True Growth

 It seems just a blink since my May post. The transition to summer is here in Ontario. I see my garden coming to life and I enjoy early morning walks in the sunshine listening to the songs of the Orioles. Already though, the voices of the robins are harder to find and I can feel the shift of the season. As I type this post. the Carolina Wren is singing her joyful song. She is so small but that song is so strong and clear. 

Let me take a moment to build on my post from last month. I wanted to share my thoughts about cultivating that patient sense of grace as you work with your hands. I got an overwhelming email response with so many readers resonating with the post. I hope you continue to practice patience as you develop skills and remember that you are exactly where you should be right now. Growth is happening, even if you are not aware of it. In time, you will find that you suddenly have the right eyes to see the growth. 

I have just completed my Italian Hand Masterclass for 2026 and finished the memorial piece for my dear friend Don Marsh. Don passed away as I was preparing for the Masterclass.  I penned the words in the above piece when he passed away but I completed the border during our final teaching session of the Masterclass.  It was good to talk through the piece with my students and I felt accompanied as I worked through the border and the ongoing grief of losing my friend. Throughout this special class I saw an absolutely outstanding body of work created by the students. Each one had their own interpretation of the hand and I could see amazing styles and personalities emerge on the page. My resounding message throughout the course was for students to find their expression in the hand rather than conforming to rigid rules that produce cookie cutter results. There is a voice and a passion for work that goes far beyond technical skill. It is through that passion and unique expression that I can see such growth and beauty in the work of the students. This is not only true of Italian Hand but of other classes where students will share their work. I hope you can truly  appreciate. your work for the wonderful creative expression it is. Seeing these incredible strides of growth is what leads me forward as I continue to teach and dive further into my own studies. 

There are some very special study opportunities beginning on June 8th with Atlanta's Friends of the Alphabet. I will be teaching a 3 month summer session series for all members of the FOTA guild. The course is  free to all guild members. If you join the guild, you will be sent the Zoom link as well as the course notes for the letter design series called Unlocking The Secret Garden. We will begin with looking at Daniel Ames inspired letters as we explore pointed pen etching. As the summer progresses we will move on to fully gilded and painted letters and letters with cascading borders. I am so excited to share this special series and have worked hard on preparing the course notes. Membership information for the FOTA guild can be found here. The Summer Series is not advertised on their site but all members will receive the information for this free summer series.

For those of you who would like to explore the Florentine style of border design, registration is open on The Gentle Penman online. These beautiful Florentine Dreams can take on any sort of colour palette and can also be used to create wonderful infill shapes. They are wonderful for beginners or for anyone who wants to further their understanding of the underlying structures of scrolling borders. 

True growth comes from your own voice and vision. Although my classes give you ideas and a pathway to explore the skills involved with each project, they are created with individuality in mind. You as students will take your work to places and heights that differ from my own ideas. You have a creative vision that deserves to be seen and experienced. My sincere hope is that each student will be able to create their own unique letters designs, and intriguing borders. There is so much creative joy that can be found this way. If we merely copy or reproduce a historic design, we often find that we are falling short of the original and end up frustrated. Allow yourself that time to grow, experiment, play, and make your own discoveries. Understand that there is a much more expansive view that goes way beyond technical skill. I wish you all a beautiful month of June in your part of the world. Thank you for always being so kind and encouraging to me. You are loved!