Leave room for Grace

 This month's blog post will be a bit different. Yes, I want to share my next class offerings with you and will do that near the end of the post. But I wanted to take some time to really encourage you to give yourselves extra Grace as you work with your scripts or ornamental designs. It seems that many dear students meet an inner voice while they work which feed a bit of doubt or stoke the embers of perfectionism. Let me assure you, we all deal with doubts and want our work to be better. But without allowing yourselves the incredible freedom to explore, make mistakes, throw things out, or even be pleased with the work you create, you will be hitting huge roadblocks in this creative calligraphic journey.  For now( and indeed always), be Gracious with your work. We are not machines and have no mandate to replicate the past down to the exact stroke of the pen. We are constantly motivated and inspired by beautiful work, that is completely true. But we have our own voices, are own eccentricities and an appreciation for beauty that does not conform to anyone else. If we all produced cookie cutter results with our work, how boring this journey would become. Pursue the things that bring you joy, with a bounce in your step and a lighthearted  grip on the tools of the trade. Play with your toys! Take a deep breath, reach for a fresh piece of paper and appreciate the marks on the page. Know that as you work, perfection is never an option. There will always be a gap between the beauty that you see in your mind's eye and the result on the paper. But with each project, you close that gap and become more confident. You will find beauty in this gracious freedom as well as joy with the approach. Practice patient grace. I cannot say it enough. The rewards of this approach will present themselves even in the state of well being that you feel as you work. Life has enough stress factors and nay-sayers around us. Push back by being so much kinder and so much more gracious to yourselves and to others.  I truly hope you take these words to heart.

April flew by with rain, grey skies and an occasional outbreak of sunshine. I have the promise of tulips emerging and some beautiful hellebores in bloom. Now that May is here, I am sure the splendour of the Spring will bring an abundance of blooms. My Spring planter of pansies always brings a smile!

I have been incredibly blessed to see so many students enjoy the projects in Once Upon A Garden. There were some gorgeous letters produced in the style of Walter Crane that I think he would have loved. I reluctantly packed those letters away to prepare for May and June's classes.  Thank you to all those who enrolled in the Rabbit Season Study Day. I will be sending out the course notes and zoom link shortly to the registrants.  I will close the registration shortly if you are still thinking of joining the experience. 

May's French Ribbon Script class at Ardington School sold out very quickly and I am so excited to see what happens with these glorious Marie Antoinette inspired letter designs. I think a magical experience is on the way!

Florentine Dreams is open for registration on The Gentle Penman website. I was so encouraged by the response to the Walter Crane class last month and I know I have eager students who want to continue to learn decorative design strategies. Florentine Dreams is a great place to build these skills and should be a very intriguing class to explore. 

The Rinceau Class for Ardignton is also sold out, but I will be continuing to build techniques for Floral Rinceau. I have years worth of materials to explore and discover and this beautiful border style keeps me so interested and refreshed.  We will revisit this style!

More is coming up after the summer but I want to circle back to the opening of the blog post and encourage you to cultivate that inner gracious spirit as you put pen or pencil to paper and create something beautiful.  Even if the mistakes are glaring, your paper has taught you something beautiful and it was important to spend time with the project. Find the grace, joy and wonder on the page and celebrate each project. 

" The years teach us much, which the days never knew." Emerson

A Season to Bloom

 Welcome April! I am sure you will bring warmth and sunshine and a garden in bloom. Even as winter gripped throughout March, I still hope and wait for the first blooms of the season. I know they will arrive!

Despite the crazy weather patterns in my part of the world, I find myself bouncing into the studio and overflowing with ideas. It can be difficult to balance teaching, commissions and working on new projects but it is so important to pursue the ideas that are calling you. I have seen the most wonderful work from students who get a spark of an idea and then make the time to work on the project. As a teacher, seeing growth and confidence in my students brings me so much joy and inspiration. It constantly spurs me on to continue to develop classes.

I mentioned in my last blog post, that Once Upon a Garden will be starting later this month through The Gentle Penman online. If you enjoyed The Alphabet Garden classes and want to continue your studies in Illuminated Letter Design, this class will have a special focus on the intriguing style of Walter Crane. If you really study the details of Crane's work, you will see creative moves that he includes in his letters and cascades that we can glean and use in our work. Although I love to study the styles and techniques of my favourite artists, I want to be able to give voice to my own ideas. There are hidden keys that we can search for and learn to add into our  work. The hope of this special class is that you will be able to draw their own letters and add beautiful vine work to the borders rather than copy existing historic letters. These skills will make you a much more versatile artist and allow you to create the letters you envision. 

This year as we build on skills, I  want to share a style of watercolour dry brushing in my Rabbit Season, Study Day In May.  Years ago, I developed The Enchanted Meadow class which taught students how to incorporate a small animal into an acanthus setting. I return the Enchanted Meadow constantly. Spending time with delicate watercolour and sweet little animals is so charming and addictive. I have spent hours upon hours trying to find the painting techniques that work the best for me and this year, our Study Days will be spent  learning how to further our painting and design skills. Rabbits are my most beloved motif and we will begin with Rabbit Season. Registration is now open on my website and I would be thrilled if you would join the class. These are not like the usual online class experience.  We truly honour this time that we set aside to nurture our creativity. We work together on Zoom and create our own miniature masterpieces together. Glazed Dry Brush will be explored this time and I hope it will be a technique that you will find useful in your upcoming projects. It can dramatically soften the look of dry brush as well give the animals a form that builds up a bit more quickly on the paper. Many have gained so much from this experience. Although I love it when you are able to be with me in real time during the Zoom session, it will be recorded for those who are unable to attend the session. 

Flourishing Club will be hosted at Ardington School Online for April, May and June. We have some very sweet projects to work on! I have been enjoying the challenge of creating the content for these ongoing sessions. 

 June's Ardington class will revisit Fascinating Floral Rinceau. We will look at intricate border designs and the tiny flower patterns that make them so inspiring. . This is truly a happy and peaceful technique. I know several of my blog readers have taken this class already and the work they have produced is astounding.  I learn something new every time I work on Rinceau and the technique is accessible to all skill levels. 

I will share more about upcoming classes in the next blog post. I have several new courses in the creation process.  Thankfully the ideas keep coming and I love the opportunity to study and to share!  As each new season brings its own rhythm to us, I encourage you to bloom wherever you are. We all have different tasks that fill up our day and different interests to pursue. My sincere hope is that as you put ink, gold leaf or watercolour to paper, you will be overflowing with joy and confidence in your work. Just as the spring builds up slowly, blossom by blossom, our skills come into bloom in their own runique time. I will be cheering you on every step of the way.  May you flourish dear friends!

PS....Happy International Tat Day! Find joy with the work of your hands!

How Shall We Open the Door To Spring?

 Welcome March and your beautiful promise of Spring. The snow is slow to retreat this year but now and then, between snowfalls, I can see part of the frozen green grass and I know that I will be back in the garden soon. My morning reading ritual has been so inspiring this past month. I am still reading through The Secret Garden. There are parts of this beautiful book that cause me to well up with emotion. There is so much to unpack in this story as I read it and although I know what is going to happen, I never tire of being carried along by the writer. 

Along with the Secret Garden, I am reading through A Nature Poem for Every Night of the Year.  The book is meant for reading before bedtime, but I found myself becoming so inspired that I included it in my morning stack of books. February 28th's reading was especially meaningful to me and begins with the line:."How shall we open the door to Spring that Winter is holding wearily shut?"  

I know each season has its own moments of wonder and joy, but these words really echo the longing I have for the approach of the growing season. I enjoy each moment that I find in the awakening garden. I know the season comes with lots of mud and rain, but I love that sense of expectation, wonder and connection. 

The flourishes on my desk have been bright and cheerful. Full of shimmering gold, painted roses and tiny blossoms. To flourish is to bloom and I am always grateful for the blooms that come from the tip of the pointed pen. 

The Italian Hand Masterclass begins next week and at the time of this blog post it is almost filled to capacity. I will have my hands full with the presentation of this class but I am so excited to share it.  

 The French Ribbon Script class at Ardington school online sold out very quickly. We are keeping a waiting list for it and will likely add a second presentation of these wonderful letters. 

You have time to sign up for April, May and June's Flourishing Club at Ardington! We will be doing some very special bird flourishes in these sessions! The community of flourishing artists in the club have been creating inspiring work. It is always such a joy to see how they interpret each project. Flourish truly helps each artist find their own voice. There is no expectation to copy and the freedom that can be found through exploration of these graceful strokes is remarkable. 

My April class for The Gentle Penman online is  Once Upon a Garden. We will visit the iconic storybook illuminated letter style of Walter Crane. There are some intriguing, almost hidden details to be found in Walter Crane's work that bring your illuminated letters an extra sense of wonder. I am so excited to work with Crane's  palette that is on the cusp of the art nouveau style.  I make fresh discoveries every time I study Crane's work. 

Finally, Save the Date for a very special Study Day in May. I will set aside Saturday May 16th for our next Study Day together. Those on my mailing list will get the details for this session as an email with registration info when it is ready. For now, I will let you know that the Study Day will be a special focus of Glazed Dry Brushing techniques. This is a soft shaping layering technique for painted animals that I have been experimenting with in my Enchanted Meadow designs. Expect rabbits! I hope to have all the registration info ready for my next blog post.

Thank you all for your wonderful support of this blog and my classes. You make it such a joy as I work away at my desk preparing for each class. Although I work solo here in this studio, I  feel a sense of connection to you as I know you are also working away and creating unique works of wonders. Thank you for the blessing of your friendship. Sending love your way dear friends. May you Flourish!

Heart and Soul

What a winter it has been in Ontario. We have had record breaking arctic cold and several intense snowstorms. It is so cold, that it can be disheartening as you can feel it from head to toe so quickly. Moments of sunshine have been rare but so appreciated. Each glimmer of sunshine coming through the window causes me to pause and truly notice the warmth of the light. I am thankful to turn the calendar page and welcome February as I nurture thoughts of Spring. The Secret Garden book is on my reading table, ready for me to enjoy over the next couple of weeks. I think the book is perfect to read at this time of the year and it is filled with so many inspiring quotes that I jot down in my journal as I work on Italian Hand.   Both the book and practicing Italian Hand are comforting and familiar when the days are so chilling. I have been thinking deeply about the work I return to that brings me so much joy and sense of peace. 

I have just finished teaching The Artful Flourish at Ardington School Online. The Artful Flourish was the first course I ever created and in many ways, I see it as my most important course. Finding the flow of offhand flourishing affects all other aspects of my artistic journey. It is the anchor of all my work even if I am drawing, writing, painting, or designing and illuminated miniature. Flourishing gave me the confidence to grow as an artist and to think outside the box. 

Later this month, I will teach Spring Symphony for the Edmonton Calligraphic Society and continue to explore seasonal flourishes filled with florals and cheerful colours.  Registration info is posted at Eventbrite.

Flourishes are the heart and soul of my work and I love diving into them with new students and those who want to refresh their skills. Heart designs are always a favourite theme and seem so perfect for February.

I never get tired of working on these artistic hearts. They are such a joyful way to explore flourishes.

The heart will be explored in my Victorian Valentines, The Language of Flowers presentations for Ardington School. The lecture and demonstration for February 4th, sold out quickly, but we opened more seats for February 11th. If you are interested in the  historic lecture that Martin Beek will present followed by a very Victorian design to explore with ink, gold and watercolour, you can  register through Ardington. Preparing for this special class had me going through my treasure trove of Victorian scraps and ephemera. I love the abundant florals and the quirkiness of the sentiments in the designs. The Victorians loved intricate details which is why I find their designs so charming. 

With my deep love of 19th Century ornament and offhand flourishes as well as my fascination with historic Italian Hand and 18th Century English Roundhand, it occurred to me that I am very out of sync with my own times.  And to be totally honest, I am unapologetically out of sync with my own times. I love analog skills. I love putting ink on paper slowly with a pen that needs to be dipped in ink. I love  creating and displaying handmade lace no matter how long it takes to figure out the stitches or technique. I love researching and learning about calligraphic scripts and decorative ornament and finding ways to share it with others. I fail at keeping up with social media,  or staying on top of the technology that is becoming increasingly difficult to navigate. But I do try to encourage my dear students to take all the time they need to truly engage in the classes they sign up for. With the ever increasing availability of online courses, I am perpetually grateful and blessed by those who sign up for my courses and send me such kind notes of thanks. I will be offering a Masterclass in Italian Hand in March for The Gentle Penman. This is a slow savour class for those who want to nudge the nuances of Italian Hand while finding their own voice. It is a deep dive from one who is constantly making new discoveries with this beautiful and lighthearted script.

I have a lot to say and a lot to share with this special class.It is filled with insights I have gleaned over the years and discussed with my own mentors and teachers. Just like the flourishes, Italian Hand has captured my heart and soul. Registration info is at The Gentle Penman. This class will be kept very small so that I can interact fully with each student. If you are a little like me and feel a bit out of sync with these times, I urge you to nurture the things that have captured your heart and soul. Whether you are a musician, sculptor, painter, embroiderer, reader or calligraphic artist, pursue what brings you joy. Be yourself and do what you love! I will be there along side you, cheering you on and watching the joy it brings to others.