Happy Holidays and Happy New Year

Well, 2013 was pretty good. I took a printmaking class at Oil and Cotton and I am signed up for an illumination class with Susie-Melissa of Calligraphic Arts. Those were my resolutions for last year.  

 

Next year, I am changing the class offerings I have at Oil and Cotton. Intro to Calligraphy will still be offered. I will add an intermediate class, in which we work on flourishes and small projects with the italic handwriting style we learned in the intro class, and an advanced class will be offered, in which we go over some design and typography concepts and complete a calligraphy project.  The classes will happen on Sundays this year.

The images in this post are details of my last project for the year.  I had a blast doing it.  I got the paper from Paper Arts. Completing that project has inspired me to take and Arabic calligraphy course. Happy Holidays and Happy New Year!

Snow Day!

I needed this snow day.  I am doing another calendar.  This year's calendar will be a color, screen-printed one.  Here is a detail of the layout: 

There will be two sales in Oak Cliff next weekend, December 13-15, starting on Friday the 13th at 6p: the Holiday Mercantile at Oil and Cotton 

and the Christmas Art Market and Open House on Marlborough with Gretchen Goetz and many other local artist.

 I will be offering on-site addressing in calligraphy (limit 2 envelopes with full address or 5 envelopes with a name per person...flat fee of $5 per session) at the Christmas Art Market on Marlorough on Friday the 13th from 6-9p and Saturday the 14th from 3-4p, and at the Holiday Mercantile at Oil and Cotton on Sunday the 15th from 1-4p. 

The color, screen-printed calendars will be available at both sales starting Friday the 13th. 

Hope to see y'all at both stocking up on gifts you can't get anywhere else!

Happy Holidays

The holiday cards making class with Shannon and Kayli at Oil and Cotton was fun this past Monday night. We not only got to learn how to make cards, we also learned how to make matching envelopes.  

Hope everyone had a happy Thankgiving...I am off to get stamps and mail cards.  Happy Holidays.

Demo real and holiday ready

I will be at the Dallas Contemporary this weekend participating in the 35 year anniversary celebration.  The DC is always full of surprises, so I wouldn't miss it.

At the DC at 3p on Saturday, November 9,  I will give a demo of each of the classes I teach at Oil and Cotton: 1) Intro to Calligraphy, 2) Pen and Ink: Calligraphy, and 3) Cursive Envelope Addressing: Calligraphy.  I will also have information about a variety of classes coming up at Oil and Cotton. 

I will teach Cursive Envelope Addressing: Calligraphy at Oil and Cotton next Friday, November 15, at 6:30p just in time to address those holiday cards and party invitations.

The screen-printing class with Betty Rodrigez and Jessica Trevizo and walnut ink making class with Matt Cusick were great! I love learning new skills and strengthing my calligraphy offerings.  

Hope to see you out this weekend!

Getting out of my mind

My last screen-printing class of the six week course with Betty Rodriguez and Jessica Trevizo at Oil and Cotton is this coming Sunday.  Preparing for class over the past several weeks has helped me stretch creatively and add a skill that allows me to make somewhat uniform, but not boringly uniform, reproductions of my calligraphic creations. 

Sign up for my Pen and Ink class this Friday evening at 6:30p.  I am going to start bringing snacks and drinks for my Friday night classes. 

Taking classes, giving classes

I am on week three of my printmaking class with Betty Rodriguez and Jessica Trevizo at Oil and Cotton.  It is fun.  Above is my two color project and below is a detail of my three color project.

As you can see, I am keeping it very simple for now, and incorporating text (that I wrote) into the prints.  

I will definitely make screen-printed invitations available as part of my calligraphy service.  I am happy I will be able to do that.  I will post some samples soon.

Also, I am so excited! I am going to take Matt Cusick's Walnut Ink Making class on October 27 and Shannon Driscoll's In the Studio: Cards and Envelopes class on November 25...both at Oil and Cotton. 

I will be teaching two classes coming up at Oil and Cotton...Calligraphy: Pen and Ink on October 18 at 6:30p (that's next Friday) and Calligraphy: Cursive Envelope Addressing on November 15 at 6:30p. 

Sign up now! The classes at Oil and Cotton fill up fast, and as you can see I love learning new things, broadening my skills, and sharing information on a subject I love. 

One down, one to go

I told y'all around the beginning of the year that it was my goal to take a printmaking class and an illumination class in order to strengthen my calligraphy offerings.  Over half the year is gone, but I still have time.  I have officially began the screen printing class taught by Jessica Trevizo and Betty Rodriguez at Oil and Cotton! 

I had a wonderful time today doing some calligraphy for a corporate client. 

I also continue work on the 1920s / Art Deco inspired calligraphy for a future wedding.  

I have an Intro to Calligraphy class on Friday at 6:30p at Oil and Cotton...don't miss it.  

Time for kick-off...

Well, school has started and the second round of wedding season is gearing up.  I just finished addressing the envelopes for an upcoming wedding and I have a workshop coming up...Friday, September 20, 2013 at 6:30p there is an Intro to Calligraphy class at Oil & Cotton!

 I will blog again soon...lots of things to highlight...including my quest to finish the resolutions I blogged about at the beginning of the year.  

Word-Up! Word...

Sometimes,I love to slip the slang words and phases of my youth into my everyday speech...and sometimes into my writing.  It is a conscience action, so it works out okay and is fun.  "Word" and "word-up" are a couple of my favorites from the 1990s. Speaking of fun decades, I am having the pleasure of working on some invitations that require a 1920s influence. 

Researching 1920s inspired fonts and adding my own special touches has been  challenging and fun.  I address envelopes a lot more than laying out invitations, so the change of pace is great.  I am looking forward to the trip to Needle in a Haystack to get the paper and have printing done....

...Dallas Sites

I got the chance to go to the Dallas Museum of Art Late Night last Friday.  It was a great time, and Oil and Cotton are participating in the Dallas Sites exhibition  which opened that night.  

I plan to go out to the DMA on Sunday afternoon around 3p to set up in the Oil and Cotton space there and talk about my calligraphy workshops. Open studio times / presentations will be happening in the space through August 9!

The McKinney Avenue Contemporary is having their annual membership exhibition this Saturday night starting at 6p. My friend, artist, Brian Jones, will have a painting in the exhibition. He also convinced me to participate.  

Hope to see some of you this weekend.  

GMST week...

I am not a fan of texting acronyms, but I put it in the title this week. I had a "get my stuff together" week, last week. I cleaned my room, called about lowering bills, and reset my mind-space. I now have the physical and mental space to do some calligraphy and typography experiments, which I will share as I make any "new-to-me" discoveries.

I had an Intro to Calligraphy class at Oil and Cotton this past Wednesday. It went very well. I love the students that come through. We had it on a different day this time, because the READ-RITE MARKET will take place next weekend on Saturday, July 20 from 10a-6p. There will be all kinds of great festivities in celebration of the written word.

From 11-11:30a I will write down the first word that comes to mind as I look at the person in front of me for a fun take-away of the written word. From 3-3:30p my boss (at the Book Doctor) and friend, Candice McKay, will dissect a book. My co-worker (at the Book Doctor and Oil and Cotton) and friend, Jessica Sinks, will have paper fortunes available throughout the day.

Summer,summer,summertime!

I fell off on my blog...again! I know, but work with me. I worked with Kristen Knight of Shenanigans on this little table...

 

As well as working with Marion Marshall of AbsolutelyBlooming! and Oil and Cotton. In fact, I have a class there tomorrow night at 6:30p...Pen & Ink Calligraphy. Don't miss it...if you do, I have another Intro to Calligraphy class at Oil and Cotton On July 19 at 6:30p!   

Hot, hot, hot...

Spring has been lettering filled and event abundant. I have been working with Kristen Knight of Shenanigans on signage for a wedding...

as well as working with Marion Marshall of AbsolutelyBlooming! 

I taught a Cursive Envelopes class at Oil & Cotton this past Friday...

and got to hang out with two of my favorite people and artists, Brian Jones and Brian Scott (a.k.a.Chuck & George) while they had a busy weekend of art exhibitions (their show at the Conduit was extended-yay!)...

I will blog again soon...Pen and Ink workshop coming up June  21at Oil & Cotton.

Social, wedding, and graduation season kicks off!

I have been swamped...busy working with Absolutely Blooming and the Dallas Contemporary; as well as the Book Doctor, who was featured in the New York Times this past Saturday.

The Dallas International Film Festival will be opening this weekend on April 6, as well as an exhibition featuring two of my favorite artists, Brian Jones and Brian Scott, a.k.a Chuck and George, at the Conduit Gallery.  I will be volunteering at the Dallas International Film Festival this week and next week, so maybe I will see some of you there. 

The Dallas Art Fair, Dallas International Film Festival, and a multitude of art openings will be happening next weekend...April 12-14.  I also will have an Intro to Calligraphy class April 12 at 6:30p at Oil and Cotton.  It is the perfect time to learn to address envelopes neatly.  The graduation, wedding, and social season is kicking off and it is time to get those invites out!

Happy Chinese New Year!

Chinese New Year was this past Sunday, so Happy Chinese New Year!

I enjoyed hearing Amy Hofland, Director of the Crow Collection, on Think this morning talking about an upcoming photography exhibition, China Through the Lens of John Thomson.   I hope y'all did, too.

Anyway, I have teamed up with the Crow Collection in a small way.  The Crow Collection will be having a year of the snake celebration during the Crow Collection After Dark event from 6p-12a this Friday, February 15th, and my Year of the Snake calendars with be a part of the festivities. 

Hope to see you Friday night! 

Sweet Valentine

The Valentine's Day edition of my Pen and Ink calligraphy workshop is coming up in a week from today at Oil and Cotton...being offered February 7 at 10a-12:30p and February 8 at 6:30p-9p.  Students will learn foundational hand, then make and write in a cute little accordion style booklet to share for Valentine's Day...sign up before the class fills up! 

This calligraphy class is a nice complement to the Silkscreen Printing workshop happening the following day with Jessica Trevizo...I will be taking this class, too.

Get your Year of the Snake calendars at Oil and Cotton...only $12.  The Chinese New Year is coming up February 10th!

Valentine's 'Pen and Ink' at Oil and Cotton coming up!

Happy Martin Luther King Day! 

The Valentine's Day edition of my Pen and Ink calligraphy workshop is coming up in a couple of weeks at Oil and Cotton...being offered February 7 at 10a-12:30p and February 8 at 6:30p-9p.  Students will learn foundational hand, then make and write in a cute little accordion style booklet to share for Valentine's Day...sign up before the class fills up! 

This calligraphy class is a nice complement to the Silkscreen Printing workshop happening the following day with Jessica Trevizo...I will be taking this class, too.  

I will be working with Marion Marshall of Absolutely Blooming on an upcoming event.  I will also be working with the Dallas Contemporary on an event soon.

Please contact me if you or someone you know needs calligraphy services, so I that can schedule your wedding or event.  I offer workshops and private lessons at Oil and Cotton, as well as envelope addressing, traditional invitation design, and additional lettering for weddings and events. 

Also, don't let January end without getting your Year of the Snake calendars at Oil and Cotton...only $12.  The Chinese New Year is coming up February 10th!

Intro to Calligraphy this week at Oil and Cotton

Well, I am signed up for my printmaking class with Jessica Treviso...so one down and two to go as far as enhancing my calligraphy offerings. 

Don't forget to sign up for my Intro to Calligraphy workshop in which students learn Flourished Italic and get the pens, guides, and paper needed to continue practice...Thursday morning, January 10 (10a-12:30p) or Friday night, January 11(6:30p-9p) at Oil and Cotton.

You will also need a Year of the Snake calendar for the new year...only $12.50 at Oil and Cotton!

Happy New Year! Illumination, Printmaking, Notary...Oh, my!

I am doing three things this year to enhance my calligraphy offerings...becoming a notary, taking a printmaking workshop, and taking an illumination class.  I will be taking my illumination class from Susie-Melissa Cherry of Calligraphic Arts, and I will take my printmaking workshop with Jessica Trevizo at Oil and Cotton.  Stay tuned for an announcement concerning my notary status some time this spring.

I will be teaching Intro to Calligraphy at Oil and Cotton next week...Thursday morning, January 10 from 10a-12:30p and Friday night, January 11 from 6:30p-9p. Resolve to have beautiful handwriting this year! Click here to sign up!

Happy New Year!



Oh! and don't forget to pick up your Year of the Snake calendars at Oil and Cotton...only $12.50.