A Mom's Words of Wisdom

Saw this on Good Morning, America this morning. Thought it might amuse.

Third Time's a Charm

Took me 3 tries, but I finally got it right. Take that Tittivillus!

Ivory black gouache, Brause 1 mm, Diploma Parchment, gouache, Pigma Pen. 10" x 8"

Tittivillus Was Here

Tittivillus is the patron demon of scribes. He sits on the corner of the scribe's desk patiently waiting for a mistake to be made. When the goof happens, Tittivillus happily scoops up the mistake and stuffs it into his sack. On the day of reckoning, Tittivillus will present the sack as an accounting against the scribe. Tittivillus got me good today.

I was working on a commission. I was pleased with the layout. I had decided to use ivory black gouache instead of ink, and was pleased with how silky it felt to write with. I was smug. I'd have this piece painted and done by this afternoon. Then the dreaded error in the last line. Tittivillus got me good. Back to the drawing board.

Open House

Tonite, the Worcester Art Musuem is hosting the annual Fall Open House. The faculty will be available for a meet and greet to discuss classes and show their works. Some instructors will be doing demonstrations. There will also be good eats.

This little book is one of the things I'll be showing. It's a board book made from cardboard CD holders. The holders are covered with scrapbook papers and joined by cardstock. I got the instructions and holders when I attended the Mysticalligrapher's serendipity meeting last month.

The cover is embellished with flower do-dads that I recycled from a birthday card. ( , BVMom!) The title page is a CD covered in paper. Script is written in my own version of stitch script, Ziller Glossy Black, Gillotte 1068A on Arche 90 lb watercolor paper.. The CD is tucked into the pocket.

Mary, Mary quite contrary. Recto, Sunbonnet Sue quilt square made from scrapbook paper, floral do-dad, ribbon. Verso, nursery rhyme, Brause 1 mm, Moon Palace sumi ink, watercolor pencil, Pigma micron

He loves me not written on a tag made from Arche 140 lb watercolor paper, Ziller Glossy Black, Gillotte 1068A, scrap paper and ribbon. The back of the tag is "he loves me". The tag is tucked inside the pocket.

Colphon. Woven paper quilt square, Pigma micron. The quilt square is tucked inside the pocket.

Study Dust

While browsing through the store, I came across a package of Pixy Sticks. They made me smile and think of The Eldest away at her first year of college. She liked to write fanfiction and Pixy Sticks feature in some of the stories as author dust. I thought it would be amusing to give the author a new use for the pretty colored and scented powder. Study Dust. A little goes a long way.

Ziller Glossy Black Ink, Crow Quill, Arches 300 lb watercolor paper, watercolor pencil, Pearl Ex powder

Calligraphy School

Today was the first day of Calligraphy School taught by calligrapher, paper artist, Mary Lawler . Mary will be teaching this year long class, one Saturday per month. (Be sure to visit Mary's page to see the incredible sculptures she makes from paper)

A year long class is an exciting concept. There isn't a real structured, calligraphy program in the US; one does not earn a degree in calligraphy. So most calligraphers take workshops or attend conferences in their area. A class here, a class there. From the classes, one usually slavishly copies the exemplars, following the ductus (stroke order) in the everlasting quest to make the perfect letter. We learn as many "hands" as we can to increase our repetoire. Some we learn and practice well. Others we learn to collect and move on, storing the notes in large binders and rarely going back to look at the lessons.

Mary's approach will be different. We started from the very beginning with Romans based on the carved letters found on Trajan's column in Rome. We all "know" these letter forms as capital letters. Most of us started out in kindergarten or first grade making ball and stick letters.

Mary had a handout of Roman letters that was photocopied backwards. Our excerises began by knocking our preconceptions of these letters upside down. We were to think of these forms as shapes and not letters. Shapes to be drawn and not slavishly copied in a linear, rigid fashion.

We traced the letters upside down and backwards. What we thought we knew became foreign to us. Strokes were hesitant. I found I can not only draw a straight line, I can't trace one either. We then traced the letters backwards. The shapes were more familiar and our strokes more sure. We noticed straight lines are not really straight but tapered. The serifs, "feet" or "tops" of the letters that stick out from side, have curved shapes.

We traced, and traced, and traced some more.

Mary had us take a 7 letter word and trace the letters backwards. Then combine the letters to make an abstract layout.

Homework for the month is to trace the letters to learn their proportions, to doodle letters, to draw the skeleton form of the letter to learn its structure.

What Color Crayon Are You?

When you can't think of anything to blog about, take a quiz! No surprise as to my color

You Are a Blue Crayon

Your world is colored in calm, understated, deep colors. You are a loyal person, and the truest friend anyone could hope to find. On the inside, you tend to be emotional and even a bit moody. However, you know that people depend on you. So you put on a strong front. Your color wheel opposite is orange. Orange people may be opinionated, but you feel they lack the depth to truly understand what they're saying.

What Color Crayon Are You?

What Kind of Pet Are You?

Saw this on Jenny's page, and since I didn't have much to blog about today, thought it would be fun.

You Would Be a Pet Cat

Independent and aloof, you don't like to be dependent on anyone. And as for other people, you can take them or leave them. You often don't care. You live your life by your own rules. And you have deep motivations that no one truly understands. Why you would make a great pet: You're not needy or greedy... unlike other four legged friends. Why you would make a bad pet: You're not exactly running down to greet people at the door What you would love about being a cat: Agility and freedom What you would hate about being a cat: Being treated like a dog by clueless humans

What Kind of Pet Would You Be?