Handmade Books in the Library

        This  photo was taken this past Saturday at the Sedona Community Library. I am part of this  exhibit of hand made books made by  members of the Sequence book group, of which I am a member. This marks our 2nd year of exhibiting and teaching the art of handmade books to the public at the Sedona library, which we did  this past Saturday.                                                                                      As a calligrapher, I myself  started making books many years ago. Remember, all books used to be hand made, individually written and bound by hand. Mr. Gutenberg changed this with the invention of the printing press in  fifteenth century. Still , how exquisite it is to see the different style of books, some plain, some including words and illustrations.  I invite you all to stop by and check out this exhibit , which runs until April 25th, 2026, at our very own Sedona Community library. Books are for sale through each individual artist.                                                 

The Merlot Collection

Why has it been so long since I have written on my blog, I have been asking myself ? Travel was one reason; working in new directions with both my clay and calligraphy another. Let's not  forget that old catch all, writers' block. Anyway, new pictures, new thoughts, new blog for today and a welcome into 2024.                                                                      Here are some of my new creations, all in the purple family.AS always everything is lead free and food safe. A well known teacher of mine once said " Victoria, Practice only creates practice. " So I follow that school of thought and try to create something beautiful with each experimental piece. How will a new glaze go on a curved surface ? Does creating texture on a pot bring a new dimension to what is there? How thick and how thin to apply is still a work in progress. A friend of mine sat around and we decided to call this color my "Merlot Collection". Comments?

Calligraphy for the Holidays

Here I am, demonstrating my calligraphy, with watercolor, at the Sedona Arts Center  yesterday. 

Nearing all the holidays, that was my theme for my demo in their front lobby yesterday. I sell my calligraphy cards and prints there, so it is relevant to what our visitors are seeing me creating . Thanks to Taylor also.                                                   Each card I make is decorated by hand, with watercolor or gouache, a non transparent color. This is what I usually write with,  although a new stash of colored inks are working well on envelopes Those inks  are almost permanent , lately leaving a nice red  stain on my fingers. I was told by staff member Debra Shinn, that  I should consider this my badge of honor.  Cate , the high school artist working there, made a lovely video of my hand actually painting, which is on Facebook  also. It was kind of exciting to see the actual sequence of brush strokes. Check it out.                                                           My technique here, is to write out  my original, then print on card stock, so it will not bleed when I add wet paint. I can do many alphabets, but people seem to like the Italic style . I like using  Uncial also, which is on my sign . Each card  is a one of a kind. Watercolor is tricky. Once you make your "mark" it stays. Corrections usually make it worse, so there is always an element of surprise, even for me!                                                                                           I don't know if people are aware, but I taught Calligraphy at SAC for fourteen years, and then went on to teach at NAU for five years as adjunct faculty. I see my demos as a way to educate the public  about the beautiful art I love . 

 

The Art of Film

Here I am at the Sedona Film Festival, 2020. I must confess I am a total movie  fan and always have been. My Mom would drop me off at the Saturday matinee. (probably respite for her, also) 
I often wonder if it was the movies that subliminally  influenced  my decision to move here after just one week?
Once again, back when I was a young girl, I would stay up for the  " late show". I think I saw every movie ever made here. Jeff Chandler as the noble Indian; Debra Paget as the lovely captive. All very politically incorrect , but boy did that influence my desire to ride horses, and go out to the wild west. 
I did have a long  stop over in Los Angeles to go to university and live at the beach and start to be a working artist, both in Clay and Calligraphy. Once again, a movie town.We were too " cool" in Venice beach to pay attention to the movie people, which is why they liked it there, I think.That and the movie called Life that seemed run every day there with all the unusual "assortment" of humanity. 
So here I am some 35 years later , going into the wonderful world of of every film festival; Learning new things and being transformed into new dimensions. The art of film.

Windows of Words

Here is my latest mixed media creation, "Windows of Words." Nine, small metal boxes covered in handmade , or other intriguing papers.Inside are provocative quotes and  I even wrote a poem myself.
 It is now showing  at the Jerome Artists' Coop  Holiday Show in Jerome AZ. for December 2019 and January, 2020.
As a professional calligrapher for the past 35 years,  I am always collecting quotes; tin boxes; papers and more, and then some more..... Remember opening those  little windows at holiday time? This was my theme. The wood has a slightly tree shape if you notice. Using several alphabets such as  Roman , Uncial and  Italic it  was fun to interpret these sayings in a  different style. I invite the public to stop by and explore this interactive art. 

Rumi 's Words in my Calligraphy

Here is an example of my calligraphy that uses the words of one of my favorite poets, Rumi. A 13 th century Persian poet, scholar, and Sufi mystic, he is one of the more popular and best selling poets in the world. Perhaps even here in Sedona, AZ.   
I was doing this piece for a client, so they chose the alphabet. It is called  Foundational . English calligrapher, Edward Johnston, started teaching this in the Central School of arts and Crafts in 1899. It was the beginning of the modern study of calligraphy as an art form. This was an alphabet I taught at NAU. Now most of you turn to your computer to write out everything. But look closely, isn't this similar to one of the fonts that you often choose ? 
As the artist, I  added the flourishes. After all, I have to have some fun, and show where the human hand differs from the machine.   
I like this quote because we all seek certain elusive answers to our life's challenges, especially depending on what is going on in our lives. I will end this blog with another quote of his: "Yesterday I was clever so I wanted to change the world. Today I am wise, so I am changing myself." 

The Art of Sumigashi

 Look at this flowing decorated paper I just created. Its technical term is Sumigashi, or Japanese water marbling.
I attended a workshop with my local fellow bookmakers. We are always trying to learn a new technique to teach each other and  apply to our handmade books. 
This is a natural extension of my art as a Calligrapher here in Sedona,  creating by hand the vessel to hold my handwritten words. There was also a lesson on how to create this diagonal Pocket folder, which can hold a hand made book or card. Now that was a  lesson unto itself! We put on a backing  to make it into this folded form.Back to the paper...
The process starts with a pan of still water. Into this container I put the tip of a Japanese sumi brush, or its equivalent, which  has as nice pointed tip. Only touching the surface, it will spread out into a circular designs.
Using primarily black ink, we did a lot of experimenting with adding colored inks. They went in bright, but diluted quite a bit with the final rinsing process. I must add I was using a pink paper to start with  since it seemed to hold up better than the thin rice paper, although that does work. Just be careful taking it out. 
The paper is folded and lowered into the pan center first, then the edges at the end.  It is the down side of the paper that will be the printed side we look at.  This is a fun art and definitely Not for those who want control.
I think I will call it the art of the Surprise!
                      

The Art of Playing

Here is one of my latest creations I call  "Words on Clay". A ceramic plaque, using porcelain clay as my canvas, with words  in a somewhat calligraphic  script. I use a small brush and cobalt blue oxide to create this image on the clay. It is   then covered with a clear glaze, and fired to a high temperature. It could last longer than I do, as it hangs on a wall.
These are not my words, but those of the noted Irish play write and author, George Bernard Shaw. He live to almost 100, so he had many pithy writings. Since we are in a new year, this quote seemed to be a fitting message to myself, and others. 
It is a brand new time, 2019; another step in this progress we call life. With all the challenges in today's world, maybe it is good to remember to take the time to play  more. 
For me, this can happen when I am in the studio, writing out my words on clay, or when I am travelling and play is the destination. Now, if I can just remember to live each day as if I am on that vacation...And you ?

A Look Back, and then Forward....

Here it is the last day of 2017  here in Sedona, Arizona. Like many, I get kind of nostalgic about how fast this last year " slipped by". This is a poem I wrote and penned in calligraphy  that seems to sum it up, especially these last  verses:    "Who could have imagined?   There was always more space                                          Out there in the future, No, it's gone with no trace."
           "Where did it go, that ten years ago? "
"Amazement at life's passage, No regrets, well maybe some
But that ultimate question, How much yet to come?...

So many pieces to create, and who ever knows our time frame? I have been very active in my head these last two months. Ideas are taking shape and yet I have not gotten into actually going through the final task of Doing them. Sound familiar?

My friend calls this " Artistic tension" , when your stomach churns and you don't know how you will possibly follow through and create the reality of what is in your head. 

But it will happen, next year, I'm thinking.

Not only a resolution, but I say this With resolution.

And you: what dreams do you plan to carry out as a whole new year commences?

The Art of Origami in a Handmade Book

This is my latest handmade creation in the wonderful world of handmade books I make as an extension of my art of calligraphy. After all, the writing was always put in handmade books back in the very early days.
Known as the  Bookboard  style, with a slip knot binding, there are  12 pages, made out of a sturdy cardboard.
Since each side is covered with a decorative page, there are really are 24 images to view. Finding all the decorative paper was a challenge. I ended up buying a notebook of these designs, which I decided to mix and match, using  with a crystal  theme. Purples, and greens and pinks! The edges are sprayed with a gold paint, and the binding a consecutive slip knot  made from green embroidery thread. 
 What makes this one so intriguing, is that the inside is filled with origami foldouts on many of the pages. While this appears facile, making the exact folds is really tricky. I  used the thin, shiny origami paper, which takes the folds so well. The instructor has a notebook full of these patterns she shared with us.
This is a new learning process for me , and will take some practice. I did manage to  put  different designs throughout the pages. Not quite complete, I am still thinking of what  surprises to add for the finishing touches.

Flourishes in Calligraphy

Here is my hand on the page doing calligraphic flourishes. You know, all those elegant designs done with your pen that make a word or page stand out. 
I was lucky enough  to recently take a day's workshop with Paul Antonio, a six foot tall Englishman who creates calligraphy for the Queen of England. Their country has a long tradition, and appreciation, of handwritten work. Plus there is all that nobility and honors they give out. 
He really starts with the basics: how you are sitting; what is the position of your hand, and the pen you are holding. We used the pointed nib, commonly used in Copperplate styles going back to  the 16th century. The rules  apply to using a  broad nib also. Then there is  breathing: Upstroke -inhale; down stroke- exhale.  Ever notice we often hold our breath when we are working on fine art details? I know I do. That's a lesson I want to hold onto. 
Paul pays lots of attention to the mathematical shapes and angles involved. We began drawing ellipses with a pencil, that later become those same patterns  in ink. Teach the hand through repetition.
I like to refresh my calligraphy  by taking a course when I can. Living in Sedona always means travel to the teacher.  We all get into habits, often not very good ones. An English accent makes that critique a bit easier. 
He recommends 20 minutes every other day of practice. I'm on it. Ideas are dancing in my head about how to apply these lessons. Ah hah. The holidays Are coming up... 

Calligraphy to Honor the Civil Rights Movement

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.

Calligraphy: the Art that Lasts

I am in the library of the country club here in  the Sedona area, standing in front of my own calligraphy. This commission came from the interior decorator redoing this room. Her idea was to have framed quotes about books on the walls. 
On the top are the words of Cicero:" A room without books is like a body without a soul". This Roman, who died in 43 BC, was obviously  a reader. Below is a quote from John Ruskin, (1819 -1900.) " No Book is worth anything until it has been read".  There are a few other framed selections around the room.
My work is dated 2004, which  kind of caught me by surprise. Where did all those years go ? The good thing is I am still pleased with how it looks, which as an artist is always what we want.
 I chose to write in  the Uncial style of alphabet, historically one of the oldest, used in  the earliest manuscripts. I like this hand and it seemed the correct choice since I could add decorative embellishments. It's fun to do that.
Calligraphy is such an ancient art form. It has stood the test of time and reminds us how important a tool is the the human hand. I am pleased to see my own calligraphy is still an art form that lasts. 

The Art of the Maze

Here  I am on the road to  completing the "Maze book with Rod -edged Bindings", yet another of my hand made books.
 That's a a complicated title, isn't it? Simply stated, this is what is known as an accordion style book which uses metal rods along the edges  as a means of attaching each page another. Yes, these are pages, blank as of this moment .Later, perhaps it may contain my calligraphy about some theme that inspires me. 
I cut out each of my ten pages  from mat board, cut into four inch squares.Then comes the hunt to find tiny little metal rods , no thicker than the diameter of that board. The cover is slightly bigger, decorated with  that fancy paper  you see peeking out. Each rod is covered in book cloth, which is then meticulously glued to each side of my standing page. Holes are pushed out with a Japanese  hole punch, a nifty little device that I had to borrow to make this project.Finally, each page must be sewn to another, both top and bottom to make that binding frirm. Very elegant to look at, I think.
 I'm part of a group of extremely talented book makers, who are generous with time and materials as we all take turns teaching a new book to the others.We artists work so much alone, it can be very inspiring, as well as informative to observe how we all interpret the same book in our own style.This is a work in progress. I will see what turn the maze next follows!.

The Art of the Atlantic

Here I am walking along the Atlantic Ocean in Daytona Beach, Florida, on my recent birthday.  What a grand piece of art is this body of water. The sound of the waves, and the smell of the surf is nice for someone who lives in the high desert of Sedona, Arizona.The vista is wide and flat, unlike our mountainous western states. Usually I go the closer Pacific, so it was a different feel to arrive on the eastern shore.
 Did you know that the Atlantic is the second largest ocean in the world?  At 41,100,000 square miles, it covers approximately 20 % of the earth's surface. On average, it is the saltiest of the major oceans. It occupies an elongated S shaped basin extending between Eurasia, Africa and the Americas. The old world and the new. Can you imagine those sailors and settlers going off into the unknown in their small vessel, on a  notoriously changeable body of water?      
I find this vast body of water a real inspiration of the endless rhythms of nature, the ebb and flow of life. How will this find a form in my ceramics or calligraphy I am not certain. But it will. There is great art to the Atlantic.
 

A Last Holiday Greeting for 2016

It is the last day of 2016 here in Sedona, AZ. and I am still in the holiday spirit. So here is another sample of my Calligraphy in a 4 by 5" card. My message  includes "to  you and those you love". 
Isn't all this gift giving and card sending simply a way to reach out and tell someone you care? It is for me. As I decorate each card, or pick out a gift,  it is my way to make a connection. We don't seem to have so many " personal touches" these days. Calligraphy had its resurgence in the late 19th century because people were tired of living in " the machine age". I think I know that feeling.
 People seem to enjoy the fact that each and every card is hand water colored , right down to the little red berries. I wrote out the original in black ink, then had it printed on card stock. After that, I go back with my brushes and palette, and add the festive touches in color. Since I use water based paint, I had to make the lettering impervious to moisture. This is my technique on all my cards of this size. I have other messages, but this works for today. 
So how to keep our happy outlook? All I know is how I feel right now.
 

The "Business" of Art

My personal goal always was to " make my living" as a working artist. Well, I guess I am there.  I list that as my profession, and give the  government their share of all profits.
Art is a passion; a path; really a need inside of me, wanting to come out in a tangible form. However, every day I am reminded that it is also a business.
For example: I just spent a large  amount of time  to figure out the EZ form that the state came up with to pay sales taxes. How to undo pushing just one button in an incorrect way? I like it when I get a human to help, but that can be a lot of time on hold. We all know about waiting for the " next available person" on the telephone.
Recently there was a complicated  shipping  dilemma.  Add an upset client into the mix  and it becomes a total lesson in patience and sanity. Rarely is one paid for all this time to sort out these basic functions. Yet we must smile, and do our best to keep the customer happy.
Now that is my goal also. Without a patron, my ceramics will  sit on the shelf, or my calligraphy hang on the wall, forever. So there is both the  fiscal and the human need to keep things flowing smoothly.
 If we are in galleries there are shows to enter, time spent promoting ourselves and our work. Often, we must pay to be rejected. Heck, you can go out into society and get that for free, but not in the art world. 
It  catches me by surprise, and some sorrow,  how all artists must borrow  time to go into the studio and create. I guess I wish that image of the artist as the " free spirit" were more truly available.I know I chose this path, but it sure gets steep and rocky sometimes
 I invite other artists to  comment on their feelings about the "Biz" side of art

The Art of Doing Not Much

What a nice image. To do nothing. A white porcelain wall plaque,  with cobalt blue lettering, hanging right before you to amuse and inspire. 
The Spanish saying so makes me smile, that I put it into a  permanent, high fired ceramic art form. This style  of calligraphy is called " Brush lettering" , done with a rather small brush, held at an angle. Harder to write on clay than on paper, with its irregularities.
As of these past few weeks, I have been required to live this lifestyle. It is called " healing". I had a bit of surgery and the prescription is as follows: Do nothing; rest a lot; ice and elevate;  rest a lot.
 It makes me aware  that doing nothing is the most fun when the time and place is of your own choosing. Having to do not much of anything when it is necessity rather than choice, now there is the real test of this art form.
It is something to think about. Everything is a real joy when we choose it. Having to do something, even when it is nothing, well there is the challenge.

Autumn Inspiration

Here I am on the San Francisco peaks. I  took the chair lift  up with all the other tourists, looking down on the golden aspens. I actually expected to see even more color, but mother nature showed  a lovely canvas.
I like fall. The air gets cooler, as  do we. It is a change, which is not a bad thing. Nature beckons. I  gain insights and inspiration living in this incredible environment. The holiday seasons are approaching, all of them. As artists, we can no longer put off that final productive surge, and those due dates exist. Christmas will not be postponed, simply because we are not quite ready!
A fellow craftsman welcomes what he calls this " creative tension", as he starts a new project, or tackles a problem in a new design. I try to keep this thought in mind, even as I sit down to write this blog.
 Soon I will go into my calligraphy studio. It's time for   some serious thinking on this idea that has been floating around in my head for a while.  That is the first step in my creative process.
It is time to get into my autumn inspiration.
 

My Exposition

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Here I am at the opening of my show," Reflections", by V. Norton . I am wearing my porcelain bead jewelry, and standing in front of a wall showing my ceramic artwork.
This is a solo show of my ceramics; calligraphy, and book arts. Currently displayed at the Jerome Artists Cooperative in Jerome AZ., it runs  until July 1st, 2015. I will once again be at the gallery  from 5 until 8 pm, on First Saturday, June 6th,  to meet with people.
Mounting an exhibit, or as the French say, une exposition, is a large undertaking.(I am working on my French again, and I like the way this word this rolls off my tongue.) Primarily, there is creating the work.With a theme in mind, that helps with a direction. "Reflections" is really about my past, present, and perhaps future work, if I can get back into my studio soon! 
There are many logistics to a show. How much to make? One can't underestimate the publicity factor. If people don't know it is happening, they can't come. There are photos to be taken. Then comes creating invitations on my computer, a challenge to one who has no fear of a fourth century calligraphic alphabet, but gets stage fright with electronics. 
Never forget the importance of hanging the show. That includes painting walls, more than once; hanging shelves; artwork; creating cards and prints; displaying the handmade books. Deciding what to include and  arranging items is significant. Many thanks to those who did help me, but the word solo does make the point.
The next time you go to some one's art show, applaud the artist for their work, both in front of you, and all that went on behind it. 
I invite you to visit my "exposition" when in Jerome.