Still Enchanted!

 Seems like a blink since my last post but we are 9 days forward into the month of May. I jut had a glimpse of a gorgeous Baltimore Oriole and I am constantly amazed at their splendour. I got up early this morning to take a botanical art class through Ardington School online. Although I had to get up at 4:00 AM, I feel so blessed to be able to put aside some precious time to study. As an instructor, it is so important for me to refuel and refresh and enjoy the process of another artist. I spent the morning exploring a freshly picked Narcissus and hope to bring it to life in a drawing. One of the joys of drawing from life is really getting to know your subject and appreciating it for all it is worth. A flower fades quickly and deserves to be enjoyed for all the magic it brings to us. 

I am also so grateful to be able to teach for Ardington School. The classes are kept very small and the experience is like being part of a small community. For an introvert like me, it works wonders. This year, my only offering of The Enchanted Letter will be through Ardington in September.

This will be a very small class. For those of you who would like to build on the skills we explored in Fainting Fancies, you will love this class. I have been designing Enchanted Letters for eleven years now. I fell in love with illuminated letters back in 2003 at my first IAMPETH conference. Traditional illuminated letters are meant to enhance broad edge lettering are are usually on the heavy side. Although I love the beauty of broad edge calligraphy, I don't practice it enough to be really confident with it. I use it whenever necessary but  Pointed Pen scripts are much more intuitive for me and they are the scripts that charmed my soul. Over the years, I developed letterforms that could be drawn, gilded and embellished with florals and flourishes. They were delicate enough to augment script lettering and could carry the opulence of gilding. I wanted letters to sparkle and shine and dance with Victorian ornament. Eleven years of playing with these forms and I am still Enchanted and still Intrigued with what they can offer. I encourage my students to approach each of these designs as mini challenges.

Allow them to push your skills to a new level. Even if you are new to drawing, a script letter is fairly easy to draw. If the gilding process seems out of reach or too complex, these letters are the perfect entry level project to get you comfortable with that process. I feel as if one of the reasons that I have stayed so enchanted with these letters is that they are small and can be finished in a couple of hours. They have built up my confidence over the years and still bring a smile to my face. The Love is Forever piece was created for Gilded Age Greetings several years ago and it still sparkles, shines and brings me joy.

Whatever your stage of learning, I the work on your desk brings you joy. Stay Enchanted with the work you do and even if you have an hour or two for a project, it will teach you lessons that will stay with you for years. Registration is very limited for this class but I would love to share the beauty of these letters with you. If you are new to Ardington, explore their catalogue and see if there is something that interests you. Happy Monday May 9th dear friends.