Love Letters

Calligraphy practice

Please understand, this is just practice, and I am not fishing for compliments, okay? I'm just putting this "out there" as a sort of starting place. You see, I took a leap, and asked someone in our calligraphy guild, who's work I admire, if she'd be willing to take me on as a private student. And she said Yes!!! We're going to start working together after Memorial Day, and I can't wait. I've been thinking of doing this and wanting to study privately for a very long time, but just never asked. Whether I was afraid of asking for help, or if I just wasn't ready for some other reason I'm not aware of, doesn't really matter. What matters is I went outside my comfort zone and asked for help. (This is a really big deal for me, seriously). So the italics practice above is where I'm starting from, and hopefully, before too much longer, I'll have improved practice samples to show you!

Below, is our Calligraphy Guild's new logo, designed by Lothar Hoffman, in honor of the Guild's 30th Anniversary. I think it's spectacular... Mr. Hoffman is incredibly gifted and well known in the calligraphy world, and a very, very nice man. Our Guild is holding the annual "Tips & Tricks" workshop this coming Sunday, so I'm sure there'll be lots of fun things for me to share next week, so please be sure to "stop back by", okay?

So what have you been wanting to do, but just haven't? What's holding you back? It's worth thinking about and maybe journaling about, because I'm convinced that's how we grow as humans. By stepping outside our comfort zones and taking risks, we allow ourselves the opportunity to learn and grow, something that's not always terribly comfortable.

So have yourselves a wonderful day and maybe even try something you've been thinking about, but have never done before. And if you do take a leap today, please be sure to let me know how it goes!
All my best... now, go play!

Check this out, it is wonderful!

Please be sure to watch this little video clip in its entirety... it is really wonderful!

Happy Mother's Day!

More terrific Mail Art!

This bright and cheerful, happily received mail art was sent to me by Tina from Maryland... Thanks so much, Tina! I really, really needed that... your timing was perfect and I love the "Be Still" message... it's quite apropos to my life right now, so I appreciate your sensitivity. Don't you just love it when someone listens and really hears you?!? I need to get busy and send Ms. Tina a little something back!

Somedays work really sucks...

Painted tyvek paper: painted with Golden Metallic Bronze Glaze (slight green undertones on most of the page), iridescent blue and yellow watercolor, and Golden Metallic Copper Glaze. I apologize if any of this is difficult to read... this was more my need to vent than an attempt to make something legible or "pretty"!

Toni asked me to scan my new calligraphy pen so she could see what it looks like, so here it is! The screw on the top of the flat side of the "business end" of the pen allows the two blades to open up, or close down, which affects how much ink the pen holds and the width of the line drawn with the pen. One of these days I'll become proficient with that pen and Toni has been kind enough to offer to give me some guidance on its use. What a nice gal, right?!? :D

Calligraphy practice

This lettering is truly practice, not meant to be anything more or less... the new pen I'm using is a Ruling Pen from John Neal Booksellers, and I love it. I have SO much to learn! It is so true, what is said about using good tools... it makes it such a pleasure to practice. I keep looking at Yves Leterme's lettering (isn't his name perfect for a calligrapher?!?), and just marvel at his skill. I try to remind myself it took him time and lots of practice to become as skilled as he is, and my lettering will improve with time and practice, too... like I said before, I just really want my own style, a way of lettering that is comfortable to me and that I'm happy with, that is my own signature style, like my handwriting.

New Calligraphy toy!

The letters in the new banner and the letters in today's date were done with my new calligraphy pen... I've been "playing" most of the morning, and I've been having a wonderful time! I want to find a style of lettering that's my own, that is not "perfect", that is free and fun and versatile... and I finally feel like I'm on my way.

A neighbor's house burned Friday morning... I can't help but think it could have just have easily been our house. Thank goodness everyone and the dog got out okay, but it will be six months to a year before the house will be habitable again. What a tremendous loss for this family and for our neighborhood. It's a really cool, unusual 60's ranch, and I look forward to our neighbors coming back home to it.

I finished the article I was preoccupied with, right on time. Why do I procrastinate the way I do?!? Kim left me a comment that said it best: essentially that she's learned to just "go with it", and trust that she intuitively knows how much time the project will take, and to have faith that it will happen on time. She's right, and I'd love to be able to be so easy going. I agonize over deadlines, but it doesn't help me to get moving on it at all. I guess I'm just really happy it's done and now I can concentrate on something else for awhile! Anyway, thanks for the great advice, Kim... I tried hard to relax and it all came together just fine.

1061 Magenta Collage

1061 Magenta Collage
Originally uploaded by khmccreedy

This is a collage I put together a while ago... I'm just trying to see if this action on Flickr does what it is supposed to do. Gotta run, see you soon!

All I can say is "Oh my"...

If you wish to see some incredible calligraphy and fine art, the work of this man, Yves Leterme, will leave you speechless. At least that is how I responded after seeing his updated website. This is the sort of work I aspire to do.

Hopefully I will get to meet this gentleman in July at the 2008 International Conference for Lettering Artists.

I need help...

BORDER #1 BORDER #2

I cannot make up my mind... I like the banner I am currently using, but true to form, I feel like I need to try something new. Or do I? I'd really appreciate hearing from my fellow bloggers to know what you think. Perhaps it would be best for me to pick a banner and stay with it... or maybe those of you with AADD (Artistic Attention Deficit Disorder), like me, totally understand the need for frequent change. Maybe I change borders because I can't think of anything else to do for a new post! Or perhaps you remember a former banner I've used in the past, and prefer that one. I would really appreciate your opinion!

I honestly wish I had some sort of "global vision" for where to go with this blog. I've really enjoyed the process, but I worry that I am not clever enough nor interesting enough, and I should be doing something differently. And now that the weather has improved, I want to be outside as much as possible; and that leaves me less and less time for art and blogging.

I am thrilled to announce that I've been asked to submit a piece for the next issue of
Artful Blogging, published by Stampington & Co. My submission is due on May 1, four short days from now. So far today, I've managed to clean my studio, took a ten mile bike ride, worked in the flower beds for a couple of hours, and even took a nap!!! (Yesterday's agenda was pretty much the same). This is my usual M.O., and the older I get, the more it irritates me that I procrastinate so much! But it doesn't seem to have spurred me on to get with it, has it?!?

Please wish me luck and send me some positive emotional energy... along with your opinion about the banners. I'd really appreciate your input!

Hope your weekend was beautiful!

Mail Art from Patty O'Rourke...

How fun is this?!? Thank you, Patty, for the awesome mail art... you have no idea how much I appreciate receiving something handmade, artful, and fun in the mail! And if you go look at Patty's site Paporartist, and scroll down to Patty's April 9 post, you'll see the mail art I sent to Patty. The groovy black and white paper behind Patty's creation above, is from Paperchase, found at Borders... is it too much? Who cares... I like it!!!
PS: Finally, someone turned off the snow, and we've had glorious Spring weather for the past three days! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!! Next post: Tales of the first bike ride of Spring, stay tuned!