Love Letters

TYPE magazine + Typography Dojo

Image from TYPE magazine website

 

I just registered to receive TYPE magazine, after seeing a mention of it on Instagram, where there was a caption about a "Baker's Dozen" of the worlds newest and most interesting calligraphers, and my girlfriend Julie Wildman was mentioned as one of those 13 calligraphers! I'm SO excited for Julie!!! Here's an image of some of her calligraphy magic:

 

CONGRATULATIONS, JULIE!!!

 

 

In other news, if you're interested in Typography, and if not, WHY NOT?!?, I stumbled onto a site named Typography Dojo which I urge you to check out! It's a very well-rated webcast with lots of educational material and information. Check it out and let me know what you think!!! 

 

Have a great day, now, GO MAKE SOMETHING!!!

 

 

Been away far too long...

Howdy! 

I'm hoping I still have followers who actually stop by once in awhile, but if not, I completely understand! I've been negligent, careless, thoughtless, selfish, and just plain lazy when it comes to my blog. My blog was my baby for the longest time, then SCHOOL got in the way...

 

Bronson School of Nursing, Kalamazoo Michigan

(I lived in a great big, beautiful old house with gorgeous oak trim, with five of my school mates, what a trip!)

 

No, not that school, but a couple years ago I was in school to finish my BSN and now I'm in school to earn my master's in nursing, and it has kind of taken over my life. I never knew what a procrastinator I was until I went back to school! It's fascinating all the little things I can find to do rather than doing my school work! Washing windows, scrubbing out the vegetable drawer in the fridge, giving the cat a bath... no, wait, scratch that! Giving the DOG a bath! Organizing my junk drawer, you name it, I've done it to avoid the work I need to do. It's really pathetic. I keep telling myself "I'll do better next week" or "I'll work ahead so next week won't be so much of a crisis to get my work done". Do you think it happens that way? Well, so far, no it hasn't. Honestly it's my calligraphy pens and paper that keep calling me! So I'm trying to fit in just a little art time everyday, no matter how small, so that I don't feel like I've left the creative side of me in the dust somewhere. 

So that's my story and I'm sticking to it! I hope my art world friends and acquaintences are doing well and I promise to make time for your posts! Whatever you do, please don't give up on me and please be patient with me!

Oh! I wanted to turn you on to a magazine I may have talked about before, but it's worth revisiting even if I did...

MAGAZINE

This is a little gem in the publishing world of art magazines... I guess you'd classify it as an art mag. The tag on the magazine is:

 

and the topics run the gamut from issues about writing (including lot of typewriter information) to issues about linens and textiles to issues about my favorite, COLLAGE!!! (Current issue, number 18). So I hope you'll check the magazine out... a subscription for a year is not inexpensive, but the quality of the paper used for the cover and the internal pages is marvelous from a tactile standpoint, and the writing and information contained within is well worth every penny I've spent to get it delivered to me from CANADA... O Canada! Terre de nos aïeux, Ton front est ceint de fleurons glorieux! (Sorry, I couldn't help myself...  everytime I hear Oh, Canada I hear the Canadian Anthem in my head... I think it's because we watch so much hockey here in the Detroit area, eh?!?)

So, check it out, I think like me, you'll really love it... it's definitely a keeper! I've saved every issue I have, though I'm sad to admit I am missing the very first issue :(

OK, till next time, Bonsoir!

Now go make something!!!

Seth's upcoming book debut!

If you aren't familiar with my friend Seth Apter, you need to head over to his site, The Altered Page, now!

He has a new book coming out very soon and is doing a promotion during the month of March.  Each day in March he is highlighting the artists he has chosen to collaborate with in his book, and it's a great opportunity to learn more about Seth and his work, along with the work of the very talented collaborators!  

Seth is a terrifically talented, humble, & kind man who has an entirely different daytime occupation, but manages to wear his many hats extremely well! He has been one of my most supportive "online friends" for quite a number of years now, and I am always amazed at all the things Seth has managed to create &/or organize.  This is one busy, dedicated artist, and I'm so proud to call him my friend! 

 

Check out these new Shakespeare Stamps!

London's graphic arts design house, hat trick design, has come up with a couple really beautiful stamp designs and the theme is Shakespeare.  I especially like the hand-lettered typography by Marion Deuchars.

I found the mention about these terrific stamps at Fast Co.'s website, which is loaded with interesting finds and articles.  In fact, Fast Company is one of the few magazines I read faithfully, cover to cover.   

 

Professional designers learn early to work within constraints: time, budget, materials, price. But the team at the London graphic arts firm hat-trick design has a special knack for a particularly daunting creative challenge: delivering big design on a tiny canvas.  I'm pretty sure they hit a home run on this one!

 

Derwent Watercolors

I have been using Derwent Watercolor pencils to do my watercolor experiments, and ended up buying two different types... the Derwent Inktense pencils and the Derwent Watercolor pencils... and because I really couldn't tell all that much difference between the two, I made a little chart, which looks like this:

 
And so, from this, I really can see how the Inktense colors are more intense, hence, I guess, the name "Inktense"!  (My shining brilliance baffles me more often than I can begin to tell you!!!) :D

These pencils are really fun to use and are very portable... just don't forget to take a brush and some water with you!  For that, I recommend using a Koi Waterbrush, which is an empty barrel container with a brush on top. (See image below). This eliminates the need to carry around a container of water and a separate brush if you are traveling with your watercolors.  

You can purchase these brushes from Paper & Ink Arts, one of my favorite art suppliers, especially for calligraphy supplies.  And if you're looking for inspiration, this book,
written by a friend of mine, Janet Takahashi, is a wonderful source for information about watercolor, drawing, and journaling with watercolors.    

Selvedge magazine

My online girlfriend, Lisa Hoffman, turned me on to yet another wonderful find... Selvedge magazine... I just subscribed to it and can't wait to get my first issue in the mail!!!  Until then, I'm heading out tomorrow morning for a copy from Barnes and Nobles near our house, I'm that excited!!!

I mean, really, how gorgeous is that cover?!? I'm giddy, I'm so excited to get this magazine!  Let me know what you think, I'd love to hear back from you!  And once again, thanks Lisa for turning me on to something else new and beautiful!  

Color Wheels and history...

I've never really given much thought to the origins of the lowly color wheel, but it seems a lot of people have!  Here is a link to a terrific three part article on color theory, from Print Magazine... http://imprint.printmag.com/color/the-wondrous-color-wheel-part-1/... from there, I found the rest of the inspiration for this post:

Here is an image of a color wheel made from cocktail umbrellas that I think is just delightful, found on the Bright LIghts-LIttle City webpage...

Here is a link to a wonderful article, which shows color wheels in all sorts of different forms, from ColourLovers blog site.  

What sort of objects do you think you could use to make a color wheel?!?  I'm going to have to work on this one!  By the way, the original color wheel was credited as having been designed/invented by Sir Isaac Newton... see the Colour Lovers blog here.  Let me know what you come up with!