Ink Flourishes

Valentine Flourish

2012-02-13T15:49:00.000-05:00

I had an enjoyable afternoon with this little Victorian Flourish. I used a piece of John Neal's new diploma parchment. Still loving that paper! McCaffery brown was used on the flourishing and I limited my palette to two shades of pink and an olive green. I used Staedtler Aquarelle Watercolour Pencils to paint the design. Background is burnished with Diane Townsend Pastels and accent strokes are with Finetec gold, sakura gelly roll pen and hot foil. All of the usual suspects were used in this design with the exception of the Aquarelle pencils. They are rapidly disappearing in Canada at my art supply stores. I have a few precious colours. They are quite vibrant and transparent. A little less "cloudy" than the Albrecht Durer watercolor pencils. They are very thin and can be sharpened to a very fine point for getting into tiny places.Wishing everyone a Happy Valentine's Day!

New Paper, New Palette, New Perspective

2012-01-27T13:08:00.000-05:00

Still looking through the Ames Compendium with admiration for Ames' style and innovation. Just looking can bring in subtle influences. I wanted to make my palette for this piece slightly warmer and more of an old world feel. I purchased some of the new diploma parchment from John Neal and love the colour. It almost takes on a peach tone. Peach and blue are two colours that I don't visit often in my palette but wanted to use them this time. The McCaffery brown works like a dream on the new diploma parchment. It seems to be made for the paper. I did several moist brush applications of watercolour to the paper and it didn't buckle or feather at all. I did not pull any fibres of the paper. It takes gilding well. A very smooth paper. I do like it! The finetec gold performance on the paper was a bit of a surprise. It almost flowed too quickly. I had to mix it up to be a bit thicker than normal. Once I got the right consistency, I could achieve the fine hairlines. Diane Townsend pastels work really well on it as well. I definitely will do more work on this paper when I don't want a stark white or even an ivory page. Bigger projects on the go in 2012 as I work on the dvd and online course. I am also working on larger studio pieces so blog posting might be slower than normal.

I included my rough draft in this post. I am still working in my beloved Leuchtturm1917 journal but purchased one of the large ones for doing my sketches. The paper is wonderful.

The Whole Arm Movement Flourish

2012-01-16T13:55:00.003-05:00

I sat down this morning with pen and paper and worked on two European style offhand flourishes. The flourishing here is done with strokes that are thrown away from the body, much like the 18th Century practice of "striking". There is no finger movement used in these flourishes. The shoulder does the work with the pen held lightly in the fingers. I use a straight holder rather than an oblique for these strokes. Lots of fun to play with. I broke away from my favourite coloured pencils and tried the Prismacolor coloured pencils on the Fantasia piece. They are very waxy to use and prohibit ink lines being added on top but the colours are vibrant.

The Ames Compendium

2012-01-09T21:25:00.003-05:00

When I first began my offhand flourishing journey in 2003, I acquired two books to study. The first was Ornate Pictorial Calligraphy which is available as a Dover publication and the second book was The Ames Compendium.
I have had to replace my copy of the Ames Compendium twice. It's binding is prone to just disintegrate. John Neal Booksellers now sells it in a binder which is much more durable. This inexpensive book is one of my most cherished resources. Daniel T. Ames was just a bit different than his colleagues. His lowercase Spencerian Script is spaced rather tightly while his capital letters are quite delicate and simple. His Italian Offhand Capitals by contrast are incredibly ornate. His offhand flourishes contain gorgeous pen drawn florals, little cherubs and rich shadow work. His engrossed pieces at times border on the ridiculous. It is not unusual to see more than ten different lettering styles on one piece. He certainly isn't subtle but he is passionate in his work and I glean so much inspiration from him. As I continue to travel and teach The Artful Flourish and Enchanted Letter workshops, Daniel T. Ames plays an ever increasing role as I study his work. I hope to dive into more of his Spencerian Script as well as his engrossing techniques this year.

Welcome 2012!

2012-01-02T00:43:00.002-05:00

May this new year bring you health, joy, peace and love.

This is Z end!!!

2011-12-30T13:59:00.004-05:00

Project completed for 2011. What a learning experience!

I had such fun along the way. It was great to play along with my dear friend Dana.
Along the way I learned many new techniques which I merged into a new workshop offering, The Enchanted Letter. I found more avenues to explore in designing illuminated letters which can be used with script lettering. One of the books I discovered along this journey is called Guide for the Drawing the Acanthus, and Every Description of Ornamental Foliage by James Page. The complete text is available online as a download but I did get a good quality reprint of this book through abebooks. I have been enjoying studying the various ways of drawing acanthus.
Overall, I think the best part of this journey for me has been making friends with a pencil! My previous way of studying illuminated letters was to take an historic example and update it with my own colours. This helped painting skills but did nothing for the design process. It also locked me into looking for a style of letter that would match my text. It was very empowering to find that I could design my own letters and foliate work to use with my script. I read a very important article on The Painters Keys this year about learning through copying the masters. It is valuable as a learning process but out of respect for the master that you have studied, we should destroy the canvas. I keep that in the back of my mind now as I look at historic examples to study! The historic manuscripts provide so much in the way of inspiration. I see them now more as a springboard to creativity rather than trying to copy them. I especially loved looking through the Persian manuscripts. Like the Italian manuscripts, their love of pink draws me instantly!
My personal studies in 2011 were very fulfilling. I am sad to say goodbye to this project but I am really looking foward to expanding it and seeing where else it will go. Thanks for reading and chiming in now and then. Happy New Year dear friends!

Merry Christmas Dear Friends

2011-12-23T12:16:00.003-05:00

As we go into a busy weekend, I just wanted to wish my blog friends a very Merry Christmas. Hope you find Peace.
xo,
Heather

Y not Pink?

2011-12-16T09:10:00.004-05:00

Down to the home stretch with the illuminated letter project. I can hardly believe another year is nearly gone. While I spent the year exlporing techniques and learning more and more about the illuminated letter, one thing stayed consistent. My use of pink! I don't think I could ever give up pink in my palette or that Sakura clear stardust gelly roll pen. This letter is 3 1/2'' x 1 1/2" on Arches HP watercolour paper. I used alizarin crimson and carmine with a touch of bleedproof white to achieve the colour variations in the pinks. A very pale of wash of Hooker's green was used for the leaves. 23K gold leaf is flat and raised gilded. Raised gilding in the center was achieved with homemade gesso. Background burnish in Diane Townsend pastels. Finetec gold and Sakura clear stardust gel pen are added as accents along with silver hot foil.

Xperimental X

2011-12-02T09:49:00.005-05:00

When teaching the Enchanted Letter workshop, our first letterform needed to combine a simple script letter with an open area to flourish and decorate. There are no foliate extensions on these letterforms. I call these Embedded Letters. They are based on Victorian Embroidery techniques. The embroiderer would build up the script letterform with a satin stitch and then decorate the open area with buillion stitch roses, French knots, leaf stitch and even little pearls. Back in my embroidery days, I would probably have done a motif like this in whitework and embellished with shiny rayon or metallic threads. Painting the letter is much quicker! This 2"x2" piece is done on Fabriano HP paper and is gilded with Pallaldium leaf. This was my first time using palladium which made the letter Xperimental! It is a very different effect to look at your paper and see siver reflected back rather than gold. Initially, I did all the accent strokes in the Steriing Silver Finetec that usually lies dormant on the end of my palette. I still felt it needed the intensity of the gold and added some gold strokes as well. Background is pastel burnished with Diane Townsend pastels and the Sakura Clear Stardust gel pen adds some sparkle along with the silver hot foil. I thought the simple shape of X would work well to capture the Embedded Letter technique before I complete the project in a few weeks.

Pastel Studio Workshop: December 10th

2011-11-24T09:58:00.003-05:00

For those of you in the Brantford, Cambridge Kitchener area, I will be doing a one day workshop at the Pastel Studio in Cambridge. I will be teaching Fascinating Pen Flourishing with Background Burnishing. The Pastel Studiois equipped with a beautiful classroom area. Class size will be kept small. You can email me with details about the class. All levels of student are welcome as I will be starting the flourish from basic concepts and expanding to more advanced techniques throughout the day.

Wintergreen

2011-11-18T07:56:00.002-05:00

All the way up to W in the Illuminated Letter Project. Winter is on the way and I was picturing the Wintergreen mints that come out around the holiday season when I painted this little letter. The Wintergreen mints come in packages with Green Spearmints, White Peppermints and beatiful Pink Peppermints. I put that colour combination to work in this piece. Finished project is 4"x1" on Saunders Hot Press watercolour paper. The pink is mixed with Rose Dore and Bleedproof white. Flat 23K gilding. The whole piece has been burnished with the white metallic Diane Townsend pastel.

The Enchanted Letter Workshop

2011-11-16T08:31:00.002-05:00

As a result of my year long illuminated letter study with my dear friend Dana, I developed The Enchanted Letter Class. This past weekend it was my pleasure to return to Birmingham to teach it to the Pointed Pen Extended Study Group that was developed by Dana Jacobson. What a remarkable experience to teach a class of students who have devoted a year of intense study to the pointed pen. I was privileged to be counted among other artists asked to teach portions of the study which included Pat Blair, Gwen Weaver and Barbara Close. The goal of the class was to gild and paint a decorative letter that could be used with pointed pen script. The students learned how to draw their own unique letters as well as foliate extensions, leaf script and scroll work. We started a simple sketch which developed into an ornate decorative letter.
We then moved on to a free hand and flourished very simple foliate border. No initial sketch was made in this exercise. It was done directly on our watercolour paper.

On Day two we started by combining a ribbon script letter with a simple ribbon foliate extension. The initial sketch was just of the Ribbon script letter and cascading ribbon extension which was transferred to our watercolour paper. The foliate work was done with pen drawing and offhand flourishing. It was painted, gilded and embellished.

In the afternoon, we worked on designing a simple scroll foliate extension which was gilded, painted and embellished. Lots of sparkle and bling!

Lots of attention was given to drawing and designing unique letterforms. My sincere hope is that the students will be able to transfer these ideas to any letter they want to illuminate.
On the morning of Day 3 we worked on drawing and illuminating a Leaf script letter with a scroll work foliate extension. My original done in class was sold but I have the pencil drawing in my journal.

Winding down the class in the afternoon, we combined a leaf script letter with lower case and expanded a simple foliate flourish. It was gilded and embellished with swarovski crystals. It was such a pleasure to teach this class. It gave me great joy!

Vintage Victorian V

2011-11-04T12:52:00.003-05:00

This is the final version of the Victorian V that I talked about in last week's gilding post. It was done on the White Somerset Satin paper rather than the Soft white. I prefer the vintage look of the soft white but wanted to experiment with the brighter white. I used Caran D'Ache water soluble pencils to colour the design. It was interesting to see how they reacted to the paper. When I applied the water to the pigment, I could see the pigment fade rather than brighten like the Albrecht Durer pencils. The pastel burnish stage also faded into the paper. Although the scan does not pick it up, the entire design was burnished with the Diane Townsend white metallic pastel. I used the pastel to burnish over top of the painted letter and the coloured background burnish stage. It gives the whole piece a glow. On to W!

Illumination Study Day

2011-11-02T15:22:00.002-05:00

Three times a year I get the opportunity to study with my illumination teacher Debbie Thompson Wilson. Debbie is a master illuminator. Her work is an absolute delight. She finds us incredible projects to work on during our study days. This weekend's class was called Angels And Demons. I didn't try the grotesque or the Titivilus border design but I did work on the kneeling angel. The illumination is an interpretation of an embroidered ornament on a Bishop's hood. The angel was based on a Renaissance design. This particular angel is kneeling and rather than holding the lily in her hand, the lily decoration is coming out from behind her wings. Palette colours are mainly yellow ochre, brown ochre, burnt sienna, horizon blue and WInsor Violet. The most challenging part of the design was painting the background and leaving room for the goldwork flourishes. The piece is flat gilded with 23K gold.

Vintage Victorian Gilded Letter

2011-10-25T07:44:00.007-05:00

In response to requests for my gilding method, I am posting this step by step procedure while I flat gild my Victorian Letter V. It will give you a sneak peak at my next Enchanted Letter.
Flat gilding is easier than raised gilding. If I were to raise gild a piece, I would use a traditional gesso for the gold size that I make myself. That procedure is a bit more involved so I thought I would begin with an easy and virtually fail proof flat gilding method. This morning' s process began with the underdrawing of the letter. I have been spending time with the Ames Compendium this week which worked out perfectly for the Victorian V. I penciled the shape of the V and the meandering ribbon and then went directly to ink for the flourishes and florals. This letter will only have slight hints of gilding in the three circles placed within the letter. When I gild the Enchanted Letter, I usually start with the inking process. If i am going to gild a painted miniature, I start with a pencil process and do not ink in the lines first.

The next step for gilding is to apply a gold size. For flat gilding, I use Rolco Aqua Size. PVA will also work. I carefully apply the Rolco with a brush. The most important thing to remember about gilding is that whatever the gilding adhesvie looks like on the paper, is exactly what will be reflected in the gold leaf. Any brush strokes or dimpling in the size will show through the gold leaf. In this case, the small dots of Rolco were easily applied. I have tinted the Rolco which is a milky white colour with alizarin crimson watercolour so it is easier to see when I apply it. The size takes about 15 minutes to dry depending on the humidity in the air. It changes colour and appears shiny rather than cloudy when it dries.

Once the gilding size is dry, I apply my gold leaf. I use 23 K patent gold leaf for most of my gilding. I prefer this gold to loose gold for its ease of application. The gold is sold in books of 25 sheets.

The patent gold is attached to a sheet of lightweight paper and separated in the book between sheets of ruby paper. It is easy to handle this way. I cut the gold that I will use into tiny pieces similar in size to the area that needs to be gilded. This piece was cut to gild the centre of my Lombardic U for last week's Enchanged letter. I find that there is very little waste this way.

I use small scissors that are dedicated only to cutting gold. It is important that your scissors have not come in contact with any tape or adhesive as the gold will instantly stick to it.
I finger press the gold leaf (gold size down) on top of the gilding size . I lightly press it into place and then lift off the little sheet of gold. The gold leaf will have transferred to the adhesive. I continue to gild around all the areas that have size.

Once the gold is placed on the size there may be ragged edges of gold leaf where the gold has torn away from the transfer paper. I remove these ragged edges by using a very soft sable brush that is reserved solely for this purpose. If there is enough excess gold to save, I would keep it in a small container to use for touching up gilded areas or for very small areas that need to be gilded. I never waste the gold and try to keep all the excess.

You can see from this picture that I still have most of the gold from my original piece that I can save for my next gilded piece.

The final stage is the painting process which I will work on and post later.

Up To U!

2011-10-21T04:46:00.004-05:00

Definitely coming down the home stretch with the alphabet project. My colour palette for this letter took on slightly darker tones. Floral petals are Purple lake blended with Payne's grey and the leaves are Perylene Green. The Lombardic style U is painted with Holbein's Horizon blue and shaded with French Ultramarine blue. Accent strokes are done with Finetec Gold. This piece was done of Somerset Satin Soft White paper. The Rolco gold size sat on top of the surface of the paper without being absorbed. It allowed for slight raised effects in the 23K Gold. Finished size is 6"x2 1/2".

Tiny T

2011-10-06T19:33:00.002-05:00

This little T is more Medieval than Victorian. I wanted to pull away from the ribbon script style for the letter T. This design is based on a 15th Century Italian manuscript. I used Pergamenata paper with a moist brush watercolour technique. Raised gilded using 23K American shade gold. Finished size is 6"x2".

Stars And Stripes

2011-09-22T09:13:00.004-05:00

When I was doing my initial sketch for this letter it struck me that the ribbon script took on a bit of a striped pattern. It almost seemed Christmasey...like a Candy Cane. But as soon as I added the little star-like flowers, I immediately thought of Stars and Stripes.

When I started painted the letter, I had lots of colour combinations to consider. I did think of doing this design in Red, White and Blue but in the end, chose to stick with that Persian manuscript colour palette. The gilding stage of the letter immediately toned down that striped effect. The S and ribbon is done with permanent Sap green that I darkened with cerulean blue and lighted with lemon yellow. Opera Rose and Horizon Blue were used for the little florals. The piece is flat gilded using 23 K gold an Rolco aqausize. Diane Townsend pastels in the background as well as fine tec gold. The finished piece is 2"x7" on Arches HP paper.

Restful R!

2011-09-08T08:30:00.004-05:00

These days are absolutely packed with travel, study, commission work and teaching. But I still love the time I get to try to plan and design one of these Victorian style letters. I spent the day studying Persian manuscripts. I think I am so attracted to the strong, vibrant colours while they are still technically pastel colours. I see the underlying white in the palette and I have been doing some experimenting with it. The dark black calligraphic lines intermingled with the pastel floral flourishes are fascinating to me. I wasn't brave enough to do the script letter in black but maybe next time. After filling my mind with beautiful Persian manuscripts I tried to go sleep. I woke up in the middle of the night with an idea for my letter R. I recorded the sketch in my journal beside the bed and my little book light.
In the morning, I had the design ready and all I needed to do was transfer it to my watercolour paper and paint away! Finished design is 1"x 5" on Fabriano HP paper and is rasied gilded with 23 K gold leaf. I mixed bleedproof white with Sap Green, Hooker's Green, Rose Carmine, Alizarin Crimson, Winsor Blue and Horizon Blue to achieve the pastel colours. Diane Townsend pastel burnish in the background with Holbein Brilliant gold gouache accent strokes.

Q is for Quick!

2011-08-25T09:39:00.002-05:00

Still exploring the foliate elements of Persian Manuscripts and the influce can be seen in this piece. Although I simplified the shapes of the flowers and leaves I love the colouring style of the Persian illuminations. I am working with transparent watercolour instead of gouach but the colours are similar to the ones I have seen online. This Q was done quite quickly! Although I had the design drawn on my Fabriano watercolour paper, I didn't have time to paint it. This morning I used Albrecht Durer watercolour pencils for the design. The letter Q is mainly Cobalt Turquoise (a nice Fairy Tale colour) and was shaded with Pthalo Blue. The ribbon is Magenta and shaded with Red Violet. The leaves were done in Leaf Green and Light Green. McCaffery brown is used in the desing and flourishes and outlining were done in shell gold. The piece is flat gilded with 23k American shade gold. Finished size is 5"x2".

Illumination Class Day Two: The Fox and the Rebec

2011-08-16T17:21:00.002-05:00

I enjoyed my last day of illumination class painting this little fox. Usually we spend a week in illumination class but this year we reduced the class to two days. This little fox was based on a 15th Century French Manuscript. I worked on goat skin from Pergamena for this piece. I prepared the skin with pumice and gum sandrac and found it held the painted lines beautifully. The finished size is 3"x2" and is flat gilded with 23K gold leaf. Such a wonderful day spent illuminating.

Illumination Class Day One: Leo the Lion

2011-08-16T04:42:00.004-05:00

Three times a year I get the opportunity to study with Master Illuminator Debbie Thompson Wilson. She has a knack for finding the most whimsical medieval manuscripts to work from. She sees the beauty and potential in images that I would probably not give a second glance to. It is so inspriting to be able to spend time with her.The classes focus on painting techniques. We don't create an original image to work from but we take an existing medieval or renaissance image and try to transform it in some way. This little Leo the Lion is 1 3/4" x 1 3/4" on Arches HP paper. The lion is painted with Yellow Ochre, Brown Orchre, Burnt Umber and Burnt Sienna. We did light washes of the yellow ochre and then built up the fur in layers with a dry brush techqnique and 10/0 brush. This small little guy took nearly 4 hours to paint. I tried out Debbie's Haff ruling pen for the outline guilding. I had a hesitation with the ruling pen that is reflected in the gilding but next time I will be more confident! The background was painted in washes of cobalt blue, followed by French Ultramarine blue and then a shadow layer of Paynes Grey. Talons Rich Gold was used for the pattern work in the background which don't show up too well in the scan. On to a larger project today!

P is for Purple

2011-08-12T05:38:00.003-05:00

I tried my hand with the painting the letter in gouache. While I like gouache, I am not thrilled with it on HP paper. I tend to get nicer effects of vellum. I miss the transparency of watercolour in the letter but the gouache stands up as a good foil to the bright gold leaf. Finished size is 4" x 1 3/4" on Fabriano HP paper. The foliage is painted with Holbein Leaf green and Winsor Newton Sap green. The lavender roses and buds were painted with my Diane Townsend Pastels and darkened slightly with Winsor Newton Mineral Violet. McCaffery brown and Finetec gold were used for accent strokes.

Back to Flourishes!

2011-08-03T11:00:00.002-05:00

I am very happy with Old World Iron Gall ink. It was such a treat to meet David Spitzer who creates the ink at the Phoenix conference. I came home well stocked up with the ink and wanted to try my line and wash technique with it. So far, I only use McCaffery's brown for this technique, but the Old World Ink seemed to do the job. The ink is more densely black than McCaffery's Penman's Black. It holds beautiful hairlines and shades. It is becoming a studio favourite of mine. This little bird flourish is 5x7 on Somerset Satin Soft White Printmaking paper. Another treasure from The Pastel Studio. The paper is very soft and slightly textured but is a perfect surface for flourishing. This piece was done entirely with an Esterbrook 357 pen point which is extremely sharp and flexible, but the paper did not resist the nib. The flourish is tinted with Derwent Metallic Watercolour pencils and then blended with a moist watercolour brush. Great fun on a rainy Wednesday afternoon.

Overly Ornate Orbed O

2011-07-29T08:40:00.003-05:00

This design started out as a sketch in my journal. I kept distractedly doodling on it and wondered what it would look like if I added more pen work filigree than usual on the gold orbs. When it came time for the gilding, I used a little jar that I keep for my tiny fragments of gold leaf. Somehow, there was a scrap of copper leaf in the jar, and one orb was gilded with the copper leaf. Nothing left to do except add more copper leaf to the piece. I also decided to add some lemon gold to the mix. So this 6" x 1/2"piece on Arches HP was gilded with 22K American Shade gold, Copper leaf and Lemon gold. Still being influenced by the intense colours of Islamic manuscripts, this peice is painted with Mineral Violet, Sap Green, Leaf Green and Opera Rose. Highlights are added with Permanent White.

Nearly lost N

2011-07-17T21:15:00.003-05:00

Just returned from the Iampeth conference and searched frantically for my letter N. It was the only one not properly adhered in my journal and I thought that I might have lost it along the way. But after rifling through all the luggage, loose papers, class samples and notes, I finally found it. This little N is 4"x2" and is done on Arches HP paper. I used Holbein Horizon blue on the letter and ribbon and Carmine and Alizarin crimson for the roses. The leaves are sap and leaf green. Background technique is pastel burnished with my favourite Diane Townsend Terrages pastels. They were great to pack along to Iampeth for very quick embellishments during demonstrations. Glad to be home. Hope to post the pics of my Iampeth studies very soon.

Meandering M....marks Mid-way!!!

2011-07-01T05:01:00.002-05:00

I can't believe this is half way through the alphabet and the first of July! Happy Canada Day! This year is going by so quickly but I am really enjoying the process of these letters. Looking forward to teaching them as a workshop towards the end of the year!
This one is larger than most of the others. 5 1/2 x 2 1/2 on Arches HP paper. I did both flat and raised gilding on this piece. The plum colour for the ribbon script letter was mixed with Rose Dore and Winsor Blue. The little flowers were painted with Sleeping Beauty Turquoise and Winsor Blue. I finally found a delicate pink Diane Townsend Terrages pastel and used it for the shadow effect of the ribbon.

Little Leaf Green L

2011-06-17T20:15:00.002-05:00

Nearly half way through this illuminated letter project and the letterforms are starting to flow a little more freely.I wanted the L to be a Lombardic letter but didn't like any of my sketches so I went back to my ribbon script letters.I wanted the foliate extension to look a little older than the Victorian era. I have been looking at a lot of Persian illuminated manuscripts online and I think that influenced my colour choices,the use of Permanent White and the extra touches of gold. Sleeping Beauty Turquoise mixed with Permanent White and Winsor Blue were used for the larger flowers.The smaller flowers are Permanent White, Opera Rose, Carmine and Alizarin Crimson The leaves and letters are painted with Holbein Leaf Green, Permanent White and Sap Green. Finished size is 4"x 1 1/4" on Arches HP.

Bejewelled Heart

2011-06-08T13:24:00.002-05:00

Taking a time out from working on notes for an upcoming workshop to flourish a summer heart design. The background is done with a pastel burnish technique and the florals are painted with Winsor Newton Opera Rose, Carmine, Terre Verte and Holbein Lilac. After adding the accent strokes and gel pen, I decided to adhere some swarovski crystals in a Medium Sapphire colour. Finished size is 4"x4" on Fabriano Tiepolo paper.

K.....Kouldn't think of a Katchy Kaption

2011-06-02T08:53:00.007-05:00

I worked on the letter K by grabbing the closest piece of watercolour paper. It turned out to be Saunders 140 lb hot press paper. The white is slightly warmer than the Arches HP but the texture of the paper is quite soft with almost a suede feel to it. It took the Rolco gilding size wonderfully . This letter is gilded with 23K loose leaf lemon gold so it has a little extra shine to it. The K and ribbon are painted with Winsor Newton Purple Lake using a moist brush technique. I found that the paper fought against the Purple Lake with this moist brush technique but the wet brush caused some feathering. I wrestled with that portion of the design but the flowers, leaves and pastel burnish were not a problem. The flowers are painted with WN Opera Rose and Carmine and the leaves are Holbein Leaf green with some Winsor Newton Terre Verte shading. Pastel background is done with Diane Townsend Terrages Pastels, my new favourite tool in the studio. It really helps that Canada's only Pastel Studio is only a 12 minute drive from home.The finished size of this piece is 5" x 1 1/2"

The Joyful Journey

2011-05-14T13:05:00.006-05:00

Working on this illuminated letter project has been a joyful experience no matter what is going on around me. It is a pleasant experience to sit in solitude and try to work out these designs. Early in my illuminated letter journey beginning in 2003, I would start with a historic example as a guide to follow. The design would be transferred with tracing paper onto the watercolour paper. The process would involve hours of time searching for just the right historic form to copy. Often the images were in very bad shape and difficult to see, but you could get the essence of the design. My aim was always to try to create a letter that may have been what the original illuminator intended. I would concentrate on trying to paint and gild the letter properly. Generally speaking, I would work on a small illumination about 3 times a year.
This was my first attempt at J this week. The finished letter is 4"x 1 1/2" on Arches HP. I was happy with the shape of J but not with the foliate decorations.

The journey of this bi-weekly illumination project had me beginning in the same way as I usually did. Finding a historic example and trying to copy it while putting my own touches of colour and decoration into this design. Somewhere along the way of this project, I began to make friends with the pencil and started designing the leaf script and ribbon script letters. I would just grab the closest piece of paper and begin to sketch.

The foliate decoration is really just an extension of offhand flourishing but the design process of the letter itself has really stretched me. Although sometimes I wonder how far I am straying from accurate historic letterforms, I am really enjoying the sketch process of this journey. As of May 5th, I started a Leuchtturn 1917 squared notebook journal to keep track of my sketches rather than have them on bits of paper strewn all over the studio.

This is the first page of my Leuchtturn journal working out project ideas.

More sketch ideas and the process of this week's J.

6"x1 1/2" on Arches HP. This piece is by far my biggest and uses techniques learned from study with Rosemary Buczek, Vivian Mungall and Debbie Thompson Wilson. The 23K gold is tooled in an Owen Jones pearl and filligree pattern as I was originally going to entitle this post J is for Jones, but decided the letter was not Jones-like. The colours are a bit Jester like or even Joker like, both great J-words.

I is for Incandescence

2011-05-05T18:55:00.008-05:00

I guess I should be used to my indecision (another good i-word). All I knew for sure when I was designing these initials was that I wanted meandering foliage in the design. It was difficult to design a ribbon script letter because it resembled a J. I finally opted for a block type letter but feel that they look a little like a Victorian candlestick. The lavendar initial is gilded with 23K lemon gold leaf. The finished size is 4"x2" on Arches HP paper. I wanted the vinework to take a slightly different shape than my other initial designs.

This second design was actually my first attempt at the letter I. I had just been looking through Mira Calligraphiae Monumenta which influenced my decision to incorporate a little snail into the design. It is flat gilded with 23 K gold. The initial is painted with Windor Newton Rose Dore and the flowers are painted with Holbein Horizon blue. Finished size is 5" x1 1/2" on Arches HP paper.

H Bookplates?

2011-04-21T20:18:00.003-05:00

Working through my H designs, I decided that they both could function as bookplates. Both designs are a bit larger than my other initials. The heart is 4" x4". Sleeping Beauty Turquoise from Daniel Smith is the main colour in the design which is flat and raised gilded.

The Art Nouveau-ish design is flat gilded on Pergamenata paper and is 3 3/4" x 2 1/2". The design is a combination of Walter Crane's style with Kate Greenaway's palette. I can see my longing for Spring in both of these designs.

The Medieval Bestiary

2011-04-11T08:43:00.004-05:00

Sunday was a wonderful day spent at Fieldcote Museum in Ancaster with my teacher and Master Illuminator Debbie Thompson Wilson. Debbie is a brilliant and generous teacher. She is truly eager to share her expertise and knowledge and genuinely wants her students to learn medieval illumination techniques. We were given numerous inhabited border designs to try in class. I opted a 15th Century Dutch border design which took nearly 5 hours to complete. Finished size is 4 1/4 x 1 1/8".
I had enough time left to start the Italian Rabbit design. Finished size is 1 3/4" x 1 1/2". Both were a pleasure to paint. The day flew by.

G is for Guess Who

2011-04-07T18:16:00.006-05:00

I had an enchanting childhood. My mother is an artist and my Dad ran a print shop in the basement while I was growing up. I was always surrounded by artistic people, papers, inks, pens, pencils, and a large library of illustrated books. I was influenced by the illustrators of my fairy tale books such as Walter Crane and Randolph Caldecott. Victorian illustrated books still hold a prominent space on my bookshelves. This little cherub carrying the G is in homage to one of my all time favourite illustrators. She was known for her enchanting childhood vignettes in outdoor scenes. Garlands of roses and ribbons would appear in her work as well as delightful floral studies. These appealed to me first as a child, then as a florist and now as a pointed pen artist. She still enthralls me and influences my work. The cherub is based on one of her illustrations. Although I couldn't capture the same delightful features that she could create in her illustrations, I enjoyed working in her style and trying to capture the essence of her work. The finished piece is 3x3 on Pergamenata paper. I used shell gold highlights in the cherub's hair and wings and added flat gilding highlights to the initial. Pastel and watercolour accents were added to the composition. G is for.......

The Gilded Flourish

2011-04-07T06:46:00.002-05:00

Trying to figure out the Pergamenta paper and how it reacts to flourishing. I used a Gillott Principality pen point and McCaffery brown ink on this flourish. I wanted a very sharp and flexible point to see if the paper caught the nib at all. It almost glides effortless on this paper even though there is texture to the paper.(Could be the Principality!) I added tiny dots of raised gilding to the flourish and used watercolour pencil on the florals. The piece is matted to 8x10.

Finished!!!!

2011-03-26T11:12:00.002-05:00

Just finished my workshop notes for the Iampeth conference in Phoenix. This year Iampeth is offering something new with a review class for beginners in Script and Flourishing. I am honoured to be co-teaching with my friend Bill Kemp. This morning I did a little flourish for the review handouts. This is on white Pergamenata paper with my favourite McCaffery's brown ink and watercolour.

Finding F

2011-03-25T13:26:00.003-05:00

Still not entirely satisfied with any of these attempts. The shape of F seemed to disappear in each one but I had fun playing with colour in each of these. The Leaf Script letter features Daniel Smith Sleeping Beauty Turquoise and Winsor Newton Opera Rose with Holbein Leaf Green. It turned out pretty bright! Each design is on Pergamenata paper with raised gilding. The floral F has flat as well as raised gilding.

E is for Embroidery

2011-03-10T21:06:00.004-05:00

Most of my artistic background is in Victorian needlework. I still have a few of my embroidery books in the studio although I rarely pick up needle and thread these days. The first design was influenced a needlework initial. I had fun adapting it to gold leaf, magenta swarovski crystals, watercolour and pastel. It is 4" x2" on Pergamenata paper which is rapidly becoming one of my favourite papers to work with.

The second initial is also on Pergamenata paper with McCaffery Brown ink, gold leaf, watercolour and my new favourite Diane Townsend Terrages pastels. I added some hot foil accents to this piece which is 2"x5".

Ribbon Script D

2011-02-24T22:47:00.021-05:00

This is a vintage Victorian lettering style called Ribbon script. It is based on the Copperplate Script capitals that I am currently exploring and holds so many possibilities for embellishment. Once again, I started playing with pastels for background effects. It is flat gilded on Arches 140 lb. HP paper and entirely painted using Caran D'Ache Classicolor Metallic watercolour pencils. It was my second attempt at the letter D and is my favourite in the series so far. Finished size is 5"x2".

My first attempt at D is a medieval Drollery based on a 15th Century woodcut. My guess is that it was intended to be D, but who knows! The study of marginal drolleries in medieval manuscripts is fascinating. An excellent book on the subject is Images in the Margins by Margot McIlwain Nishimura. This piece is 2/1/2 x 2 1/2 on Arches 140 lb. HP paper with flat gilding. At this point in the illuminated letter project, I realize that I am much more comfortable with Victorian letterforms. The appearance of Medieval and Renaissance forms will probably be scarce!

Pergamenata B

2011-02-21T19:19:00.002-05:00

Keeping with the more Victorian style, I tried another B design. This B is the leaf script style again. Holbein Horizon blue is the main colour of the initial and I mixed it with some Holbein sap and leaf green to get the different tones of the greens. Floral petals are Opera Rose. This piece is done on the Heavyweight Natural Pergamenata Paper from John Neal. It took the pastel background beautifully and blended much easier than on the Arches HP paper. Gold leaf if raised with gesso. Ink work was done with McCaffery brown. This piece is 4 1/2 x 2 1/2".

Additional A's!

2011-02-20T21:57:00.008-05:00

I had to realize that I would continually get more ideas for these letters! I had so much fun with the more Victorian form of the letter C, that I went back and tried additional styles of A. This is going to be one big alphabet project if I keep this up! The first image is done with watercolour over a pastel background. The gold is raised gilding using homemade gesso. It is 5 x 2 1/2 " on 140 lb. Arches HP paper.

The second image is flat gilded using Rolco gold size. The ribbon style initial is painted with French Ultramarine blue toned down with some Paynes Grey. I integrated a watercolour background wash with pastels. Still at the experimental stage. It is 3 1/2 x 2 1/2" on Arches HP paper.

C is for Challenging!

2011-02-10T21:11:00.005-05:00

I had a lot of trouble with the letter C. I tried and discarded several ideas before changing channels and doing a more Victorian letter. This letter is based on leaf script which was a popular 19th century style.I added raised gilding and soft pastel accents along with the watercolour. It was a lot of fun doing this style. This piece is 1 1/2" x 3 " on Arches HP paper.

Small Rose Flourish

2011-01-28T22:38:00.003-05:00

Long day today but always nice to get into the pink watercolour for a few minutes of relaxation. This piece is 3 1/2 x 5 on stonehenge paper.

Two in a Row

2011-01-28T00:04:00.002-05:00

I did manage to get my initial B completed! Once again this is fashioned in the style of Alberto Sangorski. I think I have used more blue than I ever have before. Usually I avoid the colour but I really like Holbein's Horizon blue and I mixed it with French Ultramarine Blue and Payne's Grey.The pinks were mixed with Rose Dore, Shell Pink and Alizarin Crimson. I am learning a lot with the is project. I also tried the lining work with a Dynasty 15/0 bent liner brush. Finished size is 3 3/4 x 2 1/8" on Arches 140 lb. HP paper.

Illuminated Floral Spray

2011-01-17T20:38:00.003-05:00

This past Saturday I had the opportunity once again to study with my illumination teacher. We worked on border motifs. This little design is from the 15th century. I forgot my pointed pen so all of the vine work is done with a 000 sable brush using sepia watercolour. A very enjoyable day spent immersed in illumination techniques.

The Year Long Alphabet Project

2011-01-14T14:17:00.003-05:00

Over the past few years I have been studying illumination techniques with my teacher Debbie Thompson Wilson. I love to paint and add hints of gold but I find that I put this work aside to concentrate on flourishing, lettering, teaching workshops and commissions. In December, my dear friend Dana and fellow blogger at The Ginger Parasol decided to work on a year long project of decorated letters. Our goal is to have one completed every other week and work through the alphabet by year's end. This little letter is done on Arches HP paper and the finished dimensions are 3 1/2 x 1 1/2. It is gilded with 23 k gold and I used finetec gold in the border arond the letter. It was painted with Holbein and Winsor Newton watercolours. The design was based on the style of Alberto Sangorski who is one of my favourite Illuminators. This should be a fun project and a chance to explore different techniques.

January Flourish

2011-01-11T18:17:00.004-05:00

Taking time out from Copperplate class preparations to do a quick flourish. I wonder what would happen if I ever took pink out of my palette! Flourish size is 3x4 on Recollections cardstock with Bleedproof white, Coloursoft Pencils and a Zebra G nib that seems to last forever.

Small Redwork Heart

2010-12-16T07:49:00.002-05:00

I always find working with red to be a challenge. I mixed this red gouache from Maimeri Scarlet and Winsor Newton Spectrum Red. I added a tiny drop of Best bottle ink to help with the hairlines. I used the Zebra G nib and worked on Neenah Classic cream paper. Flowers are accented with Fabercastell Polychromos in Light Carmine and Juniper Green.

Merry Flourishing!

2010-12-02T20:27:00.002-05:00

Had a wonderful day with Christmas flourishes. 5x7 Hunter Green cardstock from Michael's Recollections. I used the invincible Zebra G pen point with Bleedproof White, Finetec Gold and Derwent Coloursoft Pencils.Oh What Fun!!!!!!

Pink And Sparkly

2010-11-14T16:20:00.002-05:00

Every now and then I get to work on a commission in my two favourite colours..pink and sparkly! These little Victorian flourishes were done on Clariefontaine Maya paper with watercolour, Finetec Gold, and Silver Stardust gel pen. The Clairefontaine Maya paper can take light washes of watercolour very nicely and even gilding. Using pink always makes a day seem brighter!

Little C

2010-11-06T18:41:00.004-05:00

I love taking a day out to study with my illumination teacher. Today we worked on a very simple illuminated letter. This letter is based on a 16th Century Woodcut. Not sure what the floral elements were in the woodcut design, but mine turned out with a bit of a Christmas look, so I added the white gouache background to look like snow.I used Cobalt blue for the illuminated letter against a background of Paynes Grey. Permanent Rose, Winsor Red and Cadmium Red were used in the flowers and the leaves are Olive and Viridian. I enjoyed my painting time today! Wish I could devote more time to it.

Brier Grace

2010-11-05T00:04:00.002-05:00

I came across this beautiful child's name on the internet a short time ago and thought I should do a little copperplate piece. I wanted to do my usual Mccaffery Brown and watercolour technique but I accidentally used Pelikan brown instead. When I applied the watercolour, the Pelikan brown reacted to the rose watercolour and turned a muted rusty colour! It even toned down the olive green leaves. Still a fun piece of experimental work.

Captivating Copperplate

2010-10-30T17:48:00.002-05:00

I don't ever remember being so enchanted by a script! I am enjoying studying all of the variations of copperplate and finding it to be a very expressive hand. I used whole arm movement on these two pieces while listening to the movie Inkheart in the background. I used Clairefontaine triomphe paper for these practice pieces, Pelikan 4001 ink and an Esterbrook 357 nib.

Finally Done!!!

2010-10-30T16:42:00.004-05:00

I have more hours in this miniature than any I have ever attempted. Calling it finished before I overwork it. This is based on a 16th century miniature of St. Luke by Simon Bening. I learned a lot on this piece, but I have so much more to learn! I started this piece in August but could only work on it a few hours at a time. I lost count of the hours I have invested into it. it is 3x4 on Arches 140 lb HP paper. It was a very challenging piece but I enjoyed working on it.

Christmas Card Illumination

2010-10-28T19:35:00.002-05:00

I am so privileged to be able to take study days with a Master Illuminator, Debbie Thompson Wilson. She resides in the Guelph area and often teaches workshops at the Fieldcote Museum in Ancaster. This week, we were working on Christmas card ideas. I know I am rushing the season, but it will be upon us before we know it. This image is based on a 1827 Victorian Christmas card. The original was done in very pale washes of olive green, grey and soft blue. I wanted it to be a bit brighter so I used a lot of cadmium red in the design. There are a few spots of 23K gilding throughout the design.

Flourish for Sisters

2010-10-23T17:53:00.003-05:00

Back to Spencerian Script today. This 8x10 piece is done on cream diploma parchment with my favourite McCaffery brown ink. The cabbage roses are antique mauve watercolour and there are blush and sage green accent florals. A fun little piece today to brighten up some dreary, cold, fall weather.

Loving Copperplate

2010-09-30T10:00:00.004-05:00

Alright, don't call the Spencerian police but I have been practicing copperplate these days. I love the different variations of the hand, the freedom to use Ornamental penmanship capitals and it's ability to lend itself to offhand flourishes! What's not to like? At the moment it appears to be Spencerplate but things will change. This 3x5 piece is done on Rives BFK with the new Zebra G nib. Love the flexibility of the nib and its ability to tackle textured papers. I will post more copperplate images as I continue to study. I am working with English Roundhand and Engravers Script. Trying to get the feel for the letterforms and bring my own touch to the hand.

Two Hearts

2010-09-22T18:44:00.002-05:00

This afternoon I had time to work on these two little heart flourishes. They are done on Canson Mi-tientes paper with Bleedproof white, Prismacolour and Finetec Gold Metallic watercolour. Lots of fun!

Fall Flourish

2010-09-13T20:58:00.002-05:00

Love this Emerson quote and had time to get it on paper. 8x10 diploma parchment with Derwent Metallic watercolour pencil, McCaffery Brown and Finetec gold watercolour.

Something Completely Different

2010-09-10T13:56:00.002-05:00

The only benefit of ever having a migraine is that artistically, it eradicates all indecision. I had a small commission for a 40th anniversary in November and I was a little stumped by the commission. All that was requested were the numerals 40 and a few flourishes on an 8x10 light yellow ground. The size and the content were a bit awkward sounding and I was not being hit by an idea. However, I was hit with a migraine and just sat down to the paper and this little autumn flourish emerged. Fabercastell polychromos, Finetec golds, sakura stardust and hot foil on clairefontaine maya.

Little Owl

2010-08-27T18:27:00.002-05:00

Had fun losing hours painting the feathers in this little owl design. What a delight to sit and paint. Wish I had more time to devote to it. It was a great diversion to spend time in Debbie Thompson Wilson's illumination class. I am so grateful for her expertise. Design is 2x2 on Arches 140 lb. HP paper.

Maiden In the Garden

2010-08-25T17:41:00.003-05:00

Every spring, summer and fall I take a time out to study with Master Illuminator Debbie Thompson Wilson. Debbie is one of the finest medieval miniature painters I have ever come across and I treasure the time spent with her. She is so generous with her knowledge. She truly wants her students to learn this delicate artform. I worked on this little lady for 6 hours today. She is approximately 3 x 3 1/2" on Arches 140 lb. Hot press. New colour for me in my palette today is Rose Dore. Another pink!

Home From Iampeth

2010-08-18T07:10:00.002-05:00

Finally home and finished teaching for the time being! Seems like I don't know what to do right now. I have some commission work waiting, I reorganized my entire studio, I want to try several new techniques I experimented with and I have a stack of correspondence to catch up on. Today's post is a piece I did for the Iampeth conference to summarize my class. It is done on Michael's Recollection Cardstock with Bleedproof white, Finetec Gold and Derwent Coloured Metallic Pencils.

Odyssey Class Work

2010-08-04T09:38:00.005-05:00

Found these photos on facebook. They were posted by my dear friend Harvest of Acorn Arts.I had to leave the Odyssey conference before I saw the show and share table with the work that the students did in class. It really was a phenomenal group of students. All of them were at different levels of expertise with the pointed pen but all of them possessed the same fearless attitude when it came to flourishing. I thought their work was spectacular.

Conference Faculty Piece

2010-07-29T13:25:00.002-05:00

This was the faculty piece I made for the Odyssey conference. It is McCaffery brown ink on Rives BFK. Colours are with Albrecht Durer Watercolour pencil and Polychromos Pencils. She was a labour of love.

Time to Pack!

2010-07-21T19:18:00.002-05:00

This has to be my last flourish before leaving for Odyssey. Inspiration hit when I was supposed to be organizing supplies to take. Officially done flourishing now until I get to Boston!

Cherub in the Garland

2010-07-19T12:32:00.002-05:00

Just finished my final flourish for the Odyssey class. Tomorrow I will begin to pack up my pens and inks and get prepared for the conference. This little guy is done with my favourite McCaffery brown ink on Rives BFK. Colour was added with Albrecht Durer watercolour pencils, polychromos pencils and gouache.

The Garden

2010-07-13T13:42:00.002-05:00

I sure haven't had any time to visit my gardens this summer! Good thing we planted Hostas and they don't require much attention. Holly's rock and water gardens are doing fine and I do have a big crop of blackberries that are almost ready. This little piece was done just because I liked the quote. It is 6x4 on Diploma parchment with watercolour and McCaffery's brown.

Time to Breathe

2010-07-10T17:22:00.002-05:00

Just home from 10 days of travel. Now I have a few days to breathe before teaching at my two summer conferences. I agreed to do the Iampeth Round Robin so I am trying out little pieces that I can flourish in less than 12 minutes.

The Artful Flourish

2010-06-24T16:47:00.002-05:00

This is for my Iampeth class in Orlando this summer. It is also page three of my Molly West Handbound book. I am keeping that book for flourishes with a Daniel Ames feel to them. This piece is done on Rives BFK paper with McCaffery brown, Finetec gold and Albrecht Durer watercolour pencils. I don't think Ames would have ever done a pink capital letter though!

For Convocation Day

2010-06-22T21:05:00.002-05:00

Tomorrow morning my little girl graduates from Wilfred Laurier University with an Honours B. A. in Contemporary Studies. She maintained a full scholarship for her four years. Holly chose the mat, frame and swarovski crystals which are a fiery orange-red. I started out painting a little cherub in the vines but when she saw me working on a dragon there was really no contest! I used gesso, 23 K gold, Winsor Newton watercolour and gouache on 140 lb. Arches Hot Press paper. This little guy was a joy to paint.

Dreaming Again

2010-06-16T13:16:00.004-05:00

Small flourish done on Rives BFK paper with Vintage Gillott 404. The new bottle of McCaffery's Brown is more a Burnt Sienna colour than my old bottle. It will age though. Swarovski crystal is the clear diamond but it scanned quite dark. size is 5x7

Healey Influence Flourish

2010-06-12T09:22:00.002-05:00

Still playing with McCaffery brown. I think the bottle has finally had it but I got one last flourish out of it. The Healey exhibit was full of Victorian Illustrations. There were cherubs, floral studies, birds pulling carriages, Christmas themes, feathers, butterflies and the list goes on. This little wingless cherub was inspired by a Victorian engraving. I set him inside a little floral flourish. The water colour wash for the flowers is done with Albrecht Durer watercolor pencil. The piece is 4x6 on diploma parchment.

Very Different

2010-06-08T07:12:00.002-05:00

I have just returned from the Healey exhibit in Kansas City. The exhibit was the largest unseen collection of Golden Age Ornamental Penmanship that anyone can remember. I was very influenced by the aging papers that were fading into sepia tones. The work was highly illustrative. There were several originals of C. C. Canan's work in the collection. He would often include little illustrated medallions surrounded by flourishes. This little commission evolved out of that exhibit as well as pictures the client sent of her vacation in Lake Placid. The edges of the diploma parchment are tinted with pastel and coloured graphite. Once again I used my prized bottle of McCaffery's brown and a vintage Esterbrook 357 entirely in the design.

McCaffery's Brown

2010-06-06T09:29:00.002-05:00

Working on a small piece this morning for a friend. I am near the end of the bottle of my McCaffery's Brown ink. It seems to have improved with age. It is starting to get slightly thick so I diluted it slightly. This piece is done with an Esterbrook 357 pen point. Nice to put pen to paper today.

Play Time!!!!!!

2010-05-23T09:23:00.002-05:00

My class notes are about done!!! Just a few little tweaks to take care of so I am putting them aside for a day or two and picking up the pen to play! Had fun this morning!

More for Class

2010-05-21T07:01:00.002-05:00

Still working hard preparing things for Odyssey and Iampeth. I did this flourish early this morning. I am enjoying the Old World Iron Gall Ink. This is done on Maruman paper. Very smooth and responsive to the pointed pen. Looking forward to getting the colours out again...soon I hope!

Scrollwork

2010-05-11T19:00:00.002-05:00

Getting ready for Iampeth and Odyssey and trying to get lots of flourishes prepared. Here is a sneak peek of a scroll flourish. This is done with Old World Iron Gall ink on Clairefontaine Triomphe paper.

Zen of the Pointed Pen

2010-05-10T08:08:00.002-05:00

I am spending hours a day getting my flourishing notes ready for Iampeth and Odyssey 2010. Taking a time out from the flourishes to do a pointed pen Zentangle®. This one is done on diploma parchment with Old World Iron Gall ink, a Gillott 404 penpoint and a Faber Castell mechanical HB pencil.

Paris in the Springtime

2010-05-04T08:43:00.002-05:00

It has been an extraordinarily busy season for me. This last little commission was an absolute delight to do. I worked on a butter yellow cardstock with indigo ink. The client asked for acorns and a fleur de lis to be included in the design. It was fun and whimsical to work on!

Corner Flourishing

2010-05-03T12:30:00.003-05:00

Trying to catch up on correspondence over the weekend. I owe two to my dear friend Joe and had fun working on his envelopes. He always finds the best vintage stamps to use and sends me Spencerian Script written on vintage paper. Receiving a piece of work from him is like going back in time! I tried to make the piece done with the Indigo McCaffery's ink to look very subtle and aged. It did not scan well. The burgundy piece is done on my new Crown Mill Stationery from Belgium. Lovely envelopes that even take a light watercolour wash.

Illumination Day

2010-04-25T15:04:00.002-05:00

I had the privilege today of taking another class with Master Illuminator Debbie Thompson Wilson. Just being in the same room with her is inspiring. To see what work she can accomplish in just a few hours is amazing. I had chosen this illustration based on a illumination in the margin of the Hours of Catherine of Cleves. I tried to bring this little bird to life. The technique I used in the feathers was a dry brush technique. It was very relaxing and meditative. This piece will be framed for Holly's graduation.

Victorian Scroll Flourish

2010-04-20T12:33:00.002-05:00

Playing with Derwent Graphtint pencils and Albrecht Durer Watercolour pencils. I love the sketch like quality that I can achieve on the Arches Text Wove. The ink is Neil McCaffery's brown.

Rives BFK Paper

2010-04-12T14:53:00.002-05:00

I am enjoying testing some new papers. The Rives BFK feels wonderful and took the pointed pen really well. The pen just glides over the surface. Right now I am experimenting with watercolour washes on it. On this small flourish, the rosebuds are done with watercolour and the black ink is McCaffery's gloss.

Pointed Pen Uncial

2010-04-11T14:41:00.002-05:00

I spent Thursday in a class exploring Pointed Pen Uncial. It was my first serious attempt at the hand. It has some lovely distinctions and I definitely will spend more time trying to develop it.

Zentangle®

2010-04-10T21:11:00.003-05:00

Forgot to mention that I got myself a beautiful Zentangle® kit! What a joy to have the real thing and see the dvd. I was present at the Iampeth Conference in Rhode Island when Maria Thomas first introduced this fascinating artform. I did a few of them which you can see in very old posts on my blog but I really didn't do too many of them. Recently I had been fascinated with the postings on the Zentangle blog and website so I tried my hand again. These really are a delight to do! So relaxing and meditative. These were done in a coffee shop this morning before I started my Spencerian Study Day. A great warm up for the day!

Taking a Study Day

2010-04-10T20:58:00.002-05:00

Today the Spencerian Study Group in England met. They were led by Master Penman Brian Walker. Whenever they have a study day, I take one here in my studio to feel connected with the group. They are working on lots of different projects. Some are working on quotes, some are doing very complex cross drill exercises, some are working on free-arm capitals and some have taken on very large projects. I chose to work on a P. W. Costello illuminated initial. It was one of the most involved illuminated initials I have ever done. I can see why he was a Master Engrosser. At the end of the project I had much more respect of his work. I am in awe of his techniques. I think I will have another go at this initial on vellum with more subdued colours.

The Power of Pink!

2010-04-07T20:19:00.003-05:00

Hoping these bright pink notes bring some cheer to my friends who are going through difficult times.

Greeting Cards

2010-04-05T11:18:00.002-05:00

I spent the late evening of Easter Sunday getting Birthday cards and thank you notes finished. I did everything on black paper with a matching black envelope and have a stack of 4 ready to send out this morning. I love doing special cards for my friends!

Testing Arches Text Wove Paper

2010-04-04T01:14:00.004-05:00

My dear friend Dana sent me a beautiful hand bound book from Molly West Handbound books

for my birthday. It is an absolute treasure and I have been stumped for finding a piece to use as the first page. This evening I came home and worked on a piece of Arches Text wove for the very first time. I was working with McCaffery's brown ink and I loved the semi- rough surface of the paper. In spots the text wove seemed to resist the ink and I really liked the sketch- like effect that I was getting on the paper. I also enjoyed using some light pencil strokes to add some shading to this piece. This was the result from 1:00 am until 2:09 am this morning! Just the look of the McCaffery's brown on the text wove reminded me of the work of my hero Daniel T. Ames in the Ames Compendium. It was a very fun piece to work on and I think I will use it as the first page in this beautiful handbound book.

Miniature Illumination

2010-03-30T13:20:00.003-05:00

Finally finished this illumination in time for Good Friday. I found it very meditative to work on.

3 Dot Flowers

2010-03-19T23:29:00.003-05:00

It's been a long time since I did these little watercolour petal flowers. They are such a quick and fun little decoration to add to an envelope. It must be Spring, I am craving pinks and greens! These were painted with Opera Rose and Perylene Green.

Spring Bird Flourish

2010-03-15T10:51:00.002-05:00

Inspired today to do a bird flourish. This one will find its way to England. I used some soft watercolour pencil in the leaves and the ribbon. Fun little diversion!

Seeing Red

2010-03-14T15:21:00.003-05:00

This is the top of a border flourish I did on a redwork wedding certificate. Unfortunately the cat took a bit of a walk through Jewel Red gouache and added his personal touches to the bottom of the design! Working on take two!

Envelope Exchange

2010-03-07T13:07:00.002-05:00

Now and then I participate in envelope exchanges. It's a great way to try new techniques. Right now I am experimenting with a style of German Text. Needs lots of work, but it lends itself very nicely to Offhand flourishing embellishment.

Feeling Victorian

2010-02-12T23:52:00.002-05:00

I saw an incredible Victorian lady flourish embellished with quills and birds in an ebay auction. I didn't win the auction but I was inspired to try my hand at the Victorian lady and embellish her with Ames style floral flourishes. This design was done with a Perry 28 which I had never tried before. I am going to send the flourish to my friend who was kind enough to send me the pen point to try out.

Flourishing Class

2010-02-12T23:50:00.002-05:00

Taught a very eager group of students some basic offhand flourishing this evening. These were images were from my demo sheets.

For My Valentine

2010-02-05T13:04:00.002-05:00

I love the month of February! Fighting off a nasty flu though! Somehow found a way to make a workstation for my pen and ink on my bed! If I am going to be sick, I might as well find a way to enjoy it. I made this for my Valentine.

February 1st

2010-02-01T00:43:00.002-05:00

Starting with my Valentines! I love to do heart flourishes. I was experimenting with blending watercolour pencils on this flourish.