The Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi

One of the things I love to do is making little books. This particular project was designed by Kate Goins in Spokane, Washington but I made it my own by adding my calligraphy and embellishments. This is an accordian style book with the Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi put on both sides of 10 panels. It is folded up and put inside of a decorated band-aid box.

Drop by Drop

This quote is one of my very favorites. I have chosen to illustrate it with the water coming down into the heart and then the heart overflowing. Such a beautiful picture of the kindnesses that we are shown everyday.

To Love Tenderly

I am sure there are lots of translations of this particular Scripture verse but this one is my favorite. I think it is from the New Jerusalem translation but don't quote me on that one. Anyway, most of the others just say love, but this one, to love tenderly just gets to me. How wonderful our world would be if we just loved everyone, tenderly!

Happy Sunday!

This is the Day

Today's picture was created with a watercolor wash, Versals and italic hands.

Celebrating Babies

I have always loved designing artwork for babies.  There is something so much fun about attaching little blocks and teddy bears to treasure boxes, greeting cards and baby journals.  But my baby journals have a meaning and a story behind them.  I once read an article about a teenage girl who had been struggling with depression and self esteem.  She thought no one loved her and had even thought about suicide.  Her mom was worried about her and remembered that she had written her daughter letters from the time she was pregnant, through her birth and childhood.  One day, when the young girl was at school, her mom put all those letters on top of her bed.  When she got home from school she started reading and crying, knowing how much she had been loved and wanted all along.  Thinking again that what we use should be beautiful, I designed a baby journal just for parents to picture or write about that precious new life that has been added to their life.  

Art Journal

Whispers Art Journal

After moving to Hawaii in December, I was experiencing a creative block.  I left behind my light table and my studio on the mainland.  In Somerset studio, I read about the book, Taking Flight, by Kelly Rae Roberts.  I bought it and so began a new phase in my creative life.  I started creating again and learned about Kelly's artblog and then started this one of my own.
Creating this journal from the covers of two hardbound books, taught me several different processes to add to my artwork.  I learned about fusing fabric, using clear gel medium and adding acrylic paint with a brayer.  Of  course I had to add some letter to my collage.  Shown here are some of the pages. After the creation of the Whispers Journal, the sole purpose was to write down some of the whispers that my soul is receiving.  Whispers like "write more poetry, write a novel, possibly about a beagle, draw a beagle cartoon, paint Hawaiian flowers and start an Artblog. Nothing like having an ambitious list, at least this is the start of the artblog.  One down many whispers to go!

Dream Books

I once read an article about a woman who kept a loose leaf notebook.  She cut out pictures in magazines of all the dreams she wanted to come true in her life.  She thought that if she saw them everyday, thought about them and prayed about them, it would help her focus and help them come true.

I liked that idea but as an artist, I believe in making the things we use everyday, beautiful. The idea for 

my dream books was born. These journals are all hand made, using 100 pages of acid free paper. The covers

are first cut out of chipboard and then covered with handmade papers. The most fun part is decorating the 

covers using a calligraphed quote about dreams and adding various embellishments.

Creating My Banner

The banner for my blog uses one of my favorite calligraphy techniques.  Water color salt wash, different kinds and colors of lettering and torn layers added on top.  I have used Photoshop for years but only a really primitive version.  Kudos to my neighbor, Donna, for helping me begin to learn CS3 and all the new tools in advanced Photoshop.  My banner would not have been the same without her.  

Tools

In the background of this picture you can see one of my pen caddies.  I love looking at them, the tools of my trade.  I have them all in little bins by size of the nibs and clean so I can grab one when I need it.  Of course there is usually a jar of dirty ones too, needing to be cleaned ( just not in the picture)  

 

Pictures with Words

This is my very first artblog.  I once took a calligraphy class from a famous Arizona calligrapher. His name was Dick Beasley, or Beas as he was affectionately called.  He used to talk about his work like this. "I don't know if I make letters with pictures or pictures with letters.  I always remembered that quote.  As a calligrapher and artist, I make pictures with words so that is the title of this blog: pictureswithwords.