Update #7: Notes From London: Above & Below-At The Crossroads…

Today, on Mother’s Day, I remember mine with fondness and one of the many bits of wisdom she imparted to me in my artistic endeavors which I paraphrase here: When you undertake a task, do it with all you’ve got and whatever the outcome, don’t be discouraged; every perceived roadblock only means you are facing a door that will lead you somewhere new and unexpected. So, having received my official sign-off note from Kickstarter, it is with a mix of sadness and relief colored with hope that this will be the final update for this project before we move on to its next phase.

Although I didn’t reach my stated goal at Kickstarter, I don’t intend this to be the end of the road for Notes From London: Above & Below. But first, here is something I’d like to share with you.

The Kickstarter experience is both exciting and terrifying. Exciting for the opportunity to learn the new skills necessary to present and promote a project like this, yet terrifying for someone like me who, for the most part, thrives in the comfort zone of my studio and quakes at the idea of putting myself out there in the meleé of thousands of projects all vying for financial support. When anxiety comes to sit on my shoulder like some hyperactive raven, I find myself thinking “What if nobody likes this?” or “What if I work really hard but still don’t make it?” At times, it’s almost enough to put the kibosh on the whole thing. Yet, that saner, optimistic part of me usually comes to the rescue reminding me that I walked into this knowing that despite all my hard work, failure is always a possibility but not necessarily an option.

That said, I want to thank all of you who pledged your support this time around. Knowing that you all appreciate my work and understand my dedication to crafting unique content and high quality art and books makes it easy to carry on from this point.

Because Notes From London: Above & Below has been press-ready since this campaign began, I have decided to complete publishing arrangements for it and release a modest limited edition of the book within the next few weeks. Remember that your pledges will not be charged to your credit cards now that the campaign has concluded. Instead, you may pre-order your copy at this link:  http://magiceyegallery.com/PicturePage.aspx?id=1370

Each copy is on offer for US$30 + shipping worldwide. If you have any questions, please contact me at: ilene@winnlederer.com. Again, I thank you for your confidence in my work and I’m looking forward to sharing Notes From London: Above & Below with all of you!

Update #5: Notes From London: Above & Below: Miracle?

If material miracles are possible, then this campaign for Notes From London: Above & Below,at 5 days left to go and funded at just 22% of its 3,000 goal will certainly need one- if it is to become a book you can hold and enjoy for years to come. And If you are a latecomer to this campaign, then by all means, do visit this link and lend your support!

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1330347473/notes-from-london-above-and-below

As a professional writer and illustrator, I am also a realist who agrees with Israel’s former Prime Minister David Ben Gurion when he said, “...in order to be a realist you must believe in miracles”. I say this because many strange things have happened both over my personal life and career; unexpected meetings that led to connections with people that led to certain important tasks and outcomes that I’ve only come to understand in retrospect. While it’s not quite over, the trajectory of this project is one of them. And I feel certain that it will become a stepping stone to an event or project yet to find me.  That said, Albert Einstein provided the perfect segué to Mr. Ben Gurion’s comment: “There are two ways to live: you can live as if nothing is a miracle; or you can live as if everything is a miracle”. And the latter is exactly what I plan to do, since hope is the essential catalyst in all human endeavor.

There is one final update to this campaign that will be posted at its conclusion on May 10 after 3:20PM. Until then, here is one more illustration from Notes From London: Above & Below for your consideration. It is my interpretation of the famed Lewis Chess set, now divided between the National Museum of Scotland and The British Museum. I’ve chosen to present this image now because I’ve long been intrigued by the idea of chess as a game, not unlike the Kickstarter business model, whose rules and roots lie beneath the workings of our world:

The Game Of Life: Cosmic Jeopardy?

Last night, while searching for a drawing reference, I revisited some of my former selves via the thoughts, sketches and the flotsam and jetsam of memory in the small journals I’ve kept for years. This is rather like re-reading a favorite book and finding new insights between the lines. By default, time is a great teacher because in the periods that elapse between readings, our minds have a chance to integrate what we’ve experienced since our first reading into our subsequent ones. This idea also extends to my art. It’s why I think that a work of art is always a work in progress; it sits waiting patiently for you or someone else to impart new insights upon each viewing thereby enriching the presence of that artwork and lending a depth to its purpose that the artist may not have originally understood.

All of this musing leads me to offer you one of these little philosophic tidbits that I found in a journal entry of 24 February 1999. Though it was a stand-alone observation at the time, I now realize that it was the perfect accompaniment for the 1986 watercolor drawing shown above: The Game Of Creation.

“Maybe life is a game of cosmic jeopardy in which we are all players. Experience provides the clues to our existence, but it is our task to formulate questions to comprehend their meaning.”  

There are probably no satisfying answers, but the questions lead to wonder and perhaps that gift of wonder is an answer in itself…

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The original framed painting or giclée prints of it may be purchased through The Magic Eye Gallery where you will find further details. (www.magiceyegallery.com)

“Psst…Happy Valentines’ Day!”