MillerLine

Merry Christmas

2011-12-23T15:55:00.000-06:00

Merry Christmas to all!

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.

We have seen his glory,

the glory of the one and only Son,

who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

John 1:14

Large Scale

2011-11-13T15:51:00.001-06:00

The month of October presented me with an opportunity to work large scale. I was asked to create artwork for a youth event. There were 5 large canvases ranging from 5'x8' to 8'x10' that would be the backdrop for the stage. Luckily I have access to a shop area that I could work on these all at the same time with minimal rearranging as I worked.

Also, there were 5 canvas assemblies that had been created. These were to be painted to hang separately and would fit together as one piece of art on the last night. Each assembly shape and background colors were predetermined and brought to me before I began. The main message was written on the large central canvas and the small secondary canvases utilized text as texture. Each lay out is different and independent. But each assembly had the swirling imagery as a central theme. I had only 8 days to create the canvas assemblies so there was not a lot of layout and decision making time. Which turned out to be a blessing for me. I seem to overthink and overwork if time allows.

This was such a great project to work on! I have come to realize that I love working large. Ok maybe not the 5'x10' large, but the canvas assemblies were a blast! I have also realized that I love working on canvas. I will be pursuing this in the future.

Unfortunately, the picture quality is not great and I did not get a photo of the canvas assemblies in their final configuration.

Card for the Ladies

2011-10-24T20:41:00.000-05:00

I recently completed the Beth Moore study 'Breaking Free'. I would recommend it to anyone interested in living out Truth in their life and breaking away from the mindset that holds you back. At the end of the study I made these cards for all the ladies that had completed the course with me.

The verse was written in sumi ink with a Leonardt Hero 40 nib, scanned into

Photoshop and color was added there. 40 cards were printed in total.

The word TRUST was hand embossed on each card.

The stencil was created from hand lettering on bristol board.

Journal Pages

2011-10-18T15:42:00.001-05:00

My journal art is quite a bit more casual than my 'serious' work. But I enjoy it just as much! It gives me an outlet to try different color schemes, to enjoy creating with no expectations, and to letter without worry of messing up.

Here are some pics of a few recent journal pages.

Recent Writings

2011-09-29T08:57:00.001-05:00

Which Style (con't)

2011-09-04T16:10:00.000-05:00

Earlier I posted about trying to find a style and layout that fits a quote. You can see them here.

This style and layout has come closer to my feeling of of the quote. Although, I realized I had the words a little mixed up:) The exact quote reads: "The boundary lines for me have fallen in pleasant places." So far I have not written the exact words. Sometimes I wonder about my ability to remember. haha

This layout was written with sumi ink and a Speedball B1.

Which Style for Quote

2011-09-02T16:51:00.001-05:00

I have been playing in the studio today with a quote that has been in my head for the last few days.

"My boundary lines have fallen in pleasant places."

I have created several rough sketches but am having a hard time finding a layout

that works for the way I feel about the quote.

Which do you like?

Written with Dr. Martin's Bleedproof White and a ruling pen.

Created with Dr. Martin's Bleedproof White and ruling pen for the outline and filled in with watercolor.

Written with Dr. Martin's Bleedproof White and an Esterbrook 357.

Three P's In A Pod Shop Logo

2011-08-24T15:16:00.000-05:00

Three P's In A Pod

shop logo came together quite easily.

That doesn't happen often, but I love it when it does.

The first sketch was brought into Illustrator, cleaned up and vectorized.

Slant and curvature of the lettering was modified as well.

Then the shadows and embossing was added in Photoshop.

And voila! Shop logo.

Original sketch was written with sumi ink and Hero #40 Pumpkin nib.

All Over the Board

2011-07-17T23:59:00.001-05:00

This summer has not had a theme or cohesive pattern.

I have been dabbling in all kinds of things with no real focus.

Just playing all over the board.

There is the on going practice following the teachings of Denis Brown's 'Italic Rhythm to Polyrhythm'. The practice time comes and goes. I should be practicing more consistently than I am, but still I am gleaning tons from the videos.

Then there is the woodworking. I have been making custom dinky dip holders. And was able to make a desperately needed flat file for the studio. Once I had the file completed, that lead to the cleaning and reorganizing of the studio.

(at the height of the organizing chaos)

I have also started an online video class. This something I rarely do, my second one ever. The class is by Mary Ann Moss and is titled Full Tilt Boogie. It is a visual art journal binding adventure. I chose it because Mary Ann Moss takes the total opposite approach to creating than I do. She is chaotic and messy and approaches creating with an anything goes attitude. The chaotic and messy aspect I need to embrace more, so I signed up with Mary Ann. I have fully enjoyed the videos and the binding techniques. I am loving filling my pages with whatever, no concept, no theme, just play!

Bound and Lettered

2011-07-10T20:39:00.000-05:00

I have just received the current issue of Bound and Lettered. It is a great publication on

books, papercraft, and calligraphy.

I have had my subscription for a few years and

always look forward to getting it. The magazine can be purchased from John Neal Booksellers.

I am honored to say I was able to participate in this issue.

A small manuscript book I made for the yearlong Reggie Ezell class,

'Primitive to Modern', was featured.

If you do not receive this supscription, you should definitely look into it.

Bound and Lettered always has a wealth of information

and lots of eye candy. And if you would like to participate, they are always looking for how-to

articles on calligraphy, bookbinding, and paper crafts.

This issue also has an article by Fiona Dempster,

arthur of the blog Paper Ponderings, about the project A Letter A Week.

Check out these links if you enjoy letters and artist books.

Happy Fourth

2011-07-04T09:25:00.000-05:00

Two of the things that make America great!

Independence

and

Freedom

I praise God to have the privilege to live

in such a place and time!

Final Trachouse Logo

2011-06-27T19:58:00.001-05:00

This is the final version of the Trachouse logo.

Some of the preliminary ideas were shown in an earlier post here.

But this idea was the look that the client wanted.

In addition to the logo, the client also needed designs for four of the guitar pedals.

The design needed to be edgy and a little funky, so a graffiti look was selected.

Below are the four pedal names.

These were fully created in Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop using a Wacom tablet.

It was a great change of pace to play outside the box and create something with a different medium and a different look.

And here are three of the four pedals at their final stage.

If you are a guitar player or know a guitar player, check out the Trachouse website.

David Aucoin makes a great product.

Dinky Dips Holders Available Now

2011-06-17T08:46:00.000-05:00

A few weeks ago I shared a picture of my personal dinky dip holder. You can see it here. I had mentioned that if anyone was interested in one of their own just let me know. I had a couple responses. So I have been busy in the shop making a few different holders. These are now listed on my etsy shop.

Each holder is unique and is made of driftwood found in and around Lake Maurepas in southeast Louisiana. The wood is beautiful! Each piece has a low luster wax finished that has been hand rubbed to feel as smooth as glass. They are very light weight and small, so they travel well. This way, for all of you who will be attending the 2011 IAMPETH conference, you will be sure to have a dinky dip holder like no one else.

Please check out the shop and let me know what you think. I will be adding more as I have them completed.

If you're near Ponchatoula, LA . . .

2011-06-12T21:47:00.003-05:00

One of my pieces in the reception

This 8"x10" piece is framed to 12"x16"

and is watercolor on Arches Textwove paper.

You are cordially invited

To a Reception

Honoring the Artists

Currently Exhibiting

In The Art Station Gallery

Thursday, June 16, 2011

5:00-7:00 PM

146 West Oak Street

Ponchatoula, LA

Wine & Light Refreshments

Sponsored by Friends of the Art Station

Exhibiting Artists:

Art Station Alumni:

Cricket Ayala

Jennifer Davis

Nancy Lowentritt

Jo Miller

Donna Mollere

Brandi Newman

Gina Reviere

Art Station Instructors:

Denise Austin

Trent Hebert

Kim Zabbia

Hope to see you there.

Kim Howes Zabbia

Owner/Director

The Art Station

146 West Oak Street

Ponchatoula, LA 70454

985-386-8815

http://www.theartstationllc.com

Handmade Design: Silent Auction

2011-06-06T03:00:00.004-05:00

TypeCon and Loyola University New Orleans Presents:

Handmade Design: Silent Auction Fundraiser

for the Gulf Coast Oil Spill

Handmade Design is a silent auction fundraiser presented by TypeCon in conjunction with Loyola University New Orleans. Works donated to Handmade Design will be sold via a three month long silent auction with all proceeds supporting the Greater New Orleans Foundation Gulf Coast Oil Spill Fund.

Silent Auction

June 2011 – August 2011

Opening Reception

Tuesday, July 5th, 5:00pm – 8:00pm

Loyola University New Orleans, Collins C. Diboll Gallery

'Chaos to Harmony'

My contribution to the cause.

Pointed Pen Calligraphy

2011-05-30T03:00:00.001-05:00

I have recently finished up a wedding envelope project. This script is based on the Young Baroque script font. It was written in sumi ink with a Leonardt Principal nib.

Sinker Cypress and Dinky Dips

2011-05-23T10:24:00.000-05:00

This is my custom designed dinky dip holder. It is one of my favorite accessory tools. Of course, the dinky dips are indispensable for pointed pen calligraphy. You can find them at John Neal Booksellers or Paper and Ink Arts. There is a holder that you can purchase also. But I wanted to kick it up a notch and make my own.

This dinky dip holder was made from a piece of sinker cypress that was pulled from the south Louisiana bayous by my cousin, Dennis Guy. He is a wonderfully interesting man that lives and works in the bayou country.

If you would be interested in a custom dinky dip for yourself, please contact me.

Trachouse Logo Sketches

2011-05-15T21:19:00.000-05:00

Recently, I have been working on a logo and artwork project for Trachouse.com. They will be launching the new look of their guitar pedals sometime in June 2011. David Aucoin is a very talented musician and creates some of the best guitar pedals on the market.

Below are some of the early conceptual sketches.

These were then imported into illustrator and cleaned up slightly.

From here the client and I can talk about which look is heading toward their vision.

The logo that was chosen is not shown here so as not to spoil the launching of their new look.

Pointed Asymmetrical Italic influenced by Denis Brown

2011-05-09T01:00:00.015-05:00

My adventure in calligraphy has really just begun. I received my first holder and nib for Christmas 2007. That pen holder and nib came from John Neal Booksellers. My husband did a great job to find one of the best suppliers for calligraphy essentials without knowing anything about the calligraphy world. Since then I have immersed myself in finding all I can on the subject.

What a beautiful world I found on my journey!

My latest study tool has been the online lessons from Denis Brown. These are a treasure trove of instruction and information. Denis is teaching a compressed, extreme asymmetric version of italic. The class is wonderful in the fact that you can go back and view the lessons as many times as you like, pausing and rewinding wherever needed. There are two modules published already (over 4 hours of instruction already!) with two more to come. This is definitely worth the small cost.

I have been practicing whenever I can. The piece shown below was done in my style of Denis' instruction. It is painted with sumi and walnut ink on a full sheet of Arches MBM paper.

This piece is for my church. Names will be written on the keys of the piano, sumi on the white keys and Dr. Martin's bleed proof white on the black keys. It will be a living piece as time goes on.

Adolf Bernd Influence

2011-04-30T19:02:00.000-05:00

As I mentioned a couple of posts back, Peter Thornton recently taught a workshop in New Orleans.

We studied the work of Adolf Bernd.

During this time I was preparing for an upcoming exhibit.

Here is a set of pieces inspired by this workshop.

More from this exhibit can be seen on my website.

Adolf Bernd Influence

2011-04-06T21:37:00.000-05:00

I have been completely immersed in putting together a group of pieces for an upcoming exhibit. All other things have been neglected and put on hold. But until I can come up for air, here is a piece of a set in progress.

Happy Creating!

Adolf Bernd and Peter Thornton

2011-03-28T20:31:00.001-05:00

New Orleans Lettering Arts Association had the pleasure of hosting a weekend workshop with Peter Thornton. Peter is an amazing calligrapher and teacher. If you ever have the opportunity to study from him, jump at it.

The first two days we studied the work of the german artist Adolf Bernd. His work is intriguing both in design and color. The colors are subtle and very natural. One of our assignments was to bring in a natural object, study it and match the colors. My object was an oyster. You would be amazed at all the colors in the outer shell of an oyster. Flip it over and there you have an entirely new and different set of colors. This study of color has sparked an interest in me. I have been furiously working on a new body of work that will be exhibited in May.

Event Poster

2011-03-14T22:31:00.000-05:00

This is an event poster created to promote our Women's Weekend at Walker Baptist Church. The logo for the Women's Ministry was created and used on several items for the event. Then I also created the Angela Thomas signature to compliment the logo.

Each item was written with a pointed nib and sumi ink, scanned and vectorized in illustrator.

Black Walnut Ink

2011-03-01T07:38:00.001-06:00

I don't know if you have ever used walnut ink. Whether you have or not, you should go over to Larks Crafts and check out Kristi's article to sign up for the Black Walnut Giveaway. When I read the article, it reminded me about the time my dad and I cooked down some black walnuts to paint this mural on the wall. Walnut ink is a fabulous tool and can be used for so many things. In fact, a woman once told me she used walnut nut ink to touch-up the gray in her hair when she did not have time to make it to the salon.

Adolf Bernd Influence

2011-02-24T13:51:00.000-06:00

This piece is inspired by the Peter Thornton class on the Adolf Bernd letters. The New Orleans Lettering Arts Association will be hosting a weekend workshop with Peter in March. You can find the details here. I have had the opportunity to experience these letters with Peter at the Letter Mingles Souls calligraphy conference and I am so looking forward to learning them again. So in preparation for the weekend I got out my book from the conference and have been inspired.

If you happen to be in the area or would like to travel to New Orleans to attend the workshop, please feel free to contact me. We would love to have you join us!

Monogram

2011-02-14T19:02:00.002-06:00

Monogram from one of the weddings I had the pleasure of working on last year.

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!!!

dry embossing (con't)

2011-02-07T01:00:00.005-06:00

The previous blog entry chronicled the first step in a new piece called 'I AM'. I was unsure how to add the complete phrase. I debated between writing the full quote underneath the embossed letters, or writing the remaining quote in ink incorporating the embossed letters, or repeating the entire quote in the full field of the background. The latter option was chosen. Then for added effect, one of the repeated phrases was highlighted using palladium gilding.

Watercolor and a Mitchell nib was used for the main portion of the text. Gum ammoniac was used for the gilding. (Note: using ammoniac on paper is tricky and requires many layers because it gets absorbed into the paper.)

dry embossing

2011-01-31T00:00:00.000-06:00

have always loved the look of embossed letters and thought I would give it a try on a new piece. This is the beginning. . . .

The passage will be 'Be still and know that I AM God". I am really excited with I AM but am not sure how to include the rest of the phrase. Maybe I will place the entire quote below and leave the I AM as the focal point of the piece. I am inspired by Jane Farr's piece as seen here. But maybe I can repeat the quote in a soft muted color all around the I AM.

This is the template of the letters used to emboss. I used the backing of a paper pad to cut out the letters. The letters were then pressed into Arches textwove paper. I tried several papers and the textwove gave the best results by far.

Calligraphy Class

2011-01-25T11:40:00.000-06:00

I had the wonderful opportunity to give a calligraphy class to one of the local home school co-ops. There were 22 students in the class ranging in ages from 7-13. What a great group of students! None of them had ever tried calligraphy before and they were ready to dive right in. So we discussed pen angle, nib width, letter height, and so on. I was really amazed with their attentiveness and abilities. There were a couple of naturals in the class and a few creative spirits that really had a gift to make their letters unique and interesting. Unfortunately, I did not get to take pictures of their work after class. The class was over before I knew it and the children off to their next tasks.

I was able to write each child's name before class in the italic hand, as a memento. Their packets also included a broad edge marker, italic exemplars, guide sheets, and nice paper to practice on when they got home. It was a great experience. I learned a lot myself and will take that to the next class I give.

Black and White Practice

2011-01-16T20:24:00.000-06:00

I have a friend of mine who loves to do her practice work in white ink on black paper. And I always think how dynamic that looks; plus the fact that her calligraphy is amazing! Anyway, I thought I would give it a try when I was playing around in the studio. I must say that even though the writing is not my best, the white on black is dynamic.

Give it a try!

Name Tags Anyone!

2011-01-09T21:19:00.000-06:00

The opportunity to create the name tags for our guild was afforded to me this year. And I must say I was excited about doing it; what a fun project! Then as I started it dawned on me, I am creating lettering for people who really know lettering. I confess a little anxiety came over me, but I worked through and this is what emerged.

The background was created as a watercolor painting. It was photographed and taken into photoshop. The guild name was hand written, photographed and added to the photoshop file. The file was then sized correctly and printed. After I printed the tags, I began to experiment with gouache color and consistency and realized the paper I printed on was not going to hold an edge. So I tried my color pencils and sure enough that was the ticket. The first color combination I really liked but it did not contrast enough with the back ground.

So the colors were modified to show stronger against the background.

It's a New Year

2011-01-04T10:16:00.000-06:00

Fresh starts, new goals, energized being:

it's ready for us at the beginning of each day.

I hope your New Year is creative and purposeful!

This is the result of my first creative time in the studio for the year.

Inspired by the style of Piet Mondrian, this piece was created with scraps of sink art, walnut ink

for the lines and diluted walnut ink for the text.

The textural element of the writing really makes the difference by adding

the illusion of depth.

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-24T11:19:00.000-06:00

Merry Christmas to all!!!!

and

Happy Birthday to my Lord, Jesus Christ!

Wishing you the love and peace of Jesus this Season!

Christmas Poinsettia

2010-12-15T20:00:00.000-06:00

I recently had a birthday and my wonderful hubby gave me a set of Pan Pastels. I have not ever worked in pastels, but these looked like such fun I gave hints for them for my birthday:)

The above sketch is my first attempt at using the pastels and boy what fun!

This sketch was created on Arches hot pressed watercolor paper.

The Christmas spirit is catching up with me this year!

So here is a early Merry Christmas!!!!!

No Fear Watercolor con't

2010-12-05T21:36:00.000-06:00

An update on my watercolor painting on Yupo paper.

This is the second step of the painting process where the background portions are defined with darker cooler colors, which will cause them to recede. You can see the previous step in the earlier post here. The woman is starting to become more apparent. Next will be to define the edges of her garment further. Also, to add more definition to some of her facial features. I do not want to define areas too much, just a hint of detail so the mind's eye can fill in the rest.

MillerLine Etsy Shop

2010-12-03T13:56:00.000-06:00

Well I have to say in regards to the etsy front, I have been a total slacker! But today, as I was printing some Christmas cards and tags for a local stationery store, I decided to get off my etsy duff and add some new listings to my shop. Please check it out! And if you are anything like me, you still have not gotten your Christmas cards out and definitely haven't wrapped those gifts. So hopefully something in my store will be just what you need to motivate you!

Happy Thanksgiving

2010-11-27T18:00:00.000-06:00

I hope you all had a blessed Thanksgiving

full of family, friends and love.

Art Station No Fear Watercolor

2010-11-15T18:37:00.000-06:00

This is a No-Fear painting in progress. If you look closely, you can make out the image that will eventually be developed. It is a woman rising from the desert.

Kim Zabbia owner of the Art Station in Ponchatoula, Louisiana teaches a art class called No-Fear Watercolor. No-Fear is Kim's most popular class. In fact, this is my second time taking this particular class. The No-Fear process takes the fear out of the painting process and Kim's supportive and generous teaching style takes care of the rest. I am excited to say Kim has turned the No-Fear class into a dvd. So no matter where you live you too can experience No-Fear Watercolor. I am also proud to say one of my paintings is included as an example in the dvd. Thanks Kim for your encouragement.

The Art Station is also a great resource for art supplies. If you live in the vicinity, I would definitely recommend checking it out.

The Last 'Primitive to Modern' Class

2010-11-08T21:21:00.000-06:00

This last weekend was the last class of Reggie Ezell's Primitive to Modern year long class in New Orleans. The year has been a journey! Reggie guided us through traditional gothic hands to modernizing the hand; taught us to gild on vellum referencing traditional layouts and contemporary design; showed us new and inventive ways to use the resources around us to aid in taking the fear out of creating that perfect piece; and introduced the book as a visual journey.

Thanks Reggie for your encouraging and motivating guidance through this year!

The pictures above are some of the pages in the first section of my book. The quote is "The human heart is a theatre of longing".

I would highly recommend this course offered by Reggie to any guild that has not experienced it.

Where has the time gone!

2010-11-01T14:12:00.000-05:00

There have been several 'real' projects that have taken most of my time recently. I say 'real' projects because they are projects with deadlines, for other people, people who are willing to pay for services rendered. I hope to be able to share a couple of these in the future. Needless to say, there has been little time for the self indulgent creative stuff. But hopefully that time will come soon.

In the meantime, this is a picture of a recent envelope job in copper ink. Don't you just love the look of metallic inks.

This ink is gouache with gold and copper Pearl Ex Pigments added to it. The envelopes took a little longer than most because the liner was opaque and the ink requires lots of stirring to keep the metallics flecks suspended. But I don't mind, the look is rich and stands proud on the page.

Accordian Guest Book

2010-10-24T10:07:00.003-05:00

I recently had the pleasure of creating a guest book for a young bride. The book form was inspired by a similar guest book in Annie Cicale's book The Art and Craft of Hand Lettering. There is a intro page and place for 200 signatures. The book is bound with painted tyvek and satin ribbon.

Walnut Ink

2010-10-17T13:44:00.000-05:00

I just love to work with walnut ink.

And part of that attraction is the way it looks when it is wet.

So Pretty!!!!

This is written with walnut ink (of course) on Arches Textwove paper.

Proposed Logo

2010-10-11T19:53:00.000-05:00

We at the New Orleans Lettering Arts Association are wanting to revamp the logo for the guild. The idea is to have the members submit ideas and we will have an independent party select the best idea. Or combine elements from different designs that may create an even better logo. This is my submission.

Thank You- Ludid

2010-10-03T19:10:00.000-05:00

I have recently been selected as a lucky winner at the wonderful blog of Turn Up The Sound. My husband checked the mail and was very excited to let me know I had received the most unusual and creative package he had ever seen in the mail.

Thank you for the wonderful notepad and your creative blog. So glad that I found your blogging space.

Life - gilding

2010-09-26T15:33:00.000-05:00

This piece is on a 8"x24" canvas with a base of molding paste to create texture; then layers of acrylic to create depth of color. The text is gilded with 23kt patent gold over one layer of painter's gesso and one layer of instacol. I was inspired by the teaching of my pastor one Sunday on the Narrow Door that leads to life.

But small is the gate

and narrow the road that leads to LIFE,

and only a few find it.

Matthew 7:14

I have come that they may have LIFE,

and that they may have it more abundantly.

John 10:10

I pray you know the joy and peace that comes from the one and only Jesus Christ!

Happy Sunday!!!!!!!

Flourished Script Initial tags

2010-09-17T22:23:00.000-05:00

Where has the week gone! This week has been a whirlwind.

When the week is crazy busy and flying by its nice to create something sweet and pretty like these initial tags.

Gilded Vellum

2010-09-10T20:01:00.000-05:00

This work is 23k patent gold and palladium on vellum. Part of the lettering is raised gilding using painters gesso and instacol and part of the lettering is flat gilding using gum ammoniac. I am new to gilding and am experimenting as I go. The draft for this was created on arches textwove paper. (You can view it here and here.) The paper was okay to gild on but the vellum was a dream; plus I feel so official when working with vellum.

I have created this piece for the year long Reggie Ezell's Primitive to Modern Course. Reggie's class has been great to boost my creativity and to put new tools in my tool box. I have learned so much! In fact, next class is this weekend. So I am off to pack.

Text as Texture - Final

2010-09-06T19:53:00.000-05:00

Well, here is the final post in the series of Text as Texture. This is my favorite. Using text as texture to create abstract art has been enlightening, to say the least. It has help to settle some likes and dislikes in my mind. I hope to be able to take some of these and rework them into larger more complex pieces.

Thank you all for your comments and encouragement in this process.

Text as Texture 4

2010-08-30T07:53:00.001-05:00

The fourth example from my journal with text creating abstract shapes and texture. I like this one!

The washes of walnut ink and watercolor on each side add depth and movement without being too distracting. The main word going vertical on the page creates a nice shape. The outer colors not touching the black, but coming close creates a contrast element with the black sumi ink. The small text inside the main word gives visual interest without overwhelming the main focus.

The elements that are not working is the random text in the blue area. I don't mind the strokes but the words are too legible and thus do not make sense.

I think the sketches are improving.

Text as Texture 3

2010-08-26T22:01:00.002-05:00

Okay, here's the third example of text as texture. (The first can be seen here and the second here.)

The things that I think work in this example are: the background interest is more complex. There is also more variation in sizes of text. And I like the single spot of color in the middle. The two vertical boxes add a structural element to the otherwise organic feel of the piece.

The things that do not work are: the 'c' in grace has been completely covered. Where this piece is not necessarily meant to be legible, the covering of the 'c' leaves a visual a hole. There is no real focal point to grab the eye and move it around the piece. It's too disorderly.

Text as Texture 2

2010-08-24T19:43:00.002-05:00

This is my second example of text as texture. I am experimenting with abstract layouts using text to create shape and texture. My last post was my least successful sketch thus far. This example is a little better. The overall shape is more interesting and the walnut ink in the lower left corner creates some interest as well. Although, there is a little more contrast in value from the previous post, it is still not enough. And then there is the issue of the blank spot in the upper left corner. Something about it is appealing but uncomfortable at the same time. Overall the sketch is too clean, not enough background depth and not enough variance in size of lettering.

I have generated about 4 of these so far and am saving the better ones for last. The colors are being kept the same and to a minimum. There is black sumi ink, walnut ink, and turquoise watercolor.

Text as texture

2010-08-22T21:30:00.001-05:00

I have been experimenting with some abstract layouts using text as texture. The image above is one of the sketches from my journal. This is actually my least favorite and I'll tell you why. It's too clean and orderly. There is some contrast in value but not near enough to be pleasing. You know what they say, "The artist who can control contrast can control the world!" Or something like that.

I will post several of these to show what works and what doesn't work for me. Then I hope to take the best one and recreate on a large scale.

Thank you

2010-08-18T18:59:00.000-05:00

Thank you all who have followed along

on my journey of experimenting and

working in calligraphy

and the calligraphic arts.

I am truly blessed to

be able to pursue my passion

and to share the things

I learn and create

with a such a supportive

group of individuals.

My gratitude goes out to you!

Commission

2010-08-15T21:58:00.001-05:00

I had the wonderful opportunity to create this birth gift. It was a fun and refreshing commission. The name and date are written in pressurized Roman Caps with sumi ink and a watercolor shadow. The middle text is brush lettering in sumi ink with watercolor washes in between.

Black Arches Cover - Con't

2010-08-13T11:48:00.003-05:00

It was a work of art from Glen Epstein that got me going on the black Arches cover paper. Mr. Epstein was a marvel of an artist and calligrapher. You can see his work here, if you have never seen it before.

So in the style of Glen Epstein I created this piece. The text is a translation from a portion of "The Extremes of Good and Evil" by Cicero written in 45 BC. The picture above has the text only written. The picture below has the addition of the colored pencil between lettering. The color pencil adds to the vibrancy of the piece but also tames any hot spots of black in between the letters.

I really had to concentrate on keeping the counter spaces and the letter spacing tight. I actually started with the bottom block of text, which unfortunately, has larger spacing between letters and words than the top. I was able to tighten it up as I wrote, but it could all be tighter still.

The piece was lots of fun!

Black Arches Cover

2010-08-09T19:18:00.003-05:00

Well, I have to say, I feel a little behind the times. Having read many times about black Arches Cover paper and having seen many works of calligraphy created on this paper, I have never tried it myself. And I have never worked with watercolor on black paper. For some reason I had it in my mind there had to be a preparation trick for watercolor on black paper. So I came across this long, thin scrap of black Arches in my scrap drawer and thought, "I will give it a try".

Oh my gosh! I am so excited! I know you all have probably already worked with this combination and are thinking, "I can't believe she is just finding this out!"

I created this little sampler of color this past weekend. Isn't it pretty?! It is an accordion fold with 5 pages of color combinations on one side and technique trials on the other side. I did find out that the more opaque watercolors show better on the black paper. Although, some cool effects can be achieved with the transparent colors as well. I tried to use masking fluid but it did not work; the masking fluid soaked into the paper and would not come off cleanly. When I rubbed hard enough to remove the masking fluid the watercolor around it rubbed off also. (See below.)

I have been having loads of fun working with my watercolors on this black paper. I will have more samples of work with this combination of materials in the future. Until then,

How do you know? Unless you try.

2010-08-03T19:42:00.000-05:00

In the last post, I was debating whether I should try to cover up a mistake in the gilding by adding black to the piece of work. It had been suggested to me to make a high quality print of the piece and try the black on that first. I tried to do just that, but I found it very difficult to print out the gold to my liking. So, whereas, making a print is usually the best way to try something you are unsure of, in the case of gilding I found it did not work for me. Since this piece was started as a final 'draft', I decided to just go for it. Below is the result. It is definitely different from the previous version. And even though it is not bad, it is not the look I want for this piece. So my final will be as in the previous post, just gilding on vellum.

That's the great thing about art. Some things work, some don't, but you can always try again. Sometimes I get bogged down in the fear of messing up. Then I freeze and cannot create anything, instead of just trying.

Artistic decisions

2010-07-29T09:21:00.001-05:00

I am in a dilema. The attached piece is completed as I had it in my mind. But there are a couple of mistakes with the gilding that I would really like to cover up. So I am debating adding a black border around the areas where the 'letters' are gilded. To tie that in so it doesn't look like I am just trying to hide something, I am thinking of filling in the 'letters' with black. There is a beautiful piece of work on Georgia Angelopoulos' website that has gilding with black and I love the look. (The work is at the bottom of the page.)

It has been suggested to me to make a copy of my piece on good matte paper and fill in to see if I like it. This I am going to do. But I wanted to get your opinion and see how you determine these things. What is your method for choosing the next step or deciding if the piece is complete?

Love Deeply

2010-07-21T20:00:00.004-05:00

This image was written with sumi ink and a Speedball B-3 nib. The corners were squared off with sumi ink and a stiff pointed nib. I then scanned the image, vectorized it in Adobe Illustrator, then added an inner glow and drop shadow in Photoshop.

"Intense love does not measure, it just gives." - Mother Teresa

Homework

2010-07-17T20:48:00.001-05:00

This is a small portion of a piece of homework I am working on for the Reggie Ezell class, Primitive to Modern. I have posted previous homework assignments. You can find them here and here.

This image is of a draft I am working on. The background image is printed out multiple times and the layout can then be worked out without fear of messing up a one of a kind background.

Recent Envelopes with Gold Ink

2010-07-13T20:35:00.000-05:00

I recently completed an wedding envelope project that utilized gold ink. I love writing with Dr. Martin's Spectralite Gold. It sits so nice on the paper, just gleaming and sparkling.

Commitment

2010-07-06T21:29:00.004-05:00

I know this aspiring young artist. She is quite talented in the fact that she has a natural eye for things. Right now she has committed to taking and posting a photo a day for 365 days. I asked if I could post her account here so she can receive comments from others. She doesn't take my compliments because she thinks I have to say something nice, seeing that I am her mother.

So if you have a moment take a look and give a comment.

Thanks!

Just messing 'round

2010-07-05T20:52:00.000-05:00

I realized, just tonight, that I have Corel Painter Sketch Pad on my computer. Boy, the time sure slips away when I'm messing 'round with these type of programs. There are so many things I should be doing but . . .

I created this instead.

Ruling Pen Alphabet

2010-06-30T22:15:00.001-05:00

This image is of a exemplar I made some time ago. The letters were made with a ruling pen and walnut ink, scanned, and manipulated in photoshop. The very cool background is from Jerry Jones at Shadowhouse Creations. I have just recently come across his blog with wonderful textures and backgrounds.

The ruling pen is one of my favorite tools for playing.

EXPERIMENT!

PLAY!

Pic of the week

2010-06-27T16:12:00.001-05:00

It has been too long! The summer has been a wonderful explosion of events and projects, but has taken me away from the blogging world. I hope to get back into my routine of staying in contact with my fellow bloggers.

I am very honored and excited to say one of my pieces have been selected as Reggie Ezell's 'Pic of the Week'. If you have not seen Reggie's website, you should definitely check it out here. Reggie chooses one piece of art each week that was generated from his year long class or the 'Primitive to Modern' class. There are many inspiring artists and calligraphy examples on his site.

Thanks for the encouragement Reggie!

Stepping out on Vacation

2010-05-23T22:44:00.001-05:00

What a crazy, wonderful, busy time of the year it has been! Just got back from the third session of Reggie Ezell's 'Primitive to Modern' class. It has been a treasure trove of information, sharing, and learning. In an earlier post there was a close-up of a piece of homework for this class. An overall shot is shown below. This piece is a recreation of Suzanne Moore's artwork from the St. John's Bible. I actually created this piece twice, once on Arches textwove and once on canvas. Both were done in watercolor. I hope to post a more detailed description of my process at a later date.

And now, school is out and my daughter and I are off on the first get away of the summer! Hurray! I will be out of pocket for several weeks and look forward to all the wonderful post and creativity in blog land when we return.

Until then!

LPB Art and Travel Auction

2010-05-04T12:12:00.000-05:00

I have the wonderful opportunity to participate in the annual LPB Art and Travel Auction. This is my second year to donate to the support of this cause. Over 190 pieces of art are up for auction this year, plus many travel packages. Check it out there may be something that interests you.

Louisiana Public Broadcasting is committed to quality television programming and supporting the community.

May Class in Reggie Ezell course

2010-04-30T22:12:00.011-05:00

I have been working on my homework for the next class in Reggie Ezell's "Primitive to Modern" course. We were assigned several different tasks to choose from, one is to recreated a piece from the St. John's Bible and/or a small book on vellum. I have been working on a recreation of a piece created by Suzanne Moore in Deuteronomy of the St. John's Bible. Here are a couple of close ups.

Next, I am working on a small book. I am narrowing my design options and laying it out on paper first. I am on my second draft. The illustrative portion has been settled, the wording has been settled, now I need to decide on the look of the text. This is where I cannot seem to make a decision. The text needs a hand that is a little uncontrolled and urgent, which is out of my comfort zone. No photos have been taken so far but I will post some when the text has been settled upon.

Greeting cards on etsy shop

2010-04-23T13:03:00.000-05:00

I have recently added three new items to my etsy shop. They are greeting cards printed with archival ink from my Epson 3880 (love my printer). The cards were created from original watercolors and calligraphy that were scanned into photoshop and manipulated.

I love to write words from the bible and hope others find them inspirational.

Wedding Projects

2010-04-21T21:53:00.002-05:00

I have recently finished up a couple of wedding projects. One was a complete wedding package, the other an envelope project. Both were a lot of fun and the clients were great. Here are a few pics. . .

Modified Gothic Style

2010-04-11T17:45:00.001-05:00

Here is another piece done for homework from the first class of Reggie's 'Primitive to Modern' class. I really was motivated on the homework from the first class.

I must admit, though, this month I am struggling with ideas. But that's ok; I still have time. At least that's what I keep telling myself.

Meditations of the Heart

2010-04-07T21:50:00.000-05:00

I seem to be having a bit of a mental block lately, struggling to find subject matter to put down. Or maybe, yes maybe, it is too much in my head that I cannot get anything to come out. Everything is wedged at the opening and nothing will budge.

Just today, finally, I wrote down this verse, added it to an existing background, and modified it in photoshop. Going to share it in with my study buddies next week.

More work from the Reggie class

2010-04-02T22:13:00.000-05:00

This text is cut as one piece from black paper and then adhered to the red paper. The circle elements tie the text together and also connect the text to the edges.

Happy Easter!

Trying to find the groove

2010-03-31T20:21:00.000-05:00

I just returned from a wonderful extended weekend trip and am trying to get back in the groove. I love to get away but sometimes feel a little disoriented on the return.

The quote below is some of the past homework from Reggie's class.

Gilding on vellum

2010-03-25T19:42:00.001-05:00

I can not believe how time flies. It has been over two weeks since the last post. March has been a most busy, productive and superb month. I love the spring!

This year I have the tremendous opportunity to participate in the year long Reggie Ezell class "Primitive to Modern". We had our second class of the year just this last weekend. Our goal was to work with and on vellum with different inks and also to learn to apply gilding. This is the first time for me to work with vellum and gold. We sanded our vellum to different degrees of doneness, we tested each area with sumi ink, gouache, and stick ink. My favorite on the vellum is the stick ink. Our homework from the previous class was to design and practice a small piece of text with a simple icon for gilding. After lots of practicing and testing on the vellum in class, we were ready to pen our quotes and apply the instacol for the gilding process. The process was enlightening and transforming.

I will refrain from getting too wordy now but will try to continue this topic in the future. Below is my piece from class.

Still with the Small Canvases

2010-03-09T12:07:00.000-06:00

Well, this is a continuation on a continuation. There were two earlier post showing the progression of a series of small canvases. One was a trio of sunflowers the other has turned into this square of nine canvases. The text, which is mostly washed away, is the personification of Wisdom as described in Proverbs. I love this text.

The things I like about this set is the colors and depth of color. The thing that I find is missing is a structural element. There is plenty of organic movement in each canvas and across the whole, but there is no linking structural element. What do you think?

the final series

closeup before the text was washed away

the nine before all the text has been washed away in places

continuation of Series of Small Canvases

2010-03-02T22:59:00.001-06:00

Well, I finished my trio of sunflower canvases that were in the earlier blog, A Series of Small Canvases. There are three paintings in the set. I liked it so much I put it on my etsy site. I also painted a set of three echinacea flowers, but I only liked one of them.

I am in the process of a series of nine small 5x5 canvases. The backgrounds are started and the colors are so pretty. Just not sure what the focal point will be; it's a process. Below is a photo of the progress.

Thank you to Jane

2010-02-28T20:32:00.000-06:00

Recently, Jane Farr had her first giveaway celebrating the one year anniversary of her blog, A Place to Flourish. I was fortunate enough to be the winner of that giveaway. Here are just a few pics of some of the wonderful items.

Thanks Jane! I always look forward to your posts.

Series of small canvases

2010-02-22T20:16:00.001-06:00

I am just starting a series of 5"x5" canvases. They will be flowers of different kinds and in sets of 3 or 4. The sets may have the same flowers or maybe just the same color scheme but different flowers to tie them together. These will be painted with watercolors. I have prepped the canvases with absorbent ground so the watercolor will not just run or rub off.

This sunflower is my first canvas. I love sunflowers; they're just so happy.

New Etsy site

2010-02-17T16:08:00.001-06:00

I have been thinking about opening an etsy shop for some time. This week I finally fully embraced the idea and have created the MillerLine Etsy shop. I hope you will be able to stop by and look around. There are several prints and journals at the shop, with more on the way soon.

Let me know what you think and if you have any suggestions.

Photography by Webster Miller

2010-02-13T21:36:00.002-06:00

My brother is so talented. I know every little sister probably says this about her big brother, but in my case it's true. :)

Seriously, I am proud of my brother. He is a photographer in the Dallas, Texas area. This is his second career and man has he found his gift. Recently, he came home to Louisiana to take some portraits on location and, fortunately, I was able to have the time to assist him. His set up is impressive to say the least, and the results speak to this. But as with any creative art, the right tools help, but without the knowledge and natural eye, that equipment will only take a person so far.

Anyway, enough of my rambling. Check it out and see for yourselves here. www.WebsterMillerPhotography.com

I am a Winner!

2010-02-12T14:11:00.001-06:00

What a great day! It's a snow day in southeast Louisiana, my family is home with me today, and I find out this morning I am the winner of Jane Farr's, A Place to Fourish, blog giveaway! And what a treasure she has created for the giveaway. Check it out here.

Thanks Jane, I am so excited!

Roman Cap study

2010-01-13T17:47:00.000-06:00

I am still practicing with the Roman caps from my earlier posts. These are written in gouache on Fabriano paper (the combination is nice) using a Speedball #1.

muslin painting

2010-01-12T18:34:00.000-06:00

Back in November I posted about a couple of muslin paintings and was very excited about it, especially the one with the hearts. So one day a began to write my quote on the heart muslin piece; halfway through it happened. . . . . . misspelling! Darn! So in my panic I thought, the writing is still wet I'll just rinse it off and start over when it's dry. What a mess! The background was painted with watercolors, there was some walnut ink and the new writing was red acrylic. the background was gone; part of the quote remained; argh, nothing but dullness and mud. And there it sat and there I sat. After a few days I decided to pick it up and try to salvage it. I added more background color and stamps and the quote (this time no misspellings). But alas it was still not quite what I had intended.

But I was not going to count it as total loss. I made a signature of 12 watercolor pages, glued the muslin painting to the outside page and sewed it all together with a red ribbon as a pamphlet book. The painting is still disappointing but the book makes me very happy.

before

after

Journal

2010-01-10T18:05:00.000-06:00

Hope you all are having a lovely Sunday. I sure am.

Sitting on the couch, enjoying the fire, enjoying being with my family and playing in my journal.

Roman Caps

2010-01-07T18:55:00.000-06:00

As promised in the last post, I have been working on studying Ismar David's style of roman caps. In the first sample, the letters have been drawn as in the earlier post. The second sample is my first attempt at writing the letters with a metal nib, Speedball #3. The third sample is a later attempt with a metal nib.

It seems I am quite out of practice after being on vacation for the holidays. I will continue to practice and post again when I have something worthy to share.

NOLAA Calligraphy Exhibit

2010-01-06T18:42:00.001-06:00

New Orleans Letter Arts Association has installed a new exhibit at the Denham Springs Library for the month of January. I have several pieces included in the show. The one shown has a great likeness to Ismar David's piece published in the Calligraphy Idea Exchange, Volume One Number Two, 1983. I have just recently had the opportunity to study this past issue and am enthralled with his Roman Caps and sensual serifs. Up to this point I had no knowledge of Ismar David's work but admire his letterforms and wanted to try and learn more by imitating his piece. Next post I will have a piece of my own with this flavor of style but still have a long way to go to master the Roman Cap.

I created this piece for myself and wanted to share it as an awareness to the the beauty of Mr. David's work. The quote was created on a full sheet of 300 lb Arches Cold Press, written with masking fluid, then several washes of thin acrylic. It was then mounted on a reclaimed window screen.

Happy New Year

2010-01-05T19:17:00.000-06:00

Aren't the Sandia mountains located in Albuquerque, New Mexico beautiful!?! They never look the same, depending on the time of day the colors change and move. I love these mountains.

After a wonderful Christmas at home and then a fabulous week in Albuquerque, it's time to get back to business. I wanted to start off the New Year by wishing everyone love and happiness. Here's to a year packed with beauty and creativity all around us.

Merry Christmas

2009-12-23T20:47:00.005-06:00

Wishing all a Merry Christmas filled with the hope and love of Jesus Christ.

muslin test writing

2009-12-03T18:04:00.003-06:00

Last post was my attempt at background painting on muslin. This post is some test writing on the fabric. I t is my first attempt of using a parallel pen. There was no layout; I just went for it.Sometimes this approach works for me, but . . . this time you can see Not only did I run out of the ink mid way thru but I also ran out of space. The ink at the beginning seemed to bleed but the second ink did not. I'll have to continue to test which inks work the best and bleed the least. Overall, I enjoyed writing on this surface; I like the friction of the fabric on the nib. More testing and then on to the final piece.

muslins beginnings

2009-11-28T21:51:00.004-06:00

What a wonderful day, the sky was bright and brilliant the air cool and dry. I love fall! Plus I was able to spend the afternoon in the studio 'playing'. I have been wanting to try my hand at painting and writing on muslin. Oh my gosh it is so much fun. These two pictures are the two backgrounds that were started with watercolor and words in ziller inks. I have a quote picked out for each one. So I hope to post as they progress.

Hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

next generation (con't)

2009-11-18T20:52:00.000-06:00

This is the event poster mentioned in the previous post.

next generation

2009-11-18T19:34:00.004-06:00

There is some concern about the next generation's interest in the calligraphic arts. I have a seen a small glimmer of hope in this area. At the beginning of this month there was a youth experience at out church. My daughter volunteered to create the decorations. She created the event poster, 4 banners 50ft long (see sample below), 6 panels on 4'x8' coraplast(see samples above), and 2 foam backdrop icons 7' tall. The work took her every weekend and some evenings for about 6 weeks. As for her art experience, she doodles sometimes but has not ever spent much energy with art or calligraphy, and this was, definitely, her first attempt at large scale art.

I helped, but only in gathering material, moral support, cleaning the spray gun, and that sort of thing. This was her vision and her talent. Now, I am the mother, so of course I'm proud, but her performance has caught the attention of others also.

Just wanted to share some of what the next generation is creating.

Her exposure has led her to think about art and design in a different way, and has sparked the desire to consider this as a option for her future direction. We do have calligraphic artist in the next generation, but it is up to us to help them have the confidence to try and succeed

pointed pen play

2009-10-26T22:07:00.000-05:00

I don't usually practice flourishing for the sake of flourishing. But I came across this little tidbit in my files and thought I would share it. One quadrant was flourished, then scanned and copied and rotated in illustrator. My flourishing is not very good but I do remember having fun with this.

Journal page

2009-10-21T21:29:00.002-05:00

I have been neglecting the blog as of late. The Ponchatoula Trade Days is coming up the first weekend in November and I will be participating in the Art Station booth with 9 other artists. So I have been furiously working on new art pieces, handmade journals, cards, etc, etc.

I did take the time to make a journal entry recently on the rhythm of things surrounding us in my very small journal. It has such nice hot-pressed watercolor paper. The markers, watercolor pencils and pentel water brush just glide over the page. Purple and orange can be such nice colors together. I'm not sure it's a masterpiece but it does make me happy.

evening sketch

2009-10-05T21:24:00.003-05:00

This is a small journal entry created while sitting on the couch enjoying some old standards and swing music with my daughter. I thinks it's pretty cool that, at 16, she will sit and listen to some old music with me.

website

2009-09-29T21:54:00.002-05:00

I have been struggling with building my own website. There have been several versions; there have been a couple of visions that I have not been able to make happen as of yet. But now I have something up that I think will work for me, for awhile at least. There are a couple of bugs in Internet Explorer, unfortunately, but it seems to view and work okay in Firefox and Safari.

All that said, I would appreciate any constructive criticism and/or problems you may experience. Thanks in advance for helping me out. (Just click on the heading above to visit the site.)

Daniel study

2009-09-29T21:46:00.000-05:00

This Daniel study I am in the middle of has generated quite a bit of motivation for me in so many areas. This is a collage made in photoshop. The text was written and scanned in, then painted backgrounds and brushes added. And as I am sure you can tell, I have been inspired by Martha at Art Du Jour.

Daniel 2

2009-09-20T17:25:00.005-05:00

This is part of Daniel's prayer to God for revealing the dream of King Nebuchanezzar. I am in a local group participating in the Beth Moore study of Daniel. What a glorious prayer! When reading it I can just imagine the joy and worship in Daniel's voice.

I have had this layout vaguely in my mind for the last couple of weeks and was so excited to get it down on paper today while pondering the wonder and holiness of God.

not dark enough

2009-09-08T19:18:00.002-05:00

This is a piece I have been working on the last few days. It started out to be golden-orange italic on arches 90lb, but I made a couple of errors in the text. So I thought, 'I'll just add a couple of layers of colors and text. Which turned out great but the green text was not dark enough and the layout was off a little. So more layers of wash then the final text was to be a dark purple, but alas the purple was not dark enough. It still gets lost in the background. I should have used gouache instead of watercolor. There is a section in the middle that I darken up by applying another layer of watercolor with a little tiny brush, but that will take entirely too long to fix the whole piece.

Any suggestions as to a direction I should take this piece? I still like the piece it just needs something to make it pop.

BTW, the text is Daniel 2:20-23.