Sugar Coated Advent 2012: Day Twenty: Punch in the Box

Sugar Coated Advent 2012: Day Twenty: Punch in the Box, Q. Cassetti, Trumansburg, NYAlright, I couldn’t resist. There were two Jack in the Boxes done for Jennifer Houghtaling….the happy and cute one posted earlier, and the Punch in the Box (as in Punch and Judy) that I had to do (if anything, to see if I could make a monster brush, which I could)… and so, I need to post that right now as a counterpoint to cute. Punch does not have his club, but as you all know, he uses his head as a battering ram on his poor scapegoat of a wife, Judy. I hope Judy gets a break over the holiday….

Sugar Coated Advent 2012: Day Eighteen: Special Delivery: Parachute Santa

Sugar Coated Advent 2012: Day Eighteen: Special Delivery: Parachute Santa, Q. Cassetti, Trumansburg, NYKitty and Alex are coming home today, so I figured someone jolly dropping in might be a fun point/counterpoint to our expectations! This little dude is again inspired by that wigged out show we saw at the new Museum and my fascination with stratosphere, diving and space suits (particularly the early ones)…articulated in stripes and candycanes. How I have gotten from Gingerbread houses to Stratosphere suits is a little beyond me, but in the context of 6-8 images make a thesis project, by the end of this process, there would be plenty to pick for one slash two thesis (in different flavors). I was watching a few YouTube videos on some techiques I am working into my digital mis en place and am fascinated to see where this is going.  I was delighted with an illustration I did last week when I had to do a reduction illo of a tractor and put type on it—using drawing to better integrate the type with the image. New tools= more control and confidence in really rocking with it…And it was significantly faster too.Such a fabulous surprise!

Its another grey and rainy day with dark clouds, heavy droplets and the suggestion of snow or something slushy later today. I have dethawed a pork roast from the half pig we bought and am slow cooking it for the soon-to-be arrivals along with a mess of tomatoes I froze after cooking and foodmilling this summer. I have a box of chopped basil to make fresh pesto for Alex (who is pining for big eating). Now, what to cook for Christmas dinner. Hmmm.

Later. More advent stuff (am contemplating another bonus image today!).

Sugar Coated Advent 2012: Day Seventeen: Christmas Treat

Sugar Coated Advent 2012: Day Seventeen: Christmas Treat, Q. Cassetti, Trumansburg, NY Another week…and I have yet to burn out on these holiday images. More coming…some odd, some obvious. I am intrigued by using a few new tools including 3 D to get me into another space. Same type of stuff, just more trippy which is really fun.

You can see, I have a new brush or two (LACE!) and some new little gingerbread folk to add to the pile of configuration. I put it to the Facebook crew following this progression as to what to do next and some fun ones surfaced: a jack in the box (maybe or maybe not married with Mr. Punch, the acceptable wife beater of historic fame), a fruit cake(!),  a candy wreath? I have quite a few more (angels, Santa Lucia, a Krampus in this mode, Mr. Gifty and then some) so I do not think boredom will factor into this project, yet. What this rolls into (a more yokai exploration of things Japanese and really try to be uber cute?) Dunno. No reason to worry about it as I have miles to go before I sleep.

The pins and cards are moving at Sundrees and at Petrune. Petrune placed another order (rings and brooches…no more pendants)…and I am trying to figure out the transition of the holiday stuff to the Valentines Day merch. Believe it or not, we have it. And, I will need to print out singleton valentines for sale too. Plus, I have the Q Company card that needs to be designed and printed. I am thinking postcards as the holiday cards (going in the mail today) are pricey as they are square/3 panel deals that I had printed at a discount printer on line (2 up) and then we diecut/scored them on my new little diecutter/the Accucut. Such a cute trick.

Another thing I am pursuing is having some linen teatowels printed with my illos on them…? or even some linen napkins. I found a cool resource (US, no less) that I am going to pursue soon. They not only offer custom printing but also sewing(!).

Rob is off to a meeting in Albany. Kitty and Alex are home tomorrow. The week is encrusted with meetings and projects, christmas wrapping and grocery shopping…and then the small blissful times I have to potter on the ‘puter.

Sugar Coated Advent 2012: Day Thirteen

Sugar Coated Advent 2012: Day Thirteen: Lollypop Day, Q. Cassetti, Trumansburg, NY, Adobe illustratorThere is pink, and then there is pink. I like ballet slipper pink. Its a pink that is more peach than pink, with a little bit of dirtiness, but not that crazy, “I am a first grader/ pinky pink” that every little girl adores. Hello Kitty pink, shocking pink, hot pink. Ballet pink has more grace and is more of a blender than a “look at me” kind of color. However, even I find that sometimes the pinky pink is a shot that you need just to get things jingling. Betcha you didnt plan on this yap today.

Our Advent Calendar continues apace. I am learning quite a bit, and find myself cracking open the ole tutorial book to see why something is or isnt working, and then surprising myself when I apply something that I have no idea how it will work, and it does, but not in the way I had expected.

I am learning quite a bit about some interesting  Japanese offerings. First off, did you know that in the suburbs of Tokyo, the brilliant Sanrio company (read Hello Kitty etc). have their own inside theme park, Puroland, devoted to all things “Hello Kitty”? Well, now you do. You can visit Hello Kitty’s big pink house, meet her boyfriend “Daniel” (? Why wouldnt you name him a similar way: Hello Kitty, Good Bye Kanye?), see a Sanrio show, eat in their many restaurants and shop (imagine the Kawaii heaven). They even have some pretty dull rides that you can take to participate in the wonderfulness. Great concept, looks like less than strong execution. Sanrio should have hired the imagineers to come in and do their thing to take this baby over the top. It could have been more “American Doll Place”—even…but from the pictures it seems a bit flat. However, you can get married there in a Hello Kitty Wedding Dress (yes, its true) (see to the left) and then shop afterwards. Imagine the Hello Kitty reception with food made to look like the Re ment stuff—from rice balls formed to look like Hello Kitty’s head, to sushi in the same shape, to little jellyroll confections with picks in the top of course, of the little pink bobbleheaded cat we all want to incorporate into every single aspect of our lives. I have been looking at the pictures of Puroland and as much as it fascinates me to  no end, there is something scary to this place. Not a lot of pictures of people smiling, not a lot of kids, and no real feeling , no real beat of the emotion of the place. I bet its real clean, though.

I am working on a tractor illustration for a pair of musicians who are coming out with a new CD (due soon). Meeting with my friends from the Piggery to see how we can help them further their cause of affordable deliciousness—and move their newest endevor forward. Someone contacted me to use an illustration in some product labelling, so I am working on getting that designed and integrated (versus handing over the goods, I suggest I do the job for him…and more often than not, it works). There is holiday stuff, there is work stuff and of course there is illustration work stuff. So busy captures what is going on here.

Sugar Coated Advent 2012: Day Nine: Little Mother

Sugar Coated Advent 2012: Day Nine: Little Mother, Q. Cassetti, 2012The Little Mother stands placidly, with her little gingerbread house clasped in her simple hands. She is waiting for Christmas—with a lace halo surrounding her quiet way. Luckily, she does not know the cast of characters she is sharing the holiday stage with…nor do you…but for her sake, it is better that way. The shocked/bee sting expression she has would be one of horror if she witnessed who her fellow performers were. Little Mother just likes things simple, regular and plain. No spice here. Safety and comfort.

Sugar Coated Advent 2012: Day Eight

Sugar Coated Advent 2012: Day Eight: Stratosphere Santa, Q. Cassetti, 2012, Trumansburg, NY, Adobe IllustratorAlex Cassetti and I saw a show at the New Museum this summer about the way people are transported into different places (cars, trains, automobiles, bikes, underwater stuff) all shown as a series of photographs which were by their curation, compelling and memorable. I was struck with the marvel of the history of how hard people need to work to explore the world undersea, and underground. I did a whole lot of research on those suits, particularly those stratosphere suits, with little creative coming out of that study, so here is a Santa, preparing for travel. Maybe not with reindeer, but to a place far away and nearby as well. There are probably going to be a few more pop ups inspired by that show in this collection of random holiday themed/ candy inspired/ kawaii inspired images.

It is December today. Not S. California or South Carolina…it is cool, with ermine clouds and tiny reminders that the sun is shining. I like it.

Plenty to do. Plenty to fool around with. Maybe a trip to Sundrees to see if they need more cards or adornments? We will see. It is only the beginning of the holiday swirl.

Welcome to the weekend: Sugar Coated Advent 2012: Bonus

Sugar Coated Advent 2012: Welcome to the Weekend Bonus, Q. Cassetti, Adobe IllustratorAs you know, I am on an illustrator engorged time…with new brushes, new symbols, new swatches, and new tricks galore…that sometimes inbetween illos, I toss off a few of these patterny doodles just for fun. So, in celebration of a long week behind us, here is a doodle for yooudle to toast the beginning of the weekend and the progress of the week.