off to Hollywood Beach for a dip and I am sure a snack or two to fill out that skinny frame. Very exciting. R was sporting his cuban hat. A was in full skater rig with white flip flops. R has an event with Celebrity Cruise Lines (because of the glass shops that are being built on the next generation of ships, The Solstice Class, will be staffed by CMoG glassmakers). First boat launches in November (R mused that maybe I could spend the week for Hartford sleeping on the ship! How princessy and wrong!--but I love it). So, I am free to work until midnight every night in prep for Hartford. Yay. Total exhaustion!

The boys went to Watkins Glen to see the Indy races yesterday. Lots of boy excitement hanging out with friends, watching the television and the race at the same time. Lots of chest thumping, beer drinking and fun in general. To A. it almost is as much fun as golf.

Lucy and Shady are guarding the front steps (there is a clan of groundhogs that live under the front steps) and somehow they feel that if they both bark at them, they will manage the groundhog crisis at hand. Little that they know is that we probably have around 60 of them on the property and also, if one gave them a run for their money--only one of them would know what to do. Shady is too much of a "lover, not a fighter". Lucy would rip it's head off. Bets are on...and if someone bags a few, there might be a steak in it for them. I have hired endless exterminators and mountain men to no avail...so maybe the dogs will do it. Its wild to watch Shady be so interested in the prey. She is really trying to be a dog these days! Chasing rabbits, chasing groundhogs, rolling in dead fish, eating disgusting things (particularly deercicles) and stealing sticks of butter from the counter.

I got the first sketches for Hartford done. May keep slugging on it as there are some ideas I started blue lining. Client called with a 16 pp pub due by the end of the week. Slugging away on the AR for Cornell with hopes to get this out by end of the week to the printer.

Tim and Amanda are pressure washing the roof of the carriage house. Tons of flakes of silver paint litter the ground. More later.

it's almost 9


TJ the cat is carrying a dead bird around in his mouth with great pride. MeiMei, the cat and Shady Grove stood guard as we swam. The water was perfect. Not bone chilling.. No thoughts of death by freezing. None of that. It was the gravitational swim that aligns everything and sends your head into another part of the universe. It is still light out with a pink sunsut and the water pearly to match the sky. Dinner is around the corner...

update


I took some pictures of bugs and bees in amongst the sweet peas that grown with the day lilies. It was great. The wild flax has popped as has our yucca plant which is mainly yucka until the week it holds forth in showy bridal finery. It has been a clear day with mild temperatures and low humidity. We had to buy a brand new pair of scare eyes for the dock. The plastic owl has worked thus far, keeping the pooping by the seagulls to a minimum. But one of the gulls has gotten smart..so the pooping begins again. They hate, really hate the scare eyes..So we are golden. Bought five big astilbes for the Camp House as the deer hate these along with the robust patch of monarda we have going that will need to be split and moved around next year. All good.

Am mulling the children's book. I was doing a ton of research yesterday (have a grid going of the things that could be represented for each color along with quotes, proverbs etc.) and surprisingly, the more I did of the search, the more this idea needed ia twist. It also needed a name. It was hard to name it as it was so bland...It was going stale before I even started to draw. What was it? Hmmm. Then I remembered that Rossetti poem and the whole thing popped into place.I am going the merge the Christina Rosetti poem "What is Pink?" with spreads representing the color she introduces (essentially her poem references pink and is the first spread --then the next spread references a la specimen box, tons of other stuff she missed about pink). Pink, red, yellow, green, red, purple, blue. Then, I am going to render the layouts 3-4 ways--first one vector a la portfolio, second is vector reduced palette a la Chokers, third is Memento mori line/ink technique, and final is no holds barred line work..lots of detail. The layouts will change the various sizes of the designs, will push me with these techniques which I feel I need and work within a format that will be interesting to see what happens. Maybe this could be blown into the thesis. Now I am pumped as it is a tangible project that I get to push myself with technique while designing for the technique in the appropriate shape/size. I think we are to have layouts for the Lewin's to review next July, but maybe I can have one iteration by November? Its worth the shot. I think I can get some traction on this.

I discovered in my research, something that would help to gel the "Dancing Queen" Marie Antoinette picture. I remembered the painting of the young (8 yrs old or so) MA dancing stiffly with her little brother and thought that might be a nice inspiration...or a silhouette or something. So, I googled Marie Antoinette Dancing and up came something better--Dance notation on dance sets of the time. Combine that with some learning from Harry Clarke could be cool. Fun.

morning in Sheldrake on Cayuga




Gotta go. Errands to run. People to see. Just wanted to say good morning...and I will get with you a bit later. Had some good breakthroughs on up and coming projects that I am thrilled about and want to share. Children's book has gone from good to possibly publishable and this is from a nonbiased source! (me).
later> the wonderbus is idling.

IF: Sour


Nothing goes sour more easily than the life of pleasure.

 Mason Cooley (b. 1927),
U.S. aphorist. City Aphorisms, Fourth Selection, New York (1987).<

So, as you pick up your July 4th cupcake and bite in, remember the queen known for her pleasures, and also remembered for phrases she never spoke and think. Think hard of today's pleasures and all that it takes for us to savor them--

Enjoy your american feasts of hot dogs and frothy drinks on this beautiful day.

Dark Clarke





Tales of Mystery and Imagination
by Edgar Allan Poe
Illustrated by Harry Clarke
You can click on these to get a bigger image that can show you how unbelievable the detail is on these pictures. From my Googling, there is a recent irish film on him "Harry Clarke, Darkness into Light"...and they did cite that he is one of the monumental irish artists who is quietly unknown. Not only do I love the detail, the patterning but the powerful compositions he uses to up the ante and draw the viewer in. His work is surprisingly emotional in these Grotesqueries not the candy coated happiness that the fairy tale work communicates. And even that work is not so sweet...

More later, work and coffee await.

Harry Clarke





In the spirit of my puzzling on decorative illustration, I went from Walter Crane, to Kay Nielsen to discovering Harry Clarke, a stained glass designer from the 1880's through to 1931. He is very decorative and is reminiscent of the divine Aubrey Beardsley in his line and spirit. However, Art Nouveau was on the way out when he came on the scene...and maybe we do not know him as well as he was one of those spirits that are lost in-between? I love this work...the patterned black and white, with borders that bleed into the picture, his strong black and white patterning even in the bolder images...and the way his love of line and pattern and border push into his color work...never enough stuff to fit in the frame. Need to learn more about him. Maybe go this noodly for the Marie Antoinette pictures. That would be new...and a bit more of a push? What do you think? This is a gumdrop for you!

thinking is scary



Mentor Murray will be presenting a few talks on decorative illustration which I am totally and entirely excited about. To be honest, I have been trying to put myself in some kind of category to begin to gauge my work and give it a home, some friends, a context versus the scary, on the end of the diving board, this is my work. I know that this vector work which is getting some attention and I think has value as it looks good, is fun to do (a puzzle for me with the reduction and drawing that goes into it) and is very strong and stands apart. This new memento mori ink look and the line work that is in development live somewhere else. But, I would like to understand where they live too. I keep poking around the web to try to get a handle of that world. All I can find is Walter Crane's book on Decorative Illustration for Books (Walter Crane is an illustrator I grew up with as we had a songbook of his on the piano that had dreadful songs but lovely illustrations--illustration of the lady and her pig "honey, said she.. is from that very book"). Aubrey Beardsley and Kate Greenaway's names pop up..but no clear "this is what it is" to my chagrin. Maybe it's the illustration's detail. Maybe it's application on things beyond being in books? Maybe it's just plain line dominant with color adding to the image...but not dependant on it? I wonder if I can write a paper on this versus one of the speakers for the week we will have a paper due? I think I will ask. It is something I am interested in.

gotta go wake up the sleeping giant. Basketball awaits.

UCDA Competition: Due July 11: More>>

The University & College Designers Association (UCDA) exists to promote excellence in visual communications for educational institutions.

38TH ANNUAL UCDA DESIGN COMPETITION
The UCDA Design Competition recognizes the best of the exceptional design work done to promote educational institutions (secondary, vocational, or higher education).The 2008 Design Competition is now underway. UCDA is looking for your biggest and best ideas for our annual design competition — whether it be print, electronic, green, and even student work! Enter today!

Enter Your Best Work
• Publications
• Going Green (Sustainable Design)
• Illustration
• Photography
• Electronic Media
• Student Work
• Classroom Work or Assignments

Deadline
Entries must be received by Friday, July 11, 2008. Enter early and avoid the last minute rush to gather, prepare and package your entries. But why wait? Now accepting entries.

Eligibility
Any work designed, published, or used by an educational institution is eligible. Work must have been published between July 1, 2007 and June 30, 2008.

I'm entering. Couldnt hurt. Plus the stuff for the Baker might just get in. The holiday card got into SILA and the Annual Report won a CASE award. This might do it too. Classroom work? Assignments? Huh. Anybody else?

Cake


I am walking around like a zombie. Too much to do, too little time. I know I will get there, in the famous words of the little Engine that Could, "I think I can, I think I can" and he always did. Confidently. No questions. However, I am not so sure..but I sure hope I can, I hope I can...and see what happens. There are jobs to finish and continually update. There are outstanding projects that are half way there...and the anticipation of 2-3 20 pp pubs, and the 170 pp. book that needs to be completed in three weeks. There is the finishing up of the pre-work prior to starting Hartford. After Hartford (1 day back) there is a two day pressrun and then, and there, we are in August. Need to do the homework for Hartford, work and finish the holiday cards, and prep for the Ithaca Art Trail that is the middle two weekends of October. I am beginning to not breathe. I need to change channels. NOW.

Am going to switch over to the elegant new iPhone. I will need to stand in line at the local AT&T or start out early and get one at the Farmington Apple Store over the weekend prior to HAS. I am thrilled as it will link all my calendars, my address book and maybe mail along with my reference images etc. This baby is going to be used. I am not the power user with the phone (unlike A who I would hire as a secretary in a minute--Mr Communications) but semi hate it as it means work or someone telling me what to do. However, the iPhone will be the iSecretary with pictures, camera, addressbook, links to the web, calendar and will protect me with alarms, bells and reminders. It maybe will make me less scattered. Maybe.?

The sketch above is an approach to "let them eat cake" which poor Marie Antoinette was charged with saying but never did. I still love the "urban myth" spin on her and want to make a picture of it. I like the fact that the cake is part of the hairdo...maybe more like the boats and fruitbowls and can become larger and more outrageous. Or, as K proposes...make the cake become the hair (take a slice out of it?). I don't know if I have the skills to pull this off. I am listening to a few biographies of MA as I work (from Audible). One is from Carolly Ericsson (one of my absolute favorite historical biographers) and the other Antonia Fraser. It is great and is filling my empty head with ideas.

More later.

Wahoooooo!

3x3 ProShow Winnners Announced

Congratulations to our winners! The judges have made their decision, the votes have been tallied and the results are in. Out of nearly 4,000 entries we'll have 200 winners exhibited in the annual.

Voting was tough as always but as always the judges were unanimous in their selections for the top winners. To be accepted into the show, your work must have received a majority of the judge's votes. Unlike many shows there were no really poor entries so that made it even tougher for the judges to cast their votes. So if you're one of the winners you should be very proud, if your work didn't make it in this year's show, it's not because it isn't good, it just means it's a tough show.

Thank you to the judges and for all who entered. Medal announcements will be made next week and each winner will be contacted about their winning entry(ies).

And!! Guess who got multiple (MULTIPLE) entries in this show. MEEEEEEEEEE!
Yippeee!

So did Scott Bakal, Jim Cohen, Jim O'Brien, Don Kilpatrick and Greg Newbold! Yay for us all!!