Quite some challenge!

I knew straightway that the theme of Peace was going to be a challenge, but then that's what I needed.  I thought that the lettering, and the discipline would give me challenge sufficient, but along came the theme!  How does one deal with that visually in an alphabet?

I started by gathering examples of images of peace as found on Google, and pasted them into my notebook for inspiration.

I'm afraid that did not help me much, so I sat down to think about the concept of Peace itself, and ended up asking myself more questions than achieving any satisfactory answers.  Time meantime was passing, and the days were ticking past.
I said to myself: a letter a week, and the first week is almost by ... and then I said it again: a letter a week!  That was (probably) my solution.
I love writing letters.  The best relationship I had with my mother was when I could write to her - she loved those letters.  I really enjoy writing physical hand written letters to my close friends, just as I enjoy writing out notes of research and workings out.  So why not write a letter a week - each letter with its own letter, so to speak.
So, this is what I think* I shall do: *(I'm giving myself until the end of January to come up with a better solution) using the alphabetical letter concerned as a source of content words I shall write a letter exploring thoughts on the topic of Peace.  The letter should also include the capital letterform somehow.  (From now I shall call the letter an epistle, and the letterform a letter.)

Right.  So I knew that I had in my stash of paper a fine paper with a watermark which had up to now been useless (for prints), but would now be ideal.  Somehow I thought that airmail-like paper would be appropriate for the topic of Peace, so I painted the paper with a watercolour made of crushed soft pastel and water.
Once dry I drew an outline capital with a fine waterproof sepia Faber Castell Pitt S pen.  I was intending to write the epistle in black.  I found that drawing the letter was rather wobbly, and repeating it over did not help, so I'm glad that the epistle writing will distract from this - I hope!
Here is D whose words I am still collecting before composing the epistle this week:

This shows how the wash of blue forms a kind of sky-ness which I wanted rather than an all over flat colour.  I'm afraid I'm also exposing my arthritic wobbliness, but hey ho.  This is a personal challenge, not a competition.

I have also not written thesis level wisdom in the epistles (should I ever aspire to that, in any case!).  I am genuinely curiosity-driven about this whole topic of Peace now that it has been raised, and given the restriction of being spurred by the vocabulary beginning with the letter concerned, I am being conversational - and certainly not aiming at being profound!

As my fingers are becoming stiffer with the osteoarthritis, I find that the writing helps provide a useful alternate exercise from my other repetitive activities.  So, from a point where I thought that the challenge would be impossible, I think I'm more relaxed now.  I am certainly looking forward to see what everyone else does.

First ALAW Challenge

Hello from Southern Sydney, this is my first ever blog, and first ever designed alphabet. Thanks Fiona for organising it. I am a member of  Southscribes in Sylvania, Sydney and  have attended calligraphy classes over 3 years, though I find I'm not very disciplined with the formal scripts.  I have admired calligraphy of many styles and the 2012 ALAW set by fellow member Valerie Keevers, she and the other core members of the group are always encouraging and generous with their knowledge.

I will enjoy this challenge to create 2 alphabets, the first one is Occy... Octopus

 

The 2nd alphabet is proving to be more of a challenge, but I am sure something will come to mind.

Keep up the good work.
regards
Jan Armstrong

Calligraphytique

Hello everyone!

I'm calligraphytique, a french teenager who like calligraphy and make this art, of course, isn't a "big art". I discovert this project A Letter A Week in 2011, but I didn't know that I can participe. This years, I've discovert that and I give an e-mail... and I'm there! I'm very happy to make this project! I make calligraphy since a few years, but I want to improve me, so I pulls (entails?) me. My blogs is "Calligraphytique", "between calligraphy, graffiti and graphic" (but in French.).


Bonjour tout le monde! Je suis una adolescente français, qui aime et pratique la calligraphie, mais sans que cela soit du "grand art". J'ai découvert ce projet A Letter A Week en 2011, mais je ne savais pas que l'on pouvait s'y inscrire. J'ai découvert cela cette année et j'ai demandé à participé! Je suis très heureuse de participer à ce projet. Je fais de la calligraphie depuis quelques années, mais ce n'est qu'en 2010 que je m'y suis mise sérieusement. J'essaie constamment de m'améliorer. Mon blog s'appelle "Calligraphytique", "entre calligraphie, graffiti et graphique".


Some Work / Quelques travaux:

hello and bonjour. introducing myself ......

SUSAN BOWERS - from Montville, Queensland in Australia.

I am thrilled to be back with ALAW 2013 after joining last year and wishing I had begun a couple of years before that.  Below are a couple of photos of my two alphabets from last year.  Thanks to Fiona for taking on the challenge again this year - setting up the blog and coordinating us all.  Encouraging us all. Please!  It will be fun.

For those that don't know me you can see some of my work on my blog tracemarks.  I am a lover of paper, print, drawings and etchings, contemporary and abstract work, rust, decay, mark making  and the obscure.  What I most enjoy about this blogging world is finding new work which captures my imagination, making new friends and keeping a photographic record of work happening, or not, in the studio.

Welcome to all newcomers ..... I will head off now and look at your introductions.  It will be lovely getting to know you all throughout the year.

free alphabet

dotty alphabet

bonjour, je m'appelle Nine

Je suis avec admiration l'aventure de ces alphabets grâce à Callie. Cette année j'ai décidé de présenter ma participation. Je m'appelle Jeannine, Nine sur mes blogs. J'habite le Nord de la France.
Je pratique la calligraphie en amateur depuis de nombreuses années à Saint Amand les Eaux, petite ville connue pour ses documents anciens, propriété de l'Echevêché de la Tour abbatiale. La conservatrice du musée qui est aussi  calligraphe organise chaque année "le Mai de calligraphie" qui est une exposition recevant les plus grands calligraphes  français.
Depuis 3 ans je travaille aussi la Terre et j'essaie d'associer la terre et la calligraphie mais je n'en suis qu'à mes débuts...Mon blog s'appelle Calliterre mais il est encore bien modeste...
J'espère ne pas vous décevoir
Une de mes réalisations: un album lotus calligraphié du Cantilène de Sainte Eulalie , une Sainte de Saint Amand les eaux


I am in awe of these alphabets adventure with Callie. This year I decided to present my participation. I'm Jeannine, Nine on my blogs. I live in the North of France.
I practice calligraphy amateur for many years at Saint Amand les Eaux, a small town known for its ancient documents, the property of the abbey tower Echevêché. Museum curator who is also a calligrapher annually organizes "May the calligraphy" is an exhibition which receives the greatest calligraphers French.
I worked for 3 years as the Earth and try to combine land and calligraphy but I'm only beginning my blog ... My name is Calliterre but it is still very modest ...
I hope not to disappoint you
One of my achievements: an album of calligraphy lotus Cantilène Sainte Eulalie, a Holy Saint Amand waters

Sandra from Evandale, Tasmania

I have enjoyed drawing from an early age, a course at art college helped to focus my skills

and ideas.  In subsequent years I’m still focused on learning.....how do you portray the care

that goes into the construction of a nest, within the constraints of a drawing media.

I gradually brought clay into the equation, and started to slip cast eggs, and paint them, to represent

the real thing, then making a slip cast pillow, as a metaphor for the nest. 

I am much slower now in producing work, as age takes hold, but the passion never leaves.

That is why I have decided to have a go at  ALAW.     

Sandra.

This is some of my art work from recent years.

 

and here is an 'S' just for starters.

Hello...

Hello, my name is Scarlet and I'm also new here. Firstly, many thanks to Fiona for letting me take part! I heard about A Letter a Week via Dinah at Moreidlethoughts, who encouraged me to get in touch with Fiona. I have a calligraphy blog - HERE, and a very random blog - HERE.

I have a feeling that the company I'm keeping on this blog will prove to be very inspiring and will help me to develop as a calligrapher.

Many thanks,

Sx

Di's Introduction

Hello! I'm Di,another newcomer, in Mackay, Queensland.   I have followed the progress of ALAW, admiring  intricate lettering and novel presentations and I have thought, sometimes, that I'd rather like to join you. I should say that I am not a professional calligrapher, though I used to do small, personal pieces for friends.
But I am very, very out of practice and have a shaky hand...so I just watched and lurked.
Until today!
Some of you are familiar from blog visits and I do personally know one of the company - hello, Anna. And some of you are also members of the book collective BookArtObject, so I expect you'll have seen me there. My other blog presence is (mainly) at Idle Thoughts where I sometimes recount some of my comings and goings.

Présentation - Callie

Bonjour à tous,

Après avoir participé au projet "une lettre par semaine" de Fiona en 2010 et 2011, j'avais accumulé tellement de retard sur 2011 que j'avais décidé de terminer en 2012 plutôt que de commencer de nouveaux alphabets...

Et comme je n'ai plus aucun retard d'alphabet et que j'apprécie beaucoup le thème choisi pour 2013, j'ai demandé à nouveau à participer.

La paix est un thème porteur, c'est vrai, mais ça me fera le plus grand bien d'y travailler un petit peu... ;) Et j'ai également très hâte de découvrir les merveilles que vous allez inventer... Je trouve toujours très intéressant de découvrir les chemins qui mènent aux réalisations finales.

Je participe à ce projet dans l'idée de travailler mes calligraphies. Mon blog est "Calligraphie etc"

Je vis en France, dans les environs de Paris.

Ah... Et je vous prie d'excuser s'il y a trop d'erreurs, je dois utiliser un traducteur car je n'ai pas tout à fait les compétences qu'il faut pour écrire directement.

Merci Fiona
Bonne journée
Callie

Hello to all,

After participating in the project "a letter a week" Fiona in 2010 and 2011, I had accumulated so late in 2011 that I decided to finish in 2012 rather than start new alphabets ...

And as I have no more delay alphabet and I really appreciate the theme for 2013, I asked again to participate.

Peace is a central theme, it is true, but it will give me the greatest good to work a little ... ;) And I also can not wait to discover the wonders that you invent ... I always find it very interesting to see the paths that lead to the final achievements.

I participate in this project with the idea of ​​my calligraphy work. My blog is "Calligraphie etc"

I live in France, near Paris.

Ah ... And I apologize if there are too many errors, I have to use a translator because I did not quite have the skills to write directly.

thank you Fiona
good day
Callie

Noela's Introduction

Hi there,
I feel like a bit of an 'old timer' as I have participated in all ALAWs, but I must admit I still have 2 alphabets to put together.
I am a mixed media artist, living in beautiful Maleny, Sunshine Coast Hinterland, Queensland, Australia, and I am honoured to have Fiona as a good friend.

My work is often influenced by the concept of 'wabi sabi' - the Zen Buddhist philosophy of finding beauty in things simple, weathered, incomplete. I am using 'rust' paint and a white 'lime wash' paint at the moment, and enjoying the serendipitous results - not a good benchmark for calligraphy, but it's a fun challenge finding a 'happy medium'.
I paint, sew, make jewellery, artists' books, dye stuff, design, exhibit, teach, travel, have coffee with friends and generally have a pretty good life. I'm looking forward to making some more good blogger friends this year.
My bog site is wabisabiart.blogspot.com.

Janet's first post

Hello everyone!  I came across A Letter A Week yesterday - what fortunate timing, as I think it's just the sort of challenge I'll enjoy!

I'm a calligrapher, but I'm terrible at ever finishing anything, so I'm looking for interesting activities that'll make me actually finish stuff.

I'm based in Nottingham, UK and teach calligraphy and making little books, as well as carrying out commissions - it's a great life :0)

Looking forward to making some new friends too!

Hello from Julie

Hi. My name is Julie B Booth (aka Threadborn). I’ve admired the alphabets from ALaW 2012 and thought that I’d play along this year. I’m primarily a fiber artist, though I started my professional life as a graphic designer. I’m probably best known for my non-traditional cloth dolls and more recently for my hand painted and printed fabrics. In fact, after winning a grant from my fiber guild in 2010, I’ve been spending a great deal of time in my kitchen concocting fabric resist recipes. This year, I decided that the kitchen held all sorts of possibilities for fabric surface design and started an online newsletter to share my discoveries. In this recent post, I have a recap of 2012 so you have an idea of what I’m all about.

I’m very excited to be joining such a creative group of artists. I’ve already been thinking about what I’d like to try doing for this year’s alphabets. I expect that this is going to be a lot of fun and look forward to getting to know each of you and your artwork over the course of this year. I can’t wait to see how each of us interprets the Peace alphabet!

Sally's Intro

Hi All!
Very excited to be a part of A Letter A Day 2013. I started following 2012 - finding it through someone on facebook - maybe Gemma?

Anyway, I have always been looking for something to keep me motivated and creating for creating's sake (not just an envelope job - though I like those). I thought this would be a good way to try new things and keep me creating over the long haul.

I live in Monroeville, PA (just east of Pittsburgh) and have been in love with calligraphy since about 1985. I'm a long-time member of the Calligraphy Guild of Pittsburgh - home of the amazing Myrna Rosen and Judy Melvin whom some of you may know if you attend calligraphy conferences. They are both wonderfully talented and inspiring women whose work I deeply admire. I'm a new member of the Washington Calligrapher's Guild, too.

I am just starting my journey of an online presence. I have a new website which features my work. I try to keep up a facebook page, and I just started my own blog. As Fiona can attest, I'm an online-newbie and often feel technologically impaired - but with some time and practice, I think I'm getting the hang to this.

I am looking forward to sharing with all of you.

Happy 2013!
Peace,
Sally

Sally & Joe at Pitt v ND 2011

PS I have two grown boys in college and am married to my best friend, Joe. -

A new member

Greetings!  My name is Kathleen Loomis and I have just joined this community of letter lovers.  I'm primarily a fiber artist (check my blog here) but have resolved to work more in paper and mixed media this year.

My father was a typographer and I was raised with a love of both calligraphy and type.  Although I love beautiful hand-drawn letters, my skills are sadly lacking in this area.  In recent years I have been "unblocked" by a fine teacher who helped me realize that handwritten text need be neither legible nor beautiful. (Read about it here.)

I'm also a lover of daily or weekly art projects, so ALAW is something I'm greatly looking forward to participating in. 

Wendy's Intro

Hi,
I'm Wendy, a hobby calligrapher from Burnaby, B.C., Canada. I followed ALAW in 2010; participated fully in 2011;  signed up last year and thought about my alphabets, purchased dots for my "dotty alphabet, and produced not one letter!  Life, primarily in the form of my mother-in-law and my mother being ill  (both currently doing relatively well), interfered.  I am looking forward to actually working on some letters this year.
I am actively involved with the Westcoast Calligraphy Society.  You can visit our website here:

http://www.westcoastcalligraphy.com