Friday, November 4, 2011

Versal Pears

Well, you know how the saying goes (or maybe you don't) ..."when in doubt, paint a pear" (quote from my favorite oil painter, Jeff Mahoney). I have been in a doodle mood lately and I have decided not to push myself to paint until I go to Art of the Carolinas in Raleigh next weekend for my classes with Robert Burridge. I have been working a lot lately with these fun versal letters and I am thinking that it will be my next online class. They are so fun to draw after you learn the strokes and they can be used for absolute anything; journal, finished piece, zentangles, name plates, and the list goes on. Remember this?  They are so fun to do. I think I will demo in the workshop how to use 23 carat patent gold to add to the versals.
It's an ancient secret that the monks used as they sat in their candlelit scriptoriums slaving away on their manuscripts and drawing and painting in those gorgeous decorated letters. The proper term is called guilding and you just wouldn't believe how easy it is. It will probably be the first of February before I can get it up because I haven't started filming and of course--the holidays are coming. Maybe along the way I will give some sneak peeks.
And...as always...God willing.

18 comments:

Cynthia Schelzig said...

ooooh I can relate to this statement...I have painted a hundred pears....your pears are GORGEOUS ...such happy pears...delightful!!

fran pascazio said...

Loving these pears, Martha ... excited that you'll be offering an online class on this letter form ... thanks again for sharing and good luck in your upcoming class.

bluegiraffe (Sherry) said...

Martha- I will definitely sign up for the versal class when you give it. I have a friend who will sign up also. Yay!

Bev Davis said...

you can count me in for a class. I have taken two others of yours and have loved them both

Anonymous said...

Nicely done Martha! Your pears look great and of course the lettering is always so fun.

jgr said...

Martha, Gorgeous pears and I love those letters! I would love to take your class. Have a great weekend.

Peggy said...

Count me in on your class! LOVE your work!

Mary said...

Marthy these are gorgeous...you really have captured the colors perfectly!!

carol l mckenna said...

Love this ~ the pears ~ the lettering ~ thanks, namaste, carol (Share the Creative JOurney) and A Creative Harbor ~

anika said...

Dear Martha, your calligraphy, paintings of flowers, birds and pears are all works of the master (only portraits are not at that level in my opinion), so I look forward to a new workshop, I enrolled all your class :)

Donna said...

I'll definitely sign up for the class, too! I've already taken three of your classes and look forward to taking more!

sher said...

Yes February! That is about the time things will slow down enough that I can take a class. Not that I expect people to arrange things to suit me.

Pears. My least favorite to eat but my favorite to paint. They are just gorgeous.

sher said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
linda (dots n doodles) said...

Your pears, as ever are gorgeous. I would definitely sign up for your versal class.

Jennibellie said...

Absolutely beautiful, thanks for sharing much love Jennibellie x

nano*ink said...

make sure you call in "gilding" and not "guilding" : P
the letters are great.

Heather T said...

I have had a great time wandering around your blog. I am inspired by the cool lettering you have been doing lately as well as your lovely watercolours.

Kwiltsfl said...

Ooooo - sign me up for the Versals class! I'll look for it at the start of the year! And I would love to try gilding!

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