Springing into April?

Work in Progress, Green Beans, Q. Cassetti, 2011 digitalThey are saying 6” of snow between now and end of day tomorrow. Wow. Maybe this is the “last gasp” storm that we always have at the end of the season—heavy snow that breaks branches, stresses the poor willow trees and leaves as quickly as it comes.

Things are still wild here. However, I am starting another illo (above) in a new way. I need to get a picture of some sort of produce for Edible Finger Lakes Magazine done soon. So, I have decided on green beans. I love the vines and the curlie little greenery, the bean blossoms, and the green bean thing. So, I did a big line drawing that I was planning on inking and doing the “Q” to it. However, looking at the line drawing  made me think. I had it designed and had the shapes where I wanted them…so why not finish it in illustrator using my new favorite tool (the variable line tool (shift W)) to help me out with the more calligraphic things. As I got into laying the color in, and fiddling with all the illustrator toy tools, I figured why not open up some old brushes and see what I could do with the scallops, tiger teeth and lovelies from my personal brush set. I will keep you abreast of where this goes as it is fast and furious (the image above took about an hour to do). I need to take the eraser to the blob brush curlies to give them a bit more thick/thin. They seem too clunky.

We had dinner at the Rongo last night with the wonderful Long John and the Tights playing. Great music…and lots of fun with Bruce and Rob and local news. It was good to get out and take a little time out. Alex played a bit in a tennis tournament…and had lots of physics and the like to do. He is busy but will have a nice evening on Friday with the “bros” (I am making chili) and Saturday as a date for the Senior Dance at the Clarion Hotel.

Gary Redmond, Founder of the Regional Access and a civic leader, passed away on Tuesday. (for the Ithaca Journal Obituary>>)Gary was an amazing man who moved the needle with local food—getting it our hands and in New York as well. He was known for inspiring foodies and producers in Central New York to engage in creating the best food from the best local ingredients. I did not know Gary but his reach and influence was tremendous. He will be missed.

From the Regional yesterday:

It is with a heavy heart and an incredible sense of disbelief that I write to share the news that our founder, mentor and patriarch, Gary Redmond, unexpectedly passed away yesterday.

From those who knew him well from his many years of diligent, smiling commitment to the work he loved most, to those who may have only recently made his acquaintance-my condolences go out to you as well, for Gary’s touch and vision were both singular and enduring.     
 
In this time of mourning, I am thankful for that vision and for all of the opportunity Gary created, both within our immediate community and the greater region that he so deeply believed in.   His ability to connect producers with markets and to forge fast friendships through a common belief in great food has, and will continue, to impact us all.   
 
Please know that I, along with my incredible Regional Access family, will be striving to uphold, strengthen and grow Gary’s clear vision of creating a sustainable regional foodshed for the Northeast.   
 
For those able to attend services, they will be held at Greensprings Natural Cemetery at 293 Irish Hill Rd in Newfield, NY this coming Saturday, April 2, 2011 at 2pm.  Please wear seasonal attire (it’s 10* colder in Newfield and it’s really muddy!).   

Live from the Regional today:

Regional Access started 21 years ago at the old Grange League Federation building in Trumansburg, NY.  This building was the heartbeat of Regional Access for many years and also home to Gary.  One of Gary’s dreams was to build an outdoor brick oven at the old warehouse.  We are planning a project to repair some things at the old warehouse and also to build that oven!  Of course our immediate priorities are supporting Gary’s family through this difficult time. As the oven project is finalized in the coming weeks, we will be able to offer more details on how you can help. 

Will keep you abreast of all of this. A sad time for the greater Ithaca area.

Another thing to do today (last day) is to sign up for either the Fiction Project or A Million Little Pictures Project from the ArtHouse Coop in Brooklyn. These were the same folks that brings you the notebook project I am involved in. A Million Little Pictures is a photography project that everyone engages with a disposable camera—shooting on a topic you pick from. The images will be part of a Photomobile exhibit and a book. Alex, Kitty and I will be doing it this spring. However, The Fiction Project looks like fun (though time consuming) This is what The Art House Coop says:

“Send your stories on the road.

We’ll build a library with your words.

The Fiction Project offers a new way to channel your creativity. Combine text and images to tell a tale. When you’re finished, share your hard work with the world. We’ll make sure you stay contacted with your book as it tours the country and after we catalog it in the Brooklyn Art Library’s new fiction archive.”

Today is the last day to sign up for either the photo project or the fiction. Doing the Sketchbook Project was a great kick in the booty for me—a creative jumpstart. Now, I  have web presence, and a homepage through this group and my sketchbook is on the road going across the country in this show. I hope that doing the photography project with Kitty and Alex will give them a boost too. Should be interesting.

 

I have lots of changes to make and need to figure out how to drop a YouTube video (or a link or something) into a Powerpoint presentation. Its a grey day…soggy and it seems like a good thing to just camp out behind the monitor and see what I can sweep away.

2011 Pantone Color of the Year: Honeysuckle

Yes folks. The Pantone color of the Year is Honeysuckle! I totally missed turquoise from last year. At least I have time to get with the program this year!

From the Pantone site:

“While the 2010 color of the year, PANTONE 15-5519 Turquoise, served as an escape for many, Honeysuckle emboldens us to face everyday troubles with verve and vigor. A dynamic reddish pink, Honeysuckle is encouraging and uplifting. It elevates our psyche beyond escape, instilling the confidence, courage and spirit to meet the exhaustive challenges that have become part of everyday life. 

“In times of stress, we need something to lift our spirits. Honeysuckle is a captivating, stimulating color that gets the adrenaline going – perfect to ward off the blues,” explains Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute®. “Honeysuckle derives its positive qualities from a powerful bond to its mother color red, the most physical, viscerally alive hue in the spectrum.” 

Eiseman continues, “The intensity of this festive reddish pink allures and engages. In fact, this color, not the sweet fragrance of the flower blossoms for which it was named, is what attracts hummingbirds to nectar. Honeysuckle may also bring a wave of nostalgia for its associated delicious scent reminiscent of the carefree days of spring and summer.” 

Honeysuckle is guaranteed to produce a healthy glow when worn by both men and women. It’s a striking, eye-catching hue that works well for day and night in women’s apparel, accessories and cosmetics, and in men’s ties, shirts and sportswear. Add a lively flair to interior spaces with Honeysuckle patterned pillows, bedspreads, small appliances and tabletop accessories. Looking for an inexpensive way to perk up your home? Paint a wall in Honeysuckle for a dynamic burst of energy in the family room, kitchen or hallway. “

Pantone goes on to tell us that you can get paint, wedding apparel and yes, a Pantone Visa Card (I mean, why not!). All of this points, for me, that the end of the world is coming. I mean, a Pantone Visa Card? I guess we don’t have enough to do beyond work and the antics of Snookie and the Situation so shopping with our pink card (maybe only buying honeysuckle, energized products?) is there to fill the time!

flying flat out.

two trees, camo birds, Q. Cassetti, 2011, pen and inkSunny promising a spring day with glints of light on the melting snow. Mandy is here, leaning into moving the needle with this big house, painting, organizing us, sorting the building detrius that somehow never seems to be gotten rid of. So we are seeing clean, clear spaces, empty recycling rooms and primed bathrooms. She is a wonder. Santa Mandy!

We are eating down the pile of work. It feels like we can get through this. There is some talk about planning for the summer, time to travel, time to look at colleges, time to entertain and see people, time to swim (at least that is my hope).  I need to get my head wrapped around Alex, what he needs to do, what would be fun for him, what would move the needle. I am thinking some sort of outward bound type experience might really work.

Friday is Karen Brummund’s installation on Sears Street in Ithaca. Karen sent out a request for artwork to be projected on this house—similar to her work at the chapel on Waterburg Road . I submitted a red floral, a grisaille skull and a few more illos cropped to the house shape. The skull works well as does the patterns. Bruce B. submitted some images too. I should have submitted a QR code too. Would make a great cell phone picture! Rob and I are planning a date to include Felicias and the house viewing. Should be a nice break from the hamster wheel I am trying to stay on.

The work detrius is piling up around my ankles as I talk to you. Need to go. Sorry again for the rush.

Guilt Incorporated

Springtime!, Q. Cassetti, 2011, pen and inkI have been swamped so much that even my little window of time to talk to you has been stolen. However, I am taking a moment today to say hello. Its been literally nights and weekends solid….and not a moment but time to make dinner and go to sleep. This little spate of business is almost behind us…but none too soon for this girl.

So there are slide shows in the mix, posters, table stands, publications (4 of them in the works from a 60 pager to a few 24 pagers), a logotype, and some illustration. I also have lots of the freebies coming to the trough with sudden require-
ments that have burdens attached. Oy Vei. 

Alex is busy with Tennis and physics. Rob is over the top with work and his public responsibilities.
Its going to be a screamer of a week.

However, we went to a late show of the movie, “The Illusionist”  which was magical and hand drawn in an extrordinary way. The way the figures move, the automobiles speed, and the sense of space and location is transformative. Its one of those animations that I find myself reflecting back on, impressed and charmed. Jill was not a dull girl for those 2 hours this past Saturday. I am ready to be charmed more this spring. What with my cherry trees coming and my dozen leek seedlings….charm is coming in the mail….and speaking of plants, the hellebores are on the way. We have snowdrops peeking through the melting white stuff.

Back to the hamster wheel.

Top of the Cake

Top of the Cake, work in progress, Q. Cassetti, 2011, pen and ink, digitalHere is the top of the cake. I am beginning to work in the details and didnt have much to share with you, so I figured I would slice off the top just to say, “its coming!”

I am revelling on where this can go, and remembering that yes, indeed, I love every part of the illustration process from the thinking to the doing—its all fun, fun, fun. I like the palette. It is feeling a lot like Pushpin…so I am pretending I am a member of the Push Pin Studio and asking myself, what I would be doing if I was part of the Pushpin Studios. The cake and candles will be on a white field, but I am thinking of tinting the corners and of course, putting bees in  (as this is a sweet cake for a sweet sixteen. How could I not resist?

Last night, we went to Atkins Farm (Amherst, MA) and look at the cakes prior to taking Kitty and a friend out to our favorite Mexican place in Hadley, Mi Tierra. Atkins Farms was filled to the brim with everything  spring and Easter. They had bunches of pussy willows outside ready to take home along with flowers, elegant candies and the honey for this bee, wooden Easter eggs. So, to my delight, for the second year running, I got some eggs to add to the three from last year….commemorating Kitty’s time at Hampshire. I think I will give them to her after she graduates  for her Easter decorating….or maybe not. I do love them. I have a few years to ponder that big idea.

We also oogled the wine, hard cider and beer selection for the design and ideas that are happening in Western/Central Massachusetts. First off, they have a complete area of just growlers available. There are a few ice wines, but apple ice wines offered. I took a bunch of photos and this prompted a conversation about where a future (near) project could be going. There is packaging involved—a logotype, and we need to really think about the positioning as this sort of thing is not happening in our region too much, so we could be a thought leader insofar as our approach. I do not think the rough and ready approach like , The Peoples Pint will work….but using Ommegang, from Cooperstown/Oneonta, might be a good point. Bottle profile, label shape, strong typography, color signals all working together with some little illustrations might be great. Soon.

We got up early in Amherst to get to Cooperstown for Rob. It was a white out, with slushy snow making the trip a little less than fun, but the landscape and the lovely little New York State towns charmed us both. I am sitting in the Cooperstown Public Library waiting and working while Rob has his board meeting up at the  New York State Historical Society. The Public Library is a big stone structure on Main Street that is old-fashioned, but neat as a pin…which charms me to no end. I would say the style is georgian, with lost of fancy woodwork and door trim but coupled with functional metal bookcases and heavy oak tables. No Barnes and Noble here…I am in the way back as the nice librarian pointed out their wireless was not working, but one could pick up a signal from a neighbor here. I am catching up on email and thought I would say hi while I had the chance.

Hi there!

tick tock

Inspired by a Massachusetts Headstone 2, Q. Cassetti, 2011, pen and ink, digitalMust make this quick. Have a two hour stint at the HS to work with wonderful Marc on the Yearbook and the software we have decided to use. So I will have to make tracks.

Got the cow picture squared away along with some doodads requested by the amazing art director I am working with . I got the cow picture (with a farmer) reduced down to black and three greys which is pretty good getting another color to hand back to the designer to weave back into the package graphic. Hangar is coming along…maybe by end of this week. A girl can hope. Some big pubs (brand new) are coming on the horizon…so cleaning up the little stuff will be key.

Mr. White is still suffering although he is walking better and eating like the good old days of robusto. Kitty is a bit topsy turvy…that back from college, trying to make sense of the at home thing and the college thing. She is tired and feeling stressed, but we see tremendous growth. Change can hurt…and I think she is feeling it a bit.

“Lurking on the Railroad” is the play Alex is in at the High School. They are working late each night with opening night being Thursday (through Saturday) and we will have hot dogs and the cast party here. No biggie since the last extravaganza (Pourhouse).

Need to go…the clocks are all chiming to say “get going!”.

Ciao.

Onward

Inspired by a Massachusetts Headstone, Q. Cassetti, 2011, pen and inkOnward! It was a quiet day yesterday with projects and nonpaying jobs. I worked on the Hangar work and Rob worked on the bathroom imaginings. Kitty slept and relaxed. Alex visited with friends. I got a little bit ahead, but now, back to the drawing board with late late thinking and amendments.

The snow is melting…as we continue to get icy flurries that dust the mud piles. We are looking at the season of mud in front of us…We all just hope that we can move forward with the brighter and longer days. We have had enough of the miasma of mud and ice.

Thanks to the intellectual salad bar that the iPad provides at quiet time, trolling or shopping for cool ideas surface things that are out there that are wonderful, interesting, useful and thought provoking. Here are some new cool discoveries:

In the tradition of Rip Van Winkle, I always find myself shaking my head and feeling like somehow I missed it again…and this emerging approach to type for the web and mobile devices (the WOFF Standard). The blog, “all Blogging Stuff” highlights some of these changes and resources for Web Typography in their entry (03/12/2011) “8 Essential Web Typography Resources.”

I also found this wonderful website: The Grid System, a resource and forum for grid systems. I love grids and the way it formats and puts bones into any publication or design program. And with a  Josef Muller-Brockman quote to open this site (I mean, he is the MAN)—how could any girl resist?

“The grid system is an aid, not a guarantee. It permits a number of possible uses and each designer can look for a solution appropriate to his personal style. But one must learn how to use the grid; it is an art that requires practice. ”   Josef Müller-Brockmann

83 Awesome Links for Cartography Geeks>>

Teehan+Lax speaks about “Designing faster with a baseline grid” by Pierre Marly and even provide a grid to download (a 960px grid system designed by Nathan Smith) as tryout.

Love the writing and simplicity of Graphic Mac/ Smart Typography Tips A terrific starting place. I wish I  had written this.

And, totally off topic, but part of the salad bar concept (this is the pudding next to the vinigrette), The Digital Atlas of Roman and Medieval Civilizations from DARMC/ Harvard.

And now, to move onward to cook dinner.

Shopping!

Easter presents: ordered! One of my favorite insane asian stores is

bestofferbuy.com who carry the ever popular sushi flash drive (I bought a bacon one this time around), flashing LED dog collar pendants, amazing (and I mean amazingly out there) ladies watches (can you say asian and rhinestones all in one glittery mass), and my new favorite for the low, low price of $2.90 (“free shipping”) “novel solar powered cockroach (black). The sole review says from Mr. Clayton Freeland: NICE LITTLE BUG REALLY BUZZES AND HOPS IN A HOT PU BED HERE IN DEATH VALLY”. Say no more. Guess what is going in our little easter baskets? Their flash drives do rock…and the prices do too… However, if cockroaches are your thing, Etsy has a cockroach USB flash drive to accompany your solar one!

They support the bacon flash drive with this sort of copy: ” Realistic Food Bacon USB Flash Drive Make Memory More Meaty”. Perfection. If your Saturday is lagging, thumb through these flash drives, I am sure there will be one with your name on it….  They have sushi pens, crosissant pens, pickle pens, and the great little asian erasers that look like food. I wish I had known about these erasers when Kitty and Alex were busy with their stuffed puppies and the dinner parties they would throw. The Easter Bunny never had it so good!

OMG. I totally missed this one, the Waving Chairman Mao watch for $7.60 (free shipping!)

Kitty is home, relaxed and happy. She has grown in spirit and confidence…and its great to have her here. Rob and I went off to the dump this morning along with returning a rental car, going to Home Depot and Lowes for the thises and thats for our bathroom, and then to Greenstar to buy Miso. Who would have known that miso comes in so many shapes and sizes, organic, smoked and many of the colors of the rainbow. This need for miso comes from our devouring the ginger miso dressing sold at Greenstar. I figure, how hard is that to make? so now, the race is on! The more ginger miso we make, the more veggies we will eat!

I picked up Mr. Winky White at the doctors today. He is a wreck…with a nasty cone around his head and his shaved face…pooor dear. He is in his room now, with water, a litterbox and some nice wet food—which seemed to rock his world. I was hoping we could give him a little time in the main house, but he is still a bit rocky. Day one…

 

Kick off to Lent

Flippity Flop 4: color, Q. Cassetti, 2011, pen and ink, digital colorationFirst day of Lent. Thinking about the things I am going to give up. I have a list. It’s all doable , the right thing to do. It’s nice to have a reason to give something up. The question is how many things to give up so that it feels like something. and I can do some preemptive mental spring cleaning on M. E.

Poor Mr. White. I took him to the wonderful vet clinic, ARC. They immediately scheduled him for surgery tomorrow and decided to keep him until then. I guess Mr. Cranky and Mr. White mixed it up again, and his eye was severely damaged such that they are going to remove the eye and sew up the lids. Lets just say it has me shaken. Robbie has been nice to suggest that Mr. White finally has earned a new name, Winky. Mr. Winky White… David suggests a tiger’s eye eye versus the sewn up thing. A patch would be dapper.  He is so sweet but eggs Mr. Cranky on.. So he will become my studio cat during the unmanaged time of the day—so that they will not have unsupervised time. The kind vet basically outlined that these feline behaviors cannot be modified. 

New news aggregator, Zite, recommended by Walt Mossberg just launced on iTunes today (free) . Just downloaded it. Love Flipboard and Pulse. I know this is going to be great! Katie Boehret at All things Digital explains:

“Zite, by a Vancouver company of the same name, crawls over half a million Web domains to find specific reading material that would be of interest to you, according to your social network and/or online reading behavior. It evaluates this potential content by tracking signals (like tweets, comments, tags and sharing) from stories that indicate a certain level of social interest and momentum in the story. The result is a personalized magazine that gets more accurately targeted toward its reader the more it’s used.”

“Zite isn’t just a mirror of your social-networking account. It figures out what you consider interesting according to your Twitter or Google Reader accounts, then fills your magazine with stories about similar topics.

It also tracks and learns from user behavior as people open stories (or don’t), so if users just read a story on Zite, its personalization still works. With each story a user reads, he or she can opt to indicate they like a story, want to see more of one or all of the individual topics covered in that story, or want to see more from the source of that story. Zite then makes suggestions according to that knowledge. So your Zite magazine will never be exactly like mine.”

Another highlight of this morning’s news and article grazing was this gem to help lay people work with type (from Jim Dempsey at the Graphicmac.com). Dempsey simply outlines “tips that can make your next printed piece more professional”. I think I may ask Jim Dempsey if we can copy this as a document to add to our tools to help our big client’s employees work with type in a better way. 

Speaking of Dropbox, we are going the next step with it. I am loving what it can do for me.

Fat Tuesday

Mardi Gras Memento, Q. Cassetti, 2011. Pitt pen, ultra sharpie pen on moleskine We had a magical dinner at Hazelnut Kitchen last night…me and the boys. Alex was courtly and funny, amusing us with his insights and observations which are rational, succinct and quite wise for someone so young. I am so proud of him, his view of the world, and the world that continues to unveil one more interesting thing after the next for him. And our dinners were delicious, beautifully presented and imaginatively put together. They are doing wonderful things there.

Mardi Gras is today. They are eating pancakes in Pittsburgh and boudin in Lafayette LA. Revelry with feathers and music, high jinx and frivolity. The last of the king cake will be consumed because tomorrow, the period of remorse and sadness begins.

Need to get into that spirit.

What to give up for lent? Hmmm… I have a few ideas. Humor? Trying to be nice? I think I will give up being a grown up! Yeah….that feels right.

Interesting how change evokes change. With the snow, I opened a dropbox.com account. Dropbox is cool…as it is a sync’ed file that you can access via the web, via your computer, cellphone and ipad. You are given 2 GB of space for free…and can pay for more…so its not pricey to back up to dropbox to have your files available immediately, anywhere you want…plus, you can set up folders for clients etc. etc. I may even get one just for my personal work…so the work and the play can be separate. Hmmm. Works like a charm. Installs easily. Syncs with the iPad, powerbooks and desktop beautifully. Simply explained and a snap to engage.

Need to get rolling on an illustration. Awaiting the  Hangar materials (a bit late)…as there is a ton to do.

Later baby.

Wintery Mix

Mardi Gras Mix, Q. Cassetti, 2011, Pitt Pen, Ultra Sharpie on MoleskineMardi Gras is tomorrow. Our friends Peter and Peggy are in Lafayette listening and playing with some of the best Louisiana can offer along with participitating in la vrai Mardi Gras, Cajun style. Lots of activity with music, asking door to door for things to add to the stew, and of course, the annual pole shinny for chickens and the like. And, and, and there are costumes and great hilarity. So, to honor Peter and Peggy’s sojourn, I have a few Mardi Gras pix (today and tomorrow). Tried adding to color to this…and yup, flat tire. Need to try with the tones like last week…

Have been listening to our new radio station 90.1 that has been talking a lot about cajun music—and music of the various New Orleans Social Clubs…the Prince of Wales Social and Pleasure Club, in particular.(another link to photos>>)I need to understand how these clubs work. They feel much like the social clubs in Phillie (Mummers!) and to some degree, the contrada clubs in Siena where it is  neighborhood, intergenerational thing…that goes way beyond their events, but to a lifestyle that is engrained in the local fabric. I need to read up…there is something wonderful here.

You probably dont know that I am huge Mummer fan…the whole insanity of their stut, the concept of hundreds of men dressed in feathers and glitter playing BANJOS in unison. I mean, doesnt get much better than that. We went to see them at an indoors extravaganza when we were living in Philadelphia (this is why I am married to the most wonderful and patient man!) and it was wild. The sheer din of the wockawocka of the banjos…and the out there traditions these clubs espoused. We need some of this here in the Burg. Hmmm.

We got the snow. About ten inches…and we got the snow day. I clocked down a bunch of work…Alex hung out, and was forced out of the house with a shovel to help. Rob was busy.

I think we may go out for dinner! 

flying lines

Flippity Flop 4 in grisaille, Q. Cassetti, 2011Snow fall. Solidly falling all day that the promise of 10 inches by tomorrow morning seems like a high probability. Soft, heavy and quiet. Silent and persistent whiteness. I ran off early on to buy milk and chickens to roast. Rob and I put some time into reconstruct Kitty’s room which was filled with dust from the great bathroom redo. It’s pretty luxe…and I think it will please her a great deal.

The day has gotten in front of me…with cups of tea, bags of groceries, sorting the small pieces of this and that, from orderly to disorderly.

More tomorrow.

Luscious Linoleum

flippity flop 3, in grisaille, Q. Cassetti, 2011

So working on the technique of these things. The bolder the lines, I find it getting harder to make them interesting in color, but the grisaille works (at least for me). I could color this. These images are different than the memento mori images, using techniques from the Home Sweet Home body of work last year around this time. As always, color stumps me, so doing it is pushing the old girl along to see if the images evolve and snap more with the color than just plain black and white which is my “go to” and safe place. The original line drawing (bottom) is where I started, took it to color (I’ll post, but am not thrilled with it), back to reworking in greys (top). The image is drawn in my moleskine (A4), with sharpie pens, and new copic brush pen (nice).  Original sketch done in verithin photoblue pencil. Verysharp please. Then, I scan it in, retouch the half and then flop. Then I make another one, (negative) on another field…and cut and paste between the two. Pretty crafty…all we need is the virtual gluestick.

I am pondering….”Is it better to get an undergraduate degree in art/visual art from a liberal arts school if you know you want art? or is it better to go to a for real Art School?”. I have landed on the side of get the liberal arts education and draw like no one’s business. Learn to write. Learn some skills directly related to art, but also develop interests that are the sources for content, for inspiration, for further learning. Learn to learn. Get the spark. Focus happens for us all…why cramp your style by focusing down so quickly? Why get stuck in a groove too quickly. You might create a hybrid that can change you and or the world. You could find content in DNA and it can inform your art, your films, your stories.  You never know. Mark Zuckerberg did not go to school to create Facebook. He learned to learn….and with the climate today with what a job, what work is— who knows if you can learn how to be something when the terraine is shifting in such wonderful and interesting ways. What with Etsy and the money one can make at short pops during the year…making a living is not limited to a nine to five at a Fortune 100 with your “work/life/balance” defined, and your personality questioned insofar as wheither you are good or bad. There is so much out there in this wide world, focusing down is safe insofar as the “job”, but isnt your time on this plain so, so much more?

I need to get on the ball and look at summer programs for the babies. It would be great to find something for Mr. Boy that might be related to photography or something else. Kitty, art. Maybe Illustration Academy (did you know its not in Florida anymore?). Here is what they say:

“The Illustration Academy’s 2011 summer program will be held in one location, Kansas City, MO. The Illustration Academy is now operating as a Special Program within The Art Department’s (TAD) Illustration Major. The 2011 Illustration Academy will be held in the TAD studios (Pods) that have been developed to accommodate the immersion component of TAD.

The Illustration Academy will begin June 12th and run through July 8th. The same stellar professionals will make up The Illustration Academy Faculty. It is a major advantage to have the Academy in our own space once again. We are presently speaking with a major convention hotel about housing for the Academy students and instructors. “

I have sauce bubbling away while two testosterone filled juniors bellow and moan over this shoot em up game they are playing on the t.v. There was drum music for about an hour and now we have breaktime with chocolate milk and gunplay. Alex had the school play practice today. Skiing (in the rain?) tomorrow.

Rob and I came back from trolling the big box stores for bathroom light fixtures and sinks. We were amazed by the sheet flooring that is out today that mimic the real thing wonderfully amazingly. I have a hankering for a deep brown parquet…which is really, really convincing though the cork was pretty spectacular too. We are finishing up Kitty’s bathroom and the yellow bathroom (one of the original 3) is having all the acid yellow tile ripped off the walls (this is an amazing acid yellow as nothing “went with it”—-we tested colors galore to a big bad yuck) and the dropped ceiling trashed. It is quite spectacular. All the fixures stay (except the cheap vanity) and we are looking at linoleum as we really do not want to have to shim all the plumbing  to raise it for tile (as well as the thresholds and the contact with the tub). So, its a refit…and this luscious, believable, chocolate parquet would make it a stage set for glamour. We are thinking of moving one of the chandeliers (the house came with three yucky ones) into the space as we have the headroom…and it would be great. Only problem as I can see it, is that one chandelier is just not enough. Three? Five? At different heights? Now we are talking.

Mardi Gras illustrations fill my thin skull. I think I need to move towards doing a few.

Later.

Tease

Flippity Flop 2 with tone, Q. Cassetti, 2011, pen and ink on moleskine (A3), digital toneAnother tease from Spring. Blue skies, blue shadows, and bright light. The snow is still on the ground but the little flirt, Spring, is waving us on with the birds cheering time on and inspiring us that change is in front of us. I am anxious to buy some montmorcy cherry trees so make those little promises even more tempting. Lets see if the 4 hellebore I put in last spring (inspired by the few hellebore that Rebe left us) bloom and tempt.

Crazy today. Phone calls galore. Work galore. Track dish to pass at six promptly. Am worn out before we even get started. Not much time to chat….but figured I would post the newest with tone for your amusement…and say hi.

Hi!