The Secret of Kells

Just found out about this film on Roger Ebert's website. It looks stunning. Currently in very limited release in the US.

Click the image above to reach the website for the film.

Trailer:


Clip with song from website:


Another clip with nicest visuals (will launch in a new window):

Already saved it on my Netflix list...

(All images Copyright 2008, The Secret of Kells - Studio.)

Watkins Glen Gorge

Click on any of the photos to see more on Flickr.

Last weekend we went to Watkins Glen (it is at the base of Seneca Lake, the next lake to the west of Cayuga Lake) and walked through the gorge with Loden's family.

I've only ever walked through this gorge once before - last year. I need to remember to make it a more regular event. It is an incredible gorge, with waterfall after waterfall. I kept finding myself wondering "Wait, where am I... which state or country?"

So many variations of light, temperature, color and sound. A wonderful way to spend a day.

Virginia Lee Burton and Folly Cove

"Kitnip"

One of my favorite images by Virginia Lee Burton as part of The Folly Cove Designers.

I recently visited my family in Gloucester, MA and went to a new gallery in Lanesville with my mother - Flatrocks Gallery. It opened in what once was a new and used bookstore. (I can't find any good images on the web, and their website is currently bare.) They have a lovely outdoor garden space with sculptures and inside there are two rooms - one is the gallery and the other is still an operating bookstore. After looking through the art gallery we went into the bookstore and this book caught our attention: "Virginia Lee Burton: A Life in Art", by Barbara Elleman. We spent a good bit of time huddled over it, so my mother purchased it and slipped it into my suitcase without telling me. (Thanks, Mom!)

(Click on the book to flip through it on Google Book Search. Worth a look.)

Virginia Lee Burton wrote and illustrated several books for children: "Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel" and "The Little House" possibly being the most well known (full lists of books she wrote and/or illustrated are here).

I hadn't known that the person behind these books was from Massachusetts. It turns out that she had lived in Gloucester and was the central figure in the Folly Cove Designers. I had heard of the Folly Cove Designers before and had seen some of the work of a previous member before. The Folly Cove Designers carved wonderful images in linoleum and had quite an operation until Virginia's death in 1968. They printed on fabrics for the home that were sold locally and in some large department stores. More info and images here.

I love the style of the prints made by Folly Cove, and it is obvious that the aesthetic of the group was influenced by Virginia's "Arts and Crafts" style.

And, of course, the book has me thinking even more about uses for our rubber stamps. I'd been thinking lately about making images that fill the entire sheet, so that they can be inked and used much like large linoleum sheets (shown above). This book has me even more inspired to look into that option. Perhaps leaving enough space between individual elements in a sheet so that they could still be cut out and used separately.

Hmmm....

Illustration by Virginia Lee Burton.

Update:

I guess there is quite a revival of interest in VLB and the Folly Cove Designers. Just saw this PDF of an article in Vogue this past May: http://www.virginialeeburton.com/images/VLB_in_Vogue_May08.pdf

My Cousin's Biz

My cousin, TJ, and a friend have started a great new business: Mother Earth Fundraising. They are just starting out, more products will be added.

I only became aware of fundraising businesses like this a few years ago when a girl in the neighborhood started coming around once a year with a catalog of cards and gift wrap, candles, etc., trying to collect orders. A portion of the sales was going to an organization at her school. My cousin's business is supplying recycled, organic and eco-friendly products for all kinds of non-profit fundraising, such as schools, little league sports teams, etc.

From their website:

Finally - your school or non-profit can 'Raise Money Responsibly' through our web-based fundraising program featuring exclusively eco-friendly products.

Mother Earth Fundraising strives to create an eco-friendly business model that is both sustainable and responsible for the consumer & environment by:

• Featuring exclusively eco-friendly and organic products
• Creating a near paperless company
• Purchasing carbon-credits to offset all carbon created from order shipping and other operations
• Packaging orders in recycled boxes & protect contents with eco-friendly materials
• Encouraging groups to change their approach to traditional fundraising

We want to change the way non-profits approach fundraising. We’ve created a ‘responsible’ eco-friendly program that your group can be proud of:

• We've eliminated tedious tasks: no catalogs, order forms, money collection, tallying or product distribution
• Our program supplements, or replaces, current fundraisers
• Your community will have access to our programs year-round in order to continuously support funding
• Set a great example for students, parents, and your community!