g r a f i k m u s e

MOVING ANNOUNCMENT

2010-01-09T19:55:00.000-08:00

I have moved!! You can find my new blog, Grafikmuse, at my new website pegnocciolino.com Thanks for visiting! The contents of this blog have been archived at the new site. I hope you enjoy:)

Santaland

2010-01-06T17:28:00.000-08:00

I know. Christmas is over but this drawing of Santa with his list had been on my desk since before Christmas and I just couldn't get to it and wanted to finish it. Let's just say it was on my list. I am doing a hand colored watercolor also, but wanted to see it in Illustrator. I love Illustrator for experimenting with color combinations. I was inspired by Q Cassetti's series of nutcrackers. I am thinking that "Santaland" could make a nice series and would give me more opportunities to experiment in Illustrator. I do like imagining what Santaland might look like. I really have to keep thinking "series" as that is what the thesis will be...but the content is morphing daily as I think about it. All the lists I made back in December are shorter now and am crossing things off slowly but surely. Lists save me.

The lake effect snow comes and goes and is filling up the yard. The days have been so so grey that I think that is another reason I wanted to work in brighter colors today. I am also getting closer to launching a new website with gallery and blog on Squarespace. Very exciting:)

Sketches

2010-01-05T12:09:00.000-08:00

Talked to Murray Tinkelman today about our Pasadena assignment. I am thinking of
Kenton Nelson as that visit to his studio pretty much summed up Pasadena for me. It came at the end of the week, Kenton was so cordial and his studio was so amazing. There was an energy about him that just made you want to know more. So we'll see what brews up for this assignment but I am anxious to work on this.

IF: Renewal

2010-01-03T20:35:00.001-08:00

Chinese New Year (Feb 14, 2010) is all about renewal, prosperity and scaring away evil spirits. This is the year of the Tiger...wishing you a brave new year.

New Year News!

2010-01-01T21:37:00.000-08:00

This first morning of the New Year, I opened an email from SILA West telling me that my illustration (Rich Boy) was accepted into Illustration West 48!! ...a really nice way for me to start the New Year..The work will be exhibited online for two years and exhibited at a gallery in Los Angeles in March 2010. The judging panel juried over 1200 entries and included Glen Sagan- Sagan Phior, Ronnie Herman- The Herman Artist Agency, Keith Batcheller-Illustrator, Christy Ottoviano-Christy Ottoviano Books, Victor Juhasz-Illustrator, Vincent DiFate-Illustrator and Bill Perkins-Disney and High St Studios. I feel truly honored...

New Year

2009-12-31T18:05:00.001-08:00

Happy New Year to all and good luck with your resolutions:) One of my resolutions is more painting in a new studio....I am also excited about launching a new website and blog and an Etsy shop to come near the end of the month. Stay tuned for more...

Some summer inspiration (it's been snowing here all morning)...Collecting shells from the beach in a Nathalie Lete bucket from Rose and Radish. You can also get her Robot design here

Recycling Illustration: Chris Buzilli

2009-12-26T19:46:00.000-08:00

So when Christmas comes, one of my children uses newspaper to wrap her gifts. This week she lucked out. Chris Buzelli's illustrations graced the pages of the New York Times Sunday Style section and I was the lucky recipient of 2 presents wrapped in Buzelli!

Merry Christmas: Natural Ornaments

2009-12-26T12:36:00.000-08:00

I love ornaments made from all natural materials.
Most of the ornaments on our tree are made of natural (paper, wood, wool) materials that have been hand-made by me. The top ornament is called a porcupine ball made from twirling tissue paper around the point of a sharp pencil. This is a very delicate, but beautiful ornament and worth the time it takes to make...around 15-20 minutes each. This technique was demonstrated to me by a woman from the local Polish community and it is a traditional Polish ornament. The folded paper white star is Pennsylvania dutch origin and of course there are plenty of origami ornaments. The wooden stars were made with coffee stirrers tied with waxed linen thread and/or yarn for variation. The wool sheep is my favorite. I will have to do some research to give you the source for this as I cannot remember...but i'll try. What a beautiful face!

Beekman 1802

2009-12-21T20:33:00.000-08:00

Today I received the heirloom tomato seed packets from Landreth Seed Co. via Beekman 1802 Mercantile that I ordered. Their commemorative catalogue is wonderful and the cover is a repro from the original 1884 catalog cover. Inside there are lots of enticements "to all who have occasion to purchase seeds" from the company which was started in 1784 in Philadelphia. There is an African American Heritage Collection with recommendations from Michael Twitty, Culinary Historian of traditional African American Food Culture, a Patio Gardener collection, and a Children's Garden collection. Sprinkled throughout the catalogue are repros of Landreth's advertising posters which are little bit of graphic heaven and testimonials from folks who know, for example, that their bloomsdale parsnips are unsurpassed. While I am preparing for Spring, (to ameliorate the already too cold winter ) I did think that heirloom seeds would make great holiday gifts for gardener friends.

I also received an 1802 hand-forged Britannia fruit spoon made from "an authentic 18th century spoon mold and the alloy Brittania which was popular at the time that the Beekman Mansion was built" which is, aside from being a little sculptural beauty, a utilitarian burnishing tool for my printmaking. But it is so pretty it almost deserves to be mounted on linen in a shadow box frame. I think not yet...but someday.

O Christmas Tree

2009-12-17T19:16:00.001-08:00

Our tree from the Owen's farm...I would love to visit Beekman 1802 in nearby Sharon Springs, NY for goat milk soap, goat cheese and more. Making lots of lists...a little progress on holiday linocut. More to come...

Poster Design

2009-12-12T20:03:00.001-08:00

The poster design is fini. The Lab of O has a crackerjack design staff that handed me some edits that were right on. I am sure the exhibit will be beautiful. The GNSI members are serious about their art. I just love this group! So if you are in the Ithaca neighborhood, stop by the Lab of O and see the show. In January, Steve Kress who works for Audubon, will give a talk at Lab of O about the 20 species of birds whose numbers are seriously declining.

Snow is flying, cookies are flying out of the ovens, and wrapping paper and ribbon is flying through the air at lightning speeds. The days fly by...time flies away.

Tomorrow is dedicated to the annual holiday card. Sketches in the works....

In the spirit...

2009-12-09T18:39:00.001-08:00

The snow was wonderful this morning. Just the right kind for snowmen, but too heavy for shoveling. This is the time of year I start knitting and sewing. Made these two gifts with socks, gloves and this great book.

Pulling Christmas out of the basement. Last year after the holidays, when prices were being slashed, I ordered this gingerbread house. It has been in a box in the basement all year. Today, I opened it! It was like having an early Christmas! Of course this is the no bake variety, but if you like gingerbread, here is the ultimate gingerbread website

I really love Scandinavian design. Here is some nice fabric. Here are some examples of the Stig Lindberg collection of fabrics from Ljungbergs textiltryck. He created these playful patterns in the 1950's. Nice.

Some more links.
legendary blankets from Hudson Bay....
LOVE Loop

Jon Han

2009-12-07T16:29:00.001-08:00

Finished paper on rising star and Pasadena presenter Jon Han for Murray. Jon has been gracious enough to consent to an interview by me which I will post here in the future. Love his work. As soon as I saw Jon Han’s silkscreened work on the table in Pasadena, I felt a connection. The simple shapes and fresh forms, the lines and colors appealed to me. Jon Han was born in 1981 and raised in California. He has a BA of illustration, from Art Center College of Design in Pasadena and currently lives and works out of Los Angeles, California. His client list reflects an impressive array of news and science publications including: The New Yorker, New York Times, Los Angeles Times, The Boston Globe, Business Week, Plan Sponsor-Runner's World, Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, NYU Physician, and New Scientist and more. He has been recognized in Illustration NOW 3, Print Magazine Regional Design Annual 2008, American Illustration 27, Communication Arts Illustration Annual 47, Society of Illustrators New York Illustrators 50, and Society of Illustrators West 47. To say that his star is rising would be an understatement. Work assignments for him began in his senior year at Art Center.

Camilla's book by Uppercase Journal is here!

2009-12-07T15:51:00.000-08:00

Very excited today to receive Camilla Engman: The Suitcase Series, designed and published by Uppercase Journal - 190 pages of Camilla! There is delight on every page. Can't wait to dive in.

Tea Time

2009-12-06T15:36:00.001-08:00

Traditional or Digital?

2009-12-06T13:24:00.001-08:00

I know, it's December and there's snow on the ground and it is way too early to be wishing for Spring... But I was just experimenting with traditional and digital approaches....back to Christmas planning.

IF: Crunchy

2009-12-05T20:20:00.000-08:00

Bella prefers dry crunchy catfood.

Portrait of Bella

2009-12-05T15:56:00.001-08:00

Saturday Snow

2009-12-05T12:24:00.001-08:00

Inspiration from France...

2009-12-04T17:34:00.000-08:00

I have been painting again and I am loving it. I've been so tied to the computer that it feels like a wonderful break. While I was in San Francisco, I visited my most favorite shop, Rose and Radish at their new location on The Embarcadero by the waterfront. I found some of Nathalie Lete's wonderful things for gifts there. She makes so many things,... Here is a video of Nathalie found on artist Geninne Zlatkis's blog that you may like. I find it very inspiring ...it just makes you want to go find some paints and have at it:) You can also find a lot of her things at Anthropologie (of course!) and Lapin & Me .
I really love her work. But just watch the video and you may feel tempted to find a brush and paints....

Poster In Progress

2009-12-03T21:00:00.001-08:00

Still playing around with the type and colors...like this lighter palette better.
Getting a lot of InDesign aha moments.....:) Finishing up other freelance projects so I can concentrate on all things holiday.

Poster Design

2009-12-01T20:12:00.001-08:00

Working on a poster design for an art exhibit featuring the illustrations of members of the Guild of Natural Science Illustrators (Finger Lakes, NY Chapter) who collaborated with The National Audubon Society and the Lab of Ornithology. 20 artists painted illustrations of 20 identified common birds whose numbers have been declining at alarming rates. The show 's title comes from part of a poem written by May Riley Smith in 1882 ..." Strange we never prize the music till the sweet-voiced bird has flown." I'll post more details later.

IF: Entangled (Organized Entanglement)

2009-12-01T07:55:00.001-08:00

On a recent trip to Northern California, we saw many vines entangled in an organized
way. This vineyard where the vines were planted on steep rugged terrain was at the base of the Russian River where it empties into the Pacific Ocean. Breathtaking....
And this from Arenas Flowers...

For Bacchic-pleasure seekers, the sight of a grape vine is tantamount to finding Elysium on earth! Yes, grapevine undoubtedly symbolizes intoxication. Scientifically, the vine, from which the intoxicating drink of wine originates, belongs to the Vitis family.

In fact, all literature-especially originates from the celebration of Bacchus, the wine god and this ritual of song and dance was inevitably incomplete without wine and tender entanglement of grapevines.

Wine is Bottled Poetry

2009-11-30T16:47:00.001-08:00

"Wine is bottled poetry."--Robert Louis Stevenson (From the Capital Grille website)

My ever vigilant big sister let me know about a wine label competition hosted by The Capital Grille. According to their information "Master Sommelier George Miliotes came upon a winery nestled into a small corner of Napa Valley where the high elevation, rugged terrain and salty breezes from the San Pablo Bay, produce a wonderfully intense Cabernet Savignon with opulent flavors of ripe cherries, black cassis, cedar and vanilla... "

Northern California Wine Country and the Russian River Valley

2009-11-27T19:06:00.000-08:00

After our contact period in Pasadena was over, I headed to San Francisco to meet up with J. We rented a car and drove North up through Sonoma to the Russian River Valley. We took a short trip to see where the Russian River empties/meets the Pacific Ocean...kind of took our breaths away when we finally got there. Just fantastic!! Next day we drove down through Napa Valley stopping at Healdsburg of course and the famous Oakville Grocery and Cafe Gratitude. Best wine tasting we had was at Porter Creek, a small organic ( one of only a few) vineyard in the Russian River Valley. Best was their 2006 Pinot Noir Reserve, 2008 Viognier, and their 2006 Syrah was wonderful. We were especially impressed with the Quivira Vineyards which practices biodynamic farming.

"...in keeping with our goal for a balanced farm, in the spring of 2008, Quivira broke ground on a Biodynamic and organic garden designed to educate visitors on farming and viticultural practices as well as supply local markets with fresh produce. The garden includes 120 raised beds, growing a wide variety of produce, a Biodynamic prep tower, pond, greenhouse and chicken coop." (from their website)

The air actually smelled green, fresh green...I think it was all the arugula and parsely, rosemary, lavender and swiss chard growing...pure aromatherapy:) Local restaurants rent plots to grow their own greens for their kitchens and their signs were in their respective plots. They even keep honeybees on the property to pollinate orchards and vegetables and as a way to harvest honey. There is more info about their practices on their website.

With Thanksgiving fini it is full speed ahead now to the work of my thesis, some freelance assignments, and feeling very inspired by all the illustrators we met. Oh yes, there is Christmas too,.....ahhhhhh.

Southern California Contact

2009-11-22T17:00:00.001-08:00

Ok, I am home at last.....Post Pasadena and a side trip to Northern California to visit family. I feel like the quintessential weary traveler. But must get back in the groove for the run up to Thanksgiving. Here's a few pics and I'll be adding more now that I am home. Met some amazing and inspiring illustrators thanks to Murray Tinkelman and the MFA Illustration Program. Carol did a great job keeping us all organized. The best was meeting up with everyone again. A truly talented and great group of fellow illustrators.
We took turns driving our rental car on the dreaded Los Angeles freeways--quite the experience. After that you pretty much feel like there's nothing you can't do....especially with GPS. Lots to see in Pasadena and LA but little time. Did get to the incredible Gamble House, Huntington Gardens, The Getty, Old Pasadena, and The Grove. Then it was on to San Francisco and a brief WOW trip to Sonoma and Napa Valley which I'll post about later. I'm experiencing a little overload and trying to debrief and process everything I saw and heard. Looking forward to diving into thesis work after Thanksgiving. Had a good meeting with Doug about the direction I'm going in.

Pasadena

2009-11-06T17:10:00.000-08:00

Hmmm...Palm trees right about now might be nice. It's time for our contact period in Pasadena. Assignments, done. Still ruminating on thesis but am feeling good about what I want to do. They have told us though that our ideas will change a few times. Our jam-packed schedule includes visiting Dream Works Animation Studio, the studios of Greg Spalenka, Jon Han, Gary Meyer, Jeff Smith, Bill Robles, Scott Anderson, Erik Sandberg, Lon Levin, Kenton Nelson, Paul Rogers, the Getty Museum , Norton Simon Museum and hopefully Huntington Gardens as as well as the Gamble House and maybe the Arm and Hammer Museum where there is a Charles Burchfield exhibition including his "late greats".
Photo courtesy of Wikitravel. Will try to keep everyone updated on FB.

Redhood and the Wolf

2009-11-02T18:23:00.001-08:00

Inspiration: Nature

2009-11-01T17:41:00.001-08:00

These impressions left on the concrete from fallen leaves
have the quality of japanese sumi paintings.

Savor New York: Cooperstown

2009-10-30T16:10:00.000-07:00

Road trip to Cooperstown, NY to visit friends. We visited the studios of artist Susan Goetz and Robert Schneider. Susan was working on a portrait of a child that was on her easel. The studios are combined work space and gallery space for both artists who are married. Her father was Richard Vernon Goetz, an accomplished artist and teacher. Her portrait commissions have included Barry Goldwater and retired Supreme Court Justice, Sandra Day O'Connor. It was a wonderful visit filled with stories of her father, and her own experiences with painting. Inspired.
Here is a link to an interesting article about the two of them.

Never give up...

2009-10-26T20:26:00.001-07:00

Latest progression...

Never, never, never, never, give up

2009-10-26T15:22:00.000-07:00

Winston Churchill's famous quote, "Never, never, never, never give up" served me well today.
After asking for Murray's direction on the first version I decided to go in further search of the elusive "stitchy line" so characteristic of David Stone Martin and Ben Shahn. I have tried drawing with brushes and several different pen nibs. Read that DSM was hard on his nibs and probably went through a few just in one drawing. So I decided to push the nib a bit harder and started coming up with what I think Murray was talking about--the "stitchy line". I even tried Andy Warhol's blotted line (printing) technique (the blotchy line drawing above) I also made some color changes and tried to push that further also...

New Roots and New Prints

2009-10-26T06:10:00.000-07:00

I was in Ithaca last week having lunch with a friend and noticed a school called "New Roots" near the restaurant. It's a new charter school...very interesting ...

New prints (giclee) from my Epson R2880...

Somewhere I stumbled upon this recommendation of amazing photos and body of work from Paolo Ventura

Winston Churchill

2009-10-25T20:15:00.001-07:00

I've been working on a magazine cover assignment for Hartford. Picked the decade of the 50's, TIME magazine and am using a Ben Shahn/David Stone Martin (DSM) approach. I was going to go for black and white but Churchill was such a colorful character. I probably could have pushed the color even more, but I was concentrating on the line, which is tricky. DSM was an assistant to Ben Shahn and it shows in his work, especially the jazz album cover designs from the fifties. May do some other versions...hmmm.

more experimenting

2009-10-24T12:35:00.001-07:00

monks united

2009-10-24T08:16:00.000-07:00

Playing around in Illustrator....

monks en masse

2009-10-24T08:07:00.000-07:00

Monk

2009-10-23T20:28:00.001-07:00

Woody Guthrie

2009-10-22T20:11:00.000-07:00

Reorganizing and cleaning the studio and found this illustration from Bunny Carter's class in the summer program at Hartford. This is Woody Guthrie as a child and his mother who used to sing to him. According to Guthrie she was a big influence on him. It's traditonal pen and ink which I brought into PS for effects. It ended up having a kind of wood cut quality which I liked because of the subject. Getting ready for Pasadena trip in November. I've been experimenting with pen and ink for a magazine cover assignment. I've chosen the decade of the 50's and using a Ben Shahn/David Stone Martin-esque style...more to come.

Sketches

2009-10-22T06:04:00.001-07:00

Started sketches for a poster design....more to come

Chad Grohman

2009-10-20T07:23:00.000-07:00

A new website by the always inspired and inspiring Chad Grohman called simple kingdom

We had a weekend all together in the pumpkin patch...lovely.

Birds and things

2009-10-13T14:45:00.000-07:00

Birds at the feeder are having a feeding frenzy...must be the colder weather. Woodpeckers, nuthatches, cardinals, and chickadees today. They are for the most part very polite and take turns. A lot of commotion from hundreds of migrating birds today while they rested in the trees outside. The cold is here.

I like Ryan Haywood's teapot drawing. I like all his drawings. Camilla's beautiful calendar is out.

Red

2009-10-11T07:08:00.001-07:00

Red everywhere. Newest 3x3 came in the mail:) with great cover by Nick Dewar. My favorite inside is Sara Fanelli (The truth is never pure and rarely simple-). I've been a fan of Sara's for a long time...since her 1995 My Map Book. Thank you Charles Hively for a great thirteenth issue!

2009-10-07T20:10:00.000-07:00

This was made in PS from a photo I took of a friend's son at a lake. Thinking of doing a drawing based on this photo...
Happened upon Daniel Sprick website...pretty amazing contemporary realism.
Making progress on Gary Kelly ( Neo Realist ...as long as we are talking labels:) paper.

from Illustration: A Visual History by Steven Heller and Seymour Chwast

“ In the early 1960’s, New Journalism was a form of editorialized reportage pioneered by Tom Wolfe (who coined the term), Truman Capote, Norman Mailer, Jimmy Breslin, Hunter S. Thompson, Joan Didion, Peter Hamill, and others for magazines like Esquire, Evergreen, Ramparts, Rolling Stone, and New York, among others. Usually written in the first person with literary flourishes, which was uncommon in most newspapers at the time, the approach challenged traditional, objective, third-person journalism by injecting more spice, and more personal insight, to the reportage stew. Parallel to this innovation in the 1960’s as an illustrative approach with many facets, partly to complement New Journalism, and partly to shake off the rigid notion that illustrative Realism must be a totally faithful representation of life. Like the New Journalists, Neo Realists attempted to look behind the facade of reality to amplify the nuance of say, a particular gesture or expression to impart more, not less, truth. Neo Realism brought more dimension to illustrative practice than the routine, cardboard reality that was de rigueur during the 1940’s and 1950’s in editorial and advertising illustration.” (Heller and Chwast, p. 137)

In progress...

2009-10-06T11:53:00.001-07:00

Tuesday

2009-10-06T06:14:00.001-07:00

The sun is back. It is always such a huge relief. Although a sunless steel blue sky against all the orange and red of the trees is quite remarkable too. I've been having internet connection issues, but all is fixed now. Right now am immersed in research about illustrator Gary Kelly, (pictured above with Murray Tinkelman on left) who was a visiting lecturer at our MFA program this past summer. Here is one of his latest projects. Very inspiring....itching to pull out the Nupastels ....more to come.

Double Trouble

2009-10-02T06:00:00.001-07:00

Experimenting in PhotoShop with magic. I was most fortunate to have a mini-session with friend, extraordinary artist, designer, illustrator, Q Cassetti . Q shared some tips and tricks with me! Thank you Q! This is serious play.....more to come.

Terracotta

2009-10-01T17:57:00.001-07:00

Exciting news! This whimsical terracotta sculpture is by Svetlana Gorbachova of Borovichi, Russia. She was a visiting (amazing) artist in residence here a few years ago. I recently heard from naturalist/author Rick Marsi that she may be coming back for another residency. Also exciting is Rick's release of his audio CD of spoken word essays on nature available here.

Moosewood

2009-09-30T05:46:00.001-07:00

Trip to Ithaca NY for meeting and lunch at Moosewood. Naturally, the best!
Hmm, maybe time to bring out the Moosewood cookbook and make some soup.

2009-09-29T10:29:00.001-07:00

The objects and piles of things in the new space
look strangely beautiful early in the morning.
The sculpture is of my father. My handmade paper is
framed on the wall. The light will be most welcome here.

Also, you can now see my "news" on Squint. This is the blog for
the University of Hartford Limited Residency MFA Illustration
program directed by the famous Murray Tinkleman. Our faculty
includes "Amazing Greats"such as Nancy Stahl, Gary Kelly, CF Payne,
Alice Carter, Ted Lewin, Betsy Lewin, and now Zina Saunders!

Space

2009-09-23T14:27:00.000-07:00

It is time for a move to a bigger space with more natural light.
Lots of work ahead to make this work...

Here are some links for you.

IKEA ps cabinet

a year of pages

tandem quilts at Rose and Radish (They moved to the Embarcadero! in San Francisco!)

Garden

2009-09-20T20:21:00.001-07:00

It was time to tidy up the garden, pull the tomato plants that didn't make it with the wet summer we had. Leeks and some peppers are still growing. Finally, the first lemons are ripening...tree from Acorn Springs Farm.

IF: Infinite: The Witches of Macbeth

2009-09-18T05:53:00.001-07:00

“Their appetite for mischief is infinite”. (Shwister 60, in Macbeth, William Shakespeare)

"I could be bound in a nutshell and still count myself King of infinite space."
(Witches 4.1, Macbeth)

From, said what

Drawing done with Stadtler pigment liner 0.1 on Hahnemuhle 100% rag, museum etching, 350 gms.

Hooked Rugs

2009-09-16T10:08:00.000-07:00

A surprise gift from my big sister who excels at everything!
She has just learned how to hook rugs and made this
beautiful Fall design.

Welcome

2009-09-12T21:29:00.001-07:00

A welcome read,...Ben Shahn's, The Shape of Content.

"I believe that if it were left to artists to choose their own labels, most would choose none."
– Ben Shahn

Ben Shahn

2009-09-12T20:57:00.001-07:00

garden bench

2009-09-08T19:11:00.001-07:00

Charming new addition to our outdoor space...

Good News

2009-09-06T19:30:00.000-07:00

I am happy to report that one of my illustrations (Rich Boy) made runner-up in Creative Quarterly 17.

Also, my entry into CQ16, which also got a runner-up, is now up on their website.

Received CQ16 in the mail today...fine artist Susan Rothenberg and others. Look at it online here.
Call for Entries for CQ18 deadline October 30. I'm inspired.

Strong: Cochin Bantams

2009-09-04T16:54:00.001-07:00

A fashion forward Barred Cochin Bantam chicken.

Chicken Soup

2009-09-02T17:03:00.000-07:00

It's just starting to feel like soup weather. Made big pot of chicken stock today while I worked. Some links for you...Amy Butler's rugs and Studio Violet porcelain.

Black Cat

2009-09-02T07:54:00.000-07:00

logo design

2009-09-01T19:36:00.001-07:00

Working up some logo ideas...
Inspiration Labs

Compendium

2009-09-01T19:31:00.001-07:00

Nice cards from Compendium. Green too!

Blue Hen

2009-08-31T19:23:00.001-07:00

Greener design projects here.
Magic Jelly thanks to Pitch Design Union

IF: Magnify/Mail Me Art 2

2009-08-28T19:10:00.001-07:00

Taking a break from writing papers to paint a submission to the Mail Me Art 2 project. Find out more here:) The stamps are the King and Queen of Hearts designed by Jeanne Greco,
a very talented designer. LOVE her calligraphy on her site. The stamps helped inspire my illustration. Painted with GOLDEN fluid acrylics. In a way, I magnified the queen, and gave her a bigger crown.....mothers figure large in children's lives sometimes:)

60's Magazine Cover: Woodstock

2009-08-25T19:38:00.000-07:00

Thinking more about what Murray and I talked about yesterday. Yes, a Ben Shahn inspired cover of ?what? Murray threw out" Woodstock" (1969) maybe... and I really like the idea. Ben Shahn died in 1969 but after reading those interviews, I'm sure he would have loved the idea of Woodstock, especially the musicians. So I need to get some sketches going, finish up the business plan, and start other papers due very soon.....

Ben Shahn

2009-08-24T19:36:00.000-07:00

Hartford Update: I spoke with Murray today about the magazine cover assignment. I feel really drawn to Ben Shahn. Murray agrees he was an "emblematic and pivotal illustrator" who was "responsible for the new look of illustration that started in the 50's." I read through some great oral history interviews with him from 1964, 1965 and 1968 in the Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution. Fascinating. I ordered his "The Shape of Content", part of his Charles Elliot Norton Lectures at Harvard. Ready to dig in.

Tomato Time: Heirloom Black Krim

2009-08-20T05:33:00.000-07:00

It's that time. This is a new variety that I am trying this year. Black Krim is an heirloom from the Black Sea of Russia. Apparently it has a natural salty taste and is good for folks on low sodium diets...all it needs is a little pepper:) It is a beautiful deep maroon color. You can order for next season here. I got my small specimen (not the seeds) from Stony Hill Greenhouses, home of "rare, varigated and unusual" plants located here in upstate NY. Stony Hill, passionately owned and run by Dana Kaiser, was featured by Ruah Donnelly in The Adventurous Gardener : Where to Buy the Best Plants in New York and New Jersey.

Here's more...

This tomato variety actually hails from the Isle of Krim in the Black Sea off the coast of the Crimean peninsula in Russia. A rare heirloom variety of the black tomato.

This tomato variety ( Black Krim) is a medium large sized ( 10-12 ounce),maroon beefsteak with green shoulders and an intense, unique taste! Ideal for slicing, salads and more. Due to their natural salty taste, sliced Black Krims do not require salting and only a hint of pepper, which makes them an ideal tomato variety for your tomato patch if you can not have salt in your diet.

The production of this variety is intense and it will do quite well in containers, but if not watered evenly during the summer, this variety is subject to splitting. About 70-75 days to maturity.

Sara Midda

2009-08-19T11:00:00.000-07:00

Thanks to my Hartford friend and extraordinary designer/illustrator Jack Tom, I now know about Sara Midda and her wonderful books and illustrations. They are tiny, colorful, soulful outpourings of love of nature in crisp watercolor daubs and handlettering that stops you in your computer tracks and beckons you back to the real brush. Yes, these little decorative gems on every page have inspired me and lured me away from PS for awhile.

Pond images/PS Effects

2009-08-12T16:56:00.001-07:00

PhotoShop changes using the lasso tool. I wanted to crop in on the image but there wasn't a fish nearby so I lassoed one:) and moved it closer.

IF: Impatient

2009-08-09T20:01:00.001-07:00

©peg nocciolino 2009
This was made from a drawing, that I made into a monoprint, then imported into PhotoShop, then into Painter 11 for some more work. I took the reference photos at a friend's farm. As a beginner, I was really impatient to try Painter. I like the color overlay option. So much more to explore.....:)

Before and After Chicken Experiments in PS

2009-08-09T14:07:00.001-07:00

The monoprint chicken revisioned....the wacom is beckoning me:) Hmmm.....more changes to come.

Cooperstown Photo Op

2009-08-07T10:43:00.000-07:00

Great day in Cooperstown NY! A friend was participating in the flower show so we went to visit and support. What I didn't expect was a great photo op with some young women (one of them her daughter) dressed in Victorian era clothing. Maybe they will be useful for my Hartford assignment to illustrate a magazine cover from a particular time period (decade). Not exactly the Gibson girls but close. Beautiful...the topiaries which may look fake were quite real...amazing...

Printmaking experiments

2009-08-05T20:22:00.000-07:00

More experimenting with monoprints in Norwich. Two variations. I'll continue to work on these images some more maybe adding in some pastel and/ or pen and ink....

Monoprinting on Handmade Paper

2009-08-04T16:56:00.001-07:00

Good day. My annual summer jaunt to Norwich to make paper with June Tyler at Pondside Pulp and Paper had a new twist this year....monoprinting on the handmade paper we made! I made 8-10 sheets of handmade paper in the morning for printing on from a variety of pulps-kozo, blue jean, flax, and gampi. Because of the fibers, the paper is very strong even though it is thin. June advises that flax and blue jean pulps are better for woodcuts and relief printing, whereas the kozo and gampi are better for monoprints. We used Golden Open Acrylics , a new acrylic paint developed by Golden that stays wet longer, making it perfect for monoprinting. These were experimental prints. More printing tomorrow...

The Little Chef

2009-08-02T14:12:00.001-07:00

©peg nocciolino 2009

This is one of the projects that I may work into my thesis. At least for now,...I will be preparing some more finished art and refining the storyboards. More tomorrow...

IF: Modify (Modified)

2009-08-01T17:50:00.001-07:00

I prefer non-GMO - fed chicken. (i.e. (genetically modified organism)
Illustration is a combination of watercolor and digital and is a detail of a larger illo.
The original illustration, done in watercolor, was modified digitally:)

Rochester NY: Memorial Art Gallery, Maira Kalman Exhibit/The Elements of Style

2009-08-01T11:22:00.000-07:00

Day trip to Rochester to see the Maira Kalman exhibit at the Memorial Art Gallery. Love Kalman's work. Unfortunately, no photos allowed, so here is the bookcover of The Elements of Style that she illustrated. You can get it here. The show was wonderful. All the illustrations were done in watercolor, gouache and were suprisingly small. The regional art exhibit was also up and was great, but again, no photos allowed. Most of my photos were of objects from their permanent collection. I was pretty impressed with the variety of time periods from Egyptian, Medieval, to Impressionist and some Asian Art as well. Lots of sculpture...loved the folk art too:) They also have a nice restaurant inside where we had lunch. Then it was over to the Eastman House, former home of George Eastman. Didn't have time to go inside so we just quickly wandered through the back and side gardens. Rochester is a really vibrant city, so much to do and see...definitely going back for more.

Hartford Summer 09

2009-08-01T09:50:00.001-07:00

Tomorrow turned into two weeks. But, I am back from Hartford initiation (complete with a champagne toast) into the MFA Illustration program. The best description I heard was from graduating Ron Spears. He said, "It's like drinking from a firehose...but exhiliarating!" That pretty much sums it up.The fun for me was boarding up with so many talented artists and illustrators who all pretty much talk the same language...something I had been really missing. Even commiserating bleary-eyed each morning over breakfast was enlightening. We were all in this collective boat that landed at University of Hartford each morning. Murray's lectures on the History of Illustration, putting the art in context, was fascinating. It was also nice to see how strongly the university supports this limited residency program. Deans and faculty of the Hartford Art School were visible, supportive, and engaged. The first week with Alice Carter and Dennis Nolan was the most intense with assignments of 50 thumbnails of this and 50 thumbnails of that flying at us. But the learning was profound. "Tough love" works well. The lack of sleep took its toll though. The Saturday between was spent at The Clark Museum and the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, MA. --all extremely inspiring. Week two featured children's book authors/illustrators Ted and Betsy Lewin who helped us formulate storyboards for our respective stories. Both weeks peppered with slide presentations from illustration giants CF Payne, Gary Kelly, Nancy Stahl, Jean Tuttle, Chris Spollen, Danny Pelavin, Ted Lewin, Betsy Lewin, Alice "Bunny" Carter , Dennis Nolan and Murray Tinkelman. Then we had the pleasure of attending the reception at the exhibit of graduating MFA's in a beautiful gallery. Extremely talented group has just graduated. So the onus falls to the class of 2010 next and then to us. Part of the initiation is to let us experience what will be the culminating moment (exhibition, written thesis, and oral defense) for us newbies as well in 2011. The very best part is a new network of artists to communicate with from the isolation of my studio. Fast friends, and reliable shoulders:) The experience was extremely exciting, stimulating (almost too much), and rewarding so far. So stay tuned. I'll be working on assignments we have and planning for Pasadena trip in November and Dallas Fort Worth trip in March.

Home Away from Home

2009-07-12T17:36:00.001-07:00

Hartford turning into home away from home...but the real "fun" begins tomorrow...
One amazingly talented group of artists...more tomorrow.

Lift Off

2009-07-10T08:22:00.001-07:00

Ok, just finished with an extremely focused push on the assignments for Hartford. Whew! I'll be posting when I'm there. At least I promise to try:)... I am excited to see the graduating MFA's exhibit as a prelude for our class in a few years and am anxious to meet new compadres in art. We may be going to the Eric Carle Museum of the Picture Book Art in Amherst MA next Sunday. Meanwhile the garden is starting to top out with cherry tomatoes and garlicscapes that may be on the dinner menu here:) Here is a nice site for how to grill them. The garden has been wonderful primary source material for one of my projects...nothing like opening the back door and doing some research. So have a nice weekend.....and think happy thoughts for me:) Stay tuned.....

Silverpoint: Wild Morning Glory

2009-07-07T20:53:00.001-07:00

Gathering art and electronic materials to pack for Hartford. Garden seems to be out of control growing with all the rain...along with the wild morning glories which wrap themselves around the lavender stems. This is a silverpoint drawing I did during a GNSI workshop with Gerry and Melinda Hodge last summer at Ithaca College. From the workshop description..."Silverpoint is a drawing technique utilizing sterling silver wire that creates a high-key drawing that develops a lovely, slightly brown patina over time. "Tone" is created from finely layered networks of line, creating the illusion of tone. In addition, silverpoint lends itself to extremely fine detail not possible with traditional pencil techniques. Silverpoint can be used in combination with gouache to add color, and carbon dust to expand the tonal range." I really love the sublety of this medium...very fine lines. I'd like to explore it some more.....can imagine it would be good for portraits...

My Garden Grows...

2009-07-07T15:04:00.000-07:00

Really unstable weather today...sunny, rainy, sunny, rainy. Lettuce from the garden for dinner tonight:)

Liam's Brunch at the Little House in the Woods on the Lake

2009-07-07T14:53:00.001-07:00

Magical Sunday christening and brunch at a friend's lake house to welcome little Liam.
Preparations for Hartford continue.....

Yong Chen: A Gift

2009-07-04T11:26:00.000-07:00

Yong Chen, an MFA'er from Hartford who is graduating this summer shared this link with me so I am passing it on to you. He was also quoted in the Communication Arts article by Lisa Cyr (June 2009). Yong, in addition to many things, has written and illustrated his own children's book called, A Gift. The website is here. It truly is a wonderful story. His paintings are amazing! His own website is here. Enjoy!

Happy Fourth

2009-07-03T20:42:00.001-07:00

Click to enlarge.

IF: Shaky

2009-07-03T18:49:00.001-07:00

Doing some research for the Dream assignment and came across a photo in the Library of Congress of E.L. Mitchell, a Denver Colorado Councilman who was associated with the KKK in 1880. It inspired this illo....creepy...a politician with shaky credentials.

"Riding the Wave"

2009-07-03T09:42:00.000-07:00

Great article , "Riding the Wave" in Communication Arts (June Illustration 2009) about the Hartford program by Lisa Cyr. It is getting close to time to leave. I'll try to keep posting while I'm there. Finishing up some required reading and and working on the Dream Assignment...

Day Trip to Skaneateles, NY

2009-07-03T09:03:00.001-07:00

Day trip for R&R and inspiration.... Skaneateles is a great little town. This place exudes charm, quaintness, and has great shopping, a crystal clear lake, and great food (a la Sherwood Inn, award-winning Giverny at Mirbeau Inn and Spa, the Blue Water Grill, the famous Doug's Fish Fry, Joe's Pasta Garage, Johnny Angels, Chang Jiang, and the beloved Rosalie's Cucina) And this is just to name a few. We ate at Giverny at Mirbeau and it was amazing! The bread is
made onsite and the desserts are to die for (or rather from) The scenery while you wait is a Giverny inspired garden complete with bridge and koi pond sporting pink, yellow and white water lillies.....dreamy.

Road Trip

2009-07-02T21:20:00.001-07:00

Road trip to Skaneateles, NY yesterday. Post tomorrow....stay tuned.

reading,rain and rainbows

2009-06-30T18:38:00.001-07:00

Reading Inside the Business of Illustration....good read...lots of rain, so the reading goes fast.

Write Congress about the New (not good) Copyright Law

2009-06-25T06:46:00.000-07:00

This is a call to action. We need all illustrators and artists to write to Congress to oppose the new copyright law which is pending. You need to do it now. Robin Zingone's
blog post here has the links and explanation of why it is so important (She blogs with moxie) Or you can take action now, here If you are a student, or professional there are form letters for all categories. Just click on take action. When you fill in your zip your congressmen will come up. All you have to do is fill in your name and address and hit send. This law will change copyright as we know it. Not a good change......please help.

2009-06-24T20:20:00.000-07:00

Long walk today through a local golf course where someone I know was playing. Of course I did watch some golf but this old birch caught my eye:) Looking a lot in general at the shapes of trees.....tomorrow I'll bring sketch pad...
Love these portraits by British illustrator Matthew Hollings here
Also, if you like making paper, June Tyler of Pondside Pulp and Paper in Norwich, NY, has updated her blog "...There is one spot left in the first session of "Papermaking in the Country," July 1 and 2 spaces left in "Handmade Paper and Printmaking, session one," beginning July 7, as of June 20, 2009."

Dogs in the neighborhood

2009-06-23T18:19:00.000-07:00

Logo Design

2009-06-23T16:43:00.001-07:00

Working on this design for a logo. Not there yet but I am liking so far....

In the garden...

2009-06-21T19:39:00.001-07:00

All the rain has made the garden very lush. Salmon sky for the solstice.

sketch of joe ciardiello

2009-06-20T19:00:00.000-07:00

Joe Ciardiello....a 5 second sketch with a pilot G-2 07 using a photo ref I found. Sometimes it seems better to draw impressions quickly... a la prima. I do love line...just line.

There is a great interview on Illoz with Anita Kunz here.

Reading Matter

2009-06-19T19:57:00.000-07:00

Rainy this morning. Spent the morning reading this new book by Steven Heller and Seymour Chwast. I like how the book is organized by period styles rather than strictly chronologically. Later in the day, I drew a sketch of Connor (friend's son) from a photo I had taken, and experimented some more with effects in Illustrator and Photoshop. I will be test driving a new application upgrade, Painter 11. Have a nice weekend! Hope the weather improves for the Dads.

Connor Sketch

2009-06-19T19:29:00.001-07:00

Connor

2009-06-19T16:58:00.001-07:00