Christmas Calligraphy

Here is a piece I did for a Christmas past,and since it is that time of year, I thought it would be a good thought to resurrect. It reads as follows:
 " Somehow, not only at Christmas,but all the long year through, the joy that you give to others, is the joy that comes back to you."
 The poet John Greenleaf Whitttier wrote this poem over one hundred years ago. 
It' is not a new thought. Also known as " you get what you give" is another way I have heard it, or " give unto others..."  I liked the poetry form, and it was a reminder to me to hold onto this belief which certainly makes a lot of sense. I am learning that people do pick up on our feelings, and we can influence their moods by our delivery.  Isn't it nicer to be around people who are happy, rather than expressing negativity? Yes, it is.
Being the traditionalist that I am not, I created a  tie dye cloth background for my holiday cheer. My technique was to write in the Italic style of calligraphy on pieces of paper, which  I  then inserted into the fabric, and glued down. I like the feeling that the words are floating on the canvas.
The original is a rather large piece of about 24 by 36 inches, from which I also created  prints and cards. Perhaps this is just a positive way to reach more people with our art.

"El Pescado " Platter

People often  ask me, "which of your arts do you love more, your ceramics or your calligraphy?" Truthfully, I am equally passionate about both of these media.When I can combine the two, it is the ultimate for me. 

Here is a platter entitled    "El Pescado". 

This was an inspiration of the owner of Adelante, a gallery located  in Carefree, AZ. She carries my brightly colored cat plates. There is lots of Mexican folk art there. Speaking some Spanish, I like using  it on my artwork! The literal translation is " the cat wants,or desires, the fish.

This is piece made of porcelain, measures about fourteen inches across, and is functional as well as as decorative. Using a smooth white clay gives me a great surface on which to write.I find a brush to be the best tool when writing on clay. The  style is basically Italic. My tool is a very fine, sable  brush. It is more  flexible than the straight edge of metal  pen, which gives it a softer edge. The  color is  cobalt. It comes out a strong, dark  blue that pleases me, and reminds me of the deeper water when looking far out in the ocean. Where else to  find your pescado?