Cards and cartouches

A friend is a gift

Conference Invite and Envelopes

Never stop taking chances....

This was fun to create for a special person in my life... as per request!

Inspirational Pebbles

I have been playing around with writing on pebbles.... I am going to
sell a little bag of several words and just wanted to share...

A Collaboration of Talents.... Taryne Lewey's book

This was a book which Taryne created the pages for before a bookmaking
class which Maggie and Leslie from San Antonio taught in Austin... March 2012

I was lucky enough to sit next to and get to know Taryne by being her
table mate!  She and I got to talking about doing a collaboration of
sorts using her bookmaking skills and my calligraphy.

She showed up at a meeting with a BEAUTIFUL book which she created
for me to keep and brought this one... blank at the time, for me to fill with
some of her favorite quotes and lettering styles of my choice.
"Always know in your heart that you are far bigger than anything that can happen to you."

When I delivered it to her, completed with lettering to bring it ALIVE,
I could tell that she was quite pleased and she said she "Loved it".

It was a fun project and something so personal since Taryne gave
me certain quotes that were near and dear to her heart.
"Never save something for a special occasion.  Everyday in your life is a special occasion."

Given only minimal direction, I created, what I thought was,
a tribute to the lettering arts.

"Courage doesn't always roar, sometimes courage is the
quiet voice at the end of the day saying 'I will try again tomorrow'".
Mary Anne Radmacher

The book that Taryne made and gave to me for doing the calligraphy for her....

I lettered this on the back page in honor of our collaboration and friendship together

Latest work... Anniversary Commission

This piece is approx. 22" x 25" and was a "Promise letter"
before this couple committed to marriage.  It's very personal!
They wanted them to hang in their bedroom to remind them
of their commitment to one another... much like one would do
with wedding vows.

Paste Paper Painted background with gouache (Italic) lettering in Burnt Umber
and illuminated with 24k Gold Leaf and Instacoll sizing

It's hard to tell in the photos... but in the last two,
you can see that they were both the same hue and tones.

Here they both are...together... one on top of the other....

They will be framed identically with the same matting and frame...
and hung on either side of their beds. Can't wait to see them!

Sonnet XVII Pablo Neruda (2006)

A piece done in Spanish 2006 for a client's girlfriend...
Sometimes, a piece done with just black on white can be very striking
and exactly "what the doctor ordered".

Love, Paste Paper booklet!

Quote reads:  "Love is something if you give it away, give it away, give it away. Love is something if you give it away... you end up having more.  Love is like a magic penny, hold it tight and you won't have any... Spend it, lend it and you'll have so many.. they roll all over the floor.  Love is something if you give it away, give it away, give it away. Love is something if you give it away, you'll end up having more."  The author is Malvina Reynolds. I wanted to give credit, where credit is due.
In loving memory of Eva Markvoort... a "cyster" who passed away a few years ago who had more love than anyone!

Divine Beauty of Nature

The eyes are the window to the soul.
Look around you. Nothing nurtures the soul
more than the Divine Beauty of nature.
(Created on handmade Paste Paper written with
brown gouache, broad-edged Mitchell Nib and
illuminated with 23k Gold Leaf.)

A commission I did in 2010 for Linda and Mike in New York

Old Italy "Friendship" quote

Final commissioned piece for client

Preliminary piece without glass before framing

Without glass

Close up of lettering... both in English and Italian

And.... here it is...hanging on the wall of their house. The colors aren't
true to life due to the lighting in the room, but it goes so well...drawing from
the golds and blues in the family room.

Wedding Gift

Here is the envelope that housed the bride and groom's card.
They said they would be framing this.

I used the Mike Kecseg, Contemporary Pointed Pen technique
for this piece, presented to the bride and groom on their wedding day!

Close up of the dedication!

Here they are... actually READING the whole thing.
I hoped that it would be meaningful to them as well as myself
when I lettered it.

By their beaming smiles, I think it did make an impression.

And.....here it is ... hanging in their house...
Oh, how I love that it's near a doorway which they frequently
pass through to view the blessing.