Instant Rantaroni the NYC treat!

"You don't know the reason why you do what you do."
This is not the thing one wants to hear about the job they do 35+ hours a week. I had my check in for the uws side store today. It was supposed to be a casual thing and it was for the most part, but this phrase ruined the rest of my day. I am the first to admit that I am a sensitive person, but this pissed me off. Over 4 years in coffee, 2 certifications, 2 in house competitions, numerous books, 2 written exams on coffee, and 12 hours of Nick Cho talking at me have earned me the right to say I know why I make drinks the way I do. I do not want to be supreme overlord of the coffee word and I could care less about barista competitions, but I know what I am talking about. I know why I do not "thump" or "knock" anymore, I know why I do things the same way every time, and I know why a shot tastes good and why it does not. Ones education never stops and this is true for coffee too. I read books and blogs and I have changed my form at least twice. Knowing why I pull shots a specific way is what qualifies me to work in specialty coffee.
I work hard and I am tired of crying about it. It seems that every job in this field I spend the first 2 weeks coming home crying. I want to get to the point where I walk into a shop and feel like I can do my job without being constantly scrutinized. I want to be recognized for my ability and not treeated like some pion...yes pion, unling....
I do not want power, but I am getting mighty sick of being dominated. I know this is the problem with working for other people. There is always someone who is going to feel threatened and therefore they are going to lash out, but I am getting fed up with being the punching bag. Yes I take things personally...but I think I have a right to. It is personal when its more than a job. I spend most of my week working on being better and then to have someone who does not know me or my method come in and judge me...not acceptable.
And the best part is I said "I keep up with the coffee world. I read blog (also forums and books)." To which said person replies "I don't read blogs (with disdain), but I have been doing this for a long time." bullshit.
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I have to rant when someone ruins my 8 hour day. I feel like a fire hydrant that never puts out fires, but always gets peed on. Go pee on someone else!
poop

Fred and Sally

This is an illustration I came up with on the bus down to washington dc. It is based on a drawing I did a year ago of a girl with a monster. In the original drawing the girl looked a lot more frightening than the monster and I want some of that to come through in the illustration. I did a few and I think the sketch of her at the bus stop will be the underpinnings of a full illustration.




Also look at bean there drank that for other drawing stuff

represent

Its here!

Train drawings

red lady

Last nights sketch while watching friends play settlers. Super tired and going to try and accomplish some work? We shall see very tired...beh

Fish Lady

This was an illustration from my sketchbook and colored with gouache. I have been painting right in my sketchbook these days which is great because I have had no time to set up a formal canvas or watercolor page. I need to set up an environment. I like doing these little sketches, but I do not push myself enough so maybe I will work on something on the train....if I can sit down.
I have observed that all the chairs in the subway all face each other....unlike DC where you can face forward look at the back of peoples heads or draw without people staring at you. I have such performance anxiety...I guess I will never be a characteristic at kings dominion. But really got to work on that.

soupie ladies

here are some sketch book doodles. The sketch book I have right now was a gift and the paper is so good that the color holds and does not seep through the paper so I have been colorizing all my sketch book stuff. yay fancy french paper!

900 bottles of paint on the wall

Doodles!
But really, it is nice to have a bit of time to post such things. I have been very busy getting two portfolios and 250 postcards to my agent so that she can whore out my services. In addition, I just finished hinging JJ's photography portfolio for her interview at ICP on sunday...I should get paid for this. Anyone need some hinging skills? I am kinda exhausted. Today was a 10 hour work day (which I bring upon myself) and while it is good to get it out of the way I never feel like I get enough time off. Our apartment still looks like an expensive storage unit and I still live out of Tupperware...so sad for me. At least now our walls are yellow. JJ spent the day painting so we have one coat on half of the wall and by tomorrow we might have a completely happy apartment...now we just need a book shelf, oy.
I found my bag buddy on the subway today, or rather he found me. I was walking to the exit and a man tapped me on the shoulder and held up his freitag bag cut from the same tarp! It was awesome. It was like finding your freitag community...facebook for freitag. It was a short moment, but it was pretty cool...it also means we both know how much money we dropped on a bag made from 18 wheeler tarp, car parts, and bike tubing...what suckers. But I tell you this bag will outlast me. Ok, enough talk here are some doodles.

a little blah goes a long way

Its not that I expect to be treated like I walk on water just like I drink water and not the blood of good christian children....dramatic much. Well, the other day I went to Sam Flax (last week) which I hate in the first place, but I needed a portfolio and I could not find what I needed at the other friendlier neighborhood shops. I have spent thousands of dollars there in the past two years. I mean thousands between paper, book binding supplies, and ink cartridges. I know they have a great selection, but they are overpriced beyond belief. Case in point: rw2400 ink cartridge costs 14 dollars on amazon/most other places but Spam Flatulence charges 17 dollars. I did not realize how much I was getting ripped off until I found Adorama the most amazing camera and camera accessories store! And better than that if you cannot find what you need there go next door to AI Friedman where they sell all the art supplies/framing/paper goods one could ever want. Both stores are very reasonable. I found this out after I had already over payed at the Flatulent. SO I went back there to return the unopened inks. Note I checked on line to make sure they took back such things and there was nothing there saying they did not. I went in and asked to return them. To which the manager said "we do not take these back." I disagreed stated that it did not say they did not take them back on line. The guy looked at my receipt and said well we can only give you store credit b/c they were bought more than 10 days go. It was hardly 10 days after. I asked if their credit expired...and he said yes in a year....this was no good to me. I asked if there was anything they could do and that it did not say these things anywhere on the receipt. He was looking at the counter at this point and stopped talking to me. I asked again if there was anything that could be done as their store policy was not clearly stated....he did not answer stared at counter and the two other people there ignored my presence. I asked him to look at me when I was talking to him. He ignored me and I said I could not believe I was being treated this way and that I had spent a lot of money in their store...nothing...I walked out and cried.
I have never been treated so poorly by anyone. So defeated I went to Adorama...and there I was met by Jews lots of orthodox jews who wanted my money. They got me everything I needed and by got me I mean I asked where things were and this woman had someone bring everything up. And when they did not have what I needed they sent me next door to the Friedman. The jews stick together.
I am still so tired from that experience.
All this to put together my portfolio...which is taking so long I could platz. The main reason it has taken so long is I bought "water activated" hinging tape" without realizing it until I had opened it. I thought ok I can do this no problem it will be fine. Why would they make it if it did not work? The truth is I do not know why they make it to begin with. It does not work. It is too stiff to help the pages lie down flat when you flip them, getting it wet enough for the glue to work means when it dries the pages get warped, and the glue smells gross. I wasted an entire portfolio printing on it. That is 17 dollars in paper, time, 30 dollars in hinging tape (shitty hinging tape), and I do not want to think about how much money it is in ink. So to make a dumb story long do not buy water activated hinging tape. I have since bought black (they do not have white for some reason) linen self adhesive tape and it is perfect. I finally finished one book which I can send off to my agent and maybe I will recoop some of my pride as well as expenses when I am famous and can diss Sam Flax to the world for their shit service, bad prices, and stupid policies.
Do I have more to say...sure, but I will wait. And I have been doing a lot go drawing on the train so I will post some of those things soon.

a little of this and a little of that

Right now I am kinda in love with Emma Adbage's blog. There are so many folders in my book mark section sometimes I have to walk away from my computer b/c I cannot even remember what I have. Her blog is one that I look at regularly b/c of the great delicate paintings and the type which is small and not overwhelming. Also 11286 is a great little blog. I do not have time for any of this of course, but what else am I going to do while I eat my breakfast?

Last night JJ and I spent some time at my place of employment getting it ready for the the big show. The big show being art by baristas of Joe. I am excited and nervous. JJ is patching and painting over the screw holes left by the former gallery. I am still collecting work from folks and hope to have everything up by monday. I think the whole thing will probably come together by the end of the next week. And then there is supposed to be an opening, maybe...its hard to think about a party for a show that is not even up yet, but that's the plan. For now here is the promotional poster:



This is what my design education was for anyway right?
More really exciting project news to come.