May You Flourish

 The first 10 days of the New Year have flow by and I am back in my regular studio routine of teaching, working on commissions, painting and shipping pens. No complaints! I am thrilled to have the work and I love seeing what students are doing and how they are growing. When I ship out pens and write a note of thanks to my client, I sign each note with the phrase "May you Flourish!" As a former florist, I know that the root word of Flourish can mean " bloom". I delight in watching others flourish and blossom on their own path. The floral world for me was always filled with such beauty. Each petal of flower is precious and when I handle them, I try not to bruise or damage their delicate beauty.

They are unique and one of a kind even if you get a dozen of the same flowers. I always appreciate their individual beauty. The calligraphic world is very different from the floral world but from the time I picked up the pointed pen, I was trying to merge the two worlds together. I love flourishes that blossom and bloom. I love wandering over a page with pen and ink and seeing what ideas emerge. The process of flourishing for me is like thinking on paper. Although the strokes are simple and now very familiar to me, each design is one of a kind and has that same delicate nature as a flower. When I flourish with pen and ink, I enter into a place of quiet peace. I am undistracted, calm and filled with a sense of wonder and appreciation. It is very difficult to to explain. When I teach, I try to tell my students about this sense of peace but this is something that has to be understood by each person. My hope is always that each student "will flourish," and find that sense of quiet peace.  There are so many ways for you to study and learn flourishing techniques. There are many online classes, in-person classes and tutorials that you can find. Take whichever route is most comfortable for you. This year, I will be teaching a few flourishing classes and The Ardington School will be presenting two of the first. A unique opportunity this year, and also an experimental way of teaching will be the Flourishing Club through  the Ardington School.

 The hope of The Flourishing Club is to share some of this quiet peace and have you integrate flourishing into your daily routine at least for a few weeks. There will be a variety of flourishes explored and I hope to see students take the flourishes into unique directions. 

See what happens. See what emerges on the paper. And see how you grow in the process. Nature Sings will be presented in March.

Ardington School classes are kept small and allow me to interact with the student and help nurture skills along the way. 

This is a class that was launched to highlight a grisaille technique for flourishing. It is rooted in the beauty of nature and anticipates Spring with butterflies, bunnies and florals. It's a breath of fresh air as we pull out of a grey winter. White underpainting can give spectacular effects in the flourish.

 I am still amazed and surprises at what happens on the paper when I flourish  using the grisaille technique.

 Although I have been playing with offhand flourishing for 20 years now, the flourish still teaches me, amazes me, and fills me with the same appreciation I have for a beautiful flower. If you would like to ask me any questions about these courses please reach out through email. I would love to encourage you on your journey and help you to flourish and grow. I firmly believe that Flourishing is easiest of all pointed pen skills to learn and is the key to unlocking confidence and letting go of the fear of a blank page. May you truly Flourish dear friends in this beautiful new year. Sending hugs!