Advent Calendar of Cards Day 11 (1990)

Deep in my photocopier phase, I leased one and then purchased it at the end of the term. I used it until parts were no longer available. By that time I was using the computer but photoshop can not match the magical unpredictability of repeated photocopying. This card used a photocopied pizzelle cookie and some pieces of textured paper.

Advent Calendar of Cards 10 (1989)

1989 was the year I switched from Christmas to Solstice Greetings. This card was made from letter-size paper folded in thirds. The word solstice was written with a brush pen and copied onto the paper. The gold circles were made with marker on each card. The verse inside was:

solstice-sun stop

still point in the sun's cycle

MAY THE SEASON OF LIGHT

BE A QUIET RADIANCE, A GATHERING IN,

FOR THE COMING YEAR

Advent Calendar of Cards Day 9 (1988)

I went through a period when I did a lot of work with the photocopier, combining calligraphy and imagery created from photocopied objects, many gathered from nature. This one was made from grape vines and mistletoe. 

There are 8 pages of images of photocopier work in my book. I never really found a way to show much of the work so I am happy to be able to share it there. Information here.

Advent Calendar Day 8 (1987)

Two Christmases and almost three years after the unexpected death of my mother and the birth of my first child, I was still struggling to understand. I made this card which was offset printed on a white linen card stock. The front had only the word “greetings.” The card opened to show this double page spread with imagery created by photocopying a branch of yew.

Advent Calendar Day 7 (1986)

This card was a collaboration with my then year-and-a-half-old son. I gave him a brush loaded with ink and he made the design. I added the words, again from the Revels. The words of "Lord of the Dance" were written in 1963 by Sydney Carter and set to the tune "Simple Gifts" which was composed in 1848 by Shaker Elder Joseph Brackett. This version on youtube is sung by John Langstaff, the founder of the Revels.

Advent Calendar of Cards Day 6 (1985)

I made this card the Christmas after my first child was born. I had already started on Childbirth Journey, a series of abstract pastel drawings with lines from my journal in calligraphy. Each card was created individually with pastels and gold marker.

You can see the complete series, and the black and white version in my new book, Calligraphy: How I Fell In, Out, and In Love Again.

Advent Calendar of Cards Day 5 (1984)

Each card was individually created—gouache for the gold and marker for the silver. "Dona Nobis Pacem" (grant us peace) is sung in rounds every year at the Revels .