The Story of Fainting Fancies

 

April is here but I feel like I am still waiting for Spring. Migrating birds have returned home and I am watching a little Carolina Wren settle into a small bird house in the oak tree. I look forward to her chattering songs over the summer months. The days at my studio desk have been as busy as ever. I just finished teaching The Artful Flourish for the Pendragons Guild in Kalamazoo through Zoom. I will never get tired of offhand flourishing! Later this month, I will be teaching Fainting Fancies through The Gentle Penman online. Registration info is here. I recognize that the name of the class is strange and I wanted to share the story behind the class.

Harry Potter fans may recognize Fainting Fancies as a confection of the Weasley brothers. Years ago, my local calligraphy guild was hosting a Harry Potter themed retreat. I needed to come up with a clever name for my class about decorated script capitals. Fainting Fancies seemed to work for a Fanciful Script Letter that could be embellished with flourishes that would make you faint! At least that was my idea at the time.  As I continued to develop and teach this class, I realized that the name could play a bigger role than just writing Harry Potter themed words and flourishing within capital letters. 

As I continued to teach the class, the content expanded to more decorative script letter techniques. Foliated or Floriated letters are possible with a very delicate pen etching technique. The soft application of colour can be used for faint highlights in the letter. Although the letters are ornate, the process is subdued. They are a joy to create and I am finding them highly addictive. 

As I continue to explore the letters and possibilities and I am becoming more and more engrossed in the process.

The Victorian in me is having such fun researching letter designs and bringing vintage techniques to a new era.

Research and a sense of play can bring ideas forward. With every flourish of the pointed pen, I appreciate the process of putting ink on paper more and more. The flourish is to play and and grow! Working on small and simple projects can be a welcome pause from the noise around us. Calligraphers wield a lot of power through the pen and an simple name flourish can bring so much joy to a friend. 

Although the techniques are subdued but the effects can be profound. I hope you find time to put pen to paper. Flourish throughout the day and send kind words and thoughts to you friends and family. I will be cheering you on as you work at your desks. Happy April dear friends.