Smile

Lately, (in addition to my mini books) I've been taking old pieces of my art (mostly from ig challenges), and adding more lettering to make them into inserts to give away to snail mail pals!

This is one where I lettered "Smile" using my RW and walnut ink with drop-in colors. I then added various sayings within the swirls.

"A smile is a frown turned upside down."

I love this one:  "A laugh is a smile out of control." 

Keep on Smilin'.  :)

Before pic. (I messed up the top of the l)

 

More "writing".

    Another creation, taken from a failed piece (also from my P&I Takeover week!)

Started out as "ruling writer", but I ran out of paper. And instead of tossing this part (which actually looks nice), I added a couple quotes about writing (which is something I've been doing for a few years now!) I just wish I had used parts of my poem, but I composed that after doing this.

Quotes didn't turn out as well as I wanted, as the paper is too textured to letter on.

I could have just gone with one side too.

Spacing off.  :/

RW with walnut ink and drop-in colors. Love the accidental ligature of the w and r.

May have to redo for my healing journal!

Before (somewhat) pic.

I am a Writer.

Another mini book! (Posted this on IG as well.)

This was a leftover scrap from my P&I Takeover Week in 2021. 

The "writer" part was for Ruling Writer.

It was the perfect size for a mini book (about 2 x 5 folded), so I painted over with w/c ink and added more lettering and embellishments.

Can you see the "i am a"?

I also composed yet another original poem, and used parts of it for this.

This says, "I write for me, to fill my soul."

inside the cover.

I hadn't planned on painting the inside, but it got color on it, so that's why i did!

To the left, although rather vague and abstract, it looks like a bunch of horizontal "i's", so I made it look like "i am a writer", repeating (with brush lettering on the left).

Can you see the pp script "a" near the crease?

first page.

Inside page spread.

I wrote, "i am a writer" first in brush lettering (with walnut ink) for the background, then pp lettering on top in silver metallic, using words from my prose poem.

close ups.

I love the fun funky "i".

Back page. (didn't turn out quite as nice as intended.)

Regardless...

I am a Writer.   :)

Acceptance. (multi-hands)

From 2003.

It was created to represent the stages of grief. I used diff. tools and lettering to try and express each emotion/feeling. I also tried applying diff. colors to each as well.

Layers upon layers, as grief is not linear!

For acceptance, I used pp uncial, but it was hand-drawn vs. lettered. I also lettered is on a clear piece of paper/vellum to layer on top of the other lettering.

Close up. (you can see the top layer of paper of acceptance to the right)

Spent way too much money on framing it, as I never hung it.

Alpha Challenge 2020

In early 2020, I wanted to do my own daily lettering alpha challenge on IG. I got a little bit of a late start to it (Started on Jan. 9, finished on Feb. 4) and here is a collage of some of my fave letters (as I sometimes posted more than one creation):

Descriptions (in alpha order): 

Row 1:  A (RW); B (blackletter w/chisel nib); C (Crayola/ brush); D (3d letter/decorate cap); e (FP)

Row 2: f (music nib); G (uncial); h (bleach); i (italic w/split nib); J (RW & color pencil)

Row 3:  k (italic with marker); L (Dec. Cap); M (fp); foundational n (w/split nib & color pencil)

Row 4:  O (rw); P (brush markers, metallic); Q (watercolor); italic r; S (fp)

Row 5:  t (scratch art w/music nib); U (fp); V (fp w/dual inks); W (brush w/bleach, astrobrights paper); X watercolor)

Row 6: Y w/music nib; Z (RW)

Blue Tree

*See post on my Snail Mail blog for env.'s I did like this: 

https://snailmailingmadness.blogspot.com/2023/12/day-10-non-traditional-colors.html

Decided to create one for our home too! (put in our office, as it's primary colors)

Acrylic ink on canvas, RW, 2023.

Bike Month!

It's Bike Month! So, here is a quote I did for Nele using my tiny 942 Esterbrook Radio nib.

I mounted with a bike piece, which I will share later on my Snail Mail blog.

But for now, I'm also sharing past works of abstract bicycles, using my RW.

Italic lettering. Wish I could fix the spacing of his name. (grrr.)

#messedupyetagain

Bike piece from 2017. RW & watercolor.

This one is a copy of one I did for our BR (above). Pinspo.
(also posted on my "Getting Started" page)

And tried to redo for the env. (sent to Patty in 2019):  https://snailmailingmadness.blogspot.com/2019/05/abstract-bikes-to-patty.html

P&I letter

So, Paper & Ink Arts (P&I) are having a contest, and I  really got going with it! My creativity took off. April is National Letter Writing Month, and the contest is to send them a letter. They will then chose 3 winners (Most Creative, Staff Fave, and a Random one), but they did not say what the prizes are. 

As I wrote in this letter, although I'd love to win, I just had so much fun partaking! (This even inspired me to actually do some of my other correspondence this way!)

I did about 5 letters total, but had a ton of ideas. This is one, and I'll post the rest soon, as well as on my Snail Mail blog. (Wish me luck!)

Finished letter. Used my RW and walnut ink (for "greetings"), pointed pen and white India ink for the small script lettering, and color pencil.

Matching env.

As a set.

And before adding color:

12 Days of... (Cmas)

In December, while doing my 25 Days of Letters, I got this idea to do a proper 12 Days project, as the first day of Cmas starts on Dec 25 and goes through Jan 6.

Here is my announcement video (pic below), utilizing a sample tool for each day:

Tools: Parallel pen, Automatic pen (5 split nib), chisel-tip calligraphy markers (Cmas colors), crayon for masking, Posca pens, Zig brush marker.

And, here is my collage pic, as well as a few close-ups below. 

Abstract tree trees using my RW

5 diff. size Parallel pens

Gestural writing with my extra fine pt Posca pens

Again, Posca pens. I love how it shows up florescent.

"Magic" Crayola gel marker

Crayoligraphy tree!

2mm chisel-tip callig. marker (Cmas), used for gestural lettering.

5.0 mm ebbing green callig. pen & small 2.0 mm Y&C 

Zig Fudebyori metallic brush marker.