Notes for the New Year

 Here we are half way through December. Time continues to fly by and I wanted to greet you before things get too busy as I complete this month. I hope you are finding lots of time to pursue the things that make you happy.  Currently, I am seeing an explosion of courses available to study online and that is both wonderful and overwhelming at the same time.  We can get  inundated with ideas and want to take every course but not get the chance to really digest what we have learned. I do this all the time and realize that it takes me time to really understand and apply what has been presented in a course. With that thought in mind, I feel  somewhat hesitant to let you know about the next course I will have available early January.   I will be releasing a new course through the European Pointed Pen Collective.

The course is called Notes for the New Year. This class is designed to give you a peaceful approach to correspondence through the ornamental designs of Victorian Scraps. It involves slowing down and adding small areas of ornament to a note or card. It is a short course but hopefully one you will refer back to for years to come.

This year as I have completely stopped my travel, I have expanded the time I allow for studies with private students. I have had several students take long term courses with me and I have been so thrilled to see their progress. Working with private students has been my preferred way to teach as I feel like I have not only been able to teach and really watch skill levels bloom, I have also been able to forge some real friendships. If you are interested in any private studies in the New Year, please email me at heather@heathervictoriaheld.com. I will be expanding course content from The Alphabet Garden this year for students who want to take a deeper look at illuminated letters and refine their skills. I will be introducing this throughout 2021. Lots to come!!!

All of that being said, I want to reinforce that we all are so unique and have different study approaches. Online courses are not for everyone and neither is private instruction. If you feel like you do your best work through private study and research, I will be cheering you on. There are many times where I feel inspired and instructed by doing some research or reading through what is on my bookshelf.  Whatever approach you take to your studies, your hobbies or your relaxation, I hope you fill your life with things that bring you joy and delight. I have loved spending time with you this year. Thank you for your support, encouragement and friendship. Hugs all around!

Sounds of December

 This morning my walk to the post office was especially quiet and mindful. There was a little bit of slushy snow on the road and the tree branches were white and fluffy.  Each season brings different bird songs in the yard but this morning I couldn't hear the delightful chickadee or the nuthatch. The feeders were all empty so I took some time to fill them. The snow came before we had a chance to heat the birdbath so it was frozen solid. As soon as I filled the feeders and placed some peanuts around the yard I heard fluttering wings and could see the pine branches start to bounce. I noticed a large crow in the branches. His beak was dusted with snow and he was so majestic against the branches. 

 I watched other birds and squirrels for a few minutes this morning. St Francis looks like he is wearing a winter cape and hat.

 Nature is filled with wonder and awe. I feel blessed to be able to pause and acknowledge December. This has been a year like no other we have ever known and has brought such challenges. In times like this, I welcome the pause, the time to notice and the time to reflect. Wherever you are this first day of December,I hope there is something nearby that can bring you a moment of pause and joy. Sending December hugs!

The Flourish

This month I have been so busy getting ready for my online class through Acorn Arts Classroom. I will be  teaching Festive Offhand Flourishing techniques and I am looking forward to sharing all that I know with the group of students who have registered for the course.

Info is online if you have the time or the inclination to take the class. I would love to meet you there. As I have been busy preparing the course notes as well as lecturing at the Atlanta Friends of The Alphabet Guild I have been reminded about the importance of the flourish. The word flourish has many meanings. One of its meanings is "to bloom." I have found that the key to my passion for the pointed pen has been from my roots in offhand flourishing.

I love scripts and calligraphic hands as well as the process of developing skills in penmanship. But offhand flourishing is free. It builds skills and confidence rapidly.  It allows you to have a mistake on the page, and then just move on from it. Because of its "detachment" from being forced into a particular letter shape, it is more of a direct process of thinking on paper. There is definitely a meditative quality to it where you will begin to "think without thinking." As you practice these simple strokes, your skills will definitely bloom.

 Although I find it difficult to put into words, I always find myself feeling refreshed and at peace when I take time to play with the pointed pen. 2020 has been such a stressful year for so many of us. We need to find more peaceful pursuits and engage in things that generate this state of well being.Whether you draw with a pencil, knit, paint, sculpt or put puzzles together, I encourage you to dive into the things you are passionate about and bring you peace. Find that feeling of well being!  Sending you all hugs around the world!!!

Noticing November

 Yesterday our clocks turned back for an hour. I said goodbye to October and welcomed November.

 I am always noticing how different the light looks when  we reach November. It just seems to reflect a bit differently against the trees or the cardinals on the branches. The sounds are different in the garden as well. The blue jays seem to be the loudest voices and every morning I can hear the nuthatches and their quiet little beep of a chirp. Simple delights to notice in my day.

The icicle pansies are still blooming even though they were greeted with snow today.

I have lots going on this month and well into the holiday season. Yesterday, registration opened for my online presentation of The Holiday Festive Flourish that will be hosted through my dear friend Harvest at Acorn Arts online. I am looking forward to sharing it with you and hopefully launch many of you into the peaceful world of offhand flourishing. I will share all I can throughout the two session format.  Flourishing has qualities that are almost meditative and I find it so restorative to work in this gentle way with ink on paper. 

Private sessions for students will continue to be available in the new year.  I am also starting to host small groups online for those of you who have a few friends that you want to study with. I will share more info about that as well in the new year. Guild workshops are also moving to Zoom meetings for the foreseeable future for me. I am happy to talk to your guild about this possibility. 

We are still painting and shipping pens although I seldom have time to post the pens these days. This special little squirrel is on its way to her new owner. If you would like to see our available pens, just send an email to me at heather@heathervictoriaheld.com and let me know what you are looking for.

I want to thank the people who have been messaging me on Instagram, Facebook or sending email notes and even beautiful snail mail! You have been such a blessing as you share your thoughts and personal journey with me.  I feel so grateful to share my work with you and I hope that you continue to find joy and peace in all of your artistic pursuits. This has been one stressful and anxious year for so many of us. Finding that sanctuary of peace  can be so difficult.

Wherever you are in this world, I am sending hugs your way and encouraging you on your artistic journey. Continue to share the beauty of what you do with others. I believe that even small things make a huge difference in someone's life. You have all been such a blessing to me and I am so grateful to you. 

Times and Seasons

I am currently sitting at my partially cluttered studio desk as I prepare this blog post. I am used to a pretty meticulous routine of washing down the studio desk every Saturday and then dusting and vacuuming the studio. You would think with all of my time at home that I would be able to keep up with this routine. Even though our pace of life and our experiences this year are vastly different that previous years, I am finding myself overwhelmed at times. This same feeling of being overwhelmed is coming through in emails from students, friends and colleagues. Generally speaking, I try hard to include a time to pause and reflect each day. Take some slower, deeper breaths, gather my thoughts and count my blessings. These past few weeks I feel like I have missed that routine several times. I have taken several online courses including sign writing, calligraphy, and botanical illustration. There is just so much being offered and I want to continue to learn. I have noticed though, that as much as I want to continue to study, there is a limit to how much I can absorb. I honestly let some amazing courses pass by because I knew I could not keep up with the study and the homework. That feeling of being overwhelmed and having too many oars in the water at once is helping me to focus on things that are really important right now. 

In these strange times that we are navigating and finding so many online study opportunities, remember to pause and take a breath. Sometimes you will have so much going on in your day that you will find it difficult to practice. We all have those days. Pause and take a breath. Look at something else. Be inspired and just pause. Each season we go through has its own challenges and possibilities. There will be new and different seasons coming our way. 

With all of that being said, two of my large presentations of online courses have been advertised. I want to assure you that I would love to meet you in class but I am also so aware that you may be overwhelmed with all of the course offerings available. If you want to join my presentation of The Poetic Pen (Italian Hand) through The European Pointed Pen Collective, I would be so happy to share my passion for this hand with you. If you have time in December, I will be sharing my Holiday Festive Flourishes through Acorn Arts online. I am so excited to be able to share with you this way. If you would love to join but already have so many courses going on I completely understand. It is not a good feeling to be fragmented and unable to focus on the task at hand. Whatever choices you make, I am cheering you on in all of your endeavours. I encourage you to surround yourself with the things you love, feed your soul and cherish the time you have to explore the things that make you happy. 

One thing that has been so clear to me during this season we are going through collectively is the need to continue to share a note of kindness or encouragement. As calligraphers, we have a powerful force at our fingertips. Sometimes a note spanning the miles can mean so much.

Dear friends I am so grateful for you all. Thank you for sending me beautiful photos of flowers in your garden, letting me know how flourishing has been so helpful during these times and even inviting me for virtual tea. You are all such a blessing to me. Enjoy the sights and sounds of October. Pause and take a breath. Hugs all around!

Softly September

 It seems I start most of blog posts marvelling that another calendar page has turned.

2020 is a remarkably strange year but in its own unique way has brought things that I am so grateful for. Summers are usually my busiest time. This summer, I have been home and not far from my studio and garden. I have seen the garden grow, watched bunnies eat my beets and roses and enjoyed all kinds of sparrows splashing in the bird bath. The slow and mindful mornings have been a welcome pace. I feel as if I have really experienced the season and that is such a blessing. 

Here in my studio, I have been able to write to people as their letters arrive in the post. I have received beautiful envelopes and notes. The words from friends are so cherished as I know it might be quite some time before our paths cross again in person. 

I have been working on commissions, pens, private tutorials for students and soon will launch some larger courses online. One of the first courses I will be presenting online is through the European Pointed Pen Collective. I will be presenting Italian Hand. I will update info here on the blog when the registration opens up. I look forward to sharing this beautiful hand with you! You can hear some of my thoughts about Italian Hand on a recent episode of the Calligraphy Podcast.

Whatever you are up to this September, I hope you are finding joy in the journey. Even though these are indeed strange times, I know you will be able to uncover some of the hidden blessings. Thank you all for your notes of encouragement and precious emails that you send. Your support as my students and as my friends means so much to me. 

Grateful Momemts

Right now I am in my quiet studio with the windows open to hear the baby bluejays in the yard. Usually the first bird to visit the garden in the mornings is the noisy little Carolina wren. He is so noisy but always so welcome. The camera is always close by but he is so quick and elusive. The baby blue jays are a bit easier to photograph.

I feel like the spring and summer have flown by at an accelerated pace. I have been so grateful to be here at home to experience the garden, weeds and all and watch things as they grow. I love the quiet and have had lots of time to work in my studio. I am so grateful to be able to work closely with so many private students as my travel teaching schedule is on hold indefinitely. There are so many wonderful opportunities online these days to study various things and I feel fortunate to be included as one of your choices! The photos below are part of study packets that get sent out to my private students when the courses are complete. You can email me at anytime if you would like information about any of my private courses.

This summer  I have begun to reread the biography of Kate Greenaway. Kate's work has inspired me for years and it is so good to learn more about her life and her daily routine. She remains one of my biggest artistic heroes.

She was often criticized for her unique style and her desire to continue to paint and draw subjects that she loved. She would listen to her critics to hear what they had to say while she remained true to her own vision. The more I ponder that, the more remarkable I find her. We all have an artistic vision and unique skills, talents and gifts. It does take a measure of strength and determination to continue to pursue our own unique vision. While I worked on this initial and border, Kate continued to inspire me. 

I recognize right now that there are so many challenges around us. Where ever you are in the world, I hope you  have a space of time in your life and corner in a room where you can pursue something that brings you peace and joy. Seek out a moment in a day where you can pause in wonder and gratitude. I am sending virtual hugs and encouragement to you as I write this. If you need a more personal note of encouragement in your mailbox, please write to me at heather@heathervicoriaheld.com. I would love to hear from you. Enjoy August my dear friends. I am so grateful for all of you!

Missing IAMPETH 2020

This week I would have been in Atlanta surrounded by pen friends, getting nearly no sleep, being incredibly inspired, spending money at John Neal Booksellers and being overwhelmed by the entire experience. IAMPETH has been part of my summer since 2003. I first picked up a pointed pen in 2003 and with the gentle nudging of Joe Vitolo I attended IAMPETH in Cleveland, Ohio which really started my penmanship journey as well as my evolution as an artist. Most of you know that my background in the art world is as a florist and as a seamstress. I never felt as if I had any artistic ability on paper. I always struggled with penmanship and handwriting so the journey into the calligraphic world was a difficult one for me. But every step of the way has been so full of discovery and wonder. I still wake up excited to get into the studio to work. Each day feels like play rather than work. IAMPETH has been the foundation of my growth and my studies. The format of the classes allows us to sample different things throughout the week. The classes whet your appetite for study and you can really decide if you want to dive a bit deeper or if you want to try a different path of study. As an introvert, my first conference was a bit nerve wracking until I understood that I was truly surrounded by giving and caring people. They were glad I was there and they were happy to take me under their collective wing. The archive room in those days was in a hotel suite. We would stay up for hours looking at original work and taking photographs. During that first convention, I met people who would become my friends for life. I continue to cultivate the friendships and savour the letters we send each other through the mail. I feel like IAMPETH has really helped me to come out of my introvert shell a bit. In fact, I had to come out of the shell a lot when I was President during the 2013/2014 year. This year as we are all missing IAMPETH, I want to share some of my favourite photos. As I look over the images I can actually feel the energy of the conference.

I try to be a regular contributor at the Round Robin. These pieces were done last year in Denver and then auctioned off at the Silent Auction.

Some of the best times are open study sessions in the evenings. Bill Kemp and Michael Sull are often there until the doors close giving advice and demonstrations to anyone who have questions. It is so heartwarming to watch how giving and sharing these instructors can be. 

I always take photos of my favourite pieces in the archive room. I try to share and post the photos during each conference.

The IAMPETH experience is a treasure from start to finish. If you are on the fence about attending next year, I would encourage you to jump in. If you have any questions at all about the conference, please email me at heather@heathervictoriaheld.com and I will be happy to talk to you about t. IAMEPTH, thank you for all that you have done for me. I feel as if I owe the organization a huge debt and I am so honoured to continue to serve the organization,. 

Our Sacred Tasks

Happy July dear friends. Thank you for all of the kind emails, sign ups for private sessions and the beautiful garden photos that you have sent me. I love seeing your flower gardens, studio spaces and projects you are working on and I appreciate that you share them with me.

This is a bit of a tutorial about the process I go through for larger pieces of work. I was commissioned to write the wedding vows of a couple who are now celebrating their third anniversary. The bride had already purchased frames for the vows so I was restricted with the space I had to work with. I had to work on paper cut to 11x14. The bride's vows were going to take up 10 lines more of script than the groom's vows which presented a bit of a technical challenge. To accommodate the bride's vows, I needed to work with very narrow margins. Normally,  I would want more marginal space around all of the edges but I did my best with the spacing. The script is written in very tightly spaced Spencerian hand. I spaced it as if I was writing my Italian Hand but I kept the shading more intuitive and delicate like Spencerian. I line only the baseline of each line of script and let the guidelines be lightly projected underneath my paper with the use of my light table. This method was given to me by my dear mentor and friend Brian Walker. The pencilled baseline gives us a landing place that is fixed firmly in place and can alleviate the tendency to miss the baseline, or stop a bit too short. This gives the work an overall consistency without feeling the "iron bars" of penciling all of the guidelines. Brian always encouraged the letterforms to dance on the page. I always recommend that the baseline be pencilled in on your paper even if you are using a light pad. Sometimes I also rule in the waistline but for a tight Spencerian like this one, I didn't feel I needed that second line.

 As I went through the project, I wanted to post about the tasks we are entrusted with when we work on a commission such as this. The vows themselves are very touching and are so important to each couple. It is so important to be in a peaceful state of mind when we work on our projects. When ever I am lettering, I work in complete silence. I like to have the window open to hear the wind, the rain, the birds or whatever ambient noise that nature is providing for me in my studio. I definitely find that I get into a flow state where my breathing is in tune with the writing. It is such a blessing to write these special words for people and I cherish this time and try to complete the task without being interrupted. I definitely fail at this sometimes as I can easily skip a line or miss a word and then I have to start again. It's just something that happens, and I deal with it and begin again.
After the lettering is completed, my work is prepared for the colouring and gilding stage. I go through an extensive erasing stage.

I put the work under two different magnifiers. My desk magnifier catches obvious pencil lines and I will go over the entire piece with my Faber Castell Dust Free eraser. This eraser definitely produces the usual eraser debris but it is easily gathered and discarded. I use a drafting brush to clear all of the eraser debris. Once I make that initial pass over the paper with the Faber Castell eraser, I use my hand held magnifier to catch any stray pencil marks as well as see if I missed any punctuation or dotting i's or crossing t's. This process can take quite a long time as I am meticulous about the small details.  I try to never feel rushed or pressured. A kneaded eraser can be used if any pencil lines are particularly stubborn.

The x-acto blade is used if I have any  letters that caught a fibre of the paper while I was working and just need to be refined. I usually can easily make corrections with the blade. After the ink is scraped or sculpted a bit, I will use the back of the blade to smooth out the paper. If necessary, I will use a fine sandpaper over gum sandrac  to burnish the paper back to its original condition.
After the corrections are made, the piece is gilded and painted.

The piece is lettered in Old Word Iron Gall ink. I used watercolour to paint the florals. Final embellishment was a touch of gilding with Palladium and some Sakura Gelly Roll pen in Clear Stardust. There is also a very faint application of silver pastel and some Stardust Finetec. I honestly savour every step of this process because I am trying to keep my mind in tune with the artwork itself. These vows are so special to the couple and we as calligraphers have the privilege of being invited in to commemorate these words.  I try to clear my desk at every stage of the project to avoid any potential hazards on my desk. I find that after erasing stage, it is a good idea to completely wash down my desk to make sure everything is ready for gilding and painting. 

These days, I have several private students working on projects of various sizes. Whatever project you are working on,  remember to clear  a place in your heart for the project itself. These commissions are such a special task that we have been entrusted with. If you make a mistake when you are writing, just move on and start again if you can't correct it. It's part of the process. It's part of growing as an artist and a calligrapher. When I first started buying paper for larger commission work, I would buy several pieces of paper for the project. That allowed for a margin of error as I worked. When I was writing the groom's vows, I had to start over 3 times as I mixed up a sentence. I always salvage any part of the paper that I can and just immediately start on a new page without letting the error bother me. The bride's vows although 10 lines longer, was written without error.Maybe I was just so much more cautious with hers! With every project and every task we take on as calligraphers, I encourage you to enjoy and cherish the process. Enjoy the journey no matter where you are. If you are in full student mode and wouldn't dream of doing commission work, I encourage you to stay at that stage for as long as you can. Even though I have had pen in hand for 17 years now, I engage the student part of my mind as often as I can.We are never finished learning and there is no arrival point that we will ever get to on this path. That is part of the joy of being an artist.  This journey if filled with wonder, sometimes with frustrations and struggles and always with growth. I am here through email if you want to chat, inquire about private online lessons or if you want to show me your work, or your garden flowers!!! Let's encourage each other in this journey and cheer each other on as we put ink on paper. Sending lots of hugs this July.