Architectural Historical Research

 My next show will be a treat!  

The playwright specifically calls for the set to be a school children's library... as it might be designed by legendary architect Julia Morgan.  The first woman to to be admitted to the architecture program at l'École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts in Paris and the first female architect licensed in California. Most famous for designing Hurst Castle.  (Go check her out at Wikipedia!)  

More than that, her buildings are beautiful - designed in a unique blend of 19th century Beaux Arts style mixed with a California sensibility and material palette.

Photo by King of Hearts - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=21785132

Designer Fashion

 Just found this funny photo... my paint pants and shoes.

As you can see, I'm a messy painter!  With a bad habit of wiping my hands on my pants too. 

Other fashionista scenic designer trends?  One painter I know recomends wearing Hawaiian print shirts because the odd paint drip hardly shows.  And I knew one who wore old fashioned golf shoes - the kind with rubber spikes - so he could walk on wet floors without leaving footprints!

There Is Just Joy In It

 An interview with artist Yoshiko Yamamoto, whose woodblock prints amaze me!

She discusses why, in an age of AI, humans still need to make things ourselves.

I'll include just one of her prints here to give you the idea of her Craftsman / Japanese style:

 

Copyright Yoshiko Yamamoto

(I happen to own a copy of this print, so feel okay about showing it here.)  

There is something so wonderfully observed about her nature printsand a technical command that awes me... 

And here is an example of William Morris' work - his ideals of craft are referenced in the video.

Design by William Morris

Book Illustration

 

Map Art

I've been designing and drawing maps for a series of fantasy books that a friend and I have been writing.  Maps are fascinating, and making them is fun.

 

But a different friend just brought my attention to this amazing art map!

Watch the video.  Really.  It's long, and it's worth the time.  From People Make Games: 

"He Won't Stop Building a Map to an Imaginary Place

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Is8N7B9b0GQ

The enormous, wonderful, ever-changing, gameified, art map of Jerry Gretzinger!

The Ghost's Afoot!

 Well, I'm back in town and back in the theater.

While I was away the Stage West production of Sherlock Holmes and the Adventure of the Ghost Machine was delayed a week... so I was able to watch the Designer Run yesterday.

Tomorrow I'll be hitting the discount fabric stores along Harry Hines looking for fabric for a seance tablecloth.

Nice to be home!

Public Domain image of a seance circa 1920

Wikimedia

That Bard... At It Again

It's amazing to me that, whatever the situation, you can find a Shakespeare quote that fits.

Today's America?

O nation miserable,

With an untitled tyrant bloody-sceptered,

When shalt thou see thy wholesome days again?

And that ill-luck-to-name-it Thane's play is just too, too quotable nowadays:

It is a tale

Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,

Signifying nothing.

 

Brought to my attention by Ron Charles, former book critic for the murdered Washington Post. An interesting take on the recent shooting at the White House Correspondents' Dinner.

What's Going On?

Well, the first draft of the next book is kinda done - mostly done - sorta...

Sssssh.... It's resting.

Which, honestly kills me.  I know it's a good idea, necessary even, to let a manuscript rest and cool down a bit before you start working on it again.  Just as it is a good idea with any design to walk away for a few days and then come back to it.  (That's when that stupid thing smites you in the eye. "How did I not see that?" you exclaim.) Rest is needed.

But.

I hate it.

So I'm moving on to making illustrations.

I've been really enjoying making linocut prints!  And, making it even more fun, Santa brought me new really spiffy Japanese carving tools - so much better than the standard tool kit I had before.  These make the experience feel like butter carving... smooooooth.  Lovely.

Notice the bright red baron?  A super special custom 3D printed tool with ball bearings on its underside to pressure the print's paper against the linoleum 'plate.'  Another joy to use.

On the theater front?

I just accepted a new play to design for October!

(Can't announce it yet - but it should be fun.)