Greetings!

Below is my Christmas card.

How did I do it? It was not a one step process.

First, I created this quilt.

The quilt was my hand dyed fabric that I quilted and then painted with black acrylic.

A friend steered me to a Kaleidoscope Kreator 3 program. This computer layout provided many templates (a section that was repeated) that you put place over any photo. That was a fun part of the process. I chose the design and then added the background color (in this case the dark purple). Next I cut the image and the two background papers which I glued to the card. There it is.

To all: may the joy of the season be with you throughout the year!

An honor

The Friends of Calligraphy in the San Francisco Bay Area is celebrating it's 40 Anniversary. Four times a year they publish a journal that is now 28 pages thick. In the latest issue they reviewed a sub group called the Robins. A group that has been in existence since 1997. We make books for each of us that include the work of each member. Although I have rotated out, the group gathers and continues to inspire. For some reason, one of my pieces was featured on the cover! This is was done in 1999 and I am so humbled to have me piece so prominently displayed. The Alphabet has featured the work of some really famous and talented calligraphers.

Here is my 15 minutes of fame:

The back features a piece by my dear friend, Barbara Parke-Wolff who also was in the group.

Hanging in there

Oh, has it really been a month since I posted! The computer part of my life has been slow, but drawing and traveling have kept me busy. Feeling grounded I was able to attend figure drawing. Trust me, we had a tall lanky model. Sri is about 6 feet tall and loves to wear 6" heels.

I decided that the lowly pencil was enough of a tool for me to use. Also, I placed myself between two very talented artists and took time to observe their techniques. One guideline was taking the time to observe. Even on the short poses, it is wise to stop and look before you place the first stroke.

On a day when I was so unsure about my ability to draw, it was delightful to be encouraged by the results.