Cats and Jammers Studio

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!

First Loves

When I was a kid, no one ever took me to a library. It just was not part of the family tradition. SAD BUT TRUE.

But that is not to say that I never had books. I did. And the books I most often had my hands on were GOLDEN BOOKS, because they were within the family budget and they were easily attained.

I never felt deprived. I loved those books and they were read, and read, and read again. And for me the best part of those books was the art, because I was read to a lot before I could read to myself, and because the artists were, as we now know, top notch illustrators and designers. I used to lose myself in those illustrations.

In my hunt for junk, I always go to the old book sections of the shops. To my delight, I have veen able to find original copies of the Golden Books I owned as a kid in the 50's. It's amazing. Just like Proust and his Madeleines, I am transported back to my childhood when I look at the illustrations.

I thought I would share some of my collection now and then. Here is the first, illustrated with great charm by TIBOR GERGLY, and written by GERTRUDE CRAMPTON. This particular copy is from 1955, so it is the second edition. I see that an earlier copyright was 1946.

Nostalgia--got it bad

Here is the thing about being in the art making business for a long time: you start to think about all the people you have met over the years who have liked your work (or didn't), who inspired you or left you cold, who bought your work or you traded work with, who gave you illustration assignments, or who DIDN'T give you illustration assignments......

Maybe it is something about my age....

In any event, things have happened lately that both remind me of past projects or make me wax nostalgic for years past and places lived.

This past summer I heard from several different people who were either collectors of my dolls and puppets in the 70's, or who came upon my work in another place--like an estate auction or even a garage sale--and bought it. It was both strange and pleasant. I almost have a feeling of being Rip Van Winkle, because it is as though I dozed off thirty years ago and woke up...now. That is how fast the past thirty years have gone, and also how much it all seems like just yesterday. So, young parents, be warned: the next 20-30 years will fly by at a pace you can not possibly imagine.

In keeping with my mindset, I, too, began to try looking up people from my past (and NOT just old high school boyfriends).

I came upon the web site of someone I knew briefly thirty years ago. She bought one of my dolls, and over the years I have seen her wonderful art and illustrations in magazines and on TV, and I have meant to contact her, but--well--you know how it is. You just get sidetracked by things. In my case 30 years and raising three sons.

I finally did Google her and found her web site filled with all her super artwork, which is even better than ever: dianabryan.com

We have exchanged emails! It is such a satisfying feeling to get in touch again. I hope we can get together and compare notes in person. She still has my doll! She now does sculpture. Maybe now I can afford to own one of her great pieces. It is so good to come full circle.

Now about those old boyfriends....

Only kidding, Honey.