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

Summer Solstice 2019

The longest day Treasure the light and Carry it forward

from the series The Wondrous Nearer Drew: Artwork Inspired by Emily Dickinson Manipulated Photograph of a Peony with a line from Poem 1489 Books of the Complete Set of 30 Images Available on Etsy

New Book in the Works

It's been quiet here on the blog front for most of this year. After my Virtual Reality experience at MIT in January, I became deeply immersed in a project—turning the forty blog posts about my life with calligraphy at the end of the last year into a book entitled Calligraphy: How I Fell In, Out, and In Love Again.

The book is written and edited, the design is almost done, and the cover is underway. It will be ready to launch in the fall. I'll keep you posted on the publication date and share bits and pieces along the way. I'm printing it on demand through Amazon's KDP Publishing. I'll be focusing on selling through amazon and personal appearances—illustrated talks and events. Bookstores are understandably less welcoming to amazon-published books so I am looking for other venues such as art associations and centers, libraries, and book and art groups. Suggestions are most welcome.