Two Versions of a Favorite

Some of you are familiar with a print I did a few years ago that started out as a Mother's Day gift for women at our local church (giclee prints now for sale on Etsy, by the way:)

Some time later, I had a commission to do the same quote in two parts, so they could go on either side of a family photo, and to adapt it to the taste and decor of the client. I spent a lot of time trying different versions because the client is a good friend and I really wanted it to be "right". It's an interesting challenge to make things balance when the quote doesn't divide right in half and the words worth emphasizing are not evenly distributed either. Pretty sure I'm not the first calligrapher to want to rewrite something to better fit - the first family tree I did I really, really wanted to move a few kids to another family.
But I think it was successful in the end.

You can see that some things are similar, like using capitals for emphasis and contrast, and fairly clean and simple letters. Both are written out in gouache on backgrounds done with "saran wrap" technique on watercolor paper. (Arches 90 lb. hot press)

All Good Things Must Come to an End

I wish I had a few more pics of  how this display morphed over the weeks, but finally someone was ready to take on the space with new art-- my "April" month display for "Featured Artist" at the Art Bazaar lasted until this last week! I think I got my share of exhibit space plus. Guess the stuff that came home will be going on etsy soon. Except for the "Bromeliad" piece which now belongs to my son Evan.

If you look closely there are lots of frogs in it -- if you haven't read "The Bromeliad" by Terry Pratchett, you should. I'm waiting for someone to realize what a great pair of movies it would make. (there are three parts, but the last two happen concurrently so they'd have to be in one big movie) It's got everything - fantasy, science fiction, philosophy, romance, and its hilarious to boot.

And the papercast tower that shows in the corner of the top photo now looks much better with a beautiful wooden base by Tom Schulte. I seem to have lost the photos, maybe later.....

Updates on calligraphic works

I think this one is worth making prints of (this is not the professional photo, obviously). Seems like in Jeff City the smaller and cheaper prints go a lot faster than nice large ones, I've had requests for the "Charity" quote smaller sized. It's not that big, I think its the price they want smaller.

Meanwhile I am still waiting for the glaze to dry on my first oil painting with calligraphy - I was going to add another layer of glaze but maybe this isn't the right kind to layer. It was interesting to be able to go back in and work in the wet glaze.

I had wanted to try it on a panel but didn't have one in time, so I'm prepping some little ones I got since then for trials. I'm not sure water-absorbant ground is usually used on panels but I'm going to try it out with thin acrylic gouache backing, possible some writing in the same medium, and then move to oils/glazes.