A is for Abundant Grace

Are you familiar with page 87 of the Zanerian Manual? I have an image of it here for you. The Zanerian Manual is considered the bible of American Engrossing. The images in the manual are wonderful but they are all in black and white. During my trip to IAMPETH in Scranton, I was able to see the actual specimen of page 87. This engrossing was done by Willis A Baird and is filled with intricate details. The vellum piece is badly faded and in need of reframing to try to readjust the engrossing back in its proper position but it was a delight to see in person. 

Here is an image of the full colour piece that will be housed at the Weinberg Memorial Library in Scranton. 

Here is a detail image of the A. The acanthus are positioned beautifully and the original colours would have been more robust and vibrant but this still has such charm and delight in its faded condition. Observe the delicate shading details that bring the acanthus to life. 

Smaller letters in the composition are still treated with such detail and grace.  There is brilliant precision in this letter. 

Once again, the shading in the T is subtle but effective. This is painted with such skill. 

Studying the composition in such detail and seeing the delicate colour transitions of the engrossed piece left me in awe and wonder. It always helps to see work in person and come in contact with the "living" work of an artist. I was overwhelmed with beauty of this piece. I think the original piece used cobalt colours and I also believe it was in direct sunlight to have faded so badly. The grey filigree work in the background is almost completely faded but what piece this would have been in its day. 

As I prepare for my upcoming Victorian Pen class through The Gentle Penman, I have been reflecting on the delicate use of colour and the concept of abundance.

American Engrossing utilizes Abundance. The style will mix multiple lettering styles and even the style of Engrosser's Text seems a myriad of lettering styles compressed into one. Somehow, the quirks of abundance seem to work. The Victorian Pen class merges my love of gentle colour, abundant ink work and a touch of gilding to bring results to the page that over the years have become my signature style. I rely on McCaffery Brown ink which is still not technically waterproof, but has an amazing line quality to it and can hold up to watercolour washes.

Colours like Quinacridone Pink, Cerulean Blue, Sap Green and Quinacridone Lilac can create gentle palettes. Naples Yellow also makes a wonderful colour to include in this palette. I feel so inspired to share this class with you next week.

It is my last class of the Summer season before my fall classes begin and I hope to gather as much Victorian inspiration as possible as I teach this class. Many of my Victorian Pen designs have become greeting cards that I reprint and use over and over again.

I hope the workshop will be practical for you and will inspire you for years to come. Sending lots of August hugs your way. I hope your garden is still blooming for you. I can already feel a bit of change in the air as the nights become cooler and the garden goes through its August cycle. Find beauty and grace in your part of the world dear friends. Enjoy the work of your hands and be patient with yourselves as you develop new skills. Remember that we all work at our own unique pace and have different insights that we bring to a page. We are all on this journey together and your skills evolve over time. I am so grateful for all of you and love seeing the work you create. Thank you for keeping me so inspired and ready to teach the next class. Happy August dear friends. 

The Wonders of Walter Crane

 Happy July 1st! It is Canada Day here and I am pausing to reflect and be thankful. We have had such a trying time with smoke from the wildfires. It makes the smoke free days so much more bright. I need to  be thankful for the bright moments. When I see the instant haze on the horizon and watch how quickly the smoke can come in it causes a lot of pensive thought. I don't remember ever experiencing a summer quite like this. Sending hugs all around and hope you are able to breathe fresh air and appreciate the beauty that still surrounds you. One of the greatest lessons learned from these past few years is to not take anything for granted. Although I take a bit of a breather with teaching I am certainly deep into research and study. It  seems to be a joyful pursuit as I take notes on the garden swing surround by chipmunks, bunnies and squirrels. There is never any tedium as I study and prepare for new classes. 

In November, I will be teaching a new class with Martin Beck at Ardington School online. In these informative collaborative classes, Martin will deliver a lecture about Walter Crane and I will do the practical part of the lesson as I dive into the calligraphic and lettering work of the artist. Walter has always been part of my artistic journey. He is in the top three influences of my illustrative work. But as I study the symbolism in his work and his love of decoration, I am falling more head over heels for him! I have found such wisdom and wonder in the work of Walter Crane. I chose the W initial to reflect on his genius and explore his Neo:Classic initials. There is so much intrigue in the stories behind my beloved illustrators. I love learning how his artistic style developed and what influenced his decisions. Beyond the line and wash of his children's book illustrations there is an invigorating aesthetic to his work. I  believe that I will be able to expand this workshop over the years as there is so much depth in his work that is waiting to be discovered.  In the Wonder of Walter Crane Class, I will begin by looking at his letterforms with their linear foliate extensions. 

Walter loved expressive letters and preferred their graceful forms to rigid typefaces. His calligraphy is not perfect by any means but there is something so appealing about his work. His background as a draftsman and wood engraver allowed him to explore sparkling details in his decorative designs. He loved detail and embedded symbolism even into his children's book illustrations.  If you know me as an instructor, you will know that I will have so much fun working on these notes. The letters here are some of my first studies with his Neo-Classic and Lombardic styles with foliate extensions. So much more is waiting to be discovered. 

I will have a busy few months as I travel to IAMPETH, visit my daughter in Newfoundland and continue to prepare for upcoming classes. If you want to expand your flourishing techniques with my signature Victorian Line and Wash designs, you can register for August's Victorian Pen through The Gentle Penman. This class is a bit more advanced than my other flourishing classes but even those who are new to the pointed pen will find skills that they can build on for years to come. I utilize these techniques so often and they are rooted in Victorian Book Illustrators like Walter Crane and Kate Greenway. It is funny how deeply rooted the Victorian aesthetic is in my work.

I am updating the handouts now as this is the first time I have taught the course since 2019. If you are interested in really refining your flourishes and understanding what makes them look the most beautiful, I will be presenting Flourishing Finesse through Ardington School online. This course has something for all skill levels. Beginners will be enlightened and intermediate and advanced students will be able to enhance and refine their skills. We will refine the all important cartouche designs that are so central in my work. If you are are new to offhand flourishing, I can't begin to relate just how much it has helped me as a calligraphic artist. I was able to find a sense of flow in my calligraphy through learning how to flourish with the pointed pen. I recommend it as a starting place for all pointed pen work. I believe it is more helpful to study than any script hand. But that is a subject for another blog post. 

There are actually more new classes being prepared for the Festive Season! I don't want to overwhelm you with all the details at once but I will keep you updated through IG. I hope you are having a beautiful day wherever you are in this wondrous world. I keep you all close to my heart and thank you so much for reading my blog posts and for being such a source of encouragement to me. Much love to you all. Happy July dear friends. 

Ground Breaking Growth

 The first morning of June is bright and beautiful and offers the promise of extended warmth and growth. I have been in the garden every morning to tend to the weeds, water the seedlings and feed the birds. I have been watching baby robins bounce around the yard and take time in the bird bath. I have stepped back even as small bunnies manage to eat a whole pansy plant in what seems like seconds. The garden is ever changing, evolving, growing and causing me to pause in wonder. When I finally see a leaf sprout through the ground I start to anticipate its bloom. What a blessing this garden has been and although it is a lot of work, I appreciate each stage of growth and each action it requires of me. I wish I could slow time as each day passes so quickly. I am determined to really pause and observe this beautiful season. 

Here in the studio I have been extra reflective and appreciative. The first group of students in The Flights of Fancy Master class have completed their program of study. I watched amazing growth. I felt privileged and honoured to accompany them and watch their skills bloom. As the first course came to a close, I could see that the light bulb had turned on for so many of them. Many are on the verge of finding the skills that have been calling out to them for so long. It was a journey that I could never have imagined or hoped for. Group Two will wrap up late this month and then we have a celebration class for both groups in September.  I will be launching Soaring Higher Enrichment Sessions for these students to add some special techniques that we were not able to fit into course.  The whole amazing process has caused me to appreciate teaching with fresh eyes. Each student is a blessing and they all have a gift to offer this world.  After such an intense season of Mater Classes, I feel surprisingly refreshed and look forward to a very Victorian summer. The Victorian Pen Workshop will be offered in August through The Gentle Penman. This improvers and intermediate level course is where I first began to solidify my Line and Wash techniques along with my love of the Victorian Era.

 I wanted to elevate the basics of offhand flourishing through ornamental design. This class has since created several offshoot classes over the years but they all have their foundation in this course.  If you love pen drawn florals, trailing vines, spinning acanthus, twisted ribbons and delicate birds, this will be the class for you. We explore a delicate technique for colour as well as some opulent ideas that will enrich your flourishing journey. 

This will be my only major online workshop for the summer as I slow down to get ready for IAMPETH as well as prepare for several new courses for late fall and 2024. The Victorian Pen workshop, represented ground breaking growth for me as an artist. I was starting to find my voice and my vision and find a way to articulate my techniques. It contains so much of my heart and soul. 

I will be working on new course handouts and posting fresh images on IG and Facebook. I hope you follow the path of the course development as it evolves in the next few weeks. I also wish you all the beauty of this glorious season. Take time to appreciate each stage of growth as you see it. Greet the flowers as you see them. Each one has a different face and personality and offer us so much beauty along our paths. Cheering you all on in your own personal growth. Please keep in touch. Sending hugs this beautiful June Morning. May you Flourish!

The Marvels of May

 As I sit at my desk today on May 1st, the view is a soggy backyard. We have had days of grey skies and lots of rain, but I seen the green grass emerging and I am grateful for the beauty of this day.  It seems like we just blinked and the calendar pages have turned so quickly.

May always comes bringing promises of blooms and colour. I look forward to the emerging garden and the quiet work it brings. I want to take some time to thank all of my students who have been journeying with me for long term classes as well as continuing to take new or repeated courses. I am also continuing with private students and we get to explore territory that is so specialized and tailored to each student. The African Daisy sketch above was requested by a private student. I had to locate a specimen at the garden centre and then figure out a simple way to try to teach it. We could only progress so far in the lesson but felt so good to try something a bit different. I don't think I had ever noticed an African Daisy before. With each study that I do, I feel like I take a deeper look at nature and come away more appreciative.  I feel so blessed to accompany each student and watch as new skills emerge for each one of them. 

 I just completed the April session of the Flourishing Club at Ardington school and I am thrilled to see the work that the students are producing. April focused on floral roundels. They are easy to do. The design principle is repetition. You can start with a simple floral outline and then decide what elements you wish to repeat around the roundel. You can try one of these simple outlines. I would love to see your work if you do give this a try.

Whether the designs use a loose floral technique or a more pointed pen etched floral, the results are often surprising and very addictive.

 More fun is in store for the Flourishing Club for May, June and July if you are interested in joining the community. The course is currently sold out, but you can still register your interest in the class and we can see about opening a few extra spaces. We really did not know what to expect when we started the club and it is wonderful to see it grow. The other May class I have will be The Alphabet Garden Peacock Edition through the Gentle Penman. I am completing the course notes this week and I look forward to seeing the fanciful designs emerge on the pages. For sure, these designs are more complex than my usual Alphabet Garden class but I think I have found a way to break down the steps into easy components. At any rate, there is always joy as we learn together and I hope these techniques will enhance your skills. 

Finally, this Saturday I will begin my final offering of Italian Hand for 2023. This course is hosted by The Art of Letters in Singapore and will be kept very small. If you want to be introduced to the delicate grace of Italian Hand, registration info is available online. 

I hope this month is bright and cheerful for you. Enjoy each stage of the changing season. As I complete this blog post, the rain has stopped and the sun has broken through. Time is so precious and things can change quickly. I want you to know how much I appreciate your kindness and support. Wherever you are and whatever you are doing with the work of your hands, I am cheering you on and sending you a grateful hug. I hope May is full of marvels for you.

The Music Of Spring

 Yesterday morning was grey, and filled with sleet and ice pellets. There were still mounds of snow in my backyard. This morning, on April 1st, it is as if a switch has been turned on. The grass is green. The music of robins and cardinals is playing in the backyard and I can see squirrels and rabbits bouncing playfully. What a difference a day can make. And how welcome is this blue sky and bright sunshine. I love this season.  I will try to take my eleven o'clock tea time with my book on a the porch rocking chair. I don't take one moment of this brief season for granted. It really is my favourite season.  I will be using soft, gentle colours in my palette as I work in my studio. 

This month, I will be teaching a Master Class in Italian Hand through the EPPC online. This will be running from April until September. It is a slow study method and presented to a small group of students. We have a single opening for the class if you are interested. You can email me directly with questions if you are thinking about it. Consider this to be an Extended Play edition of the course. I am still completing the extensive course notes and discovering so many nuances along the way.  I will be gleaning from George Shelley, John Ayres, Joseph Champion and George Bickham as well as others. Somewhere between all of these influences, I have found my own own hand and the joy of Italian Hand. Although this is called a Master Class, this hand still has distinct mysteries for me and I hope to explore them together with you. We will be of course, finding ways to incorporate flourishes and compose calligraphic work with this playful hand.

Victorian Frames and Labels will be presented in May through Ardington online. This has been such a delicate skill to learn and I have found this pointed pen etching technique to be so helpful for cards and envelopes. The class evolved out of a single Victorian card that I found during the pandemic. This pointed pen etching technique is easier to learn than offhand flourishing and the results can be so surprising and inspiring. 

More upcoming classes are listed on here for you on my linktr.ee page. There are lots of classes coming up  if you are interested. It is always such a joy to accompany students on their journey and I never take these teaching opportunities for granted. You are such a blessing to me. The rest of April will be a bit of a sabbatical for me. I will be catching up on some very special commissions and painting pen orders. When I enjoy a cup of  tea at 11:00 AM each day. I take time to pause and reflect on the joy that you have brought to me as students and friends. Appreciate each day my dear friends. Take time enjoy the work of your hands. I hope you have a beautiful April. Sending bright Spring hugs all around. 

Season of Perpetual Hope

I had my March post all ready to publish on March 1st but life got ahead of me. Here were are on the 22nd day of the month and I am still hoping for Spring. I see signs of life in my garden. The Hellebore has budded and I am sure it will be in bloom soon. I hear robins and I have seen the red winged blackbirds already this season and they bring me so much joy. It is amazing how something as small as a bird can make such a large impact. 

As the different sights and sounds come into view through my studio window and my perspective at the desk will change. I love this season. I love anticipating the emerging of green and blossoms. Winter has its own peace and beauty but Spring represents so much Hope for me. I have lots to keep me busy at my desk these days as I prepare for new classes. I have had numerous requests to run a class about my Peacock initials and have agreed to teach a Peacock edition of The Alphabet Garden for The Gentle Penman. There is so much I can dive into as we construct the peacock together but the most important highlight of the class will be exploring a luminous painting technique. Info for registering for the class in may can be found here. 

In May, I will also be offering Victorian Frames and Labels through Ardington online. This is the class that takes a deep dive into the pointed pen etching technique while letting the wonders of the Victorian era shine through.  This class is a great one for any skill level. There are very easy techniques to explore with just pen and ink and the designs are surprisingly meditative. I have been etching away and finding so much joy in the process. The Sprinkle Joy piece is on bamboo paper which has quite a texture to it.

At this stage, I pause and consider the colour palette that will bring it to life. I often want to leave these designs just at the pen etch stage as they have a charm with pure ink on paper. In the end, I did choose to add colour to the design. 

Victorian Frames and labels are wonderful small studies for cards, envelopes or menu designs. They are highly addictive! There are still a few spaces left for this class if you are interested in joining us. Ardington classes are kept small so I am able to offer more interaction and feedback for the students in the courses. 

Finally, if you want to look ahead as far as June, I will be presenting The Passionate Pen class for Ardington School online. The Passionate Pen is my look Anglaise or English Roundhand. This is my approach to the beautiful English Script writing that is such a graceful form of handwriting. English Roundhand sings a song of its own and it is a delight to explore. There are only a few seats left for this course in June so I thought I should mention it on the blog if you were considering it. The graceful writing style is a perfect compliment for Victorian Frames and Labels. 

 I am grateful for the opportunity to share my work with students from all over the world. What makes me happiest is seeing their own interpretations of the work that is presented and watching how they grow. I hope that you are having a beautiful Spring wherever you are. Thank you for taking the time to read the blog and send me emails. I am always so happy to hear from you. Looking forward to the emerging season with you and I hope you find joy with the work of your hands. Sprinkle Joy dear friends!

Quiet Appreciation

 This Sunday morning is cold but filled with sunshine. I woke up to the song of a cardinal who seemed to be so joyful. As I prepared to start my day I realized how grateful I am each morning as I get ready to approach my desk. I can't wait to start working. I can't wait to put pen or brush to paper and bring something of beauty into the world. Even though there are struggles, stresses and anxieties to contend with, the pause and anticipation of working with me hands brings on such a sense of appreciation. I have just completed the Pencil Lines for Glittering Vines course for Ardington and next week I will start Nature Sings.  There are still a few spots left if you want to join. We will work on a grisaille technique for butterflies, bunnies and florals.

Each time I present a course, I discover something new. These designs and ideas are part of who I am as a teacher and an artist but I still find new lessons along the way. Although I teach, I find that I learn as well. The ideas that are unpacked by students and the questions that they bring enrich my life in so many ways. I just wanted to share the joy of this Sunday morning with you and hope that you find a moment in the day for quiet appreciation. I want you to know that your notes, emails and comments have been such a blessing to me. Enjoy the beauty of each day. Sending hugs all around. 

Flourished Joy

 It's a frosty February morning! We are experiencing our coldest temperatures of the season right now and there have been lots of cloudy days and grey skies. It is this time of the year that I need colour more than ever. The flourishes on my desk have been bright and cheerful. A parade of bunnies have been keeping me entertained as I chose them for my opening class of Flights of Fancy.

I have 50 students with me for this journey and the magic they are creating on the page is incredible. It was an unusual step for me to create such an advanced course of study. I have all different skill levels in the class, but each of them are taking it so seriously and spending dedicated time with the homework. As an instructor, I could not be more pleased and excited to see what is happening. My work desk is filled to overflowing at the moment. I have new course notes to prepare, commissions to design and pen orders to complete. It is a busy pace and at times, it can become overwhelming. No matter how busy things become, I find that I have to put time aside to pick up the pen to flourish.

It is a form of mediation for me. My mind can release from all of the pressures or stress that surround me and I can play on paper. The emerging rabbits bring me joy and a sense of calm that is hard to explain.

There are so many ways to nurture the sense of calm that is needed in our stress filled world. Whether you take time to brew a perfect cup of tea, read a chapter of your favourite book, pick up needle and thread to embroider or put ink to paper and write a caring note. Whatever it is that brings you that sense of joy and peace, I hope you can put time aside to pursue it. If your part of the world is in that seemingly endless cycle of grey skies and cold weather, I encourage you to bring a flower or two home to enjoy. There is nothing like their bright and cheerful presence to bring a touch of joy to your day!

Lots of flourishes are coming up in my monthly Flourishing Club for The Ardington School. I will also work on the bunnies, butterflies, and a frosted grisaille technique in Nature Sings for Ardington.

I have started a linktr.ee page that makes it easier to find the open registration links some of my course offerings. You can also contact me for my 2023 teaching schedule if you are interested in studying with me. I hope this February find you with pen in hand, flourishing, creating, playing and finding joy and beauty in each day. Sending hugs all around.