(Yes, I am missing some words in my above quote, they were finsished in watercolor to add a little life to the saying. It should read "God's gifts put man's best dreams to shame," by Elizabeth Barrett Browning. Something I've found to be very true in my own life.)
Do you remember practicing handwriting in school, with the nifty blue-lined newsprint that inevitably became eraser-marked with mistakes and do-overs? Though stressful for a five year old, I've discovered that trying to create perfect letters is really quite relaxing, now that I'm an adult. I took a calligraphy class a couple years ago, and attend a calligraphy guild, where we learn about the letter arts. To express a feeling, emotion, or sentiment, using just letters is really challenging, but so rewarding. So far, I've only learned one "alphabet" (a particular style of lettering), the Italic alphabet, but I hope to learn more soon. And did you know that the Italic alphabet used to be standard handwriting for folks? I recenlty met an older gentlemen who still writes in Italic; what a wonderful skill. Check out this blog for some fine examples of calligraphy and book arts combined.
Another beautiful thing about calligraphy? All you really need are a pen, pencil, ruler and paper to get started. No fancy set-up or expensive tools. Do you have any favorite lettering artists or resources you can point me to as I pursue my handwriting studies?
