Let’s take a look at the process used to create realistic eyes, using this newly created portrait of Babe Ruth.  Simply put, if the eyes are not shaped and shaded correctly, your likeness will be thrown off.  I begin each drawing with the eyes for this exact reason.  There is no sense completing a drawing if the eyes are not formed correctly, and/or don’t have the proper depth.  Therefore, I make sure this is the first thing I complete.

So, how do we achieve this?  There are several things you must keep in mind.

1. Knowledge of the eye’s anatomy: It would be easy to say, just draw what you see.  But when it comes down to it, most people don’t know what they see.  Having a solid understanding of the anatomy of the eye, and the muscles surrounding the eye, makes drawing the eye much less stressful.  Determining the position of the eyes is directly correlated to this.  However, making reference points is the easiest and fastest way achieve this.  Keep in mind, when fixing a position, one must fix two reference points.

2. Line: Once the anatomy of the eye is understood, we can execute our intended lines much more accurately.  A quick light outline of the eye is always a good start.  It is imperative to pay close attention to the angle of your lines (the outline of the eye), as this ultimately will determine whether or not you achieved your intended likeness.  Again, using some reference points will help you do this.  Additionally, if you can imagine the eye in a 2d rectangle, having both eyelids touching the edges of the rectangle, you can easily shape your eyes correctly.

3. Shadow/Reflection: Once you have an outline of the eyelids, iris, and pupil, you can determine where there is shadow and where there are reflections.  This is critical for making realistic eyes.  Reason being is in “real life” we are constantly in some sort of shadow, unless we are sitting in complete darkness.  In addition, as the eyes are lubricated, or wet, they will always give off a reflection.  Incorporating these two elements will drastically improve your realism.

4. Shading/Gradation: Finally, we can begin to shade our eyes.  Starting from the pupil, working our way to the iris, the sclera and eyelids, and finally the eye circles.  Incidentally, each of these areas plays a crucial role in creating realism.  The pupils are always the darkest.  It’s important however to include some reflection on each of them, in the same direction (unless you have multiple light sources).  The iris is in my opinion the most critical and complicated part.  Here you have to really play around with gradation.  The outer edge is darkest, while it quickly lightens the closer you get to the pupil.  It’s important to note that both the pupil and iris’s edge should NOT be outlined in a solid circle (meaning a small amount of gradation should be present).  The most important thing to note about the sclera (the white part of the eye) is that it is not white.  A small amount of shading should be made.  Of course this is dependent on any shadows.  The eyelids are also very important, specifically the bottom eyelid.  It’s extremely important to include the space between the eyeball and the outer edge of the eyelid.  The biggest mistake I see is people excluding this important area.  The eye circles are completely dependent on the individual and the shadows created.

5. KEEP IN MIND: Soft edges! Even the most apparent hard edge has minimal gradation.

Take a look at the picture below for any reference.  Soon I will post pictures/videos with each of these steps.  Good luck with all your future drawings, and stay tuned for more lessons!

Cattano Street, Morristown, acrylic and white pastel on paper

close up of details, brushwork

I frequently use acrylic paint to draw with a brush. All of my underpaintings begin this way, I never draw with pencil on canvas. I like to do sketches on hot pressed watercolor paper with black acrylic and white pastel. I use a flat or angled brush similar to those I use when painting in oils or acrylic on canvas (but I have certain brushes that I reserve for this purpose rather than use the same ones I use when working in oils).

Drawing with a brush in this manner enables me to capture the gesture of the landscape and a wide range of values simply by using the acrylic transparently. Getting to know the subject in this manner helps a great deal when I move to canvas, I have all the values worked out and understand how the forms are working together to create the illusion of 3 dimenions on a 2 dimensional surface.

I believe that drawing is an important skill to have, particularly if you plan to paint representationally. But I also believe even abstract painters can benefit from drawing in this manner, which is about understanding form and value and using it to capture the essence of the subject expressively.  

But getting back to representational painting and it’s relationship to drawing. If you can draw well, you are freer to focus on color and composition when you are painting because you have the skills to draw intuitively. The only way to develop those skills is to practice regularly. Draw from life whenever possible, but if you do work from photos, try to get away from copying and focus more on seeing. Look for the values, try to get a range of 4-5 greys, think in terms of shapes rather than lines. Block in large areas, be bold and confident with your brushstrokes. You can always add as much or as little detail as you like, but you have to get the big shapes placed accurately first, caputring perspective and proportion correctly. This is easy to do if you simpy focus on the darks and lights and their relationship to one another. Ask yourself is the area you are working on darker or lighter than the one next to it and keep working all over your composition in this manner. Don’t be tempted to finish one object completely before you have the whole composition blocked in. In fact, don’t even think in terms of “objects”, forget what you are drawing and just think in terms of darks and lights.

I teach this method of drawing in my Expressive Drawing workshops and courses. I am offering both a workshop and a 10-week class on the subject. To register for the workshop, which will be held on Jan. 11 at the Martinsville Studio, call 732-667-5328 or email info@themartinsvillestudio.com. Registration fee is $100 for the full-day workshop from 10am to 4pm.

If you are interested in the 10-week course, it will be held at the NJ Visual Arts Center beginning in mid-January. The class is held on Tuesdays from 12:30 to 3pm. To register, visit the art center’s web site at http://artcenternj.org/instructorclasses.php?id=191 or call 908-273-9121. Registration fee is $225 for members or $255 for non members.

Remember when you first started to learn to write in cursive ( okay this is before texting) and you sometimes transposed a d for a b? When you did this it would sometimes look correct especially when combined with other words in the same sentence. Eventually you learned which letter format was correct and the d & b letters found their way into the correct word locations and you now know that each letter expressed a different meaning.

This difference between these two letters is no better misunderstood than in the different meaning of the words Adsorb and Absorb. For most people the word Absorb is used in common language as in “this paper towel will absorb a lot of water before I need another one”. Or, ” this new Sham-Wow will absorb 10 times its’ weight in water”.

So when we are using something that has the ability to pick up moisture (of any kind)  like a sponge we use the word absorb or absorption (in this case the second b is replaced by a p….don’t ask me why…ask Daniel Webster).

When we change the second letter in Absorb to a d… and make it Adsorb it modifies the meaning of the word but interestingly does not really change the process the word describes. Adsorb means the removal of odors and gases by the use of medium such as carbon or charcoal. Carbon, for example, will adsorb common gases such as formaldehyde or acetone.

Much like a sponge absorbs water, carbon and other adsorptive media use a very porous surface area to attract and retain gaseous molecules until it is saturated and then release some of those molecules like a sponge releases some water once it is saturated.

Carbon, and the other adsorptive medias such as potassium permangenate and specially treated carbon mediums, have been used for many years to aid in the removal or reduction of harmful gases and many household and industrial odors.

Pure Air Systems has been using carbon as a standard component of their HEPA based air filtration systems since 1985 and today offers a complete line of Carbon based adsorption systems for the commercial, institutional, industrial and residential markets. For more information on this line of Adsorption systems please go to our website at: www.pureairsystems.com

Chalk Henge, originally uploaded by plasticpumpkin.

I love doing skteches from still life. Though it may be an old-hand technique, done a million times, it still offers interesting possibilities (and great practice). Nothing beats trying to capture what’s right in front of you.

]]> http://inkmountain.wordpress.com/2009/12/17/stephen-gammell/ Thu, 17 Dec 2009 04:15:27 +0000 vickinerino http://inkmountain.wordpress.com/2009/12/17/stephen-gammell/

there is a certain book that i had when i was a kid, and i friggen loved it. it was a bunch of scary stories with, what i remember being, the BEST illustrations. every few years, i wonder what it was called, what the drawings looked like, and what ever happened to it. today, i was poking around a second hand store and guess what i found?

the book was called scary stories 3, more takes to chill your bones, written by alvin schwartz and illustrated by stephen gammell. and holy balls, is he ever good. also, i’m pretty sure it gave me nightmares…

i cant seem to find a site, but here’s a bunch of images in google

Aguada de nanquim, nanquim (não diluído), lápis graduado, caneta corretiva, pincel, bico de pena e lápis sobre caderno de rascunhos.

Brush painting (ink), ink (undiluted), charcoal, correction pen, brush, nib and pencil on sketchbook.

Mr. Blackbeard

Originally uploaded by gumg

This is supposed to be Rowan Atkinson as Pirate Blackbeard.

My new challenge for 2010, starting at January 1st, is to draw portraits, with pencil and / or charcoal. I really want to learn to draw faces the way one can recognize who is meant by this drawing

This could be your big chance to see a portrait from yourself or your friends and families for free on flickr.

So, I need faces, and if you would like to be portraited and don´t mind that the drawing will be shown on flickr (even when it´s not very similar to your picture, as I said, I´m still learning), I would be more than happy to receive pictures from you!

This assignment involved placing a full body self portrait in two different settings. I chose a still life and the view out of my window. I could have worked it a bit more, but I think it stands up well as it is.

urban landscape study, pastel on newsprint

On January 11, I will be teaching an Expressive Drawing workshop at The Martinsville Studio. This full-day workshop runs from 10 am to 4 pm and is designed to help artists of all levels loosen up and put more spontaneity into their drawings and paintings. Working in acrylic and charcoal, attendees will learn about the primary concepts of drawing: form, value, proportion and perspective, in a relaxed, low pressure setting. This workshop is perfect for those intimidated by drawing or for artists who simply want to draw in a more expressive manner.

Registration fee: $100, call the Martinsville Studio directly at 732-667-5328 to register. For directions and info about The Martinsville Studio, visit their web site at http://www.themartinsvillestudio.com/

Bronwen and I won the Zero Film Festival this year in animation for our film “Graduation!”

Today we continue our tour of the support structures at the smelter by visiting the Assay Office and Charcoal Shed. While the main smelting operations took place in the furnace buildings, these two structures were vital to ensuring that the copper that flowed from the furnaces met rigidly high standards of purity, conductivity, and other chemical properties.

The ruined Charcoal House from the north.

We begin at the Charcoal Shed. Today largely a ruin, this 30’ by 40’ sandstone building once housed all of the charcoal used at the smelter. Located in the shadow of the Coal Dock (of which no trace remains today), the Charcoal Shed was used to protect tons of charcoal used to help charge the cupola furnace. Originally, the shed was a frame structure, constructed with the first smelter buildings in 1898. Sometime around 1908, however, the building was reconstructed using sandstone, creating the structure which remains onsite today.[1] Furnace workers used the stock of charcoal to help fuel the cupola. By varying the amount of charcoal charged into the furnace, cupola workers could alter the properties of the copper being melted within. As a storage building, the Charcoal Shed was not a particularly active building. However, the shed was the site of some excitement in 1919, when sparks from the cupola set the shed’s roof on fire. Workers quickly extinguished the blaze, saving the smelter’s supply of charcoal.[2] The Charcoal Shed remained well-preserved until after the smelter closed in 1971. HAER teams recorded the intact structure in 1978, but sometime soon after another fire destroyed the roof. Today, the sandstone walls remain, but the collapsed roof debris prevents entry into the building.

The Assay Office from the northwest. Note the large brick chimney, which vented the small crucible furnace inside.

The Assay Office, as seen from the east. Photo by S. Gohman.

As we move east from the Charcoal Shed, we reach the Assay Office. Also built in 1898, the original 20’ by 30’ wood frame office served as the scientific center of work at the smelter. Lab workers regularly drew samples from the furnaces and submitted them to a battery of tests to measure a variety of chemical and electrical properties.[3] The Office was substantially expanded in 1908/1909, creating the structure still visible today.[4] When the smelter was in operation, lab workers drew sample every half hour and used a variety of electrolytic tests to ensure the quality of the copper. Buyers could specify a variety of chemical and electrical properties they desired their copper to have, and the lab was the center of quality control at the smelter. To conduct these tests, the building contained a Dodge crusher, a grinder, a “string-up machine’” (use unknown), a galvanometer, a scale, a drying oven, and a small furnace, used to melt copper samples for testing.[5] The building was converted to gas lighting in 1915, and the gas was also used to fire the small crucible furnace.[6] Smelter Workers continued to use the Assay Office until the smelter closed, as evidenced by the relatively modern materials which remain inside the building. Today, the building remains well-preserved, with most, if not all, of the original testing and scientific machinery left inside. Unfortunately, the building is so well sealed with heavy particle board nailed over the windows that the building is extremely dark (and difficult to photgraph) and somewhat dangerous inside.

Some of the original testing and scientific equipment inside the Assay Office. The well-sealed building makes photography difficult. Photo by S. Gohman.

As always, remember to visit Copper Country Explorer to learn more about the Assay Office and Charcoal Shed. Check back here on Wednesday, when we’ll visit the Ice House and some of the other small support buildings. Also, remember to amrk your calendar for Thursday, January 21 at 6 PM…you’re invited to the QSA’s monthly meeting!

[2] QSW Monday Letter, May 5 1919.

[3] QMC Journal, 1898-1901, pg.6

[4] QMC Annual Report, 1909.

[5] QMC Plant Inventory, 1909

[6] QMC Annual Report, 1915, pg.16.

It’s the last Dr. Sketchy’s of the year!  Tonight at 7 o’clock, doors at 6, celebrate a year of Sketchy with Nicolette Le Faye and a fancy pancy cocktail.  Not only that, but if you show up between 6 and 7, it’s a dollar off the cocktail prices above.

That’s pretty cheap, like, Bill-the-guy-at-the-door-(the ugly one, not the handsome one) cheap.

It’s a long time to the next Dr. Sketchy’s . . . all the way to January 25th actually, so don’t come to us if you start getting the shakes in a few weeks because you missed your last fix.

Before leaving town to stuff ourselves silly over the Thanksgiving holiday, we had the lovely Sugar Ann Spice come up from DC to pose for what turned out to be one of our largest audiences yet—a pleasant surprise, considering the cold and rainy weather that night. What we should have been worrying about, though, was how the weather would affect the already horrible traffic between DC and Baltimore. When Sugar let us know the weather and traffic gods of DC had conspired to delay her arrival, we were forced to implement our ultimate backup plan: Alexis took the stage not just as the usual co-hostess, but also as the model.

Here are some sketches from that set, first from Diego Molano (click the image for a closer view):

Brian Dugan:

Mike Hasson:

When Sugar took the stage, we started off with our customary first contest of the evening: the “left-handed” or non-dominant hand drawing.

The talented creators of two of these drawings were each rewarded with a mystery shot mixed by Russell, the Windup Space’s owner, who always does a fantastic job of serving up some tasty adult beverages (and sometimes equally adult music selections) for our artists.

From Mike Hasson:

I think the first time Sugar modeled for us was also the first time we played the “random noun” game, in which we ask the audience to shout out the first person, place, or thing that comes to their minds, and then the audience incorporates the best suggestion into their drawings for the chance to win one of our prizes. The best suggestion that evening by far (and, maybe with the exception of last session’s) was Patrick Stewart. Here’s Brian Dugan’s entry:

And here’s Sugar holding Mike Hasson’s entry, which reads, “Begin the assimilation!”:

Considering that we’re big dorks and that our audience is usually filled with bigger dorks, it shouldn’t surprise you that this is not the first Star Trek-themed contest in the history of Dr. Sketchy’s Baltimore, and surely it will not be the last. (It gets even geekier, so keep reading.) In all fairness, this was easily interpreted as an X-Men themed contest, but that only makes the evidence of dorkiness that much more damning—besides, none of you kids who made Professor Xavier references in your drawings sent us those drawings, so the old folks win this one.

(Did we mention that Alexis was throwing out even more old-age barbs than usual? We think it’s a symptom of her premature mid-life crisis, and we apologize on her behalf. She promises to pick on the kids more next time.)

Actually, we had two lucky winners for this contest, who each took home a fantastic assortment of art supplies from Artist & Craftsman Supply, on North and Howard, just two blocks down the street from the Windup Space. Which means, if you ever come to Dr. Sketchy’s straight from work and realize that you forgot to take your sketchbook along, you can just stop by A&C on your way and pick up a new pad and some pencils.

Here’s a gorgeous painting by Bryce Homick:

For the next contest, Aaron presented the audience with a quote to interpret and incorporate into their drawings: “As God as my witness, I thought turkeys could fly!”

This Thanksgiving-themed contest was another that turned out to divide the kids from the older folks. For those of you not in the know (i.e. aren’t familiar with sitcoms from the late ’70s), you can see a clip from that famous WKRP in Cincinnati episode here, though if you’re bored, it’s worth seeing the whole “Turkeys Away” episode on Hulu to see Lonnie Anderson playing the seemingly-dumb blonde (emphasis on “seemingly”) and Andy Travis’s gloriously tight jeans.

We suspect Brian Dugan got the reference because he’s a pop culture fiend who probably caught the show in reruns, unless he’s using some really amazing anti-wrinkle cream:

But the kids won this time, since this sole finalist referring to the source didn’t win the copy of the absolutely awesome Bettie Page: Queen of Hearts art book by Jim Silke, generously provided by Atomic Books in Hampden. But with or without the reference, all the drawings were awesome, and we’re a little sad that we didn’t get more scans of these.

Our last contest of the evening was to incorporate Doctor Who, in honor of the 46th anniversary of the premiere of the original series on the BBC. We warned you this session was especially dork-tastic…

If our collective memory is correct (which it often is not, considering the amount of alcohol we consume at these sessions), Brian Dugan recovered from his defeat in the last contest to win this one, and took home a copy of Ragnar’s quirky children’s book, Got Your Nose! from Baby Tattoo Books.

Here’s one more lovely sketch from Bryce Homick:

Very special thanks to the simply stunning Sugar Ann Spice for braving the most horrific DC traffic yet again to pose for us that evening, and to all of you lovely and talented folks who came out to draw her! And to Bill the door guy, Jeff the photographer, and Russell the owner/’tender/iPod jockey! But especially, again, to all of you who came out despite the rain and were good sports about the brief model substitute—not only were you guys the biggest group we’ve had so far, but possibly the liveliest. You guys kick ass! Just send us more sketches next time.

Join us tomorrow (or tonight, if you’re reading this at your desk with a bad case of the Mondays) for another awesome night of drawing, drinks, and crazy contests, when the fantastic ballerina/trapeze artist/fashion designer Nicolette Le Faye will be posing for your pleasure.

Earth and Air original artwork

Notes from the Artist:

Figure with birds symbolic of the elements earth and air. A design inspired during a late winter depression. Original charcoal and pastel on cradled pressed wood board panel. Protectively sealed and wired for hanging. 18 x 24″ x 3/4 inch cradle thickness.

dar es salaam was a week spent researching, writing, interviewing, photographing people in and out of town about issues around energy use in Tanzania, specifically charcoal – you can read the article here: http://www.ipsnews.net/africa/nota.asp?idnews=49344

household charcoal use, Tabata Changombe

Tabata Changombe, dar es salaam

charcoal retailers Tabata hood

“Environmentally, charcoal use has a severe impact, accounting for a large part of deforestation in developing countries. According to the Tanzanian Traditional Energy and Development Organisation, TaTEDO, some 300 hectares of forest are cleared each day in Tanzania, for timber, to clear space for agriculture or grazing livestock and for the production of charcoal. One hundred million tonnes of charcoal are produced annually in Tanzania, resulting in nine million tonnes of CO2 emitted into the atmosphere.”

Jumaa, charcoal retailer, Tabata

i liked dar – a sweaty, hot coastal city on the indian ocean, a huge muslim influence due to the slave-trade and product trade – the muezzin, the call to prayer came back to my ears – it was comforting. the noise and business helped me move forward.

outer dar, family

this family lived among the tallest palm trees i have ever seen. the women, not pictured, said the area was turning to a desert because of all the deforestation due to charocal production – but people have to live, and charcoal is another income. – alternatives needed.. government corruption? tradition? routine? corruption..

family, outer dar

recently circumcised, and very silent, boys

Krups XP9000 Super-Automatic Espresso Machine and Coffee Center, Charcoal Review

Check Price Now!

After purchasing increasingly more expensive (and increasingly more disappointing) Saecos in search of a machine that is not more annoying than useful, I stumbled upon the XP9000 during my last research journey. First thing I noticed is a user manual readable by a speaker of English (could be more detailed though). Download it from Krups website and see what I mean. All the features needed for real-world use and none of the unnecessary ones.

This Krups speced, Jura designed and manufactured Swiss-made machine has ended my search. It has good programmability so you can tweak the settings to your liking. I actually found most of the default settings not to my liking so it was nice I could configure personal settings. Nice! It has the most original and useful steaming/frothing system of any machine and thankfully avoids the idiotic internal milk container fad common with its peers. You also don’t need to use a frothing pitcher unless you want to since the frothing wand is on an extension that goes all the way into your cup. So, if you are only making one cappuccino, for example, just fill cup half full of milk and hit the Automatic Cappuccino button and lower the frother. Those with other machines know well the annoyance of getting out the pitcher for just one drink and having to stand there holding it and then end up with too much.

Yes, it is true if you have the correct technique you can get a better froth doing it manually but most of the time I am willing to trade for speed and convenience and end up with “good enough.” I also like that it prompts for a frother cleaning if idle for something like 10 minutes. Particularly useful if you are making many drinks over a period of time for guests. Never again a dried milk skin clogging the frother. I have recently just resorted to using the steam button into a cup of water for a few seconds followed by a wipedown instead of opening the control panel and paging to the steamer cleaning menu (which just does the same thing).

It has a few idiosyncracies (takes 10 seconds for steam to preheat, for example, and is not the most powerful steamer out there but is more than good enough) but I am hard pressed to find any serious negatives since it has all the features I have longed for. The only thing that caught me by surprise is the size. When you see the picture of the unit you might not realize it is twice as deep as it is wide. So, measure your proposed location.

Some things I did to improve performance: If you receive excessive out of beans warnings, unscrew and remove the unneeded grinder “umbrella” designed to help people to overcome their uncontrollable urge to jamb their finger into the grinder while it is operating. But this is really a standard mod required on all espresso machines made in this litigious era.

The default middle position on the grinder control resulted in weak brews and soupy pucks. Moving the grinder control just one size larger resulted in a perfect espresso and dry grounds. This probably varies with the beans one uses so experiment.

As mentioned, I did not like any of the automatic settings so created my own (strength, time to steam, etc). You may not need to but be willing to go through several shots experimenting.

There are several reviews on the Internet complaining about frothing stopping after a couple months. Don’t believe them. The manual tells you how to easily remove the steamer and clean it. You should do this once just so you can see how the mechanism works, with the separate steaming and frothing modes. Remember, when a problem arises, R.T.F.M. See also my comment on cleaning the frother on the very first review below.

For a grand, this is the best one out there. A true real-world home espresso machine that allows enough tweaking to make it right for anyone.

Krups XP9000 Super-Automatic Espresso Machine and Coffee Center, Charcoal Feature

• Super-automatic programmable coffee and espresso center
• Automatically grinds, tamps, brews, and disposes of spent grounds
• Oversized digital display; customizable coffee strength and cup size
• 15-bar pump; conical-burr grinder; steam nozzle; removable water tank
• Measures 18-3/4 by 11-1/2 by 14-3/4 inches; 1-year limited warranty

Krups XP9000 Super-Automatic Espresso Machine and Coffee Center, Charcoal Overview

Enjoy coffee bar results right at home with the Krups Super Automatic Coffee and Espresso Center. With the Krups Espresso Center, you can make espresso, coffee, latte, cappuccino, and hot water for tea or hot chocolate.The Krups Super Automatic XP9000 Co

Krups XP9000 Super-Automatic Espresso Machine and Coffee Center, Charcoal Specifications

*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Dec 10, 2009 14:25:04
Three Machines all with issues, last one is in repair – Amazon shopper – Saratoga, CA
I so wanted this espresso maker to live up to the other great reviews. In hind sight I did not heed the warnings of my own observations with issues with this machine. The first one had a seized foam nozzle, so I ordered a replacement. The replacement had a problem with making latte’s. It would foam the milk, then (half the time) display a message “too hot” and dump the expensive unused espresso grounds in the retainer bin, and that’s it. I could then add new coffee grounds and select espresso only, then I’d get the espresso.

I sent that one back. Amazon was WONDERFUL at sending yet anther machine out. After a few weeks, same exact problem. Probably used it 5 times before it started malfunctioning. I sent this on out to the KRUPS repair center via UPS. It’s been a month now, no communication, and they don’t have a way to let you know of the repair status. I have no idea if/when they will return it in repair or not.

When the machine worked, it was acceptable, nothing I haven’t seen with other machines I’ve used. In fact, with other machines at least you could steam more than a few ounces of milk. This one has such low clearance and a fixed foaming nozzle that allows for a 4 inch high cup which means about 3 inches of milk due to foam overflow. It’s a joke.

UPDATE: Nov 6, 2009. I just received the machine back from repair in just under 7 weeks. Powered it on to make my first latte, and it failed to make the drink just as it did before. No coffee, just steam -> error message -> dump the coffee grounds. Not only that, the return carton that the machine was packed in was stuffed with all kinds of refuse including old newspapers, used plastic wrap, old bags and dirty foam pieces … a little disgusting. The coffee maker itself was laced with coffee grounds and took a long time to clean (as well as the floor on which a lot of it landed). I called a Krups representative, who said that the machine must be returned to the repair center. I have requested to converse with a supervisor. They plan to return my call in the future. I’ll post an update.
Fabulous Automatic Expresso Machine – Dana E. Zeitler – Naples, FL USA
We have had our machine for about a month and it is just great! The only problem is that I want latte’s all the time now! I can’t wait to get up in the morning to have one!! Just the press of the button and it’s ready! I think the krups machine is as good or better than any of the more expensive ones at sur la table or Williams Sonoma! A best buy for sure! Great investment!
Great espresso machine, great price – SkiAddict – Omaha, NE USA
We purchased this machine about 3 months ago and have really enjoyed it. You cannot beat the price. We got it at a steal for 9 from Rue La La, but even Amazon’s price is a steal. Comparable super automatics from saeco and others cost WAY more $$. It is so easy to use and has been virtually worry-free. Yes, it occasionally thinks the coffee beans are empty, but a quick stir with your finger always corrects the problem. Can you really expect the machine to fix itself when there is an air pocket in the beans container? It is so easy to clean and use. The froth started to go down a little, but we just now got around to removing and cleaning the nozzle and this appears to have worked. We really have no complaints.

I have already said that Issa’s hokku reflect a scarred and sad childhood.  That is why he tended to project his emotions onto other creatures and things:

Asabare ni   pachipachi sumi no   kigen kana
Morning-clear at pop-pop charcoal ’s good-spirits kana

This bright morning,
Pop! pop! goes the charcoal
In good spirits.

This reminds one immediately of Hans Christian Andersen, who similarly had a difficult childhood and constantly projected human thoughts and emotions onto creatures and things. “Crick! Crack! said the furniture” — that sort of thing.

This is a very old way of behaving, in which what is unconscious in a human, instead of being made conscious, is projected onto the outside world.  Do you remember childhood pictures in which the sun and moon have human faces, flowers have voices, and so on?  It is the same kind of attitude.

Personally, I do not like it in hokku.  I prefer things as they are, free of the projections of the writer.  That demands a more mature attitude from the reader.

In Issa’s verse, it is not the charcoal that is in good spirits; it is Issa.  So very often Issa is not really writing about sparrows or snails or other things — he is writing about Issa, projected onto those things.  That is why much of his verse is so unsatisfactory as hokku, though it greatly appeals to sentimentalists.

Bashō wrote:

Kinbyōbu  matsu no furubi ya   fuyugomori
Gold-screen pine ’s   aging ya winter-seclusion

The pine
On the golden screen ages;
Winter seclusion.

“Winter seclusion” was a common topic in old winter hokku.  It is remaining inside for long periods of time because of the inhospitable weather outside.  It is somewhat like the old farm families in the United States being snowbound.  With no place to go and very little to do, one turns inward.

That is what happened to Bashō.  As the minutes and hours passed, he looked at an old gold-leafed screen on which a pine tree was cleverly painted, and in the slow passage of time he felt the pine on the screen aging along with everything else, though it was painted and not living.  That is basic Buddhism.  Everything passes, everything changes, nothing remains forever, whether a pine painted on a screen, a pine growing on a rocky crag, or even the crag upon which it grows.  Bashō is experiencing the transience that is so much a part of hokku.

David