Tag Archives: copperplate

Calligraphy Practice…and 50p

Not only have I been scrubbing, and opening shops, but, since last Wednesday I have also been practicing my calligraphy every morning. I do it whilst listening to the news and write phrases and headlines that pique my interest.

calligraphy-practice-sheets-2019 — Can’t do ‘D’!

My practice includes all my mistakes, spelling and otherwise. I have a calligraphy confession – after 9 years of practicing copperplate I still can’t form a proper capital ‘D’. I use a simpler version when I write a D. In today’s practice we can see that my struggle is real, and rather ugly.

I also have a problem with numbers….and lowercase x – which is a bit of an issue when writing UK news headlines. I am working on the x. And the numbers. On the plus side, because I am writing down bits of news, I am learning stuff…. like the fifty pence piece was introduced in 1969 and was generally disliked. I always rather liked it because it was a funny shape and I could buy a lot of sweets with it.

I tend to switch nibs and ink whilst I practice; I am trying to note down which nib and ink I’m using, but I don’t always remember. Today I opened a fresh bottle of Ecoline – hence my writing went a bit blobby cos the ink was runny.

I apologise for the poor quality of the pictures – I have no idea what to blame for that – too much fiddling with the light controls whilst editing perhaps?

My next mission is to start reading books again so that I have something exciting to put on a chair. Right, I must be away because I need to do something urgent with a sonic scrubber….

Dear Doris….

21 Replies

Remember Doris from the previous post… you know, the woman who was chucking things in a skip? Well, there’s a letter on its way to her… and relates to this post: How to Make Money from Art

May 2007

Dear Doris,

I am so sorry to hear that you have been suffering lately. Divorce can be a painful, bitter experience that can leave a person feeling bruised, empty, worthless, rejected, and insecure. May I suggest that you enrol on one of my visionary workshops?
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For your specific needs I am pleased to recommend: How to Express the Sound of a Vacuum Cleaner through the Medium of Paint – no previous artistic ability necessary! This workshop is person-centred and proactively designed to stimulate the development of personal empowerment. On completion of this workshop 92% of participants report an increase in general wellbeing, confidence, and light-headedness, and all participants are entitled to a 5% discount* on any further workshops offered by the Viridian Venus.
The next presentation of this workshop will be on Saturday 16th June at the Viridian Venus Gallery from 12 noon to 5pm, a deposit of £150 will be required in advance to secure your placement, and a further £150 on the day. Refreshments will be provided, but please bring your own vacuum!!

Look forward to seeing you soon!

Your friend,

Moonchild

*Early Bird Rate – Full payment 30 days in advance to claim discount.

I have been trying to write this letter out in copperplate on Crown Mill textured paper. It is lovely paper, but it does hinder my flow. It’s a slog to be honest, so I might scrap this…

….and write it out in modern calligraphy. One of the reasons I started this project was to help me determine which of my hobbies I prefer, would it be creative writing, or calligraphy? I only have so much time and I’d like to dedicate myself to just one major hobby. My feeling is that creative writing wins….SO… I will continue with these letters…. but they might all be in modern calligraphy – far quicker, and less soul-destroying. I have decided that I loathe my copperplate!

I am feeling sad. Sad about lots of things. It’s okay. My parents were whipped into hospital at the weekend. For the past few years they’ve had ongoing medical issues causing them to be regularly admitted to hospital. I feel like a useless daughter. Perhaps I need a life affirming workshop?

Dear Esther….

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A Loopy Letter has been sent out and received!!! I can confirm that the postal system in the UK does work!! This letter relates to: The Only Eccentric Artist in the Village… To be fair this doesn’t really help, does it…?

Esther,

Just a quick note to ask you to tell John that I have cleared out his things. The clothes and belongings he left here have been sent to the church for the Summer Bring and Buy Sale. The vicar was grateful, though I think he has nabbed the cashmere jumpers for himself. For the items that nobody wanted, I have ordered a skip, it is on the driveway and contains most of the shed. Perhaps John would like to rescue some bits and pieces? You know, like the vintage gardening implements he is so fond of accumulating for no reason whatsoever. And that cricket bat signed by Shane Warne and Liz Hurley. There are even some things that you might like, for example: the hideous, tacky gold frock that John bought for me for my last birthday, it would suit you, although perhaps it would be too small? Also, I no longer wish to be called Mrs Fitzpatrick, so you are more than welcome to claim this mantle at some future date.
I’ve asked for the skip people to come and collect before the weekend as the neighbours are taking advantage by either using it as a public waste receptacle, or snaffling all the ‘good stuff’, so don’t leave it too long!

Doris

This was not the first Loopy Letter set free to cause confusion and befuddlement. I am still awaiting news of the first – it had a long way to go so perhaps it is lost?
Anyhow…. I have wedding cake to eat…

Calligraphy Quotation – Mark Twain

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*Originally posted on my Loopy Letters blog*

Although I’m no longer using this blog for the Loopy Letters project there will still be gratuitous shots of calligraphy. Sometimes I forget to upload pictures to Instagram or Flickr so slapping up pictures of my most recent work on this blog will help me keep a personal record.

I wrote this quote out for a blogging chum in exchange for a crochet bunny. I was very happy with the bunny, but not so happy with my attempt at writing the quote. Sometimes I genuinely don’t like my own calligraphy, and this was one of those moments – it looks very stiff to me and ‘try hard’. Whenever I do try hard I seem to lose fluidity. One of my calligraphy goals is to achieve the look of freedom and flow. So, I wrote the quote out again, and made a bit of an effort with the background.

I liked this effort more. It feels more fluid… yet I put more effort into this one than the one above! I like mixing up scripts as well, it gives the work more texture. Anyhow, neither were as good as the crochet bunny I received in exchange! Yes, I know, where is the picture of the crochet bunny?

Loopy Letters – The Journey Continues….

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“What have you done to the Loopy Letters website?” Screamed Charmaine via a text message.
I sighed, and tossed my iPhone into a nearby plant pot.
“Too much faff”, I muttered to myself.
It was okay for Charmaine and her modern ways, she was, at this very moment, sunning herself in the South of France and languishing in luxury on the proceeds of her inky misdeeds. I knew this because she had plastered the evidence all over her Instagram account. I, on the other hand, was staring through a grubby window at the relentless Devon murk and was questioning my commitment to the Loopy Letter project.

Question 1

How many letters have I actually written since November?

a) 20
b) None
c) 100
d) 1000
e) French

Question 2

Why have I written so much?

a) Calligraphy is my lifeblood; I live to sling ink, it is all that I know, without calligraphy I would be a withered husk of a person. Calligraphy is the only thing keeping me alive; every morning I skip to my studio as though I am skipping through a dewy meadow strewn with daisies and buttercups with nothing else on my mind other than letter formation and the universal line of beauty; life would be meaningless without letters…blah, blah, blah, etc, etc….

b) I had nothing else to do.

Question 3

More pertinently, why have I written so little??????

a) Sigh. Do I really have to answer this?
b) It was Winter.
c) Christmas happened.
d) My boiler broke down.
e) It was very cold and my hand fell off.

Question 4

Do I still intend to complete the Loopy Letter Project?

a) Yes!!! Yay!!! Can’t wait to get on with it!!! My nibs are poised and ready to blast off!!! Go me!! #girlboss.
b) Yeah, go on then.
c) Yes. I have closed down the Loopy Letters website and moved it to Wonky Words so that I am more accountable regarding moving the project along.

After questioning my commitment to the Loopy Letters project I decided that I would write a blog post to let those who were waiting expectantly by their letter boxes know exactly what was going on. It was only fair. I also decided to post some pictures of one of my failures… just so they’d know I’d been trying….

copperplate-calligraphy-on-crown-mill-paper-letter-writing-project-uk

Well, that doesn’t look so bad….

calligraphy-spelling-mistake-in-copperplate-calligraphy-devon-uk

Ah…. didn’t see that coming…

Right, I’m off now to skip through the daisies….

Where is my Loopy Letter?

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Where is your Loopy Letter?

….I hear you ask. Fear not, it will turn up eventually. I have been having a harsh Winter due having no central heating and therefore I have not been able to get on as I would like. Also, I have been navel gazing and pontificating over how I’d like to present these letters… I know, you just want to receive one in the damn post, preferably in an envelope with your address emblazoned on the front, but, I was thinking that perhaps I should include a certificate of authenticity??? I then I forgot about writing Loopy Letters and started fannying about designing a simple certificate to go with the non-existent letters…
It will all come good. Promise. Also, I really enjoy making these….

collage-with-calligraphy-story-postcard-thingy-uk

Weird collage thing….

…so some people may receive one of these.

Other Letters

Although I am very behind [still at the starting gates!] with the Loopy Letters, I have been taking part in exchanges with other calligraphers. I generally practice writing an address on my Rhodia pad before writing it for real on the envelope – just to see how all the letters fit together. What bugs me is that my practice piece is often more fluid than my final version. I think this relates to my ongoing performance anxiety. This is the lively practice piece…

calligraphy-practice-on-rhodia-pad-for-addressing-envelope-uk

My jaunty practice piece….

….full of bounce and attitude. And this is how the address turned out on the envelope….

cream-calligraphy-on-grey-envelope-addressing-service-for-weddings-and-events-UK

The ‘Oh my goodness someone might see me!’ final piece.

As soon as I know someone is going to see my work I become self-conscious and a lot of the jaunty attitude is lost. It’s something for me to work on, apart from the more I work on something the more self-conscious I become! Aargghh!

And Finally…

This is another major distraction and another reason why things are slow to happen in my world…

Sid

This is my mad dog. His name is Sid. He needs 5 miles of walking every day. Currently he gets closer to 3 miles. EVERY DAY. Yes, I have been out in the harsh Winter weather, I have felt every biting wind on my face, and every dollop of snow on my head. Put it this way – I am not an outdoorsy sort of person, and each day when I return from my walk I collapse in a heap and I am fit for nothing. To be fair, what I have achieved so far is a flipping miracle.

Conclusion

I am still working on the Loopy Letter project!! I have not forgotten!! I have not given up!!!

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Question 1

Question 2

Question 3

Question 4

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Where is your Loopy Letter?

Other Letters

And Finally…

Conclusion

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