OK. So, while I've hoped to devote more and more of this goofy little blog to my day-to-day, or, at least, week-to-week progress along the ol' Art Trail, I've been lagging on the photography part lately and, therefore, perhaps it seems to the casual observer that all I do is knit and play in the garden all day. Got some catchin' up to do.
Calligraphy: I've been exploring different lettering styles, design techniques and media choices, almost as though I were in a program of sorts. I consider the pieces I'm producing to be studies. Sometimes, I have to work a few days to brush up on or develop better technique for certain kinds of lettering or painting techniques because it has been so long since I've employed them. Others come back faster. This is a continual process, but I'm working to move beyond "textbook" or "workshop" into my own look/direction. Nearly all my work prior to now has been commission- or task-based, so this is a relatively new way of thinking for me. A little disorienting, even.
I've posted a few pieces, already, but there are quite a few that I've made since, so I'll begin to catch up, here. Click on them if you need to see them larger. The first one is a piece I did for Rachel last month for her birthday. She's a cheese aficionado. We couldn't agree more with old G.K. I used gouache and colored pencil.
The next one is a quote from the recently-departed Studs Terkel, characteristically short and to the point (if not, strictly speaking, grammatically meticulous). This is done with ink (I think).
Number three is a statement made by John Glenn after he became the first American to orbit the earth in 1962 (!). Love the economy of the quote. Ink and white gouache. (Just in case, gouache is just opaque watercolor)
After that, we have a nice quote by Isadora Duncan. I tried to incorporate a sense of movement. I feel the same about art as she did about dance. Words can't capture it. Ink.
Last, for this entry, is a funny statement by Carl Sandburg. Love it! Somehow difficult to photograph (low contrast, maybe). Gouache.
I'll post a few more very soon. Meanwhile, I'm also working on a large mosaic urn, child's name puzzle (wooden), and two stained-glass pieces for the house (designed but not built). Lunchtime!
