Cats and Jammers Studio

Before Miley, there was Evelyn...

Let me first admit to this:

I was one of the old fart parents who was so saddened to see the provocative photo of Miley Cyrus in Vanity Fair recently. To me, the picture was clearly sensuous in a way that it should not have been for a 15 year old. It's especially bothersome since I think that she is a quite talented and charismatic little performer, who has great comic timing and the chance to mature in into a comedienne of the first order in films and TV shows. As far as I am concerned she does not need to sell herself as sexy. Funny is sexy in a better way.

So, with that in mind, I found it ironic (or was it some sort of cosmos putting me in my place?) that my pre-ordered copy this book by Paula Uruburu arrived:

AMERCIAN EVE
EVELYN NESBIT, STANFORD WHITE
The Birth of the "It" Girl"
and the
CRIME OF THE CENTURY

For those of you unfamiliar with the story of Evelyn Nesbit, she was the first real American superstar and the first "media created" celebrity. The very abbreviated story goes like this:

The mother--Evelyn Florence Mackenzie Nesbit-- found herself impoverished in Pennsylvania when her lawyer husband died very suddenly, leaving his family penniless. During the next several years the mother and her two children shuffled around the state from relative to boarding house and back again until Florence Evelyn, the younger, who was always a strikingly beautiful little girl , is "discovered" by an elderly female artist in Philadelphia. Before very long, she is posing for painters in the area and is the sole support of her family.

They move to New York City, where she continues to pose for well respected artists such as Beckwith and Church and for those studying in such places as The Art Students' League. In addition, she is photographed. And that face becomes "the face" of the turn of the century on everything you can think of: magazines, newspapers, postcards, chocolates, calendars, soaps, and so forth. She is the inspiration behind the "Gibson girl." To say she epitomized a look of the times, is an understatement. She WAS the look and the face of the times.

Enter Stanford White, 48, renowned architect and lover of all things beautiful, including very young girls. He is also a New York celebrity in his own right and the creator of many buildings, including Madison Square Garden with its famous roof top theater and apartment.

Evelyn is seduced by Mr. White, at the age of 16 and they become lovers, while the undercurrent of the righteous right moralists do battle with what they perceive to be the debauchery of the era, which is really the pending end of the Victorian age. One member of this so-called group is millionaire playboy (it is assumed the term was actually coined for him) Harry. K. Thaw of Pittsburgh who is fascinated by Evelyn and sets out to win her affections, as much as he also sets out to destroy the likes of White, whom he perceives as his opponent in more ways than the mere vying for the attentions of Evelyn. After all, they don’t call him "Mad Harry" for nothing.

The rest of the story is that Evelyn does become Mrs. Thaw, and not too long afterward in 1906, Harry murders White in a very public setting because " he ruined my wife and my life." Thaw is eventually acquitted by reason of insanity. This affair preoccupied the public for several years, since the first trial ended in a hung jury. This entire affair was riveting for the public and was even more a part of the collective consciousness than the OJ trial.

The book and the story of Evelyn captivated me. I love that turn of the last century era. It also reminded me that girls are not really turned into sex objects any younger nowadays than they were more than a hundred years ago. Miley was 15 when that photo was shot for Vanity Fair by Annie Leibowitz. Evelyn’s pictures in very provocative poses (even more because of the times?) emerged at 14, 15, and 16. I’ve posted some here.

The book was a great read. I think it would be a very good older YA non-fiction read. The narrative of Uruburu marches the story along in a way that makes it feel so very relevant to present times and issues. I loved the way the author incorporated some of the slang of the era; it effectively put me in the 1900 mindset to hear certain phrases--many of which we still use today. She also successfully tells the tale in a manner that had me, the reader, standing right there, viewing the sad plot up close as it unfolds.

I guess I’ve come to realize that no matter how much in 2008 we think of ourselves as progressive, things are not really so different than they were a century ago. What I can’t decide, however, is if that thought makes me resigned, saddened, or relieved. Or none of those things. But it does fascinate me, that’s for sure.

Doll and signed Book auction listing on ebay

The seller of my doll and book emailed me to let me know she had to relist the doll because of some problems with the photos she tried to load. Here is the new link, just in case you are curious.

When your past calls to you on ebay....

OK, let me set this straight: no matter what my chronological age is for real, inside, I still feel like I am about 23. Outside? Don't go there. But inside? Groovy....

When I really WAS 23 I was living in Buffalo, New York. My husband and I were puppeteers performing shows and I was also making cloth dolls/soft sculptures full time in addition to that. I sold those dolls at juried craft shows like the 100 American Craftsmen show at Kenan Center in Lockport, NY, and the ACC Craft Fair in Rhinebeck, NY. I also did some gallery shows around the country. We were young and the decade of the 70's was still pretty innocent, even after having survived the sixties.

For the record, all this "Greening" stuff was already going on back then, with organic food, and the idea of eating local produce in season, and no chemicals, and so on, and so forth. Ask me, I was there. I ate whole grains bought in food coops, and I made really disgusting vegetarian dishes like "Sweet and Sour Soyballs." My husband STILL, to this date, will complain about being subjected to that dish. And I cannot tell you how many times I insisted that I could make brownies and cookies with organic honey instead of refined sugar (answer: I couldn't). So we all were on the Green bandwagon more than thirty years ago. It just didn't have a catchy name, and it just wasn't quite so "trendy." And I say this to the stars that I heard went on Oprah and said, "use only two squares of toilet paper" : WIPE THIS.

But I digress. I meant to talk about making dolls. I made quite a number of hand made, one of a kind figures. Where are they now? In various collections, here and there. Many of them went to who-knows-where since they were purchased at craft galleries and sold to people I never met.

But here is what happens when you make art for more than 30 years: people unload stuff, and sooner or later your work shows up on ebay as a "collectible." Here is the listing for one of my creations . It's "Harry , The Used Car Salesman." I made this doll in 1976, even before I was an illustrator.

The estate auction seller contacted me to get more info. I suggested she hold off until my book, Tex and Sugar, was published. She did and even got a book signed. She is selling the book with the doll.

I can't begin to tell you how many "vintage" collectibles I have bought on ebay over the years. Tons! And to think--now I "IS" one!

Man, those years flew by....

Thanksgiving Editorial from Yesteryear And Thanksgiving wishes

Back in the early 80's I really had my first illustration assignments working for Boston Magazine. The first of those started out as B/W art to accompany a monthly column called "Slice of Wry." At some point they gave me my first color work, and this piece was the assignment. It went with an article about Turkey farms.

Since there happened to be a turkey farm right here in Needham, I went over to draw the turkeys. The turkeys there were actually white, so I decided to take artistic license and paint them according to my own whim. I did enjoy working on this piece in watercolor, but I do confess that I remember that I was saddened to see the turkeys all locked up in pens out back behind the store, waiting for their demise. One other thing that struck me: turkeys are quite goofy looking up close. That is what I set out to capture.

Up in NH we get lots of wild turkeys that roam the property and drive our French bull dog nuts. She watches them through the windows and barks her fool head off. Really, to hear her carry on you would think she could give them a run for their money, when, in truth, they could take her out with one swift kick.

There is a great deal going on in our family circle this year. Some of it is the typical stress of raising three boys and juggling work, but some of it is very sad, and it reminds me how time does fly by and we mark so much of life with our memories of holidays spent with people we care about. I remember many Thanksgivings throughout my life filled with the warmth of every single person I loved in the whole wide world present at the dinner table, feasting and laughing and enjoying life. And now the table is marked as much by those who have gone as those who are present to share the day.

Many events have transpired in my life since the art above was created. My husband and I became parents of three wonderful wild and crazy sons. We bought houses and settled into family life. We have lost dear loved ones who were enormous parts of our lives. There have been times of heartache and stress and times of celebrations for dreams fulfilled. There has been predictability, as well as unexpected arrivals of all sorts.

I hope that your Thanksgiving is filled with love and gratitude and good food. And while I am preoccupied with dealing with the cycle of life and its reality, I am also very grateful for my husband, and children and extended family that are here with me. I have to add that I am very thankful that I can actually enjoy the privilege of drawing and painting and writing to the extent that I can, while I share it with good friends and caring family.

Have a truly Happy Thanksgiving!

Soccer Mom to Rocker Mom

Man, I always hated soccer. Too much running for no good reason and too many soggy orange sections in plastic bags. Swarm ball. Yuck. Thank goodness that part of parenting is over for me. Sorry if that is still a part of your agenda. Trust me: you'll get over it.

MY oldest son used to do soccer. Started when he was about 4. Oh, great fortune, the other sons never much got into it, and the older one said before too long: what on earth is all this running about?

Now, at 20, he is a real musician, a student at Berklee College of Music in Boston, and I have morphed from soccer Mom to Rocker Mom--thank goodness. So forgive me if I indulge in a bit of shameless promotion:

My son and his band have their first west coast gig tomorrow night at "The Viper Room" in West Hollywood, at 8 PM. I think this is one of two places owned by Johnny Depp, but what do I know?

If you live in the LA area, check it out. They will be releasing their new promo CD tomorrow night. Here is a link to their myspace page to hear some of their music:

http://www.myspace.com/twists

Say it ain't so...

Today on A Fuse #8 Production there is an interesting post about the new look of dear old Archie Andrews. The picture posted there is just too horrifying for me to repost here, so go there first to read the post and see the travesty of what is to become of Riverdale.

I am a former Archie lover. Yes, I can read your thoughts: between cartoons and comic books, did she ever read? Well, go back a few posts to find out the answer to that question.

Anyway, Archie, Jughead, Reggie, Betty and Veronica and I go WAAAAAY back. To the "fifties" back. At least two image makeovers ago. Back to when they still had a look that had the taste of the forties. Somewhere around 1960 they had an image change. I can still remember liking the "new Look" better than the old. Years later I think the shifts were more gradual along the way, as the orignal creator, Bob Montana, stopped doing the strips when he died in 1975, and the art was done by someone else.

I spend summers up in NH not far from where Mr. Montana worked and lived. He had a studio in Meredith, NH. There is a nice brief bio on him from Wikipedia.

I read the daily strip in one of the Buffalo papers in the early seventies. Bob Montana had a great, dry sense of humor and three panels of art in black and white could still be a very enjoyable read. When he passed away, I remember that the strip did not pack the same punch once it was done by another. I stopped readng it.

I searched for a picture of the really old Archie. Hard to find. This is all I could come up with:

Take a note: Betty and Veronica NEVER looked like old maids, if you get my drift. If you think the new versions are overtly sexy, get a gander of the old "pulp fiction" cover girl look the gals had way back when. You need to remember that Bob Montana brought the aesthetic of post WWII with him to the drawing table. That meant Betty Grable, Lana Turner, and Ava Gardner. Take a look at Betty. THERE you have the true inspiration for BARBIE, 1959.

"Much smarter than the average bear"

Has this fall been a trip down memory lane or what?

By now many have heard of the death of Joseph Barbera, half of the legendary Hanna Barbera Studios, the pair of geniuses who came up with a myriad of animated shows for those of us Boomers who grew up with the new innovation of television and as well as their cartoons. Mr. Barbera died yesterday at the age of 95. William Hanna died in 2001.

I remember their work because I watched it everyday, more or less. Less so, the MGM Tom and Jerry cartoons. I was more of and still am a Looney Tunes addict. But it's the "made for TV "stuff that I felt like I owned. I can remember watching Ruff and Ready, but not too well. What I most remember was the "DEBUT" of Huckleberry Hound. Quite a bit of buildup for that. I think it was on WPIX, Channel 11 in New York. When did Yogi Bear make his own spin off show debut? Were they on different nights? I know the shows usually followed Popeye and Officer Joe Bolton and the Three Stooges. Any help in recalling the exact nights and lineups would be great. I do know that I also watched the Flintstones and Jetson's on the bigger networks, correct? Why do I need to know? More importantly, why should I care? Hard to say. Just do, I guess. I like testing my memory of my early TV years. I spent a lot of time in the front of the TV.

Interestingly enough, my aesthetic for drawing was not formed by these shows, despite the fact that I watched them and loved them. I think I looked to the Looney Tunes style more when it came time to think about how I liked to draw. But , still, the memories are fond ones. In the NY Times obit today I like the last paragraph the most, which reveals that Mr. Barbera was reluctant to overanalyze his life's work: "The best way to appreciate them is to see them."

Nuff said.

I Miss "Downtown"

OK. I fess up to loving the season. In my house we do Chanukkah and Christmas. It is a wonderful time of year. I have no shame about getting festive. I love to go all out. We light candles and say blessings for 8 days and when the 25th comes we enjoy that day, too. Less in never more. More is always better. Life is too short to not get foolish when you can.

But lately I am thinking of many years ago, when holiday shopping meant going downtown on a city bus to shop in stores that were not under cover of a roof; in other words, my childhood did not consist of malls. It meant schlepping in and out of stores with heavy coats and hats and gloves. It meant stepping in slushy streets and lugging gifts and stopping for lunch at MrCrory's and taking the elevator up to the top floor in Kresge's in Newark, NJ, where (in the fities for a spell at least) a monorail road along the ceiling in unabashed celebration of the space age to come.

Playing on the stereo right now? Yulesville!

Late Bloomers

Thanks to a post by Kelly Herold on Big A little a, I discovered a link to a feature article by Patricia Kenet on Bookslut.

Boy, a lot of what Patricia Kenet says sounds so familiar--right down to growing up in an Italian American home with a loving grandma who would rather show me how much she adored me by buying tons of dolls (which I NEVER played with) instead of books. (truth be told, the Norwegian side of the family did provide some reading material, but it was mostly in the form of the Bible).

I think my husband's experience in a loving Jewish household was not unlike mine, mostly because what time he spent out of school or away from baseball cards and baseball, was devoted to being in Hebrew school learning to read Hebrew and study Torah. I'll have to check in with him to see what books he did like as a kid and if he had any.

As I mentioned in another post, if not for the likes of GOLDEN BOOKS and those books that came out from MISS FRANCES and her DING DONG SCHOOL, I would have had very little early exposure to reading. Thankfully, my dear mom did love to read to me from my collection and the inexpensive little stories were pretty dog eared by the time they slipped out of my circle of interest, and into what was probably the trash.

But for joy! Now we have eBay and thrift stores and multi-dealer antique shops, and I can own them again, and get the ones I didn't have.

Here is another treasure that I owned as a kid and have been lucky enough to find again. It is in nearly mint condition. Guess the original owner did not care too much for this one. This was one of my favorites.

An Splendid Friend, Indeed.....

In keeping with my preoccupation---nay, NEED--to wax nostalgic as of late, I thought I would share a wonderful trip down memory lane with an old friend....

In the 70's, when I worked with puppets and dolls, I met great people also working in the craft world. Back then, "craftsmen" meant creators of handmade goods of real quality. I came into this world quite by accident through a back door because of my interest in puppetry (for the long drawn out history, just go to my web site bio). One thing led to another, and I found myself in the middle of it all.

Because of the lucky turn of events in my career as an artist, I had the good fortune to meet and get to know many wonderful artisans working in a variety of find craft media: clay, glass, fiber, wood, metal, and so on. Sadly, many of these great artists have since passed away or stopped working with their craft materials, and the sense of the thrill of being surrounded by and in the midst of exceptionally crafted and unique goods has also died a death of sorts. It is not that there are not wonderful craft objects being created today. There certainly are great pieces and great craftsmen. It is just that at a period of time in the mid seventies, the stars and the moon and the planets all seemed to align in a way that made THAT world, the world of fine crafted goods, seem like the center of the universe. And at shows like the ACC show in Rhinebeck,NY or at "100 American Craftsmen" in Lockport, NY, it was a wonderful time. Things were happening, great art was made, and all of it seemed fresh and new. Well, at least the awareness by the public at large (me included, even as participating craftsman) seemed to be filled with excitement. And make no mistake: what happened at Rhinebeck affected what went on in the greater commercial market for years to come, as buyers from big companies came to check out the goods. Some of them stole ideas and incorporated them into their mass produced products. But that is another story altogether....

Anyway, some of my friends included woodworkers. And two of my good friends then were Fred Bateman and Suzanne Bloom who made great wooden toys.

But you know how it is. You lose touch. I left Buffalo (they lived there when I did) in 1976 and saw them from time to time for a few years at the shows, and soon not at all....

...until I got an email out of the blue from Suzanne.

And it turns out that our lives have taken very similar paths. She writes and illustrates books for children. And her career is...well...in FULL BLOOM!

She came by for a visit last week, and we spent the whole night gabbing over some beverages of a certain sort and talking about old times and people, and new times, too.

I am thrilled that we have reconnected. But I am more thrilled that we work in the same field and share the same passion. Check out her wonderful work and award winning books: SUZANNE BLOOM. A SPLENDID FRIEND,INDEED is a THEODOR SEUSS GEISEL HONOR BOOK!