Rest, Reflect, and Revise

 I have just completed my last class of teaching for before the long awaited summer break. What a delight to keep busy with teaching, but this summer pause is much needed and I am already feeling  the relaxed pace. I use the summer break to tidy the studio, take stock of what I have on hand, organize files, and prepare for the fall season and beyond. Honestly, this really is a slower  pace but it is full of reflection and anticipating my next steps in the calendar year. No matter how carefully I plan, there are always unexpected bumps in the road and I know my plans of taking a good rest will be revised. 

 We are in the midst of a heatwave on this Canada Day, July 1st. It seems like every air conditioner in the neighbourhood is malfunctioning and the chirping of the birds is overpowered by buzzing AC units that seem to need to be serviced. No matter what noise is going on around you, it is so important to absorb the beauty of this present moment. Part of resting and pausing is reflection. I am making sure to walk in the garden every morning and evening and really observe the plants without being bothered by the urge to remove all the weeds. There are days where the garden seems to be a bit of a battleground with rabbits eating my rosebushes and squirrels running off with the oriole nectar, but there is still so much beauty to be found.  In the  relative quiet of the studio, I can gaze a bit longer out the window without the pressure of an overflowing and sometimes overworked schedule. One of my revisions in my practice these days is leaving room for little Jack on my desk. His napping spot is where I normally keep my daily planner and projects on the go! Possibly another reminder to pause and savour the moment. 

 He seems content to watch me type on the computer. But when I pick up the pen, he knocks it out of my hand or puts his paw on my hand for a moment wanting some attention. . I have been using a dyed penholder these days instead of one of my precious painted holders in case he knocks that one out of my hand. Despite the unplanned distraction, little Jack is a joy and comfort. He found us through the cat distribution system and we see him as such a gift to us. Cats are a constant reminder to be in the present moment and take in all that it has to offer. 

Yes, I will still be working here in the studio over the summer months. I have private students on the schedule, guild presentations including Unlocking the Secret Garden for the FOTA guild,  and lots of preparations for upcoming classes. But the pace is slower for sure and I don't feel that sense of guilt if I am not constantly working on the next new idea.  When I take my evening break and shut down the studio, I pick up needle and thread for some quiet lacemaking. 

My teaching schedule has been updated on my website for those of you interested in seeing what will be coming up in the fall. The Artful Flourish will be offered again this fall, but this time with Festive Motifs.

You do not need to have taken the January Artful Flourish class if you want to sign up for this one. This class will be for those who want to refine their Flourishing skills. And, you will be able to create many original holiday themed flourishes that will create the most beautiful seasonal cards. Info is here.  And this class is a perfect lead in to a very special class I will be presenting in October for The Gentle Penman.  The lacemaking in the evenings has given me a wealth of ideas for refining flourished motifs further than I have ever done before. More info will be coming but here is a sneak peek to Flourish Like Lace. 

I don't want to fill this post with upcoming classes for you to check out. I would rather take the time to tell you to take a breath, pause, reflect, and maybe pull out some of the past course notes you have on hand and see what you want to revisit, think about, file away for another day or pursue.  Really breathe and take some time for yourselves. Take some pressure off your shoulders and enjoy these fleeting summer moments. Look for beauty around every corner of your world, and absorb the moments you find in this season. All moments in life are key moments, even if you are pressing the pause button. I hope you have the most wonderful summer. I will pop up on social media now and then, but I expect I will feel less pressured about those posts as well. I am only an email away if you need anything. I hope you find joy, grace and peace in this summer season. Thank you for your kindness and support. You are all such a blessing to me. I love you all so much. Thank you for reading and giving me the joy of knowing you as friends. 

True Growth

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

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

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

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

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

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

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!