A Calligraphy Artist Mama’s Summer Recap

How does a calligraphy artist mama spend summer?

Here’s a recap of my summer - a lot of learning, a dabble of fun, sprinkled with a dollop of creativity

While the kids are at home for the summer, what does a calligraphy artist mama do with her time? This artist chose to binge classes and learn as much as possible. There was plenty more to do than just take classes, and I’ll share them below.

To start, the last part of May was filled with a commission for a mother of two college graduates. She had originally commissioned me to provide private calligraphy lessons so she could learn how to address graduation envelopes. When she realized she wouldn’t be ready to address them at her current skill level, we talked about me creating a keepsake certificate for each of them. This was the result:

Hand calligraphed graduation certificates in black ink with gold border

These certificates were first drafted in pencil, then inked with a brush pen, and lastly traced onto 140 lb. watercolor paper using a light pad. I used Speedball India ink for the calligraphy and Finetec/Coliro watercolor for the border. Afterward, I matted them to gold metallic finish cardstock for an elevated look of sophistication. If you don’t already know, this artist loves layers of beautiful paper and finds every opportunity possible to create dimension.

Moments from a visit to a beautiful historical library in Lithopolis, Ohio

Visiting a historical library in Lithopolis, Ohio called The Wagnalls Memorial Library was the highlight of my summer. My family enjoyed a short getaway, great food and fellowship, while I got to fill my camera roll with vintage selfies and quaint books. The icing on the cake was a gorgeous curation of flowers and paths awaiting exploration when we arrived. How could I resist all the colorful flowers swaying to the wind’s rhythm, bird songs and even amazing treasures like the wooden Narnia sign pictured above?

Now for the really fun part: learning. I guess you can call me a calligra-nerd. I think I crammed four, maybe five classes in this summer. Yes, crammed. As in college-term-paper-crammed. I’d purchased these classes earlier in the year while I was still working a part time job and knew I needed to learn the skills, but sadly never had enough time to dedicate to them. They weren’t binge-watch style with three-four sessions each; rather, they required me to not only be fully present but to actively participate in order to learn the concepts. From Evelyn Wong to Pat Blair to Jasmin Ryan to Heather Held to Belinda Chim, The Gentle Penman made it so wonderfully worthwhile to learn a wealth of skills from the comfort of my home.

Several classes I finished this summer: gilded Lombardic letters, flower painting and flourishing.

As if I wasn’t busy enough, I also had to finish a wedding vow commission. Whew! I’ll have to do a separate blog post about all that I learned from this one, but I’ll sum it up with this: all’s well that ends well. The first canvas was a complete disaster - let’s say, I learned from my mistakes. I started over from scratch on a new 24×48 canvas, painting the background, drafting the guidelines and all the words in pencil, painting flowers in acrylic, erasing the guidelines and sealing the artwork. It took me approximately two weeks to finish all the details from beginning to end and seeing the reaction on my clients’ faces was worth everything. I delivered it to their home since they were local and felt an immediate sense of joy and fulfillment when I was greeted at the door. Imagine how grateful I felt when my client called her husband downstairs to come and see the canvas, confirmation that she was indeed happy with my work. The trust and confidence she expressed throughout the entire process was such a blessing to this artist heart of mine.

Photo collage of 24×48 wedding vow canvas by The Graceful Pen Studio

Aside from spicing up my Pinterest board a bit, and teaching an online workshop for Calligraphy As Meditation Day on Juneteenth, I enjoyed another creative project: hand engraving a cologne bottle gifted to my husband by our son for Father’s Day. I knew from the moment he unboxed his gift that I needed to get my hands on it. Of course he said yes when I asked if I could engrave the bottle and trust me when I say, doing so did not disappoint. Not only did I have an opportunity to let my creative juices run wild, it also allowed me to push myself out of my comfort zone a bit. Instead of my usual Copperplate or cursive style, I decided to use a monoline Italic hand calligraphic style. I felt like a creative director since I was able to choose the quote, do the engraving and style the finished piece. Very satisfying if you ask me.

Hand engraved cologne bottle with the quote “It takes great courage to love unconditionally.” Isaac Mogilevsky

Now that my two youngest children have started back to school and I’m back to being a full-time artist, I welcome you to stay in touch and see what unfolds. Whether you are an artist who is just starting out or a mama looking for a creative outlet, calligraphy and painting are definitely perfect ways to slow down and enjoy being present in the moment. They provide the perfect way to unwind, even if you’re like me - cramming to finish several classes within a month and a half. Looking for an artist to create something special for you or an event? Visit my Get In Touch page or the Live Events link to learn more.

Until next time, don’t forget to listen to your heart and do something that brings you joy. Thanks for stopping by and staying awhile.