Welcome!

I grew up in Raleigh at a time when the nuns taught at Our Lady Of Lourdes. They lived out back of the school and wore those imposing yet Holy Habits that commanded your adoration, attention, and, quite frankly, your fear. So, when they asked you to "sit up straight" with your "feet flat on the floor" and compose your letters properly according to the Palmer Method of Handwriting, you did just that! I believe it was at that impressionable age that I became infatuated with the formation of letters. When I was introduced to calligraphy in 1978, it was no wonder I fell in love with this beautiful art form. My first taste of the calligraphic world lasted no longer than one hour. The instructor turned a piece of chalk on its edge to form calligraphic works of art from A to Z on the chalkboard. That was that! But it was all I needed to fire the embers that had been sparked in elementary school. Watching the slow, rhythmical shaping of those letters was like listening to classical music. It was not until 1997 that I enrolled in my first formal calligraphy class. Boy, were my eyes opened! I knew I had a lifelong road of learning ahead of me. It's been 38 years since that white piece of chalk was laid on its side. I am still learning. Come learn with me!

Friday, December 31, 2010

New Year's Resolutions

I am veering a little from the normal posting of art, to post to you something I wrote this morning. After reading The Artist's Way (which I highly recommend to any artist), I now keep what's called a Morning Pages journal. I won't go into what you are supposed to write in it (you'll have to read the book), but I do want to share with you what I wrote today. Maybe it will speak to you as a fellow artist.

Happy New Year!

I guess this should be the day that I make New Year's Resolutions. I normally never do that because a long time ago I realized I never kept them. I just never followed through on my well-written resolutions. Maybe I should have called my resolutions a "Wish List." "I wish I could lose 20 pounds." "I wish I ran 2 miles every day." "I wish I did 100 sit-ups every day." "I wish."

I'm too practical of a person to waste my time writing down things I want to/should accomplish. I'm too busy doing laundry, washing dishes, mopping the floor, cleaning and picking up the house, babysitting, and working to take the time to remember and do my resolutions. Who came up with the phrase "New Year's Resolutions" anyway? Probably a very High-D personality who lists his To Do List on a daily basis and not only checks it all off daily but probably supersedes all of his expectations. He probably enjoys being under self-inflicted pressure to get things done and think about getting things done.

I don't want to "get things done." I want to "be." I want to "become." And in the "being" and in the "becoming," I will "do."
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