winter 2004

~ Saturday, March 20, 2004

 
Have I ever mentioned that I get obsessed over production details? They make me absurdly happy. (By production details, I mean all the technical stuff which goes into printing and producing my books, decks, whatever.) The color of an endpaper, the shine of a spot lamination, the gleam of metallic ink, the satin finish of a coated paper — I love ‘em all. Which is yet another reason why I work in publishing. I consider the production of the project to be just as fascinating as all the art and words I create for it.

Usually there’s one production detail that I end up focusing on in any given project, which becomes almost a symbol for my pleasure in it. In The Book of Goddesses, it was the brick-red end papers; in Sacred Animals, it was the oversized book trim. It’s a funny thing.

Gentle readers, I have a candidate for The Lover’s Path Tarot’s totem production detail. It’s the fly sheet. Flywhat? I can imagine you thinking. Heck, I didn’t know what a fly sheet was until Elizabeth, my hard working art director, enlightened me.

In any event, a fly sheet is a piece of paper that goes between the book cover and the first page. The fly sheet for The Lover’s Path Tarot book will be translucent, and reproduced with this piece of art.

I’m so happy.

posted by kris at 11:04 AM

~ Friday, March 19, 2004

 
Onto more pleasant subjects. I forgot to mention that things are progressing nicely with the production of the Lover’s Path Tarot!

Earlier this week I received all the line edits for the book (and they really are only line edits — fortunately, the manuscript was clean). I also spoke yesterday with Paula, the designer who’s finalizing all of the press materials. Only a few changes and refinements. One of the ornaments I used in the book and deck design is assymetrical, so that’s been changed to be symetrical, some of the scans look a little green and need to be color corrected — that sort of thing.

Oh yeah, I did scrub the veggie bin. It was strangely cathatic to get the fridge so clean and white! I always get into serious nesting once I meet a deadline. Next up is to shop for a pot rack for the kitchen. I looked yesterday in Park Slope, but the ones I saw weren’t that nice and were way overpriced for what they were. And they didn’t even include the pot hooks. So Home Depot it will be. I suspect I’ll be tempted to check out paint swatches as I meander by….

But all this will be after I check out the line edits. Business before obsession.

posted by kris at 11:15 AM

~ Thursday, March 18, 2004

 
As I was driving in my car this morning, I was thinking about this journal and what I wanted to write next. Mozart was playing on the radio, and it was transcendental. I was feeling good, thankful actually to be alive. Some of you know that I play cello in a community orchestra — it’s an important part of my life. As an artist who spends a lot of time alone in the studio, making music is one way that I get out of the studio. Some of my happiest memories have been spent with the other musicians in “my” orchestra as we rehearse some great piece of music. At times it’s been Mozart. Right now it’s Brahms. While we play, I feel very connected with these people, many whom have become dear friends to me. I’m part of a larger community, not an artist alone in the world.

I also feel connected to the world through friends who work in the same industry as I do. Some of these friends I’ve had for well over a decade, from when I had my first job in publishing working as a book designer at Dial Books for Young Readers. Others are more recent, and have been met through my illustration work.

One of my closest friends is Lisa Hunt, the well known illustrator whose work graced both the Shapeshifter and Celtic Dragon Tarots, as well as numerous gaming cards and book covers. She’s an incredibly talented artist as well as a beautiful, soulful woman. Over the years that we’ve known each other, it’s been rewarding to share our lives and art with each other.

Lisa e-mailed me today with some surprising news: Someone had stolen her images and posted them upon http://liquidwind.deviantart.com/. To add insult to injury, this person (who goes by the nom de web of Liquidwind, AIM name of IcyFiress, and Yahoo Messenger name of ChlorineCrazy) claimed that she had created Lisa’s art and put her own copyright notice on it. She also claims to be friend of Lisa’s brother. All of this is untrue.

It’s deeply upsetting to me as both Lisa’s friend and colleague. I know from first hand basis the hard work and love she puts into her paintings. A quintessential professional, she works long days and nights to meet her deadlines in dedicated devotion to her art. For anyone to claim otherwise, as Liquidwind does upon her site, is (a) unethical and (b) crazy and (c) insulting. It’s also illegal.

Fortunately, after much back-and-forthing, the website administrator intervened. Lisa’s art is off Liquidwind’s site, and all is well. But it really upsets me that someone would steal another’s art and claim it as their own, especially a friend of mine.

posted by kris at 8:47 PM

~ Tuesday, March 16, 2004

 
I was out of town again, this time in Texas visiting friends. I’m making up for all that time inside the studio with a vengence. Next up: I’m not sure, but I’m fantasizing about Florence. I’ve never been to the Ufizzi. Maybe this autumn? (A girl can dream, right?)

Before I left I did receive the editorial comments from my editor for the Lover’s Path Tarot. And they were indeed not a big deal — yay! I finished them up before I left for Texas. I haven’t heard anything else, so hopefully that’s that for now. I’m really getting excited about seeing proofs soon.

Though I’m back in the studio, my brain is floating elsewhere. I need to focus and get moving on some new projects. Instead, I’m thinking of painting my studio a rich Tuscan red and cleaning the refridgerator. When did scrubbing the veggie bin become so enticing?

posted by kris at 11:32 AM

~ Saturday, March 06, 2004

 
Since my last update, I’ve been out of town for two weeks in sunny southern California. (Well, it wasn’t that sunny, but it was warmer than NYC.) I basically did a crash and burn upon finishing up the Lover’s Path Tarot. I knew I was exhausted, but I didn’t realize how much until I actually took some time off. I guess it makes sense — eighty paintings and 40,000 words in less than a year will do it to you. As well as the design for the entire package, book, deck, spread sheet, et al. I’ve never done such a complicated project.

I feel a lot less drained-to-the-bone/the-well-is-dry, but I’m still a little tired. Fortunately, I’m going out of town to visit friends later this week. It does seem like that I’m all or nothing when it comes to travel. Either I’m hibernating inside the studio for days at a time, or I’m out and all over. I’ve heard that other people with home studios have similar issues. It’s hard to turn off the work flow, since there’s always something more to be done. Hence, you find yourself basically working, or thinking about work, 24/7.

So I finally got back into the studio several days ago. I’m still not at 100% but that’s okay. I’m working on some freelance design projects, as well as new book proposals.

Lover’s Path Tarot news: I heard from my art director that everything is on track. We had a telephone conference to go over a few last details. It sounds like the manuscript is fairly clean — there’s a few editorial comments, but my impression is that they’re fairly minor. I’ll know more when I speak to the editor Monday morning.

I also learned that I’ll be signing for The Lover’s Path Tarot at Book Expo this year! I’m very excited about this — I love Book Expo. It’s a wonderful opportunity for me to meet so many of the wonderful book buyers and sellers who have supported my work. It’s also a fun event, with lots of socializing and parties. Book Expo is in Chicago this year, so I hope I’ll be able to sneak an hour to go look at the Joseph Cornell boxes at the Art Institute there. I love his work — so alchemical and mysterious. I’ll post more information about my signing at Book Expo as I learn it.

BTW, here’s a shout out for my friend, the amazingly talented illustrator Alan Lee: Congratulations on winning the art direction Oscar for Return of the King! Anyone who has seen this film knows how fully Alan and his colleagues deserves this honor. I’m beyond thrilled — yahoo!!!!!!

posted by kris at 1:11 PM

~ Saturday, February 14, 2004

 
Happy Valentine’s Day! This seems an appropriate day to announce that all of the leftover/revised/whatever files for The Lover’s Path Tarot were completed and sent out to my publisher. So that’s that — until I get the next round of revisions. Hopefully they won’t be too extensive.

I’m relieved that my labor is pretty much complete. Much as I loved working on The Lover’s Path Tarot, toward the end of a big project I feel like a marathon runner limping toward the finish line. Plus it seems as though I’ve spent most of this winter ill or recovering from some bug. I definitely need a rest.

I mentioned in my last entry that I was making plans for new projects. Well, I have moved onto them. I mean, I can’t sit around waiting on fate to drop a book contract into my lap, nice as it would be. So I’ve started working on reissuing some out of print books. I’m fearful to tempt the muses by writing too much too soon. I’ll post more as my plans consolidate!

posted by kris at 2:58 PM

~ Saturday, January 24, 2004

 
Since I last posted I did finish revising The Lover’s Path book proposal. It came out better than I’d hoped, though printing it out took tons of time. These Epson inkjet printers do a gorgeous job but are so watching-paint-drying slow. It took me about two days, printing a chapter at a time so not to crash my computer (which is being very fussy, but that’s another story. I think it’s time to upgrade to Panther.) It was dropped off at my literary agent’s earlier this week.

Now I have the post-creative letdown blahs. I’m sure this ridiculously icy winter isn’t helping my mood. If only some plucky publishers would buy my novel, I’d feel much better — though I should know enough not to allow my emotional state to be affected by the capricious world of publishing. It’s best to be just let the book go and work on something else. After all, the only thing I can do is do my best work and hope for the best.

To distract myself, I finished the Lover’s Path Tarot box this week. I wish I could show how it will look! Right now, it’s just a bunch of design panels waiting to be assembled into a three dimensional box. I had a lot of fun designing all the various components.

I also got in the final scans for the art — but no art returned yet. I hope the art’s okay, and just hasn’t been sent yet. The only thing left for me to do is finalize the last threads of the LPT’s book. It feels so strange to be so close to really letting this baby go.

Already I’m making plans for new projects. More to come later!

posted by kris at 3:08 PM

~ Saturday, January 17, 2004

 
Still revising The Lover’s Path book manuscript — but I should finish it today. Then I’ll be finalizing the last edits and designs on the Lover’s Path Tarot. I’m definitely moving in slo-mo these days. Though I’m about done with my antibiotics, I’m still really tired and have been sleeping like a bear in deep hibernation.

Have I ever mentioned how much I love love love this book which I’m now revising? I know that sounds self-aggrandizing, but I don’t mean it to be. It’s not about how amazingly wonderful I think The Lover’s Path is, though of course I’d be delighted if some reader thought that one day. My affection is simply a reflection of all the learning and creativity this project has engendered within me over the years. No matter how many times I’ve worked on it — and believe me, I can’t even count how many revisions and versions it’s undergone — I’m still inspired by it, or I still find something new to learn. It’s one of my longest-lasting ongoing relationships, if you consider working on a creative project to be a relationship. (I guess I do. Certainly a book contract is something like a marriage license. Only it’s until publication do you part.)

Another strange factoid: When I started The Lover’s Path I wasn’t even computer-literate. I created the first layouts for it using color xeroxes, wax, and my trusty exacto knife. Now, after many different developments and lots of patience, there’s an entire book basically ready to go to press, with art, text, and more all in digital format. In pdf format, it fits neatly onto a cd-rom. That’s a far contrast from the many folders, art files, and what feels like gazillions of drafts I have stuffed into various boxes and corners in my studio.

All that’s left for me to do on this revision is a few last text edits. Then I’ll have to print out the monster manuscript. That should take some time, since my inkjet printer is slow — it’s one of those Epson graphic printers which makes beautiful printouts but takes some time. In any event, I plan to get the entire thing to my literary agent’s desk after the three day weekend.

And that will be that — for now.

posted by kris at 11:14 AM

~ Thursday, January 08, 2004

 
I’m here, I’m here! Between the holidays and a monster sinus infection (which seems to be making the rounds of everyone I know in NYC), I’ve been down for the count. But I am starting to feel better after several days of antiobiotics. The studio awaits me!

Not much more to do on the Lover’s Path Tarot box and book. I need to finish up the box design, which is almost done but has one or two pieces left. The book awaits the final art scans (which haven’t arrived from prepress yet — got to check up on that). Also have a few last entries to write. I then want to go over the entire book with a fine comb, to catch anything I might have missed.

I also started revised the Lover’s Path, the book which inspired the tarot deck. There’s not much to do on it, but I’m moving very slowly these days. I should be back up to speed in a few days.

Happy 2004 everyone!

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