Paper Fetish, from beginner to expert!

 I've always had a love for paper!
I remember as a child, my mum making flour and water glue, giving me a pair of scissors and an old catalogue and some blank paper. I created many pieces of expert art work.....Monty Python style. Legs coming out of mouths, birds flying out of peoples ears.....well you get the picture I'm sure. 
As a child of 8 years old and with a calligraphy nib I copied Gothic lettering I found lettering hard with a chisel nib, as a left hander I couldn't understand why. Of course years later, I realised I needed a specially cut oblique nib! I remember however, I was sent to the headmaster for a 'special pen' to use during handwriting class. A Platinum with a curvy end if my memory serves me well. (which could be doubtful at my age! - lol). 


In secondary school, my plan was that I wanted to become a graphic designer or sign writer. I used to copy lettering styles out of the Lettraset catalogue. It's here I became fascinated with lettering of all kinds. Whether on paper, carved in stone or etched in glass. 


Years later I got heavily into Quilling. If you've never heard of it go and take a look-see here
Still my passion for paper continued. 


To be honest I wanted to stone carve letters and learning calligraphy was a means to an end. 
It wasn't until I actually took a class in stone carving that I realised what hard work it was and if I was to have any wrists left at all, it was not something for me. 


So....lettering and paper seemed a perfect combination.
I learnt to bookbinding, from single section to multi-section, paper covered to the largest 500 page. A4 sized leather bound book for a shop in London.... very exciting!


I've done letters ON paper, and in books.....but finding this lost piece of cut out lettering art (now sadly VERY yellow and dirty) made me come back to cut-out letters....

This piece was created in 3 layers and was taught to me by a wonderful stone carver 

called Celia Kilner, who made some of these to explain to a stone mason that she wanted letters cut into and out of the stone.....

I have been fascinated with silhouettes and stencilling over the past years.

These two pieces are experimental pieces where I wanted to cut letters overlapped and in one whole piece.

I've designed my own stencils in the past, so being aware of letters which would drop out and fall away when using the positive, came in handy. I had to make sure the dot of the i on waiting and life and the apostrophe on I've were attached to a letter somewhere. Like I said, these couple of pieces are very much experimental at the moment and I have to fit the playing in after my commission work is out of the way.....which has been very hard lately, but I have lots of ideas and will show you the progress as time goes on.

I
 love paper-cuts...... of all kinds. Paper is so flexible and can be manipulated. Cutting can both strengthen and weaken the paper depending on how it is cut. 
And with the wide variety of weights, finishes, colours and application types, it's an amazing material to work in. 

I LOVE PAPER, I DO!

I don't think I will EVER

 achieve anything as spectacular as this though!

Cut Letters - It's all such great fun!

Inspired by Script: Cut Letters - It's all such great fun!: "I'm fascinated with the cut letters I can produce and have been playing around with overlapping letters. This is the pre -cut card before th..."

Cloths of Heaven - W B Yeats in Calligraphy

Inspired by Script: Cloths of Heaven - W B Yeats in Calligraphy: "Commission - Cloths of Heaven - W B Yeats Had I the heavens' embroidered cloths, Enwrought with golden and silver light, The blue a..."

What's going on!!!!

Well if you're wondering where I've been and what's going on....jaunt over to my Inspired by Script Blog to see for yourself....or simply click on the links above the photos.

This year has got off to a flying start and I've written 4 blog posts this evening....and I haven't even scratched the surface.

I've already done a Wedding Order....

I have a separate Wedding Website,

just for the Wedding Side of my business

http://northyorkshireweddings.co.uk

I already sold a Piece of work....

Had another one Commissioned....

Written and personalised a Baby Birth Certificate....

And made a concertina card

for a very ill lady in Sussex

We've booked 2 Wedding Fairs and Steve has got 2 shows booked for his Jewellery...Oh yes and did I mention 3 Art Shows this year too. I've also got a day teaching at North East Scribes next month....which I am so looking forward to. It's nice to get together with like minded folk and I love teaching and inspiring others. We also have plans to expand the Wedding side of the business....but more about that later. All in all we have a busy year ahead, but one that we are both looking forward to. It's nice to have the support and encouragement that we so often need when working as artists and for ourselves. Having someone to bounce ideas off is so important.

What's Been Going On...

Well.....lots and lots and lots and lots actually....and as most followers and readers of my blog are also friends with me on Face Book....I won't re-hash the more personal news here. However, first off, new direction and with the rethinking of my business and the need to actually not only pay my bills but also at some point in my life make a living out of it, I've started with the repainting of the Gallery...

Many paint swatches and much dilemma as well as being terrified of picking a neutral, neutral that would go with just about anything....All the shelves were painted too, so at last I feel like the whole place comes together.....much like my old place in Darlington.

The pale shelves set off the Concertina Books wonderfully.
And are just as suited to the Paler pieces of work....

As they are to the brighter pieces.....

All in all, I'm happy with the result. I have taken down old, worn out and jaded pieces of my work that no longer reflect my work now and the services available. Now, in between working I need to rehash the store room, which was originally a store room come office. I feel creatively stifled sometimes and I need to reopen my space. A good weekend and a skip seems like a good idea lol. More blogging and more photos will follow, until then, keep your Creative Spirits flowing,

Meanwhile if you want to follow me on FaceBook CLICK HERE

Brightest Blessings,

Sue xxx

Say No To Peace - Framed Original Calligraphy

Anyone with an ounce of compassion in their bodies cannot fail to be disturbed and uncomfortable with the suffering of children right now. The war in Iraq, Afghanistan and now the Earthquake in Haiti. Children are innocent and should not be subjected to the terrible attocities that seem to befall them right now. Often forced to grow up before their time and have to fight for survival.



These thoughts  have played heavily on my mind and I remembered a piece of work I did some years ago…It touched me then as it does now. I still feel the same about the world and how ‘Change’ is nessesary.

The piece itself is 3D. The Dark letters on the Light background are hidden by Light Letters on a Dark background and imprissoned by thin gold threads, somehow representing the fragile strands that make Peace not a thing to be ‘Wished For’ but something that could be so easily remedied if we all stand together.

Say no to peace,

If what they mean by peace

Is the quiet misery of hunger,

The frozen stillness of fear,

The silence of broken spirits

The unborn hopes of the repressed,

 Tell them that peace
Is the shouting of children
The thunder of dancing feet,
And the babble of tongues set free
And a fathers voice singing 

Materials: Cotton Rag, Fabriano 5, Gouache and Gold Thread

Sorry this item is not for sale, but commisions are welcome.

 

So.....Just "What is a Potboiler?"

Well....according to About.com it says that it's work of a low or poor quality, I wouldn't go that far and I've blogged about it on my Inspired by Script Blog.
As I am without a website at the moment and another will take quite some time to redo, I've took to selling my work through my studio blog.

As most of my traffic comes through my Creative Spirit (hello you lovely people and followers xxx) I will inform via this blog when I update....so please forgive the intrusion.

Below are some pictures of my 'Potboilers' for a closer look, do go and have a look at my other blog here inspiredbyscript.blogspot.com

I know that a lot of Creative Folk who have a blog sell their work and are reluctant to blatantly offer their work through their blogs...so I'm encouraging everyone who does to GO FOR IT! There is no need for embarrassed or feel you are being pushy, people have a choice. Who are you to deny them that right?

And here's a closer look....

I would rather spend my money on buying something hand crafted and unique and supporting a fellow artist, so if you do sell, please leave a comment with a link to your blog.

Unfortunately Etsy (although the sellers are worldwide) doesn't get the support and is not really well known in the UK.

Pot Boilers For Sale

So.....Just "What is a Potboiler?"

Well....in Answers.com it says....

Potboiler or pot-boiler is a term used to describe a poor quality novel, play, opera, or film, or other creative work that was created quickly to make money to pay for the creator's daily expenses (thus the imagery of "boil the pot" which means "to provide one's livelihood").

Authors who create potboiler novels or screenplays are sometimes called back writers. Novels deemed to be potboilers may also be called pulp fiction, and potboiler films may be called "popcorn movies" or, in film industry slang, "tentpoles" (large-budget films typically based on well-known characters or prior works, which, due to their immense popularity, support the studio economically, like tent poles hold up a tent).

Well, I wouldn't go as far as to say they are, "poor quality" but they are produced More quickly and perhaps not up to the usual standard of a regular commission where the price would be a lot higher. I produce Potboilers as interesting and affordable, unique pieces of original art to basically sell for a low profit and keep the wolves from the door and enable me to keep the studio going. They are fun to do and created from the heart.

I work on the principle that I would rather someone have the pleasure of looking at something on their wall than have it gathering dust in my gallery. Much art these days is overpriced and as artist we have to work on the principle of either sell a very expensive piece once or twice a year or sell lots of smaller things on a regular basis. Personally I would rather r do the latter.

So on that note...I offer the following.....

Your Vision will become clear,

only when you can look in your heart.

Rumi

Size: 12.5 x 44.5 cm (8 1/2" x 17 1/2 ")

Materials: FW Acrylic Ink, Gold Pen on Canaletto

£14 including FREE P&P

BELIEVE in the power of your dreams

Size: 18cm x 41cm (7" x 16")

Materials: FW Acrylic Ink, Gold Pen on Canaletto

£10 including FREE P&P

The value of friendship,

cannot be measured,

only treasured.

Size: 21cm x 42cm (8 1/2" x 16 1/2")

Materials: FW Acrylic Ink, Gold pen on Canaletto

£12 including FREE P&P

Forget safety,

Live where you fear to live,

Destroy your reputation

BE notorious!

Rumi

Size 23cm x 38cm (9" x 18")

Materials: Dr Martins Bleedproof white,, silver pen on Canson.

£15 including FREE P&P

Nothing can grow,
until the ground is turned over

Rumi

Size: 20cm x 31cm (8" x 12")

Materials: Dr. Martins Bleedproof White and Silver Pen on Canson

£10 including FREE P&P

Do what you love,

the money will follow.

TRUST that as long as you work from the heart

all will be well

Size: 22cm x 50cm (8 3 /4" x 19 3/4")

Materials: Dr Martins Bleedproof White, Silver Pen on Canson Navy Blue Paper

£15 including FREE P&P

PAYMENT: I can take payment by Paypal, cheques or postal orders.

SHIPPING: All pieces come packed flat, are ready to frame and signed by the artist.

Any questions please do not hesitate to email me at; inspiredbyscript@yahoo.co.uk

NEW Inspirational Prints

These are a couple of Rumi Quotations I've just done. These will be converted to Prints and Greeting Cards as part of a series.

The first one reads.....

This is a simple truth, whatever you love, you are.

This second one (and I LOVE this quote)

I have lived on the tip of insanity,

waiting to know reasons, knocking on a door,

It opens....I've been knocking from the inside!

Nursery Rhymes. - Twinkle Twinkle Little Star

Many years ago now I worked on a large broadsheet which contained a lot of Children's Nursery Rhymes. My original reason for this is that I wanted to turn it into a full sized, full colour printed poster. It was sent with a large amount of my work to be put in an exhibition and promote calligraphy around the North East area.
I was delayed in picking the work up and the centre change managers and despite their reassurance that everything was safe....the whole exhibition was lost. Much of it was my precious gold Leaf work.

While I have been working on and off with developing these letters over the last few months, I realised that the letters particularly lend themselves to Nursery Rhymes. This is my interpretation of Twinkle Twinkle....


I've used tiny caps (my favourite) as a contrast to the informal 'Twinkle Twinkle Little Star'. Perhaps you will see this better.

And this is a close up detail of the letters I've been working on....

Unfortunately I don't get much chance to do big pieces of work these days. as the vast majority of my work is either for commission or for sale. This one is for sale :o)

Baby Birth Idea - Astrological Concertina Card

I've been working on a couple of commissions, in collaboration with a superb astrologer Simon Greene. He works out the chart and gives me the info and I put it all together to produce a concertina card/book.

The details inside contain a basic personality profiles as well as characteristics and traits of the babies in question.

The books open up into a star or stand upright by untying the two end ribbons. A wonderful idea for any new parents.

We are taking orders, and the charts can be for anyone, they don't have to be babies! so if you are interested, email me at inspiredbyscript@yahoo.co.uk for further details.

Salutation To The Dawn from the Sanskrit

Here's my second entry for the exhibition at Ripon Cathedral. I remember so clearly the first time I heard it, it was during a Hatha Yoga Class that I attended. Ahhhh happy days. Our tutor also covered Ayurveda Medicine and philosophy. I had already studied Tibetan Buddhism so the philosophy sat easily with me. My waking up routing every day was 3 full rounds of the Salute to the Sun.....crippling at first! Ohhhh I must get back to my Yoga.

CLICK ON PICTURE FOR A BETTER VIEW

The words are as follows:

Listen to the salutation to the dawn,
Look to this day

for it is life,

the very life of life,
In its brief course lie all the verities

and realities of our existence.

The bliss of growth,

the splendour of beauty,
For yesterday is but a dream

and tomorrow is only a vision,
But today well spent

makes every yesterday

a dream of happiness

and every tomorrow a vision of hope.

Look well therefore to this day.
Such is the salutation to the dawn.

Sadly, no matter how many pictures I took of this piece, they never came out. The piece is framed and on sale for £95.

Exhibition Piece - Dreaming of Oneness by Jamie Sams

Oh I do hope that either one or all of these pictures enlarge

I was asked to submit a couple of pieces of work for the North Yorkshire Calligraphers Annual exhibition that is to be held at the prestigious Ripon Cathedral. The exhibition opened on Friday and will run for the month of October. Many of the pieces of work are for sale (including my own). 4 pieces actually sold as the exhibition was being hung!

As their founder and honorary President, I must admit I was feeling under pressure to 'produce the goods'. I felt really difficult knowing that many of the group are now up to my level!
For my first piece I chose a poem from the book Dancing The Dream, by Jamie Sams.

The poem is called Dreaming Oneness and goes like this....

Take me gently into the dawn,

Where my dreams become the light

Uniting with the radiance of the sun

Shedding the indigo of my spirits flight,

Return me to the waking world

With vivid images imprinting my heart

Grasping the maps of newborn paths

Allowing my life to become living art

Jamie's Website can be found here http://www.jamiesams.com/

September Musings

A journey of a thousand miles,

starts with a single step

What a month September was! Just looking back and reflecting on the changes that seem to come hand in hand with the turning of the wheel and our journey into Autumn.

I had a wonderful birthday....my son and his wife surprised me with this wonderful 'icecream' birthday cake, complete with glitter and sparkles and a special Happy Birthday to the Purple Pixie on it....Hmmmm delicious :o)

My birthday day was spent at Stokesley show with family. And in the livestock tent...I saw this.....
A wonderful rare breed rabbit (called a hare actually although it is a rabbit) a perfect replica of a Moon Gazing Hare! I WANT ONE!!!!!

Ive done a couple of Christening posters...
And two pieces of work for an exhibition., I'll write about these in another blog post.

Stokesley show and my birthday was definitely a turning point. I have a deep fear of heights and fair ground rides. After my first declaration about needing to overcome my fears on both these levels while staring at the big wheel and changing my mind half a dozen times.....I did it! Ironically doing that was a catalyst towards other moves I was about to make and really wasn't prepared for.

Many years ago I used Bach Flower Remedies. I was last weekend in a very strange place, I needed to make a decision about my 'relationship' (if you can call it that with the said Beltane Man. I tried to shift my preconceived ideas and deal with how I 'didn't feel' about him, and I really did try and get at least some feeling for him.....but they just weren't there. We had nothing in common. He is very laid back, to the point he had no dreams, no excitement and no real motivation. My sense of humour I'm sure he found pathetic and even at times childish, but there again that's me! lol. And I knew I had to end it as it was going and never would go anywhere. I took the remedies (6 of them actually!) and something shifting in me to give me the courage to say goodbye. No tears, no anger, no....nothing really. Just relief. I was finding the relationship depressing....and I don't need that. So happy Pixie is on her own.

Then my friend dying, while tragic though it was, made me have to take a train journey on my own for the first time since I lost my sight. Was I scared? Yes! I was absolutely terrified. But it was either that or miss her funeral. More remedies...I took them and I did it! And now.....Well, now I have the bug for travelling! I don't know where I'm going and where I will end up, but I have to do this, again and again and again. It's the only way to overcome fear.....Oh yes....the Pixiie Power is back!

A Royal Appointment

The Queen was in North Yorkshire last weekend, meeting the soldiers from The Queens Royal Lancers based in Catrick near Northallerton.

I was asked to write a page for her to sign in their visitors book..... it would only take me five minutes! Yeah right! Gothic script...like the previous half a dozen calligraphers had attempted. NOT my favourite hand and not one I use very much at all these days. The style is dated, structured and VERY formal. Along with this I feel it's downright ugly and should be banned. I don't usually need to practice letterform these days, but like I said, it's not one I use unless I absolutely have to and then it's under duress.

5 sheets later and not sure I've done better than the last load of calligraphers (one used a biro!)

The final page...not perfect, not wonderful, not very impressive.

But it DID take me quite a bit longer than 5 minutes.

I think the lads realised when they came to pick it up the next day...it was a job well done...and they tipped me £5 too! How very nice to be appreciated.

Rainbow Concertina Book

I love, love, love working to commission, especially when the client trust you implicitly to produce something special with only a small, brief, outline of what is required.

This was a first birthday card for a treasured Grand-daughter Eden. Her name means Perfect, pleasure and delight.

The only real requirement was that she wanted 'Rainbows'....fantastic...because I love them.... and I don't know many adults that are still not fascinated by them and who look on them with child like wonder.

The covers both front and back were also Rainbows and a small charm just finishes it off. Delightful indeed.

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