Yesterday, along with Thor Oechsner, Neal Johnston, Sandra Steingraber, and a host of others, I spoke at the Anti-Hydrofracking Day of Action in Albany. We distributed almost 200 loaves of bread to the assembled crowd, and then we marched, led by a chanting, bread-carrying farmers, to Cuomo’s office. Here is what I said:
My name is Stefan Senders, and I am a baker. Beside me are Thor Oechsner, an organic farmer, and Neal Johnston, a miller. We work together.
Today we bring bread to Albany to intervene in the self-destruction of the great State of New York. We come, Farmers, Bakers, and Millers, to remind our state and our Governor, Andrew Cuomo, that despite the promises of industry lobbyists, the exploitation of Shale Gas in New York is bad and broken economy of the worst kind.
This bread is the product of our community and our farms. The wheat, grown, tended, and harvested by our local organic farmers, is fresh from the soil of New York. The flour, ground in our local flour mill, is as fine as concerned and caring hands can make it.
To resurrect a term long since emptied by advertisers, the wheat, the flour, and the bread are ‘wholesome’: they bring our communities together, give us work, nourish us, please our senses, and make our bodies and our land more healthy.
This is good economy. It is wise economy. It is a steady economy that nourishes the State of New York.
We know that for many New Yorkers, Fracking sounds like a good idea. We have all heard the fantastic tales: Fracking, it is said, will save our state from financial ruin, release us from our dependence on “foreign oil,” and revive our rural economy by bringing cash, if not fertility, to our once vibrant farmland.
For politicians, these stories of money and growth are hard to resist: the numbers are large, deficits are unnerving, and elections are expensive.
For many farmers and land-owners, the promises of cash are dizzying, and to risk the land’s fertility to extract gas is only one step removed from risking the land’s fertility to extract a few more bushels of corn or soybeans.
But farmers might know better.
Farming has not always been, and need not be, an extractive industry. There was a time when farmers worked with a longer view, keeping in mind their role as stewards and caretakers of the land. That long view is the farmer’s wisdom, and it is as good and wise today as it ever was.
The promises of the gas industry are demonstrably false, and they miss what farmers know well: There is no independence that does not demand care and responsibility. There is no quantity of cash that can restore fertility to a poisoned field. There is no adequate monetary “compensation” for poisoned water. There is no payment, no dollar, no loan, that can restore life and community to a broken world.
Our work and the work we provide others—on the farm, at the mill, and at the bakery—depends on fertile soil, pure water, and a viable community. All of these are put at risk by Fracking.
What happens to our land in an economy bloated by gas exploitation? Prices rise, rents rise, and good, arable land becomes scarce as acres once leased to farmers are set to quick development schemes—flimsy housing, storage barns, parking lots, and man-camps.
And what happens to our water when gas exploitation takes over? Storage pools, as safe as Titanic was unsinkable, overflow, contaminating the soil; inevitable leaks in well-casings allow gasses and Frack-fluids to pass into our aquifers, into our bodies, and into the bodies of our children.
And what happens to communities held in thrall to gas exploitation? As we have seen in other parts of the country, the boom-bust cycle of the petroleum economy fractures communities, undermining our capacity to act wisely and civilly.
With every boom, a few get rich, a few do better, but all are impoverished. For every hastily built motel there are dozens of apartments with rising rents; for every newly minted millionaire there are many dozens who see nothing but the pain of rising costs and receding resources. For every short-term dollar there are hundreds in long-term losses that can never be recouped.
To go for gas is to go for broke.
With this bread we are here to remind you that there is another economy, one that works.
This bread symbolizes a commitment to the health of New York State. It embodies the knowledge that good work, not a gambler’s dream, is the basis of a sound and sustainable economy.
This bread symbolizes the farmer’s simple truth that without fertile soil, without pure water, and without strong community, we go hungry.
This bread reminds us all that the promises of gas exploitation are empty: What are we to grow in fields broken by the drill and tilled with poison? What are we to feed our children when our water and wheat are unfit? Shall we grind money to make our bread?
We do have a choice. We need not poison our land to live. We need not taint our water to drink. We need not sell our future to finance our present. These are choices, not inevitabilities.
With this bread we say: take the long view; pay attention to the health of the soil and nourish it; treasure pure water; remember the value of your community and keep it whole.
If something must be broken, let it not be shale. Let it be this bread.
noodles
Hairhopper,Q. Cassetti, 2012, pen and ink.I am sniffling and choking and coughing. Not pleasant in the least bit. Its nice that I can sit up here in my princess tower and drink cups of Gypsy cold care and hope that the phone is on the quiet side today. It was just that.
It must be “Get Free Design Services” Day somewhere. They are beating on my door this week and I am starting to say no. If I offer up the design/illustration, that is one thing…however if it comes artdirected and with a deadline…forget it. Lessons from my theatre project. I have to have happiness around this work in order for it to be worth it. 20 hrs on a free, art directed illustration is not how I want to spend my down time for a few weeks.
Rob is back from the city today. Alex has another day of play practice. I have two roasting chickens in the oven for dinner and then for the bones tomorrow. We need to open the boneyard. We have eaten all the stock this week with our larger than usual lunch crowd (lots of construction happening with the kitchen and interior steps. electricians, painting and sawsalls). Yesterday I made a big ginger, garlic, carrot, potato and one turnip soup (with my stock). Every drop consumed. Today was celeriac, onion, potato, garlic soup (and my stock). Almost daily, an entire loaf of bread is consumed with sandwiches. So we are back to the big feed. Hello winter share from the CSA. We are going full bore into rooty soups.
Finished the delightful Hardboiled Wonderland book. Cannot recommend it enough. Just started the Hunger Games, recommended by a zillion people though the premise did not seem to be as good as the book is developing. Yay!
Theatre tonight
Hairhopper, Q. Cassetti, 2012, pen and inkIt feels like a teensy fever with a bad head cold. Not enjoying this in the least bit. I am wheezing and fluid. Yuck to the tenth degree. But nothing, not even the extreme desire to sleep will keep me from the freak show on television tonight, better than the Kardashians, better than any estrogen fueled bridal screamfest, better than towers of candycolored cupcakes or the lathered up spewing of the Fox News nuts—-will be Newt Fest tonight on NBC. The cast of characters today, will be all hyped up and ready to get Newt and get Willard the Mitt—from their infidelities to their extreme wealth just promises to be a true 3 or four ring circus.
I am planning lots of hot tea for my throat, sharp non-photo blue pencils at my elbow and the needle point Optiflow (from Staples) to keep me amused. Alex will be doing the theatre thing…so I am solo for this activity…so drawing and pet cuddling will be in order for this political theater. I hope they play the music with the patriotic bells (only for the election related stuff and the Olympics do we get this treat).
Here is the Hairhopper body of work for now>> I am always kind of stunned when the incoming graduate students worry about their thesis so much as a body of work (only 6 images max) proves to be such a hurtle. I have been working on this grouping since January 8— and have another few weeks on it…before I either go to another thing, or start massaging these drawings by adding color/tone to see where they could go. Of the current group, there is at least 8 that could be culled out for a body of work that could be a thesis….Maybe I should be doing more writing around these bodies of work so as to truly process the thinking and where my head is as I do this. Right now, I am doing this as I am loving the line…and interestingly, hair is a universal too…so there are plenty of heads, hair, and fanasy around that which keeps it amusing.
I had a wonderful, energizing meeting with another pair of young farmers— learning quite a bit from them about local resources, their philosophy and raison d’etre and talk about what sets them apart. More on them soon. Lets just say, I am charged up.
Station break
hairhopper, Q. Cassetti, 2012, pen and inkCold and hard as diamonds this morning as we got Alex off to the ski bus before 8. He was dead tired as he had the Snowball at school last night until midnight, and as is his tradition, he stays up until 3 a.m. His loss. His fatigue. The snow is fresh, so get out there and hit the slopes. The patterns on our old windows were quite spectacular and in one instance it was if jack frost was working with lines as well, giving us drawings that were Mucha-esque in their expression.
Elly came over with her hawk yesterday to hunt on our property. Tucker, her hawk was a bit thinner than usual and I guess that was the trick. Elly and Alex went out into the back 40 and let Tucker fly. They saw a few squirrels who were scrambling about, so they beat the trees to get the squirrels going—and get Tucker to get the idea. And he did! This is the biggest trophy he has landed to Alex and Elly’s grinning delight. He had a terrific feast and all was well with the world (except for all of Ellly’s apologizing for Tucker making a mess?). Not your usual teen sport.
I am fighting off some sort of stuff, so I have been feeling tired and spent the day quietly with a few friends dropping by to chat and my pen filling the page with more hair. I am so in love with these lines that it is pretty addictive just letting your arm move over the page and see what evolves once the big shapes are roughed in in blue pencil. Speaking of blue pencil, I was trolling my most fabulous, most favorite site for all things in the graphic media department, JetPens to discover I am not the only fiend for non-photo blue pencils. They have a whole gosh darn section devoted to them>>from mechanical pencil leads (!) to gel pens. I also delighted in their white pens some of which were being postitioned to be as good or better than white out pens (my favorite being the Pentel Presto). I was also intrigued by the variety of black inks available thanks to the Manga artists out there. Deleter Inks have six different black inks (matte/waterproof, drawing and painting, waterproof and extra dark, fast drying, eraser safe, and glossy). And again thanks to Manga—pen nibs and holders are no longer the rarity that they were until recently. Phew! And if you want to really go deep, their “asian office supplies” are for the stout of heart…and can make some people run screaming into the night (my husband, for one). But, if you are patient, here are some shining examples of the jewels>> here>> and here>> and oops here>>. You get the idea. And I have saved some of the best for you to discover. Relish the idea that yes, this stuff is sold, that someone may actually buy this stuff to USE and that it all might end up in the garbage…. But, if you love brush pens (as I soooo do), this is the supermarket for brush pens that you can shop until you drop—and use until the brush falters, splays or dies due to over use. JetPens, the best.
Today Rob and I are going to Famous Brands in Watkins Glen to get Rob a pair of stylish, and yet so functional, steel toed shoes (necessary for the site visits that he will make on his new project). I hope to use our new grill (recently hooked up!!). And maybe more lounging…and political mastication TV. I am loving this Republican fun—with all the pundits and faux pas. The roster of candidates is so perfect, I am puzzling over who did the casting? We have Captain OOps! and the odd Mr. Paul (always surrounded by his family—a visual display on how crazy the looks got with the DNA), Rick Santimonious (as someone from the Keystone State, this man is too righteous and sanctimonious…but def. is a character study). Poor Mitt is a ticking timebomb ready to go off. Too much stuff to be “disclosed”— and if anyone really gets a whiff at the Mormon stuff (Terrestial/ Celestial kingdoms, celestial babies, baptizing the dead through surrogates, the temple garments)—the “American” people will go apeshit.
And now we have Newt center stage with Callista (with the most bionic hair in the universe—and her mean, thin, wrong red mouth)—the ‘bullyboy” getting ready to take on our gentleman in the White House. Such bluster, such presence…almost victorian/ Boss Tweed style antics (or so I could imagine). Newt and the missus are so Thomas Nast-ian characters, the illlustrations are going to be SWEET.
Steve Broder is on it>> “Suicidal Person of the Day”>> Zina Saunders is dead on too, (see her recent image of Newt on Cartoon Movement>>)
The only thing that might make it better is to have either Herman Cain (my absolute favorite—the “Herman Cain Art Project” as the brilliantly funny Rachel Maddow delighted in embroidering on) or Sarah Palin join the fray. President Obama will need to take the gloves off with this blowhard. No gentlemanly sparring with this new crew. And just one question as the bombs are being launched—and the dirty laundry being airred, “Where is the former (or is he still) leader of the party, George Bush?”. Is this his legacy? Shameful and pathetic.
Enough of my preaching and art supply talk. Need to move forward.
IF: Prepared
Hairhopper, Q. Cassetti, 2012, pen and inkShe is prepared to go out…albeit it took hours to get this way.
Go with the flow
Hairhopper, Q. Cassetti, 2011, pen and ink.Did I mention that I have figured out how to make a really decent vegetable stock? Probably not. But I did!
You know how the vegetable stock at the store is kind of weak—not really very flavorful and loaded with salt? That was my impression of what the starting point was. But, thanks to the bounty of root vegetables, the frozen chopped leeks and organic (read majorly flavorful) celery—filling a large roasting pan to the top. I did a big roast last weekend, and then after around 3 hours at 300˚ with lovely crispy brownness—in it went into the big stock pot with water to cover and cook down for another 2 hrs at a simmer. I emptied out all the bits and ends of parsley, of wilted red peppers and the scroungy bottom of the vegetable bin and dumped that all in the pot too (that might be the secret). And voila! Brown deliciousness. Plus, all the soup detrius goes right into the compost bin, so nothing goes in the garbage. Yay and double yay.
Talk about fascinating, I went to Sweet Land CSA yesterday to collect my share. Of course everything was gorgeous—-and there was the centerpiece for many of us, the KALE. Funny thing though was the kale was in a pile of snow in the totes they keep all the produce in. As I was digging through the snow to garner some to take home, my neighbor was happily anticipating how sweet the kale is this time of the year and that to her thinking the snow is what does the trick. Who would have guessed?
In the spirit of new things (Kale being the newest obsession), I have started the Tofu initiative. I like tofu, when I have it out. I like tofu when others make it…but there somehow was fear involved with my giving it a try. No more! This winter launches the tofu initiative, where yours truly will buy tofu, read recipes, and then cook with it…pushing it on the poor souls (read the boys) who then will be forced to eat it and provide feedback. I have been quizzing everyone on how they cook with tofu and yesterday was the first foray. First off, there is the pressing. Tofu is predominantly water. So, in order to really have a go at something that can compete with meat on a plate, the tofu needs to stand up and not a be a wiggly form. So, one cuts slices (not too thin, not too fat), puts it between towels, and puts weights on it to drain it (much like eggplant). Then I marinated it (ginger, garlic, soy sauce and a teensy bit of sesame oil in the blender to immulsify) for a day. Then onto a greased cookie sheet for around an hour at 300˚ and it was ready to go. I served it with fresh sauteed spinach (from Sweetland)—and you know, it was good. Worth doing again good. And so it begins.
As you can see, the hair obsessed hairhoppers continue. This approach is really fast—and the less I think about them, the nicer and less uptight they are. I like the way this one has Klimt hair, where it flattens out at the top and takes a life of its own, really not related to the head in any way. I am trying to stay discipilined and not get in and over noodle it with shading etc. I like the purity. I am also trying to remember all that Mentor Murray (Tinkelman) would say about women’s noses, and mouths…and I think it is working. I am also being entertained with seeing how much of the page I can fill with hair…and head and stuff. There is a ton more here. Again, who knows if it has any other reason than entertainment, but at least that is being provided.
I am getting some traction on a project that frankly, I was dreading (fearing) doing. This dread and stupidity is in my head as I got rolling on it yesterday afternoon and have been enjoying the work, the process and the design. Today I have some spot illustrations I will need to do for part of this project, so it will sing. Enough of putting things off…they get worse when you postpone as my head takes over. Stupid me.
I see my farmers today to see where they want to take their image/symbol. Should be interesting to see what works/doesnt. I have a few more farmers circling…so I will need to get this finished up.
An inch of snow is promised today. Rob is one of the ringmasters at 2300˚ tonight at the Corning Museum of Glass. Ann Gant will be drawing with fire which should be amazing. Alex is practicing at school (prince in training). He is suffering a bit at getting his lines, getting his songs, and the general start up of learning all t his stuff. He fumed a bit a me yesterday (which was good) as he needed to get it off his chest. I am always intrigued to see what ticks him off, and how he deals with it. He is so solid and centered…and young, that the pressure of many things and wanting to be perfect right out of the gate is the prime sweet spot. It can only get easier as he goes.
Not too fascinating
Hairhopper, Q. Cassetti, 2012, pen and inkRaining today. Our little piles of snow are melting to Alex’s chagrin and sadness. We are both praying for another freeze and flakes to help the ski club investment make sense. Just as soon as we think we are good to go, then the rain starts and away we go. Oy.
However, the rain is better to travel in than snow and wind sheers…so we will have Rob home safely (we hope) from Florida via NYC tonight. He is going to be whipped. It will be good to have him home in the frozen north. Next trip is in two weeks to interview at Landmark College and Hampshire College. Rob is identifying some cool places to stay (one has a salt water lap pool, an outdoor heated (winter) pool and other cool treats like that.
I am having to write a bio for myself which is puzzling. I have been reading the existing bios and getting a feeling for what works, what doesn’ t, but my story is a bit different, and I do not want to be odd. I think I need to call my contact and suss out better what they are looking for (character count) and in the case of the portrait (urg) file type etc.
Onward.
I have my valentine coming via mail (just checked this a.m)—complete with spot uv. and full color on what is promised to be an interesting board stock. We will see! Also ordered a bunch of tattoo-ey ink drawings as stickers on vinyl from The Sticker Guy—my source where I can pretend I am a radical extreme illustrator/designer and be able to make cool stuff for a low price. I am planning on making sticker sets to sell (Etsy and Grassroots) as well as to send to a select group just to say hi and hello. Coasters will be next on the roster.
I got all my entries submitted to American Illustration (AI) yesterday. Goodness, that takes quite a bit of time—but it is a good show and I am always surprised when I get something in…and those things selected are always the least predictable of the shows I enter. I find that AI can point the way towards work that others may not have paid attention to…and they do. Interesting. I may enter the next Creative Quarterly just for kicks. You never know until you enter!
This is the time of the year for taxes and accounting, contracts and paperwork, files and all things paper. I find myself throwing all sorts of that stuff off. Time consuming and not overly fascinating. I guess the fascinating is in February.
two sweaters looking for three
Hairhopper, Q. Cassetti, 2012 pen and inkQuiet day yesterday. Hopefully the same at the office today. I cooked a bit yesterday and did a few more pictures to add to this group of hairhoppers. Its fun…and its going someplace, so I need to keep in this linear trance to see where the lines lead me. I made a big pot of turkey stock and cooked some tofu to begin the process of beginning to understand how to cook and work with it. I made up a small batch of pizza dough. Its sitting in the fridge developing flavor.
We all are looking for some heat. Bit freezy here…so maybe a lap blanket on my shoulders to keep things a bit more cuddly wuddly for me.
Time for coffee.
dream state
Hairhopper, Q. Cassetti, 2011, pen and inkIt snowed and snowed. We now have white stuff…and it feels like January, finally! I just finished whomping up a torta kind of thing from all the leftovers and orphans in the fridge so Alex has something to eat for lunch and supper tonight. I need to confirgure the vegetable stock I made the other day into something else we can eat. That is all exciting as the dregs go directly into the compost (not a bit of fat) and secondarily, I have room for more roots and tubers this week from Sweet Land CSA.
Rob left at 4 a.m. to drive to Elmira to catch a plane to Miami. He is going to do some work down there and be in West Palm Beach for the Norton Museum opening of the Hot Glass Road Show which will be paired with Beth Lipman’s installation. The Hot Glass Road show is staffed by a team of master glassmakers, and do demonstrations in hot glass not only to educate but given how skilled these guys are, show off a bit of their chops. I am always impressed, exhilerated and never bored by these demonstrations (and I have been seeing them since they were prototyped over about 20 years ago). I cannot even begin to imagine the response in West Palm Beach. What a treat for the Norton visitors. What a treat for the glassmakers to be in such a divine place for a few months. Should be delightful and fun for Rob. The extra bonbon is that he is staying at the Standard in Miami with it’s eternity pool and oceanfront mud baths.
I plan to read and draw today. Take a vacation, a bit of the holiday vacation today to just do what I want to do. No work…just my stuff. I am working with lines and am thinking about pictures and lines…so something has engaged. We will see where the work goes. Speaking of minds, I love the book I am reading, Haruki Murakami’s Hardboiled Wonderland and the End of the World. He paints these visceral, dreamy landscapes and speaks about mind and memory that articulates my thinking on that, on life, and on what this all means. Plus, he stirs in wonderful characters, compelling parallel stories and always leaves me in a state of wonder, questioning where I am, where I am going and what will be next in this magical book.
I am stunned by Random House’s Murakami site. Check it out. He is an amazing artist beyond the writer artist he is.
Gotta go. The torta beckons.
Hairhoppers
Hairhopper four, Q. Cassetti, 2012, pen and ink.To Marina (excerpt)
Let’s take a walk
Into the world
Where if our shoes get white
With snow, is it snow, Marina,
Is it snow or light?
Let’s take a walk
Every detail is everything in its place (Aristotle). Literature is a cup
And we are the malted. The time is a glass. A June bug comes
And a carpenter spits on a plane, the flowers ruffle ear rings.
I am so dumb-looking. And you are so beautiful.
Creative Quarterly 26 Winners (Graphic Design and Illustration!)
Springlike
Braids 2, Q. Cassetti, 2011, Parker refillable pen with Itoya gel pen refill.Feels like a day in early early spring. The light is low and golden, casting shadows through the trees. As we got the buckets and barrels of recycling down to the curb, the cold air felt great, invigorating, and what with the lovely light filled sky, nothing seems impossible today.
Rob is coming back from NYC after a nice dinner with some old friends from the first renovation of the Museum project. His emails were sunny and chatty. They had a really nice time.
Good news for the Museum of Glass adding more work on Rob. It has been announced the the Museum will be undergoing a $64 million for a new wing at the Museum. They will be working with architect, Thomas Pfifer and Partners NYC. Excerpts from the Evening Tribune article:
”..the project will include a new Contemporary Glass Gallery and a new Hot Glass Stage, the amphitheater-style space where glass artists give demonstrations to tourists and also during events such as 2300 Degrees.”
“…the expansion and renovation will blend with the rest of the CMoG campus and will keep much of the historic Steuben Glass plant’s footprint intact. For example, the plant’s iconic Robertson Ventilator – the strange black structure that towers above the roof – will become part of the future Hot Glass Stage.
Also as part of the project, the area just north of Steuben Glass will add green space and a promenade. The parking lot for CMoG tour buses will be moved to the main lot just off Interstate 86, and a new drop-off area will bring tour buses right to the main entrance.
From there, new circulation flows on the museum floor will bring visitors into the new wing.”
So, you can see, there is plenty to do around these plans…and Rob is one of the players in this scenario. I am very proud of my hubby who has been dogging this for the past six years and finallly got great results and an opportunity to really boost the offering of this amazing museum for all of us who love museums and all they offer. More on this…as the world finds out.
Jacob and E. leave us today. Alex C. has another evening being a star. Alex is to be Prince Dauntless in “Once Upon a Mattress”. He is as happy as can be. We are delighted for him. We listened to his songs last night on youTube. He has some nice pieces,with nice solos that will push his singing and push his beginning physical comedy.
I got word that I got work into the winner category of Creative Quarterly 26! When I went to the website to see where I fit in, etc. I was stunned (and excited) to see that I also got work into the winner categories for both graphic design and illustration. Feeling much better. The no show this year with the Society (NYC) was disappointing, but these other shows are affirming to keep swinging, and trying for base hits. Fellow Hartfordian, Amy DeVoogd also is in the winner illustration category (Yay!) and Fello Syracuse alum, Mark Bender, amazing Pittsburgh illustrator is in the runners-up category. Congratulations to all. I need to find out which images get in (and I will post) along with getting a portrait shot. Ey yi yi.
Detail galore
Walled City, Q. Cassetti, 2012,pen and inkYesterday was a day of brewing vegetables. Alex went off to ski—and I started chopping. All sorts of bits and stuff from the vegetable drawer from the ends of parsley to peelings of parsnips to a small frozen bag of cherry tomatoes from the summer went into the pot after roasting with carrots, turnips, celery root, ends of leeks, scallions having frozen in the drawer and onions. It smelled great roasting…and then into the pot with tons of water to let it infuse into a lovely and majorly tasty vegetable stock. I did it! The key is in the roasting—per the boneyard, and not overdoing it with water in the infusion. Keep it less…so the broth takes on all the flavor in a more concentrated way. Fabulous.
Also in the spirit of emptying the fridge, I made a double of carrot soup (frozen already), cooked and peeled 3 gigantic beets (ready for a salad) and a double of the wonderful King Arthur Baking Cookbook’s make now/later pizza crust for dinner. I have a double of split pea soup in the slow cooker…so we are set for soup and soup this week for lunches.
Am reading a very evocative and visual book referred to by one reviewer as a “pop culture cocktail” which it definitively is:
Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World: A Novel (Vintage International)
I cannot even begin to describe the dreaminess, odd juxtapostions and images that Murakami introduces into this gift which transports me to this alternative space during those quiet moments when I can revv up the IPad to dive in. If you can handle science fiction/ alternative fiction ( I have friends who cannot go there) but if you can…I highly recommend this book and author. It is so exciting to have new author I can whip through this season. Dreamy.
Okay: Resource idea of the day: Skazkodrom.com
Skazkodrom – is your one stop workshop for unique custom made plush toys. We sew customized soft toys based on your photos, images or prototypes.
For those of you scribblers who have a character or two in your pen, this is an opportunity for you. This is a Russian prototyping company that will take your sketch and develop a stuffed character toy for you to show possible clients, to show in licensing presentations, or to honor someone for a special birthday. Think about being 7 years old and having your drawing of a favorite pet or invisible friend that you have drawn, turned into something you can hug. What we would have done 20 yrs. ago for this type of prototyping when I was at Estee Lauder. No end to fun. Its not free, but its concievable pricewise ($250.) and takes the better part of 2 weeks to sew.
Gotta get hopping.
update
from Scherenschnitte. Q. Cassetti, 2011 pen and ink.Thanks to the wonders of Facebook, I found that Communication Arts Magazine’s annual was due yesterday (though they have slacker time…) So, I got my collection of images together and hope that maybe this year, I can get something into that esteemed show/publication. There is American Illustration which I need to enter and maybe Spectrum this year. Spectrum is a show that is devoted to science fiction/ fantasy (read imaginary worlds and friends) which I have a bit of.
I am sort of charged up from the Society of Illustrators LA, Illustration West pieces…most particularly the crazy line piece (with the birds). That image (and many more) came from the work I did inspired by Ganga Devi, an Indian artist who continued the Mithali tradition of women painters/illustrators who created works for bridal chambers. This Madhubani work was specific insofar a topics, and the approach is very linear and colorful. However what Ganga Devi did was to go beyond that prescribed palette of content and started to interpret Hindu stories to finally depicting the images of her life and travels. Her illustrations of her cancer treatment and that of her visiting a city, riding in an elevator, riding on a bus and subway are sublime innocent refections of her world…and I was right there with her. Her use of line inspired me to go from images that were derived from Madhubani work to finally plying them to the crackpot stuff rattling around in my brain. So, refreshed, I think I may go back to that linear approach, switch out sketchbooks from watercolor paper to smooth and see what evolves.
Other news. I am possessed by coasters. Right…coasters. The lovely thick stock, letterpressed coasters. I am seriously thinking of getting some made for presents, to sell here in Itown and at Etsy, and just because, because. The world of coaster production is fascinating…and you can get anything from really cheap four color two sided coasters to the thick and chewy ones I love. So watch out. Coasters are coming on for 2012.
Here are some of the options I am looking at:
Mercurio Brothers Printing (since 1946)
And then, there is my secret weapon, Pioneer Printing, Lodi, NY. I will price it out with him too. My guess is that he will want to involve foil stamping as well…But the Mercurio Brothers is simple in their presentation that they have not been tainted by good design. Fun fun fun.
I got my valentine off to the printer yesterday. Trying out a new online source that is affordable and happily offers all sorts of cool stock, foil stamping, die cutting and raised UV for a seriously nominal price. My programming as a designer illustrator is to stick to one or two color jobs, and never introduce anything like the aforementioned processes into a design as it is soo expensive to do. NOT NOW. Keep your pants on…things are going to get interesting (or at least, I hope). That resource I will share …reluctantly, but we all need a new cool place to go and fantasize. DGI>> Their samples were delicious.
IF: Grounded
Tree Gate 1, Q. Cassetti, 2011
Society of Illustrators Los Angeles: Illustration West 50, Accepted!
I was delighted to see that no, I hadn’t missed this one…and that the pieces above and to the right have been accepted into the Society of Illustrators Los Angeles Illustration West 50 Show. The portrait is of Domenic Labino for the Corning Museum of Glass’ Masters of Studio Glass Exhibition for Labino. Top beehive is a personal image. The Wheatman is from my Greenman series. The image to the right is from my Ganga Devi inspired whimsical illustrations (yay!).
I am delighted with this selection as it is a push to keep going. Each of these images talk to a different hand I have been working on, and two of them representative of two of my little imaginary worlds I find myself floating in.
Thank you Society of Illustrators LA and the judges that selected these images. You make today an even sunnier one!
New Year, new day.
Sketch, Q. Cassetti, 2012We are back from a lengthened trip to take Kitty back to Hampshire for Jan Term. We swung by Mass Moca with a treat (staying at The Porches Inn) complete with a little sleep, a lot of art and some swimming in the pool and hot tubbing outside in the cold New England air. We had a great time with Kitty and Alex— lots of talking, laughing and really enjoying being in each other’s company. Alex regaled us with his impromptu interpretation of the the horrible books they read in middle school… causing us practically to wreck the car with his funny insights and focus. Kitty wanted to talk about how she is changing/growing and how that could fit into her education and what she is discovering that she may want. What an evolution from the girl we looked at colleges with.
We drove down to Hampshire on Monday on the most spectacular road…taking in the sights of the Mohawk Trail….the mountains, the valleys, the hairpin turns, the goofy souvenir stands (selling moccasins!) (the best being one with an enormous polychromed native american chief to beckon you in for a treat). It was great just getting a dose of new terrain, new places—without having a definite deadline against it. All of my “vacation time” (and Robs) have been involved in looking at colleges, going on college tours and going to and from college as part of the shuttle bus. It was nice to have this as an option (along with our mini trip to Miami) just to change the channels. Would love a week of that. Love.
I kind of hit the wall with teenaged and college aged boys late last week. It started with one of them eating all the homemade breadcrumbs for Christmas eve prep for dinner and climaxed with eight guys lurking around my kitchen all day eating anything within eyeshot and then leaving all their detrius…moving on to more and more and more. I was overwhelmed after working and confronting this wall of masticating men…I immediately became dehumorized and needed to shut down. Unfortunately, with all of this pre Christmas, post Christmas gathering of the “Bros”, it took the quiet time we normally have together and tossed it out the window. I gotta make some plans to make sure this doesnt happen at such volume next December. I can appreciate the need to gather, to eat, to bro-it-up….but starting at 11 a.m. and then finishing at 3 a.m. with heaps of sleeping men for days…is just a bit overwhelming. Yes, I did approve this all…but it then took on a momentum I didnt anticipate.
We have the ACT done. We have the Hampshire application done. We have interviews at Hampshire and Landmark scheduled. We will have the Landmark application done this week. Alex is commited to change with Landmark and wants to sharpen up his skills to let him succeed in a four year program and is articulating why he is looing forward to Landmark and then the next chapter once he has gotten his chops sharpened up. He is a remarkable person…so self aware. He is a solid, centered person that I adore and want the best for.
The New Year has clicked into that of 2012. So much happening from a few graduations, a few weddings, a prom(!), travel for us and the kids (together and separate), and change galore. I do not feel that happy anticipation of the year ahead…and need to get my head there. I want a creative shot…and something I can run with… I hope the New Year will inspire that.
and now the day begins. Work waits.
Back in the Saddle.
Kitty and Tucker, Q. Cassetti, 2011It was full tilt through Christmas. We had a nice day together with everyone loving their presents and loving being together. It was food food and food. The best, to my thinking, was the smoked salmon I opened for lunch…but the cooking and food for dinner was good. I would have changed some things but that is past tense. We had a delightful time with our friends with lots of laughs, ideas, and even Alex and a guest playing music together.
Yesterday, we had lunch at Moosewood (the famous vegetarian restaurant) which we have not graced for a decade at least. They had the BEST ginger tea concoction that Kitty and I happily had. I swapped a book for the Mark Bittman
How to Cook Everything Vegetarian: Simple Meatless Recipes for Great Food
Bassett, Charley Harper“I don’t think there was much resistance to the way I simplified things. I think everybody understood that. Some people liked it and others didn’t care for it. There’s some who want to count all the feathers in the wings and then others who never think about counting the feathers, like me.” Charley Harper
Don’t you love him? Check out his site>>
We picked up Kitty’s Christmas ring (resized). And then, on our way home, Elly invited us to see Tucker, her hawk…which we did along with seeing how she works with him to fly and return to her. Kitty gave it a shot (picture above). It was a real treat with this brilliant bird swooping down out of the tall trees to land gracefully on Elly’s glove (for fun and a big meaty treat).
Today, I am back in the saddle at the office. I am hoping to get on the small farm brand I have committed to. I have knocked down several ouchies on my list that kept sliding off…so there is hope. Tonight we hear the Stringbusters at Maxis with hopefully movies afterward (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo).
More later.
work in progress
Almost finished vector portrait, Q. Cassetti, 2011, vector
Finish line time.
From the early encyclopedia, Liber Floridus, around 1121, Ghent University LibraryIts all coming up. Coming to fruition. The potatoes are peeled. The presents wrapped. The stream of young men and women coming to gather (we had a crew until 2 a.m. of around 10) with roaring laughter, shouting stories and great hilarity in general —so the stream of snacks and dinners keep coming. Once again, thank goodness for the big hunks of pork I cooked down to make barbeque a few days ago. Breakfast this morning for the troops had Kitty and Laura cooking up banana pancakes and pillsbury cinnamon rolls that were devoured within seconds of being pulled out the the oven.
All the prep is almost done. I baked and iced a carrot cake. Lovely. The fishes are purchased (salmon, oysters and crabmeat) which will be: a broiled salmon with parsley and white wine, oysters are baked with breadcrumbs and garlic (will make two ways), and a crabmeat casserole that is my sister’s recipe. There is a torta (potato leek tart). There will be green beans and another green. No one wants a fancy breakfast, so I have some stock thawing to make a nice soup for lunch. Celeriac soup?
We are soooo lucky that it is cold out now so I can use the garage as my prep space for tomorrow. The cake is setting up, and I plan on making a few more things that just will need to be baked off tomorrow a.m./ early p.m. There is something to feasting in the cold weather months with the add of the back porch and garage storage. Makes everything so much easier. Maybe Santa could put a walk in freezer in my stocking?
Lou Jacobs, Ringling Brothers, Barnum and Bailey CircusMy friend Amy Brill stopped by unexpectedly last night and we had such a nice visit—catching up on her world of family, fashion and friends. Her fashion site is here>> Her fun blog is here>> She is doing very well with her clothing lines and is in a ton of stores with an online presence at Artful Home. Amy is always full of energy and enthusiasm—inspiring me to pickup my morose self and try to see the good out there and be grateful. She has had some big life challenges in the last few years and she has been a model for how to hit the tough spots with grace and energy. Now, with all that behind her, she seems poised to launch into 2012 with so much to look forward to. We talked about present things, about past things, about local things, and about world things. All provocative and very entertaining. And beyond the gift of her time, Amy brought me amazing presents…so sensitive and thoughtful of her. She brought me three totally rocking vintage circus posters (you have heard me rave ) from her collection. Two were amazing type and the last was a prized clown poster accompanied by a photo of the famous clown, Lou Jacobs, who Amy worked along with in her past. If that wasnt enough, she brought this totally hilarious little book of line art with very curious and funny captions. I plan on scanning and sharing with you soon as it will, I am sure, delight you as much as it did me! I am so lucky to have had such a nice visit with such a remarkable woman. I have a lot to learn from her which she gives so generously. She made my day!
It is nice to have a moment of reflection. A year has passed. Kitty and Alex keep growing and changing. I love what is happening with them, their lives, their friends and the problems that pop up and how they solve them.They are such nice people and I am blessed to have them as part of my life. Rob is wonderful and keeps doing remarkable things that change people’s way of thinking, living and learning. He has been so additive in his job at the museum, his role on the village board and the various small projects he is engaging in in Trumansburg. It keeps getting better for him. My life would be an empty shell without him.
Jacob K. joined us this summer and now this winter. We now have another member of the tribe along with E. his friend and another team member.
Gloria has moved along with Justin and they seem to be not just liking it, but loving it here. Ron and Mary are healthy and still are able to do what they have to do. I am the same though I must admit, I find myself a bit stale with my work and the sluggish content my illustration has been taking. Lesson from this year’s advent calendar, is that I cannot just work on a style independant of content…if the content of my pictures is nominal, they really don’t sing visually nor spiritually for me. I missed the toothiness of Christmas by pursuing a cut paper tradition and trying to be more responsible to that style. Onward to the kitchen to keep plugging away at “it”. If I have a chance, maybe a bit of drawing too? Styling exercises need content too…as does the illustrator need time away from her desk to have her brain relax to get into this sort of thing. I need more me time…in the next year.
Speaking of me time…time to mash some potatoes. Have a jolly Christmas Eve and Christmas.