Letters and Signs

Whenever and wherever I travel, I always make a point of looking at the signage and lettering - well why wouldn't I?

The Czech Republic has a great heritage of lettering and writing. From Gothic to the modern type face. I came upon many wonderful examples and am working out some ways to work ideas into new lettering forms for intriguing class projects.

Here are a few examples of what I discovered. You will see there is much scope for creative lettering. Will keep you updated

 Manhole cover

 Absinth 

 At the granite base of a memorial

 A book store

 A front door

 A cafe

 A beautiful 'G'

 A decorated 'S'

 A delightful painting at the entrance of a restaurant

 Versals describing a menu

And even he was represented: A bookstore of course

Variety of Calligraphy

For our exhibition in November I have ensured that our guests will be amazed and delighted by the variety of calligraphic surfaces used for projects. Anything from ceramics to wooden logs.

The most important thing is that we have created some interesting pieces and with still a few surprises to enjoy before the exhibition.

 I think we will have an eclectic viewing experience for everyone.

Here are a few examples of most recent work:

 Chantal's log

 Jill's 'N'

 Jill's graphic log

 Ghita's 'S' on canvas

Ghita's flowers on pebbles

There are challenges that the artist has to deal with for the various surfaces. 

What paint to use? We used mostly acrylic inks mixed with gouache. 

Paint brushes need to be square and fine. 

Designs need to be worked so that they can be transferred from paper to surface. 

Other considerations are: will the surface hold the paint or will it run. 

How do you test the paint? 

Well hopefully you have a small little piece to test all the materials you've chosen to use.

Of course, the form of the letter needs to be as good as possible. 

I think that everyone has done her best and the standard of work is really most pleasing.

Once again, well done ladies!

Be prepared for the next classes where we will return to traditional inks, nibs and paper.

Logging in the Studio

After a long break from official work, I have two classes to prepare for before we leave again, this time for Prague.

Our near-neighbour has been pruning. Large trees and many logs.The logs ooze resin and the cut logs are just the right surface for some creative designs. With a bit of sandpaper and strong arms we collected about 20 for the studio. I hefted about 10 of them onto tables and then gave up. Luckily Elizabeth is a strong girl and she moved more in.

The students arrived to a log-city and nearly went straight home. Luckily a few gorilla tales and strong coffee kept them indoors and we started planning the designs.

My two granddaughters were with me and I simply love the way children have a no-fuss attitude to creativity and work. When asked 'Would you like to paint on a log?' the immediate response was a short 'Yes'. No fuss. No bother.

We all looked at colour, design, shape. Using paper plates and pencils we created a vague design. Choosing colours was easy. We had acrylic paints. Gouache with acrylic ink as mixer and with a few light marks on the wood we were away.

Some people choose simple designs. Geometric and colourful. Others have grand ideas which will create another dimension to the logs and take a little longer. The granddaughters shared their favourite colours in wedged areas. Everyone created something surprisingly interesting.

Well done all. I look forward to them being placed in the garden for our November exhibition.

 Logging it

 Acrylics for the taking {Thanks Brenda}

 Tina's being created

 Jill's wedges

Rachel and Ashleigh hard at work