Then, 7 more hand-illustrated large ads. I don't know when these will be due, but I suspect the deadline is coming up soon. Thankfully, I already have the ideas sketched out and in my head, so really, the hard part is already done.
Lots and lots of orders have been pouring in, which of course makes me pleased.
Here is a photo of me at my drawing desk working on the monster freelance job, with the help of two cats, Blue (the deaf white cat) and Bones (the black cat wearing the tuxedo):
These two are arch enemies and the mere fact they are not squabbling while on the desk is a nice surprise. You can see Blue staring daggers at Bones, who could care less what Blue thinks.
The lamp on my desk is a very cool streamlined lamp from the 1930s (!!!) and it still works just beautifully. When I draw, I need a light source that zeroes in on specific areas which I am constantly adjusting while drawing. The modern desk lamps that are sold today seriously SUCKS and they break constantly. But most importantly, they do not do what I want them to do. This lamp is my pride and joy and I don't think I would ever be able to find another one should it break.
The Mütter Museum (the Holy Grail of Victorian era Anatomical Museums in America) gift shop curator sent us photos of my dolls, mini curios and glimpses of framed posters that are currently gracing the walls of the gift shop:
I like the heart decorations, it is a very nice touch.
I will be sending a very large framed curio to the Mütter Museum sometime this week and so when you visit, make sure to look for it, it is one of my all-time favorite pieces.
My scout hunters found a vintage human skull for me, purchased it and it is being sent out in the post tomorrow. The husband rolls his eyes and wonders just how many human skulls I need (last count, plus the one arriving will be nine) - I told him that one can never have enough skulls lying around. I keep reminding him that one cannot just pop into Walmart and buy a human skull so when they show up (and especially those that I can get for a song) I try to get them.
I am not too fond of the lily white bleached skulls, they seem too sterile, almost fake looking. My preference is those that have a lovely warm patina, usually with the calvaria cut and without the mandible. I like having some teeth present in my skulls, but most often the four front human teeth were stolen from corpses in order to sell to the local dentist, who used them to put into the mouths of their wealthy living clients. Ew. How would you like to have freshly dead corpse teeth implanted in your mouth?
A human skull with its original mandible, a full set of teeth (with no cavities or fillings) and with the calvaria NOT cut is worth quite a bit of money. Thankfully, those are the ones I am not interested in.
I should be getting my Victorian era obstetrical craniotomy set this week, and I am giddy excited like a kid waiting for Christmas! I can't tell you just how long I have been searching for these particular instruments and can't wait to get going on the framed curio exhibits. Soon, soon.
