It's what I do

When I tell people what my second job is, sometimes I get some funny looks. "You paint stationary? How did you get that job?"  I've been painting for Bernard Maisner Inc. for 3 years and find a lot of enjoyment in it. I was lucky- He was a friend of a friend and my name was dropped! While I paint for 75% of the time, I also proofread custom designed invitations that are sent to celebrities (I got a papercut on Mick Jagger's invitation!) and assemble paperweights with some familiar names as well. You can see all the hand painted items  here:

Aren't they gorgeous!? My favorite one to paint is the cockatoo

Working under Bernard has been similar to an apprenticeship. Also a fine artist (and was a professor at Cooper Union, and hand model for movies that I know you've seen in the theaters!), I was there when he sold some of his pieces to a museum, and he handled this with professionalism and small doses of humor. People skills coupled with the balancing act of being a fine artist and calligrapher, and the importance of deadlines in one's life are just a few lessons I've learned while working.  Today, I'm helping Bernard move some of his artwork around and carefully packing his canvases for storage. Looking forward to it!

Here's a great video to get a sense of what he does:  http://www.nowness.com/day/2010/6/3/688/talking-tradition