Quiet Appreciation

 Another calendar paged has turned and we are inching forward toward the end of the year. I can hardly believe how quickly things unfold. It is easy to get overwhelmed and not stop to appreciate some of the simple things that surround you. Taking time to pause, breathe, brew a cup of tea or coffee and just relax no matter what tasks are piling up on the desk. 

I took a beautiful walk around the garden on this unusually warm day. Seasons come and go. The garden will pause until next Spring and I will look forward to all that it has to offer. I have an abundance of work to do before the end of the year. A busy weekend ahead with Woodland Peace for The Gentle Penman on Friday night and then a Saturday class of Belles Nouvelles Lettres for The Michigan Association of Calligraphy. I will do a larger offering of Belles Nouvelles in January for The Gentle Penman. My love of Toile de Jouy fabric will shine through this class. Like everything else, I have loved the research end of composing the course.  There were some inspirations from studying the work of Alphonse Mucha that have influenced this course as well. 

Always a joy to paint miniatures and to design letters.There is always something new for me to learn and I am thrilled to share techniques, ideas and inspiration. I will likely be quiet for November and December as I finalize course material for Flights of Fancy. Trying to put the notes together and figure out the course load for the students is a lot of work. But I am so excited about the concept. My ideas keep evolving and my hope for the class is for students to find their own unique styles and to ignite their passion for calligraphic art. 
I will be working hard here in the studio and will respond to emails as soon as I can. Whatever you are doing in your part of the world, I hope you take time to pause and nurture yourselves.  I have heard from many of you who are going through stress and struggles and I am sending hugs across the miles and hope things improve quickly. I hope you can pick up the pen to flourish, or the pencil to draw or the brush to paint. I am cheering you on from my desk here in Canada. I appreciate you all so much.