Out like a Lion

Honey Mushrooms, Q . Cassetti, 2012, Adobe Illustrator CS5Today is catch up and then tomorrow its an early launch to drive to Amherst for a 1 p.m. meeting for Alex. I am blasting through a bunch of stuff and figured I would say hi for today.

There is a new addition to the Farmers Market images to the left…and a wreath to go with it. I just printed about a dozen of these Farmers Market images to be given as a donation to Museumwise, the fabulous folks that bring us the Museum Institute at Sagamore and that expands so many horizons for many museum professionals in NY State. Museumwise makes me proud to be a New Yorker. The small staff and board of Museumwise are interesting, smart, and really quite “startup” in their actions and thinking. They are try-ers and do-ers. They embrace and help. They build community through active networking. They are professional but open and engaged. They inspire me with their energy and desire to move the needle in the Museum and History Museums throughout our big state.

I am also offering up for their auction the design services for a logo or logotype for a museum event or show. I figure it would drive a little more  money than the prints and would maybe give me a chance help out another institution. So I need to bag this stuff up with business cards, stickers and tattoos and see what happens. Rob will be my spy to see who wins the stuff, and what it went for. These are for an auction to support the Institute at Sagamore’s scholarships —worth every minute of time from this end.

I have been thinking of putting my name in the hat for a booth at the Saturday markets this summer to sell my stuff…prints, buttons, bags, a teeshirts and a snappy tote bag with Trumansburg (and bees!) on it. It would be a good way to sense the market and at the same time see how I can build t his little table business. Could be cool. I could also sell off my yarn stash too! What do you think? Should I give it a go?

The lake was splendid last night. Sad note was our arctic willow tree (which the former owners took and trimmed into a tree but its really a shrub) lost half its limbs in some big blow…So we will need to saw off the piece and hope (know) that the tree will regenerate (which it does amazingly). There was wind and a bit of rain, but we all had a peaceful and very restful evening with our Easter Lamb on the grill and music by Bill Evan (who Alex  has discovered). Cool.

So, onward to standards writing and organizing.

 

Hopeful

Asparagus Love, Q. Cassetti, 2012, Adobe Illustrator CS5“In those vernal seasons of the year, when the air is calm and pleasant, it were an injury and sullenness against Nature not to go out and see her riches, and partake in her rejoicing with heaven and earth.”

John Milton,(1608-1674)
Tracate of Education

It is the time while the sun shines, the grass greens, and the little buds are pushing their way towards the heat and rain, to be hopeful. It is this holiday celebrating for some, the aspect of sudden death being passed over —the community saved and protected by their God.  For others, it is an aspect of death being overcome by life through the belief of a forgiving God. For me, it is the time to be hopeful, joyful and anticipatory of all things new once again. The cycle of our lives continue in this season of blossoms and green, of renewal and knowledge of what is next…from what blooms in our gardens to the projects we do, to the growth and change of the people we love. It is that spirit of continual growth and change yet the solid understanding that life springs once again from the sleeping frozen world to that buzzing with bees laden with nectar from the new plants growing and stretching.

“Spring in the world!
And all things are made new!”

Richard Hovey. (1864–1900)

It is also a season of creative renewal for me. Does this happen for you? Are you affected by the change in seasons, the glorious shift of light and color that happens with those shoulder times? it does for me…just the light and color ramps up my internal happy meter—and with that comes wonderful ideas to think on, to try to evolve and to change. This is the seasonal push that happens most seasons which I always forget about and am delighted that yes, this is happening again. There is more to sink into and to touch on in the dark night…when anything pleasant and happy can take you back to sleep with ideas that will spin and evolve unconsciously. 

We dropped Alex off in Ithaca yesterday morning to see the rowers racing in their shells. He has a friend who rows for one of the big schools, so it was extra fun to really see the rowing community at work from the ground up. We met him at the Ithaca Farmers Market which was open (day one!). I was blown away as if I had never been there before..looking with new eyes, new Tburg Eyes to see what there was to learn, to understand, to see…and did I mention the food which was curated beautifully. The farmers had tons of greens, little plants, lots of new cheese producers, and many selling CSAs. There were bouquets of spring flowers (along with black pussy willow!), flowering branches, and anenome with their rich black stamen, dumping black pollen onto the brilliant purple, red or fuscia petals. Some notes (to myself):

- Lots of new cheese producers.
- Lots of local meat with many of the producers having     lamb, beef, and chicken at good prices
- If we start loading up with the craft folks, we will need to be more careful and /or juried. It seems overwhelming     that the proportion of food and Ag seems lower than those of the apron and mug makers.
- We can post our fliers at the Ithaca Market next to the   office. Same at Red Feet Wines.
- Having an office for the manager/team is important. Creates a “place” that indicates the market it not random and is run by someone.
-The need for our Saturday market to have a good breakfast offering—and stuff to offer the tourists to buy. (Read, Q. may be selling some stuff)
- We need to get our rack cards into all the local bed and breakfasts as something to do. 

We also bought some wine at Red Feet before attending the market. The owner of the market is a very astute, tuned in, and cool person who had some very interesting observations on our little Tburg Market, what could change, what she liked about the market and how she views it. She likes the Wednesday slot as she can make an evening of it with her young son and buy the groceries she needs for the entertaining she does during the week and in anticipation of the weekend. Kind of a stock up and roll into entertaining thing. She also feels that this appeal of something fun to do with a younger child really works (read, we need to get onto some of the mom network/ playgroup emails which she volunteered to send along). She was also very positive about the Saturday market idea. Her observations of the tourists in town on Saturday a.m. is that they are looking for a place to have breakfast and buy stuff to take home with them. Thus the jugs of honey and maple syrup, boxes of peaches and hand made stuff might really fit the bill. She also felt that if there was a good breakfast offering (smoothies, coffee etc).  it would be the temptation that she would bring her child for another stop and stock up for the weekend. So snacks and dining are the hooks to get the consumers to the market .Then we need to have the food/produce to  get then to buy again. I think if we are clever, we can have a market two days a week with some tweaks to make one different from the other. We will just need to anticipate a few things.

As you can see from above, Melissa Madden and Garrett Miller are throwing Asparaganza, an event to celebrate asparagus. Should be fun. Pencil it in!

We are off on Tuesday to Amherst and then to Hempstead to do the review of Alex’s top two schools to see where it is we will be taking him next September. So, hopefully, we will have the college search complete. Then, we will just have to monitor his progress to make sure he is doing the right thing, and if the fit is there.

On to get checks for the bank tomorrow and act like a grown up. We will be at the lake this p.m. getting things ready for weekends overlooking Cayuga.

Quick

Garlicscape Symphony, Q. Cassetti, 2012, Adobe Illustrator CS5.1Gotta make it quick. I have to run in fifteen to have the April Tburg Farmers Market meeting. Lots lots lots to talk about in an hour and a half, so I should pump up the caffeine to run not walk through the notes. There are banners, advertising, policies, approaches. There is scheduling and events and and and. And in an hour and a half, it will be done again.

Busy here. Lots of running around and picking up and delivering. Tomorrow mail and bill paying along with catching up with Museum work and that of the big client that steadily marches on. Only downside is that some of the stuff we have been seeing with our reviewing hats on, is so bad..and submitted by,yes “designers” that its appalling (what with extensive guidelines etc). We submit very extensive corrective/directive notes that then we are greeted with the arms akimbo, “we are not doing it”. What is the point of standards if no one chooses or is held to following them?

We are going to do the final College Lap to make the decision come Sunday through mid next week. Hampshire and Hofstra. I think we are all ready to commit, but just one last do diligence before I write the check and we sign up for housing etc. What a journey its been to get here…and now that we are at a decision point, what a journey it will be!. The best, we can only hope.

Mr. White is conked out, snoring in his throaty feline, stuffy nosed way. Shady is curled up with her other mother, Gloria. It is really hard to believe that here we are in April, poised to spring into and through Spring—the kooky winter has not helped the time passing whatsover.

Cloudcover

Cherrywood wreath, Q. Cassetti, 2012, Adobe Illustrator CS 5.1Its gone from brilliant to overcast, but that is Spring for you. David and John are monkeying around with the fuse box so they have chased me to my laptop to talk to you while fun with electricity is happening here at 2 Camp Street. I had a great meeting about the Farmers’ Market and how we can work better with the Youth Bureau—getting some help for us on the Board and our wonderful manager, Avi. There is a likelihood that we can get support of two kids each market (July and August) to do some of the detail work like trash, composting, etc. We need the help and they have the manpower.

The Youth Bureau have been involved in the 4-5 movie nights in town and their leader had ideas on how we could really layer on some cool stuff to take the movies and popcorn to another place. Something that builds on the theme of the movie, some fun food offerings? What about stuff you can do with flashlights?. All seems possible and fun. Love that: possible and fun versus a lot of life which seems to seem impossible and hard/ or unfun. So more to do in the next few weeks so we can schedule the movies and promote..if anything…the dates. And it gets  us talking earlier, planning earlier so the normal sweat that happens maybe can be reduced by better planning and teamwork. I am looking forward to working with the wonderful, inspired women from the Youth Commission.

Did I mention I have a new favorite place in the most perfect hamlet on earth? Good To Go! Good to Go is my new Go To these days. It is a wonderful family owned grocery store and take out deli with great organic foods, locally made food and inspired takeout from Carrot/beet burgers to a massaged kale salad that made me want to pass out for the sheer simplicity and perfection of it. Nana Monaco and her mother bring style and friendliness to this warm and inviting space where you can get take out, buy a sandwich or meet a friend for lunch or a meeting. It is another happy place we should not take for granted in our neighborhood.

I was working on cherries yesterday…bold, no gradient, shape-y and then spun the branches into this wooden wreath which I like. Feels very woody and out of doorsy to my happiness. It also has a very gouache feeling versus digital which is good as the real illustrators out there have no patience with this digital nonsense. There are more berries on the horizon as well as hops, beans and peas. Maybe another foray into asparagas.

I just entered Creative Quarterly 28—a bunch of hairhoppers and a pile of the Farmers Market Fruit and Veggies illos plus the Dominic Labino portrait from the Museum. We will see if anything strikes the jury’s fancy.

Onward into the day.

 

Springing

Onion love, Q. Cassetti, 2012, Adobe Illustrator CS5Brilliant cool spring day today. We are back to semi-normalacy as the weather is acting like it should this time of the year. I am looking over at the back forty, blown away by the sheer green of everything. Both Alex and I are feeling that Spring surge of getting our creative mojo back—and we are both relishing it. What is it about the change in season that always flicks a switch and away you go (creatively). I always respond to the change in light…the longer days, the brighter time…but maybe its just that its the change. I find myself doing the same thing when its longer nights and darker days just as instead of opening up, the delight is the hunkering down.

I must admit, that this fruit and veggie thing is still going…and I am loving the response I am getting to this much more graphic work than I normally do. I am thnking more colorfields, simpler, more graphic… As you can see from this work, there is very little shading/ tiger toothing— but more solid shapes intersecting solid shapes, and it still comes off as believeable. Plus, this work is distinctly my own. I don’t  have reference around me from Alexander Girard, the Provensens, Matisse, Milton Avery to goad me into being true to the graphic aspect of this work…it just is flowing. And, I am drawing these things on paper—not using blue line to make the original drawing something that becomes central to the illustratration, but parker pen on bond paper. I am designing these things prior to picking up the wacom pen to see what can happen. And, though they are designed, they always evolve, like magic when I am working them out in illustrator.  So, I cannot wait to get the pen moving to see how the image will resolve itself during the rendering process. I know it’s simple,  but it delights me to no end to see how the head and hand unconsiously resolves these things, and the bodily me just moves the hand and eyes…and drinks in the image.

New thing I am delighted in: Craftsy.

Thanks to Laura Nelkin, local knitter, beader, teacher, world celebrity, and really on the cusp of internet cool, I discovered Craftsy as Laura is doing a class on knitting with beads. What is Craftsy? It is s site you can sign up for online classes and workshops from knitting to giftwrapping, to even illustration and tailoring. The classes are longer than the workshops, but there are videos, access to the professionals, and patterns to learn a technique (like the fancy knitting I want to learn like Entrelac) to soapmaking to sugar flowers. It is very much in the mode of Lynda.com (for those of us obsessed with our computer applications) but friendlier, shorter and more can do. What a great idea—craft classes you can take at home on your own time. One could plan a crafts vacation for a day or so and go wild making lip gloss and crocheted baby hats (take a look at this one…the crocodile stitch floral baby hat>>). Not that any of us have a ton of free time, but a rainy Sunday afternoon and Craftsy could be trouble (if you get my meaning!).

Gotta go. The day awaits as does Yearbook.

Such happy energy.

Pear Wreath 2, Q. Cassetti, 2012Oh my goodness.

The Great Local Foods Network event was unbelievable. Beyond awesome, beyond marvellous. It was what this blissful area is the best at…gathering like people and giving them the environment to enjoy each other, the art and music of the area and valuing everyone in the room. I met a ton of new and exciting people, caught up with others and the time flew by. It took a good day to really come off the amazing energy that was in that space on Saturday.

We arrived around 4 to find a packed house with cars parked all over the place. We were greeted at the door with an energetic group of people making woodfired pizza and another grilling loads of chicken. Inside, there was a long white, table stretched from one end of the warehouse to the next, with bouquets of forsythia and people sitting, eating , chock a block, talking and laughing, welcoming those they knew and engaging in the activities of the afternoon. By the time we had reached the back of the Regional Access warehouse, we hit this oasis of amazingly delicious, and beautifully presented food…salads, enormous wheels of cheese, bread by the basketload, pasta, spreads, dips and dessert representing every color and flavor on the color and taste wheel. There was the silent auction room filled with things to bid on from jewelry to accupuncture, from bags of beans to cases of wine…even some of my prints (as singletons) were to be auctioned. A set of 8 of the fruit and veggie pix were auctioned off at a nice price with the owner delightfully telling me how happy she was (that is payment alone! right!).

So, it was perfection and we all cannot wait until the  next one (if there will be one)…to raise more money for our friends the new farmers and their activities—and have a chance on a dreary day to be transported to another place with friends and the energy they bring.

For some traditional Q. out of focus snapshots to get the jist of the event: here>>

I am off to a meeting (for the Farmers Market) to talk about the Community Yard Sale. So, I have to book…but just wanted to let you  know that I am still drawing breath…and am on a pink cloud.

Water cooler

Peach tile, Q. Cassetti, Adboe Illustrator CS5I am taking a little break as the big machine is getting an Adobe Creative Suite upgrade (5.5) and as the computer whirrs and rattles, the blue band advances, I can chat a bit with you…an electronic coffee break.

I sit here in my tower, looking out over the back forty with brilliant green grass, forsythia and frosty daffodils. The stinky allium were horizontal and frozen the other day, and this morning, they were standing tall and back in order. We can only hope for moderate cold. How crazy is this weather? The deer are back in force.

Its been busy here with work work, Farmers Market work and my farmers work. I am always reluctant to talk about work/
work as its not right…but the other two, I am happy to chat a bit about.

The Trumansburg Farmers Market. We need to boost awareness, build excitement and get more people coming to the market. That is the “this year” challenge (and ongoing). Granted, we have limited funds, but I am the queen of getting a ton for your money. So, in that spirit, we are going to start to advertise in local journals and summertime rags Thank you Amelia (she found the typo!)(advertising is really inexpensive). Additionally, we are going to have a rack card that hopefully we will put in backpacks prior to school letting out ($110 for 5M pieces from BargainBasementPrinting.com). This rack card is going to promote the market along with the free live music that is offered for a fun summer night out on the town for the family. For a wider distribution, we are going to work with an artist who is very affordable and does distribution of her own rack cards, and for a fee will take ours around to wineries etc. where our summer visitors might be. Then there is the local distribution that I think we can, as board members, put out the cards. I am ordering PET recycled tote bags from Bulletin Bag (and, she says proudly, got a community/ non profit price on them) with our summertime slogan (yes, created by M. E….”Omnivore, Herbivore, Carnivore, Localvore! More for ‘Vors at the Trumansburg Farmers Market” Big/brassy and bold. We plan on selling the price with a bit of a markup, but also giving a bunch away (a drawing every farmers market, a drawing at the local foods lectures at the Library etc.). I am looking into small banners for Main Street. And then, we might be having a few Saturday Markets (to test the concept and maybe switch out the rules a bit to give the smaller/newer farmers a shot at selling some stuff). We are going to have a pumpkin event in October, maybe a Thanksgiving market as well as a Holiday market. So…lots to plan and promote.

Then there are my farmers. Love them. Love their independence and spirit. Love how their work, growing food delights them. I am within eyeshot of two of these new logotypes being completed. Another has a few more turns. And the cidery is having the work approved by the TTB. So…a few things on the horizon for now. I would love to share the process but I can only do that after their marks have been approved by them.

I am still making Farmers Market images of fruit and vegetables…making stand alone images and then wreaths and tiles from those elements…creating little collections of things.  I modified my asparagas image to show to Good Life Farm for their asparaganza (an event in May celebrating their enormous aparagas crop)—and I blundered by putting a grasshopper in the picture (fyi. as adorable as grasshoppers are, the Farmers can’t like t hem…at all…think the Bible and swarms of locusts). However, I picked up a few more tricks with warping text (never did that before) and using all the path offset, and path options in my new fave, the “appearance” panel. I am becoming a pretty good intermediate user….

There will be a set of 8 prints auctioned tomorrow at the Great Local Foods Network event at Regional Access in addition to those same 8 auctioned (probably silent) as separate images, and some Q. goody bags of stickers, tattoos, postcards and the like. Should be a fun event with music, raffles, and tons of great people.

The whirring has stopped. The disk is being ejected. Time to get back to the paying work.

noodgy

Peach, Q. Cassetti, 2012, Adobe Illustrator CS5Winter is back with us…after the faux spring forced our forsythia, all our daffodils and the big fat magnolia blossoms to pop. Now we have window shaking winds with wool tee shirts and extra sweaters which would have been ridiculous last week at the same time.

I met with a bunch of local foods people yesterday—our market manager at the Tburg Market, and wonderful Melissa from Good Life Farm. I also had a interesting meeting with members of the Chamber of Commerce—to figure out how the Tburg Farmers Market could figure into the Community Yard Sale (05.12). Thankfully, we got a little thinking about it earlier in the morning so I could be a bit more responsive than my normal dead wood between the ears self. I also had a nice chat with Mary Ellen Salmon, Salmon Pottery about her work, her marketing etc. Mary Ellen does beautifully textured work on simple and elegant forms….with all sorts of texture on texture/ color on color things.  The image below is a detail of a piece she did using buttons to press into the ceramics and then highlighting them with glaze. Pretty! Like little gems, little candies, little magical dreams. So I am charged up.

Detail of a pot from Mary Ellen Salmon, Trumansburg, NYDon’t mind me. I am just feeling a little cranky given all the noodgy people I have given information and direction to more than once who today, requested the same information and duplication of all the stuff I gave em before. I am not chilling on this and frankly wish sometimes, people could hold on, and be a bit more mature than what I am seeing. I am bored with redoing others work and nipping at others heels to get the stuff done I asked for once twice, three times. Tedium times ten. Okay. That’s off my chest. Sorry for that station break.

Today’s illustration breaks some of my rules…and am using gradients for my peach illustration, part of the Farmers market illustrations. There are more in the hopper…some beets, and a fennel illo.

 

We have our prince back

Prince Dauntless from “Once Upon a Mattress”, Charles O. Dickerson HS, 03/22/2012The play was a great success for all. Alex got through with great energy, excitement and polish. It was amazing to see the quiet boy step out to the front of the stage dressed in a red velour nightgowny- tabard with a big gold belt and his crown set back on the back of his head—and belt out a song or two— on tune, in time while dancing. Makes me wonder what we did to have a son with this ability…and really take it in stride without much nervousness.

The second night was a driving performance that got him really going—to the point that he was breathlessly energized—much like his coming off a really good cross country event. He was laughing and excited…it was wonderful. He really did a terrific, funny job. There were people asking about if he could audition for the Running to Places production of Oklahoma this summer…and we are are going to push him. I think it would be a fabulous experience for him to do this with another group. Heck, if he goes to Hofstra, I would love it if he had the will and desire to engage in the theatre there (I think they have something like six stages on campus!).

We had the cast party last night (around 45 kids) with Hebrew National Hot Dogs piled high, hostess cupcakes and pink snowballs on platters as our contribution to the event. It was a good time for all. Plus, they left on time. So it was double sweet as we had to get up early this morning to get Kitty to the bus to go back to the Shire for the remainder of the year.

It was terrific to see Kitty. She is full of ideas, angles and ambition to get out of her comfort zone and meet people, try things and learn. She is headlong into costume design and is relishing every moment of it with her classes at Smith and the projects she is doing on the home turf at Hampshire. We hope to send her to FIT for two summer semesters to get stronger sewing and designing chops. I think if we can bolster this liberal arts experience with strong technical skills…she will really be able to fly. She is dancing her way up and down the east coast—making contra dancing clothes for her friends, meeting a ton of new people and getting away from the socially awkward she previously identified with…and learning that she can have both worlds.

So, all is good. I need to go make dinner. Its late as I have been busy burning disks of all the former drama and one act production photos that I plan to give to the leading light and driver of this amazing program. Such a labor of love that will hold both of my children in great stead as they get older and have to get up in front of people and “present”. No nerves for the two Cassettis….to their mother’s great happiness and pride.

Now for their supper….I wonder what there is to rustle up?

Full Plate

Watermelon Wreath, Q. Casseti,2012, Adobe Illustrator CS5Spring slash Early Summer burst through the veil of March —confusing the trees, the green lily shoots, and pump peony blossoms, and me. I have been weather obsessed—reading tons of stuff online, the digital Farmers Almanac trying to make sense of this insame weather and what to expect…with really no answers but those of Rob which essentially was to go with the flow. That would be the right and easy thing, but I fight it. I like the change in weather…the frosty winters, the frozen springs, the gradual warming and then the delight in the blast of heat. This is all upsidedown and backwards. As someone who likes what she likes, she doesnt cotton well to these changes. However, my Rosemary plant from Atkins Farm in Amherst is digging the change as well as my rootbound orchid.

As a bow to early spring, I cleaned the science projects out of the fridge yesterday—and configured a bunch of things into a kale/couscous/vegetable stock soup, a double batch of biscotti (chocolate chip/almonds and toffee brittle), and cooked a brisket. Now we have stuff to eat, and space to store it. Wow. Productivity.

Sparkly Kitty is home to our delight. She is relishing sleeping in her own bed, eating soup and cookies, and just being in her home. We are doing the same. Kitty delights in everything…and we love her so much. Alex is being very funny…and so its great to be all four of us together in the car, at table together.

I have been heads down getting a ton of work out the door from a new Calendar for the Museum, to covers and branding for the big customer.

Lots of small local projects: There is a new local calendar (http://www.tburgevents.com): “Tburg Events was created by Trumansburg residents Peter McCracken, Flannery Hysjulien and Sarah Koski. Christopher Wofford brought our team together. I created their masthead and a printed postcard to be dropped off at various locations to update folks on this new service. The Great Local Foods Network benefit has a poster/website/ postcard and now rack card to promote the event and the background of this new organization (http://www.greatlocalfoodsnetwork.com). I am using scrap from my files for all of this work which is inspiring me to keep going as there is a place for all of this stuff (particularly as I am the art director/creative director) so I can plug and play as I go. My farmers and I keep at our projects as well as the local beverage producers….so more to come as they come to fruition. And then there is the Farmers Market—which I am very excited about and need to wrap my head around what it is that we are doing this season and getting the manpower behind doing it. Maybe a few emails today.

I am learning sooo much new with Adobe Illustrator these days. I have always used the pen tool…but never really engaged in learning all the cool stuff having to do with paths that are integral with the program and I delight in this new knowledge. The work is speeding up a bit…and I am happier with the results than you can imagine. I also have purchased two new plug ins for Illustrator recommended by the amazing Von Glitschka (aka the Vonster)—Inkscribe and Vector Scribe from Astute Graphics. These plug ins do not really make Illustrator any more inuititive, but allows the work to go more smoothly, more accurately and does some of the knitpicky stuff that just takes time and patience. I was watching a few tutorials yesterday, and plan on a few more today to get rolling with this. It will help with the illustration work, the graphic work and the logotypes which demand more precision/accuracy and smoothness.

So, all in all, things are good. Prince Dauntless will tread the boards this Thursday through Saturday with our having our last, yes last, Cast Party on Saturday. Kitty is home. Rob has a relatively “normal” week. And I have the standard plate of things to do, but with a lot of learning and trying. So, apart from this extrordinary and yet odd weather, things are as close to perfect as possible.

puffs of Spring.

Strawberry Valentine, Q. Cassetti, 2012, Adobe Illustrator CS5Shady and I just got back from looking at our hellebore, our adorable little snowdrops and to see if the cherry trees have buds still on them (that the deer have not gnawed off). We need to put netting over all the hosta, the few peonies left, and the sedum as it kept the deer from ravaging the plants… so be it. I would like big fat hosta, and plump peony blossoms on my tree peony. The ground is unthawing—with the grass all puckery and spongy.  As lovely as the warmer weather is, it still is early.

I may buy a few more cherry trees today from Millers . 3 or 4 more sours…and one or two sweets. This year is the year of the sweet cherry. I have been (and continue to be) possessed by sour cherries, but the sweet are amazing here…as big as equine eyes…and really a robust flavor. What a week cherry week will be this year!

Had a fascinating time listening to the budget work our Village Board was working on last night. It was important to attend, to hear things that maybe we can engage in with the Farmers Market. There is a community yard sale in mid May, and maybe we should offer space for $10. rental  or less, so that folks can bring their things to the park to make it more “community”. Maybe we could get some music, promote the vendors and drive some excitement. We will need some cool shopping bags to sell…and after doing a ton of research, the chico bag still seems like the best option, but I am still checking around. I want the bag to be portable, nylon (as its washable and continues to look good) unlike the cotton ones which are heavy, get ratty looking and just doesnt have a cool factor. Also a bumper sticker. What do you think of ” Carnivore, Herbivore, Localvore. More for ‘Vores”—maybe even use the phrase on the totebag too…versus the logotype. We also need to find a way to drive more to the bottom line so as to make the village investment zero out— Grants, things to sell…more money via rentals etc.

The fruits and veggies continue apace. You will see more…The new tools are fabulous.

Spring Forward!

Pea pinwheel, Q. Cassetti, 2012 Adobe Illustrator CS5Brilliant day. In the sixties. All the doors are open. All the pets are stretched out in the full sun, snoring away and catching some Ds (Vitamin Ds). Rob and a friend are tinkering away at house stuff. Alex is with a friend post tennis screaming with joy over a Pokemon computer game. It’s Prince Dauntless’ only day off this week, so I am not going to get on his back about what he should do or not. He has been a soldier with every night until 9 (even Fridays)…and all day Saturdays too for this play. Gloria is riding. I am writing to you, thinking about an interesting grant opportunity for the Farmers Market and putting some plans together for making naan tonight.

Its been an interesting weekend, not the one I planned. But we are being helpful with a friend who needs the support—so we have been here for him. He needs people to listen and frankly, to parent him a bit He needs to sleep and eat and rest and stop the craziness he has gotten himself into. Its working. He is coming back to himself…as I keep pushing food his way, making coffee, adding a cookie, offering a chip.  He had a bath that was transforming…and after a nap and a good nights sleep…its night and day. After a day, he looks a zillion times better. One day at a time. This is the least we can do.

I was geekifying this morning on my iPad—reading about warps, envelopes and the like and actually have turned an interesting corner in more things being possible/easier to do with this amazingly wonderful, not terribly friendly tool, Adobe Illustrator. New tricks! I am feeling quite frisky.

The week promises warm weather, 2300˚ at the Museum, and many practices for Alex.  The fuzzy magnolia buds are shiny and grey. Our day lilies are showing a bit of green in the ground. The daffodils are trying very hard to pretend its that time to wake up. I hope my cherry trees survived the winter. Time to buy a few more!

I have an asparagas heart on the drawing board with plans for peaches, beets, and turnips. Maybe a root heart (all sorts of roots?). And then, before we know it, Princess Kitty will be back among us! Hurray!

Polyglot

Canteloupe sketch, Q. Cassetti, 2012, Adobe Illustrator CS5I am on a roll with this fruit and veggie thing. Asparaganza, a festival of asparagus at Good Life Farm is going to need a poster, so this work nicely folds into this graphic approach of fruit and veggies. I am intentionlly going very very graphic with this…not quite as graphic as Alexander Girard, but blocky without much tone etc.  I mean, I am a designer—so its not totally out of context to go graphic and bold. I just do not go there as it somehow seems too easy (though I am finding maybe not as cinchy as it used to be).  I am giving myself permission to make some patterns and explore the world of brushes, paths, and symbols to bring some life to this work. And so, it is fun…and I have learned new tools (like outline and offset path, transform and more tricks with brushes). I spent some time this morning reading threads and forums on brushes, on patterns and learned quite a few details (ie. if you are making a pattern brush, and want to be able to use other colors, make the brush in a color. If you make a brush in black, it stays black). Sickly, this is absolutely fascinating to me…and torture for you…and so I move on.

Another discovery: Adobe InDesign is a tool you can create ebooks with. There is a book (DPS Create) available online as a pdf, as a hardcopy book and as an app for your iPad that takes you through the basics on how to figure out how do create ebooks (something I think I need to do just to add value for my customers). Code is that Digital Publishing Systems (DPS) is the word…and there is a lot out there for us to absorb. And…it looks doable. So, I need to create a project to make this a reality and trial balloon this…before I say to folks…”yeah, I can do that”.

From Adobe: Terry White demonstrates, A writeup on DPS

In the middle of all of this, I have done some work on some tattoos (using brushes) which turned out quite nicely (to my thinking) though there is a scary spikiness to these illos that might make the requestors shiver a bit.

Prince Dauntless was just accepted into Hofstra! He is actually happy and smiling…so another one done and done. Must go as the day is tailing out…so culinary creativity will be expected, soon.

 

Whoa!

Tthe National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Space Weather Prediction Center said the sun erupted Tuesday evening, creating a solar flare that is the biggest in six years. (AP Photo/NASA)It’s always amusing to wake up to the sunshiny smart voices on NPR’s radio show” Morning Edition”. Generally, there is  some nice little tidbit about politics, books, movies, the state of the state, even sports. “Morning Edition” is the way I brace myself for the day—grounding in it’s regular format, the calm presentation, the intelligent reporting, the odd story that I feel the need to note before rushing into the drinking coffee and driving cars part of the morning. “Morning Edition” is a lodestone for every morning since college for me…a friend and a dependable rock of information, stories, and news. Solid solid.

However, this morning, I was shocked into wakefulness when these normally salient people started talking about the solar flare being predicted for today—possibly knocking out electrical grids, and messing with the communications at airports etc. It sounded straight out of a mid-century Japanese SciFi Godzilla movie—with flares, electricity, torrential rain, possible plane accidents. Was it April 1st? Were they slipping some kind of “funny” our way just to brighten our days (beyond the amusement of Rick Santorum and the Newt)?  

No. Truly, Planes are being re-routed—and we are all buckling down for the sci-fi predictions around weather, electricity and and the possible cosmic show (ushering in a rare opportunity for those of us lower on this spinning globe, to experience the glorious Northern Lights). Word is:

“A strong storm can lead to problems with power grids, GPS systems, and can be a danger to satellites and astronauts, but this storm has produced no such problems, scientists said.

Physicist Joseph Kunches with the Space Weather Prediction Center likens the challenge of forecasting these events to hitting a major league pitcher’s fastball.”Like a hitter we try and figure out if the pitch is coming down the middle of the plate or is low and outside” said Kunches. “The problem is the pitch comes from the sun from 93 million miles away.”

So, as our team of electrician and plumber and I gabbed this morning, this solar news surfaced and somehow got linked to the wonderful Mayan end of times planned for 12.21.12— with tales of customers who are planning for end of times, even here in the magical land of TrUlysses. We are talking of folks putting in hand pumps for their wells (a great idea, I think) to the full fledged survival kit with months of food, water and electricity set by for emergency. What is a solar flare to those of us in wait for the Rapture!

Strawberry Swash, Q. Cassetti, 2012, Adobe Illustrator CS5Little veggie picture for today. Yep. Little strawberry swash… I am full bore onto produce and Farmers Markets as imagery to learn more about illustrator, vectors, brushes etc. I woke up at 3 a.m. last night thinking about brushes. I am intrigued by where the edge of brushes to custom swatches, to then the opportunity to pattern and frame. I am also revelling in my new heavy duty drawing process prior to squaring up, applying my digital tape and rendering these pictures.

I have been watching a few Lynda.com videos on brushes, textures and textured brushes. I hope this might loosen up some of these pretty bold vector images. You will see what happens if we get anything interesting. I have a very things I would like to try…and I am reluctant to ask a friend as sometimes when I try to discover how to do this sort of thing, I learn a ton more just with the hunting and pecking to try to get there. So, I am learning a lot about filters, about Smart effects etc. More on that front

Yesterday was the last winter CSA at Sweet Land CSA. It was a balmy, early spring , early evening. It was a sweet time with moms and their littles all playing together, grabbing carrots and eating them, building little projects in the pile of sawdust. It was tall rubber boots, bags of turnips, kohlrabi and kale, and the feeling of hope and promise as the next time we will be at Sweet Land will be the beginning of the Summer CSA, heaven on earth. I will be helping them to think out communications strategies as well as polish up their brand as it stands. Should be a fun process to have a monster CSA (hundreds of members), versus my smaller farmers (less than a hundred).