This is the poem I just completed in Calligraphy. It concerns the life and struggles of Mississippi civil rights worker Fannie Lou Hamer.
It is written in the Italic style and fitting in all the words meant an extra long piece of paper, plus lots of effort to make No Mistakes in the words of the author, Dan Richard. He was so moved by the story of her personal struggles that he wrote this poem, which was read to Dr. Martin Luther King. He commissioned me to make this handwritten tribute to her which will hang in the Civil Rights Museum in Belzoni, MS.
Here is a framed print of my calligraphic piece entitled " Outrageous". It is part of my "ripped torn series", where I use my hands, never scissors, to tear the papers and create that loose effect I am after.
I prefer using handmade paper whenever possible. It's the texture, and the way it rips that can even leave intriguing bits of thread to create my desired image. I use a heavy white stock to write my message in the Italic alphabet, in black ink. I like to add a metallic water color as an accent. Since I chose gold paint , my frame color was to pick up this hue. This is one of the smaller prints, but I also show this as a card.
Finally, I think the message is why I chose this for today's blog. It reads as follows:" I want to be an outrageous old woman who never gets called old lady. I want to get leaner and meaner, sharp edged and earth colored 'til I fade away from pure Joy!". Author Unknown.
As my years on this earth mount up, I want to engage and rejoice in my individuality. Pure joy seems a nice way to go.
