Good quotes are everywhere, in magazines and especially on Facebook.  Usually there is no tag line or author of the quote. I saw this one in a magazine and thought it would be a good one to write down in my new ReThreaded Journal my son gave me for Christmas. It's a good one.

Phil:4:8

Week 46 of Documented Life Project--Add Fabric

Oh man, did I ever have fabric just itching to be used. This is Ranger ink sprays on this canvas fabric which is so fun to do. Then I used my Sailor Fountain Pen with just regular ink to write the quote.
This was a fun one!!  I love painting fabric!

Black and White Week--36 of DLP

Better late than missing this week! This week the challenge was to create a journal page with just black and white. So I decided to pull out a hand carved stamp and write something about this art journey we are on.  Art brings such joy to me and yes, if it bring joy to others then that's even all the better!

PEACE

IMAGINE--PERFECT--PEACE

One day...

Great quote

Yep! That's for sure!

Do you ever wonder who originates these quotes on Pinterest?  Sometimes they are really profound but sometimes there is no author on them.  This is one of those. So I just let Mr. Pinterest have the honors.
This is a vintage border from my early days and some lettering from yesterday.  Since I have been oil painting my lettering has somewhat gone to the wayside but I certainly don't want many years of lettering practice to fade away---no matter how much I want to be a good painter. If you don't use it you'll lose it. That's for sure!

11:00 pm ditty

These are the left over pieces from the rubber stamps I carved the other day. I couldn't let them go unused so they made pretty neat shapes. I quickly cut the heart and then wrote one of my favorite Scriptures. These left over pieces are almost better then the ones I cut---well not better,just different. I will post the carved ones tomorrow.

Digicollage with one of the girls

This is a really fun thing to do when those days come when I can't paint anything or calligraphy anything or sew anything but I can always click around while I am watching TV and create some digi-art. She is a pencil sketch placed over one of my digi collages in Photoshop. Really easy and kinda neat looking. Maybe I will paint tomorrow or maybe not.

...and He will direct your paths

I have felt like being a calligrapher these past few days finding all these pieces that needed lettering on them. On this one I didn't plan anything as you can see because I ran out of room. This is on Arches Text wove paper (love Text wove!) with walnut ink. Yummy surface to write on. Yum yum...I used Dr. Martin's Bleedproof white.
Actually I am making another big chunky book with all my left over snippets and scraps. Some of the scraps just need...something...This is actually a very old scrap that I made in Judy Melvin's class many years ago. Most of you might not know who Judy Melvin is but if you are a calligrapher out there, you'll probably know! She is one of the superstar calligraphers out there and has been for many years. I love her and we were delighted to have her come here to Jacksonville.She stayed in my house so I really got to know her and pick her creative brain! It was wonderful but it was many years ago. I would love a refresher course and would love to see her again.

Just on a Snippet Whim

This watercolor paper was staring at me from within my collage pieces drawer...
and I thought they they needed some lettering on them.
I love writing on watercolor paper with a calligraphy nib. It's bumpy and rough and wonderful.
And also remember that artists cannot fail...it is success to be one!
...and, yes, "As for me and my house...." also true....
AND how true is this one too?!!!

Just a few snippets for you!

Off to Lisa Engelbrecht Workshop!

Oh my goodness, it's finally here! I am flying to Birmingham today for Lisa's workshop with the Birmingham Calligrapher's Guild. I am extremely excited (and a bit nervous). I don't know a soul but I am steppin' out and going it alone. I do know that calligraphers are the nicest and most generest ( is that a word?) of people so I am sure I will make new and wonderful friends and be so inspired!! Lisa is one of my favorite artists. I love her free and beautiful letterforms and ---well, I just love everything she does. I understand that this will be her last workshop so I am so glad I could go. I am taking my computer so I might be able to blog some pictures along the way. Be back Monday!

Writing in a Circle

I actually haven't written in a circle in a long time because usually it doesn't work out and I am too lazy to write it over and over to make it fit. Somehow this one just happen to fit since it was only two words and I could see that one word was about half of the circle. Yes, I would have been very bummed out had it not fit. Sometimes I just throw caution to the wind. This is actually a book cover that I am making for my Westwind graph pad calligraphy practice sheets. I have come to the conclusion... if I don't know what to do with it or how to file it... make a book out of it! So that's what I am doing with this. The cover is scrapbook paper and I used a calligraphy marker for the lettering.

This is Italic Calligraphy (which by the way is starting November 2nd!) Another shameless plug!

Italic Calligraphy Online Class-Starts Nov 2nd

ALMOST READY!!! If you are interested, Gail at Creative Workshops will have registration open soon.

As hard as this class was to organize and teach, it was a complete joy to work intensely with my pens and practice my skills so I could bring to those of you who might be interested in learning calligraphy a good foundation so you can start a successful calligraphic journey. I have developed a step by step approach which will give you the foundation for you to be a good calligrapher. The rest is up to you! It is something that you can do the rest of you life, it never goes out of style and it goes with any style that comes around a goes around. It will make you happy and others happy. What can be better than that?

Age is just a number...

Well, yes it is just a number isn't it? And I am getting where I think mine will be unlisted also.

This is an example of the Italic letterforms that I am teaching in my upcoming "Italic Calligraphy" class where I will take you through the steps to teach you "the art of beautiful handwriting" and then I will help you to figure out just what in the world to do with it! There are so many things you can do with your beautiful handwriting but you just need to have some knowledge of how to do that. For example, when you have written out a quote like this you can scan it and with some Photoshop knowledge you can put it on any background you have saved in your files...and voila!! finished piece ready for framing! If you can do this then that opens up a new world to you with cards, prints, collage pieces...it goes on and on. Or you can put it directly on to your background or your journal page. I will show you how to do that! This is a background from an art journal that I used this scan and paste technique. Really very simple!

More Stencil Painting

Here are two more stencil paintings with calligraphy and stitching.

Again, when I spray more paintings I will mask off the black for a cleaner painting but I like the colors. These two are fairly large--10 x 20. It's fun! I love to spray paint. :) It's really just too hot though. When fall comes I can hopefully spray more.

Triptic Stencil Painting

These three panels were cut from a large sheet that I spray painted yesterday. I bought some new paints so I like the brighter colors. There are a few tweeks I will do for my next spraying, one being masking the outside edges of the stencil while I spray the black paint. I think that will make for a cleaner image. I have to spray fast because the mosquitoes will carry me off if I am there too long and the fumes are really bad even with the door wide open and with my mask on. I did a little bit of calligraphy on it and sewed it on. Bernie wasn't very cooperative this time at first but I realized that she wanted a new needle but not before she came unthreaded several times and just refused to move the paper with her feet. This was our first little spat in our new relationship. The middle lettering is upside down---yes it is---on purpose---???---well of course!

(not really!---but it's creative!)

Just practicing...

I do know that to be a good teacher of calligraphy I need to be practiced up before I start. It has been interesting for me because my Italic "go to" calligraphy that I use most frequently is a variation so I have had to hunker down and practice the classic Italic shape all over again.  I haven't started filming any classes yet but I think I am getting there. My goal is to teach people the correct letterform and to try to guide them into learning these letterforms with patience, determination and with a critical eye for holding on to always keeping the integrity of the Italic letterform. In other words, learn the rules first---then make it your own.

A few nighttime backgrounds

Sometimes I just have to put some color on paper and create---something---and who knows what it will turn out to be. I love to try to do no-think intuitive painting because sometimes you get and gem and sometimes you don't. The ones that don't can be torn up and sometimes then the torn pieces turn into gems. The urge to do this usually hits me about 10:30 pm and I go into my "Closet of Creation" where everything is right at my finger tips but not much room at all. But I do create some fun things in this small space here at home.  This is a big closet for a closet but a small space for a studio. Our next door neighbors have installed a wine cellar in their closet area. We live in a condo and our neighbors have the same layout except opposite. His wine cellar is fantastic and it's mind boggling how he has figures out how to catalogue all the wines and go right to it. I should let him come over and catalogue my art supplies!  I'm sure I'd never find a thing ever again.

More Snippets

Ok, so this is what I think---I am tricking myself into believing that if it is on a snippet of paper there is no pressure to create it because after all---it's just a scrap! How crazy is that?  That's why I think I have been able to create so many of these--no pressure--no brainer. But I am thinking now that I will put these in a mixed media book of some sort. Pressure! Not really---I guess anything goes in one of these books and hopefully I can sew some of these in. We'll see what I can come up with. I am not sure how to do it yet. 

Little Sunday Word Snippet

This is a hand carved heart stamp that I carved many years ago that surprisingly I found on the backside of a hand carved leaf. Obviously I didn't care much for the heart--not perfect, you see---but now--not perfect is---perfect! Enjoy your Sunday.

Two more Little Snippets

Here are two more little snippets with original calligraphy. You see I like that quote about the artist not failing---well, it's one I have memorized so it turns up all the time. I must get my sheet out and find some more quotes. The images are a hand carved stamp. The larger flowers were stamps I carved many years ago and the other stamp is one that I think went awry--I think it was actually suppose to be dragon flies but I guess they turned into flowers--of a sort.

I like the way this Arches paper tears--if you tear it in the right direction it makes a very cool torn edge.  I am enjoying doing these little snippets. Thanks so much for all your suggestions as what to do with them. I have many little pieces of un-purposed art.