Book Preview-Jenny Hunter Groat and Notan

"In the fall of 1985, I took a weekend workshop in Boston with Jenny Hunter Groat on Notan, the Japanese design principle based on the interaction of dark (no) and light (tan). I had first encountered the concept in a design class with Brenda Lowen-Siegel at the DeCordova Museum School. I loved Jenny’s workshop and I loved Jenny, especially the philosophical depth she brought to the study of calligraphy and design. From her experiences with Zen Buddhism and Jungian analysis, she saw Notan as more than a design principle. It spoke to her of the importance of acknowledging and balancing light and dark, positive and negative, in all aspects of life."

The above paragraph is an excerpt from my forthcoming book Calligraphy: How I Fell In, Out, and In Love Again. Jenny Hunter Groat would be ninety years old today. I post this is her honor. She was such an important figure in my development as an artist.

Click here to download a pdf of the image. It is part of my Words From Susan: Inspiration for Today's World series of free downloads to print and share.

The new book launches on September 14 and will be available from amazon.

Book Preview-Too Soon

Writing Calligraphy: How I Fell In, Out, and In Love Again was an exercise in trust. This is one of many instances where things just fell into place. When I needed an image to go with the following passage, I came across this bookmark I made in 1979. The lettering itself illustrates how much I didn't know and the quote is so appropriate.

I threw myself on the unsuspecting and largely ignorant (of the finer points of calligraphy) public with a combination of outward enthusiasm and inward insecurity. You might think my insecurity lessened as I went on but the opposite was true. As my calligraphy got better, so did my critical skills. I could see flaws that I didn’t know existed the year before. Instead of abating, my insecurity grew. 

RIP Peter Fonda

Also:

I have discovered that my idea of a bit of a book preview every day until the launch of Calligraphy: How I Fell In, Out, and I Love Again is too ambitious on September 14. There is so much else I need to do before then. Previews will still be coming but not as frequently.

Book Preview-Calligraphy is...

From the third chapter of Calligraphy: How I Fell In, Out, and In Love Again, Learning Calligraphy Part 1.

Book Preview: Dabbling Days

From what I know now, I wouldn’t use the word “learn” to describe my early experience with calligraphy. I looked at letters in a book and copied them, but I understood nothing.

from Calligraphy: How I Fell In, Out, and In Love Again which launches on September 14

Calligraphy: How I Fell In, Out, and In Love Again

Calligraphy: How I Fell In, Out, and In Love Again is an illustrated memoir of my forty-year relationship with calligraphy—sometimes all-consuming, always challenging, and ultimately freeing. The story is about more than how to hold a pen and form letters. It is about growing up and growing older, questioning and slowly finding answers.

I've poured my heart and soul into my work and have done the same with this book. It is a personal statement that I have written, designed, and published. The complete book is 143 pages with 277 illustrations.

The book launches in one month, on September 14. I'll be sharing an image or a bit of text each day until then. Some of them will look familiar as the book is based on the forty blog posts I did at the end of last year.

from the introduction:

In the fall of 1978, I was an unemployed English literature major who had spent the past four years teaching swimming for the Boston School Department. I had taken courses in chemistry to prepare for studying nutrition, education to become a special education teacher, and children’s literature because I wanted to open a children’s bookstore. I don’t know that I could have verbalized it at the time, but I wanted more than a job or a career; somewhere deep inside I was seeking a life’s work. 

Words from Susan

I have added a new feature on my website: Words from Susan. It grew out of my love for writing out quotes and my feeling of helplessness at the state of the world. I do believe in the power of words—to inspire, to comfort, and to heal. You can view the quotes and download them as printable pdfs. Feel free to share widely, with credit, but no commercial use, please. The most recent quote (pdf here) is from Toni Morrison, in honor of her work and her life. To find out when new quotes are posted, subscribe to the blog and/or follow me on facebook or instagram.

Lammas 2019

Lammas asks us to accept the waning daylight as we soak in the glory of the sun A reminder of life's complexity

Lammas  is the first day of autumn in the Celtic Wheel of the Year where the seasons begin at the midpoints between the solstices and equinoxes. Lettering was done with Zig calligraphy marker,  scanned into photoshop, and screened over a photo of an oak leaf hydrangea blossom