Somewhat Bitter Sweet

First, the Sweet
Today I spent the afternoon and had lunch with an old friend named Hy Farber. Hy is an 88 year old Artist, Designer, Univ. Professor and my mentor in design philosophy. Much of what I do as a Graphics Designer today has been influenced greatly by Hy's guidance and insight. He was a teacher when I was in college and I enrolled in his Graphic Design classes. He was already a successful and just retired artist/designer and business man at the time. In the pics you can see some of what he jokingly referred to as his 'hobby'. This is his work and Hy is a master artist. You can click on any of the photos to enlarge it and really see how good all of this is.
Walking into Hy's home is an experience all on its own. Enter the front door and your confronted with a sea of massive sculptures made of laminated plywood, varnished and polished smooth, all by hand and all by Hy.
The whole living and dinning areas are filled to capacity, with only a small couch and table in the one corner of the room. To see it all, you have slowly weave your way through each piece, from enormous in scale to small and delicate. Turn into the hallway and its lined with magnificent pastels that my photos can't do justice to. Mind you, this is just his hobby! As a businessman, he has designed everything from brochures to buildings and everything in-between... and has a great story behind every one of them. It was a wonderful afternoon, full of talk about art, life and how the two cross over and are part of each other and how to use that in your work whenever possible. He also gave me a critique on a recent brochure. We exchanged ideas and he gave me some good tips to follow. Part of the critique is in the video I posted if you want to spare a about 60 seconds to view.
The Bitter
HY told me he has cancer, He has had cancer for a few years now and when we spent an afternoon together about a year ago, he had told me that it was in remission. But during our last visit he said it had now come back. He has hospice care and said they only gave him a certain amount of time. Well, Hy is beating the odds and my bet is, he will continue to do so. He is still the same engaging and fascinating person he has ever been. While we talked, he told me he had asked the nurse, "about how long do you think I have?" she responded. "It's in God's hands". Hy being a Hy relied, "Gee, What if your an atheist ?"... (Hes' not)
I hope to see Hy again in the not too distant future. He is a very charming and engaging friend with a lifetime of information, experience and Great stories to tell, that he was parsing out to me today. To me he is a National Treasure. Part of the growth of an America that has changed so much over the years. One of the unsung heroes that made America great by imparting his knowledge, talent and wisdom in the creation of a society. Hy will have left behind beauty, knowledge and the legacy of a true American Artist. But don't count him out just yet. He is fully engaged in life, which makes us all tick and Hy is ticking loud and clear. His web site is: www.hyfarbersculpture.com
Treasure those you love and make the most of everyday. Look at the small things around you as well as the big and smile. Life is strong yet fragile. I'm glad I can call Hy a friend.