I'm Old Fashioned

...A great song and a little description of myself since I do love traditional things-- when it comes to art anyway. Calligraphy is the art of hand-lettered writing and is still needed even in the digital age. Here's an example of a project where my calligraphy skills serve me well. (Pay attention 8th graders-- I didn't teach you calligraphy for nothing!!)

A local church needed a calligrapher to fill out its memorial book where deceased members are listed and honored. It must be done by hand since it is a very large leather-bound manuscript. I took it on a number of years ago and have been the calligrapher on this job ever since...

The book belongs to the Fairhaven Unitarian Memorial Church on Green Street, a Gothic cathedral designed by world famous architect Charles Brigham.

This is the book's cover-- definitely cannot be put through a computer printer.

This is the book's first page-- fancy!

Here's the first page in the book I have worked in-- there are more books dating back into the 1800s.

The calligraphy wasn't always done by hand--some of you may remember Letraset transfers...

This is the first page I did, for the year 1998.

The first thing to do is draw guidelines in pencil based on the size of my pen.

I do pencil in the year so I can then place and pencil in the illuminations around the header.

On the left, a pointed nib drawing pen for the embellishments, on the right a calligraphy pen with a square nib. Both of these pens require an ink well to dip into which is really really old fashioned but works beautifully.

Time to ink: I begin with all of the lettering, including years at the header, then the names, with the calligraphy pen. The embellishments have to be done with the pointed pen which is for drawing.

After all the ink is done and dry I use a kneaded eraser to get rid of the pencil lines (that eraser leaves no residue).

The embellishments throughout the book have watercolor accents- here are my supplies for that step: tiny brush, palette, water, watercolor tubes, paper towels, test paper.

I mix and test a goldenrod color and a bluish gray which are the accent colors on the date headers throughout the book.

 Finally, here's the completed header with color accents. I will continue the same steps to complete pages for 2009-12.

Encourage a Young Writer TODAY!

Tuesday, April 10, 2012 is Encourage a Young Writer Day!  Here’s my advice and some quotes by writers and artists who inspire me:

Notice S.K.'s writing companion!

"If you don't have time to read, you don't have the time (or the tools) to write. Simple as that." ~ Stephen King
I think one of the reasons why I love to write and create picture books is because I love reading. I always have a book ready to read, and I hate it when a book has to end. If you want to write, reading helps you to understand what makes a compelling story, what keeps your attention, what types of characters inspire you.

Take those ideas out of the jar!

“The beginning is the most important part of any work.” ~ Plato
Whether its writing or art, you have to put your idea down on paper. Who cares if it stinks? No one ever has to see it. Or maybe it’ll be brilliant. Conquer the fear of the blank paper and create!!!!

"The most valuable of talents is never using two words when one will do."~ Thomas Jefferson
There should be a reason for every word on the page and every line in a drawing. When writing for children, I have to be creative while using a limited number of words. That is more difficult than it sounds. Remember that the reader needs some room to use his/her own imagination when envisioning the story. I sometimes have to remind myself to let my illustrations help tell the tale, too.

da Vinci's sketchbooks were filled with creative writing

"Every now and then go away...for when you come back to your work your judgment will be surer." ~ Leonardo da Vinci
Leonardo was SO brilliant! Put your writing away for a few weeks and then read it with a fresh mind. Sometimes the fix for a word, phrase or story line you struggled with will suddenly seem totally obvious.

O'Keeffe stayed true to her art and vision.

“I look at my work and make up my mind about it. After that, neither flattery nor criticism matters to me.” ~ Georgia O’Keeffe
DO have someone else read your work. Choose a person you trust who will be honest and give constructive feedback. It’s great if someone likes your work, but it’s better try to find out why they like or do not like it. You can choose to use advice or not. You can make others’ praise or criticism as important as you wish. Ultimately, you have to believe in your own work and feel you did the best possible job. If others like it too, that’s a plus.

So, what are you waiting for? Get your paper or ipad or laptop, start with a word or a title or a sketch. Take that idea floating around in your crazy brain and make it into something real!

Celebrate Youth Art Month 2012!

 It’s not too late to celebrate Youth Art Month (YAM!). The March 2012 theme for this year is “THE POWER OF ART”!

Art and creativity is so important to share with kids of all ages. Here are a few fun activities for little cost to do over the next week:

• Grab some sidewalk chalk and decorate the sidewalks or paved (safe) areas in your neighborhood with your art. You will brighten the day for everyone who walks down the street!


• Share some of your art or your kids’ art on Facebook or other social media. Kids’ art makes everyone smile!

• Take a trip to your local library and grab some books about artists.  Take a virtual tour online of famous museums with Google Art Project. Get inspired!

• Make a celebrate art cake! Kids can get creative with frostings, gels, and sprinkles. Cookies or cupcakes are equally fun! Here are some cookies I made for my art club at school, using pre-packaged cookie icing in easy-to-use tubes.

 

You can celebrate art with kids all year long, but YAM is a great reason for a party in March! Have fun!