If it wasn't so serious....you'd laugh your head off!

I'm late catching up with every ones blogs. For a long time now, I've been meaning to alert you to a dear, long time friend of mine CJ. Please go and see her blog CJ's Whine and Cheeze for an amusing look at her trials and tribulations of looking after elderly parents. Please leave her a message of support....She's a gem and takes it all in her stride. CJ, I take my hat off to you my sweet. xxx And her calligraphy blog is at Pony Express Graphics

Another great site that never fails to amuse me is Johnny Virgil's 15 minute lunch. Although only a couple of months ago, when his best friend died suddenly, I thought he would never blog again. Slowly but surely he's coming back into writing again.

Both these blogs show us that even when times are tough and things sometimes feel like they will never get better....the saving grace is to find humour in the mundane and seriousness of life.

Power Pebbles - Hope, Joy, Love and Peace

Hope, Joy, Love, Peace

Just 4 examples of my Power Pebbles

The journey that each human being makes through earthly existence can have hardship as often as it is touched by joy. When we encounter adversity, the stress we feel can erode our optimism, eventually convincing us that the issues we face cannot be overcome. In truth, there is no situation so dire, no challenge so great, and no choice so bewildering that it cannot be overcome. Though we may believe that all avenues have been closed to us or that our most conscientious efforts will come to naught, we are never without feasible options. The best course of action may be veiled in doubt, but it is there. When we are honest with ourselves with regard to this simple fact, we can overcome anything because we will never stop looking for a solution to the challenges before us.

Self-trust coupled with a sturdy plan is the ultimate antidote to adversity’s tendency to inspire disillusionment in the human mind. As difficult as the obstacle plaguing you seems, it is no match for the love of a supportive universe that has been a part of your life since the day of your birth and will be with you forevermore. Try not to be misguided by your fear as this gives rise to the notion that there are problems without solutions. If you believe in your capabilities and dedicate yourself to the creation of some form of resolution, you will be surprised to discover that paths that were once closed to you miraculously open. Even if all you can do is change your perspective to turn an impediment into an opportunity to grow, you will have found the hope that is an inherent element of all hardship.

Remember that your destiny is a product of your own creation. Even when it seems you have nowhere left to turn, there is a solution waiting for you. The only insurmountable obstacles are the ones you create in your own mind—and these can only exert power over you if you let them. Uncertainty will always be a part of your existence, but perseverance and mindfulness will never fail to see you through to the other side of hardship where joy can thrive. Try and remember that no matter what life places at your feet, there is absolutely no situation that cannot be resolved with time, love, and friendship.

Namaste

(The light within me honors the light within you)

Loreena McKennitt - Dantes Prayer Calligraphy Inspired By Music

CJ posted a very valid question about whether I listen to music while I work, which ties up nicely with this post… so thanks CJ. I thought I would write about my latest piece of work Dantes Prayer by Lorreena McKennitt. I suggest that after you have read the blog post you go back and click the link and listen to the music and lyrics (in a separate window) while you read the lyrics on the photo graphs. They ‘should; be able to be enlarged…I say ‘should’ because one never knows with google! Hopefully his will give you some idea of the ‘Spirit’ and ‘Essence’ that ends up being contained within the piece. First off I type out the lyrics. This makes it personality-less, quite dead and without preconceived ideas. Then while listening to the song over and over and yes over again, I make scribbles on the sheet that probably make no sense to anyone but me. This enables me to get a feel and flavour of the song. Which words need to be large, which words need to be strong, which are quiet, loud, subdued or even extended.

Then comes the colours. Listening through the track again I scribble down the colours that the words bring to mind. This particular piece evolved colour wise all by itself. I must admit I wasn’t expecting a rainbow! A chalk pastel background was laid down and blended carefully. I should tell you at this point that the sheet of paper is a full sized sheet of Saunders Waterford.

It always pays to do a test piece. (Thanks Suzi for reminding me of what I preach to my students!) In this case I had bought new chalk pastels (caran Dache) and it was disastrous! I usually use Inscribe for pastel work and have never ever had a problem. These were greasy and oily and a right pain in the asse to write on. Never mind, we calligraphers have tricks up our sleeves to enable us to write on most surfaces. I cut the pastel back with pumice powder and it seemed to work, albeit with extreme difficulty still and the writing was painfully slow. After starting to write it out I lost patience very quickly and shelved the whole thing and decided to rework the background and start afresh.

When writing the piece out I play the CD, line for line, checking and rechecking for those loud parts and extended words while I write, stopping the CD at every line….just to make extra sure. I don’t always get it right, but that’s all part of being human.

The final touches are when you then incorporate the background music and instruments as part of the whole piece. In this case the piano was symbolised by watercolour squares and the no verbal vocal (don’t know what else to call it!) was shown as a silver thread, running upwards at the rise and downwards at the fall of the ‘whatever you cal it’.

My son has bought a DVD burner and has a video recorder. I really want to have him to video the words, play the music over the top and then edit it as a whole piece. This way the music and the calligraphy become one… and hopefully the effect will be amazing. Overall I love this piece. It’s still new, so it’s my baby and not for sale. It’s proved to me that I can still do large pieces of work despite the difficulties with my eyes and I know that through the music I can make my letter live. This kind of work is specialist. As calligraphers and Lettering Artists we get used to doing the mundane, run of the mill but keeps wolves from the door kind of jobs. This is what we trained over 10 years for! Yes folks you can become a brain surgeon in less time… and it’s a long standing joke with calligraphers. So go on…. What music inspires you? Have you created art to music and if you have, can you link to it on the comments and direct everyone to your blog? Go on, put on some music, pick up your paints, pens or whatever medium you use, dance like a deva and create!
And the next 3 pictures are the detail of the whole song, preferably looked at while the song plays in a seperate window..... here's that link again Loreena McKennitt Dantes Prayer.... ENJOY!

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Personalised Baby Girl Poster - The Goddess and the Butterfly

Way back in February I blogged about my newest prints: A personalised Prayer for a baby Girl or Boy. I have been fortunate enough this week to have been asked to do one for a Christening Gift for a little girl ‘Freya’. The advantage of part print, part original is twofold. Firstly from a cost point of view it is much cheaper than commissioning one from scratch, although this can be done if wishes, but secondly and more importantly it gives you scope to add details and specific items that would be meaningful to the recipient, in this case ‘Butterflies’. (Click photo to enlarge)
Freya is the Goddess of love, beauty and fertility. She was said to have blond hair and blue eyes and is reputed to be the ‘fairest’ of all the Goddesses and people prayed to her for happiness in love. She was also called on to assist in childbirth and for the kindness of the seasons. The symbolic meaning of the butterfly is similar across most cultures and time. Invariably, this beautiful Celtic animal symbol represents transformation, inspiration, and rebirth. The concept of rebirth with the Celts is particularly of importance in terms of recycling of life – both in the spiritual and physical realms. Perhaps the bible and the Byrds extol the concept best: "To every season, turn, turn turn." This was an intimate concept with the Celts, and the butterfly – in its miraculous way symbolizes transformation and rebirth.
Further enquiries about this or other items on my blog
contact me at:
inspiredbyscript@yahoo.co.uk

What is love?

We all love a good quotation that gives us the AHA factor. This is a commission completed last week as a wedding gift....
Love is....
The magical meeting of two souls

Two souls do not finally meet
They knew each other,
all along

A concertina Book which magically transforms as a hanging.

A concertina Book which magically transforms as a hanging.

Walnut Ink on Saunders Waterford Paper.
Silver/Aluminium Leaf and gold pen.

Dreams

Below is a simple 4 fold book with hard covers I designed some time ago. This was a prototype and I had full intentions of making them into a series. Something I really must get back to!

Anyone who has a keen interest in Self Developement and Self Awareness can use the lessons learnt to help support and encourage others and in turn pass on the knowledge gleaned to help them follow their dreams....

Though you may not know precisely how to ensure that the people around you can freely pursue the paths that have long intrigued them, you can nonetheless provide them with some of the tools they need to embark upon these journeys of achievement.By offering sincere words of encouragement, praise, and support today, you may be able to motivate colleagues, friends, and family to revisit ambitions that they have previously deemed too challenging.
You will likely be surprised to discover that your upbeat words give others the strength to believe that they are capable of making their dreams come true.We can foster the spread of inspiration among those with whom we share our environment by first encouraging others to follow their dreams whenever an opportunity to do so arises and then supporting them in their efforts. Though the positive and optimistic thoughts we share may seem at first to have no effect on those individuals to whom we endeavor to offer motivation, our words can grow in significance as they are incubated in their minds and hearts.
The impact of even a simple compliment or kind word can prove intensely meaningful as most people thrive in an atmosphere in which they know their colleagues and peers believe in their abilities. The support and enthusiastic reception you offer others when they share their dreams today will ensure that you have done your part to encourage them to strive for greatness.

Fear - Choosing a New Response

A little bit of synchronicity going on here. After my post of last night! I received this, this morning from Daily OM and would like to share it with you.....

Choosing a New Response - Common Fears
Everyone has fears—it is a natural part of being human. Fear can protect us from harm by sending a rush of adrenaline to help us physically deal with potential danger. But there are times when fear may keep us from participating fully in life. Once we realize that fear is a state of mind, we can choose to face our fears, change our minds, and create the life we want to live.

Our minds are powerful tools to be used by our higher selves; like computers, storing and using data to make certain connections between thought and response. We have the ability to observe these and choose differently. No matter where the fear came from, we can create new connections by choosing new thoughts. When our souls and minds are in alignment, we create a new experience of reality. This journey requires many small steps, as well as patience and courage through the process. Here’s an example: You decide to overcome your fear of driving on the freeway. Your plan of action starts with examining your thoughts and finding a new way of seeing the situation. When you’re ready, you enlist a calm companion to support you as you take the first step of merging into the slow lane and using the first exit. Your heart may be racing, but your confidence will be boosted by the accomplishment. Repeat this until you are comfortable, with or without help, and then drive one exit further. When you are ready, you can try driving in the middle lane, for longer periods each time, until you find yourself going where you want to go. This gradual process is similar for conquering any fear, but if you find it overwhelming, you can always seek the help of a professional.

You may think that you are the only one with a particular fear, that nobody else could possibly be scared of ordinary things such as water, heights, public speaking, or flying. These types of fears are very common, and you can have great success overcoming them. Remember, it is not the absence of the fear but the courage to take action anyway that determines success. When we learn to face our fears, we learn to observe our thoughts and feelings but not be ruled by them. Instead we choose how to shape the lives we want.