Calligraphy Exhibition at Ripon Cathedral

North Yorkshire Calligraphers are holding an exhibition in Ripon Cathedral in North Yorkshire, UK. It runs until 31st October... so if you are nearby or can make the trip you have time to catch it. Going by the standard of previous exhibitions it will be well worth seeing....  the Cathedral is a stunning setting & Ripon is a lovely little town to wander with plenty of places of interest in the vicinity.

This was the group I started off with way back... err, a few(?!) years ago (1992 ish). Some of those people are still involved and some are calligraphers I have taught... the group is thriving and talented.... and I really wish them well with this exhibition x

Red Moon, Silver Moon

Just in case you had any doubts

that i am inspired by the moon

a couple more canvasses are over here

and if you didn't know

i seek out her shining glance

over here

A Copper Sun...

I've just finished a couple of canvasses with calligraphy, which you can see here if you like!

Meet Me At The Water's Edge...

Meet me at the water's edge

and dance to an ancient rhythm

feel the beat of forgotten song

re-discover what time has hidden

ocean dancing, ocean dreaming

with the gentle tidal rhythm

feel the healing waters flow

a soothing song to help us grow

call on water's energy

the power to nourish, nurture & heal

endless potency

ride the tides of ancient truths

meet me at the water's edge

ocean dances, ocean dreams

meet me at the waters edge

and dance to an ancient song

heed the urge to come ocean dancing

will you be carried on an ocean dream

wherever it may lead?

I was already working on this canvas when I discovered Moon Daughter writing about a New Moon healing ritual, started by The Divining Women... they call it 'Meet us at the water'. 

Well, the words 'meet me at the water's edge' just kept creeping in to my mind, so i laid that first phrase down on the canvas I had ready to go & words i had already jotted down followed on naturally. The second part begins with the central spiral & the words just flowed as I wrote... the design took care of itself as I went. One of those "Awen" moments of Divine Inspiration.

New Moon is approaching.... at 04:08, Tuesday 10th August in the UK... so why not why not come to the waters edge & add your thoughts to the stream of energy that is flowing. It doesn't have to be at the exact time of the new moon... the New Moon energies are strong for a day or two either side, so just pick a time that feels right for you. And you only have to visualise being beside the water to be there in spirit... a bowl of water, a photograph or taking a bath can help aid connection. See you there ; )

Scots Pine

When I first saw these back at the end of April, I thought 'ooh, baby pine cones'... but I am glad I did not embarrass myself by posting at the time, because they just kept growing....

They are the male flowers of the Scots Pine... they are actually teeny cones though... and parts of the pine trees are covered in them, mainly, but not exclusively the lower parts....

Meanwhile, other shoots have been sprouting to produce these female 'flowers'...

and this time they really are 'baby' pine cones.....

Most, but by no means all of these are higher up.... it is thought that this is to aid cross-pollination- pollen will drift across & up to fertilize other trees, rather than directly up...

the cones take two years to mature, before opening up to drop their seeds....

Yvonne, over at The Organic Writer is hosting this months Festival of The Trees.... she requested artistic submissions if possible. Well, I have no trouble being inspired by trees (if you hadn't noticed) so here is a piece of my calligraphy inspired by pine trees and the words of George Seferis.

I know a pine tree that leans over near a sea. At midday it bestows upon the tired body a shade measured like our life, and in the evening the wind blowing through its needles begins a curious song as though of the souls that made an end of death, just at the moment when they begin to become skin & lips again. One night I stayed awake all night under this tree. At dawn I was brand new as though I had been freshly quarried. 

George Seferis- Greek poet, essayist & diplomat, 1963 Nobel Prize for Literature  winner.


I have written in more detail about this piece of work & my process over at Suzi's Scribbles

A Femme Called Rose

I made a special book for a special young lady, to accompany a 'Femme' made by ambermoggie. You can get a sense of what the book is like, but I didn't want to reveal all the details as she is a private person, plus she will likely tell me off if I reveal too much! I used the words that amber wrote, plus an extra little bit to suit her. Rose represents the maiden aspect of the goddess... the passage into womanhood... connection to earth & generations of women...I've written a bit more about the making of it over at suzi's scribbles

Angels

"The flight of an angel....

 ...is not a question of physical flight.

The attitude & vibration of a pure heart and mind do all the work.

Let your heart be clear and your mind be peaceful...

Then you will be able to fly- with your mind.

This is the joy of becoming an angel."

Cream & Gold Canvas

Size: 90cm x 35cm

The background is a dreamy mix of creams, some very pale almost white, & metallic gold paint.... having that blend of tones means that it will suit a variety of off white or cream wall colours (which I know is a factor for many people!) 

Canvas Sale & Give Away!!

Well, we're moving on soon... steve starts work on a new contract sometime in march, don't know whether it's the 1st or 30th!! So, I'm thinking I've got all these canvasses... we need to lighten the load in our caravan & there's no sense leaving them sat in sue's studio for the next year...  they need to find a home... FAST! (i've only just realised it's nearly March already!!)

So, if you like my work, here's your chance to own some at bargain basement prices! I'll be adding things over the next day or two, so if you see anything you like, just send a comment or email to reserve your piece. All I need is your address & payment via paypal, obviously I won't publish any comments with personal details in. I moderate all comments due to the silly amount of spam, so if more than one person wants the same one it will be first come, first served, based on the time of email/comment.... so, don't delay if you see 'the one' for you!

I thought I'd start off with a give-away.... "Everything Happens For A Reason"... It's 20 x 24 inches, with varying shades of dark purple down to pale lilac on a cream background.

To be included in the draw for this canvas, just leave a comment, easy! I'm also asking for help to get the word out that I'm selling 'stuff' off.... just a mention on your blog with a link to mine... pretty please.... then leave a comment with the link to yours.... I'd be ever-so grateful & Anyone who does this will get their name entered twice so you get an extra chance to win a bit of my work (at the very least, its a free canvas you could paint over yourself, lol) It, doesn't matter where you are, I'm happy to post it overseas. Thanks x

Two Blues for Twenty Two

Ok, here goes.... kicking off this sale with 2 blue & white canvasses which can be yours for £22 each - I've set this price just because it rhymes, that's my logic, "2 blues for £22" including uk postage. I'll check up the overseas difference & edit later. Anyway, they're a bargain! I've got them here side by side & they look good together, but I will separate them if they can go to loving homes!

This one is 40 cm square (that's just under 16 inches if it helps!), the sides are 3.75cm/ 1.5 inches deep. 

The quotations read;

Every journey begins with a single step.

Go confidently in the direction of your dreams.

Explore. Dream. Discover.

This one is 60cm x 30cm with the more usual 2cm depth.

The quotations read;

'Everything happens for a reason'

'Challenges can be stepping stones or stumbling blocks. It just depends how you view them'

'Life can only be lived forwards from beginning to end'

'Follow your heart, your dreams, your desires, 

do what your soul calls you to do, then let it be finished'

So, if you would like one or both of them, just email suziscribbles [at] gmail [dot] com... 

Don't forget, if you post about my 'sale' you can enter the draw for the canvas in the post below by leaving a comment with your link!

Sisters Of The Red Moon

(click on pics to enlarge & see the detail)

I've been working on this piece over the last few weeks... the words were written by Mel in this post over at 'weaving the moon'. I chose a 56x76cm 210gsm handmade 'Khadi' cotton rag paper (this is a great company for quality eco/ethical artists papers &  sketchbooks). This is a tough, durable paper, which I knew would take several layers of colour & this rough one is really textured... oh boy, did I set myself a challenge!? Several blacks, of varying shades and surfaces to write on from matte water-based to shiny acrylic, rough paper AND red on black.... red is not as solid a colour as you may think! This is the price to pay for getting carried away with the 'look' of the background without thinking about the practicalities of lettering on it... so, this is the first version, i'm sure I will work with these words again...& again no doubt!

As well as the lettering, it's also been pretty impossible to get accurate colours in the photographs. The red is not really orangey at all. I've tried in different light & playing with the editing programme, but this is as close as i'm going to get for now 

we have met before, you and i

somewhen, somewhere.

in time out of time, the space between,

the space where the veil thins and the mist floats across

moonlit oceans.

in the swirling chaos of now,

tendrils of light flicker in the darkness.

reminders of a lost tribe,

of ancient ways where blood was holy

and wisdom shared.

reaching across the chasm of time.

over expanse of space and the shackles of fate

there is hope that in the dreaming

of this and other things, we shall meet again.

somewhen, somewhere.

Although the most feminine of subjects the image reminds me of the red planet...mars.... usually associated with ‘masculine’ qualities... but both the soil of Mars and the haemoglobin of human blood are rich in iron, and because of this they share its distinct deep red color. Astrologically Mars is associated with confidence and self assertion, aggression, sexuality, energy, strength, ambition, and impulsiveness. I wonder, how closely linked is Mars to the Moon & our ‘moontime’?

I started thinking about pmt & the issues that are usually thrown up for myself. It’s usually been what ‘someone doesn’t do’ vs ‘what I always do’, things I haven’t done ‘because of someone else’ or what I think other people’s expectations of me are... all relationship stuff with various people, me putting on my ‘victim/martyr’ suit. I know I’m being ‘unreasonable’ even as I think it & knowing I’m pre-menstrual usually helps me cope. 

At one point I started thinking that maybe these are my real feelings, not irrational, but signs I should be out of the relationship or have a head to head with whoever.... why else would the same feelings keep coming up?

Actually, as I looked deeper, I realised that they kept coming up to give me a chance to recognise their underlying causes. My issues tend to stem from situations where I don’t assert myself... to say “actually I’d rather not” or “I want to do” or “will you do”... along those lines, where I haven’t had the confidence to express my needs or ambitions (notice the connection to the astrological associations of Mars?)  I’m not sure how much of this is due to my natal chart & how much is part of a greater moon/mars connection, but I think many will recognise a familiar pattern.

My point is, that there is a great healing opportunity that arises time & again in our cycles... if we let it. Instead of expecting a time of tension, maybe we need to re-verse the way we look at it to something like pre-menstrual tenderness. i.e. to give ourselves some understanding & compassion, to invite the healing that we need. 

Maybe we could meditate on the darkness that surrounds our own red moon.... go into the moon’s vortex.... into the darkness,.... stay there until the darkness feels comforting rather than threatening, feel the comfort of the eternal sisterhood.... acknowledge your darkness, your dark thoughts, those dark feelings....listen to them, ask their purpose....call on the ancient wisdom from the centre of womanhood and begin to unravel the threads that bind in a repetitive, destructive cycle....

bronze powder is sprinkled into the wet acrylic for 

a lovely reddish moonlight gleam, streaks of enamel look 

wet even when they are dry

I wonder if any research has been carried out into how the moonphase affects pmt? My cycle is fairly short, so my moontime moves through the moonphases. I don’t get particularly bad pmt, but I know about it when it falls at dark moon. I haven’t thought about looking at which sign the moon is in at this time, (until now) to see if there is a larger pattern to the severity of my moods. Has anyone thought about it themselves? It’s something to watch... maybe the moonphase affects people differently, depending on our birthchart or the sign the moon is transiting... or perhaps there are broad similarities.... I’d be interested to know. Perhaps any astrologers out there can shed some light? 

So, Mel’s words stirred up some thoughts as I wrote, even though they weren’t to do with interpreting their meaning.... my interpretation is there... visually for all to see & take as you will.... read again & see where she takes you.

I’ll end with some words from Mel when she saw some earlier photos...

“This is extremely powerful.....and the black background lends some of the power...that women's mysteries are often born in the Shadows and the Dark.”

Exactly!

(if you came from suzi's scribbles click here to return)

Calligraphy Birthday Rubber Stamp

Ooh... how could i forget to tell you... the Birthday stamp I told you about a while ago is now available from Crafty Individuals

It began like this... with just light guidelines

 to keep me straight & in proportion

It grew to this.... building up the texture as I went... squinting through half closed eyes at times to judge how heavy or light the lettering should be & where... introducing contrast in size & weight & letterform, whilst trying to keep an overall unity

and finished up like this... just a bit of cleaning up to do. I used ruling pens & Mitchell nibs. You can see the finished result here

In hindsight, it could have done with an extra line of heavier text to match the border at the bottom, but hey... I reckon it works just fine!

Winter Blues, Misty Greys & Pencil Lettering

Nothing depressing about these winter blues! Clear skies reflected in snow... heaven & earth unified casting a beautiful blue glow over everything... I couldn't help but give thanks as i walked, breathing cold, crisp air...

Perfect inspiration for my exploration of 'winter textures'... once again I smudged acrylic straight onto the paper, Saunders Waterford Not... a totally different surface to the repair paper, just look at the texture...

I loved the intensity of this blue, so only paled down some of it in this one... icy air and earth and water revealed themselves on the paper.... Even the mist closing in seen through the branches seemed to have a blue cast to it...

 The white space plays just as an important part as the marks on the paper...

At this point the words weren't formed... just the feeling of elements fused together... a frozen moment in the vastness....

winter... land, sea, sky and air breathe as one, exhaling a misty sigh...

Pencil lettering... built-up capitals using a 6H pencil gave a 'barely there' quality to parts of the letters, combined with 3H &  small areas of 2B... so the words recede & come forward like parts of the landscape in the mist...

Earth Rests...

I love the textures & patterns that the recent snow threw up. It may have been harder for many to get about, but nature grabbed the opportunity to dress up for the season in the finest lace & delicate fabrics, glistening in the pale light.

I was supposed to be teaching a workshop for North East Scribes, a calligraphy group based in Darlington, earlier this month... unfortunately it was cancelled due to the weather. My plan had been to work with textures inspired by nature, and as the weather changed, so did my ideas. Over the last couple of weeks I've been playing around with "winter textures".

Many winter scenes are mainly shades of white & grey, with just a hint of colour.... so that's what i've been using...

I'm not trying to 'copy' nature... just to echo the feel... the sense of the landscape & textures. I can sit and create endless variations on this theme! This is one I will probably work up to a larger piece (this is approx 12x17cm) & build on the words....

Earth rests, just waiting for spring...

I blended black & white acrylic directly onto repair paper (a lightweight, laid paper used for book conservation). The laid lines add to the texture, and it's lovely to write on. I used a ruling pen & walnut ink for the lettering, then smudged some very dilute ink amongst the acrylic.

Actually, earth does not "just" sit around waiting for spring, even though it may seem to us as if everything in on 'hold' for a while. The maple seeds above are still maturing, ready to be cast adrift... others already on the ground are shedding their outer 'wings' readying themselves, to put out their first delicate strands of roots, preparing to seek their nourishment from the earth mother, others are already in her womb, growing & preparing to sprout into the light... as do our own souls. 

No, nothing is static... in nature or in our lives. Even when we feel as if nothing is happening, that we are not moving forward, unseen energies are moving behind the scenes, deep within us.... preparing, maturing, shedding layers, readying our Self for the next stage of growth, the next step towards the light. Rather than nothing happening, things are opening. 

Bleakness, Hope & New Year Blessings

These are not my words... but we were driving around in the snow earlier in the week & the skies were darkening. The landscape looked very bleak & for some reason I thought about this commission I did a few years ago. 

Skies darkened, clouds filled every void.

Darkness fell, guiding light extinguished.

Waves that crashed upon rocks.

Wind that blew.

All had gone.

Darkness. 

Stillness.

Emptiness.

Searching for the light

Heart from body ripped

Light from life imploded

Once whole, torn apart.

I found myself wondering about the person who asked for this... the words are so deeply moving. I know nothing about her or her story; the order came by email & I didn't ask, but I have often wondered... there is something raw & powerful conveyed in these few lines. I hope that time has been a healer for her, that the rawness has eased....

chinese liquid stick ink, silver powder, brause nib, compressed capitals

I've spent a fair bit of time thinking about & letting reiki flow to those going through that first Christmas after bereavement, especially when someone has died close to Christmas itself. Not just for those I know, but asking that those who need it receive the blessing of healing energy.

The bleakness of loss at this time of year is emphasized by the fact that it is supposed to be a time of festivity & everyone else seems to be going on their merry way around you, while all you can feel is a cold hole in your heart, while you go through the motions of acting ‘normally’. 

Of course grief affects everyone differently… the complicated chemical cocktail that makes us human creates different reactions & feelings. And grief isn’t solely caused by death…. separation, abandonment, illness, anything that causes a loss of hopes, dreams, future, trust, way of life… there’s many more, but sometimes we feel that ‘bleakness’ & don’t associate it with grief because no one close has died.

I read words like these & they really move me… so, as we move to the New Year I’m sending out my love & healing thoughts to those who are feeling the chill of loss… may you find comfort & the strength to re-build...

May the new decade that we enter be one of hope… may it burn inside us all, encouraging the sparks of light within us, to be a beacon of hope... a shining light that extends beyond ourselves to those around us…. our families & communities…. our countries… to the whole world & beyond….

New Year Blessings to you all xx

'Hope' Rubber Stamp available from http://craftyindividuals.co.uk/

Like a gleaming tapers light, hope shines, no matter how you look at it.

Great hopes make great people.

Nourish your hopes, cherish your dreams.

If you have never hoped you have never breathed.

Do not fear to hope.

Hold on to all hopes & follow your dreams- never let go.

Believe.

Never let go of hope.

Hope always shines.