Happy Valentine’s Day

First Day of Celtic Spring

May the lengthening days grow the light within us.

Imbolc is the first day of spring in the Celtic Calendar and is associated with the goddess Brigid. Her colors include white and gold. Dr. Martin's Bleedproof White on Lokta paper from Nepal  with Pearl Gold Gouache and Finetec Silver

To Thine Own Self Be True

A new piece from the Words From Susan collection of calligraphy to share. 

Click here to download the pdf.

New Year Greeting 2020

Brush lettering with Dr. Martin's Pen-White on Shizen handmade paper from India

Christmas/Solstice Greetings

Advent Calendar of Cards Day 24 (2018)

Last year's card was in memory of our dear friend Brian whose unexpected death shocked and saddened us to our core. I quoted the song—written for children in the 1920s by Harry Dixon Loes and later adapted by Zilphia Horton, amongst many other activists, in connection with the civil rights movement—in my eulogy and it seemed appropriate for our solstice card. I used a technique I learned in Carol DuBosch's Folded Pen Workshop sponsored by Masscribes. I did the lettering black on white, scanned it into the computer, and printed it on Wausau Astrobright Eclipse Black paper with my laserjet printer (doesn't work with inkjet). I made brush strokes over it with bleach which affected the surface of the paper but not the lettering. The final card was printed by Scarlet Letter Press in Salem, MA.

Advent Calendar of Cards Day 23 (2017)

I had been working on a series of flower photographs with their names in Latin and had the idea to make a card with evergreen plants and their Latin names. My mother-in-law, a gardener and landscaper who taught me to use Latin names whenever possible (to prevent confusion as popular names are not as absolute), died that summer and the card became a tribute to her.