Welcome March!

Hello sweet friends. I hope you are doing well in your part of the world. Here in Ontario I see snow on the ground but the trees are sounding increasingly more cheerful as more birds start to gather. Every morning I hear the sweet song of the cardinals and it is such a cheerful sound to wake up to. I bought a lovely pot of daffodils for my desk as I prepare to teach my Spring Symphony course this weekend. They are such a vibrant burst of colour and they bring some warmth to the desk. 

I worked so hard preparing the handouts for this new course and I am excited to bring these new ideas to my next set of students. It was refreshing to work with such a joyful palette of colours.

It's been nearly a year since we went into our first lockdown here in Ontario. Things changed drastically for all of us. I remain so grateful that I have been able to work and teach from home. There have been blessings in disguise with this adjusted lifestyle and I know many of you feel the same way. I have had much more time to work at my desk and it still feels like such a joy to open the studio door each morning. One of the things that struck me as I worked this week with my faithful pointed pen is that no matter how long I work with this tool, it still teaches me something. A lot of things have to go right for it to work properly on the page. Nibs expire as they are pushed to their limits.Ink sometimes has a bad day where it is just a bit too thick and seems sluggish. I can have shaky moments as the pen doesn't do exactly what I want it to. Even though I have been doing this work for 18 years now, I still feel as if I have to pay my practice dues. There is always something new to learn and a skill to refine. I am continuing to work through my Enchanted Letter alphabet as I work on new course notes for the class in May. Even though these letters have been with me for 10 years now, they are still bring me challenges and wonder as I work through them as little puzzles.

 As Spring approaches and we come full circle around a very trying time I hope you can find peace and calm as you pick up your pen and play. Bring some brighter colours into your palette as we start to shake off the dark winter. 

Sending hugs all around. Thank you for reading through the blog and showing me what is blooming in your garden or what flowers are gracing your desk! I appreciate the emails and photos so much. Keep sharing your calligraphic gifts with others. It really does make a difference!