Wedding Gift - Words of Love

Just completed a scroll for my client who will be giving it as a gift at their wedding.  I love when men are romantic and think to do things so genuinely loving as giving words of love as a gift. 
It's a beautiful keepsake that can get passed down for generations.  Imagine your mother or grandmother receiving something like this as a wedding gift and to know how deeply she was loved.  It's just one of the most romantic things a man can to do for his bride to be.

Scroll rolled in tissue paper, wrapped in sari silk with a silk flower that can be replaced with real flowers.

A Poem by Nicholas Gordon with an added personal sentiment of love.

A close up of the flourished illumination

This original scroll was created on Arches 90# hot press hand torn making deckle edges which I darkened with linen Distress ink pad.  Written with a pointed pen, my version of a delicate italic in black sumi ink and hand drawn first letter with micro .005 using olive green, gold and plum watercolor to bring in color.  This piece measured 11x17.

Some New Things to Share

An original invitation, gold gouache on Crane stock

Personalized first page of a gifted photo album

Both pages calligraphed in Windsor Newton gold gouache

 and mounted on gold stock

I am now working on gray envelopes in white ink

A close up of my personal script

Adding Calligraphy To My Other Art

This is my space at Ten Women Gallery on Montana in Santa Monica, a co-op of women artists.  I've been a member going on 4 years and seldom sell my calligraphic art except on handmade cards or a few words here and there.  I mostly create other mixed media art such as collage paintings in acrylic, encaustic, plaster and compound, 3-dimensional art with fabric etc. and jewelry, as pictured here.  Doing calligraphy for a living leaves little enthusiasm to continue working in the same medium.  I am a Pisces and need change in my art arena.

Size of my space is 36"x 8'

A closer look at the top portion

A closer look at the bottom portion

I've recently decided to add some other items to sell that do include my calligraphy and was inspired by some paper weights that I've seen.  Here are 2 that I will be bringing into the gallery to hopefully inspire someone to purchase.

A vintage postcard collaged with book page where I did the calligraphic quote

An original watercolor background, added quote and collaged butterfly

I did a few others but haven't photographed them yet.  I'll post them as well.
I'm having fun with these small canvas'.  I will also be creating some magnets and coasters to add to my calligraphic things for sale.  I'm also inspired to add calligraphy to a new painting I'm working on.  Hopefully, I will be able to take all the different mediums I love to dabble in and combine them to create a unique signature.

The Art of Calligraphy

If you are looking to learn pointed pen, then my friend Xandra Zamora is your gal.  She just came back from Dallas after teaching a fabulous class on "Pointed Pen Exploration".  Here's one write up on her class.....
http://letteringartstudio.wordpress.com/2012/03/28/pointed-pen-workshop-with-xandra-zamora/.

There are a handful of calligraphers out here in Southern California that do exceptional work with pointed pen.  Among them are my dear friends, Xandra Zamora of course, Lisa Holtzman and Barbara Close...then least of all myself. I only know this by the amount of work I attract.  I also know this because after years of comparing myself to others I know that I'm a good calligrapher.  I'm modest and can admit I'm not a great calligrapher...but I know I am good.
  
Pointed pen is my tool of choice and I am most comfortable doing lettering with it.  There are incredible calligraphers that do fabulous lettering with all the tools of the trade in So. Cal., but I'm talking about the pointed pen...my favorite instrument of all.

Outside of California, there are too many fabulous calligraphers that I admire and envy for their instinctual abilities.  I have my favorites that I consider over the top talented, creative and filled with expression.  It makes me crazy with wondering why I can't do what they do with our tool in common.  I explore every detail of their work and try to inhale the knowledge and brilliance that they bring to the substrate of choice.  The creativity is awe inspiring and fills me with desire to pick up my pen and follow their lead.

I feel so blessed to be an artist and one that has incorporated calligraphy into my creations which brings a specialized flavor to my art.  I feel privileged to have created a successful profession for myself that continues to enable me to sustain myself financially.  God has truly blessed me in this arena of my life and I am thankful to be among the many people whom I admire the most in life.  I truly think of each and every one of you with gratitude and admiration and will continue to be inspired for the rest of my life.  Thanking all of you in my prayers...I am honored to be considered an artist!

Academy Awards

Academy Award Nomination Certificate for 2012

For the past 13 years, I have had the privilege of creating the Nomination Certificates for everyone who was nominated in each category for the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences.  This is the certificate given to Thomas Langmann, Producer for the film "The Artist" at a luncheon given in their honor and my personal choice this year to win the award tonight. 
The reason for the personal interest is that the parents of my grandson James worked on the film; Barbara Inglehart as Costume Supervisor along side Costume Designer, Mark Bridges, nominated for Best Costume Designer and Harvey Alperin played the doctor in the hospital in the film.

Last week we all went to FIDM, Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising, to see the Museum Exhibit of all the costumes that were nominated for the Costume Design category for the Academy Awards.  Seeing them up close is something amazing.

So tonight, we will be sitting on pins and needles with hopes of awards being given to "The Artist" our personal pick this year.

Love Sonnet by Shakespeare

Love Sonnet by Shakespeare

My version of a sunflower, the recipients favorite flower

This is the second time around for this client.  He was so pleased with the first project I did for him, he hired me again to do another.  Once again, I'm honored to say he was very pleased with the results. 

The Begginning of a New Year

Lots of things happen at the start of a new year and one of them is The Building Bridges Award.  This year I tried something a bit new...not much different, but still new.

This piece is 20x24 on Arches 90# cold press using a variety of nibs to accommodate the lettering and gouache in gold, Alizarin Crimson mixture and Winsor Green mixture, of course, black and gold foil.

When I say mixture, I mean the main color plus a little of this and a little of that to create a richer rendition of what is in the tube according to my eyes.  I don't usually use the color straight from the tube since I have so many colors already created from matching PMS colors I just reconstitute what I have and add a little bit more to it to freshen and enhance.

This Award will be presented to the recipient, James B. Steinberg, at the end of February matted and framed .  I am very proud to be part of this award.  For me, it represents peace in the world and honoring people who put their life energy into just that.
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Last Post of 2011

I just did a blog post at my art blog and at Ten Women on Montana Gallery so I'm sort of posted out.  Please visit them to see what's happening in my other art mediums.

Here's my last calligraphy project for 2011.

This is a large piece, 11x17, created as a letter with an old 18th century feel to it.  This gentlemen from Vancouver wanted to convey his love to his girlfriend the old fashioned way.  Not many of these kind of men around these days.
I did a free flowing copperplate with some added handwriting touches to add some texture to it and varied the pressure a bit to give it an authentic feel.  The paper was parchment and aged with a variety of inks and ink pads.
It was a large piece that didn't look right without some artistic touch so I created an originally designed first letter and added gold and alizarin crimson gouache for color.  At the bottom right I created a wax seal from a rubber stamp of a pen nib I had for balance.  I then rolled it up, tied it with sinu then an aged piece of cloth, again tied with dyed silk which I don't have a photo of unfortunately.  I was very pleased with the end result when it was shipped off to my gentleman client.

Wishing everyone the happiest of New Years in 2012.  May we all experinece Peace of Mind and Heart, Clear Intentions, Ease from being over burdened, Perfect Health mentally and physically and to recognize that abundance is our inheritence.  God Bless You and Your Family and may Peace Prevail throughout the world.

Christmas Ornaments for G2 Gallery

Once again, I was asked to create Christmas ornaments with the names of all the supporters and donors to animal causes for G2 Gallery on Abbot Kinney in Venice CA.  These were large matte silver balls and I wrote with paints pens.  If I get a chance, I will swing by the G2 and take some photos of them hanging on display.  I'd actually like to see for myself how they all look hanging together.

Heidi's Wedding Envelopes

 

This was a fun addressing job.  White gouache on kraft envelopes makes a happy combination with a free style script. 

Playful and Free

Playful, free and definitely fun!

Each envelope was just a bit different

 

It's rare that I get a chance to use my own twist to a calligraphy style chosen.  My client, Iris, showed me what she liked and said I could do my own interpretation.  She particularly liked the numbers being bouncy and some being larger than others and the overall look not so uniform.  It was so refreshing not to stick to a guideline and just write.  So, in honor of the opportunity and my generous client, I've named this style "Iris".

A Sign for the Bride

On foamcore board to hang in the church for the brides family

Recent Addressing Jobs

Flourished script 1

Flourished Script 2

Sloop

Sloop 1

All caps

A Sign for Ten Women

Wood sign to Ten Women Main Street

Close up

 

 

 

 

 

Ten Women Gallery on Main Street, Santa Monica, the mother store to Ten Women Venice, asked me to create a sign for their little shop.

When I first did the sign, I did it in straight, good, old fashioned calligraphy with no embellishment.  The substrate is wood and "It" had other ideas...  I did the shadowing with a zig marker, the lettering in acrylic and when I sprayed it with a finishing spray the zig marker ran.  Live and learn as they say and a good lesson as it turned out. 
I had to gesso the entire surface and start over by adding various acrylic colors and some dictionary words, unique, handmade, creation placed within using gel medium and start the lettering all over again.  I sprayed a fixative first to insure that everything would stay put and then the finishing spray of varnish.
As it turned out, it was a much better fit for where it was going to be hanging.  Happiness was in the error.

School of ONE

Proclamation

New Roads High School

School of ONE

The New Roads High School was proclaimed to be a School of ONE by the city of Santa Monica, CA.  One of the students at New Roads, Cameron Engels, a budding actor, took on the task as spokesperson for the ONE advocacy efforts to mobilize students around global issues of extreme poverty and preventable disease.  This proclamation will be presented to the school in honor of the students efforts in the challenge.

Logo and Certificate Design

1-Final printing-foil stamped corner designs, ASCI logo embossed and pms color printed, balance black offset

2-Cropped printed final

2A-Personalized Printed version

3-All originals

4-Horizontal layout original

5-Vertical layout original

Received a call from a client in Ann Arbor, Michigan to redesign their certificates.  The certificate that the company had been using for years was a total disaster from a professional point of view.  That was why the client, ASCI, wanted a new design.  Something clean and simple...
After designing the logo, ASCI, I proceeded with the layout and calligraphy style.  After submitting 5 sample layouts they choose the design in #1 and wanted foil stamping for the corners and embossing for the logo with a pms 202 red color added. 

The client gave me 70 names to add for the personalization but wanted 5 original certificates created in the same style, i.e.; #3 - Two were vertical layouts, #5; three horizontal, #4.  I did all the personalizing on the printed certificates which kept the continuity of the lettering consistent and the end result made them look like originals as well, #2A. 

All 75 calligraphed certificates got shipped to Michigan yesterday.  My client has already received the balance of printed certificates so I know he was really pleased with the printing.  Now I wait for his final comments and hope I made no mistakes.

Fun Style for Invite

I was lucky enough to receive a completed invitation by my lovely client, Robyn, to use for my portfolio.  I usually do invites in a traditional script.  I don't post them because it would be redundant so, I was happy for the opportunity to do a fun style of lettering.

The entire invitation is a wonderful, fresh new look and a great representation of a fun wedding to attend.  This invite was created by Posh Paperie in San Diego and my client who was extremely happy with the results saying, "They were nothing short of a true pleasure to work with and create beautiful, creative and unique invitations.", made me very happy.