I'm high on hot chocolate and so can you

I had a great studio visit with Kathy Konkle. She showed me how she researches and builds art for her stock art business. She was incredibly generous and clearly a very focused person. She is a "diamond" artist over at iStockphoto, which is a hard place to get to, it means she sells in the top 200 out of many many thousands of artists. Kathy lives in the East Village and the walk up tenement reminded my of my three years living in Jim's place on East 90th...the tippy floors, the bathroom off the kitchen, and one long shotgun of rooms.

After having my head stuffed with enough information to start several of me working, I headed home. A block away I found myself on a corner with a Starbucks, an enticing if pricey cafe/bistro, and an even more expensive place called "Chocolate by the Bald Man." Who could resist? It had great sinage, the interior promised chocolate in every form from solid to liquid to airy conceptions and the logo was charming. Besides, I hadn't had lunch. A lovely guy behind the counter told me the Italian hot chocolate was the signature drink and he gave me sip tasters of the dark and milk chocolate. I couldn't decide. Really, what crack isn't good to a crack ho? So he offered to mix them. And he did. All the while making me feel like laying down on the counter and letting him pour every ounce of drink he could make into my face. I also bought a chocolate filled croissant. "Ten seconds in the microwave," he smiled, "and 5 minutes at 350° in the oven, best warm." Indeed. I gave him a dollar tip for making me feel like a million bucks.

I am now in the bliss and somewhat increased heart rate of a true overdose of chocolate. I made it as far as a Cosi on the way to the West Side subway entrance. The gray day now seems a happy sort of pearl hue, the sidewalks have developed a bounce, and my future shimmers, or is it simmers, with theobromine and tryptophan. It seems to me that I should absolutely follow Kathy's advice and turn doodles into clip art and start the long slow process of becoming a diamond member myself. A doodle a day she told me, and in a few months it will pay a small bill, in a few years it will cover most of your rent, and in ten years it will be your retirement money. Hmmm. More chocolate please.