The Thread of Gold

 

Is it really June? Why can't I slow down time, at least during these Spring and Summer months. These are the seasons that bring me abundant joy and are brimming with inspiration.  I have made it part of my daily practice to pause and truly notice the day. I have written about this in multiple posts but this practice is easily forgotten and dismissed. This is the only June 1st of 2025 and it has a beauty that belongs only to this day.  Part of the practice is to notice the changes in the sights and sounds of the garden. The robin's song is rarely heard. I hear the Carolina Wrens, Starlings, Orioles and Bluejays prominently. During my evening walks, I can hear the Red Winged Blackbirds. If my studio windows are open, I can hear bumblebees. All these sounds make up the music of the day. What a joy!

My morning reading ritual is still going strong. I am the most pensive during the beginning of the day.  I currently have a stack of 6 books on the go as part of the morning reading time. I just finished Marjolein Bastin's View from a Sketchbook which gave some amazing insights into her process.

But as I prepare for studies with my private students, I pulled the book Cicely Mary Barker and her Art.

Cicely Mary Barker is best known for her Flower Fairies. She loved nature and depicting her Flower Fairies but struggled with being a Children's Book Illustrator and wondered if she should devote her time to themes that were seemingly more important. Like Kate Greenaway, well intended critics liked to chime in about her work and tell her what she should be doing. But there are quotes in her book that I admire and I wanted to share them here.  A letter from a family friend urged her to ignore the critics and he told her that her work  'shows imagination and originality of thought- the most precious things in art.' He then quoted Dante " If thou follow thy star thou canst not fail of glorious heaven." And your star is your own individual power of thought and imagination-the thread of gold that goes through all good art.' This passage really struck a chord with me as an instructor. The most important aspect I can bring to the student is helping them become aware of their own thought process and imagination. They each have a voice and a vision to create on the page. Their voice is that that "thread of gold" that brings the work to life on the page. Rather than copying from an image or an exemplar, I feel the best path forward is finding your own personal expression of artwork. This absolutely includes calligraphy.  Although I look at historic models, I am constantly finding a way to adapt those models to find a flowing script that is beautiful for my purposes now. I hope this makes sense. Look at history, but don't be defined by what is already captured on the page from someone else's pen or brush. Find your voice. It is important and it has a place in this world now. We are all such unique people, why would we want to all create the same thing? 

These thoughts keep me grounded and focused as I create my instructional classes. I used the inspiration of The Black Hours for the upcoming course Midnight Garden for Ardington school in September. The class is currently sold out, but you can inquire about a waiting list for this class. As I worked on the course notes and the artwork, I wanted to find ways to make these black rinceau designs an expression of that "thread of gold" that is my own voice.  The joy of discovery and thinking through all kinds of conundrums with the process is part of this journey! After a lot of failed experiments I found an accessible way to create these Midnight Garden pages. Admittedly, providing an image that could be traced and copied by each student would be an easier path, but when I see the incredibly expressive individuality of each student, I realize how powerful this "thread of gold' can be! I see student work that far exceeds my own expression and expectations. This could never be achieved through copying.

 Looking ahead on the schedule, my June classes are sold out but if you want to Flourish in July or later on in September, both Ardington School and The Gentle Penman will be hosting my flourishing classes. The Flourishing Club at Ardington is a three month program while The Gentle Penman Wildflower Wonders takes place in two sessions. 

 Flourishing is one of the best ways of creative expression and the voice of the individual can really shine through. It can take time for a lightbulb of understanding to turn on, but once that light comes on, your vision will illuminate the page! Flourish with joy my beautiful friends. Put pen, ink, watercolour or pencils to paper and find that thread of gold. The more I read about my favourite artists, the more I realize that they draw or paint to please themselves. That is what makes their work so timeless and unique. Enjoy this beautiful month dear friends. 

The Practice of Peace

 I don't understand how the winter months can feel so long but Spring seems to fly by quicker each day. Here we are on May 1st! I have a few forget me nots in bloom in the garden and the violets are peeking up through the grass and the green colours around promise me that the garden will soon be abundant! Did I mention before that I love Spring?

I feel like I bounce into my studio each morning. There is a symphony of Robins singing their early morning songs, followed by a chorus of cardinals and finches. These are the happiest sounds of the season for me and they cause me to wait and listen before I begin my daily tasks. The music that they bring to the air is so important to me and brings me such a sense of peace. Those little songs throughout the day help me stay grounded in my work and in an attitude of mindful peace. As the sun goes down and I reluctantly close the studio shades, the evening song of the Robins keeps serenading me until I feel as if I have worked enough for the day. For me, the Spring is about noticing. It is about appreciating the glimpses of nature that come into my day. I feel as if I am a more effective artist if I can dampen the digital noise of the day and just listen quietly to the sounds of nature. 

I just finished teaching Floral Whispers for the Gentle Penman online. I tried to convey to the students how much coloured pencils can contribute to our sense of peace and mental well being. We can be mindful and deliberate in our coloured pencil work and the whole practice of putting pencil to paper is so calming.  This year, the classes I have been teaching seem to build on each other. Not only for the students, but for my own understanding of the mediums I have been using. Floral Whispers deepened my appreciation for coloured pencils.  I will continue to work on Flora and Fauna in special class for Ardington School in June. I will be sharing techniques for dry brushing on paper and vellum as well as some insights for painting florals, cast shadows, and other intriguing details from Medieval Manuscripts. 

I am eager to share this class! This class is currently sold out but you can join the waiting list if you are interested. 

I will be returning to The Gentle Penman in July for Wildflower Wonders which will be a beautiful class exploring Floral Flourishing! I have had many requests to offer another floral flourishing class and this will be a wonderful opportunity to incorporate lovely wildflowers into your flourishing repertoire. Registration is open online for all skill levels.  

I will be closing registration shortly for my Fascinating Floral Rinceau Study Day in May. Honestly, I get completely lost in the practice of designing rinceau and could spend endless hours exploring the possibilities. But there are so many projects waiting for me to complete that I will have to turn my attention to other things.  Floral Rinceau is truly fascinating and the students who took the class in November of 2024 have continued to create amazing designs. I have added to the course notes with more discoveries and I am excited to share the Study Day on May 17th. All details are on my website. 

Each project I work on seems to be infused with extra peace for me. I am drastically limiting my intake of news to try to maintain this sense of peace. I am also deliberately continuing to create courses and classes that are especially intriguing to me. Beatrix Potter who continues to inspire my work believed in creating artwork that pleased herself rather than others. She needed to be enamoured with her subjects in order to create her best work. There was certainly stress involved in her process and in her deadlines, but her best work was produced when she was happy with the subject. As each day seems to rush by faster and faster it seems more important to me to produce the work that makes me the most happy and bring me the greatest sense of peace. I love what I do as I work with my hands and it seldom, if ever, really feels like work to me. I hope wherever you are in the world and whatever circumstances are surrounding you, that you can nurture a sense of the practice of peace in your daily routine. I will be cheering you on all the way. Hugs all around. 

Blossom by Blossom, the Spring awakens.....

 The first crocus has appeared, bloomed and faded, but it was appreciated! Their sweet little blooms come and go so quickly, but they were anticipated, and met with such joy when they finally did bloom. I feel that with each little petal that appears, the birds get louder and more cheerful as they sense the brighter days on the horizon. Spring really is my season. It is always so welcome. And it has awakened.

This year, I feel as if the season is especially beautiful as it coincided with my reading of The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett. If have not read this classic book, I highly recommend it to be read in the Spring. The theme of the healing powers of nature and nurturing a garden ring through loud and clear. Some of the writing is so thoughtful, that I would put the book down and write out passages in my journal. It felt like such a gift to take time to read this book during the Spring. I will return to it again next year. It really is a timeless story for everyone.

When Mary and Dickon begin to look after the Secret Garden, they determine that they do not want it to be a 'gardener's garden'.  They want the garden to have a freedom to it. They remove the weeds that are choking out the flowers but they let the garden grow freely. This resonated with me and I made connections to my own calligraphic journey. My approach to calligraphic hands is not rigid and austere. If I were forced to adhere to one exemplar or absolute rules, I would never have persisted. I always want my writing to have life and joy. I want there to be to vitality in the hand rather than hard lines of perfect rules. We can be analytical and thoughtful as we learn the strokes that comprise a hand, but we are not machines. Our expression of a hand will have our own nature infused into it. Calligraphic writing is as much about feeling a script as it is understanding the strokes.

I think that is why Flourishing was such a natural addition to my calligraphic work. I could play with the pen and let the flourishes flow freely on the page. To flourish is to bloom, and  blooms represent joy and life. I feel especially thoughtful as  I am about to teach a long term study class in Italian Hand for the EPPC online.  The class will launch later this month and it is the second time I have taught Italian Hand in this long term study format.

This class will be well seasoned with my own interpretations of how we can utilize this gorgeous script and really make it bloom on the page.We study various approaches to the hand as well as how to truly study without trying to replicate the thoughts and methods of the instructor. The course does have a lot of homework but I do my best to make the assignments joyful. I believe there are some spaces in the course if you are up to the challenge of a long term study experience. For those who want to expand your pointed pen skills in flourishing, the April, May and June edition  of the Flourishing Club through Ardington School is open for registration. We will be working on Vintage Flourishes inspired by Daniel T. Ames. I am so excited to share these beautiful expressions of classic offhand flourishing. The Ardington Flourishing Club is a caring community and I love seeing the student work that is created after each session. 

 For those of you who would like to add a small floral illustration to your calligraphic work, Floral Whispers will start on April 11th ( April 12th, Asia) at The Gentle Penman online. My approach to coloured pencils will be shared in this class. The subjects will be softly coloured or white petaled flowers which are great for beginners to coloured pencil work. Even if you are afraid to draw, I have a method to share with you!

I don't think I will ever tire of working with pen, ink, pencils and paint and my love of the natural world seems to permeate all of my designs. My study day in May is filling up and I am looking forward to sharing some new insights I have learned with Floral Rinceau, including playing with some Kate Greenaway influences. Registration is on my website. 

 Although I have been working with Rinceau, Coloured Pencils, Gilding and Italian Hand for years, just like the Spring, it is constantly new and refreshing for me.  Never underestimate the power of the work you do with your hands. The artwork you create, the message you share and what you choose to think about, makes a difference in the world. I hope you spend this wonderfull season surrounded by beautiful things. Appreciate the fragile beauty of a single bloom. Look at the petals and appreciate them as wonders of nature. The pansy that I have on my desk today is unlike any other pansy I have ever seen. I just need to notice it.  

Sending hugs and a message of peace all around. Do what you love dear friends. This is a beautiful world!

Finding Perpetual Joy

 Here we are on March 1st, and winter is still exerting full force here at home. Today, though, my morning was given the gift of the cardinal's cheerful song. What a joyful song bird and how beautiful it is to stop and listen to that sweet song. Glimpses of bright red feathers against the snow have been really scarce this season so it was lovely to savour the moment. As we welcome this March together, I wanted to share some insights into finding joy no matter what is happening around you. I realize that I find incredible satisfaction in study and peaceful pursuits like flourishing, writing, drawing and painting. But I never really understood just how deep the pathway of peace could become. As I work with my hands and concentrate on the emerging art or penmanship, I notice how deeply engrossed I can become in the process.

The outcome of the page is far less important than the process itself. I know that some of you really struggle with wondering if taking classes, study and practice are worthwhile if you are not getting the results on the page that you are hoping for. But I would encourage you to tap into the thought process itself. If possible, turn off the analytical critic and any negative thoughts that come your way try to really be part of the moment that you find yourself in. Totally immerse yourself in the process of the project rather than the final result. There is joy in the journey and I am always so excited to be working, no matter what the outcome is on the page. I sincerely hope this makes sense.

My hope is that you will be able to tap into the joy that can be found in the discovery and learning process rather than an idealized anticipation of a "masterpiece" on the page. I constantly object to the words like master, mastery or masterpiece. Even artists that I admire down through history were constantly discovering and working on their craft rather than putting a final stamp of approval on their skills. If we cultivate this continued inquisitive approach and allow the pages that emerge in front of us to be what they will be, you will find an incredible source of joy. I am continuing to study, read, practice and explore and have found such peace on this journey despite turbulent times around us. I think being able to tap into music, drawing, painting, calligraphy, knitting, embroidery, gardening, walking or anything else you can think of that brings this sense of peace will be so important right now. I have noticed there is an increase in people signing up for classes and requests for me to repeat classes. My March and April classes at Ardington are sold out but there is room in April for Floral Whispers at the Gentle Penman. I will also be giving an encore presentation of my Rinceau Borders in May as I have received some requests.

If you are interested in the encore presentation, I will update my website shortly or you can email me to let me know of your interest. The Floral Whispers class will showcase my approach to very subtle colours in coloured pencil.

 I find that I really like to choose light and subdued subjects to enhance my calligraphic work. I like the gentle building up of layers of colour without having to spend multiple hours on a single subject. So if you find that you can distracted or even bored with building up layers of coloured pencil, you will be relieved to know that this particular process can be completed relatively quickly.

Coloured pencil is portable and highly accessible. There is so much to enjoy and explore. And the added benefit of having flowers on your studio desk can contribute to your sense of joy and well being.
As a florist, I know the incredible power that is hidden in the petals of each flower.

They can absolutely change your point of view and give you such a sense of appreciation for beauty. My  message for March will be to notice what brings you joy as you work and continue to cultivate that process. Put aside any doubts or sense of inadequacy and celebrate your unique qualities that you have to share on the page. Let's continue to cheer each other on and bring beauty to this world. No matter how dark or cold the winter has been, the Spring is clearly ahead. Hugs all around. 

Take Heart!

 Welcome February! This month always gives me a glimmer of hope that Spring will come, no matter how dark the winter has been. Yesterday we had a brief thaw before several more inches of snow came our way. The view from my window this morning is gorgeous.

 February can warm up quickly or bring in blasts of arctic air to remind us that winter is still hanging on. Whatever happens, Spring will follow and I know I will be back in my garden chair and spending more time outdoors. I do need to be patient though. Every season takes its own time and will not be rushed. Despite the cold, I have enjoyed reading this winter. My bookshelves are full and I have a wonderful library here in my studio to explore. I have been reaching for fiction along with my study books. I am reading through The Wind in The Willows and enjoying the gorgeous artwork of Charles Van Sandwyk as well as the charming story.

 I feel like I am along the banks of the river with the characters and taking in all the sights and sounds. The illustrations and the whimsical writing have been transporting me into a a peaceful world as I enjoy the quiet pace of reading. Yesterday they were having a relaxing lunch along the riverbank and finds them in sudden peril in a wintery Wild Woods. It is a wonderful story!  I find myself looking forward to this time every morning as I take notes, and really contemplate about what I am reading. It has become a form of meditation for me and my studio time becomes even more productive as I feel so inspired after reading a few pages each day. This winter season has been enriched through this daily practice.

Studies with Beatrix Potter are part of each day's reading. I have read through her letters, her biography and now I am reading various essays about her work and life and how she has influenced others. All of the Potter readings and studying are to prepare me for a class in April through Ardington School. We have had to offer a second class in April because the first class sold out very quickly. If you are interested in joining the class, the registration info is online here. Martin Beek will give a wonderful lecture about Beatrix Potter and I will share the artistic insights I have gleaned into her work as the practical demonstration.  I am currently reading " So Shall I Tell You a Story which has been edited by Judy Taylor. 

The book contains various essays and contributions about the impact of Beatrix Potter. There have been some fascinating insights into her artwork that I had not yet gleaned from other sources. Although she was an amazing artist, she made mistakes like any other person, could feel rushed and overwhelmed and had definite feelings of burn out along the way. Nature steadied her and gave her a sense of purpose and balance. She was so much more than the creator of beautiful animal characters and I think she would continue to be amazed at the reach and impact of her work. I have had the most wonderful time exploring her drawings, pen and ink techniques and her iconic watercolours.

February's classes will start with  Faded Love Letters at Ardington school. Those who know me, understand my love of Victorian letters and typography. There is so much to explore and each time I work with these letters, I discover something new. Although, I have taught this class before, I have expanded the notes in step with my appreciation of the letters.0

 I have been enjoying indulging in these little studies. The letters have an underlying nature of abundant blooms, birds, decorative devices and incredibly inventive styles. They are perfect little letters for the month of February and will make gorgeous Valentines to send through the mail. Despite a huge hike in postal rates here in Canada, I think our friends and loved ones need a little lift of joy these days. These delicate little letters can really lift the spirits of someone who receives them.

Finally, this month, I will also be teaching an introductory course in Italian Hand for the Colleagues of Calligraphy. I will be introducing the class with a lecture on Friday February 13th, before the weekend workshop on the 14th and 15th. Italian Hand remains my most beloved Script hand as I can really be myself and explore creative variations. I recommend it as the first script hand to study because it is less pressurized than English Roundhand and far less rigid than Spencerian. Registration info is online through the Colleagues of Calligraphy here.

Wherever you are as you read this blog post, I hope you are finding joy and can steal some time away from your routine to pursue something peaceful. Take some time to meander along the pages of a fairy tale or put pen to paper with a beautiful flourish or written note. This world needs beauty, a message of hope and the encouragement of friends. Take heart, cheer each other on and create beauty in your corner of the world. Happy February Dear Friends.