Perks/Inside Baseball

Here's a little Inside Baseball for you regular readers...

I've been working on a Logo for CorduroyPlanet. Doing a Branding Project Study is a better description. You've seen the First Round's efforts posted atop the blog. Click on the CP Beach Ball label at the bottom of this post to see them all.

Last Fall, I found the World Globe Beach Balls on Amazon...I think I paid roughly 50 cents a piece, because I bought a dozen. The first version was just letters I printed on colored paper, cut with scissors, and affixed with Packing Tape to the Equatorial Region of the Beach Ball..."Ransom Note Style". This worked great for Still Photos indoors. Out in the Elements? Not so much...

During my series of snowfall and snow melt photos, the melt-water found it's way to the paper with predictable results. I began seeking a way to print directly on the Beach Ball with waterproof colors. Let's just say: "It's a work in progress"

I've been doing silkscreen prints for nearly 40 years, but pulling a print on an 11 inch diameter squishy Beach Ball is testing my cleverness to be sure. I haven't actually made a stencil yet...lets say I've been Conceptualizing... What is it the Elite Athletes do to prepare for Record Attempts or difficult new moves? Visualization...yeah, that's the ticket.

I've been a carpenter for 36 years. I've built plenty of Round Things large and small. I built a beautiful 18ft mahogany Sea Kayak in my garage at the DaveCave, so I know a thing or two about making lumber and plywood do compound curves. I was letting the little pliable globes get the better of me!

I can't remember the exact second of my Epiphany...it may have been more Evolution than Epiphany, because I don't remember any Lightning Strike Moment.

Rubber Stamp! I'll make a rubber stamp or two, and ink it with paint rolled on like a block print.

I set out to find a real Artist Supply Shop in the area, and found one in North Oakland, right near the California College of Arts and Crafts.

Last week I visited the Art Shop, found what I wanted and went to the register to check out. The salesperson asked if I had their Discount Card, and went on to say: "They're free for Teachers and Students, for everybody else they're $10 a year. You get 10% off everything..." No thanks" I replied. "Better to do it when you're spending hundreds" replied the salesperson.

Today I made my second shopping trip to that Art Shop. This time the fellow behind the cash register started the Discount Card spiel, and I said "I teach people how to drive Grooming Machines, but not in a School Situation" "We can give you one! What's your first name?"

Waddya know. A Perk! We groomers never get enough perks. And never in Summertime!

See that? One nice day here in the Inland Valley, and it's Summertime...Simple me...